Newbie just saying hello

[buldogg69]

Hello everyone,

My wife and I booked our 1st cruise on the Glory sailing on May 6th. Western.

I travel extensively for business and wanted to try something different.

We are both in our 30s

Any tips, suggestions or advice is most welcome, and of course a Hello is appreciated.

This is a great forum with tons of great tips. Glad I found it and hope we make some new friends in the process!

Anyone else on this sailing? Love to hear from ya all!!!

Thanks

Ed

[obx_fintoo]

Welcome to Cruise Critic! There is a TON of great info (as well as lots of other stuff;) ) on these boards. Be sure to use the Search features if you have a specific topic you want info on. Also, check out the Roll Call boards to see if there is a thread for your cruise. If not, then set one up for yourself!

 

Enjoy and have a great cruise!

[snista]

Welcome to the boards! You will love it here. Lots of great info, friendships, sarcasm, you name it...LOL. Be prepared to become a cruise critic junkie. It's like a drug addiction!! :D

[jckvpa0]

Welcome to the boards!!!

 

Wow your trip is not that far off. Keep reading & you will find so many helpful hints for your cruise.

[halos]

Hello buldog and welcome!! :) Be prepared to become addicted to cruising AND this board.

[derf5585]

We were all newbies once.

[gfsmith]

Welcome and Howdydo!

 

You will have a wonderful time, and surly will become addicted as so many before you have..........;)

 

You can check out the roll call for carnival over on the roll call boards, possibly there is one for your sailing. This will give you a chance to chat with people who are actually going on your cruise with you.

[derf5585]

, and surly will become addicted as so many before you have..........;)

 

How do you know your addicted

0. Cruiscritic is your main entertainment

1. You get up in the middle of the night to check out the boards

2. Its the first thing in the morning you check.

3. You hit the "reload" button every 5 seconds.

4. When your say "just one more post, honey" and turnes into much longer.

5. You get nurvous ticks when you are away from the boards too long

6. Do you regale your co-workers and friends with what's online

7. Do you LOL at work and everyone turnes their head.

[meluvtogocruise]

This is a fun site. Sometimes I just pop in to relax for a few minutes and wind up being here for an hour.

 

Some info is trivial - a great deal is informative. Lots of humor, light sarcasm.

 

Helpful tip #1 - Don't overpack! It just makes getting there harder. There are laundry rooms (nice) on the ships. Tuxes can be rented. My DH chooses to just wear a very nice shirt, slacks and tie on formal night.

 

I like to wear a light weight dress slack and shimmery top (usually in a formal black) with some pretty earrings. Never felt under-dressed.

 

Getting on the ship is the worst part of the cruise for me. Once on board

it's total enjoyment. Be prepared to relax. Don't worry if you feel a little

lost on the first day or two. You will adjust and be able to find everything on the ship after that.

 

Remember you can enjoy the dining room for breakfast also. Nice if you want to just sit down and be served rather than go through the buffet.

 

Enjoy the sunrise at least once and try to catch a sunset!

 

Being on deck when ship is coming into port is fun for me. Great to have a cup of coffee then.

 

The shows are always great. My DH loves the comedy (early show).

Much to enjoy!

 

Low stress as once you're on board as you're not pulling out your wallet for every meal and show.

 

Hope this helps you as look forward to a great vacation.

 

mel

 

Carnival should be paying me for this! LOL

[cathyoo]

Hello everyone,

 

Any tips, suggestions or advice is most welcome, and of course a Hello is appreciated.

 

Ed

 

Hello and welcome. Lots of experience on this board and there is probably not a question you can ask that hasn't been asked before.

 

I was dragged into my first cruise and was sure it couldn't beat my land vacations. I was wrong. I think it is a great value for your dollar. My only tip is to relish all the small things cruising adds to your vacation. Like the view of the immense ocean, the fabulous sunrises or sunsets, the friendliness of your fellow travelers, being rocked to sleep at night in a bed you did not have to make, no budgeting for food or entertainment and the chance to spend time with loved ones.

[loungelizard]

Welcome aboard!

This is the best cruising site on the web and people here are friendly, helpful and love to share their experiences and knowledge...it's a wonderful web community...but very addicting! Sometimes you can put your mouse to your ear and actually hear the ocean ;) One of the best things about this site is that you can meet some of the folks you chat with onboard the ships. I met some wonderful CC people on my last Liberty cruise and I am looking forward to meeting more new friends on my next cruise. Once you learn to navigate the site you'll be able to find just about anything you want to know. I wish you smooth sailing.

[kathy32259]

By any chance you are a GA Bulldog?

 

I also travel extensively for a living. This is the BEST vacation for us! You get to the dock - board the ship - unpack - and you are done for a week! I am really, really, lucky - living in Florida I have NO airplane, NO rental car, NO hotel! Love it! :D Not at all like work. People who don't travel for a living cannot understand that a land vacation is too much like work! :p

 

Cruising is great and you will love it! And like me - you may become addicted! I HAVE to have a cruise booked at all times, or depression and withdrawal set in. I order room service coffee and danish - everynight before I go to bed - then sit on my balcony, in the sun, and enjoy!

 

Welcome!

[musicmansmom]

hi and welcome. stay with us here. it is a great site :)

[bulldogmom]

From one bulldog'ger to another, welcome!

[pungo3]

Welcome!!! I'd recommend going to the Carnival Roll Calls to see if there is a roll call posted for the May 6th Glory. You'll get to meet fellow Cruise Critic members who will be sailing with you.

 

Welcome to CC. You'll get lots of great information here.

[phatkittykat]

How do you know your addicted

0. Cruiscritic is your main entertainment

1. You get up in the middle of the night to check out the boards

2. Its the first thing in the morning you check.

3. You hit the "reload" button every 5 seconds.

4. When your say "just one more post, honey" and turnes into much longer.

5. You get nurvous ticks when you are away from the boards too long

6. Do you regale your co-workers and friends with what's online

7. Do you LOL at work and everyone turnes their head.

 

oH MY goodness! I'm a newbie, have been using this board for less then a week and I think I am addicted:D

[IDoLoveToCruise]

Hi Ed, Welcome aboard! I'm also new to the board and find it most helpful and entertaining! Hubby and I were on the Glory last March. It was a rough surf on the return to Port in fact we heard on the news when we got home that a cruise ship was seriously damaged and "limped" into Port C. We had NO idea it was that rough until our van almost got blown off the causeway! Not to worry much as the Glory being over 100,000 is quite stable. For debarkation they had just gone to a new luggage system with carousels instead of the "warehouse" type.

Now for a bit of advice. Try to memorize as much as you can from the travel brochure or web site about the deck plans as it might help with the getting lost thing. You will be given a Deck plan as you board Keep it with you!!

1. Remember which way to go when you leave the cabin for the showroom, dining room or the Lido. I've been on more than 40 different ships (over 90 cruises) and sometimes I still get it wrong! Remembering which is Port and starboard is very helpful.

2. Expect lines on the lido for lunch. If you get back early from a tour grab lunch right away as it gets extra busy as soon as they pull up the gangway. DH and I usually do breakfast and lunch in the dining room the older you get the more pampering we need!

3. Beer drinker? It is cheaper if you buy it by the bucket!

4. Check out threads on complaints then get them all out of your system before you board. Attitude is everything. Look for the good stuff and you will find it!! Have a great time!

[Newsgirl]

Bulldogg,

 

I am also sailing on the Glory May 6th. We do have a roll call set up over on the Roll Call Boards, check it out and say hello...

 

This will be my 5th Carnival cruise, 2nd time on the Glory. It's a great ship; we absolutely love it!

[salt_salt_salt]

Ed....Bulgogg68

oops+1

 

I was about your age 9 years ago when I went on my first cruise. I had my reservations/ preconceived notions as to what to expect. What I can tell you is that you'll be in awe of the experience and will want to sail over and over again. Occasionally, someone has a lousy "first" cruise but those are usually related to thing like poor weather (hurricanes, etc) or setting expectations too high. You are not sailing during a high risk time frame, no need to worry there. Keep an open mind as to what to expect. Let us know when you return if you've booked your next!

[buldogg69]

Thanks to everyone for the well wishing and helpfull advise. From what everyone says this is going to be a great vacation!!!!!!!

To answer some of the questions.... I am not a Ga Buldogg...I'm from NJ : ) buldogg is a nickname that has stuck with me from HS

Thanks again to everyone!!!!!

[derf5585]

I am not a Ga Buldogg...I'm from NJ : )

 

What exit?

[cruiser472]

Welcome Aboard

 

You'll find out that you can't get off the boards. So much info here. A lot of great discussions. Have fun here and Happy Sailing. You'll definitely get the bug and will want to sail all the time. :D

[SunnieD]

I think these boards are the best thing ever for cruiselines. They get way more positive advertising on here than anything. Same with excursion operators, do a good job and many will know. Do a bad job and everyone will know. I am soooooo hooked on cruising and these boards. Good thing i am a stay at home Mom, I have time to look at all of it. DH says he never wanted to cruise b/c he was in the Navy. I now have him booked on his first and second cruise (I have cruised one before) thanks to the info and reviews here.

I have watched the friends made here come to the support of others and it is wonderful to see there are so many good people left in the world!

[derf5585]

DH says he never wanted to cruise b/c he was in the Navy.

 

I am a former Navy person also. See my signature

[buldogg69]

Exit 74