What I learned on my first cruise...

[Rosarymb]

What did I learn? You'll have a blast, but some things will make it easier.

 

Comfy shoes a wide brimmed hat and cool clothes for embarcation. We stood in line for 2 hours.

 

Take a mini first aid kit. You will get a blister at some point, it's just a given.

 

Bring a power strip. We needed it to charge up the cell phones, cameras, PDAs, my CPAP, etc., much less if two people wanted to dry their hair at the same time. There were only 2 plugs in the cabin. There was no vent in the bathroom, so it stayed steamy for a while after a shower.

 

Bring SPF 48 if you plan on snorkling. And make sure to get the suntan lotion on the backs of your knees. I'm still enjoying that little oversight. And just FYI, you can sunburn the top of your feet...makes your strappy sandals for formal night a real ouchie.

 

The bathrooms are tiny (gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "water closet"). A standard trip organizer you can get at walmart is a requirement.

 

If you ever get motion sickness, get both scop patches and mechlizine. We had 12 foot seas and gale force winds. The folks who say "I never felt the ship move" are the same people who eat a chili dog on a rollercoaster.

 

The crew on the Westerdam never said "no" to any reasonable request. Pampering doesn't even begin to cover how much we were looked after. And you will be hip deep in food. I heard about people taking their own sodas and snacks on board, water on board, etc. Didn't need to. I did bring a water bottle I filled up on board before I went ashore. A bottle of water on shore is 2 bucks or more. The only thing I'd bring next time besides my water bottle is a bag of jelly beans. If you're desperate for a specific soda, you can always get it on shore. For a real treat (and culture shock) visit a grocery store at each destination.

 

Bring a hat. Bring a hat. Bring a hat, and make sure it covers your ears!

 

My mom, dad, and I spent about 1000 dollars on board, but that was mostly my mom buying clothes, and my dad buying drinks. And from the way they were desperately paging some people on disembarcation day, there were folks who maxed out the Visa....that's real money on that ship card, folks.

 

Customs was a breeze, but then, we didn't buy over 800 dollars worth of stuff each, either.

 

Destinations:

 

Jamaica -- climb Dunns River Falls, and then get back to the boat. It was truly depressing there.

 

Grand Cayman -- Snorkle heaven. Still hurricane damage visible, and there were 7 ships in port the day we were there. I kept thinking Charleston Heston was going to pop up yelling "Soylent Green is people!" But the people were nice, and the museum giftshop was great for postcards.

 

Cozumel -- Eat at Pancho's Back Yard. Wonderful food, and margaritas that are straight tequila. Nice people, good shopping.

[free spirit]

thanks for all of your suggestions. My first cruise is in about 2 weeks and I plan on having a BLAST!!

[celbercrz333]

my sister in law needed an ankle support after she twisted her ankle on a trip. Lucky for her some tourists gave her one. I agree on the shoes. Make them usable instead of fashionable. Celebrity cruises gave us a cheap tote bag to use and take home. This was great for just going down to the pool. As I mentioned many times on these boards, get a cheap watch at Walmart or Target. One that has an alarm on it. Some people may not need an alarm, but we like to play golf when we get to our port and we don't like to miss our tee times. A cellphone case or something small that you can put on your wrist to put your sign and sail card in is great. How many times do you wish to go to one part of the ship just to check on something and all you need is your card? Do you have pockets in your outfit or do you carry it and risk losing the card? A small pouch on a wristband works great. A small plastic container of woolite for bathing suits (or better yet, some dishwashing liquid so you can wash other items out). These are just some of my ideas and those I've read here.

[Happy ks]

Sorry you had to suffer the sunburn pain. I don't think people realize how strong the sun can get and how easily you can burn. DH and I love to go to the beach and we aways slather the sunscreen on our feet. It's the one item I always tell people to take a large bottle of, don't skimp. As careful as I am, I almost always burn the top of my head, too. Even wearing a hat, I try to remember to put sunscreen on my part.

 

Comfortable shoes are a must. I've made the mistake of trying to be cute and it can ruin your evening, if your feet are so sore you can't walk or dance.

 

It sounds like you had a good cruise and you will always be prepared from now on!