asouthey1 Posted July 18 #1 Share Posted July 18 Whether you've been on one cruise or 1000, I'd love to know for future. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiserBruce Posted July 18 #2 Share Posted July 18 Just relax...don't sweat the small stuff. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotADopey1 Posted July 18 #3 Share Posted July 18 I agree with CruiserBruce. You have to go with the flow. Make the most of your vacation. Ports are often changed and we only get concerned if we have booked an independent tour in a missed port. Even then with good preplanning, communication and a back up travel insurance policy, all can be resolved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toofarfromthesea Posted July 18 #4 Share Posted July 18 Whether you enjoy the cruise or don't enjoy the cruise is almost entirely determined by your attitude. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runner15km Posted July 18 #5 Share Posted July 18 Bring less clothes and more money. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugerdog Posted July 18 #6 Share Posted July 18 The best piece of advice I was given came from someone on Cruise Critic. It was in response to a "what to pack" question and the answer was: "Pack your passport and a credit card. Anything else can be purchased if necessary." 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zqvol Posted July 18 #7 Share Posted July 18 Take half the clothes you think you need and twice as much money. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted July 18 #8 Share Posted July 18 When shopping for a cruise, don’t make the rookie mistake of comparing only cabin prices. Use the “net daily rate” calculation which includes all required and optionally expected costs divided by the days in your trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shmoo here Posted July 18 #9 Share Posted July 18 Don't try to do everything. Remember it's a vacation. It's OK to just sit in a chair and watch the water go by. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clo Posted July 18 #10 Share Posted July 18 53 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said: “net daily rate” calculation Where/how does one get that? Doesn't truly matter to us as we're 100% driven by the ports but still interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KreinKrunker Posted July 19 #11 Share Posted July 19 Relax! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsn55 Posted July 19 #12 Share Posted July 19 (edited) 4 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said: Whether you enjoy the cruise or don't enjoy the cruise is almost entirely determined by your attitude. Have low expectations. Then everything will be delightful. At least that works for me most of the time. Exceptions are Princess, American Cruiselines, and Viking. My one Princess cruise was probably OK, but I was so angry about the non-functioning medallion that it colored the whole cruise. My husband was not well, and I slaved away before the cruise to make things smooth for him. I had very little hair left when we boarded. American Cruiselines and Viking in China were downright impossible. The rest have all been fine, and some in the distant past were spectacular. Edited July 19 by jsn55 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalspin Posted July 19 #13 Share Posted July 19 4 hours ago, clo said: Where/how does one get that? Doesn't truly matter to us as we're 100% driven by the ports but still interested. You have to do your own maths. FF's common theme is that luxury lines are not more expensive if you would pay for all they include, on the mainstream lines. Of course, most of us don't pay for all of those things on our line of choice -- cavier?!! 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Honolulu Blue Posted July 19 #14 Share Posted July 19 The crew are great; if you allow them to help make you satisfied and/or happy, they'll (mostly) do it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mum2Mercury Posted July 21 #15 Share Posted July 21 One single thing? I'd have to go with, Bring a good attitude. Close behind and a little more practical: - Arrive a day ahead of sailing. - Pack light. - You can have a great cruise without spending on all the extras. - Book private excursions. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquahound Posted July 21 #16 Share Posted July 21 On 7/18/2024 at 9:39 AM, asouthey1 said: Whether you've been on one cruise or 1000, I'd love to know for future. Thank you Do not over plan and do not get hung up on anonymous internet opinions. Just go and enjoy yourself. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notalandlover Posted July 21 #17 Share Posted July 21 (edited) Be back on board one hr before departure in the ports Edited July 21 by notalandlover 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynncarol Posted July 24 #18 Share Posted July 24 Remember you are a guest at each port of call. I try to make a point of mentioning to a local that we encounter how much something about their country/island really appeals to me. Even something as simple as "what gorgeous weather you have here" or "your dog is adorable" always brings a smile. (Fortunately, since I am now considered elderly, nobody mistakes my compliments for a 'pick-up' line). 2 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiseaholic777 Posted July 25 #19 Share Posted July 25 Pack less clothing and take more money than you think. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare KatRangoon Posted July 25 #20 Share Posted July 25 Always arrive a day before if flying in. Don't be one of those people who miss the cruise because their plane was delayed! Also, bring a book or cards to entertain yourself and your kids. There is always down time between events and a game of uno or skipbo on a balcony is a great memory! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted July 25 #21 Share Posted July 25 31 minutes ago, KatRangoon said: Always arrive a day before if flying in. Don't be one of those people who miss the cruise because their plane was delayed! If you are doing a connecting intercontinental flight, only one extra day pre-cruise will never be enough time for misplaced luggage to catch up with you. Likewise, it may be very difficult to get a same day rebook or ticket assignment for a missed connection. As a general rule, savvy travelers will always do a minimum 2 nights in the embark city and a minimum of at least 3 hours for connecting layovers. In addition, it’s always worthwhile to have multiple Plan Bs for your connecting flights. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joebucks Posted July 25 #22 Share Posted July 25 On 7/18/2024 at 12:42 PM, CruiserBruce said: Just relax...don't sweat the small stuff. End of thread. I can't begin to comprehend negative people that always find a problem. There can be diarrhea in my room when I board. Let's go ahead and find a solution so I don't have to deal with diarrhea. I'm still going to have a great vacation. I don't know that I quite agree with the "top" advice of bringing more money. Maybe it's because I don't gamble. Traveling on a plane, staying in a hotel, staying in your cabin, going to a port. Lots of avenues to lose money or have it stolen, and it happens. I'm really only spending cash at taxis and very rarely, a vendor or whatnot. Credit card acceptance isn't that rare by cruise ports and nothing else on the cruise requires cash. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ontheweb Posted July 25 #23 Share Posted July 25 On our cruise last summer, we brought along pounds for our day in London prior to the cruise and Euros for out stop in Amsterdam. We spent the pounds, but we did not have to as everything could have been charged. And in Amsterdam, we had a problem spending them as the museum and at least one other place we needed to spend Euros only took credit or debit cards. They would not accept cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neeuqdrazil Posted July 25 #24 Share Posted July 25 Make this YOUR vacation. Enjoy the run-up as much as the cruise, if that's your style. (It's mine.) Plan as much, or as little, as you want. Pre-plan everything, fly by the seat of your pants, or somewhere in between, depending on what brings you joy. I like to plan out the days leading up to, and the days after, the cruise, but leave the on-board experience relatively open. (But most of my cruises have a lot of sea days, which require less planning overall than port-intensive cruises.) Figure out what you need to make this an enjoyable trip, and line those pieces up early. If you know that you want to go for dinner at a specific specialty restaurant one night, book that as early as possible. And bring your flexibility. Ports get missed, excursions get cancelled, menus change, restaurants close unexpectedly, something gets messed up on the ship, but if you're flexible, you can still make the trip wonderful for yourself. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ldubs Posted July 25 #25 Share Posted July 25 (edited) 6 hours ago, Joebucks said: End of thread. I can't begin to comprehend negative people that always find a problem. There can be diarrhea in my room when I board. Let's go ahead and find a solution so I don't have to deal with diarrhea. I'm still going to have a great vacation. I'm pretty laid back. Don't agonize over things that might go wrong. I don't get ruffled easily, I don't consider complaining to be a pastime, and I would like to think I am easy going. But NO. I don't want that in my room. Edited July 25 by ldubs 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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