First Time!

[bowman_dani]

Hi all, I have booked our very first cruise on Paradise for October 9th-14th 2017. With ports being Grand Caymans and Cozumel. I hadn't found this board until AFTER I booked. After reading all the reviews about the Paradise I am very nervous that the ship wont be enjoyable or as nice as I am imagining a cruise to be. It will be my husband, myself and two children who will be 12 (son) and 10 (daughter). Any advice or tips to make it a great first cruise for our family, as I would love to start cruising with my family since my children are getting older.:)

[Hoosierpop]

The best piece of advice I can give is, don't over analyze everything. Don't look for things to complain about.

 

Just have fun being at sea, exploring the ship and the island. I think some people cruise so much they forget about basic things like that.

 

Specifically for first timers, go to the main dining room each night and get multiple items to try new things.

 

 

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[Donh44]

Hi all, I have booked our very first cruise on Paradise for October 9th-14th 2017. With ports being Grand Caymans and Cozumel. I hadn't found this board until AFTER I booked. After reading all the reviews about the Paradise I am very nervous that the ship wont be enjoyable or as nice as I am imagining a cruise to be. It will be my husband, myself and two children who will be 12 (son) and 10 (daughter). Any advice or tips to make it a great first cruise for our family, as I would love to start cruising with my family since my children are getting older.:)

 

 

Not everyone likes everything. There are those who like to complain about everything. Enjoy your first cruise and make up your own mind. I have been on 8 cruises (another one coming up in Jan). There are some things that I didn't care for on some cruises, but I sure didn't let them spoil my trip. You will enjoy the experience. The kids will love it.

[MEUB1112]

Hi all, I have booked our very first cruise on Paradise for October 9th-14th 2017. With ports being Grand Caymans and Cozumel. I hadn't found this board until AFTER I booked. After reading all the reviews about the Paradise I am very nervous that the ship wont be enjoyable or as nice as I am imagining a cruise to be. It will be my husband, myself and two children who will be 12 (son) and 10 (daughter). Any advice or tips to make it a great first cruise for our family, as I would love to start cruising with my family since my children are getting older.:)

 

I believe that you will have a great time. We have been cruising since '08 and can still remember our first cruise. I echo the advise from the previous posts. You will love the warm weather, open blue seas and incredible ports. Have a GREAT Time!!!

[LADYBROOKS]

Hi all, I have booked our very first cruise on Paradise for October 9th-14th 2017. With ports being Grand Caymans and Cozumel. I hadn't found this board until AFTER I booked. After reading all the reviews about the Paradise I am very nervous that the ship wont be enjoyable or as nice as I am imagining a cruise to be. It will be my husband, myself and two children who will be 12 (son) and 10 (daughter). Any advice or tips to make it a great first cruise for our family, as I would love to start cruising with my family since my children are getting older.:)

 

We took our first cruise over 15 years ago when our children where the same age. I agree with the other post, as some people at just complainers. Most of the time the cruise is what you decide to make of it, regardless of the ship. Definitely dine in the main dining room for a great experience and a great way to meet new people. Enjoy!

[kgb46]

There can be a lot of negative information about any ship that was ever built to be found on this site. There is also a wealth of information that will make the cruise more enjoyable. You have to weed out the negative comments and go for the tidbits of advice on things to pack and things you can't pack, best things to do on the ship and islands and read up and know what will cost extra so you don't get a shocker of a sign and sail bill at the end of the cruise. One of the best pieces of advice I got was that there is on a very very small percentage of cruiser who use this site and some are positive and others negative. It is always better to experience it yourself and not judge a ship by others standards. But one thing I have found to hold true from most people on here is that once you cruise, you will be addicted. Have a great time!

[CruzVinnieCruz]

Just enjoy the experience!!!

 

Cruising is much different than other vacations. This being your first ship there is nothing to compare too and I am betting it will be a very enjoyable experience...

 

Take care,

Vinnie

 

 

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[bowman_dani]

Thank you guys VERY much! I am the one who plans all aspects of our trips so wanting to make sure its a great experience for all! My kids will be in two different age divisions for the kids area, my daughter is very nervous about this as they usually stick together when away from us. Do they kids have contact with each other when in separate age divisions? I am imagining they will be with us most of the time but I am sure there will be times that we want to do something without worrying to much about the kids. Thanks for all the positive feedback. Cant wait to plan our next cruise when we haven't even went on our first one yet!!

[Trishlo73]

Hi all, I have booked our very first cruise on Paradise for October 9th-14th 2017. With ports being Grand Caymans and Cozumel. I hadn't found this board until AFTER I booked. After reading all the reviews about the Paradise I am very nervous that the ship wont be enjoyable or as nice as I am imagining a cruise to be. It will be my husband, myself and two children who will be 12 (son) and 10 (daughter). Any advice or tips to make it a great first cruise for our family, as I would love to start cruising with my family since my children are getting older.:)

She was our first cruise also, same itinerary. We've been on two larger ships since, the Splendor and Dream and without a doubt the crew, from the Main Dining Room, bartenders and our room steward were the best crew we have had so far.

 

She's a smaller ship which as a first cruise is great because its not overwhelming to navigate. Not as crowded as larger ships either.

 

Focus on just being on a cruise and enjoying your family. You will have a wonderful time.

 

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[asalligo]

My 2nd cruise was on the Paradise and I loved it. That is a good ship and a great itinerary.

[sc4125]

Hi all, I have booked our very first cruise on Paradise for October 9th-14th 2017. With ports being Grand Caymans and Cozumel. I hadn't found this board until AFTER I booked. After reading all the reviews about the Paradise I am very nervous that the ship wont be enjoyable or as nice as I am imagining a cruise to be. It will be my husband, myself and two children who will be 12 (son) and 10 (daughter). Any advice or tips to make it a great first cruise for our family, as I would love to start cruising with my family since my children are getting older.:)

 

Let me put your mind at rest. I have been on 18 CCL cruises & was just on the Paradise a week ago. Like you, I had read the reviews & some of them were pretty bad. I was with 8 other family & friends and we all had a really great time.

 

It had been quite awhile since I had been on one of the smaller ships - for the past 2 years it was the Breeze, Glory, Conquest & Magic, so I thought I might miss all the bells and whistles. It was actually nice not to have so many people onboard.

 

I think you will all love the Paradise. At a later time, you might want to go to one of the newer ships as they have a lot more to offer children (and adults too). But, for a first cruise, I think the Paradise will be fine.

[astropilot]

We love the Fantasy Class ships. Can't wait for the opportunity to be on one again.

[wytyger1]

We sailed on the Paradise last year during Thanksgiving week.

My best advice for traveling with kiddos, is that when you dock in Grand Caymen, try to only take the tender boat to shore, once. We learned the hard way that it's not always a quick round trip back and forth to the ship. Our excursion in Sting Ray City was cancelled due to rough seas so we decided to take our snorkel gear back to the ship "real quick". It was not quick at all and we wasted an hour and a half doing that. That said, if you book an excursion anywhere, try to have a plan B in mind in case it gets cancelled. :)

As of today, Grand Caymen was the only place where I really liked the rum which is apparently specific to that location. The stores near the port do samplings of all different flavors. I regret not buying it because I haven't been able to locate that Tortuga Rum anywhere else on any cruise or in the states.

The ship is older and doesn't sport some of the upgraded features, but we had a wonderful time. The journey is what you make it. We had an excellent cabin steward and our wait staff was very accommodating despite one very boisterous and slightly obnoxious gentleman seated at our table. The only real downfall to our whole trip was the fact that we didn't leave the Tampa port until after dark due to a weather delay, but, we got to see the bridge that we sailed underneath all lit up at nighttime so that was pretty cool!

[maldenmusic]

Love the Fantasy ships. We could have been cruising on a raft during our first cruise and we'd have loved it!

[sound_guy0918]

The best piece of advice I can give is, don't over analyze everything. Don't look for things to complain about.

 

Just have fun being at sea, exploring the ship and the island. I think some people cruise so much they forget about basic things like that.

 

Specifically for first timers, go to the main dining room each night and get multiple items to try new things.

 

This is excellent advice. I would also add:

 

- temper your expectations based on the price range of CCL (i.e. "Value") which to us meant we expected Holiday Inn-type accommodations and food. Based on that benchmark we were extremely satisfied.

 

- don't get too frustrated with other passengers who might be rude or pushy, this might be their first cruise or even vacation

 

- seek out the entertainment that you desire - it won't necessarily come to you.

 

- use the morning coffee/pastry service even if you plan to go to breakfast later, it's such a luxurious wake-up call!

 

HAVE FUN!

[cortneyward]

Hi all, I have booked our very first cruise on Paradise for October 9th-14th 2017. With ports being Grand Caymans and Cozumel. I hadn't found this board until AFTER I booked. After reading all the reviews about the Paradise I am very nervous that the ship wont be enjoyable or as nice as I am imagining a cruise to be. It will be my husband, myself and two children who will be 12 (son) and 10 (daughter). Any advice or tips to make it a great first cruise for our family, as I would love to start cruising with my family since my children are getting older.:)

 

You will have a fabulous time, don't worry! We considered the Paradise for the Grand Cayman port rather than Progresso. Had a cousin that sailed her in May and they loved it. We ended up on the Triumph for 3 basic reasons..4 hours less each way in travel time, we wanted to try Guy's, and I love New Orleans. None of which had anything to do with concerns on the ship. Plus, every time I try to think about what to do in Progresso, I wonder if I made the right choice. GC is beautiful and has many excursion options. Don't miss stingray city!

[canadaman111]

We have our first cruise booked. It isn't until feb 2018. Congrats on booking your first cruise!!

 

 

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[woodman]

Love that class ship and you will also. It's small by today's standards but it is a fun ship.

This being your first cruise has to be exciting and I will guarantee you will have a good time.

Don't get upset over the small stuff it not worth it. The food will be wonderful and you will have a hard time keeping you children away from the ice cream machines and pizza. The kids programs are some of the best and I will bet you that after day 2 your children will not want to leave it. I'm happy for you have a great time researching all the ports and making your plans. That's part of the fun of cruising, making the plans. Happy cruising.

Edited November 19, 2016 by woodman

[CRocks]

Great minds DO think alike! This was my first cruise, except I was on Sensation instead of Paradise (identical ships). To this day I love Fantasy class ships for all the open air deckspace.

 

Here's the pros, cons, as I saw them. Wasn't crazy about Tampa terminal (may have since changed) but the sail away down the channel + especially going under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was spectacular! Make sure you're on deck for that. If you can, get there a day early + go to Clearwater.

 

In Cozumel, I went to Ruins of Tulum. Experience of a lifetime, but doesn't allow much time for anything else in Coz. Chankanaab Park is also a wonderful place for a family. Great port BTW, been back many times.

 

Grand Cayman, if possible please do Stingray City. Absolutely fabulous experience! 7 mile beach also a great place. Warning, this is a tender port. If the seas are high, they may not be able to stop.

 

Obviously I was blown away by my first cruise + sail every year now. There isn't a bad ship in the fleet, so don't give that a second thought. Be sure + take your dinners in the MDR. The buffets are fine for breakfast, lunch, but dinner in the MDR is a must! Have fun, you can't miss!

[jdemps]

I don't know how you vacation on land but just be sure that you don't expect a luxury vacation or any 4/5 star food. Carnival is like staying at a Holiday Inn with more employees to help you if needed. We love it though and have tried other lines, we keep coming back to carnival for the fun element. Other lines we've been on are a bit stuffy and the whole ship is in bed by 10pm...lol

 

Nothing is worse that being sick at sea. We take a probiotic everyday as habit but add in airborne 2 weeks prior to leaving. I also take a little supply of all kinds of meds just in case we need them because they cost about 4x the regular amount on the ship.

 

Have a great vacation.

[SkyMaster]

In my opinion, having sailed "Paradise" many, many times, I believe that you've picked the ideal ship, and itinerary for a first cruise, and especially, your first cruise with the kiddos. I have no doubt that you'll have a fantastic time aboard, and ashore. No worries! :cool:

 

"SKY"

[dill9900]

We are sailing her with our kids (15,13,11) on Monday. My Hubby and I have been on RCCL before but never Carnival.

I think you just need to go in expecting to have FUN! My kids are excited!! Will post review when we get back!

 

 

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[tandemcruzr]

We've been on the Paradise twice and really enjoyed our cruises. As others have said Sting Ray City is amazing.

 

In Cozumel, we've been to Paradise Beach and Mr Sancho's -- both a short cab ride from the port.

 

We've also been to the downtown area for shopping and authentic Mexican food. Another short cab ride from the port.

 

Our grandson was on one of these cruises and he really liked the Kids' Club.