Feb 09 2009
Tips from an Expert First-Time Cruiser
Having recently been on my first cruise, and taking notes all the while, I give you this first-cruise advice:
- When you board the ship the first day (embarkation), take time to wander in, around, and through every level of the ship to become familiarized with it. You can go into all the lounges, check out the outdoor areas, find the various elevator banks, restrooms, and more, so you’re able to find them again later in the week.
- Go to seminars about shopping in port and shore excursions for some good information on what to expect in port of call, how to get off the ship, etc. Often there will be giveaways at the talks as well.
- You can eat as much, and as often as you want. Even if you’re eating dinner in the dining rooms, you can try two appetizers or two desserts. And at the buffets, you can try as many different things as you want.
- When arriving at a port of call, you may not pull up to a pier. If the water is shallow, “tender boats” may have to ferry you to shore. The process of leaving the ship at tender-boat ports may vary from that of regular docking days.
- Keep the ship’s daily newspaper with you. It will tell you of activities and events, hours for the various eating places, shopping and spa specials, and more. It will be placed in your room each night so you can plan the following day.
- The weather can affect your cruise. We were unable to dock at one of our ports of call because of high waters, so we missed that stop on our itinerary. And because it was cool and cloudy most of the week, we didn’t spend much time on the sun decks.
- Shore excursions booked through the cruise line may cost more, but they have a few benefits: If the excursion is cancelled because of weather, you receive an automatic refund; and if the excursion runs late, the ship will wait for you if you’re on an “official” outing.
- The on-board activities appeal to all ages. The game shows, trivia, and bingo games we went to were attended by everyone from children to great-grandparents.
- Some of the shows and entertainment are of very high quality. Talk to people on the ship to see what they’ve enjoyed. We found one good band by word-of-mouth that wasn’t listed in the ship’s daily paper.
- Wear what you’re comfortable wearing. There will always be someone dressed up more than you and someone dressed more casually. You won’t feel out of place no matter what you wear.
- Watch for specials and sales in the spa, gift shop, or at the bars. There will also be several giveaways on board, and prizes for some of the games and activities.
- There was no weather information readily available, but we asked for the next day’s forecast at the guest services desk to help plan our activities.
- Be patient. There are a lot of lines–lines for the buffet, lines for bingo, lines for the shore excursion desk, lines for getting off the ship. But really, where else do you have to be?
- Our ship had one outlet in the room, at the desk area. For some polarized plugs, like a nightlight, it was upside-down, so we were glad to have a power strip along.
- The only schedule on board is the one you set for yourself. You can do as much or as little as you want, eat and sleep when you want, stay indoors or go outside as much as you want. Everyone on the ship is on vacation.
- A cruise attracts all sorts of people. From families with young children to people married 50+ years, people came from all walks of life and all corners of the globe. There’s always someone interesting to talk to. Some of the people we met had been on 30 or more cruises.
- Debarking means you head back to reality and responsibility, but while you’re on the ship, you’re truly on vacation.
These are some observations I have from our first cruise. Please add your tips or questions below.
Related post: Planning Your First Cruise: What No One Told You
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Thanks for the trip. We want to take our children on the Disney Cruise!
Hugs and Mocha,
Stesha
Stesha’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday- Eat The Peas!
Something to add- The many workers on the ship are the best people to ask about what to do in a port. They are there every week and often spend free-time in the ports. We found the best beaches in Hawaii by asking the table bus people at breakfast.
And Amen on the lines—lines for everything from getting on, to getting off- go with that in mind and maybe it won’t bug you as much as it did us.
And many cruiselines have specials they offer to you once you have cruised with them…we just got an offer in the mail for $399 a person for a 7 day cruise to various places in Mexico- available only to those who have cruised with them before. They also have free or discounted upgrades on rooms sometimes too.
We loved it and would do it again!
My parents and in-laws have both taken cruises and LOVED them. Maybe we’ll take our brood someday when they’re older. This is great advice!
Here via Twitter. I’ve never taken a cruise, but this sounds like a helpful list for newbies like me.
Kim/hormone-colored days’s last blog post..We have a winner!
I can understand the joy of slow travel via a ship and glad you had a nice get away, but the one thing I really hate about cruise ships is just how terribly hard they are on the environment. They are one of the all time worse ways to travel & polar opposite to sustainable travel.
We are independent world travelers and I have seen first hand the kind of obscene damage people from a large cruise ship can do to tiny ancient towns like Dubrovnik and Mykonos. Scary and I can not see how anyone could enjoy such travel, like massive, cramped ant pile overtaking a tiny sweet morsel.
I hope you can go into some of those facts as well, that people must take into consideration before booking a cruise on our endangered little planet.
http://blog.wholetravel.com/2008/08/05/when-it-comes-to-sustainable-travel-steer-clear-of-cruising/
I think most people are just not aware of the damage. I know we all want these beautiful places to still be around for our children and grandchildren.
I second the comments of Soultravelers3. My mother lives in Carmel, California. When the cruise ships asked for permission to anchor in Monterey Bay, a marine coastal sanctuary, they dumped their garbage at sea. Fortunately, this particular ship was caught and fined.
I don’t think people are aware of the huge impact that megaships have on our environment. I’ve not been on a small cruise ship, but I think they tend to be more environmentally-friendly.
Good “newbie” list, minnemom. Concerning weather information, many ships post this in their daily activities newspaper or on one of the television channels.
I agree with Nancy that small cruise ships tend to be more environmentally friendly. Also, you won’t experience many lines or crowding on the smaller ships. I am very concerned with the new emphasis on mega ships.
Donna Hull’s last blog post..Romancing the stars at Mt. Lemmon Sky Center