1st Time Cruisers

[CruiserLee29]

Hi, me and my wife are booked for next June its our first cruise so just looking for a bit of general advice please!

 

We will be travelling on the Marella Voyager. (I know its not in operation till next year, however I presume the rules are the same across all the ships)

 

Dress code; 

I've seen people saying smart dress is required in the main dining restaurant every night, however I've also read people are wearing jeans and T-shirts. Should I pack tailored shorts/trousers with shirts? Don't want to turn up with a case full of clothes I don't need if that makes sense. Is smart dress required in all restaurants apart from the buffet restaurant? 

 

Tips; 

What do people tend to do in terms of tips? Tip as you go or tip at the end? I've not seen an option for prepaying for tips? We've paid for premium all inclusive if that means anything. 

 

Cabin; 

We have pre-booked an internal cabin with no window etc. We are now thinking of upgrading to a balcony room. Just wondering what people experiences are and if they think its worth the upgrade cost extra £1300.

 

Thanks in advance.  

[dronnygirl]

Hi Lee,  your first cruise - well I can tell you it won't be your last! The first is so exciting and you are bound to get hooked!

 

Dress code:  the majority of men wear smart casual in the evening i.e. trousers, shirt, tie optional.  On Dress to Impress evening some men like to wear formal wear but its not worn as much as it used to be and does take a lot of room up in your luggage. 

Ladies do tend to make more of an effort than the men and wear nice dresses either long or short, or smart trousers and tops.

In the daytime, anything goes i.e. beachwear, shorts etc although you are expected to wear a cover up in the dining rooms

Tips:  are included with Marella although it is nice to give a small tip to your cabin steward or any other crew who have made your holiday special

Cabin:  this really is a personal choice depending on how much you want to pay.  Personally we like a balcony cabin but have also had outside cabins which we have liked.  Most of the cabins tend to be the same size but, of course, you won't get daylight in an inside cabin.

 

You will have a really good time, we found it so exciting when we just saw the size of the ship on our first cruise! We also found sailaway on the first evening very exciting and, even after many cruises, we are still excited every morning when we dock in a different port.

 

Enjoy!

 

[CruiserLee29]

24 minutes ago, dronnygirl said:

Hi Lee,  your first cruise - well I can tell you it won't be your last! The first is so exciting and you are bound to get hooked!

 

Dress code:  the majority of men wear smart casual in the evening i.e. trousers, shirt, tie optional.  On Dress to Impress evening some men like to wear formal wear but its not worn as much as it used to be and does take a lot of room up in your luggage. 

Ladies do tend to make more of an effort than the men and wear nice dresses either long or short, or smart trousers and tops.

In the daytime, anything goes i.e. beachwear, shorts etc although you are expected to wear a cover up in the dining rooms

Tips:  are included with Marella although it is nice to give a small tip to your cabin steward or any other crew who have made your holiday special

Cabin:  this really is a personal choice depending on how much you want to pay.  Personally we like a balcony cabin but have also had outside cabins which we have liked.  Most of the cabins tend to be the same size but, of course, you won't get daylight in an inside cabin.

 

You will have a really good time, we found it so exciting when we just saw the size of the ship on our first cruise! We also found sailaway on the first evening very exciting and, even after many cruises, we are still excited every morning when we dock in a different port.

 

Enjoy!

 

Thank you for the information!

[GOQ]

It's fairly relaxed even on Dress to Impress nights. On my last cruise on Discovery I wore a DJ to dinner, the guy on the table next to me was wearing shorts and a floral short sleeved shirt. He commented that he felt he was a little underdressed, but neither of us felt out of place and we  had a nice chat.

 

Why the choice between an inside room and a balcony? As a solo on Marella I only have the choice of an inside or outside cabin, once because all the outside cabins were sold, I took an inside cabin. I found it a bit too isolating. An outside cabin gives you a sea view and natural daylight without costing as much as a balcony. 

 

[Pensioncruiser]

All good advice, first time great adventure enjoy. If you do go for an inside, we never have, just be aware that you can, very rarely, have a power cut so take some form of lighting. Also a multi socket extension as they normally do not have a lot of sockets. Have a great cruise 😎 

[CruiserLee29]

5 hours ago, GOQ said:

It's fairly relaxed even on Dress to Impress nights. On my last cruise on Discovery I wore a DJ to dinner, the guy on the table next to me was wearing shorts and a floral short sleeved shirt. He commented that he felt he was a little underdressed, but neither of us felt out of place and we  had a nice chat.

 

Why the choice between an inside room and a balcony? As a solo on Marella I only have the choice of an inside or outside cabin, once because all the outside cabins were sold, I took an inside cabin. I found it a bit too isolating. An outside cabin gives you a sea view and natural daylight without costing as much as a balcony. 

 

Thank you!

[CruiserLee29]

1 hour ago, Pensioncruiser said:

All good advice, first time great adventure enjoy. If you do go for an inside, we never have, just be aware that you can, very rarely, have a power cut so take some form of lighting. Also a multi socket extension as they normally do not have a lot of sockets. Have a great cruise 😎 

Cheers! We decided to upgrade to a balcony room today. 

[Tony1878]

Lee, regarding dress code, a pair of smart jeans / chinos and a polo shirt or short sleeved shirt is perfect if you are eating in the main dining room or "pay" restaurants.

Lots of people get dressed up on dress to impress night, most of us don't get the chance to give James Bond a run for his money too often, so it's a good chance to get scrubbed up, but it's not compulsory. Whenever you see cruises on TV it looks like everyone goes to dinner in a Tux, well they don't.

It's your holiday, wear what you feel comfortable in when you go out at home and you will fit right in.

The only thing people tend to frown on is if somebody turns up at dinner in shorts and vest looking like they have just got out of the pool.

Enjoy and start saving for the next one.

 

[CruiserLee29]

1 hour ago, Tony1878 said:

Lee, regarding dress code, a pair of smart jeans / chinos and a polo shirt or short sleeved shirt is perfect if you are eating in the main dining room or "pay" restaurants.

Lots of people get dressed up on dress to impress night, most of us don't get the chance to give James Bond a run for his money too often, so it's a good chance to get scrubbed up, but it's not compulsory. Whenever you see cruises on TV it looks like everyone goes to dinner in a Tux, well they don't.

It's your holiday, wear what you feel comfortable in when you go out at home and you will fit right in.

The only thing people tend to frown on is if somebody turns up at dinner in shorts and vest looking like they have just got out of the pool.

Enjoy and start saving for the next one.

 

Thanks Tony, that really helps!