Cruising Hints and Tips for Newbies

[fridayenough]

After arming myself with oodles of tidbits of knowledge and great ideas gleaned from HOURS spent trawling the Cruise Critics website and forums for our first cruise (been back over a week already, **sigh**), I gained a new nickname on our cruise - Know It All Niki LOL! I wore that badge proudly :-)

[Brushtail]

After arming myself with oodles of tidbits of knowledge and great ideas gleaned from HOURS spent trawling the Cruise Critics website and forums for our first cruise (been back over a week already, **sigh**), I gained a new nickname on our cruise - Know It All Niki LOL! I wore that badge proudly :-)

 

 

:D :D :D :D

 

That's funny.

 

I know what you mean, but what else do you do when newbie cruisers on board keep asking questions? :p :p

[chrissiewhip]

We have a few new cruisers on the boards and I thought I would start a thread with some hints and tips. This is a list I made up for a workmate for her first cruise. They are for the Pacific Sun.

 

We drove down to Darling Harbour on the morning of the cruise and went straight to Wharf 8, parked, and dropped off our large luggage. You don’t go into the main terminal for this, but to the right of the terminal where you will need your passports ready as you give them your suitcases. We then drove around to the other side of Darling Harbour to Harbourside and parked at Wilsons Parking. They have a deal with P&O where you can park your car for $14.00 per day. You have to find an attendant and fill out a special form. This is a good deal. A taxi to the ship is about $10.00.

 

Back at Wharf 8, you join a queue that snakes around barriers like an airport. Make sure you have filled in your paperwork and have your passports ready. Your bags go through x-rays etc and they will give you your cruise card and room keys

 

Then ‘smile’ they take a boarding photo for posterity and then you go on board. Very exciting.

 

There is lifeboat drill before you sail and announcements tell you what to do.

 

Then it is up on deck for sailaway. Choose a good spot and enjoy it. It can be a bit cool up on deck when you are underway so it is a good idea to take a jacket. No need to take your bag, that is one good thing on a cruise, just leave them in your cabin. All you need is your lanyard with door key and cruise card on it

 

Clothes for dinner. Just smart casual will do. No shorts are allowed in the dining rooms in the evening, but are ok for breakfast and lunch. Formal nights can be as formal as you want. Some go all out with cocktail dresses, long gowns, bridesmaid type dresses etc with some men in tuxedos, but most just wear a sparkly top and skirt /pants and the men in dress shirt, tie or a suit. You will fit in no matter what you wear. Some don’t do it at all, some go all out.

 

There is a set up for formal photos. They look great (there is a photo gallery and you can check them all out at your leisure) and there is no obligation to buy any of them. It may be a chance to have a fabulous family photo with you all looking your best.

 

Small pocket sized maps of the ship are available from the pursers desk. I carted mine around for the whole 10 days.

 

Tenders. You will need tickets to the tenders (free). Once anchored off the islands – I love to be up on deck watching the rigmarole of anchoring - they announce that tender tickets are now available. Don’t get the tickets until you are ready to go ashore. We got them straight away once, thinking we would get in early, and they announced our number and we hadn’t had breakfast or anything yet. J There is no rush, you are at the islands all day.

 

There is no food on the islands, and definitely none is to be taken off the ship, (quarantine laws) so have a good breakfast. Phil and I worked out that we would explore the islands and shop before lunch, go back to the ship and eat lunch and get changed into swimmers and go back to the islands for the afternoons swimming and snorkelling. That worked well for us because Phil is diabetic and needs to eat regular meals. You might be fine and just fill up on a huge breakfast. They do have a P&O stall selling packets of Smiths chips and cans of drink, but that is usually all.

 

You can have your passports stamped on some of the islands. They have a grass hut with a sign ‘passports stamped here $2.00 each’. Unless you want them stamped, you don’t need to take your passports ashore. Your cruise card is put through a machine as you go on and off the ship.

 

Be prepared for sudden showers – it is the tropics – and don’t make a rush back to the ship. You are a long time back home so enjoy those islands with palm trees, coral beaches and tropical fish while you can. Just take a spray jacket or $2.00 ponchos, rolled up in your bag or be philosophical and just get wet.

 

Take the blue and white striped beach towels provided by P&O. It is very strange to be on a beach and EVERYONE has the same towel. When you get back on board, there is a large bin for wet towels. Just put them in there and clean ones will be provided by your cabin steward.

 

Take gold coins to the islands for the islanders. They never ask but they stand and sing in groups with a donation box in front of them, just chuck in a coin or two before taking their photos. You definitely don’t have to, but it is a great earner for them and they don’t have much.

 

No need to change your money into Vatu in Vanuatu. Australian money is used even in Vila in shops, taxis, duty free etc. So take small notes for the markets. It seems tacky to give them a $50.00 and expect change.

 

There is a great shop in Vila across the road from the post office, great for rip-off clothes and stuff like Billabong, Quiksilver, DVDs etc. Buy your duty free from Feng Kuei ?? it is the best one. It is the last one on the left hand side of the main shopping street.

 

Hair braiding. There are quite a few places in the markets on the wharf at Vila or on the islands that do it. Choose one with care. Watch them doing others to make sure they do a good job.

 

You can buy stuff for island night on the islands. Vila wharf markets are best. Don’t buy from the first stall, look all around, some further on may be better or cheaper.

 

Some stuff cannot be brought back into Australia. Check that wood products are fully lacquered. Look for borers or small bugs. Customs will keep anything that is dodgy. Some stalls will tell you that things are OK to take back home. Don’t believe them. Shake baskets etc. to see if bugs fall out. If they do, customs will take them.

 

Reef shoes for swimming and walking on the beach are essential. I never bothered with flippers, but Phil took his reef shoes when he was buying his flippers to make sure they fit over the top of them. Worked a treat.

 

Sun block and Aloe Vera gel for sun- skin care.

 

The cabin stewards always hang around in the hallway all day. Just find them; they will be close by their cart which has things like towels, ice, toilet paper etc in it. If you want anything at all, (extra coathangers, another blanket, more towels, clean beach towels, more soap etc) just ask them, they are lovely.

 

If you take water bottles, buy some with a wide mouth and you can fill them up with ice from the ice machine on the lido deck in the buffet area.

 

We took 6 – 8 wire coathangers with us and washed out our light clothes and hung them up in the window to dry. It worked well. The hangers on board are better quality and do not fit over the little rail. We just hand washed some stuff, put it between two towels and stood on them to get as much water out as possible and hung them up. There is a laundry provided and we only used it once. Take stuff that does not need ironing and is lightweight. Towards the middle/end of the cruise they have a special offer of 25 pieces of clothing washed and dried for $25.00, something like that. We never used it but plenty of others do.

 

Take a highlighter to mark out things you want to do in the Pacific Daily. It is put under your door each evening. It would be a shame to miss something.

 

Some families take post-its to write messages to each other and stick them on the mirror in the cabin. ‘gone to bingo’ etc.

 

There are phones scattered over the ship in the public areas and you can call your cabin from them. All free, of course. Can be useful.

 

Take a powerboard for all your electrics. There is only one power point. You may need to plug in your battery chargers and stuff.

 

A hairdryer, soap, shampoo and conditioner are provided. But they are hotel type sachets, I took my own hair products.

 

The cabin stewards come in twice a day. Once in the morning when they make the beds, clean the bathroom etc. And again when you are at dinner where they tidy up again and turn down your beds.

 

There is an automatic tip added each day to your cruise cards. I think it is $5.50 per person per day. If you don’t want to pay this, you can go to the purser’s desk and ask it to be removed. You can do this at any time, even the night before going home. If you get the guilts, you can leave it on one card and have it removed from the other. It is a personal thing.

 

You can go to the purser’s desk at any time and ask for printouts of your cruise cards. This can be really handy to keep a track on your spending and to make sure it is all correct.

 

If you feel seasick – don’t wait, take Kwells or other travel medication and go up on deck into the fresh air. If you still feel sick after a day or two, go to the doctor and get a needle and you will be right as rain. It might cost, but you have paid a lot for your cruise and you don’t want it ruined. I never felt sick at all, but Phil got a bit queasy in the show lounge. Just go up on deck and stand in the fresh air. You will feel much better.

 

Enjoy the roll and movement of the ship, it is part of being ‘at sea’. I love it.

 

Overall, enjoy yourselves. It is the best holiday for doing nothing, total relaxation. No driving, cooking, cleaning etc. You are fully looked after and the biggest decision is where to have lunch, at the buffet or in the dining rooms. If you choose the dining room, it is much like the evening meals, with baskets of yummy rolls and three courses. You are seated at tables with strangers, they fill up one table at a time….. This can be good as you meet others and ask where they are from etc.

 

I have hints about the islands too. I'll try and find them and post them as well. This could be a really useful thread.

Hi, we are first time cruisers aswell, leaving July 11th 09- Tropical gems Pacific Dawn- Noumea, Vila, Ouvea, Isle of Pines etc. We are on the Caribe deck, with an inside cabin? Is this a good spot to be?

 

How much spending money for the three of us, we dont drink alot, should we take do you reckon?

 

Do you know what the weather is like over there in July?

 

Do you really have to get 'dressed up' of a night to go to dinner.

 

How much to use the washing machines and dryers?

 

Thankyou very much.

[karmac]

Hi, we are first time cruisers aswell, leaving July 11th 09- Tropical gems Pacific Dawn- Noumea, Vila, Ouvea, Isle of Pines etc. We are on the Caribe deck, with an inside cabin? Is this a good spot to be?

 

How much spending money for the three of us, we dont drink alot, should we take do you reckon?

 

Do you know what the weather is like over there in July?

 

Do you really have to get 'dressed up' of a night to go to dinner.

 

How much to use the washing machines and dryers?

 

Thankyou very much.

 

I will try & answer your questions for you.

 

Firstly, IMO, any cabin's a good cabin as long as you're on a ship;) . We are on Caribe (outside) in March (upgraded from Plaza) so I won't know until then if it's a god deck or not. However, there are only cabins on that deck & no public areas so it should be good.

As for spending money, that depends on lots of things like whether or not you're going to buy photos, do any shore tours etc. Many people will suggest about $100 per person per day which would cover everything but most probably wouldn't spend that much.

The weather will be pretty cool the first 2 days & the last 2 days but once you get out to the island it will be lovely & warm.

You don't have to get too dressed up for dinner. Smart casual most nights. Formal nights, most will dress up "fancier" but you don't HAVE to.

Apparently washing machines & dryers are $3 each (was $1 ea when were on there) and washing powder is $1.

Hope you enjoy your furst cruise. You'll be addicted before you know it:)

[frantic 13]

I agree that is an excellent list for new cruisers. Really useful information. Maybe it should become a sticky thread, so new people don't have to search through heaps of threads.

thanks for that Louise

As a first time cruiser, ALMOST, HOPEFULLY 22/11/08 and first time forum user as of today its good to know that there are experts out there helping us newbies

jan

[strawberrypatch81]

thanks for that Louise

As a first time cruiser, ALMOST, HOPEFULLY 22/11/08 and first time forum user as of today its good to know that there are experts out there helping us newbies

jan

 

No worries! :)

[Diddles62]

Thanks for that very infomative information, DH and I have never been on a cruise its very helpful :)

[Dee-ay]

Does the Pacific Dawn have hairdyers in cabins? Are irons available?

Can anyone tell me about tipping?

Diane

 

 

"Maybe the only other thing I would mention is not to take a hairdryer or a travel iron".

Jen Edited December 9, 2008 by Dee-ay

[arxcards]

Does the Pacific Dawn have hairdyers in cabins? Are irons available?

Can anyone tell me about tipping?

Diane

Hi Diane,

The cabins have hair dryers that will be sufficient for most types of hair.

 

Irons/boards are available in the laundries.

Edited December 9, 2008 by arxcards

[Dee-ay]

Would love some reviews about shore trips - what is recommended and what isn't. We're going to Vanuatu (3 ports) and Isle of Pines. I would like to scuba dive at least once. Believe Noumea would be best. My teenagers would like to shop. We've been to pacific Islands before so don't need all the cultural 'stuff'. Just some nice trips for snorkelling, diving shopping.... Brushtail - you up to another handy list?

[arxcards]

Would love some reviews about shore trips - what is recommended and what isn't. We're going to Vanuatu (3 ports) and Isle of Pines. I would like to scuba dive at least once. Believe Noumea would be best. My teenagers would like to shop. We've been to pacific Islands before so don't need all the cultural 'stuff'. Just some nice trips for snorkelling, diving shopping.... Brushtail - you up to another handy list?

Hi Diane,

I can't comment on Scuba, but when it comes to snorkelling - Isle of Pines is wonderful. am sure Brushy will find her post and pics on Snorkelling/Fish feeding there.

[jd1]

Hi this is my first post but have been reading these forums for a while now. I searched this but I couldn't find much on it so I thought this was the best place to ask. So, how does duty free alcohol work on the ship? I gathered that you can take 1 bottle of wine with you but can you buy alcohol on the boat and if so what happens to it? Do you have to wait until you get off before they give it to you? Also, what happens if you buy it on one of the islands? Thanks in advance.

[Megagirl]

Hi JD1

 

Welcome to CC.

 

Alcohol rules are different depending on which cruise line you are sailing with.

 

Some of the visiting American ships have relaxed rules and allow you take a bottle of wine aboard. But P&O Australia does not allow any alcohol to be taken aboard.

 

Any bottles you buy either onboard or whilst in port (luv Feng Kwei) are stored by the ship and returned to you on the last night.

 

So it depends which ship you will be sailing on.

 

Jenny

[coopercruise]

Is it okay for me to wear shorts (3 quarter ones) in the dining room in the evening, or should I be wearing long pants?

 

Thanks.

:)

:confused::confused:

[Dee-ay]

If you are going to the a la carte dining room, dress up a little more, but the buffet in the evening is fine with dressy type shorts. Just not swim wear or beach type cover ups, bare feet, etc. Smart casual is the go for the buffet, a little extra effort for the waiter style dinner. People do like to dress up, but others don't care!

Hope this helps. I went on Pacific Dawn.

Edited March 3, 2009 by Dee-ay

[MargnGrah]

Cooper just read that you are only 14, (in another thread) so I think for you a nice pair of jeans with a smart shirt or polo type top will be fine for the dining room. If you have a good pair of trousers you could wear them.

Do you have a suit....I'm thinking not many teens would, if so this would be great for formal night. If not then keep your good trousers for formal night with a good shirt (& tie if you have one).

As Dee-ay said you can have a Buffet diner and not worry about "dressing up"

[coopercruise]

Cooper just read that you are only 14, (in another thread) so I think for you a nice pair of jeans with a smart shirt or polo type top will be fine for the dining room. If you have a good pair of trousers you could wear them.

Do you have a suit....I'm thinking not many teens would, if so this would be great for formal night. If not then keep your good trousers for formal night with a good shirt (& tie if you have one).

As Dee-ay said you can have a Buffet diner and not worry about "dressing up"

 

 

Thanks for all the help.

Yes, I'll be takeing a suit for the formal night/nights.

And I get it, smart casual for buffet, little more effort for dining room.

 

Thanks :D

[PalmTree's]

Could any one post photos of a disabled cabin on the pacific dawn?Especially the layout of the toilet and shower area?If the toilet roll holder is on the right or the left?

 

Is the shower head fixed, or can you remove it from its bracket?

 

Can you ask for bed raisers? to heighten the bed?

 

I've heard that there is a "chair lift" accessiable into the pool, is this true?

 

Ladders or gradual steps to the pool? Salt water or chorinated water?

 

Do they supply floatation like adult swim rings?

 

Thinking if I have to pack my own floatation to use the pool or spa?

[CruiseW827]

Could any one post photos of a disabled cabin on the pacific dawn?Especially the layout of the toilet and shower area?If the toilet roll holder is on the right or the left?

 

Is the shower head fixed' date=' or can you remove it from its bracket?

 

Can you ask for bed raisers? to heighten the bed?

 

I've heard that there is a "chair lift" accessiable into the pool, is this true?

 

Ladders or gradual steps to the pool? Salt water or chorinated water?

 

Do they supply floatation like adult swim rings?

 

Thinking if I have to pack my own floatation to use the pool or spa?[/quote']

 

 

I dont know anything about the disabled cabins on board but I cant say I recall seeing anything to assist with the pool like a chair lift. There is just a ladder to get in the pool. I would pack my own flotation ring as long as you werent flying to get to the boat.

Enjoy your cruise

Megan

[cavil09]

My wife and I will be sailing on our 1st ever cruise on Pac Sun next month and looking forward to it.

 

Just a couple of questions.

Alcohol pricing - is it expensive, can you pay in cash so you don't get a surprise at the end?

 

Which Islands are best for snorkeling etc

 

Ross

[CruiseW827]

My wife and I will be sailing on our 1st ever cruise on Pac Sun next month and looking forward to it.

 

Just a couple of questions.

Alcohol pricing - is it expensive, can you pay in cash so you don't get a surprise at the end?

 

Which Islands are best for snorkeling etc

 

Ross

 

Hi Ross,

Which Islands are you going to. Everyone raves about Isle of Pines but I cant tell you about that until may. Mystery Island, Wala and Poum were all great for us. But we were newbie snorkellers though.

 

Alcohol is average bar prices not as expensive as I thought they would be considering they really have you over a barrel on the ships. They really were reasonable. There are a few drink menus floating around somewhere that someone might be able to send a link to.

Megan

[cavil09]

Thanks Megan

 

Our cruise will be visiting Lifou , Mystery Is, Vila, Champagne Bay.

 

Any advise on which tours to take etc will be greatly appreciated.

 

That's good to know about the alcohol prices, we're not going only to party but sure want to share in a certain amount of good cheer.

 

If anyone has the drink menu please send the link.

 

Ross

[CanRaiders]

Going on the PD, can you take an electric toothbrush?

[bellyrox]

Yep, you can take an electric toothbrush but there is only one powerpoint. Its a good idea to take a powerboard, that way you can charge your toothbrush while charging your phone, or using a hair straightener, or whatever else you might use

[CanRaiders]

Thanks, Phone is staying at home:D and Hair is straight enough:D