Tell me about your first time!!!

[SeaCookie94]

My first cruise will be in 290 days :( I definitely have cruise fever though lol. I find myself watching hours and hours of Norwegian cruise related videos on YouTube just wishing the months would fly by *sigh*

Edited February 13, 2015 by SeaCookie94

[judyf]

You did the best thing by finding this site. My first cruise for me was pre CC and I missed so much!

[SeaCookie94]

You did the best thing by finding this site. My first cruise for me was pre CC and I missed so much!

 

Finding CC has been like finding the Holy Grail of cruising for me. So much information on here it's great.

[Kenlorz]

First suggestion... join your roll call for you sailing. There you will find others cruising on the same ship and date who will be equally excited.

 

Second suggestion... RESEARCH all you can about the ship and others experiences about it. Don't be discouraged by any debbie downers that post horrendous experiences, just take those with a large grain of salt and learn from them what you can and move on. You will learn best times to hit the slides, gyms, clubs, etc. You will learn what things you do and don't want to do on board. And research your ports too.

 

As for my first experience. AWESOME!!! Became instantly hooked on cruising. You will love it :D

[cliffd64]

My first cruise was aided by going with someone who had been several times before... She was able to show me the ropes and make sure i had a good time :)

[Freckle53]

Our first cruise was this past fall. We had so much fun. As we had our kids with us, things didn't always go according to plan, but just walking around the ship and looking out at the water was perfect.

[jacketwatch]

Ours was in 2002 on RCL's Splendour of the Seas out of Barcelona to the western med. Up until then we did all land vacations and saw quite a few places but since that 1st one the only land vacation we had was to the Big Island in 2004 and three trips to India to see my wife's relatives. So you can say we are hooked on cruising. I tell people who have never cruised they have no idea what it's like and would be amazed by what in on ships these days. Some who have never cruised have weird ideas like you have to get off the ship and that you have to take ships excursions only, or that there is nothing to do on board. Little do they know. ;)

[Iluvcruising2]

My parents told me that they brought me on a cruise out of Singapore when I was a young teenager, but I have very faint memories of that.

 

Our first real cruise was on the Monarch of the Seas (Royal Caribbean), I think it was 2003. That was fun.

Edited February 13, 2015 by Iluvcruising2

[Aquahound]

My first cruise will be in 290 days :( I definitely have cruise fever though lol. I find myself watching hours and hours of Norwegian cruise related videos on YouTube just wishing the months would fly by *sigh*

 

My first time was on NCL's Sunward II. It was at a time when computers did not exist in everyone's homes and there certainly wasn't YouTube or Google Images. It was just a brochure to read over and over again.

 

A few years ago in the Mediterranean, I saw the old Sunward II (it was Louis Coral) and it brought back a lot of memories. I actually miss that very simple cruise experience. Cruising has changed a lot since then.

Edited February 13, 2015 by Aquahound

[Alabaster Cruiser]

Our first cruise was on the Emerald Seas of Eastern Cruise Line We went to Hog Island. There were no TVs(but a very large movie theater), no phones in the room (forget cellular), no wi-fi (before computers). We did have shooting skeets off the back of the ship (with real shotguns). The kids could fly kites from the back of the ship(no satellites on the ship to destroy). Bananas foster could have an actual flambeau topping (was fire not an issue?) Women wore full gowns and waltzed to big bands---Well anyway , you get the drift. After the first night we decided that we would do this again. Almost 36 years since then and we are still cruising(maybe a little more often since retirement). Hope you have such a love for your first cruise.

[WMQueenie]

We had friends who did nothing but cruise and they tried to get us to try it several times and we were not interested in the least. Then our son and his then girlfriend (now wife) dragged us kicking and screaming on our first cruise in 2005 - a 5 night cruise to "try it out" on RCC Voyager of the Seas - we absolutely loved it and have been hooked ever since! No vacation compares....

[nets33]

1987 on the Norwegian Skyward

 

It was a gift from my parents for High School graduation. Unfortunately because of college and jobs I wasn't able to sail again until quite a few years later. The cruise bug bit me early, it just took me some time to be able to afford to sail again. :D

[Solararc]

First Cruise was in 2011 freshly married on a 12 day Mediterranean Cruise, balcony cabin and lots of sea days to do what young married people do. Met some really great people that we still talk to on a regular basis. Been on 2 more since then, to hawaii and alaska, planning out or next adventure now

Edited February 13, 2015 by Solararc

[Kingofwylietx]

I wasn't excited at all to go on my first cruise. My parents had decided to take the whole family on a summer getaway. I kept telling my wife that I would be bored on a boat for 8 or 9 days. She had been on a cruise and kept telling me that I would have fun. Sure....great....let's just get it over.

 

The family converged at the port, got checked in, and boarded the ship. I wasn't sure what to expect once we stepped foot onto the ship, but I was impressed. It was beautiful and the crew was right there greeting everyone and welcoming them aboard. They directed us to our room and off we went to look at the rooms.

 

The cabin was nice, somewhere between 200 and 300 sq feet. It was a premium balcony located mid-ship. It was just my wife and I in it, so we were pleased. All our rooms were in the same hallway, but none of our rooms abutted each other. Everyone else went off to see their rooms. My wife was a smoker at the time, so she probably went to test the balcony...lol. Our luggage arrived shortly, we unpacked, and went to see everyone else's cabins.

 

This is where luck comes in, as we were the only ones to have our luggage already delivered. Not wanting to sit around and wait for bags, we all went on a tour of the ship. I was amazed that they can pack so much onto a ship. This was a fairly new Princess ship, it held around 3500 passengers.

 

All that said, I was certain to be bored in a day or 2. While nice, I looked at my floating prison and counted the days to my release. At least it was pretty and I had heard we would be fed well.

 

We explored the ship until it was time for everyone to check the room for their luggage again. It had arrived, so we waited patiently for everyone to get sorted, then we went for a farewell drink or 2 as the ship left port. Once away, I was ready for the tedium to begin...

 

We had planned to mostly eat in the dining rooms for dinner, then grab lunch & breakfast from the buffets. I'm sure you've already heard that they serve great food. It's true. Really. Awesome food. Early in our voyage, I asked the maître d' if we would have crab cakes during our voyage. He checked and said it was not on the menu any night, but they will arrange it. Then he asked my stateroom number and told me to request them the following night. While leaving for an excursion the next day, a box was being lifted from a small boat to the ship. My dad joked that it was probably my crab cakes. :confused: That evening, they brought out a huge platter of lump crab cakes. We shared them with several tables. My dad told me that I should check my room charges...as it may have been a very expensive dinner (They did not charge me.....that is pure awesome!!).

 

The rest of the breakfasts/lunches/dinners were all excellent. The menu was varied enough that we never at the same thing twice. I will add that some of the dishes were so delicious, we had hoped to have them again.

 

So, okay, the food is great on a cruise. You knew that.

 

Now I'll tell you about how boring it is to be on a boat for days. I should preface this with some very important information. Cruise ship companies employ magical fairies that somehow condense a months worth of entertainment onto a vessel and keep you as busy or as relaxed as you wish. Yep, it's magic. My wife never even made it to the pool to sunbathe, we were too busy enjoying all the attractions on the ship. It was a whirlwind, errrr, tsunami of activity. They had it all, live shows, comedians, dance lessons, drink mixing lessons, shopping events, movies under the stars at night, bingo, casino, bars, spa, and much more. That doesn't even include your off-ship excursions at the ports.

 

Our room was great. We enjoyed being in it, because we could sit on the deck and see the ocean/sunsets/sunrises. I liked it at night, looking forward at the ship cutting through the waves. The balcony was really nice and it's the only way we will cruise. We did see an interior room, which would have it's own perks. The interior would be great for anyone that wants to sleep late (no sunlight to wake you) and doesn't spend much time in a cabin. Also, interior rooms located mid-ship will have the least effect from the ships movement in rough seas. We only had one night were the ship was noticeable rocking.

 

Well, I never got bored. Everyone had a fantastic journey, we had quality time with family, we were always entertained, we saw foreign lands, and we met some really nice people.

 

My prison had become a castle. On board, you will feel more like royalty than a inmate. It's great, you will have a wonderful cruise.

[Swells1]

Funny story about my first cruise. I booked exactly one year in advance, and I spent almost every waking moment researching everything I could about the ship and ports of call. When we boarded, a lady overheard me telling the hubs where we were going and asked me for directions. I helped her, and she said, "Wow. You must cruise on this ship all the time. You know where everything is!"

She didn't believe me when I told her I'd never been on any ship before.

[gcjstri]

Hi Net33,

 

My first cruise was on M.S. Skyward June 13th 1987. I met my current husband the first nite on that cruise. Then we honnymooned on the M.S. Starward on 10/1/88. I remeber back then when the ship took off we threw streamers off the side of the ship & they had the pool filled with ballons with a net covering them. When we the ship took off the baloons were released. Back then we had camers that used film and i took 12 rolls of pictures thinking it would be my only cruise. i did not make very much money back then and i had a girlfriend that work for a travel agency that got us a great deal. that cruise changed my life. We have been taking cruises every other year since 1987

 

cindi :):):)

[gcjstri]

Hi All,

 

any more stories anyone. I was enjoying reading this thread, but it just diappeared :rolleyes:

[backsbanny]

My first cruise just a short one 4 day on the ncl sky back in 2010.since then all my vacation plans is cruises..i work saving money for a cruise i want to retire some day doing a world cruise.cruising is such an addiction for me i can not let a year pass without a cruise.i am going on the getaway this april i have already booked one more on the epic for next year and i keep looking for two more for the next year

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[mearsfansinboise]

Our first cruise was to Alaska in 2010. Our kids were 6 & 7 at the time.

I was really afraid of taking a cruise, and someone recommended the Inside Passage sailing because you can see land the entire time - which really seemed to put my mind at ease. We sailed with HAL and it was a great experience. The attention that you get from the staff, the endless food, the gentle rocking naps in the afternoon; just fantastic. We were hooked immediately. The only thing that we were not crazy about was the port - Alaska was not our cup of tea with regard to things to do, places to go, etc. But Glacier Bay was amazing. We have been sailing about every year ever since.

[MsJ]

Hi,

 

Our first cruise was on RCCL(RCL) Nordic Prince. It was 1986 and we were celebrating our 10 year anniversary. It sailed out of NYC to Bermuda. We had the streamers flying also. And the waiters were walking all around the deck saying "nice and cool" as they gave everyone free rum punch drinks. As many as you wanted. We dined with a family from Philadelphia. I will never forget our waiter. He was from Italy and he could not have given us better service if he tried. He was so attentive and pleasant and fun. He even came around with the ketchup and asked us if we wanted on the french fries!!!! The family was parents with their teenage daughter..maybe about 17 or 18. She brought a friend with her the same age. Her friend spent the whole week flirting with our waiter. It was so much fun to watch. He was so gracious when responding to the flirting. We also had the baked Alaska parade one night. Midnight buffet every night. And of course cruising out of NYC was so exciting. We have since cruises out of NYC 4 times and will again next week for our second time on the Breakaway. Cruising by the Statue of Liberty makes me a little teary eyed each time. We cruised out of NYC in July 2002 on NCL Sea. As we passed ground zero there was complete silence on the ship. No one said a word. It was very emotional for everyone I think.

The Nordic Prince was about 35,000 tons I think.....but we thought it was HUGE!!! It is my favorite memory out of 18 cruises on many different and much larger ships.

[BrBrCruise]

Our first cruise was our honeymoon. We took the Spirit to Bermuda. We had a wonderful time, but as a young, broke couple we were so afraid of racking up additional charges that we didn't enjoy everything we could have. If only I knew then what I know now.

 

A tip I gave my DD - if they ask for your card, it's to charge you for something. Also, if something has a charge, it's (almost?) always posted.

[kgymn]

My first cruise was in 2004, it was spring break my Sr year in college on the Carnival Triumph. I'd been obsessed with cruising since 6th grade. We originally planned on doing a more traditional spring break, but went to a casino one night and it made me think of cruise ships and my roommates I was going with were on board with the idea right away!

 

I had managed to find Cruise Critic so I got on the roll call and got tons of great info before we even got on board. We'd booked an inside with the 3 of us, used a travel agent with AAA and when we saw here that the price had gone down, our TA was able to get up upgraded to an oceanview! I still remember when my roommate told me THAT good news! We were thrilled, and after seeing an inside cabin later even more so since with 3 of us it would have been a MUCH tighter fit.

 

We had a BLAST, really. I spent far too much time in the internet cafe (this was when laptops were not so popular yet, and there were no unlimited internet plans) and spent a fortune talking to friends at home. I got a kick out of talking to friends who weren't on break in between their classes and being all "oh yeah I'm off the coast of Mexico right now."

 

It was definitely an "it's a small world" experience for us. We were seated with other passengers at dinner who were around our age. And it turned out one of the guys we were seated with had been good friends with one of my roommates brothers in elementary school. We spent a lot of time with those guys LOL. Then there was also a fairly large group of other students from our school on the same ship with us. Actually, the night we came back to the ship from Cozumel, my card was in my roommates pocket because I didn't have one and both roommates went to our cabin to rest but never came back to the nightclub. And they weren't answering the door. So some of the group from our school started buying me drinks, cause we went to the same school LOL it was a great night! Had my first hangover the next day after all the mexican tequila in Cozumel and the rum and vodka I was drinking on the ship that night! I did end up getting back into my room, eventually one of my roommates woke up when I knocked. It was also a very rocky night and I remember being in the elevator with someone who was walking me to my cabin and the conversation was "Am I that drunk or is that the ship?" "I don't know, but if you're that drunk so am I!" (It was mostly the ship. After I got in bed I was hearing things rolling around on the counter in our cabin. One of the guys from our CC roll call who had cruise MAY times before said it was the choppiest seas he'd ever been in on a cruise. I loved every second of that rocking.)

 

Lets see, we swam with dolphins for my roommates birthday. Did some shopping. Went to Hell and layed on a beach. In Jamaica we did the whole day with a group from our roll call, that one of the people had arranged excursions for outside the ship. Dunns River Falls, then tubing on the white river, then finishing up at Margaritaville. That was the other most memorable day from the cruise! My one roommate and I had gotten, well, cranky with each other, but while we were tubing I got flipped off my tube and the current was trying to take me away. My roommate managed to pull me up onto her tube with her until one of our guides managed to wrangle my tube further down river.

 

I was bit with the cruise bug before I ever stepped foot on a ship and it's only gotten worse since! I've only made it on 2 more cruises since then and it was 9 years before my second cruise but each one has been amazing in different ways. My husbands first cruise was our second one and he is definitely a "the ship is my destination" type cruiser. Thankfully I found a husband who loves to be on the sea as much as I do or I don't know what I would do to get my cruise fix!

 

~Katy

[GoAndHaveFun]

I was in a dark room and the mood was set just right. I said that it can hurt but we should proceed anyways...just kidding

 

I went on the Gem with family and we sailed out of Barcelona. We then went to Malta, Italy (3 ports) and then Cannes in France. I still have very pleasant memories of this cruise although I recall sleeping at like 10pm every night!

[spacewoman]

We had always vacationed in Florida, most of the time Disney. Vacations pretty much went by the wayside when we opened our business.

 

In 2002, the DH had a terrible chainsaw accident. It was a wake up call to enjoy life while you have the opportunity to do so. In 2003 after he healed he said he wanted to go on vacation and wanted to do something other than Florida. He was intrigued by cruising and said see our TA. I did. It just so happened that Carnival was bringing Pride to NYC to do 7 day cruises to Bermuda for the summer. July was normally a too busy to go on vacation but we booked it anyway. Several people told us to book a balcony, which we did. As the weeks got closer to cruise time, our TA kept calling and asking if we wanted free upgrades. Newbies we were, we were like "why are they calling so often and what is the difference in cabins?"

 

Long story short is we were upgraded to a junior suite. I do not know if it was because we were celebrating our 20th anniversary or because our TA mentioned very first cruise to Carnival. Our TA did say "you will never like another cabin" after sailing that category.

 

The cruise was so terrible that we will be sailing on cruise number 14 this year:o

 

Kathy

Edited February 19, 2015 by spacewoman