What "rookie" mistakes did you learn from?

[cruiserami]

We went to the embarkation, debarkation, and shore excursion "talks" in the lounge. They bill them as being important, but don't tell you that they televise them in your cabin and you can watch while you're getting ready for dinner. It's way more fun to listen to the cruise director naked.

[tammyrs]

It's way more fun to listen to the cruise director naked. .

 

 

Everything is more fun naked!

[becky48417]

My family loves telling of my rookie mistake (not bringing a clock). I woke up, put my suit on, grabbed my beach bag and headed to the Lido deck. When I got there, I realized it was still dark outside! I glanced at the clock and it was 3am. There were still people out drinking! I sat down and grabbed a slice of pizza, thankful no one I knew saw me. Well, DH comes walking up with a puzzled look on his face and I had to explain the situation.

[Nyctor118]

Staying up late solely for he sake of going to the "midnight buffet", when we were still full from dinner.

 

Not knowing that the pools were filled with salt water until after jumping in, and letting quite a bit of it into my mouth.

[Nyctor118]

So if you book a 4a or 1a gty then you have the "chance" of getting eith a room that's been open since they set the cruise on day one or a good room that was booked for months. You just have no idea which it will be. Also, what one person considers a bad room another might love. Personally I think any room with a door a bed and a bathroom is a good room. It beats work ANY day of the week.

 

The one and only time I booked a guarantee cabin, the one I got was one that had a repetitive banging noise on the ceiling at approximately 4 AM each day of the trip. There was some storage area adjacent to this cabin, and the restocking took place each day at this time. So, there can be some "bad" cabins on the ship. It was also very hot, and the maintenance staff were not able to get it any cooler.

[mudpievelour]

Don't think you have to book a shore excursion in every port.

 

This was our biggest mistake on our first cruise. We spent so much money because we booked them all through the ship because we thought that was what we were supposed to do. Now we only go on an excursion if that's what we really want to do. I have learned that sometimes it is just fun to go into port and look around and shop and eat. (Except Jamaica, where we would go on an excursion or stay on the ship.) It is also fun to come back early and have the ship just about all to yourself.

[tiffytutu99]

things i'll do different 2nd time around (in a week! :D):

 

1) the drinks in the souvenier (sp?) cups are more expensive and you'll just lose them anyway

2) memorize ship layout before getting on ship, including where restrooms are and how to get to restaurants

3) find the fish n chips place

4) now that i know the dining room serves lunch....

5) actually, i'll skip lunch so i have room to eat dinner!

6) try out a balcony cabins

7) eat at the 2nd seating

8) catch more of the shows at night

9) bring more clothes for my kids

10) order b-fast for roomservice more (on the non-frenchtoast days)

11) avoid spending ANY money at the spa, all they do is try to sell you more and its not relaxing at all!

12) go dancing

 

Things I'll do the same:

1) get to the ship early

2) hang out in the jacuzzi as the ship is leaving shore

3) get one of those ridiculously expensive funship drinks they carry around on a platter b/c they make me feel that good! :p

4) be nice and buzzed by the time muster drill comes around

5) enjoy the french toast and breakfast pastries

6) sit in the hot tub and watch a movie with my husband

7) enjoy launching fat water balloons at other families with my husband and kids in the family water wars, where I lead my family into victory ;)

[acorn39]

Wow!! I got a lot of pointers from this thread about what and what not to do on your 1st cruise!!!!

[gatorclaw]

Taking my own soda/drinks onboard. I know lots of folks do this, but to me, its just a big hassle, one more thing to carry. I've learned that I CAN survive on tea, coffee, and lemonade.

 

Amen, bro. I bought a soda card on my first cruise, but ended up only getting 4 sodas on the thing.

 

My advice: STAY HYDRATED. Bring water with you on excursions and stay hydrated on the ship. And alchohol alone is not cool. Chase it with water- don't worry most guys won't call you a wuss.

[MadManOfBethesda]

My rookie mistake was going to the port talks and believing that the the cruise line was truly looking out for its passengers by steering us to the "best" and most reputable stores on the island. I now know that it is just a glorified commercial and that stores pay the cruise lines to be mentioned at the port talks and have the passengers steered to their stores.

[A&Jfamily]

My rookie mistake was going to the port talks and believing that the the cruise line was truly looking out for its passengers by steering us to the "best" and most reputable stores on the island. I now know that it is just a glorified commercial and that stores pay the cruise lines to be mentioned at the port talks and have the passengers steered to their stores.

 

I would have to disagree with this somewhat. My mom went to a store in Cozumel that was not on CCL's list, and got taken...for like $600. Had she gone to a CCL, it wouldn't have happened....

 

Then again, we have learned that there really are no more good deals on jewelry in the Carribean...not since he advent of JTV...

[5waldos]

Maybe and maybe not. I am always suspicious that the ship recommended places actually give a cut to the ship for the customers. It certainly happens in other tour situations. But since I am not a shopper I don't pay any attention anyway.

[old hippy]

Went to the ATM on the third day of the cruise..Was low on cash, it was

closed. In fact they had put a poster over the area it had been. That blew some shore excursions that day.. the next day I found I had been on the wrong deck. the ATM had always been open, just two decks higher..

Will take plenty cash, and pay attention to where things are..

P.S. the cost of cash from the ATM is outrageous like 5 or 6 bucks a hundred..

[navybaby1113]

Research your cabin and book early! We booked our first cruise about 2 months before the sail date and we got stuck in a cabin on the Riviera deck in the very front of the ship. The motors were so loud and I could feel everything. I was sick the entire cruise. So miserable!

[Minoushka]

Do your own excursions and homework BEFORE the cruise .I found CC members give GREAT advice eg Elation Mex cruise in March .I was told it was COOOOLd until Puerto Vallarta 3rd Day .IT WAS FREEZING and I was glad I brought warm Jogging suits ,hoodies and gloves for my boys and I.I do not recommend that cruise in Winter!!!

Stay away from BLA BLA by shop person A WASTE of TIME

Inch of GOld turns green

I write down everything I put in suitcase to limit but I do not pack light

Always bring sweater or Jacket sometimes in Carib indoors is FREEZING due to AC-full blast

Bring EMPTY water bottles for cabin -the kind you can refill -no pitchers of h2o in room

Have Fridge emptied to put your stuff in

Bring your own soda

Always book late dining to fully enjoy your port days

Bring extra locks

Go to Library borrow books instead of shlepping them

Avoid BINGO RIPOFF

Have a great time !!!

[WishIwasOutThereNOW]

Booking an inside room because I thought we would hardly be in it. Well, with no windows you lose all track of time and slept more than we should. From now on a balcony is a must.

And not taking enough camera memory. I am an avid picture taker and filled the cards up fast. Ended up deleting a lot during the cruise. Now I take way too many, if that is possible.:rolleyes:

 

 

i made the same mistake. 1st day was sunday in nassau and the camera shops were closed. had to wait till st thomas to buy more memory. i bet on a 7 day cruise, i take 1000 pictures, you know, just to see what they look like. most times, i take the same picture twice, just in case. also i didnt think that carnival is a "coca cola" company and i'm a diet mtn dew freak. now i always pack enough dew to get me thru.

[LuckyStar]

My first cruise was from Miami and we live on the west coast. Our first lesson was that it only takes hours to drive from orlando to miami, not days!

 

So you now fly into MCO, if it's cheaper and drive to Miami? We are talking about a fall cruise and were considering this. Sounded feasible but not sure if it was logical, timewise. Airfare is sky high, forgive the pun, right now, so I am looking at different plans to ease those costs. Thanks for your reply in advance.

 

Jenny

[MadManOfBethesda]

Maybe and maybe not. I am always suspicious that the ship recommended places actually give a cut to the ship for the customers. It certainly happens in other tour situations. But since I am not a shopper I don't pay any attention anyway.

 

There's no maybe about it. It is even disclosed now in the fine print on some cruise documents. At least it was on my HAL cruise last month (a CCL company).

 

As for the tour situations, While on a privately-arranged excursion last month in Bora Bora, I asked the owner of the tour company if he ever worked directly with the cruise ships. He said that he no longer did so because they took 30% as a commission, so he just relied on his website and word-of-mouth referrals.

[LuckyStar]

I don't consider paying for cruise excursions to be a rookie mistake. That's a truly seasoned traveler call, I'm seasoned but conservative in this area. I know they're going to hold the ship for me if I'm on a Carnival excursion. I might not be so lucky if it's Joe's jungle excursion. I'll pay for the peace of mind.

[bear5751]

The difference is.... that the inch of Silver is Sterling Silver... whereas the Inch of Gold is Gold Plated.

 

The inch of silver is overpriced compared to buying a Sterling Silver Necklace... but there are some pretty chains there.

 

Stay away from Inch of GOLDDDDDD...

 

Catrin

I got a gold anklet in 2005 I wear it all summer every year and have worn it into the ocean, chlorinated swimming pools shower etc and it is still lovely as the day I purchased it.

[bradner]

We just finished our 1st cruise -- Carnival Freedom in the Caribbean. Some stuff off the top of my head:

 

1. glad I brought a small battery alarm clock.

2. never used the little powerstrip I brought (used the outlet in the bathroom and the one by the phone)

3. bought those accu-pressure wrist bands on the ship ($14.99) for sea sickness - should've bought them at home.

4. wasted time going to the "meetings" when they are all repeated over and over on the TV later

5. figured out a few days in that room service was the way to go for ealy AM snacks and late night treats!!

6. waited too long to find the fish n' chips place

7. alot of the desserts looked better than they tasted (too sicky sweet for me & I have a sweet tooth)

8. Room service cheesecake was my fav along with choc melting cake @ dinner -- had two of them every night

9 glad I book excursions on my own.

10. glad I wore a watch - I never usually do

11. glad I took the tip of bringing an old junk card with a magnetic strip to use for locking the safe

12. use the do no disturb sign more, the room person wanted in every time we were in the room it seemed.

13. glad I borough a DSLR and a point & shoot as a couple times it was nice to walk without the big camera but still able to take pics.

14. packed too many socks b/c went sockless alot

15. would use the dining room more for lunch & breakie to have a more relaxed meal than all the hub bub at the buffets

16. 2nd sitting dinner was perfect as it was only 60% full -- the waiter staff were way more attentive -- even they told us that at the first sitting it was crazy busy for them b/c it was packed

17. saw all the show and glad I did -- skipped the legends show as it didn't sound interesting at all after seeing the karaoke contestants who were going to be in it

18. karaoke was a bit lame as the person running it doesn't even have the disks with videos, it was only words on a tiny screen that only the singer could see . Other places have a 2nd screen that the crowd could see.

19. the board game sessions were fun

20. wish I entered in the slot tournament as it looked fun

21. saved a bunch of Froot Loops cereal boxes from breakfast to use as snacks on excursions -- seemed like many people did the same

21. always waited 15-30 mins before getting off at port to avoid the big crowds

22. the gym had a concept rower but it was in such poor shape that even with a damper setting of 10 it only had a 95 drag factor (users will know that that means)

23. wish I found the shuffleboard earlier than I did

24. it took be until the last couple days to really figure out how to get around the ship without running into deadends....

25. unloaded the cabin fridge onnto the counter (steward said they couldn't take the stuff out) and loaded it with milk, water and other snacks

26 we took part in the pre-tipping program but maybe I should have tipped our room person a bit more separately?? I still don't understand the tipping thing....

[crusinpsychRN]

I had my daughter and granddaughter an anklet made from this "gold by the inch" and they have had and wore them for about 3 years and have not had any problems with them!!!I think its a wonderful deal and so do a lot of others or they wouldn't keep selling it.

 

Six years later and mine is as shiny as ever.

[crusinpsychRN]

 

Everything is more fun naked!

Talking about the shp talks...

 

The cruise director does these naked? LOL:D

[phatsneaks]

As you see it is all to eaches taste. Our first cruise I can not remember. Not that it was that long ago I can remember being on the ship. I was concered for sea sickness so I took some medicine before boarding. After we drove 19hrs to get to the port. Missed day 1. Dont remember much of 2,3,4 or 5. The next cruises were much more fun. Glory was the best, stayed for the bar hop after the 1st night show and won the contest. got a nice basket full of goodies. I have three ships on a stick so I had fun. Dress up one night and have fun you are paying for it.

[lidoplease]

Just a newbie tip that I never discovered til after several cruises. Probably everyone knows, but the public bathrooms have a red dot by the handle when they are locked and in use. If it is free, the dot is white. Helps not to have to bend and look under the stall doors.