Is it easy to spot first time cruisers ?

[Crestawave]

We're in our mid 60s and about to take our first ever cruise. We're going with Viking to central America. From what I can see from the ship roll call we might stand out because we're Brits and everyone else seems to be American. Is there other things that might give us away ?

[leaveitallbehind]

Everyone who cruises has their first cruise and there are likely to be a number of other first timers on board with you, so I wouldn't worry about that at all. I'm not sure what difference that would make anyway and would not be anything that would concern me.

 

As to the nationality mix of passengers, there is likely also going to be a variety of countries represented as most cruises have people from all over the world on board in our experience.  Keep in mind that to my understanding, only about 10% of cruisers are aware of Cruise Critic, so the sampling of people who would be on any given Roll Call would be very small in comparison to the total number of passengers on board.  Not sure that would be a factual representation of who you will encounter on your cruise.

 

My suggestion would be to not worry about whether or not this is your first cruise and go with the intent of enjoying what is offered on board and with the ports of call on your itinerary.  If, as most of us do, you enjoy your first experience, it will most likely not be your last.  And then you can look to spot the first timers on your next cruise - LOL.

Edited December 23, 2023 by leaveitallbehind

[lenquixote66]

I was in my 20’s on my first cruise .Everyone else on the ship that I encountered appeared to be 60 or older .Now I am in my 80’s and if I were to cruise I would likely be older than the majority of the people on the ship.

[john watson]

6 hours ago, Crestawave said:

We're in our mid 60s and about to take our first ever cruise. We're going with Viking to central America. From what I can see from the ship roll call we might stand out because we're Brits and everyone else seems to be American. Is there other things that might give us away ?

 

I think it is of no importance whether people perceive you as first time cruisers.  It is helpful on your first cruise to work out how to navigate the ship. Often there are three sets of stairs; forward, mid-ships and aft. Then the decks are just like floors on a building.  Everything takes place on the ship in relation to these. Once you can keep track of these you can get anywhere rapidly walking directly to where you need to go.

 

Regards John

[mom says]

As previously mentioned, it's highly unlikely that you would be the only Brits on board. And equally as unlikely that you would be the only first time cruisers on board. Or first time on a Viking ship. And frankly, I can't think of anyone who would care, one way or another.

[ldubs]

7 hours ago, Crestawave said:

We're in our mid 60s and about to take our first ever cruise. We're going with Viking to central America. From what I can see from the ship roll call we might stand out because we're Brits and everyone else seems to be American. Is there other things that might give us away ?

 

Being a Brit won't give you away as a first time cruiser, if that is your concern.   I would never know who is a first timer unless they told me.  If they did tell me it would not make me think any less of them, so I'm not sure why there is concern.  Truthfully, it is not something I, and I suspect most others, even think about.   My advice would be don't be shy about asking questions of fellow passengers. Most all everyone will be happy to help.  

[BklynBoy8]

7 hours ago, Crestawave said:

We're in our mid 60s and about to take our first ever cruise. We're going with Viking to central America. From what I can see from the ship roll call we might stand out because we're Brits and everyone else seems to be American. Is there other things that might give us away ?

 

Crestaway

Hello!

 

Well congrat's on your first sailing on a cruise.

 

Being a Veteran of over 53 years on sailing, you will DEFINITELY catch the Bug of Cruising after your first voyage. Each cruise after that you will want to select a sailing a bit longer. I also suggest voyages with many sea days. Sea days give the opportunity to enjoy full days of activities on board from Morning to Late into the Early Morning. You will see never ending Daily Programmes of things to do.

 

Yes, the best part are the Ports of Calls that are the main attraction of sailing besides the ship. We enjoy getting up in the early morning and enjoying with other passenger the approach to the Island/Cities from a distance. And anticipating the approach to the Port. If you r lucky, some day you may tender to the pier which is another experience sailing.

 

Do not worry about being noticed on board with your ethnic. We sail on a ship with passengers from approximately 22 nations and most are Brits. If you are guessing the name of the ship, it begins with Q and ends in 2. Don't worry about being of one nationality on board. We have had the opportunity to meet and stay in touch with many on board from around the world. That is another great reason for sailing. Meeting wonderful people from all points of the world.

 

BTW, make sure you try to lose some waist line measures for all those great cuisine you will be challenged to try on the sailing. Another part to enjoy on the cruise. Many things they have that you may not make at home.

 

Well, that's enough from me. But Welcome to the World of Sailing.

 

There's A Wonderful World Out There to Investigate.

 

Future......... BON VOYAGES............. 

 

 

[Crestawave]

Thanks for all the replies, TBH we're not concerned about being spotted as first timers or Brits. We're really exited about the whole upcoming experience and hopefully we'll have a great time , meet some interesting people and see some fabulous places. 

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, Crestawave said:

TBH we're not concerned about being spotted as first timers or Brits. We're really exited about the whole upcoming experience and hopefully we'll have a great time , meet some interesting people and see some fabulous places. 

And I'm sure you will!

 

If you should happen to feel self-conscious for any reason, you can always say "First time on Viking!" instead of "New cruiser". You will probably get answers like "You'll never go back" -- at least my aunt doesn't want to!

[AussieOmni]

3 hours ago, Crestawave said:

Thanks for all the replies, TBH we're not concerned about being spotted as first timers or Brits. We're really exited about the whole upcoming experience and hopefully we'll have a great time , meet some interesting people and see some fabulous places. 

I’m always concerned about being spotted as a Brit. Because I’m not one.

”oh I love your accent, where in England are you from?”

[ldubs]

6 hours ago, AussieOmni said:

I’m always concerned about being spotted as a Brit. Because I’m not one.

”oh I love your accent, where in England are you from?”

 

To me, most all accents are pleasing to the ear.  Is that strange, IDK?  

[AussieOmni]

58 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

To me, most all accents are pleasing to the ear.  Is that strange, IDK?  

To me I take it to mean “oh you’re an immigrant tell me about your home” but it is frustrating when people guess wrong.

[John Bull]

16 hours ago, AussieOmni said:

I’m always concerned about being spotted as a Brit. Because I’m not one.

”oh I love your accent, where in England are you from?”

 

 

On the flip-side of that, the first couple of times I was in the States (west coast) people would ask me "oh, please say that again, I just love your Australian accent" 🤣🤣🤣.

My first visit to Aus was about 30 years later 😏

 

No problems mixing with Americans, Kanuks,  & such - they all speak a language fairly close to English. Unless you meet a Scot or a scouser or a geordie, in which case you'll know there's a language barrier 😀

 

JB 🙂

[donaldsc]

Only if you go around asking people which side is starboard and which side is port.  Just kidding and don't worry.   Enjoy yourself.

 

DON

[Mum2Mercury]

On 12/23/2023 at 4:39 AM, Crestawave said:

We're in our mid 60s and about to take our first ever cruise. We're going with Viking to central America. From what I can see from the ship roll call we might stand out because we're Brits and everyone else seems to be American. Is there other things that might give us away ?

I've never sailed Viking, but Americans do make up the majority of the cruising population on most ships -- doesn't mean Brits stand out in a negative way or are made to feel uncomfortable.  My son-in-law is British, and people love him (and his accent) everywhere he goes.  

On 12/23/2023 at 9:57 AM, leaveitallbehind said:

Everyone who cruises has their first cruise and there are likely to be a number of other first timers on board with you, so I wouldn't worry about that at all. I'm not sure what difference that would make anyway and would not be anything that would concern me.

Absolutely.  Being new genuinely doesn't matter.  Consider, too, that although you're new to the entire experience, a lot of people will be new to Viking, this particular ship, or they'll be "new" in that they haven't cruised since before the pandemic (lots of people in that category).  

You're not unfamiliar with the protocol for eating in restaurants, claiming a sun lounger, or staying in a hotel room -- and these things aren't significantly different onboard.  To keep from holding up lines (or missing out), you should be sure you understand a couple basics before your cruise, and you can learn all of these from reading this board: 

- Study the deck plans for your specific ship.  Pay especial attention to where the stairwells are located; maybe it's just me, but I sometimes get myself turned around by using the forward stairs /thinking I'm on the aft stairs.  Don't stress about memorizing every location -- just gain a general idea.  Ship maps tend to be located by all elevators (and more places), and even people who aren't new to cruising stop to check them out.  

- Understand the Embarkation process, and don't be discouraged -- it isn't much fun.  

- Understand how to make dinner reservations -- I don't know about Viking, but most cruise lines offer traditional dining + a My Time type option.  Know what you've chosen, and if it's traditional, understand that you must arrive on time. 

- Viking will give you a "daily newspaper" each day.  Especially as a newcomer, read everything -- this'll let you know what time shows, movies, games, etc. are taking place.  It'll tell you what food options are available for the day (along with times).  

- Understand tipping.  

- Understand your choices at Disembarkation. 

If you know those things, everything else will fall into place.  

On 12/23/2023 at 11:39 AM, john watson said:

I think it is of no importance whether people perceive you as first time cruisers.  It is helpful on your first cruise to work out how to navigate the ship. Often there are three sets of stairs; forward, mid-ships and aft. Then the decks are just like floors on a building.  Everything takes place on the ship in relation to these. Once you can keep track of these you can get anywhere rapidly walking directly to where you need to go.

 

Regards John

Yes, agree.  

One more tip:  If you have any problems, ask your cabin steward for help.  Those guys know EVERYTHING.  

On 12/23/2023 at 2:52 PM, crystalspin said:

If you should happen to feel self-conscious for any reason, you can always say "First time on Viking!" instead of "New cruiser". You will probably get answers like "You'll never go back" -- at least my aunt doesn't want to!

Nice idea!  

[klfrodo]

My wife and I sailed this past October out of Southampton. We were definitely in the minority being Americans.

How could they tell? By the way we spoke, by our mannerisms, and by the way we used our utensils while eating. Did it hinder our interactions with others? The opposite actually. We talked about our similarities and our differences with genuine curiosity and respect.

There may be times when people will notice you may be a novice when it comes to cruising but they will want to help you if needed rather than mock your inexperience.

Go into this as an adventure.

[CDNPolar]

We are somewhat seasoned Viking cruisers with 10 Viking cruises now and we are currently on the Rhine River from Amsterdam to Basel.

 

We are surprised at how many first time cruisers there are with us on this ship!  Just about every other person we have talked to are first time cruisers - and over Christmas and in cold weather.

 

Just because you are first timers does not mean that others are more knowledgable or seasoned.  We are also meeting lots of cruisers that did not know this or that or the other thing....

[Moondogy]

Easiest way I remember port and starboard is port and left both have 4 letters....and that is always if facing front, or bow of the ship. Hope this 2 cents helps 🙂

[Mum2Mercury]

14 hours ago, Moondogy said:

Easiest way I remember port and starboard is port and left both have 4 letters....and that is always if facing front, or bow of the ship. Hope this 2 cents helps 🙂

Remember the old camp song too:  "Starboard shines green, and port is glowing red, I can see the barges far ahead."  

[AussieOmni]

15 hours ago, Moondogy said:

Easiest way I remember port and starboard is port and left both have 4 letters....and that is always if facing front, or bow of the ship. Hope this 2 cents helps 🙂

Port is left on a boat but it’s never left on a table

[john watson]

5 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Remember the old camp song too:  "Starboard shines green, and port is glowing red, I can see the barges far ahead."  

 

Sounds camp to me.

 

Regards John

[Elaine5715]

I actually will watch for first timers (Carnival first timers have blue sail and sign card) and will ask if they look lost if they need assistance.  

[cruiseaholic777]

Nobody will care one way or the other. Everyone on the ship will be happy to be on a cruise. We have met the nicest people on our 36 cruises. So have fun and don't worry about anything.

[john watson]

On one of the Muster Drills in the theatre on a Princess cruise on a very hot day I looked at the couple to my right and they had brought their lifejackets and were wearing warm clothing including woolly bobble hats. I asked the guy if he had his medication and got positive confirmation. I asked him if it was his first cruise, "yes" he replied so I simply said "well done!"

 

Regards John

Edited January 1 by john watson

[john watson]

They were quite happy!

 

Regards John