How do you spot a first time cruiser?

[cruisemainiac]

Remember the look Dorothy had when she first got to Oz? That's how.

[jdvmd]

They over pack and go to everything scheduled including all the "important" port talks.

[NMLady]

Sometimes newbies say "boat", might wear lanyards and are often over dressed. But really it's not that easy to know who is new and it's always good to have new folks onboard.

 

Just relax and bring along a good attitude and lots of smiles...............you are going to love cruising:)

 

I wear a lanyard and am far from a new cruiser. I've been on more than a dozen cruises.

[cruisinmama0]

The veteran lanyard wearers know to go to the casino to get a hole punched in their sail & sign card. The newbies will stand in a long line at the Pursers.

[NMLady]

A new cruiser will carry her large purse day and night. You'll notice her at the buffet- huge beachbag, large purse, and trying to balance a plate and glass while serving herself.

 

Every cabin has a safe; leave your valuables there. As for everything else in the purse: think of the ship as your home. If you always carry your purse around your house, then do so onboard (we'll laugh, though). You really only need a few items- your keycard (card to get into your room and charge purchases), a tissue, a lipgloss, maybe a comb. I use small wristlets or over-the-shoulder pouches (maybe 3" by 5" max) to carry these if my pants don't have pockets. Some prefer lanyards (controversial LOL!).

 

For the rest- leave it in your cabin; even on the biggest ships, your cabin isn't that far away. Your purse and empty suitcases will all fit nicely under your bed.

 

I carry a bag on the ship. It has my book, sunscreen, tissues, bottle of water, camera, iPad, and sometimes my hobby materials. I don't want to walk back to my cabin every time I need one of those items.

So, carrying a bag of some sort is not necessarily a sign of a newbie.

[B6ConMe]

The veteran lanyard wearers know to go to the casino to get a hole punched in their sail & sign card. The newbies will stand in a long line at the Pursers.

 

The veteran lanyard wearer (lanyard attached to a see-thru pocket) won't need to go to have their card punched, anywhere.... :p :p :p

[Twiz]

I love my lanyard and I'm not a new cruiser, believe me!

 

I use a lanyard, overpack and carry a med sized purse/bag with me too, next week will be our 7th cruise ....:)

[genman36]

I bring a local newspaper from home and read it on deck. The newbies always ask me "where did you get the paper". I usually reply with a straight face, "in the gift shop on deck 3 forward.

[artist47]

Don't know if I can agree with that one Mike, I'm an over-packer by nature, everything but the kitchen sink gets packed and I'd probably put that, but not sure how to get it out of the counter :D

 

me too... :p We must be related. I bring my full size French easel and all my equipment...and I like to dress for dinner no matter what other people do --- I don't care if they are formal or not...makes no difference to me what other people wear, but I like to wear nice clothes.

 

But to answer the OP: If they are women, they are usually flirting with the crew. If they are men, they are usually flirting with the crew.

;)

[sebas030]

They show up at "Friends of Dorothy" because they love The Wizard of Oz

 

They show up at "Friends of Bill" because...well who isn't friend with a Bill ?

 

And yes...asking for the newspaper....thats a good one :)

 

Asking what side of the "boat" will we "park" in the port

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[mets07]

I am going to start a thread on how you tell an "oldie" .... they can't resist telling you how many cruises they have been on, etc.

 

Love the newbies because we were all were one once...

 

Even if I was one when I turned 16 on a cruise in 1972. Did not go on another until 2004.

 

Loved the ocean then, love the ocean now.

[artist47]

I am going to start a thread on how you tell an "oldie" .... they can't resist telling you how many cruises they have been on, etc.

 

Love the newbies because we were all were one once...

 

Even if I was one when I turned 16 on a cruise in 1972. Did not go on another until 2004.

 

Loved the ocean then, love the ocean now.

 

Great idea.

 

The way I tell an "oldie" is that they carry highlighters in pocket protectors for their dailies. :)

[samiam0403]

I am going to start a thread on how you tell an "oldie" .... they can't resist telling you how many cruises they have been on, etc.

 

Love the newbies because we were all were one once...

 

Even if I was one when I turned 16 on a cruise in 1972. Did not go on another until 2004.

 

Loved the ocean then, love the ocean now.

 

Exactly! :)

 

And some of these ways of identifying a "newbie" aren't foolproof by any means. I carry a purse everywhere I go, I 'overdress' (I wear a uniform and combat boots every day, so I like to be 'girly' on vacation) and I also call it a boat occasionally simply to annoy Navy folk. ;)

 

So OP, there's pretty much no one way to tell how many cruises someone has been on unless they tell you. Happy sailing!

[CP Tech]

I bring a local newspaper from home and read it on deck. The newbies always ask me "where did you get the paper". I usually reply with a straight face, "in the gift shop on deck 3 forward.

 

I'm so stealing this from you in my cruise in Dec. :)

 

I did the "dead body sheet" thing on our cruise last December. Our room steward couldn't stop laughing and thanking for making his day.

[mugtech]

I'm a long time vacationer and I've cruised a few times now. Any place that does photos like this you will see me in the "5-10" minute line and spend money on shipboard photos. In my case it has absolutely nothing to do with a 1st sailing or a 20th. I hate selfies with a passion. I like photos of my DH and I together, this happens to work for us.

 

Or you could ask someone else to take a picture of the two of you. We do it for people and ask people to do it for us all the time, fun way to meet new people.

[Zimomiller]

These are a few that I managed to come up with, with a few caribbean specific comments:

 

The round skin tone anti sea sickness patches behind each ear while walking around the hotel, and this is the day before embarkation.

 

The anti seasickness wrist band on each wrist.

 

The bitter disapointment on their face as after the security scan at boarding when the staff remove their 5 botttles of liquor that was going to last all week.

 

The look of utter amazement on their face face the first time they realize that the ship moves

 

They bounce offf the walls due to the ocean motion and we have not yet fully left port.

 

The automatic reach and grab for a drink the first time they are offered one by a server with a tray full of drinks on deck followed by the shock on their face when they realize they gotta pay for it....

 

The red lobster like skin tone on days 2-3 of the caribbean cruise after forgetting that the sun is bright and hot in the caribbean.

 

They flash their soda sticker laden card at the dining staff in the MDR and ask for a refill

 

The bitter amazement on their face when they order their first drink in the casino and the bill arrives as well.

 

They arrive at 10 am on sun deck and are clearly dumbstruck when they cannot get the chaise lounge right by the pool where they wanted one, let alone one anywhere convenient that does not have shoes, towels, suntan lotion, books , magazines, plates, cover ups and the occasional human being on them.

 

They try opening the door to the connecting room in their incredibly smaller than expected cabin hoping to find more room.

 

They cluelessly hand the washy washy guy their sunglasses for cleaning

 

They spend 10 minutes in the buffet looking for trays

 

They show up for the 9 oclock popular production show at 9 oclock

 

The wives make their cabin beds in the am

Edited February 1, 2014 by Zimomiller

[youngestof9]

Unfortunately, I have to carry some sort of bag because I have to carry insulin and a blood glucose kit. Trust me, I'd rather not carry one!

 

I know you know an oldie when they have a hole punch WITH them! Met a nice guy in the port waiting to board Breakaway in October who punched my hole for me. He just whipped it out of his pocket like a pro. I had a cute Breakaway lanyard. Never considered them before October, but I actually liked it! (Oh no, next I'll be wearing socks and crocs and a fanny pack. Ack!)

 

I LOVE watching people board and be all wide-eyed. Hell, I'm still that way. I just love seeing the excitement on people's faces.

 

LisaJ - have a great time on Epic - she's my FAVORITE ship!!

[time2cruise1]

They follow the crews suggestions and end up in the crowded buffet for lunch the first day never knowing they could have a wonderful relaxing lunch in the main dining room. In fact I met a newbie halfway thru a cruise that never found the main dining rooms and insisted the buffet was the only choice for free food.

Edited February 1, 2014 by time2cruise1

[NH Cruisers]

 

My husband and I now make a point to be sure we are planted somewhere watching the piers at "party" ports just so we don't miss that kind of action, and so we can wave the late passengers good-bye.

 

 

In St.Thomas the wife and I watched as an older guy waites at the gate for his wife who was shopping. The ship was blaring its horn and all. The guy keeps looking at his watch.

 

Finally the gate is locked and the guy is on the otherside locked out. The ship pulls away. We are about a minute or two away from the pier when the wife strolls up to the gate by her husband. The guy takes her bags and throws them on the ground and stomps on them. She is crying and we see them storm off.

 

Don't know how that story ended. That was our first or second cruise, we always try to get back an hour or so prior to last boarding call.

 

Jon

[coldferret]

I'm so stealing this from you in my cruise in Dec. :)

 

I did the "dead body sheet" thing on our cruise last December. Our room steward couldn't stop laughing and thanking for making his day.

 

 

Have done a few cruises but admit to not knowing what "dead body sheet" thing is??

[oregonian123]

They follow the crews suggestions and end up in the crowded buffet for lunch the first day never knowing they could have a wonderful relaxing lunch in the main dining room. In fact I met a newbie halfway thru a cruise that never found the main dining rooms and insisted the buffet was the only choice for free food.

 

 

Hi, I am new to NCL. Is the MDR open on the Star to all passengers on embarkation day, or it only available for the higher Lattitudes levels?

[fabnfortysomething]

I was on my 5th cruise before using a lanyard-shop on board was selling pretty round neck ones with plastic wallet for card-brilliant-no need to carry bag if no pockets to put ship pass in

 

will be using for future cruises

[JohnIreland]

Hi, I am new to NCL. Is the MDR open on the Star to all passengers on embarkation day, or it only available for the higher Lattitudes levels?

 

Open to everyone.

[NH Cruisers]

Hi, I am new to NCL. Is the MDR open on the Star to all passengers on embarkation day, or it only available for the higher Lattitudes levels?

Its open to all passengers.

[sebas030]

I'm so stealing this from you in my cruise in Dec. :)

 

I did the "dead body sheet" thing on our cruise last December. Our room steward couldn't stop laughing and thanking for making his day.

 

PLEASE explain this to me..us...

 

someone, anyone, anyone ??