"I wish I knew before..."

[sweetipie]

Love your little gift idea. We usually give a $20.00 tip to the room steward at the beginning of the trip to encourage better service, and your little bag with money for room service with a candy and thank you note is great. We are taking a 38 day cruise and I will have these prepared in advance of our trip. Like the t shirt idea too for a gift at the beginning of the cruise. Our cruise leaves the 20th of March but we can board the 19th. Will food be served on the 19th on the Zaandam from Buenos Aires. If you know let me know. We will stay in BA for 2 days before the trip. We are doing our 18th cruise and the twice the money half the stuff and an extra suitcase that is empty is the best idea of all. Also keep things in your carry on for the nights stay before the cruise. No going in and out of the large suitcases.

[Bound4Bermuda]

...

Edited March 6, 2016 by Bound4Bermuda
Oops! Nothing to see here, folks. My daughter knocked my phone out of my hands and it posted nothing. But awesome tips! Thanks!

[teacup317]

Could you please explain this in layperson's English?

 

That sounds very nice, but couldn't she use liquid soap?

[welikepalms]

Here are my 6 cents worth.

 

Extension Cord(s)... both my DW and I have CPAP's

Outlet extenders so you have enough outlets for all your gear

Over the door organizer. Never thought we would use it but it comes in handy.

Magnets (Cabin walls are metal)

A new one for me on our first Princess Cruise (Regal) an old hotel card for the lighting slot inside the door. (learned that tidbit on here)

Half the stuff you want to pack you don't need

More Money then you think

Casino and Booze expensive so plan accordingly

Comfortable Walking Shoes

Let the staff pamper you and thank them for doing so.

Don't be afraid to plan nothing for a port. We sometimes just get off the ship and enjoy what we can walk to. Just make sure you know if you CAN walk to things from the ship before hand.

 

My personal favorite and what I remind my self every time we start a cruise:

When you step on board, take a breath and let the relaxation begin. Don't stress the small things and just enjoy the ship, ports and all the new and interesting things you will see and do!

 

I have often told people who ask why I like cruising that for me when we step on board its kind of like you hand the keys to the captain and say your in charge and I don't have to worry about anything. (or not much anyway lol) Most relaxing vacations ever for me!

 

Enjoy and Happy Cruising

 

PS this is a great thread. Really enjoyed reading through it. Thanks!

[excited-much]

Here are my 6 cents worth.

 

Extension Cord(s)... both my DW and I have CPAP's

Outlet extenders so you have enough outlets for all your gear

Over the door organizer. Never thought we would use it but it comes in handy.

Magnets (Cabin walls are metal)

A new one for me on our first Princess Cruise (Regal) an old hotel card for the lighting slot inside the door. (learned that tidbit on here)

Half the stuff you want to pack you don't need

More Money then you think

Casino and Booze expensive so plan accordingly

Comfortable Walking Shoes

Let the staff pamper you and thank them for doing so.

Don't be afraid to plan nothing for a port. We sometimes just get off the ship and enjoy what we can walk to. Just make sure you know if you CAN walk to things from the ship before hand.

 

My personal favorite and what I remind my self every time we start a cruise:

When you step on board, take a breath and let the relaxation begin. Don't stress the small things and just enjoy the ship, ports and all the new and interesting things you will see and do!

 

I have often told people who ask why I like cruising that for me when we step on board its kind of like you hand the keys to the captain and say your in charge and I don't have to worry about anything. (or not much anyway lol) Most relaxing vacations ever for me!

 

Enjoy and Happy Cruising

 

PS this is a great thread. Really enjoyed reading through it. Thanks!

 

Love this advise thank you !!

[paisleypantts]

thx, My first cruise will be May 23rd 2016 carnival sensation ( so excited) this is very helpful

[MicCanberra]

thx, My first cruise will be May 23rd 2016 carnival sensation ( so excited) this is very helpful

 

Welcome to cruise critic and enjoy your cruise.:D

[MollyFlyer]

Bring hand moisturizer to counter the effects of rubbing in several doses of hand sanitizer each day. The skin under my nails started peeling halfway through the week.

[CruisinBarb63]

Our first cruise (my 2nd but after 30 years, I guess it counts as first) was in October and I read it all and thought I had my list pared down. I brought the vast majority of the "stuff" everyone suggests and all it did was weigh down my luggage and take up valuable time on our last day to pack. There are only two of the extra things we brought that we would bother bringing next time...the over the door shoe holder (invaluable with four women in one room) and the bathroom spray. All the other "extras".

 

The best advice, that I will definitely follow next time is to finish packing and remove half the clothes. We came home with a lot of clean clothes that were not necessary. next time, we will be packing a lot lighter!

[orcoastcruiser]

I read so many of these tips I thought I'd go cross-eyed! But they were extremely helpful on our cruise last week. The top tip was the magnetic clips that held our tour packages, etc to the wall. Brought a night light for the bathroom but the bathroom on Caribbean Princess would only take shavers so that was a bust - maybe next time I'll take the light sticks instead - all from dollar store. Also from $ Store-a crown! It was a Princess cruise after all-wore it all thru the first day and it was a huge hit! :D I brought bandaids but sometimes your blisters are places bandaids don't stick to too well, wish I had brought liquid bandage instead. And I brought ibuprofen, aspirin, dramamine, tummy meds but did not bring cold medicine-big mistake. Day/Nyquil are $4 for a pack of 4-super spendy but when you're sick you'll pay anything. The binder clips for shower curtain worked well too. Thanks for all the tips everyone! ps. don't wear brand new shoes for a long walk in the heat-break them in first-ouch! And finally, mostly for the women, the shampoo/conditioner on the Caribbean Princess (i'm thinking all might be similar) turn your hair to straw. If you want the hair you started with, bring your own products!

Edited March 22, 2016 by orcoastcruiser

[BOLERO2]

Check out "Take a load off" by Edgar Sparrow.

It's on I Books and there are two hilarious poems about cruising in the book that pretty much tell you all you need to know. Best $2.99 you'll ever spend!

[Pistol122]

We have two junior suites next to each other but I dont think we have a door between...can we open our deck divider?

[MedicKenK]

We have two junior suites next to each other but I dont think we have a door between...can we open our deck divider?

 

Ask your room Steward when you arrive. It's probably best if one from each cabin be there when you do. Assuming the divider can be opened, don't be alarmed if they deny your request. They may site company policy as a reason or some other such issue for not doing it.

[T&J1014]

My wife, daughter and I did our first cruise in January on the Carnival Splendor - loved it!

 

If I had to make a couple wish I knew then points:

 

A) - Get to know your ship - know where things are

 

B) - Don't be intimidated by the dining room - We didn't do the formal, and were intimidated by the casual dining as well, until the 3rd day we found out what we were missing - although our time was not good. We booked late and asked for "My Time", but we got the late dinner. :( Go to the casual dining - find your seats - they treat you very well. It was 3 of us, we were seated at a table for 4 all by ourselves, which was kind of cool.

 

C) - Unless you are big drinkers, do NOT buy the booze package - It really was hard for me (and my wife too) to even come close to the 15/day max on the card - ended up it would have been cheaper to buy drink at a time.

 

D) - Don't feel compelled to book excursions at each stop. We had excursions booked at Cozumel (Jose Cuervo Exp), Roatan (Monkeys, Birds, Pirates), Belize (Cahal Pech), but Grand Cayman we just took a local cab to Seven Mile Beach and relaxed (and rented jet-skis....).

 

E) - Get to know your steward - they are there to serve you and make your stay onboard enjoyable

 

F) - Have fun!!! Expect first time confusion, frustration, but don't let it ruin your trip.

[Cruisin'Christine]

Some suggestions: pack your swimsuit in your carry-on, so you can swim the first day before your luggage arrives, when the pools are not very busy. Do not waste time going to Shopping Talks, as they are mainly about jewelry and only cover the stores that the ship has a deal with. If you don't like something in the dining room that you have ordered, ask for something else, and they'll replace it pronto. If you like a certain thing in the dining room, you can always ask for more (my mom had three lobster tails once). You can also customize the meal in the dining room a bit, like asking for mashed potatoes instead of baked, for instance. Pack clothes with pockets, so you can always have a place for your ship card and daily planner. Bring an over-the-door shoe holder to help organize your room (to keep sunscreen, sunglasses, camera, batteries, hair stuff, etc. You can ask for the mini bar fridge to be emptied to make room for your own bottled water, etc that you bring on board.

[WupperAV]

That people all over the world are friendly and a lot of US citizens are snobs who look down on the rest of the world. Know and practice where the life jackets are stored and how to get to the lifeboats. We had a flood once and my first thought is, "Its 3 steps to the closet on the left and bottom right. Ge one fo me and 1 for wife." The reason people panic is because they don't learn it. Don't smuggle booze. It can land you in jail some places and why would someone try to cheat the Cruise line out of $10? Stupid!!

 

No! No! I'm listening. It just takes me a minute to process so much stupid at once....... Sheldon Cooper

Edited April 3, 2016 by WupperAV

[Raxter54]

That people all over the world are friendly and a lot of US citizens are snobs who look down on the rest of the world.

 

 

Yeah, we Americans are such a surly lot, and everyone else in the world are so wonderful. How dare we force ourselves on them.... [emoji57]

 

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Forums mobile app

[WupperAV]

You are right but I am married to an Italian and her relatives in Italy think Americans are all like McDonald Trump, are bullies and elitist, so do our French and German friends. I don't have to defend myself. You include yourself in your own statement.

Edited April 5, 2016 by WupperAV

[dtb55]

My mother-in-law is from Italy and her relatives don't think that at all. Like most Italians, they have always been warm and welcoming.

 

 

Denise

[LynnTTT]

Comfortable shoes. Clothes that coordinate in color. Hi-liters to mark happenings on your daily that you don't want to miss. Try some new foods; if you don't like it you don't have to eat it! Get to the theater early if you want a seat. Don't cram the elevators. Walk up the stairs if it's only two or three flights. Bring a few sweaters- even if you're in the Caribbean the venues on the ship are always cold. Take at least one nap in an old fashioned deck chair on a quiet deck. Get away from your significant other occasionally- go for a walk, sit apart, eat lunch alone. Makes you happy to see each other later in the day.

Don't be afraid to get off the ship in every port. Including Jamaica and Belize. Truly, not everyone is trying to kill you.

Talk to foreigners. They actually like Americans, though often not our government. They may have a different view on life than we do, but that doesn't them "wrong".

And "Don't sweat the small stuff"

[mamkmm2]

That people all over the world are friendly and a lot of US citizens are snobs who look down on the rest of the world. Know and practice where the life jackets are stored and how to get to the lifeboats. We had a flood once and my first thought is, "Its 3 steps to the closet on the left and bottom right. Ge one fo me and 1 for wife." The reason people panic is because they don't learn it. Don't smuggle booze. It can land you in jail some places and why would someone try to cheat the Cruise line out of $10? Stupid!!

 

No! No! I'm listening. It just takes me a minute to process so much stupid at once....... Sheldon Cooper

 

Blanket statements are never helpful and rarely true. I've never been to a location where a nationality was all one thing or the other. Cultural norms, social pressures, weather, geography, etc. all play a part in everyone's perceptions of those around them. France is a lovely country and there are some lovely people, but enough visitors have experienced the snobbery and nationalistic venom that some people feel free to show in Paris that it stained the reputation of the entire country to the point of being a stereotype.

 

By and large I have found most Italians to be warm and fun-loving people ... most of the type. For some however, their warmth translates to a very "hot" temper which spills over quite frequently.

 

Americans get in a "mode" and are irritated when distracted from it. What I mean by that is when, in general, an American is in "work mode" and someone tries to get their attention they may not be well-received or may find that person's behavior odd and standoffish. We also expect a lot of our service staff including ... including speed and timeliness, two traits not always considered a priority in other cultures.

 

Then there are regional differences. Large, densely populated urban centers during the work day are going to be more stressful and less "friendly." Rural areas can be suspicious of strangers ... and possibly with good reason. The suburbs are generally not tourist mecas and people are cautious of unknown elements operating near their families.

 

Go to an area that exists solely due to tourism and more than likely you will get a completely different experience.

 

Everyone is different. Sometimes those differences are minor and sometimes they are large enough to be insurmountable. But calling an entire group of people one thing or the other is a good way to miss facets of the people and/or culture that could be enlightening.

[mamkmm2]

Wish I had known that I could halve my packing list and still have an extremely comfortable experience. That some people's "must haves" are other people's clutter and that it takes experience to differentiate between the two.

 

It is great fun to do a lot of research on ports prior to embarkation day ... but you don't have to bring all of those research resources with you. Cut and paste or type what you need into an inclusive document and then keep it, along with all of your other papers and tickets, in a secure folder that you can easily access from your carry on.

 

Pickpockets exist and aren't just in Charles Dickens novels.

 

Always bring at least one more rubber band or hair clip than you think you are going to need. It never fails that the last one snaps when you need it most.

[lwoodard]

I have already pre-paid for gratuities, is this going to effect the service we get? I've seen a lot of mention of tipping every single person, a few dollars here and a few dollars there, am I expected to do this even though I've paid $175 for tips for 2 adults and one child for a 5 day cruise?

[brillohead]

I have already pre-paid for gratuities, is this going to effect the service we get? I've seen a lot of mention of tipping every single person, a few dollars here and a few dollars there, am I expected to do this even though I've paid $175 for tips for 2 adults and one child for a 5 day cruise?

 

Not at all.

 

The only tip money you "need" to have on hand would be for luggage porters or room service delivery personnel. Everyone else is covered in your prepaid gratuities.

 

If you want to leave more for a waiter or room steward or bartender, that is entirely up to you.

[lwoodard]

Thank you!! We are cruising in June for the first time and I've been reading on this forum, there's a lot to take in and a lot of great advice.