LWL_Village Blog 15. Cruising For The First Time?

Set Sail for Success: Your Guide to a Fantastic First Cruise

Embarking on your first cruise is an exciting adventure! Whether you're already booked or just dreaming of ocean breezes, a little preparation can ensure smooth sailing and unforgettable memories. This guide provides essential cruising tips, covering everything from choosing the perfect cruise to navigating onboard life and maximizing your shore excursions.

Finding Your Ideal Voyage: Cruise Selection Tips

  • Define your Cruise Goals: What do you envision for your cruise?

    Relaxation, adventure, or a blend of both? Identify your priorities to narrow down your options.

  • Check Your Vacation Time: Determine the length of your trip and available dates. Cruise itineraries range from quick weekend getaways to extended voyages.

  • Research Ports and Destinations: Explore your potential destinations! Knowing what activities and attractions await you at each port will help you choose an itinerary that excites you.

  • Compare Onboard Amenities: Consider your must-have amenities. From waterparks and kids' clubs to laundry facilities, ensure your chosen ship offers what you need.

  • Explore Dining Options: Foodies, rejoice! Investigate the onboard culinary scene. From casual pizza joints to elegant restaurants, there's something for every palate.

  • Choose Your Stateroom Wisely: Explore various stateroom types, ranging from budget-friendly interiors to ocean view rooms, balconies, spacious suites, and even spa-like retreats!

  • Read Reviews: Past cruisers' experiences are invaluable. Look for reviews offering insights on onboard activities, shore excursions, and overall cruise experience.

  • Set a Budget: Factor in all costs, including the cruise fare, specialty dining, shore excursions, onboard shopping, and gratuities.

Navigating Your First Cruise: Essential Tips for Smooth Sailing

  • Pack Smart: Casual attire is perfect for daytime, while smart-casual is recommended for evening restaurants and lounges. Cocktail attire is suitable for special nights, but formal wear is optional.

  • Take a Ship Tour: Cruise ships can be vast! On your first day, grab a deck plan or join a ship tour to get your bearings and avoid getting lost.

  • Budget for Onboard Expenses: While many activities and dining options are included, set aside money for specialty restaurants, optional activities, drinks, and souvenirs.

  • Attend the Safety Drill: Safety is paramount! Complete the mandatory safety drill, watch the in-room safety video, and locate your muster station before departure.

  • Embrace Sea Days: Sea days are perfect for enjoying the ship's amenities, activities, and entertainment. Relax by the pool, indulge in spa treatments, and explore the various onboard venues.

  • Keep Health Essentials Handy: Keep medications and other vital health essentials readily accessible. Store them in your carry-on bag on embarkation day, and keep them safely stowed in your room during the cruise.

  • Learn Basic Ship Terms: Familiarize yourself with common nautical terms:

    • Embarkation/Disembarkation: Getting on/off the ship.

    • Ports: Destinations the ship visits.

    • Bow: The front of the ship.

    • Aft: The rear of the ship.

    • Portside: The left side of the ship when facing the bow.

    • Starboard: The right side of the ship when facing the bow.

With these tips in mind, you're well on your way to a fantastic first cruise experience.

Get ready to relax, explore, and create lasting memories!

6. Experiential Learning

Picture 1: Its a playful scene with bright sparks ready and keen.

See how engaged they are?!

Want to engage your children just like this?

Don't know how to?

Let's talk, the pro's and cons for "what", "why" and "how"

for "Experiential Learning."

First, "what" is Experiential Learning?

Simply put, learn by doing!

It is in the art of utilising each experience so to learn,

and here at Learn While Living, we take it to the next level to Learn While Living.

This post aims to explore the concept of experiential learning in detail, examine its theoretical foundations, discuss its applications in various learning settings,

and provide practical benefits for mentoring learners effectively.

Using this active learning application, and entwining such with our

Philosophy In Action- and library of resources, we aim to provoke a grass roots initiative for inspired life learning that holds no bounds.

NO SCREENSHOTS, 4min read: Ready to Dive Deeper?

Experiential learning is a dynamic and engaging approach for building know-how and knowledge that emphasises on the importance of direct experiences in the learning process. Unlike traditional instructional methods that prioritise rote memorisation and passive learning, experiential learning focuses on "active involvement of learners in hands-on, real-world activities."

Using picture 2 as an example: On face value, the activity is of two people sitting in a cave. Amongst a mighty scenery, the two travellers are bathed in the warm embrace of the sun as they look out to the towering peaks, their jagged silhouettes stand tall into the sky sprinkled by snow. This vivid tableau could easily be reminiscent of locations in either the southern or northern hemisphere, where breathtaking vistas converge to create awe inspiring landscapes.

"How" does that make sense for academia though?

Experiential learning can be defined as the process of learning through experience. It combines itself from, in the moment activities that are coupled with theory and practice, inviting learners to gain knowledge, skills, and willingful attitudes by actively engaging in meaningful experiences.

Experiential learning has wide-ranging applications across various learning settings, be-it home learning in any style, Roadschoool, Worldschooling to mainstream classrooms. Then later in life for community programs, corporate training and beyond.

Here are some key areas where experiential learning is utilised:

1. Education and Academia

In educational settings, experiential learning can take the form of hands-on projects, internships, simulations, service learning, and field trips.

For example:

  • Project-Based Learning (PBL): Individuals build on real-world projects that integrate multiple disciplines, allowing them to apply theoretical knowledge into practical contexts.

  • Internships and Co-op Programs: These opportunities provide learners with direct exposure to professional environments, enhancing their skills and employability.

2. Roadschool, Worldschooling

  • Roadschool and Worldschooling: Families, couples and individuals use the world as either their classroom to learn, connect and grow, going on adventures full time, part-time and a casual basis.

3. Sabbatical

  • Travel Sabbatical: To take a rest from work for an extended period of time, and intentionally spend that time on something that's not your routine line of work to explore the world and grow.

4. Corporate Training and Development

Many organisations adopt experiential learning techniques to enhance employee training and development, and have done so for decades.

This could include:

  • Role-Playing and Simulations: Employees engage in simulated scenarios that mirror real workplace challenges, enabling individuals to practice problem-solving, decision-making skills and potential workplace skillsets.

  • Team-Building Activities: Experiential learning fosters teamwork, communication, and collaboration among groups and employees through engaging activities.

5. Community and Service Learning

Experiential learning can be integrated into programs to service the community, empowering learners to connect with their communities and apply their skills to address, community topics and social issues.

  • Service Learning: Individuals engage in meaningful community projects, reflecting on their experiences while contributing to their community and societal well-being.

6. Outdoor and Adventure Learning

Outdoor education programs provide opportunities for experiential learning through adventure activities, where participants develop teamwork, leadership and resilience from the adventure taken.

  • Adventure Based Learning: Programs that emphasise adventure challenges, may foster personal growth, self-awareness, and interpersonal skills.

This "type" of learning is not new, has a cyclical approach and can begin from childhood, evolves through youth to adulthood and beyond. It can be easily incoporated into a life learning approach or mainstream learning applications. Additionally, corporate and small business training and frameworks can enhance it to maximise potential and know-how, which ultimately develops more well-rounded individuals equipped for success.

The Benefits of Experiential Learning is my "why" ... will it be yours too?!

Experiential learning offers numerous benefits, making it a valuable approach to life learning, and training for development in all cycles of life:

Enhanced Retention: Engaging in active learning experiences increases the likelihood of understanding, reflecting and retaining information.

Practical Skill Development: Learners acquire hands-on skills that are directly applicable to real-world and real-life applications and situations, for life skills.

Increased Motivation: Active involvement in learning fosters intrinsic motivation, encouraging learners to be more engaged and invested in their learning and abilities.

Development of Critical Thinking: Reflection and analysis of experiences provide opportunities for clarity, critical thinking and problem-solving in real-life. Not simulation!

Preparation for their Working Life: Experiential learning equips individuals with skills and knowledge, for seeking a career with more thought for what they may aspire to do.

Improved Collaboration and Communication: Group activities and teamwork foster collaboration and enhance interpersonal skills, like communication, teamwork, critical thinking and forecasting.

Holistic Development: Experiential learning addresses multiple dimensions of learning, including cognitive, emotional, and social for overall learning development.

Learning is for LIFE: From the day we enter to the day we exit, a life long learning journey may only ever, be enrinched.

The cons...Challenges of Experiential Learning

While experiential learning offers substantial benefits, it also presents some challenges:

Assessment Difficulties: Measuring learning outcomes from experiential activities can be subjective and challenging to give a score to.

Resource Intensive: Implementing experiential learning initiatives may require significant time, effort, and resources.

Variability of Experiences: Different learners may derive different lessons from the same experience, making it challenging to standardise learning outcomes.

However, incorporating it can be inspirational..."How" it can be done, with joy !

Experiential Learning works best within a bespoke setting, designed from a curious, or "think outside of the box" mindset to succeed and mentor others. A go-getter attitude will create the will, and by bringing in a mix of spontaneity and organisation - with lots of activities and resources to accompany your journey, this is a way to truly align Experiential Learn so to Learning While Living.

---

Tip: Words evolve, the meaning behind them change to suit a narrative as time moves on. Today the modern term is, Worldschool and Roadschool. However, whatever "it" is called now or in the future, the importances are that experiences shape us. Reflection from those experiences carry weight in our "why", "how" and "what" for. Today we get to make the choice how today unfolds.

---

If you read all this post, and saw past the screen to “what may” you have a curious mindset.

Personally, Experiential Learning going Global - is impactful, inspiring, holistic and life long.

Leading with love,

Addy Marie, Visionary, Founder & Owner of Worldschool Tribe,

"Learn While Living, Loving the journey..." Is our -Philosophy In Action-

The Learn While Living library is packed with content to align with the Experiential Learning process, Homeschool, Roadschool, Worldschool & Entertainment for special and themed occasions, and will be open for new villagers to come on in too, from the 1st July 2025.

Learn While Living, Loving the jouney...

At Learn While Living, we take your privacy seriously...

Your data is yours, and we never monetize it for marketing or advertisement purposes either.

Browse with privacy for peace of mind, we are a rare find!


Quick links

Home

Blog

About

Contact

All-In-1 Pass

Starter Pack

T&C

Privacy Policy


Categories

Newsletter

Join the wait list


Copyright © Learn While Living Since 2016

"All Rights Reserved Globally"

Website:

Family Brand Collection created since 2017

Trusted Site

Worldschool Tribe

Quick links

Home

Blog

About

Contact

All-In-1 Pass

Starter Pack

T&C

Privacy Policy


Categories

Newsletter

Join the wait list


Copyright © Learn While Living Since 2016

"All Rights Reserved Globally"