A Pre Cruise Review Thank You CC

[Sand$!]

New to Cruising and New to CC – Impression/Excitement and worry about making mistakes as I have never cruised before

 

A Pre Cruise Review

 

Hello I have not even cruised yet but wanted to do a review of joining this wonderful community and what I have achieved from it.

 

I have booked a cruise as part of a round the world trip I am taking in April 2016. Originally from the UK DH and I now live in Australia and find with family all over the world travelling around the world sometimes ends up being a chore to fit all the friends and family in especially with not being retired holiday time is a premium.

 

Sometimes we have to split holidays and only catch each other in different parts of the world!! Anyway enough whinging we are very very lucky people to have the means and opportunity to do this.

 

This time we are travelling to Argentina for a week in Bueno Aires - a dream for the DH to dance the Tango there. After this week we thought about seeing other South American countries but no other countries gripped our imagination YET! My Mum lives in Spain and a wild idea grabbed me – could I get to Spain from Argentina easily – yes I could with boring expensive flights, I will have spent 24 hours getting to BA and a possible cheap flight to Europe was going to cost $1500 each. Confusion – what should we do. A cruise was on our list of things to tick off sometime somewhere in the future so I did an internet search. Wow a ship was going Brazil to Barcelona around the time we needed and it came in cheaper than the flights!!!

 

Lucky us we had the holiday time to put on 14 extra days to the holiday – now what! What is a cruise? what do we need? how does one accomplish a holiday cruise from a different place than home? What do I wear? What do I eat? What does it cost on top? What Cabin? And 50 million + other questions

 

 

It fitted the itinerary so I booked a window cabin and flights to get me to Brazil from Argentina – and then started my planning.

 

Cruise Critic – the ultimate experience for information, thoughts, hard facts, myth busting and exposure to all things cruise holiday.

 

I read solidly when time permits; and I sometimes post (5 I think to date) I panicked a little on my first as I knew I would make an idiot of myself somehow but the feeling I got with responses and information far outweighed that initial hesitation.

 

Can I say I am still six months out from my Cruise and I am so excited, Cruise Critic boards and the wonderful members have answered nearly all of my questions (just reading and reading helped not even having to post a question at times!).

 

I am in the process of tweaking my agenda slightly for pre flights in before the cruise based on excellent information gleaned from CC. DH has bought us new suitcases for our trip and I have a packing list organised, I know I will not need new clothes, I know I can pack some nice formal wear that will be acceptable and more importantly to me make me feel good, but not take much room in my case. I have four pairs of shoes which will mix and match with everything planned. My DH is quashed by me saying he has to reduce his packing – I ordered him to have only three pairs of shoes then his dance ones! The man has over 20 pairs!!! I know I will give in and let him take more but he cannot grumble on the extra baggage charges he gets . Now I am next working on him reducing his formal wear.

 

I have joined C&A – I have printed off deck plans and organised the drinks plan that makes us comfortable; I have researched the ports both on locations and on personal reviews. I have booked one that I want (do not what to risk missing it) and the others we can see how it goes (possibly join in a CC members one – I can but see how the Meet and Mingle thread goes).

 

I have a plan for MTD for two but going to be happy to join a bigger table if needed and go with whatever. For 14 nights I have also planned to use 3 of the nights to do speciality dinning and my DH is excited about the Chefs Table. By knowing us and being able to read so much additional information from personal and factual views on here I have matched a few key items to our plans which we are now both very excited and comfortable with and we are prepared that it might not happen exactly as planned but it will be an experience.

 

I do not know if I will use a Lanyard! Boy I love those threads

 

I do plan to wear a hat in the MDR one formal night, I am a lady and I have an excellent one if I can fit it in the case (I wear hats all the time)

 

I will NOT be a pier runner – I will stay on ship time when ashore!

 

I will not plan to be a chair hog – not much of a sun bather luckily

 

I will possibly never reach the dizzy heights of Diamond but get the excitement and buzz from those people posting at that level – I even enjoy hearing about cabin upgrades for you. I am a platinum Frequent Flyer with my airline of choice so know how important those perks can be.

 

I will take a highlighter but not worry if I miss something – I will be enjoying what I do even if it is doing nothing. 14 days with DH travelling without travelling is going to be such a first for us.

 

I know I will make some Faux Pas but I will not worry even if it is reported back on CC from someone on my trip (hopefully in humour) – and then some other newbie can be prepared



…….Thank You……… Thank You……… Thank You………Cruise Critic Members

 

And now on to planning my next cruise before I have attended this first one………lol

[Scrapnana]

Sounds like you are fully prepared to be addicted to cruising!:D

 

Hope you have a fantastic time!

[Keith1010]

This looks great.

 

Keith

[sparky-elpaso]

Welcome to the cruising club. You're going to have a great time.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sounds like you have done a lot of research and have everything in order -- including to be being addicted already.

[John Bull]

A few dis-jointed jottings:

 

1. You are an exceptionally unusual couple.:confused:

He wants to take twenty pairs of shoes & you only want to take four???

I don't believe you :D

 

2. This sounds very much like a re-positioning cruise, where the ship is switching from a South American season to a Mediterranean season. Very good value cruises, but a lot of sea days. But re-positioning cruises usually include a couple of ports at either end.

Quote your ports-of-call & we'll try to give suggestions what & how to see or do.

For instance, in BA

- the necropolis at Recoleta, the street stalls along pedestrianized Venice, a traditional Tango venue like Confitería Ideal (on Suipacha), or long-established Café Tortoni (Ave de Mayo) for a Tango dinner or just dinner or just a coffee. And the bohemian district of La Boca (but daytime only is advised, its not safe at night).

Worth mentioning the ship too, for any tips about it.

 

3. MTD. If you're prepared to share you'll be seated pretty-well straight away, if you want a two-top to yourselves this might involve a wait or being sent away with a buzzer that tells you a table is available.

When asked at the dining room door if you're prepared to share a table, ask that it be with folk who speak English. Sometimes a bit hard-going (but worthwhile) with folk whose first language isn't English, but no fun at all if there isn't a common language.

We enjoy shared tables, though with MTD it's a bit of a lottery. Sharing with different folk each evening is interesting, though can be a bit tedious to start with (remembering names, same-old "where are you from?"-type questions each evening).

If you find yourselves seated with a couple whose company you enjoy immensely, suggest meeting up before dinner next evening & going to the dining room as a foursome. We've done this many times, & after a few evenings ended up as a large group - kinda like traditional dining but with hand-picked tablemates. And hooking-up with tablemates to go ashore mob-handed.

 

4. If you don't already have one, get a credit card which doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee, it'll be well worthwhile for such a long period out of the country. If you don't know of any suitable cards, ask on the Aussie cruisers forum.

 

5. No questions on this forum are dumb.

Can't always say the same about responses :D

 

JB :)

Edited October 1, 2015 by John Bull

[cb at sea]

You can't make mistakes....there is no "right or wrong" way to vacation, and that is all a cruise is...a vacation!

 

You've done your due diligence...and will have a blast! Enjoy the anticipation!!!

[widallas]

If you're this excited pres-cruise, can't WAIT to see your review... :o)

 

Have a great sailing!

[Sand$!]

If you're this excited pres-cruise, can't WAIT to see your review... :o)

 

Have a great sailing!

 

I know I am worried about how excited I am!! :eek: I have even earmarked the best cruise reviews I have read so I can try and live up (a little bit) to the high standards set on here :)

 

Thanks all for the welcome. The actual details of the cruise where not mentioned in my original post as to be honest I seriously would have sailed over in a bucket if that was all that was available for the dates I have available for travel.

 

I am on RCI Rhapsody of the Seas - as I have read! it is an older ship and less "accessories" than other ships in the line. But nothing I would miss.

 

Thanks for the heads up on dining John Bull - will plan to join in when the opportunity presents itself and your tips for BA are noted and in my BA folder :). We are getting a Tango guide organised privately for three or possibly four of the evenings we are there and hope to see (and partake of) lots of the dancing while in BA - the days will be spent walking as much as possible to take in the city and a walking tour of the Cemetery is a must as you say - love a good graveyard - Still reminisce on the Paris Père Lachaise visit

 

As far as credit cards are concerned - all covered I travel extensively and have a few different ones for different countries/expenses to get the best rates - love my DH face when they all fall due together. Though I have plans to have all this holiday 90% squared away in the next month I hope.

 

And seriously I really only have about four pairs of shoes which I will wear - converted Aussie now and nearly always in UGGS or Thongs! Husband is a shoe man - a serious shoe man - Role reversal I rarely ask the cost as the latest pair are brought in.

 

The plan this weekend is searching out some good books on cruising - need some fiction set on cruise ships to get in the mood - preferably murder at sea and I will be in my element. I have looked at all the travel guides on cruising on amazon but after reading extracts and reviews of the main ones have decided to save my money; there is better and more up to date information on CC Boards.

 

Any recommendation on pre cruise reading also welcome.

 

Many thanks again