My Experiences: Cruising while pregnant

In my previous blog post, I announced that I was pregnant during my last cruise.  My husband and I went on a 15 day Panama Canal Cruise on board Celebrity Millennium. Being able to spend two weeks of my pregnancy on the ship was an amazing experience. I wanted to share my experiences as I’ve been on many cruises before but this was my first while pregnant.

I was at the end of my 1st trimester and I was still suffering from what I referred to as “all day sickness”; therefore, many of my experiences relate to this point of my pregnancy. If we would have went a few weeks later when I was feeling back to my normal self, I think my experience would have been more similar to other cruises (minus alcohol) that I’ve been on. However, my husband and I slightly adapted each day to how I was feeling.

Cabin

I really enjoyed relaxing and playing games on the veranda on this trip. Normally, I like to be where all the action is happening and enjoy people watching, but on this trip, it was nice to take pleasure in the comforts of the cabin.

Veranda on board the Celebrity Millennium

As part of the Aqua Class cabin amenities, there is a pillow menu featuring a wide variety of pillows.  There was even an option for a long pillow which is perfect for helping pregnant women get comfortable when trying to sleep.

The crew members who knew that I were expecting was extremely accommodating. One of my favorite memories was the time I left our stateroom for the fitness room one morning.  The stateroom steward was out in the hall and said, “Don’t push yourself too much and be careful.”  He then preceded to hand me a bottle of water.  I couldn’t help but smile as the feeling of being cared for was a really nice.

Food

A few days into the sailing, I was slowly getting my appetite back. I ate small meals about every two hours, which was extremely easy to do on a cruise ship compared to being at home. I could take a little bit of an item from the buffet and if I didn’t like it, I was able to get up and try something different. It was easy to avoid the particular tastes and flavors that weren’t appealing to me.  

We ate at Blu, Aqua Class guests’ only dining room, every night. I told the Maitre that I wasn’t feeling well and that food wasn’t very appealing to me. The first night at dinner I ordered a baked potato and nothing else.  He offered to show me the menu for the next day each night. That way, I could see if there was something I felt like or needed adjustments made with all the eating rules that come with being pregnant.  

Throughout the cruise I definitely started feeling better and there were plenty of options throughout the ship so I could always find something I felt like eating.

Ship Events

At every event where they offered free welcome drink, which included embarkation, Galley tour, Captain’s welcome, Captain’s Club events, and other activities, there was never a non-alcoholic beverage offered.

Champagne and mimosas offered as part of the Ship's Galley Tour

I would have loved a sparkling juice or club soda with a little bit of juice.  It would have great to be able to be festive along with the other cruisers but time after time, I had to decline.

Fitness Room

As usual, my favorite time to be in the fitness room is when we’re pulling into a port.

I liked starting my days by going to the fitness room or walking around the deck. I brought a heart rate monitor to check my heart rate during physical activity to make sure it didn’t spike over 150, as my Doctor suggested.  The views were beautiful as I walked on the treadmill or rode the stationary bike.

Fitness Room on board Celebrity Millennium

What I enjoyed

I really enjoyed the flexibility of being on a cruise.  I liked the itinerary as there were a lot of days at sea along with many ports that I had never visited.

Watercolor Class

It was fun to try new things such as the watercolor painting class we took. The waiters were never pushy with the drinks, which I greatly appreciated. 

Excursion to Antigua, Guatemala

There were a few excursions that I wanted to do but weren’t advised to do while pregnant.  At first, this was a little upsetting for me, but in the end, it was a great way to do something different and explore other options. For the excursions that we had in mind, we would wait until the night before to book them or until morning to figure out our plan around the town to see how I was feeling.

Most of all, I enjoyed spending the time with my husband.  The quality time of two weeks away, just the two of us was wonderful in every way and I’m so glad we took the time to do it. With all the excitement from family and friends about our new addition, I loved getting away just the two of us to talk and have fun thinking about the exciting future that was ahead.

Click here to read my Tips for staying healthy when cruising while pregnant.

FreshCruiser Tip: Don't be afraid to ask if there's something you need.  The crew is there to make sure you are happy.

Panama Canal Cruise Crossing: Top Tips for Viewing

The Panama Canal crossing was definitely something on my bucket list and it lived up to all the hype.  We enjoyed a great day of viewing and I wanted to share with you my comprehensive guide to help you have a memorable experience.

Best spots on the ship

The whole process will take about 8 hours including going through three different sets of locks (Miraflores, Pedro Miguel, Gatun).  With the size of a typical cruise ship, there are a lot of places for viewing. Follow these tips to get the most out of your day.

•    Bow of the Ship - Helipad

If your captain allows guests to enter the helipad area for viewing the locks, it’s definitely an experience being at the bow of the ship.  It will be a novelty to be able to view the process from the helipad, so expect big crowds early on.  You should wait until the next set of locks when it clears out a little. Wear closed-toed shoes, preferably sneakers, since the deck can be slippery and you don’t want to risk getting turned away and missing the locks.  

•    Stern of the Ship

This was my favorite place for viewing as we enjoyed seeing the doors close behind the ship. Being on a high floor allowed us to see over the massive lock doors to the different steps of the locks. 

Once finished with the last of the locks (Gatun locks) on the Pacific to Atlantic crossing, the back of the ship offers one of the best picture taking opportunities as you can see the narrow passage with the different “steps”, which the ship just went through.

•    Port or Starboard Sides

Each side will offer a different view, depending on the lane that the ship gets put into. There are two lanes for each lock and there will likely be additional ships going through the locks in the other lane. Check out the side where you can see the other ship as it gives you a fascinating perspective on what’s happening along with seeing the massive volume of water moving in or out of the locks.

Port Side (Pacific to Atlantic crossing)

If you want a good view of the new canal by the Miraflores and Pedro Miguel locks being built, pick a veranda on the port side when going through the canal. It’s an incredible sight to see the construction process and the massive amount of soil being transported.

•    Stateroom Veranda

We enjoyed sitting on our veranda as we went through Gatun Lake. The scenery was beautiful and it was the perfect spot to relax and be away from the crowds.  I’d recommend enjoying lunch or a snack as you cruise through Gatun Lake being that it is normally towards the middle of the day.

 •    Forward Lounge
If you don’t want to be outside for the crossing or are limited physically, I would suggest waking up early and securing a spot in the forward lounge, if your ship has one.  On the Celebrity Millennium, Cosmos offered a great viewing spot in a comfortable setting. Arrive early to save your seat for the day so you can just relax and enjoy the view.

Viewing mistakes

•    Staying in the same spot
Many people were up first thing to secure a spot for the whole day.  With so much going on when transiting the locks, you’re missing out if you’re not moving around and seeing it from different angles. Unless you’re physically unable to move around the ship, get out and walk around, go from side to side and back again to see it all.

•    Staying inside
One of the best parts is being outside and looking over the railing to see the whole process. 

Hidden Secrets

•    Fitness room
As I love to say, the fitness room often has one of the best views on a cruise ship and this really comes true during a Panama Canal crossing.  Watch the process unfold as you work out on a treadmill or elliptical, you’ll never forget this workout!  There is definitely no excuse to not work out during the crossing.

•    Get up Early
The ship will tell you what time you will go through the first set of locks but a lot happens before that.  I got up about two hours early, and was glad I did.  It was just about dawn and I could see all the other ships waiting outside for their turn to go through the Canal. The process of entering the first set of locks as the sun rose was truly unforgettable.

Learn

The main event of a Panama Canal cruise is going through the canal, so make sure to educate yourself on the process before leaving on the trip or while on the ship (if offered). On our cruise, there was a 3-part lecture series starting from the beginning days of building the Panama Canal to the Panama Canal today and its plans for future expansion.  

These talks were part of Celebrity Cruises, “Beyond the Podium” series.  Lecturers, Rheal and Claire Perron were engaging and all their talks were standing room only in the main theatre.  In addition, 2 different movies about the Panama Canal were shown leading up to the crossing.  When the day came, I felt that I had learned a lot and could really understand what was happening from an engineering perspective as well as appreciating from a historical standpoint.   

Have additional tips to share? Please add a comment below.

FreshCruiser Tip:  If you're going be on a top deck, don't forget to bring something to stay hydrated, it’s very hot there and you may not want to give up your prime spot along the rail.  Also, don’t forget to continue to keep reapplying sunscreen!

1 month til cruising: Picking the right shore excursion

One month to go to two glorious weeks of cruising!

The countdown is starting to get very close!  In about one month, I’ll be boarding the Celebrity Millennium for 15 nights of cruising through the Panama Canal.  This will be my first time doing this itinerary.  I’ve always been fascinated by the Panama Canal and can’t wait to see how the process works in person.  What am I doing to get prepared? My main goal for this week is to get to know the ports and excursions that are offered.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Excursions & Ports
The trip seemed far away for so long and now it’s almost here.  We’ll be making stops in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Guatemala, and Costa Rica.  I’ve been using Celebrity Cruises' online advanced search for shore and land excursions.  You can search by duration, activity type, and activity level.  I use the duration search filter a lot as depending on the port. Depending on the location, I’ll typically pick the more strenuous option as that typically goes well with my love of adventure.  

Adventure in Puerto Vallarta

In a city port, sometimes I’ll want the longest possible excursion to soak in every minute of the tour or other times, prefer more of the highlights and then time to walk around and explore the city on my own.  There are a lot of excursions to go through and I wish the options could be filtered even more, including one by restrictions (weight, health, age). What type of excursions do you normally do?

Too many to pick from?  Ask the experts.
On a previous cruise, when I was trying to figure out which excursion to do for St. Petersburg, Russia, it was a daunting task and I probably changed it three times as I wanted to make the most out of our one day in Russia. I also wanted to make sure it was right for me.  And in this case, I wanted to see the Hermitage museum but not spend all day there.  We ended up changing it once again when we got on the ship and talked to a specialist at the cruise excursion desk.  It ended up being the perfect day, seeing a lot of highlights of the city.

Aerial Tram in Costa Rica

I would definitely recommend attending the information sessions once you get onboard as the first hand experience was exactly what we needed to find the perfect fit.  What I think is missing is if Celebrity would show past guests’ ratings of particular excursions to find the right tour for me as everyone is looking for something different.  

Join a Roll Call

I also like to join the Roll Call for my sailing date on different websites.  A “Roll Call” is a place where you can find other people sailing on your same voyage.  This is a great way to get insight from other travelers and what they think about a certain excursion as well as meet new people, gather information, and ask questions.  Check out these websites that have sailing Roll Calls. Many cruise lines have their own as well.

• Cruise Addicts
• Cruise Critic
• CruiseLineFans
• Meet on Cruise
• Ship Mate

Ok, I’m off to start my research and planning!  

FreshCruiser Tip: Never too early to start researching ports and excursions.