Advice for 1st ever cruise

[Adawn47]

48 minutes ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

First cruised in 2002. Didn't know whether I would like it or not, so hired a tux. Suffice to say after 16 cruises we like them very much. You may feel differently, who knows. I do believe cruising has changed considerably and whilst many would argue about price v service I do believe P&O levels have got worse. Things that came as little extra's that were free have been replaced by having to purchase or go without. I haven't been on Iona or come to that a cruise since 2018 due to the pandemic and a change of itinerary on a cruise we were due on earlier this year. So we are on Ventura and then are giving Iona a go towards the end of next year. Whereas we always go for Club Dining 8.30 second sitting you will be on Freedom dining which I understand you have an App and then request a booking via that. As for cabins and location afraid I can't comment. We normally go for an inside as we prefer to spend on other luxuries. Again some may say they can't do without a balcony or sea view. But when you consider it's just a base to come and go from, to wash, dress and sleep in unless you can get a very good deal for balcony or sea view why bother. But again it's a personal preference and how much you wish to spend on accommodation against other things you wish to do.

I also remember the little extras that made a cruise special, but as this is the first cruise for Leesy it won't be a factor. What you've never had you'll never miss.

Avril

[gsmt47471015]

24 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I agree that it is a purely personal point of view, but a world cruise in an inside cabin ?

No way. 

To be perfectly honest inside cabins hold no fear for us ,but as our 2024 world cruise should be a once in a lifetime event we have gone for a balcony as in this case we will get the full use out if it, just returned from an Alaska cruise and the people who had balconies were heard to be commenting that they had very little if any use, horses for courses as with most destinations  

[Ardennais]

Regarding differences between adult only/family friendly. Even Ventura, which is a family ship, can feel very different depending on when you travel. 35 nights in January, we only saw one child, but 7 nights in August and the ship was packed with children having fun. For us, the ship is never the first consideration, but rather the date, price and itinerary! 

[Britboys]

39 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I agree that it is a purely personal point of view, but a world cruise in an inside cabin ?

No way. 

Agree. The majority of my cruises are taken in inside cabins but no way would I do a lengthy cruise in one. 

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, Amyracecar said:

I agree with most of the comments here, and think that perhaps more than one tester cruise would be worthwhile before embarking on something as intensive as a world cruise. I've done 10+ cruises and i'm still not sure I'd be ready! That's not to say it wouldn't be wonderful, but there are definitely ships i'd have loved to have stayed on longer, and others where i'm happy to leave after 2 weeks. Not that they aren't all nice, but some are just a better fit for you than others. 

 

My main tip for general cruising, is to some research the ports you're going to. I am on various social media groups, and am always surprised by people who say things like 'I've just arrived in Juneau, can anyone recommend any good things to do?'. Perhaps less of a worry for the Canaries & familiar countries, but on cruises with a higher price point to more exotic locations, you really need to know where you're going as you don't want to find out about something amazing you wish you'd seen, AFTER you've sailed away. 

I've also seen a lot of people complaining this week about a cruise where the stops weren't quite what they expected, something that could have perhaps been avoided if they'd spent a day or two looking up what the areas are like. I always do this before booking, as different itineraries can really make a difference to your enjoyment. 

Good suggestions. I got chatting to a couple at breakfast aboard Aurora, who had done the World Cruise on her earlier that year. They had a couple on their table for the Worldie who were also on the whole World Cruise - but had never been on a cruise previously! Gamble or what 😯

[Amyracecar]

40 minutes ago, gsmt47471015 said:

To be perfectly honest inside cabins hold no fear for us ,but as our 2024 world cruise should be a once in a lifetime event we have gone for a balcony as in this case we will get the full use out if it, just returned from an Alaska cruise and the people who had balconies were heard to be commenting that they had very little if any use, horses for courses as with most destinations  

How strange. Out of all the cruises i've done, Alaska was probably the one I had most balcony use out of! I'm very much a price-orientated cruiser, I also don't mind an inside cabin if it affords us a better itinerary, but for Alaska I really needed the balcony. Nothing like getting up early in the morning and getting straight out with my camera, seeing whales and sea otters floating by. Obviously you can still go up on deck from an inside cabin, but not in your pyjamas wrapped in a duvet! 😄 

[Amyracecar]

26 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Good suggestions. I got chatting to a couple at breakfast aboard Aurora, who had done the World Cruise on her earlier that year. They had a couple on their table for the Worldie who were also on the whole World Cruise - but had never been on a cruise previously! Gamble or what 😯

Someone in another group was with someone who'd booked a transatlantic with her friend, but complained that it wasn't for her as she didn't realise how many sea days there'd be. Perhaps she thought you did the Atlantic bit in a speed-boat! 😄 

Research is definitely key! 

[pennib]

Some good advice so far but I don’t think anyone has mentioned whether you should go for port side or starboard side. Our first cruise was on the old QE2 and the T/A we booked it through gave us loads of advice which we have often gone back to for our 25 or so cruises. His advice was go for port side if you can as ships usually tie up with that side facing the port. If you are on the opposite side, you may be looking out on just water!! We have followed that advice ever since. What I would say is be aware of how cruise lines number their cabins. For example, P&O port side cabins are all even numbers and starboard side odd numbers. However, MSC and Marella have odd numbers on their port sides and even numbers on starboard. So just another point to take into consideration. Port side is on the left as you stand on the ship facing forward (the pointy end). 
 

I personally could not survive in an inside cabin as I must have natural daylight. Also we get quite a lot of use from a balcony especially in warm climes to sit out with a drink in the evening and listen to the waves. We even enjoyed our balcony on our Alaska cruise sipping coffees laced with rum watching the icebergs! Happy days.

 

You are probably super confused by now!!!

[sandancer]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

I took this photo during a staycation cruise of a conservatory mini suite when it was quiet but it gives a good idea why deck 8 is a no.

My choice would be deck 10 or above mid ships or higher cabin if you are at the back of the ship.

Graham.

Thanks Graham. Have secured an aft cabin on deck 11. 

[BouncingWheel]

World cruise can also be influenced by the ship and the route. Cunard's QM2 is said to to be the best handle of rough seas (I have been on her during a rough transatlantic and it was fine). If the world cruise goes via cape town then again the ship may be an important factor.

 

As so many people have said, research, research, research is the key.

Also, you seem to suggest this 1st cruise is really a trial for a world cruise so would echo all those that suggest going on a ship that you would do a world cruise on. 

If you could afford it though, I would suggest doing a cheap week long cruise on the line your intend to have the world cruise on then another on the ship you intend on before jumping into the world cruise. You may find out that after one of them the idea is not for you and you can at least compare and understand the comments being posted here about no ships being alike - it is so hard to get a feel until you experience it yourself.

We are currently on the 2023 world cruise and have only done 10 cruises and feel a little inexperienced for it but it is the best way to get to Australia for non-flyers!

[kalos]

2 minutes ago, Amyracecar said:

Someone in another group was with someone who'd booked a transatlantic with her friend, but complained that it wasn't for her as she didn't realise how many sea days there'd be. Perhaps she thought you did the Atlantic bit in a speed-boat! 😄 

Research is definitely key! 

We did the Atlantic back to Southampton and loved the sea days and time spent just relaxing 

on the balcony . Spotting the flying fish and early morning sail-ins and such like more than 

made the expense of the balcony worth it . To us the inside cabins have had their uses such 

as a short festive cruise over to Germany ,when the temperature was only a few degrees off 

freezing and we knew we would not have used it that much anyway. 

 

[wowzz]

13 minutes ago, pennib said:

His advice was go for port side if you can as ships usually tie up with that side facing the port. If you are on the opposite side, you may be looking out on just water

I think that is  complete hogwash. Even at the same port, the ship may face different ways from one cruise to another, depending on wind, tide etc.

[grapau27]

14 minutes ago, sandancer said:

Thanks Graham. Have secured an aft cabin on deck 11. 

👍

[pennib]

Sorry, wowzz, but the advice has worked for us in ports all over the world. Contrast this with the Mersey ferries which do pull in according to which way the tide is going.

[purplesea]

16 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I think that is  complete hogwash. Even at the same port, the ship may face different ways from one cruise to another, depending on wind, tide etc.

I haven't noticed a difference as to which side the ship docks, sometimes it's port side other starboard.

 

[Gettingwarmer]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

I think that is  complete hogwash. Even at the same port, the ship may face different ways from one cruise to another, depending on wind, tide etc.

I agree. The main advice is to be on port side doing a transatlantic going west and on starboard going east in order to face the sun (if thats want you want).

[Waju]

3 hours ago, Britboys said:

Good suggestions. I got chatting to a couple at breakfast aboard Aurora, who had done the World Cruise on her earlier that year. They had a couple on their table for the Worldie who were also on the whole World Cruise - but had never been on a cruise previously! Gamble or what 😯

 

We did a worldie after of doing just a couple of shorter cruises!  We did it on Aurora (our first time on that ship) and in an inside cabin.  I would have happily stayed on board in Southampton and gone round again, obviously that would be after shopping in Southampton for some bigger clothes 😭

[Selbourne]

4 hours ago, Cruisemeister2002 said:

We normally go for an inside as we prefer to spend on other luxuries. Again some may say they can't do without a balcony or sea view. But when you consider it's just a base to come and go from, to wash, dress and sleep in unless you can get a very good deal for balcony or sea view why bother. 

I’m sure that those with inside cabins only use them as you describe, as frankly you wouldn’t wish to spend time in one for any other reason, but there are a multitude of reasons why those of us who would only cruise in a balcony cabin choose them. Just for starters, there’s the ever changing views, the ability to pop out on to your balcony when something catches your interest, being able to watch early port arrivals without having to get dressed and head out to public decks and the privacy of your own outdoor area to use when you wish (great when the ship is busy).
 

Talking of times when the ship is busy (for example, sea days when the weather isn’t great and people aren’t sunbathing) we sometimes relax in the cabin during the day between meals and talks, watching the views and reading. We would much prefer to do that in our cabin than in a public area. Just as some people say they would rather do twice as many cruises in an inside cabin, we would prefer not to cruise at all than to have an inside cabin. Just a different perspective in response to your ‘why bother?’ question!

[North of 60]

Just saw this thread, and thought you would be interested in two sites on YouTube.

First off is the Emma Cruises channel. Although considerably younger, she does a great job explaining about cruises for UK residents, especially for those on a smaller budget. Her channel is at https://www.youtube.com/c/EmmaCruises

The second is my own channel, aimed at new and older cruisers, but unfortunately primarily North American cruisers. I call it the "Cruising Old Farts" channel - and it's at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZUmrOb9NnJjHIBgqEcHSgQ

You may have to copy and paste those links into your browser, as they are to the main page of the channels. I didn't want to paste a specific video and CC doesn't like non-video links.

 

Whatever you choose - research beforehand. The suggestions so far in this thread have been great.

That's why I love Cruise Critic!

 

Have a great time on your first of many many many cruises.

 

Chris in Inuvik, NWT, Canada

 

Edited May 16, 2022 by North of 60

[Adawn47]

3 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I’m sure that those with inside cabins only use them as you describe, as frankly you wouldn’t wish to spend time in one for any other reason, but there are a multitude of reasons why those of us who would only cruise in a balcony cabin choose them. Just for starters, there’s the ever changing views, the ability to pop out on to your balcony when something catches your interest, being able to watch early port arrivals without having to get dressed and head out to public decks and the privacy of your own outdoor area to use when you wish (great when the ship is busy).
 

Talking of times when the ship is busy (for example, sea days when the weather isn’t great and people aren’t sunbathing) we sometimes relax in the cabin during the day between meals and talks, watching the views and reading. We would much prefer to do that in our cabin than in a public area. Just as some people say they would rather do twice as many cruises in an inside cabin, we would prefer not to cruise at all than to have an inside cabin. Just a different perspective in response to your ‘why bother?’ question!

I agree Selbourne, we use our balcony all the time. I'm an early riser, and I love to sit quietly with a coffee listening to the sea and watching the day begin. During the day Frank will do some sketching and I read, we also sit out at night with a drink before bed. A balcony also gives a more spacious feel to the cabin. 

We did try an outside cabin, and it was okay,  but I felt closed in I wasn't comfortable at all. So like you Selbourne, no balcony, no cruise.

Avril

[grapau27]

3 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I’m sure that those with inside cabins only use them as you describe, as frankly you wouldn’t wish to spend time in one for any other reason, but there are a multitude of reasons why those of us who would only cruise in a balcony cabin choose them. Just for starters, there’s the ever changing views, the ability to pop out on to your balcony when something catches your interest, being able to watch early port arrivals without having to get dressed and head out to public decks and the privacy of your own outdoor area to use when you wish (great when the ship is busy).
 

Talking of times when the ship is busy (for example, sea days when the weather isn’t great and people aren’t sunbathing) we sometimes relax in the cabin during the day between meals and talks, watching the views and reading. We would much prefer to do that in our cabin than in a public area. Just as some people say they would rather do twice as many cruises in an inside cabin, we would prefer not to cruise at all than to have an inside cabin. Just a different perspective in response to your ‘why bother?’ question!

+1.

 

[Josy1953]

4 hours ago, Selbourne said:

I’m sure that those with inside cabins only use them as you describe, as frankly you wouldn’t wish to spend time in one for any other reason, but there are a multitude of reasons why those of us who would only cruise in a balcony cabin choose them. Just for starters, there’s the ever changing views, the ability to pop out on to your balcony when something catches your interest, being able to watch early port arrivals without having to get dressed and head out to public decks and the privacy of your own outdoor area to use when you wish (great when the ship is busy).
 

Talking of times when the ship is busy (for example, sea days when the weather isn’t great and people aren’t sunbathing) we sometimes relax in the cabin during the day between meals and talks, watching the views and reading. We would much prefer to do that in our cabin than in a public area. Just as some people say they would rather do twice as many cruises in an inside cabin, we would prefer not to cruise at all than to have an inside cabin. Just a different perspective in response to your ‘why bother?’ question!

We also always have a balcony, it gives us a peaceful place to sit and read in the fresh air.  If we couldn't have a balcony we wouldn't want to sail.

[Ardennais]

48 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

We also always have a balcony, it gives us a peaceful place to sit and read in the fresh air.  If we couldn't have a balcony we wouldn't want to sail.

I would agree most of the time but I have to say that one of our most enjoyable cruises was on Marco Polo in a twin, low down with a porthole! Our only cruise without a balcony but great fun. However, I think we only had 2 sea days so we were kept busy. 

[Host Sharon]

10 hours ago, wowzz said:

I agree that it is a purely personal point of view, but a world cruise in an inside cabin ?

No way. 

No, even I draw the line at that, but having said that an outside suited me just fine for 3 months. I had the whole open decks as a balcony and I would hapily have gone round once again when we reached Southampton.

[wowzz]

6 minutes ago, Host Sharon said:

No, even I draw the line at that, but having said that an outside suited me just fine for 3 months. I had the whole open decks as a balcony.

Yes, but couid you walk straight out of your cabin, in your dressing gown with a cup of tea, when you woke up ? Or sit with a glass of wine, watching the sea after a shower ?

It's not quite the same as having your own private outside space.