Your First Cruise

[Jim40]

Big Red Boat 1996 Atlantis 3 Night Cruise out of Port Canaveral

[Sherri914]

1. What do you remember most about your first cruise? What made it special?

 

2. What makes you keep cruising?

 

3 What is it about RCI that makes you return to their ships time and again?

 

November 1999 on Cape Canaveral Cruise Line's Dolphin IV. This ship had a long and very interesting past. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=91701&highlight=dolphin+iv

 

1. There was one elevator bank, and it was out of service the entire cruise. Pretty much the only food offered was Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Nothing in between much. Dinner was awesome. The other offerings, not so much. And our room had a porthole - a tiny one - and two beds that were fixed to the walls. The term beds is used loosely though as they were the size of a cot!

 

2. It took us ten years to cruise again, and we sailed on Liberty of the Seas. We went to three ports in seven days and loved it. For us, it offers the chance to rest, relax, and get a glimpse of many different ports of call.

 

3. We love the overall experience. He loves tropics. I love cooler temps. So the beautiful ocean breezes let him enjoy the sun while I don't die in the sweltering heat. We also love experiencing local culture and the various ports of call allow us to do that without having to commit a week to one place we may not like.

[Sitzmark]

I can't imagine you'll be bored on Oasis. Beautiful ship, tons of activities.

 

I guess we'll see. I just don't see much to do after walking past all the shops, checking out the flow rider and pool for a day at sea, and there are three of them.

[BonnieSte]

With so many repeat cruisers on this thread I'm curious about your first cruise.

 

1. What do you remember most about your first cruise? What made it special?

 

2. What makes you keep cruising?

 

3 What is it about RCI that makes you return to their ships time and again?

 

1. Everything was special. Great food, great service, experiencing living like the other half,,, no work, no house work. Everything was perfect. That was the Carnival Destiny. Fell in love right away.

 

2. No work, no phones, no computers, no cooking, no cleaning, no laundry, being pampered....

 

3. So far the itinerary and price but no longer the case. I now look around for pricing and itinerary. Doesn't matter what line anymore.

[330searay]

First cruise was sept 07. Ex. We have only cruised Royal, mostly because we have never had a bad experience and secondly we have Cape Liberty only 3 hours away. My wife and I both spent alot of our childhoods on the water as both families have boating backgrounds. Cruising has just added another dimension to our love of the water. We will be taking our 5th in august. It will be our two boys (11 and 15) second cruise. We also have Anthem booked sept '16 (no kids tho)!

[BGCruiser85]

My first cruise was actually on the Sovereign of the Seas back in 2001, but that was just a solo trip with work mates so I don't really count that as much. It was a nice trip but my real love of cruising came once I got married and we took our honeymoon cruise in 2006 on the Jewel.

 

The Jewel was amazing for the time. The most vivid memory is of dining in the main dining room. A particular couple (Ed and Lenore) that were just soooo entertaining! The wait staff was wonderful. We had absolutely the best time ever.

 

We've since cruised on every class in RCI (except the newest Anthem). The only bad cruise we've ever had was on the Majesty which was due to multiple issues both with the ship, staff, and even some personal issues at the time.

 

We've scheduled the Jewel again 44 days from now for an Alaskan cruise. Looking forward to seeing how she's held up and if the staff is half as good as that first cruise together.

[ryano]

I guess we'll see. I just don't see much to do after walking past all the shops, checking out the flow rider and pool for a day at sea, and there are three of them.

 

If you get bored on Oasis then I probably would never cruise again if I were you, compromise or not. Cruising certainly isnt for everybody and I have to say it appears you are already setting yourself up for a miserable time.

[dsu_2003]

We cruised Rhapsody of the Sras in Oct. 2003 for our honeymoon. I wanted to do something new for both of us. My husband contacted a travel agent, who picked the ship, based on our wedding date. We married on a Saturday afternoon in Philly and traveled to Galveston Sunday to board the ship. We eere exhausted, the lines were horrible. It took days before we could relax

 

By the time we got off we loved it! We didn't think we could afford anymore cruises. Then when talking with a friend we decided we were going on a cruise together. Carnival was a bargin, through an internet TA. Then we keep going.

 

I'm not loyal to Royal. I want to get a long cruise 10 - 20 days with a good itinerary, a few new places and a decent price.

[Sitzmark]

If you get bored on Oasis then I probably would never cruise again if I were you, compromise or not. Cruising certainly isnt for everybody and I have to say it appears you are already setting yourself up for a miserable time.

 

Could be, you're right about one thing, cruising isn't for me. I love the ocean, I love boating, but I'm not so wild about being cargo. Everyone always says there is loads of stuff to do on these boats, but what is there besides eating drinking and shopping?

[printingchick]

With so many repeat cruisers on this thread I'm curious about your first cruise.

 

1. What do you remember most about your first cruise? What made it special?

 

The ship felt HUGE! (It was a Carnival Fantasy Class - Carnival Serenade - so not really that big by today's standards.)

The service was outstanding!

Cruising is such a SOCIAL way of traveling. People are so friendly and get to know each other.

 

2. What makes you keep cruising?

 

The service! The value! (Yes, I know...cut-backs everywhere. But still such a great value compared to other types of travel.) The food! THE SEA!!!

 

3 What is it about RCI that makes you return to their ships time and again?

 

I guess I'm kind of "if it ain't broke" type and I feel comfortable with Royal. I started on Carnival and moved up to Royal, feeling it was a little more classy, but still just as FUN. I think I may try Celebrity next. I prefer smaller ships (Radiance Class is a favorite) and Royal Caribbean keeps going larger and adding more resort features on board. I prefer the ships that focus on the experience of being at SEA. I also want to visit a lot of ports, as opposed to having a lot of sea days.

 

 

 

Interesting reading.

[printingchick]

Could be, you're right about one thing, cruising isn't for me. I love the ocean, I love boating, but I'm not so wild about being cargo. Everyone always says there is loads of stuff to do on these boats, but what is there besides eating drinking and shopping?

 

As a non-gambler, non-shopping fan and only a social drinker, I'd say there is a LOT to do on board, and I've NEVER cruised on one of the mega ships. Even on the smaller ships, which are my preference, there is:

• Mini-golf
  
• Shuffle board
  
• Piano Bar
  
• More than one pool and multiple hot tubs
  
• An incredible gym
  
• Parties, parties, parties
  
• Shows, shows, shows
  
• Rock climbing wall
  
• Night clubs
  
• All varieties of music and dancing
  
• Trivia contests
  
• Bingo
  
• Games
  
• A library
  
• Board games
  
• Looking at the OCEAN!
  

I prefer more port-intensive itineraries, so I tend to be off the ship most days, exploring islands, but on sea days, I can ALWAYS find things to do!

Edited May 26, 2015 by printingchick

[Paulette3028]

My first cruise was actually on the Sovereign of the Seas back in 2001, but that was just a solo trip with work mates so I don't really count that as much. It was a nice trip but my real love of cruising came once I got married and we took our honeymoon cruise in 2006 on the Jewel.

 

The Jewel was amazing for the time. The most vivid memory is of dining in the main dining room. A particular couple (Ed and Lenore) that were just soooo entertaining! The wait staff was wonderful. We had absolutely the best time ever.

 

We've since cruised on every class in RCI (except the newest Anthem). The only bad cruise we've ever had was on the Majesty which was due to multiple issues both with the ship, staff, and even some personal issues at the time.

 

We've scheduled the Jewel again 44 days from now for an Alaskan cruise. Looking forward to seeing how she's held up and if the staff is half as good as that first cruise together.

 

What I have learned over the cruises we have taken is to try not to compare a past cruise to a current cruise. We have cruised on Her Majesty many times, and each one has been different....sad to hear that you had a bad cruise on Her Majesty, because even though she is the oldest ship in the fleet right now, she has always provided a wonderful cruise for us.....what she lacks in WOW we have found her staff make up for (at least that has been our experience).

 

I look at each cruise as if it was our FIRST....because to be truthful, each and everyone of them, is different -- different crew and definitely different fellow passengers. I want that first magical step onto the ship to be as if it was my very first cruise.....and I make sure I look forward to it, as a novice not an experienced cruiser.

[LuCruise]

Fun and positive post.

 

1. What do you remember most about your first cruise? What made it special?

--> First cruise was an university graduation present from my dad so it was special in the sense that it was Father / Daughter cruise. It was on the Grandeur of the Seas and I remember how it was amazing how at the same spot you could do absolutely nothing (i.e. read or sleep at the pool) or keep busy 200% of the time

 

If I can add, my second cruise was with DH for our honeymoon on Voyager. It was a perfect vacation for us since at the time I loved beach holidays....so we'd spend about 2hrs at the beach ports, and he loves doing things, so we could constantly find something to do instead of just lying by the pool (but we did some of that too). Good compromise.

 

2. What makes you keep cruising?

--> Love the all inclusive with something for everyone and the service...and each day ending with dinner and a show

 

3 What is it about RCI that makes you return to their ships time and again?

--> Love the entertainment (and how the newer ones have Broadway type productions!), the beautiful décor, the activities

 

For us, it's more about the ship and less about the ports.

 

Sooo excited to take our kids for their first RCL cruise next year.

Edited May 26, 2015 by LuCruise

[Sitzmark]

As a non-gambler, non-shopping fan and only a social drinker, I'd say there is a LOT to do on board, and I've NEVER cruised on one of the mega ships. Even on the smaller ships, which are my preference, there is:

• Mini-golf
  
• Shuffle board
  
• Piano Bar
  
• More than one pool and multiple hot tubs
  
• An incredible gym
  
• Parties, parties, parties
  
• Shows, shows, shows
  
• Rock climbing wall
  
• Night clubs
  
• All varieties of music and dancing
  
• Trivia contests
  
• Bingo
  
• Games
  
• A library
  
• Board games
  
• Looking at the OCEAN!
  

I prefer more port-intensive itineraries, so I tend to be off the ship most days, exploring islands, but on sea days, I can ALWAYS find things to do!

 

As I said, we'll see. The pools on the Fantasy were like Dixie cups, not exactly a joy to use, hopefully these are larger, At least the Fantasy had the water coaster. I won't waste a second in a casino and the shops are only there to occupy space. I haven't joined the bingo or shuffleboard set yet, but I guess it will be a time.

[LuCruise]

Could be, you're right about one thing, cruising isn't for me. I love the ocean, I love boating, but I'm not so wild about being cargo. Everyone always says there is loads of stuff to do on these boats, but what is there besides eating drinking and shopping?

 

Maybe I've missed some of the conversations but am wondering then why you chose a cruise?

 

You can do absolutely everything...or just rest and do nothing. It's up to you. Try and search for a past cruise compass to get an idea.

 

I see you've been on Disney Fantasy. We've been on the Magic. I know there are lots who will disagree, but DH and I were actually bored when our kids were occupied (i.e. not enough adult stuff for us). But on Royal, we were kept busy and loved every minute.

Edited May 26, 2015 by LuCruise

[bkrickles1]

My first cruise as an adult was in 1991 on the Celebrity Horizon with the woman that would become my wife of the past 22 years.

In fact, it was just after that cruise that I decided to propose just a few months later.

Anyway, the ship was practically brand new at the time and I thought it was the biggest thing in the world. Now I'm going on the Liberty for the 3rd time on 7/2 and that's almost 4 times larger. Pretty crazy!

We loved the cruise. We had a table for 2 every night and got dressed up when we were supposed to. And changed right back into shorts right after dinner!

We went to all of the shows and got up early at least once to see the sunrise over the water. My wife still makes me do that on every cruise we go on.

The ship was beautiful, the food was great and we've been cruising pretty regularly ever since. Mostly on rccl, but we have gone back on celebrity and have tried ncl too.

Great memories!!!!

Can't wait until 7/2

[Sitzmark]

Maybe I've missed some of the conversations but am wondering then why you chose a cruise?

 

You can do absolutely everything...or just rest and do nothing. It's up to you. Try and search for a past cruise compass to get an idea.

 

I see you've been on Disney Fantasy. We've been on the Magic. I know there are lots who will disagree, but DH and I were actually bored when our kids were occupied (i.e. not enough adult stuff for us). But on Royal, we were kept busy and loved every minute.

 

As I indicated, compromise. This year I won the compromise and we cancelled the cruise.

 

I've seen the compasses, meh.

 

The Fantasy was a nice boat, But after the midship detective agency and a couple rides on the aquaduck there just wasn't much to do.

[WEGL81]

With so many repeat cruisers on this thread I'm curious about your first cruise.

 

 

 

1. What do you remember most about your first cruise? What made it special?

 

 

 

2. What makes you keep cruising?

 

 

 

3 What is it about RCI that makes you return to their ships time and again?

 

 

1. Our first cruise was the NCL Seaward back in 1988. We did the cruise because we honeymooned in Grand Cayman and my DW had wanted a tatted tablecloth from one of the stores there but we couldn't afford it at the time. So we found a cruise that went thru GC 2 years later and booked it. What I remember is how very cool it was. I remember getting invited to the Captain's table on formal night wearing my tux thinking "Wow, I guess this is normal for everyone". Have never been invited to the Captain's table since. I also remember being highly influenced about what cruising was like by watching "The Love Boat". We figured everyone dressed up for the costume party. I remember getting sick as a dog one night when my seasickness patch fell off while swimming one day and I figured I didn't need it. What made it special was my DW got to sing in the talent show (although that coincided with the night I was sick in bed) and the grand midnight buffets. Plus we did get that tablecloth in GC. Kids and life interrupted our cruising life until around 2006 when we took our next cruise on the Sovereign of the Seas. So you could say RCL brought us back to cruising. Been cruising ever since.

 

2. What makes you keep cruising?

 

That feeling you get on the first day when you finally get to your room and get unpacked and the whole trip is ahead of you. All the planning and traveling to get there is done and it's fun and relaxation from then on. Cruising has become our now twice yearly avocation as we seek easy ways to see new places without the hassle of airplane travel (except for those faraway cruises). e joke with our kids that we're spending their inheritance, but in reality we're pre-spending our retirement since both DW and I still work. :)

 

3. What is it about RCL that makes you return to their ships time and again?

 

Well, truth be told, nothing. We've actually cruised Princess more than RCL and are working on becoming Elite on Celebrity. Once we took our first Celebrity cruises last year, we've been looking at them much more than RCL. We did cruise on the Allure this year because, well, it's the biggest thing in the water and beyond awesome. We can't wait for Oasis to get to PC so that we can go on her. Other than that, our next 2 years of cruises are booked with Celebrity. If we can squeeze in another Enchantment cruise before she moves to Miami, we'll do that because our experience there was so good.

[WaveSplasher]

Our first cruise after a 10 year halt was the IOS

 

Things that stand out:

My first Meet and greet

Won a ton of money in the casino on the first and second day

Saw someone got arrested by cops and kicked off the IOS

Amazing service

 

I will keep cruising because it's the sense of relaxation that you get, and being pampered while enjoying a glass of cocktail sitting in your chair on the balcony watching the sun go down..

 

You get to experience a lot from the people to the ports. They stay there long enough to give you the full experience.

 

I will return to RCL because of the fun and friendly and amazing service on board the IOS. I knew RCL will not let me down and with that I will continue to cruise with them

[LuCruise]

As I indicated, compromise. This year I won the compromise and we cancelled the cruise.

 

I've seen the compasses, meh.

 

The Fantasy was a nice boat, But after the midship detective agency and a couple rides on the aquaduck there just wasn't much to do.

 

Got it...sorry, didn't read all the threads so figured I was missing some details.

 

Well, as mentioned DH and I were bored on Disney for the adult activities but were not on RCL. So hopefully you'll find the same. It is a great cruise, and I think you mentioned you're going on one of the newer ones with even more. So I do hope you enjoy your cruise.

[susancruzs]

Pricing made me choose RCI back 1995! The supplement for singles was very low so I tried Sovereign of the Seas! A great cruise in spite of horrible weather, stuck in San Juan for 2 days. We got a credit towards our onboard account plus a 25% coupon as we exited the ship.

 

I cruised to Alaska on the Song of Norway, ranking high on my favorites list. First Alaska cruise of the season, positioning from LA, with Haines, Wrangall, Sitka as well as the normal ports. The only ship, towns were not crowded, and for April weather was warmer than normal, near perfect.

 

I haven't cruised with RCI since 2003 (Brilliance of the Seas) but I am sailing on Vision of the Seas this Fall, for the Med and a Transatlantic, love those smaller ships! :) :D

Edited May 26, 2015 by susancruzs

[BGCruiser85]

What I have learned over the cruises we have taken is to try not to compare a past cruise to a current cruise. We have cruised on Her Majesty many times, and each one has been different....sad to hear that you had a bad cruise on Her Majesty, because even though she is the oldest ship in the fleet right now, she has always provided a wonderful cruise for us.....what she lacks in WOW we have found her staff make up for (at least that has been our experience).

 

I look at each cruise as if it was our FIRST....because to be truthful, each and everyone of them, is different -- different crew and definitely different fellow passengers. I want that first magical step onto the ship to be as if it was my very first cruise.....and I make sure I look forward to it, as a novice not an experienced cruiser.

 

I think a big part of our issue with the Majesty was some personal issues at the time. We did have some ship issues as well (bathroom toilet leak / flood & some overcharge issues), but I think they were inflated because of some other things going on. Overall pretty much any cruise is a good cruise in our eyes!

[NittanyLioness]

Our first cruise was on Sun Viking in 1994. We were four couples: DH and I, and my three siblings and their spouses. Some of the highlights I remember are:

 

1. Booking four “Ocean View” staterooms in a row on Deck 2 all the way forward…These tiny rooms had tiny salt encrusted portholes and were right next to the anchor! We woke up bright and early every morning to “clunk, clunk, clunk!” Also, our bathroom door WAS the shower curtain, as the entire bathroom was also the shower!

 

2. Our mistaken impression that “Seen one Saint, you’ve seen them all!” With ports of call including St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and St. Barths, you can see how wrong we were!

 

3. The eight of us seated in a circular booth having a cocktail, when my DH notices the Captain in the booth next to us. He said, “Excuse me Captain, would you like to join us, or do you prefer to drink alone?” We had the pleasure of sharing a drink with Captain Per Moen, who honored us even more with an invitation to dine with him. To say that he was a fascinating gentleman is truly an understatement!

 

4. As mentioned by a previous poster, the ship’s manifest of passengers was given out to all.

 

5. Most nights had different Dress themes…I recall a Masquerade Party and a Western Night, in addition to the Formal Nights.

 

6. The windy outdoor “climb” to the Viking Crown Lounge on a very steep staircase. Directly inside the door was a full length mirror...First time visitors, before the eyes adjusted to the lighting difference, would give a "start" at the person just inches away...Their own reflection!

 

7. The opulent Dining Room with many courses (including sorbet to cleanse the palate), the Sommelier, the “Drink Guys” with after dinner shooters, and a different theme every night (with waiters in different costumes.)

 

8. Attempting to dance on the small Dance Floor, with the ship rocking and rolling, while we were a'reeling!

 

9. The various poolside activities like horse racing, pool relay races with t-shirts/hula hoops/etc., and bean-bag contests.

 

Needless to say, all four couples became addicted after that first cruise, but we do prefer mid-ship ocean-view balconies on higher decks!!!:)

 

What keeps us coming back? The combination of the sea, the ships, the ports, the staff, and the fellow passengers...Basically, when we board a RCCL ship, we feel like we are coming home!

 

Happy sailing to all!

[cruiselife4me]

With so many repeat cruisers on this thread I'm curious about your first cruise.

 

1. What do you remember most about your first cruise? What made it special?

 

2. What makes you keep cruising?

 

3 What is it about RCI that makes you return to their ships time and again?

 

 

 

Sent from my QMV7A using Forums mobile app

 

My first cruise was on Carnival Celebration. (I thought the ship was HUGE, which compared to new ships is tiny.) I loved the activities, ocean air and all the people we met.

 

I keep cruising because I'm addicted and that's it. No other vacation comes close.

 

I love the fact that Royal has the right blend of fun along with the most innovative ships!

[calypso73]

Could be, you're right about one thing, cruising isn't for me. I love the ocean, I love boating, but I'm not so wild about being cargo. Everyone always says there is loads of stuff to do on these boats, but what is there besides eating drinking and shopping?

 

 

Things to do on Oasis that aren't shopping or eating:

Flow rider surf simulator, watch a Broadway show (Currently Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cat's I believe), watch a show in the Aqua Theatre (diving etc), zip line, ice skating, watch a movie in the 3D theatre, use the gym, swim in the pools, catch some live music in one of the bars, watch a comedy show, dance in the nightclub, take a tour of Central Park, gamble in the casino, go looking for the hidden sculptures scattered around the ship, go for a run on the longest running track at sea, attend a cooking class, have a massage or other treatment in the spa, have surf lessons on the flow rider, get to know your fellow passengers, ride the carousel, play in the arcade, meet some Dreamworks characters, watch the parade on the royals promenade, relax with a book, listen to music while you watch the ocean, play bingo, play trivia etc etc. a couple of these incur extra costs but the majority are free and there's other stuff too I'm sure that will be listed in your daily Compass. There's a bit more on offer on sea days than eating and shopping ;-).