In this episode the Boozy Blondes get in vacation mode, sipping their official go-to cruise drinks, talking all things cruising. If you could consider cruising a sport, the girls would take first place every time. Chrissy is an old vet at the cruise game and taught Molly her ways – even though she has a long way to catch up to Chrissy’s experience, Molly is a quick learner and together the girls absolutely crush cruising.
The DOE and official go-to cruise drink is spiced rum and ginger beer. At home, the girls typically use Captain Morgan or Sailor Jerry’s for rum, but they are split on the ginger beer. Chrissy prefers Goya brand for its extra spice and Molly prefers Fever Tree or Q Mixers (because she doesn’t like flavor especially spice).
When on the cruises, the girls go with Kraken rum while the boys love Zacapa. On Chrissy’s group birthday cruise in 2019, the group was known as the Zacapa crew; all the bartenders knew that’s what the group was drinking when they’d walk up to the bars!
For years Molly was convinced she should never step foot on a cruise ship. Every time she was invited, and even times when she had them booked, something would happen that prevented her from going. Finally in 2018 the sun and the stars and the moon aligned, and her butt got on that ship. And she was hooked! “Cruise Molly” is the happiest person you will ever meet, and Chrissy was thrilled because her partner in crime would now scheme with her to get on even more cruises.
So even though the girls are obsessed and highly recommend cruising anytime you can, cruising is not for everyone. While the girls have avoided getting seasick, some people are more sensitive to that. Others feel claustrophobic being stuck on the ship. And there are stereotypes with cruising – the short weekend cruises are non-stop partying benders and the week-long cruises are full of old people. Just remember, it’s what YOU make it.
At time of recording, the girls have only ever cruised on Royal Caribbean (since then, Chrissy has cruised overseas on a different cruise line), and they love it. The following information applies to cruising on Royal Caribbean – the girls aren’t sure if the same rules apply on other cruise lines.
Most if not all cruise lines have a private island, and Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay has really upped its game over the years. In 2019, they opened the newly renovated island. They built a dock all the way to the ship so you no longer have to take a tender (those are not fun) and built cabanas, pools and a water park!
So as Boozy Blondes, the girls are huge fans of purchasing the drink package ahead of time – the deluxe beverage package which includes booze, of course. Before your cruise, watch the website for sales because it’s close to $100/day without any discounts. Having peace of mind when it comes to an all-inclusive experience makes the girls happy, as opposed to keeping track of how many drinks they’ve had and wondering what that final bill will look like at the end of the cruise. The drink package also works on the private island, so you don’t have to pay for your drinks individually there – there are exceptions, like the pineapple drinks. Those are not included. They are super sticky, but make great pictures!
The drink package includes bottled water, coffee, discounts on bottles of wine and tastings too! Speaking of wine, you are also allowed to bring two bottles per stateroom on board with you. Even if you purchase the drink package, it’s nice to have these bottles in your room for while you’re getting ready or relaxing on the balcony. #backupbooze
The girls put together some lists for you – including their favorite things about cruising, pro-tips, packing tips and general things you need to know.
Favorite things:
- The fact that you wake up in a new place every day
- Great for group trips – everyone does their own booking, can customize to their preferences
- It’s a choose your own adventure trip – so many options
- The themed parties (provided by ship or you plan one for your group)
- All the games – trivia, bingo, casino
- Live music
- Dinners – gluttonous but so fun and always delicious
- Drink package – the girls love getting boozy “for free” (they pay ahead of time, they know)
Pro tips:
- Watch for discounts online and purchase packages and excursions before you leave
- Bring 2 bottles of wine per stateroom on board
- Go to Windjammer in the AM – they sometimes have carts with mimosa and other drinks
- Make friends with your servers – they will take excellent care of you and customize your dining experience
Things to know:
- Tips/gratuity is included in price of cruise, but bring cash for servers and housekeeping for end of trip
- No irons in room – can get laundry service
- Some cruises come with drink packages and some offer different tiers
- You can reserve event space for private parties – and some rooms are free! Others you pay for with private bar and bartender
- For the drink package, all persons in stateroom must buy it if one person does
- You can get non-alcohol drink packages
- You can order water service to have bottles delivered to your room
Packing Tips:
(listen to Pack Like a Booze Traveler for more ideas)
- Inner tubes + bungees
- Special cruise cups (like the boozy blondes cups above)
- Plastic bags for wet clothes
- Dry erase boards
- Lanyard + hole punch
- Command or 3M hooks
- Pump hand soap
It’s always good to research your ports before you go. While the cruise line offers excursions, you can find some pretty awesome places on your own. The girls found Rip Ty’d in Nassau on their most recent cruise, and met Christine, the owner, while they were there. Watch for the Behind the Booze episode to launch later this year!
Do you have pro tips for the girls when it comes to cruising? Please share them in the comments!
Boozy Blondes 