lisalubener Posted July 17, 2013 #1 Share Posted July 17, 2013 This will be the first time my husband and I have ever flown & seen the ocean and Im a nervous wreak. I have a few questions hope you all can help. 1. Is it a good idea to arrive a day early and stay at a hotel just in case? 2. Should I get travel insurance? should I get it through the cruise line? 3. should I book the excursions through the cruise line? 4. I know you have a choice of early and late dining times are you seated with other guest? and if you choose anytime are you still seated with other people? 5. Do I need a lot of clothes? its a 5 day cruise so I imagne we will be living in shorts but do you think we could get away with just carry on? 6. should I go through a travel agent since its our first time? Im kind of freaking out here and I know I am making things much more complicated then they need to be but this is all new to us and I don't want to screw up. I really appreciate any help you can give, Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas_Diver Posted July 17, 2013 #2 Share Posted July 17, 2013 This will be the first time my husband and I have ever flown & seen the ocean and Im a nervous wreak. I have a few questions hope you all can help. 1. Is it a good idea to arrive a day early and stay at a hotel just in case? 2. Should I get travel insurance? should I get it through the cruise line? 3. should I book the excursions through the cruise line? 4. I know you have a choice of early and late dining times are you seated with other guest? and if you choose anytime are you still seated with other people? 5. Do I need a lot of clothes? its a 5 day cruise so I imagne we will be living in shorts but do you think we could get away with just carry on? 6. should I go through a travel agent since its our first time? Im kind of freaking out here and I know I am making things much more complicated then they need to be but this is all new to us and I don't want to screw up. I really appreciate any help you can give, Thank you. 1. Since you are flying, yes. It's a good idea to fly in the day before. 2. Only you can answer this. We don't buy the insurance because we are middle-aged and healthy. 3. A polarizing topic. We book through the ship on ports where we are unfamiliar. But places like Cozumel, where we have been a dozen times, we book independently. 4. Yes. 5. Most people overpack for their first cruise. 6. There is no need to book through a travel agent. In this age of the internet, you can book all of your travel needs directly....and at the same/better price. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky-elpaso Posted July 17, 2013 #3 Share Posted July 17, 2013 First of all - R E L A X. :) And welcome to a great way to travel. You didn't say where or when you were planning to cruise but yes, it's a very good idea to arrive the day before. On our last cruise we flew in 2 days before so we had a whole day to relax and get used to the new time zone. But we're retired so we don't have to worry about time. We always get travel insurance - especially since now we're taking longer cruises. Check out insuremytrip . com. You can compare prices and what the different companies offer. Private companies are generally better and offer more than what's offered by the cruise line. Also, you usually need to get the insurance less than 14 days after you book your travel for it to cover pre-existing conditions. How you book excursions depends on where you are and how comfortable you are in new situations. And the ports you're visiting. For a first-timer you might want to stick with ship excursions. Check out the ports in Google Earth for an idea of how close the docks are to the town, etc. You can choose a table for 2 in fixed dining but there's no guarantee you'll get it. For anytime you might have to wait a bit for a 2-top but probably not long. And if you don't want to go to the dining room there's always the buffet type restaurant - we actually prefer that because we don't really like 2 hour dinners. Most cruise lines post the dining room menus early in the day and we check it to see if it looks interesting. And we do like to go to at least one formal night in the dining room. I do anyway - DH dresses up for me (I always tell him he looks "good enough to go somewhere"). :) For a 5 day you can probably get by with carry-ons. Your hubby should probably take at least one pair of docker type slacks and a couple of polo shirts for the dining room - nice slacks or skirt and a blouse will work for you. No shorts in the dining room even on casual nights (on most cruise lines). You can always go to the casual restaurant on formal night if you don't want to dress up. If you go through a travel agent be sure to see what their policies are for changes, cancellations, etc. On most cruise lines you can get the new price if it goes down before the final payment date - but you'll have to monitor that your self - a TA won't do it for you. Check out the cruise lines website - look at deck plans, etc. before you book so you have an idea of what cabins are like and what location you want. If you're not sure if you might get seasick mid-ship and lower down is best. Also a deck between other cabin decks is usually quieter - check for public areas above you. Once you decide on which cruise line the best place on this site is the individual cruise line area - that way you're getting answers from travelers who routinely go on that line. And prepare to be hooked - this may not be your only cruise. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spookwife Posted July 17, 2013 #4 Share Posted July 17, 2013 This will be the first time my husband and I have ever flown & seen the ocean and Im a nervous wreak. I have a few questions hope you all can help. 1. Is it a good idea to arrive a day early and stay at a hotel just in case? Oh hell yes. 2. Should I get travel insurance? should I get it through the cruise line? TI, definitely. it is not necessary to go through the cruise line. 3. should I book the excursions through the cruise line? 2 schools of thought. some things, like beaches or shopping.. do on your own, it's way cheaper. if there is any possibility of being late back, use the ship..they will wait for you. if we are really unfamiliar with a port( or it has a reputation) we we stick with the ship sponsored ones. 4. I know you have a choice of early and late dining times are you seated with other guest? and if you choose anytime are you still seated with other people? maybe. in our experience, if we made standing reservations for the same time each night, we were seated alone. if you just walk in when you are ready, you may be offered the chance to sit with others. without a standing ressie, you can wait, although in many cases not for long. 5. Do I need a lot of clothes? its a 5 day cruise so I imagne we will be living in shorts but do you think we could get away with just carry on? that really depends on you. We choose to dress up for formal nights so we bring his uniform, his kilt and my gowns I also am the kind of person that wear sundresses all day long so I do not need to change for dinner( shorts are not permitted in the MDR for dinner) 6. should I go through a travel agent since its our first time? again, personal preference but in all honesty there is no need. not even the lure of on board credit or other perks could entice me to use a TA. the website is fairly self explanatory, and you can always call directly. I dislike giving control to the TA, I want to be able to make any changes myself. most TAs won't even notify you if any price drops occur, you have to keep an eye out yourself and then call them to make the request to change. Im kind of freaking out here and I know I am making things much more complicated then they need to be but this is all new to us and I don't want to screw up. I really appreciate any help you can give, Thank you. the key is to be flexible and go with the flow. many times we don't even bother getting off the ship and just take full advantage of the fact that everyone else has left and we have the place mostly to ourselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul929207 Posted July 17, 2013 #5 Share Posted July 17, 2013 Welcome to Cruise Critic. Millions of people have survived their first cruise and loved so much they keep coming back. So relax, it will be wonderful. 1. We always fly in at least one day early. It reduces the stress level if you are not worried about a delayed or canceled flight. 2. Insurance is a good idea. You never know what might happen to your while on the trip. My mother fell, broke her leg, 6 ribs and collarbone. Spent one month in a hospital in Rome. Trip insurance covered everything. 3. Booking privately is often cheaper than the ship, However, you have to do a lot of research to determine what to do and how to do it. If you are just looking to go to a beach, figure out which one and get a taxi. 4. If you have any of the flexible dining arrangements (each line has their own name), when you arrive for dinner, they ask if you want to share. They then sit you at the appropriate size table. So if you say yes, then you will be with others. We always share and have always been seated immediately. We often see people wanting a table for two given a beeper as no table is available then. 5. Nope you do not need too many clothes. 6. Yes, a TA specializing in cruises is a great idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Scrapnana Posted July 17, 2013 #6 Share Posted July 17, 2013 Welcome to Cruise Critic! A previous poster mentioned that they did not need insurance because they are middle aged and healthy. Thing is, most health insurance does not cover you outside of your country. And as Paul pointed out, accidents can happen. For most of us, a long medical stay could wipe out our savings. Get the insurance! I always like to use a travel agent. Most important reason - they work with these companies every day and they know the channels to go through to get things done. Second, most travel agents will give you some kind of a perk (like onboard credit) for using them. Be sure to check out the company first and see if they charge for cancelling or changing a booking. Hope you find a great cruise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one redneck cruiser Posted July 17, 2013 #7 Share Posted July 17, 2013 This will be the first time my husband and I have ever flown & seen the ocean and Im a nervous wreak. I have a few questions hope you all can help. 1. Is it a good idea to arrive a day early and stay at a hotel just in case? 2. Should I get travel insurance? should I get it through the cruise line? 3. should I book the excursions through the cruise line? 4. I know you have a choice of early and late dining times are you seated with other guest? and if you choose anytime are you still seated with other people? 5. Do I need a lot of clothes? its a 5 day cruise so I imagne we will be living in shorts but do you think we could get away with just carry on? 6. should I go through a travel agent since its our first time? Im kind of freaking out here and I know I am making things much more complicated then they need to be but this is all new to us and I don't want to screw up. I really appreciate any help you can give, Thank you. 1 Yes arrive early. saves a lot of stress over weather or not you are going to arrive on time or miss your cruise. 2 Yes if something happens your covered 3 that's a matter of opinion both options have their own benefits. ship purchased excursions the ship will wait if your late and it is paid for on your sail and sign. on your own its cheaper. 4. if you want your own table for 2 you will have to contact the maiterde on arrival and request it. your time dining is rolling the dice. 5 no 6 you can do it yourself and save money. If you are going to go Carnival use their PVP's they can get you the best prices in my opinion. and if you are going to fly priceline is a good option for your flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryL Posted July 17, 2013 #8 Share Posted July 17, 2013 This will be the first time my husband and I have ever flown & seen the ocean and Im a nervous wreak. I have a few questions hope you all can help. 1. Is it a good idea to arrive a day early and stay at a hotel just in case? We always arrive, at least, one day early. This gives us time to relax, adjust to time zone differences, and minimize delays due to weather or mechanical issues. This way you start your 1st cruise day rested and ready. Stepping on to a cruise ship for the first time is an experience in itself. We flew in the same day only once and I was a total wreck until we had the ship in our sites. Never again.:eek: 2. Should I get travel insurance? should I get it through the cruise line? We always buy travel insurance, if no other eason than for peace of mind. There are many options out there so I would study what you may want. Anything can happen, even on vacation. 3. should I book the excursions through the cruise line? As a first time cruiser, I would recommend ship sponsored excursions for the short days in port. If you are spending 8 or more hours in a port I would be comfortable with a private excursion or a DIY. These boards are filled with great information on the private tours. If you join the roll call for your cruise, there are usually cruisers on them that have good information and they sometimes organize excursions for the members of the roll call. We've done some and they were great. 4. I know you have a choice of early and late dining times are you seated with other guest? and if you choose anytime are you still seated with other people? We have never been seated at a table of less than 6 when eating traditional dining. For anytime/mytime dining we have always been able to be seated a a table for two when doing anytime/mytime dining. That said, your neighbor's table will only be inches from yours. 5. Do I need a lot of clothes? its a 5 day cruise so I imagne we will be living in shorts but do you think we could get away with just carry on? I always overpack. I have heard many say they only bring a carry-on with them and get by just fine. 6. should I go through a travel agent since its our first time? There really is no right, or wrong, way to book. Use whatever means you are comfortable with. We have only used a TA the first two cruises and then we began booking online with great success. Now, we do all our bookings online. Im kind of freaking out here and I know I am making things much more complicated then they need to be but this is all new to us and I don't want to screw up. I really appreciate any help you can give, Thank you. Welcome to the cruising world. I hope you have a memorable first cruise, the first of many to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonsai3s Posted July 17, 2013 #9 Share Posted July 17, 2013 This will be the first time my husband and I have ever flown & seen the ocean and Im a nervous wreak. I have a few questions hope you all can help. 1. Is it a good idea to arrive a day early and stay at a hotel just in case? Yes, it is always a good idea to arrive a day early. However, if we are able to get direct flights to the port (no lay overs) we have booked overnight or "red-eye" flights that will get us there in the morning. 2. Should I get travel insurance? should I get it through the cruise line? We've never purchased travel insurance. We've been fortunate. 3. should I book the excursions through the cruise line? When we first started cruising (almost 30 years ago), we didn't know any better and booked all our excursions through the ship. It was expensive and discovered there are other options. Other options include DIY (do it yourself) excursions, visit your roll-call and perhaps join a group for a private tour, search for a local tour specific to what you'd like to do, perhaps even meet someone on the ship and share a tour.....many options. 4. I know you have a choice of early and late dining times are you seated with other guest? and if you choose anytime are you still seated with other people? We have met some of the most wonderful people onboard. We always request a table for 6 or 8. Most recently, we have requested a table for 2, if that's what you prefer. Table for two is often not guaranteed but speaking to the maître d' as soon as you get onboard will help get you that table for two. If you request a table for two at Anytime Dining...you will get it. 5. Do I need a lot of clothes? its a 5 day cruise so I imagne we will be living in shorts but do you think we could get away with just carry on? This is probably the biggest mistake we made being new cruisers...we dress appropriately, bring as few clothes as we can bring.....ultimately, nobody really cares what you wear. 6. should I go through a travel agent since its our first time? This will be your decision. We used to always book with a travel agent. Now, we prefer having the ability to make changes on our own without having to go through a travel agent. Im kind of freaking out here and I know I am making things much more complicated then they need to be but this is all new to us and I don't want to screw up. I really appreciate any help you can give, Thank you. Welcome to Cruise Critic and as someone already said..."relax". We made lots of mistakes and simply learned from it. Lastly, we have been cruising for many years but are relatively new members of Cruise Critic...we can only wish we had known about this site sooner. There are great members here that will provide you with great information. Happy sailing. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marshhawk Posted July 17, 2013 #10 Share Posted July 17, 2013 1. Is it a good idea to arrive a day early and stay at a hotel just in case? We always try to get in a day early, drive or fly, gives us a chance to unwind before we get on the ship. If we forget something, we can run and get it before we board (meds, swim suits etc). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted July 17, 2013 #11 Share Posted July 17, 2013 Welcome to Cruise Critic. Most have covered everything. You won't be living in shorts all the time. In the evenings you will want to dress in slacks, skirts, polo shirts, etc. RELAX!! Go with a positive attitude and you will be hooked on cruising. If you don't have passports -- remember to take your official raised seal birth certificates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1aCruise4wks Posted July 17, 2013 #12 Share Posted July 17, 2013 1. Yes, it's a good idea to arrive at least a day early and stay in a hotel for several reasons. First, arriving early can help you avoid any problems in making it to the ship on time. Second, if the travel plan goes smoothly, you wake up on the day of the cruise relaxed and refreshed. Your first day onboard will be a full day of enjoyment (you won't be exhausted from travelling). Third, many times there are sights to see at the port of embarkation - so you can do a little sight-seeing there. This is especially true for foreign cruises or places you haven't been. 2. The need for travel insurance is primarily decided by personal factors. Do you have aged parents or very ill family members? If so, you might need to cancel in the case of an emergency. If you or your travelling partner has health issues, you might have to cancel at the last minute. Could your job disrupt travel plans? Can you afford to loose the cost of your trip if something unforeseen happens? If you buy travel insurance from the cruise line, be sure to closely read the terms and conditions of the policy. Will they give you cash or just a credit towards a future cruise. If you have health issues, watch for pre-existing condition clauses (on both cruise line insurance and private insurance). Get price quote from both the cruise line and a private insurer. We have used both cruise line insurance and private insurers. We had to cancel a cruise last year and were very happy we had the insurance. 3. This depends on how comfortable you are travelling in a strange place. We usually book our excursions through the cruise line because we feel safer and the cruise ship typically waits for all passengers to return from the cruise ships excursion. We do sometimes book our own tours. We once booked a helicopter tour in Alaska and almost missed the ship because the helicopter was late in returning to the airport. We have also been "bumped" from a tour because the cruise ship tour demanded more spots than normal. Tour companies used by cruise ships give the cruise line preferential treatment. If all we want is a "City Tour", I usually plan that myself and usually design my own walking tour. 4. When you make your dining arrangements, you can tell the cruise line how many guests you want to be seated with. Some cruise lines will not book a table for two in "traditional dining". If you choose anytime dining, you can decide each evening if you want a table for two or if you want to be seated with a larger group. Often, they will want to seat you with a larger group of people but if you demand a table for two, they will give it to you. 5. The amount of clothing is dependent on your fashion tastes (and how clean you can keep yourself). If you always end up dripping your dinner (or breakfast) on your shirt, you probably need more clothes. There are do-it-yourself laundry facilities on most ships and many cruise lines have laundry/dry-cleaning services (for a fee). Some people wear the same clothes all day and all evening. If they re-use their outfits, they can get away with very few clothes. I wear different clothes during the day than I wear in the evening. I never wear the same piece of clothing more than twice (unless I have it washed). Some cruise lines have specific dress codes for evening wear which could affect your decision on clothing. Be sure to think that through. 6. Some travel agents will give you a better price than booking directly through the cruise line. This is especially true for Internet travel sites. If you are having trouble deciding on what cruise line to take, what ship to take, what kind of cabin to book, what itinerary to pick, you might want to use a local travel agent that you can sit face to face with and discuss your questions. You can find many answers to these question on these message boards. And, as you've already done, you can post any other questions you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warm Breezes Posted July 17, 2013 #13 Share Posted July 17, 2013 This will be the first time my husband and I have ever flown & seen the ocean and Im a nervous wreak. I have a few questions hope you all can help. 1. Is it a good idea to arrive a day early and stay at a hotel just in case? Yes...we always fly in the day before. To many delays can happen with flights. We had a direct flight once that should have taken us 3 hours. We had an emergency landing and spent an additional 5 hours on the ground. If it would have been the same day we would have missed our ship. 2. Should I get travel insurance? Yes. We had to use ours after DGM passed away the day before our planned cruise. We cancelled and went home secure in the knowledge that everything would be refunded to be rescheduled later. should I get it through the cruise line? No. Go through insure my trip . com 3. should I book the excursions through the cruise line? Depends. Some ports like Jamaica or Belize a cruise line excursion may be safer. Other ports like Tortola or Cozumel it is safe enough to do a private excursion and save you a lot of money. Some excursions are only offered through the cruise line. 4. I know you have a choice of early and late dining times are you seated with other guest? and if you choose anytime are you still seated with other people? Early/Late you could be seated with others or by yourself. We prefer Anytime where you can tell them what you want....we always choose by ourselves and like the flexibility of going when we want. 5. Do I need a lot of clothes? its a 5 day cruise so I imagne we will be living in shorts but do you think we could get away with just carry on? I always pack for the number of days plus a spare outfit, a light dress for elegant and a swimsuit or 2. For 5 days I would be able to do a carry on each. 6. should I go through a travel agent since its our first time? Depends on how much research you feel comfortable doing. I paid way too much our first couple of cruises because I left the planning in the hands of friends and their travel agent. Since then, I know exactly what I want and the lowest price to get it at before I make my purchase. Most of the time that lowest price is through an on-line TA. We have never had a problem booking through on-line TA's. Im kind of freaking out here and I know I am making things much more complicated then they need to be but this is all new to us and I don't want to screw up. I really appreciate any help you can give, Thank you. Some lines will match lower prices on your category until final payment so it pays to be vigilant and watch the prices. IE. we booked our Carnival Cruise in December 2 connecting OV rooms for 5 people using Early Saver Rates. We had several price drops prior to final payment that lowered or final payment by $650. Each time I informed our TA and he got the price drops for me. After final payment I upgraded to 2 connecting balcony rooms for $400. We had a few more price drops of $190 that resulted in Onboard Credits. We will probably not see anymore drops because our category has sold out. My advice is to do your research. Read the port of call boards for excursion options. Take reviews with a grain of salt. Remember that food, service, and entertainment is highly subjective. 2 people sharing the same room can give you 2 completely opposite reviews. I always look for a ship (not cruise line) that offers what we want out vacation....that could be itinerary, embarkation port, timing, and sometimes it is the ship itself. IMHO the planning is one of the things I look forward to when going on a cruise. Most of all relax and enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisin' Chick Posted July 18, 2013 #14 Share Posted July 18, 2013 You didn't mention which cruiseline and which itinerary so there's better info we can give you, but I'll give it a try: This will be the first time my husband and I have ever flown & seen the ocean and Im a nervous wreak. I have a few questions hope you all can help. 1. Is it a good idea to arrive a day early and stay at a hotel just in case? Yes, yes, yes. When we're not leaving from our home port (an hour's drive), we always aim to get in a day ahead. You can easily book through the airline's website or one of those discount booking ones (the gnome, etc.) or get a TA to do it for you, but insist they do go with "cruiseair." (I wouldn't advise going through the cruise line -- cruise air -- for this as they usually use a consolidator and won't always give you a comfortable flight (so you might end up with a red-eye flight or one with many connections; and many times scheduled for the same day as your cruise) Too many things can go wrong with flights nowadays. Get to the embarkation city, relax, maybe get a little sightseeing done. You might even do a little shopping for things you left behind (and if going on a cruise line that allows you to bring on wine, soft drinks, bottled water, here's the chance to buy it). Then on the morning of the cruise, you'll be all relaxed, possibly get over some of the jet lag. Some hotels will shuttle you over to the port (you can check ahead of time by contacting the hotel) or get a taxi around 11ish or noonish. Make sure your passport/photo ID, credit card (for starting your onboard account), sunscreen, valuables/medications are in your carryon. 2. Should I get travel insurance? should I get it through the cruise line? You should read up on the suggestions on these boards. Not sure if recs of companies are allowed but you'll be able to tell. 3. should I book the excursions through the cruise line? Most of the time, we just go into port and sightsee, but I'm the researcher of the family so I've already looked guidebooks and googled each port long before the cruise. Lots of info available. But if we're going to do a tour or excursion, we just go ahead and book through the cruiseline. Just easier for us and I've found not too much more $ or even the same amount. There are people who will pre-book with an independent company, but that's something to get recs on and make sure a company won't charge you if for some reason you don't get to the port. Whatever you do, it's a good idea to take the ship's newsletter for that day with you. It will list the time to be back on board (which is different from sailaway time -- at which time, you absolutely need to be on board). Check your watch against the ship's time (just in case they're not on local time). Be aware that cell phones will adjust to local time, which isn't good if the ship isn't. Double check that everyone in your group has a photo ID and their cabin card before leaving the ship. Don't take off food unless it's a factory-sealed item like a Power Bar, as many ports have regulations that protect their agriculture (we in California know all too well about outside pests ruining crops). Some ports are tender ports, which mean your ship will be anchoring away from the pier and you'll get to the pier in boats (you can get great photos of your ship this way). Passengers on early ship's excursions, those in highest category cabins and some with high level of loyalty levels with their cruiseline may get top priority in boarding the tenders, but if you wait an hour or so, often you can just show up at the gangway and get on without much of a wait. 4. I know you have a choice of early and late dining times are you seated with other guest? and if you choose anytime are you still seated with other people? Many of the cruiselines do give you a choice when you book of early traditional, late traditional, or flexible dining (the name for this depends on which cruise line). Usually each dining room has different sized tables. We happen to like the large tables in traditional, as we have felt we've had the best waitstaff there. We like the idea of asking the usual questions the first night (is this your first cruise, where are you from, etc.) and then each night on, you'll move on to discuss what you all did that day or what you plan in the next port. We have met some nice and some interesting people when sharing a table. You aren't going to be able to go from one type to the other, but there are also other dining options on many ships. Often there's a casual buffet, a pizzeria, or other options. Definitely check out the website for your cruiseline and read up on your ship as all that will be listed. 5. Do I need a lot of clothes? its a 5 day cruise so I imagne we will be living in shorts but do you think we could get away with just carry on? Often it's said to take half of the clothes you want to take and put those back in your closet. Again, check out your cruise line website and it will list what clothing is acceptable at night in the main dining rooms. Some lines (Cunard, for example) are extremely dressy and some are more low key. If there's a formal night on your cruise, why not get gussy up and try it out -- on many, your man can wear a suit or maybe even a dress shirt and nice pants. My hubby will bring one suit and vary the shirts and ties (we've had three formal nights on our last three cruises), while I'll usually wear a cocktail dress or fancy pants suits. But some lines you can dress more down. Some cruiselines do have neat little traditions in the MDRs on formal nights. Else you can skip them and go to the buffet. Just let your waitstaff know you'll be eating elsewhere the next night so they're not waiting for you -- if you're doing traditional dining. Other than that, go by the weather for where you're cruising to and what you might be doing in the ports. Caribbean cruises often call for shorts and sundresses. Bring a sweater or pashima for inside wear if cool air bothers you. Alaska cruises call for layers as you might luck out and get nice weather. 6. should I go through a travel agent since its our first time? For our first couple of cruises, we did use a "cruise specialist," a travel agency that specializes in cruises. These should be able to help you select the right ship and itinerary for your desires and budget, as well as help answer any questions. A regular travel agent may not know enough to help guide you. And the online agencies have operators who may have never been on a cruise ship, much less seen a body of water. After you've been on a couple of cruises, and decide you're good at planning the details, you can do more of the work on your own. The last few cruises, I was the one who talked with Princess (with the deck plans up on the computer) and selected our cabin. In the past, I've even booked the hotel rooms and travel arrangements, but I'm good with details and logistics. I've even booked a cruise for 8 days hence, booked pre-cruise and post-cruise hotels as we were combining a land trip, booked our flights and a rental car -- all within three days. But I wouldn't have wanted to do this for our first cruise. Im kind of freaking out here and I know I am making things much more complicated then they need to be but this is all new to us and I don't want to screw up. I really appreciate any help you can give, Thank you. I didn't think I would ever want to take a cruise (even had a chance to get a free one through work), but once I finally went, just about every one of our vacations has involved a cruise. We have a lot of fun and get a lot of relaxing in. And once you get onboard and go through the safety drill, the rest of the cruise is for you to enjoy until it's time to get off the ship the last day (and believe it or not, there will be many veteran passengers staying on the ship on port days, just kicking back). 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OCruisers Posted July 18, 2013 #15 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Welcome to Cruise Critic! :) 1. It's always an extremely good idea to arrive a day early. 2. Do seriously consider getting cruise insurance. 3. This is your first cruise. No need to put any more stress on yourself than you already have. Book thru the cruise line! They will pick you up from the ship, take you to have fun, return you to the ship , and you'll never "miss the boat". 4. You might enjoy the Anytime Dining thing where you go to that Main Dining Room when you wish within dinner hours. You can say you will share with others or request a table for two. 5. Having a Travel Agent who really cares about you is priceless! Look forward to having a wonderful first cruise and many more to follow! :) LuLu ~~~~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trish1c Posted July 18, 2013 #16 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Don't freak out. Cruising is a fun way way to vacation. 1. Is it a good idea to arrive a day early and stay at a hotel just in case? Yes, flying in a day early is a good idea. If you fly the day of you risk missing the ship. Your hotel will still be there if you are late; your ship will sail as scheduled. 2. Should I get travel insurance? should I get it through the cruise line? It's up to you. But you insure other valuable things in your life. Plus travel insurance should include health coverage. Your health insurance doesn't work outside the US. You have to comparison shop to get the policy that is best for you. Check out a website called www.insuremytrip.com and compare what you find there to what the cruiseline or your TA is offering. 3. should I book the excursions through the cruise line? If you are an inexperienced traveler it's a good idea but you can also check out your Roll Call thread to see if your fellow cruisers are doing anything interesting that you might be able to join. 4. I know you have a choice of early and late dining times are you seated with other guest? and if you choose anytime are you still seated with other people? With traditional dining you are assigned a time & table. You can request a table for 2 but they are rare. With anytime dining, you can ask for a table to share; otherwise you are only seated with the other people in your party. 5. Do I need a lot of clothes? its a 5 day cruise so I imagne we will be living in shorts but do you think we could get away with just carry on? You probably need more than shorts & a carry on. Some cruise lines have dress codes. Read the FAQ section on your cruise line's website. You usually can't wear shorts to the MDR. Also it's a good idea to bring 2 bathing suits so one has time to dry. 6. should I go through a travel agent since its our first time? You can but you don't have to. Some on line travel sites are very user friendly but a TA can be a live body to call if there's a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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