Caribbean Cruise Outfit Ideas 2022 – What Cruising Is Like in 2022

What Cruising Is Like in 2022

Have you thought about planning a cruise this year? My boyfriend and I decided to plan our April 2022 back in November 2021. We had NO clue how the pandemic would look in April of 2022, but we planned our Caribbean cruise with high hopes. Back in January, I had a lot of concern over cruising during the Omicron variant outbreak. Brian and I were close to calling off our cruise entirely.

I want to share some tips and advice on cruising in 2022. Thankfully, the variants calmed down enough for us to have confidence in the success of our April 2022 cruise to Cozumel, Belize, Honduras, and Costa Maya.

Cruise Travel Requirements

As of April 2022, there are vaccination requirements that must be met prior to embarking on a cruise. Guests are required to have proof of vaccination. Norwegian wanted to see proof of a negative test at least 2 days prior to embarking on the cruise.

PRO TIP: Buy your COVID-19 test at the port. Brian and I could have paid $199 for a quick PCR test at a different Tampa location 2 days before our ship departed. However, we chose to wait until the morning of our departure to have a test done at the port for $75. Not only did we save a ton of money on the test, but we didn’t have to rely on a third-party to ensure quick results.

Once we arrived to the port in Tampa at our designated time slot (11:30 am) we walked over to the testing area. Our tests took 10 minutes and then an e-mail was sent with our results. Both of us saw “Negative” test results and walked to the check-in area of the port.

We had to show the results to an attendant before entering the rest of the check-in. Once she noted our “Negative” test results, we also showed her our COVID vaccine cards and passports.

Safety On the Cruise Ship

Every person working on the cruise ship wore a face mask throughout our entire ship. From our housekeeper to the bartenders, every person working on board wore a face mask to make us feel more comfortable and safe. Brian and I kept our masks in my purse, but we didn’t feel the need to wear them while on the ship. Both of us are triple vaccinated and were surround by fully vaccinated people which gave us peace of mind.

Prior to entering the buffet level of the ship, there was always someone standing by the sinks asking us to wash our hands. Most people walked over to the sinks to use soap and water to wash their hands. In a pinch, there was hand sanitizer ready to use as well.

Caribbean Cruise Outfit Ideas 2022

crochet knit top // crochet knit shorts // straw hat // tortoise sunglasses

get the look

Safety On Land

We went on shore for a few different excursions. All of our shore excursions included transportation on buses. Our tour guides wore face masks while we rode on the buses from the dock. Some people chose to wear face masks while riding the bus while most guests did not. There was plenty of hand sanitizer available on the bus.

Once we arrived to our shore excursions, we were often greeted by kind employees who offered us more hand sanitizer. Two of our cruise excursions took place at 5-star all-inclusive resorts where the employees wore face masks. While at the buffet, it was required of us to wear masks while picking out our food.

The local shops had signs up for tourists to wear face masks while shopping. A majority of the shop owners also wore face masks to protect themselves.

What To Spend Your $ On While Cruising and Where to Save

We paid for our cruise back in November so we didn’t have a ton of extra things we needed to spend money on once we got onboard. Our Norweigan cruise offered us a lot of great perks, such as discounted excursions, complementary Wi-Fi, discounted specialty dining, and free beverage packages.

We paid extra for:

•  my own Wi-Fi. I ended up spending $200 on Wi-Fi for my phone for the whole week. As someone who works in social media, I felt it was important to stay up to date on Instagram for my job. Even though it was a huge expense I am glad I ended up purchasing my own Wi-Fi plan.
• the spa package. For the whole week is was $186 per person to enjoy the spa amenities. This is totally not necessary, but if you are traveling on a cruise as a couple, I recommend splurging on the spa package if you can afford it. Brian and I spent most of our ship time at the back of the boat at the spa. The spa included: saunas, private hot tubs, steam rooms, a plunge pool, and heated lounge chairs.
• Bingo. If you want to gamble without hitting the casino, I suggest signing up for Bingo on the cruise ship. We had a lot of fun playing Bingo on board and it gave us something to do!

Skip out on:

• the spa massages. $200 for ONE person to have a massage? No thanks! Even though Brian and I were thinking about getting a couples massage, I am so glad we held off until our last day at Costa Maya. We ended up finding a spa on Costa Maya where the couples massage was $90 TOTAL. That’s $45 a person versus $200 per person on the ship! Our massages were also in a private area and we felt the ocean breeze while we enjoyed 40 minute massages.
• the jewelry shops on the ship. It looks very tempting to save some tax money on a shiny new watch, but you could easily overspend on it. Some times when you leave a ship you have to pay taxes on the fancy new item you bought. Be extra careful when shopping for expensive jewelry or watches onboard. It’s smart to buy those items elsewhere.

express blue and white tiered dress // straw tote bag // braided sandals

blue express dress

In one of my last outfit posts before we left for our cruise I shared a huge Express try-on haul. In this spring haul I shared a lot of beautiful dresses from Express. I took another look at Express before I left and bought a blue and white tiered dress for one of our specialty dinners.

time and tru pink striped dress // angular sunglasses // straw hat // rattan mules

walmart striped dress

amazon halter maxi dress // lisi lerch earrings // straw tote bag // braided sandals

amazon maxi dress

amazon one-shoulder jumpsuit // satin headband // straw tote bag // hourglass lipstick

shop my outfit

pink swimsuit top // pink swimsuit bottoms // crochet knit shorts 

pink swimsuit + shorts look