New to Cruising: What Do You Wish You Knew Then?

[fireflymd]

What do you wish you knew when you went on your first cruise? Things you know now that you wish you knew then?

 

I've already read we can skip the "port lectures" for instance--that these are not for information about the ports but advertisement/inducement for shopping in the port.

 

What other things would you do or not do differently?

 

What do you wish you knew beforehand?

[timetravler]

First when I started cruising I wish I knew about cruise critic. But since you already know about it, then your off to a great start. Congrats.

Finally I wish I knew about private tours way back then. They not only save you money but usually are smaller, so you get to know people better and don't have to fight the crowds.

[A&Jfamily]

What do you wish you knew when you went on your first cruise? Things you know now that you wish you knew then?

 

I've already read we can skip the "port lectures" for instance--that these are not for information about the ports but advertisement/inducement for shopping in the port.

 

What other things would you do or not do differently?

 

What do you wish you knew beforehand?

 

I wish I knew that for me, a cruise would require a balcony. It's our own little private piece of heaven. We cruise to relax, enjoy the weather, and visit new places...and being outside, but alone, is the best. But that is very much my personal taste...if you are feeling social and plan on hanging out on deck all day, and then dancing the night away, it might be a waste.

 

The other thing I always do when traveling a new ship is to study the deck plans...saves a lot of time wandering aimlessly. And makes a full ship walk around upon boarding more fun and much easier!

 

Other than that, reading these boards really gives you all the info you need.

[Texas Realtor]

All you ever need to know is somewhere on this board. the not knowing is kind of the fun part of being on a cruise ship for the first time. I was lucky enough to do a lot of research on this board prior to our first cruise. Our first cruise was an interior cabin. Second cruise was a suite. I spoiled myself way too early. I would probably recommend a regular balcony cabin.

 

Now it just costs more to cruise because we feel like we need the extra space, when we really probably don't.

 

I would say the biggest problem for cruisers is overpacking. It happens to even the most seasoned cruisers.

[Bogof1]

Just read the boards here. You'll pick up lots of tips. However on my first cruise I did attend nearly all port lectures and actually they were pretty good on our med cruise. Mind you they were a bit late if you decided you wanted to book after the lecture! They were on the room TV after as we'll. one tip take a fridge magnet....... Walls are metal and you can use them to put up patters and notes etc. Enjoy your cruise

[fireflymd]

First when I started cruising I wish I knew about cruise critic. But since you already know about it, then your off to a great start. Congrats.

Finally I wish I knew about private tours way back then. They not only save you money but usually are smaller, so you get to know people better and don't have to fight the crowds.

 

Thank you for responding!

 

I just wish I searched Cruise Critic more before booking our cruisetour. We chose a travel agent who has not been helpful at all--no discount, no OBC, no perks. Had I known there are travel agents who could offer better I would have searched more. We chose a large travel agency that has two offices locally, thinking this would be a good option, but it was an expensive learning experience. (He misinformed DH regarding our flight arrangements and it cost me a pretty penny to re-arrange them.) It would have been so simple to go to a different travel agency and get pricing from them, but I didn't realize different agents could offer different discounts.

 

Luckily the tours I have chosen through Princess are small volume tours, so I'm pretty excited about that. I reserved one private tour and was not thrilled that although the tour is several months away they already charged my credit card. There is also a cancellation fee. The tours I booked through Princess can be cancelled very late without any fee. But I do like the idea of less people so there was really no choice for this particular tour.

 

I wish I knew that for me, a cruise would require a balcony. It's our own little private piece of heaven. We cruise to relax, enjoy the weather, and visit new places...and being outside, but alone, is the best. But that is very much my personal taste...if you are feeling social and plan on hanging out on deck all day, and then dancing the night away, it might be a waste.

 

The other thing I always do when traveling a new ship is to study the deck plans...saves a lot of time wandering aimlessly. And makes a full ship walk around upon boarding more fun and much easier!

 

Other than that, reading these boards really gives you all the info you need.

 

I feel the same way! We have a balcony, especially since we are cruising to Alaska and I enjoy the privacy of our little deck. We have a mini-suite and an inside cabin across the way. I looked at the cabin plans and like the idea that all four of us can sit comfortably in the same cabin with the balcony.

 

I will definitely take the deck plans with me!

 

And if anyone knows how I can multi-quote more than 2 messages at a time, that would be great!

[vancouvergirl2010]

The port lectures in French Polynesia, Mediterranean and Panama Canal were pretty good! I find it's the Caribbean ones that are for shopping info.

 

I wish I knew to bring a lanyard my first cruise and my stainless steel coffee cup!

[fireflymd]

All you ever need to know is somewhere on this board. the not knowing is kind of the fun part of being on a cruise ship for the first time. I was lucky enough to do a lot of research on this board prior to our first cruise. Our first cruise was an interior cabin. Second cruise was a suite. I spoiled myself way too early. I would probably recommend a regular balcony cabin.

 

Now it just costs more to cruise because we feel like we need the extra space, when we really probably don't.

 

I would say the biggest problem for cruisers is overpacking. It happens to even the most seasoned cruisers.

 

The not knowing is exciting, but I also don't want to feel like a fool. We didn't get off on the right foot with booking our cruise, so now I constantly read and search these forums for more information. (Although honestly, reading about people getting discounts and OBC makes me even more furious that our travel agent was incompetent!)

 

Yes, overpacking! I am really working on this because I am very sensitive and comfort is a priority but I'm learning and every trip we go on I am packing less and less. Still overpacking, but I'm going to work very, very hard not to overpack.

 

DH on the other hand, has no problem. Of course I let him pack my son's suitcase one year and the poor kid ran out of underwear!:)

 

 

Just read the boards here. You'll pick up lots of tips. However on my first cruise I did attend nearly all port lectures and actually they were pretty good on our med cruise. Mind you they were a bit late if you decided you wanted to book after the lecture! They were on the room TV after as we'll. one tip take a fridge magnet....... Walls are metal and you can use them to put up patters and notes etc. Enjoy your cruise

 

Thanks! I keep reading about the magnets. Since we are doing the land tour first, I think I'll pick up magnets along the way.

 

I can't wait to go!

[Happy2cruise]

Wish I knew how valuable a good TA was and the good advise they can give along with discount prices and other perks.

 

One example was.....Always got transfers to and from the ship....good TA said cabs are faster and cheaper.....found out the hard way TA was right.

 

Another thing I wish I knew was how addicting cruising would be!!

[gcvt]

I wish I would have known how much I would save on airfare by moving to Ft. Lauderdale instead of San Francisco ;)

[capriccio]

The port lectures in French Polynesia, Mediterranean and Panama Canal were pretty good! I find it's the Caribbean ones that are for shopping info.

 

 

The port lectures on the Baltic cruise given by John Lawrence are fabulous - and were often standing room only in 2009 (I don't know if he is still working but if he is and he's on board don't miss them). The lecturers on our two Alaska cruises were also worthwhile -- one was a naturalist and the other focused more on history - and not a mention of shopping :)

[Mr_Astro]

You have to pack for the climate. Some cruises travel through quite a few and one has to pack for them all (around the horn of S.A., for example) so if you're on one of those (like me) you have to pack extra stuff. The port lectures can be sales jobs like Hawaii and the Carib. but most are full of history and cultural nuggets that enhance the visit. I ALWAYS pack a good length of twine or rope to be used as a clothes line and a few clothes pegs. Saves money in the laundromat!

Enjoy your first cruise. It won't be your last.

[Pam in CA]

There are a number of itineraries where the port lecturers are terrific and helpful, provide valuable information and in some cases, necessary. I would never dismiss a port lecture as useless and nothing more than a sales pitch as that's just not true.

 

What do I wish I knew then? Cruising has changed too significantly since I started cruising and today's cruises bear almost no resemblance to answer. Back then, breakfast, lunch and dinner were fixed seating with no buffet. If you had early dinner seating, you had a breakfast seating at 7am. Dress was truly formal. On a 7-night cruise, there would be three formal nights, three semi-formal nights and one smart casual. If a gentleman went to the dining room without a jacket and tie any night, the Maitre d' would provide them for you. Cabins were tiny with fixed day beds on the walls that were bench seating during the day, narrow twin beds at night. I could go on...

[Coral]

I am glad when I started cruising, I didn't have access to Cruise Critic or any cruise boards. I had no expectations of anyone onboard and was pleasantly impressed with the cruise.

 

I used a local TA who didn't know much about cruising. I so wished they had asked me if I wanted to fly down early as flying to San Juan the day of the cruise was nerve wrecking. I didn't even think of that.

 

So glad I found a good cruise TA shortly after.

[CFD130]

I wish I knew that for me, a cruise would require a balcony. It's our own little private piece of heaven. We cruise to relax, enjoy the weather, and visit new places...and being outside, but alone, is the best. But that is very much my personal taste...if you are feeling social and plan on hanging out on deck all day, and then dancing the night away, it might be a waste.

 

The other thing I always do when traveling a new ship is to study the deck plans...saves a lot of time wandering aimlessly. And makes a full ship walk around upon boarding more fun and much easier!

 

Other than that, reading these boards really gives you all the info you need.

 

 

DITO THIS and also take a little bit a walk around the ship as soon as you board and get your bearings

[Katie333]

I think I wished I was more prepared for line-ups and other non-enjoyable parts of the cruise experience.

 

I wish I had known to fly up a day early and avoid the stress of worrying about missing the ship the day of sailing.

 

I think what you can easily skip are the 'shopping talks' which are generally advertised as such though they often combine shopping/tours/port into one topic in the Caribbean, and they will mostly tell you about Diamonds International. In Europe and Asia, the port lecturers often do historical talks about the ports and/or provide true tips about the port even if you are not doing a ship's tour.

 

I'm glad I worked my way up to a balcony (albeit after 2 cruises) but now wouldn't sail without one. Don't feel pressured to do everything, try everything, unless you are certain you will never go on another cruise again. Believe me, it's nice to have something new and fresh to look forward to. To this day, we have never tried any ship's for-fee specialty restaurant.

[klenklen]

Prepare a cruise kit: those things you may need like over the counter cold medicines, bandaids, duct tape, rain poncho, stain stick.......and it's ready for all your cruises afterwards.

[rdsqrl]

I'm glad I went in "blind" on my first cruise. In some ways, making the rookie mistakes was a valuable learning experience. And, besides, if someone had told me in advance about all the things "not" to do, I might never have discovered that something I really enjoy is something everyone else thinks is a waste of time/money (I don't have a specific example here, just speaking generally).

 

One thing I did do, and still do, was pore over the deck plans obsessively before departure, mapping out my routes to and from the pool, the bar(s), the dining room . . . . As a result, even though it was my first time aboard a cruise ship, I wasn't too lost.

 

[olvrxyzh]

I have a California Coastal Cruise planned in April.

It has been 4 years since my last cruise and I have

retired since then. I have been reading the Cruise

Critic postings and have learned quite a the following:

 

Look at the long-range weather forecasts of your

cruise ports to determine how you should pack.

 

On the day you board the ship, ask the head waiter

or Maitre d' for the menus for the week to determine

which evenings you want to the specialty restaurants,

champagne breakfast and/or ultimate balcony dining.

 

This is a new Princess policy but so far it isn't being

enforced; I'm inclined to believe they will start

enforcing the policy by the time I board. Each adult

can take on 750ml of wine for free during the entire

cruise; otherwise you will be charged a $15 corkage

fee during embarkzation for each additional bottle of

wine . . . regardless of where you consume it. Once

they start enforcing this they will no longer be

charging the corkage fee. If you purchase liquor in

the duty-free shop or in-port, it will be delivered to

you cabin the last day of the cruise. We plan to buy

all our wine before we board the ship; that way we

can have the wines we really enjoy and will actually

cost us less.

 

Arrive 30 minutes early for the show in the Princess

Theatre to get the best seats.

 

Review the deck plans of the ship before you leave

and become familiar with what the ship has to offer.

 

Princess has a daily newsletter called "Pitter Patter"

which is delivered to your cabin each evening.

Bring a highlighter with you to highlight the things

that are of interest to you . . . dining venues, bar,

and casino hours, activities, formal night

announcements, movies playing at MUTS, where

to pick up tender vouchers for tendered ports, and

afternoon teas

 

Consider purchasing soda or coffee cards. The last

time I checked the coffee card was $31. If you have

a coffee card this entitles you to 15 specialty coffees

& unlimited brewed coffee which seems only to be

available near the International Cafe. The Cruise

Critic posts have revealed that the coffee in the

dining room is made from a syrup and tastes

terrible. If you like Dunkin Donuts coffee, you will

probably like the brewed coffee you get with a coffee

card.

[pris993]

I wish I knew how marvelous the Mediterranean and Transatlantic cruises are, we did our first Mediterranean in l989, have kept going back because we loved each and every port. Same goes for the Transatlantics. They are a lot cheaper today then they were when we first went because the ships larger.

[UT-Volsfan]

Some of the things I wish we had known about when we first started cruising were how to get various on-board credits (OBCs) from the cruise lines.

 

It took us a few cruises before we took advantage of purchasing the Future Cruise Credits while on Princess. They become your deposit when you book a cruise at a later date and you get an OBC depending upon the length of the cruise and which type cabin you're in. Now we try to keep 2 OBCs on file at all times in case we run across a deal we can't wait to book.

 

The OBC you get for owning 100 shares of Carnival stock on any of their cruise lines is a great deal. You have to request this OBC within 75 days of the sailing date each time. There is also an OBC Princess provides for military personnel in the US and Canada.

[DaisyandSika]

Wish I had worn a watch. The cell phone spent the trip in the safe, and even though I'm on vacation, I'm still me. I don't like to be late. Ever. For anything. So when we wanted to see a show, lecture, movie, etc., I like to be a little early, and get a good seat. I was constantly asking my husband, "What time is it?". Kinda like that "can you hear me now?" cell guy. I have my very own watch for the next cruise!

 

I am also taking a few laundry detergent pods this time. Didn't really fancy the powder residue on my black clothes.

[Arizona-Cruising]

What do you wish you knew when you went on your first cruise? Things you know now that you wish you knew then?

 

I've already read we can skip the "port lectures" for instance--that these are not for information about the ports but advertisement/inducement for shopping in the port.

 

What other things would you do or not do differently?

 

What do you wish you knew beforehand?

 

1}Definatley going the day before has less stress and well worth a night at any hotel in area

2}Reading Cruise Critic was extremly helpful on tips before and during trip

3}I would relax more and try not to do everything and over due look at the Patter night before and highlight what things you might want to do.

4}Feel assured that the tour companies on dock are reliable or research some tour companies at your ports and again CC has a section on ports has been very helpful

5}Dinner seating will be up to you 1st trip we did anytime 2nd trip we did seating times and found it entertaining meeting and talking with our table mates, sharing stories.

6} Try the treasure hunt when you board to get familiar with the ship layout.

7} This post has alot of great ideas

[kimala]

1) The drinks they bring around on trays on embarkation day are NOT free.

 

2) pack a light sweater if your like me you will be cold in the public places IE: Theater, dining room.

 

3) Bring a highlighter They will leave an itinerary for the following day in your room, on Princess it's called the "Patter" I like to read it through the night before and highlight those activities which I don't want to miss.

 

4) Have a great time and don't sweat the small stuff!

[jean s]

I wish I had learned to pack lightly. I seem to be taking less and less as years go on. It sure makes things easier. I am glad that I quickly realized that you don't have to do everything on a cruise to have a really great experience.