Rare Essiesmom Posted January 1 #26 Share Posted January 1 People who look dazed and confused aren’t always first timers. Sailing for the first time on a different ship or cruise line can be quite disorienting. Try going from one of Carnival’s Joe Farcus decorated ships to Cunard to MSC and they are quite different in both decor and layout. EM 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clo Posted January 3 #27 Share Posted January 3 A few years ago we cruised on Hurtigruten, one of their small Norwegian coastal cruises. IIRC of the 100 (!) pax there were only two other "Americans." And that mad it even better in our opinion. And it wasn't our first cruised. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquahound Posted January 7 #28 Share Posted January 7 On 12/23/2023 at 1:39 AM, Crestawave said: Is there other things that might give us away ? Honestly, don't even worry about it. When I spot first-time cruisers and see the awe they are in, I actually get somewhat jealous, and I remember that feeling I had on my first cruise. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crestawave Posted January 8 Author #29 Share Posted January 8 4 hours ago, Aquahound said: Honestly, don't even worry about it. When I spot first-time cruisers and see the awe they are in, I actually get somewhat jealous, and I remember that feeling I had on my first cruise. 4 days in and to be honest you really wouldn't have a clue who the other first timers aboard are. Other than the unrivalled friendliness of the crew, the exceptional food on offer and the sparkling cleanliness of the ship, the thing we most like about being at sea is being able to sit outside and not being pestered by flies, wasps, mosquitos etc whilst eating. We're all ready planning our next Viking Journey , Greek Odyssey in 2025 favourite so far. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57redbird Posted January 16 #30 Share Posted January 16 On 12/30/2023 at 6:19 PM, Mum2Mercury said: Remember the old camp song too: "Starboard shines green, and port is glowing red, I can see the barges far ahead." I know that song....Camp Sealth on Vashon Island, WA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mum2Mercury Posted January 16 #31 Share Posted January 16 (edited) 44 minutes ago, 57redbird said: I know that song....Camp Sealth on Vashon Island, WA Camp Occoneechee, rural NC. The song's a classic. Edited January 16 by Mum2Mercury 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruiselover2025 Posted February 8 #32 Share Posted February 8 Just look for the most sun burnt ones, and you’ve found ur newbie 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delta1juliet Posted February 9 #33 Share Posted February 9 On 2/8/2024 at 12:00 PM, Cruiselover2025 said: Just look for the most sun burnt ones, and you’ve found ur newbie Or at least the British tourists 😂 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drumbeat16 Posted February 9 #34 Share Posted February 9 On 2/8/2024 at 11:30 AM, Cruiselover2025 said: Just look for the most sun burnt ones, and you’ve found ur newbie Not if they're Australians or Australian residents Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldubs Posted February 9 #35 Share Posted February 9 Based on the way cruise critic has been going lately, I would say anyone seeming to have fun is a first time cruiser. 😄 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john watson Posted February 9 #36 Share Posted February 9 I remember a youngish newbie couple at Guernsey who got on the tender and the wife seemed to be a bit nervous. They sat next to me and we watched the tender pilot reposition a big fender then walk back in and up a ladder to his driving position. The woman said "He hasn't got a clue what to do and he's driving" so I said to the husband "ohh, he's our waiter". Well he found it funny. Regards John 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Mary229 Posted February 17 #37 Share Posted February 17 I use my lack of experience as a conversation starter and do I learn a lot. If you are open and admit your lack of experience people will flock to give you advice and travel knowledge - so be careful about who you engage😉. I have traveled a lot but am only moderately experienced in cruising and I prefer to always sail to new places. Others love going to the same place year after year - those are the people I seek out. They can give you great tips 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeclanAllen Posted May 15 #38 Share Posted May 15 I've been on a few cruises myself, and I think it's natural for first-time cruisers to have these concerns. From my experience, there are a few things that might give away first-time cruisers, but they're nothing to worry about. I think one common indicator is the excitement and eagerness to explore the ship and participate in activities. First-time cruisers often have a sense of wonder and enthusiasm about everything onboard, which is completely understandable! Another thing is not being familiar with certain cruise customs or etiquette, like knowing where to find dining venues or how to navigate the ship efficiently. But don't worry, everyone starts somewhere, and the crew is always there to help if you have any questions. As for standing out as Brits among mostly Americans, I think it could actually be a fun conversation starter and an opportunity to connect with fellow cruisers from different backgrounds. Overall, I suggest embracing the experience and enjoying every moment of your first cruise adventure. Bon voyage! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare John Bull Posted May 16 #39 Share Posted May 16 On 12/23/2023 at 10:04 PM, 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?” It works the other way round too. On America's west coast I used to often be told "I just love your Australian accent". 😃 Not so much nowadays, because folk are generally much more travelled. JB 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare CDNPolar Posted May 16 #40 Share Posted May 16 I feel that even some 'seasoned' cruisers are not necessarily taking advantage of everything. I have heard many people that have cruised with our favourite cruise line more than once say: "I didn't know this or I didn't know that." Take for instance a Galley tour or a Bridge tour.... on our favourite cruise line, these are not advertised per se but available if you go to Guest Services and ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldubs Posted May 16 #41 Share Posted May 16 7 hours ago, CDNPolar said: I feel that even some 'seasoned' cruisers are not necessarily taking advantage of everything. I have heard many people that have cruised with our favourite cruise line more than once say: "I didn't know this or I didn't know that." Take for instance a Galley tour or a Bridge tour.... on our favourite cruise line, these are not advertised per se but available if you go to Guest Services and ask. I think that is very true and not just for less advertised things. We have used Princess enough to have elite status, and yet have never attended a pub lunch. We have yet to attend an afternoon tea on any cruise line. Nothing against either. We just haven't done them. Maybe next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBS1607 Posted June 28 #42 Share Posted June 28 On 1/1/2024 at 5:27 PM, Essiesmom said: People who look dazed and confused aren’t always first timers. Sailing for the first time on a different ship or cruise line can be quite disorienting. Try going from one of Carnival’s Joe Farcus decorated ships to Cunard to MSC and they are quite different in both decor and layout. EM My husband and I spent our whole Thanksgiving cruise looking dazed and confused. First time on an Oasis class ship and first cruise since lockdown. We have had a few friends that cruised and did not get the bug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hlitner Posted June 28 #43 Share Posted June 28 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 ? Hmmm. Every time you open your mouth? LOL. Not to worry as first timers are just as welcomed as long-time veterans. In fact, let folks know that its your first cruise and many will offer you advice :). Hank 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare CDNPolar Posted June 29 #44 Share Posted June 29 On our over Christmas and New Year cruise this past year, there were several couples that this was their first cruise and / or also their first Viking cruise. I don't think that they were obvious at all, but they self-identified and we were happy to help them with the ins and outs of the ship we were on and how to do things that we learned over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlawrence01 Posted July 3 #45 Share Posted July 3 Most of what we learned about cruising has been at shared tables in the MDR. There is always someone with more experience and different experiences to guide you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare redleader74 Posted July 5 #46 Share Posted July 5 On 12/23/2023 at 1:39 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 ? We'll be first time cruisers too and you bring up an interesting point about travel in general. When I first starting going on international trips with small tour groups, one thing that I really didn't expect was the people in the group that I would meet. Because the tour groups I used weren't american companies (I went with Intrepid a few times, even Contiki!), I was able to meet a lot of people from different countries. That in itself was just as much a part of the travel experience as the actual tour. Had a fantastic time on these trips hanging out with new friends from: the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands....to name a few! We'll be heading out on our very first cruise too (7/21, HAL/Westerdaam, Alaska dept: Seattle) and I'm looking forward to meeting people from all over, from down under to the continent, to pockets of the U.S. I've never heard of before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Honolulu Blue Posted July 20 #47 Share Posted July 20 As @Elaine5715 pointed out upthread, the one sure way I can tell on Carnival is that first-timers have the blue cards. Unlike her, I don't have a helpful nature and will watch as they stumble and bumble along without my help - unless I'm asked directly. On other cruise lines, I find that it's harder to tell, and there are probably many fewer true n00bs to ocean cruising anyway. Not that it matters too much to me whether anyone is new. It's just an item I'll make a note of and file away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg8371 Posted July 30 #48 Share Posted July 30 First-time cruisers often stand out with their enthusiastic map checking and awe at the ship’s ice sculpting 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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