What I wish I knew before taking my first cruise...

[Mountainveiw]

Any tips or advise you wish you knew before your first cruise ... would be apreciated. We will be sailing on the Noordam. Thanks.

[Songhee]

Are you doing the Panama Canal relocation cruise? We just did the one from Vcr toFLL and it was fantastic! One of the best things was meeting other cruisers on the Roll Call page and having lunches together throughout the voyage. They helped make the trip Very special.

[cigarman]

1. That long time cruisers don't like to hear..this is a big "BOAT". It's a ship

2. The stuff in the in room fridge is NOT free.

3. Some cabins are NOT sound proof. Beware newlyweds!!

4. The Captain NEVER drives the boat.

5. They DO NOT make refunds in the casinos. Asked by a cruise buddy long ago.

6. People who do not smoke sit in the smoking areas and bitch about smokers.

7. Baggage really looks alike.

 

OK, anyone have any others?

[jtl513]

Have you read this "HAL great secrets" thread yet? :)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=112482

[LolaWiz]

accept and expect there will be a few bitchy people you will happen to see everywhere and nothing the crew can do will be right. (don't be one of those people :D )

 

Bring Patience with you.

 

Be truly appricative of the hard working staff and crew.

 

Make sure you notice the beautiful fresh flowers EVERYWHERE!

[torpeedo]

Embarkation and disembarkation are generally a tough time. Don't let it get to you and ruin your cruise.. Prepare to wait in lines and deal with disgruntled people. ( not always but it happens ;) ) Have a bottle of water and be sure you can navigate lines with your carry-ons. Know that you can't go to your cabin right away and go to the Lido for a nice lunch. Cabins are generally available after 1:30.

[kakalina]

1. If you want the white glove escort to your cabin show up after 1:30pm

 

2. Leave you worries, attitudes and troubles at home

 

3. Sign up early for cooking classes at the front desk

 

4. A smile and a thank you go a long, long way

 

5. Cinnamon ice cream

 

6. Be able to accept non stop pampering with a happy smile

[SnorkelBear]

I wish I knew the Lifeboat Drill was not a game to see who could drill the most holes in a lifeboat. Oops.

 

Never press the flush button while still sitting on the throne. Schnikeys, that left a mark.

 

Streaking is frowned upon. Even more so on Formal night. Who knew?

 

If you see a line, get in it. It's probably something good.

 

Never, ever even think of having anything but a great time on a cruise. :D

[Mollynme]

I didn't know anything about cruising when I first started lurking here last year. I learned so much helpful stuff that I was more than prepared when I finally stepped aboard the Volendam.

One of the threads that really helped was started by Ziggy7 called "What 1 unique item do you pack for you're cruise?" - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=149755&highlight=Bring

Experienced cruisers listed useful things I never would have thought of - like a power strip - and more than a few off-the-wall items (no candles!!!).

[AAAAmerican]

Well wish we had known then about copies being acceptable and the need to get a Safe Deposit Box quickly then.

 

Copies of your D L and P P are acceptable and instead of carrying the originals is/was better as if you looses a copy that can be redone qucikly and inexpensively.

 

 

Now with Cabin Safes it is not as much need to get Safe Deposit Boxes at the Pursors Desk now. Learning to not carry anything that if you lost you can replace and/or purchase another ...

 

 

Also they did used to have Real Cream Cheese Cake ..and made well without too much flour as a filler...

 

 

Has anyone ever seen Garlic Ice Cream aboard any ship yet?

 

http://www.garlicrose.com

 

 

That place is across from my old office in thge Rose City and just a few blocks form Gov. Thomas Kean's University where the best Shakesphere festival is.

 

His son is running for the US Senate here now too. A fine lad!

[Missabby]

Try here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=97

[cruisecache&squash]

The one thing I wish I had known when I went on my first (and only, so far) cruise is that even if you're going to a warm climate, still bring a sweater, sweatshirt or something warm. The ship can get really cold!!

[torpeedo]

One other thing... you will experience PCD... Otherwise diagnosed as post cruise depression.. so you will need to find a source of income to support your newly aquired habit..:o . The ONLY cure for PCD is to book another cruise:D !

[walnut99]

Cruising is addictive. Once you take the first one, you will spend many hours dreaming of being at sea and planning the next one. Be warned.

[noblepa]

Auto-tips. They will add $10/day/person to your bill. This is explained in the "Know before you go", but some people are still surprised (and outraged).

 

You can order multiple dinners in the dining room. If you don't like what you ordered, ask for a different entree. Really! On formal night, we created our own "surf and turf" by ordering both the steak and the lobster dinners. So live dangerously and try something you've been afraid to order at home.

 

You CAN ask the photographers to not take your picture. They probably won't listen, but you can try. :)

 

The lifeboat drill is mandatory. They have a rollcall at the muster station. They WILL come looking for you and you will hold everyone up. Its for your safety.

 

The art auction is a rip-off. Go and enjoy the free champagne, but don't expect to get a great deal on fabulously expensive artworks. If you like something, buy it, but trust me, you're not getting a deal. Its much cheaper to simply enjoy the artwork HAL has used to decorate their ships.

 

The person doing the port lectures is a paid shill. The "recommended dealers" have paid a fee to participate. The money back guarantees offered by the dealers, especially the jewelers, are usually worthless.

 

Have fun!

 

Paul Noble

[fsdj1097]

Please read the "Know Before You Go". You'll be glad you did.

 

Get a PassPort!

 

You can pre-book shore excursions.

 

Visit the CC Ports of Call Boards and ASK QUESTIONS.

 

While on board - Do exactly what you want to do...even if it's nothing at all!!

[missygirl]

One thing that I was unsure about on our first cruise was room service. Wheather it would be right, hot or even any good. The last three cruises on HAL we have used it for most breakfasts, hubby it not a morning eater, and it was great for me.

 

Enjoy your cruise...

Missygirl

[Mountainveiw]

Thank you everyone for your great replies and links to other posts. Unfortunatly work got inbetween me starting this thread last night and geting home now. Yes this is the cruise that takes you from New York through the Canel and we will be getting off in Vancouver. All of your replys are very much apreciated.

[kelmac]

Take a Bonine every night and you won't get sea sick. Now I only take it the first two nights.

 

:p Kel

[Jemima]

1. Cruising is addictive

2. Don't worry so much about dress. Just stay within the fairly broad Know Before You Go guidelines and you'll be fine.

3. Don't get talked into cruise air.

4. Don't worry about sea sickness unless you've had it in the past. (Neither of us get sea sick.) If needed, you can get something on the ship.

5. Keep a packing list on your computer & revise it for each cruise.

[Sunshine91]

Cruising tips - in no particular order.

1. If you think you might go snorkeling, buy an underwater camera for $9 at Walmart before you go. On-board it's more like $18-$20.

2. Make a list of all the toiletries you'll need & then make sure you pack them. On-board, a $1 can of shaving cream costs $5 (yeah, we forgot that too.) :rolleyes:

3. If you walk into your cabin & find 2 beds (& you'd like to actually sleep with your sweetie) ASK your steward to rearrange them. On our very first Noordam cruise the beds were perpendicular to each other & we just didn't know any better. Spent the whole week in separate beds. :p

4. If you'd like a second of anything for dinner, ask for it. Your waiter will bring it to you, with a smile. If you'd like something for breakfast that's not on the room service card, just write it on the card. If the kitchen has it, you'll get it.

5. Lay out everything you want to pack. Then put back about a third. On a Caribbean cruise you'll live in a bathing suit, shorts & a Tshirt. The ships have hairdryers. Good ones.

6. Take some paper & a pen with you - for leaving notes for the cabin steward. You never know when you'll need extra towels, etc. I always leave him my People or other mags with a note that it's his to keep.

7. You'll make really good friends on the cruise. So, if you run out of something towards the end, like hairspray, ring up a girlfriend onboard. She's bound to have some to share. :)

[OceanLiner]

1 - about one week before you cruise, do a test pack of all your clothes. Cut that amount by half, and the half again. You will still be overpacked!

 

2 - if you don't want to dress for formal night, don't. Just go to the Lido or have dinner brought to your room.

 

3 - on a per hour basis, based on the cost of your cruise, doing your own laundry is the most expensive laundry you will ever do. Every day just put the previous days dirty clothes in the bag provided and give it to the steward. No fuss, no hassle; and the shirts come out great! Sure you pay for this service, but can you put a price on being able to sit by the pool vs sitting in the laundry?

 

4 - sign up for the thermal suite. Almost like a ship within a ship. Best thing that we ever started to do on a ship. It we were forced to choose, we would take the thermal suite over a shore excursion.

 

5 - always asked to be seated with other people at lunch. The HAL passengers are an amazingly well traveled bunch with incredible life experiences. Lunch is the perfect time to find these people, and if you get a bunch of duds, its just lunch!

[grannynurse]

Fly in a day early. It will prevent alot of worrying and give you time to decompress. You'll board the ship rested and feeling like you're looking your best.

GN

[DiveMaster]

Watch prebooking too many excursions close together in the same day - some may preclude others if there are any delays. Take destinations like Half Moon Cay with a grain of salt as the winds can affect whether the ship can tender or activities like parasailing can proceed - just be flexible.

Check your travel documents and be sure the passports or certificates are there (have seen folks denied boarding). Take the kiddos or grandkiddos along as a cruise will be an experience they will remember for life. If you are unsure if you may get seasick book an inside room midships. Don't plan on the cruise being a once in a lifetime experience - you will be back.:D

 

Any tips or advise you wish you knew before your first cruise ... would be apreciated. We will be sailing on the Noordam. Thanks.

[BobBeaSea]

What I wish I knew before my first cruise?

1. The boat won't wait for me to come back from port.

2. It's a ship, not a boat

3. You DO NOT have to eat everything on the menu at dinner each night.

4. Bravo, Bravo, Bravo was not an cheer onboard.

5. That alcoholic beverages were NOT included in the cruise fare.

6. How to tie a bowtie.

7. Front is bow, back is stern, right is starboard and left is port.

8. I couldn't automatically stay onboard for the next sailing, for free.

 

And too many others to mention :D