Going on a cruise for the first time! any advice?
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free skin care · Thu May 24, 2007 8:53 am

I don't know the first thing about them or the experience. any tips for the dining or going ashore or back on the boat? Activities? Are the shows that good?

I'm going Carnival -Liberty ship and to Bahamas and down to the Caymen Islands. Looks like we get 8-10 hours per stop. can't remember the name of the other place we stop I think it is something that the cruise line owns themselves, you know there own beach or something.

Going for 6 nights and staying in a suite with a verhanda. Anyone ever stay in a suite?

and will my diet be ruined b/c I hear they feed you 24 hrs a day.

thanks

free skin care · Thu May 24, 2007 9:03 am

just in case you're prone to seasickness, pack some ginger tablets or capsules.

Mythbusters TV show proved that they really do prevent seasickness... it was a very amusing episode but in this case pretty definite that ginger really works for seasickness....

have a great time on the cruise!

free skin care · Thu May 24, 2007 9:06 am

Ah Wendy,

I'd go on another cruise in a flash! Such fun!

Choose the late dinner [if they have one] ... because the people at the first sitting, have to be out of the dining room before the second sitting begins. You can linger when you're at the second sitting. Smile

When we went on ours, we always grabbed a tour wherever we were stopping. That gave us a good, albeit quick, overview of the place.

If you like Emeralds ... the Caymans are the place to be. Very Happy

The lounges generally have a "drink of the day" ... which is less expensive than the other cocktails.

Take clothes that expand. The food is incredible ... and every time you turn around they have some new and wonderous food prepared for you!

The best advice is ... have fun. If you feel the slightest bit queasy [and for me this took the form of a dull headache] ... get down to the ship's doctor PDQ. He'll give you a shot ... and some followup pills.

He told me I really shouldn't drink after having the shot ... but I said "Why not? I'm not driving the ship." I didn't miss a drink ... and I felt much better for the rest of the trip!

Have a great time!

Mary

free skin care · Thu May 24, 2007 9:52 am

I'd go on another cruise in a heartbeat if I could.

General stuff:

1. Visit a site devoted to first time cruisers like http://www.firstcruisetips.com/tipsforfirstcruisers.htm

2. Pack then go back through your suitcase and reduce contents by about one-third. You'll be buying more stuff either on-board or at each port of call, I guarantee.

3. Pay attention to the amounts the cruiseline recommends for tipping. Make sure you include that in your budget.

4. Do not try to be one of the first on board. Your cabin probably won't be ready for quite awhile and you'll be sitting in the lounge waiting for your luggage, etc.

5. Make sure you acquaint yourself with all of the documents you receive from the cruiseline. They help you prepare.

6. Have a ball!

Ari

free skin care · Thu May 24, 2007 10:20 am

Aww...I'm so jealous!

Definetely bring clothes that are comfortable (ie: if you eat too much....), also, be sure to order room service and eat out on your balcony (we did this almost every morning and LOVED it). Bring comfy shoes and a dressy/clubbing outfit if you are so inclined to go dancing at their "night club".

I really 2nd the recommendations given if you are prone to sea sickeness ... I spent and evening and 1/2 a day in bed with my eyes tightly shut because I felt so damn sick!

HAVE FUN!!

free skin care · Thu May 24, 2007 11:09 am

thanks!

I heard that next year they require passports for air AND SEA. But for now by sea you can get away without it.

true?

free skin care · Thu May 24, 2007 1:20 pm

wenrwdy@aol.com wrote:

thanks!

I heard that next year they require passports for air AND SEA. But for now by sea you can get away without it.

true?

I don't know about that (I thought the date had already passed for needing a passport to go anywhere). I know when we went to the Bahamas several years ago, we didn't need our passports but everywhere else we did.

You probably need to check with the cruiseline on that one.

Ari

free skin care · Thu May 24, 2007 2:37 pm

Wendy - I'm not sure about the passport thing either so you should definitely check again. I think I recall seeing something about ships not needing them for a while, but I really don't remember the deadline.

By the way, I have been on 7 cruises, yes 7! I love them and think they are by far the best value for the money. And you don't have to eat 24/7 but you will definitely want to try! The food is so good. Carnival ships are a lot of fun although my favorite is Royal Caribbean. My best advice to you is to book your excursions before you go, do NOT rely on the ship to book through. You will get a much better deal on your own both in price and privacy. The cruise excursions tend to be way over crowded. No matter what you decide to do, enjoy it while it lasts! Very Happy

free skin care · Fri May 25, 2007 4:27 am

Hey Wendy! I am not a huge fan of cruises (have been on two), only because the big entertainment was either FOOD (and I never ate much of anything back then), or I could never get the demographic right!!! The cruise was either filled with people who were really fat and/or older OR filled with skinny women 20+ with silicone implants!!! I never really knew what my fate was until I arrived.

I also discovered the hard way that ANY alcohol you want to bring on board is FORBIDDEN. The only way you can smuggle anything onto the ship is to pack it with your checked luggage. Do not attempt to bring anything in your hand held luggage. This luggage will be checked upon boarding and anything you have will be confiscated. There are, however, duty-free shops on the various islands you visit and sometimes on-board your ship. Though these water-based shops are not always as cheap as your land-based alternatives, they do help to alleviate a significant cost towards your drinks on board. I have personally found the cost of ship-board drinks VERY, VERY expensive. So, I am inclined to bring my own water-proof mug from Walmart before I arrive, or I buy a thermal mug contraption from the ship's store when I arrive to camouflage any DIY drinks that I make from my cabin during the day. Most people mix their own drinks discretely in their cabins rather than pay the outrageous prices from the bars upon the ship.

Generally speaking you only have one choice for dinner - an early sitting or a later one. Check the show schedule ahead of time before you commit to one time frame if this type of entertainment is very important to you. Many times the best shows will run from 8:00-10:00 pm only.

Bring at least one dressy outfit with you for "captains night". This is a night where everyone on board dresses up. Investigate the dress-code for the rest of the nights on board; each cruise is different.

Make sure you understand that bottled water is necessary but also very expensive on board. I packed an entire case of bottled water during my last cruise because this was important to me to have in my room, and I did not feel like paying $3.50+ USD per bottle at the time.

I know you are going to have a wonderful time, especially if you have researched your island stops A HEAD of time and know exactly what you want to see and how far you are willing to travel.

Wishing you well with your journey!!!

free skin care · Fri May 25, 2007 5:15 pm

oops! sorry, deleted post!

free skin care · Tue May 29, 2007 6:36 am

I'm going for my cruise so I definitely need some info. Thank you for sharing

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