1st cruise

[bluekipper]

going on our first cruise on the 26th june 2010 on the oceana westen med for our 30th wedding anniversary any tips welcome

[caber]

Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary!

 

Just relax and enjoy the cruise. Although most of us come back to cruising again and again, the first will be the most memorable.:)

[Johnthed0g]

What sort of things would you like to know?

[bluekipper]

dress code for the bars and shows meal times etc any help would be great

[Johnthed0g]

This may help to start with...http://www.pocruises.com/Ships.axd

Basically Oceana has two evening dress codes formal & smart casual, on a two week cruise there will be 4 formals (Dinner jacket 95% or suit 4% don't bother 1%) offficially the code is from 6pm all public areas but in reality it is not that strictly enforced. Dinner is at 6-30 or 8-30 or 'open' depending on what you chose when you booked.

[bluekipper]

thanks just looking forward to the cruise now

[Jackdusty]

Just seen yr post.

I have just atted a new thread ref sailing on our first cruise on the Oceana on 26/06/2010!!! I did not notice yr thread before i posted!

 

Really looking fwd to our crusie and hopefully we will get some good advice on here!

 

We will have to look out for each other!

 

John

[LibraLass41]

Where to start?

 

First,tell us your ports of call you have so we can give you some tips on where to go, and if you need to book a pando tour or DIY it.... For example -Rome is 1 1/2hrs from the port, and if you DIY this and are late back the ship WILL sail without you....so perhaps a pando coach tour is to be considered here. Either a 'Rome on your own' coach only trip which gives you around 5 hours free time to do your own thing in Rome but just takes you there and back, or like i did, a trip which takes you to all the main tourist attractions + lunch, but will be around £100pp... .

 

Oceana - there are 2 dining sittings at 6.30 and 8.30pm, and freedom dining, which one have you got? What table size? There are always things to do after dinner - see a show, a comedian,a band do a quiz, go dancing go to a bar...etc.

 

I was on Oceana in September and went to Fjords,photos here of cruise, some of the ship. The ss buffet restaurant where you may go for breakfast is at the front of the ship to lovely views....breakfast can also be room service or in the waiter served restaurant.

Also been to Med on a cruise,see Arcadia Med album for photos of ports Rome,Barcelona, Florence , Pisa etc.

 

photos here:

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/AuroraPartyCruiseSueV/OceanaAugust2009FjordsCruise?authkey=Gv1sRgCPSenbjJ_a7hXQ#5378441032851422274

 

 

any questions, fire away:)

[LibraLass41]

Our first cruise was for our Silver WA, a tip I would give is perhaps book the deluxe package for around £140 to make the cruise a real extra special celebration...?

 

You get a flower arrangement in your cabin on arrival - wife will love it, plus a bottle of champagne and a box of belgian chocs. ALSO, a vcr for a champagne breakfast on your anniversary morning delivered to your room, a vcr for a free professional portrait photo -perhaps have one on a formal night with you both dressed up? + A massage and facial from the spa - they are worth £50 each alone.... I had both of these as hubbie didn't want them;)

 

I bet this will be the first of many cruises...ours was 'supposed to be' a one off cruise of a lifetime a'hem:rolleyes:

[bluekipper]

just seen libralass41 photos good.does anyone know if we have a guest speaker.look forward to meeting everybody

[bluekipper]

thanks for the tip on the deluxe package it will be agood start to the day.we will be in monte carlo on our wa so any tips on trips or places to vist .we are also going to gibraltar cartagena rome florence barcelona and cadiz any help will be great

[Johnthed0g]

Gib. shopping unless you take a trip to the caves etc...you should do this at least once!

Cartegena...dunno

Rome- we did "essence of Rome" long trip, 11 hours & expensive at £90 odd but you see everything.

Florence dunno.

Barcelona- just get the shuttle bus & walk about.

Cadiz-for us nothing much to see, did a trip that was a waste of time. Had a nice wander about though, pleasant enough place.

[jenny wren]

Rome is REALLY easy to do on your own and as long as you make sure you get a train around 3.00 pm back to the ship you will be in plenty of time.....it costs 9 euros return on the train and that includes bus and metro fares when in Rome.....you can download train timetables from the Trenitalia website...also street maps and metro maps (really easy there are only two lines) off the internet.

We felt the place is really geared up for tourists with Metro station directly opposite the Colossium and signposts directing you from there to the Forum, Trevi Fountain and Spanish steps....this was where we got the Metro back to the station. We did plenty of research before we went and decided to give it a go and were so pleased we did....neither of us speak Italian and we are in our sixties but found it really easy and of course it was so much cheaper than the organised trips and travelling by rail was a good way of seeing the countryside.

 

Barcelona have hop on hop off buses - North and South - we did the north one which goes from outside El Corte Ingles department store at the top of Las Ramblas...it goes past Sagrada Familia, Gaudis church, also the Camp Nou football stadium where several people got off to do the tour...and there was a recorded commentary and good views from the top deck of the wonderful architecture up high which you don't see when walking.

The shuttle will drop you by the Columbus monument where you can walk up Las Ramblas and see all the street performers, etc.

 

Florence we have been once and did a ships coach and then do it yourself...

Cadiz we did the same to Seville but apparently Cadiz is nice to wander.

Monte Carlo is really easy to do it yourself if you are able to walk up quite a steep hill to the palace on the left hand side as you are facing inland. Or walk around the harbour to the right to the Casino area.

[bluekipper]

thanks i will try the train it sounds fun

[Johnthed0g]

Ok, but do remember that the P&O trip includes a guide & commentry, admission to places, priority entrance past all the queues, lunch, guaranteed that the ship will wait for you...and less stress.

[LibraLass41]

Cadiz

Outside the dock gates is a HOHO (HopOnHopOff) tourist bus stop, with plenty of oipen top buses . A good idea is to buy a ticket, and get on on and off the route ending back at the ship. There is a beach half way round, shops and buildings to see half way round, and a lovely park.

 

Rome

If you are a confident traveller, yes try the train, but remember you are going to a very very busy tourist city in hot weather, and if the train is delayed, full etc and you are late back, the ship will not wait for you. We got the coach tour, pando wait for the coaches.

 

Barcelona

As mentioned no need to do a tour. A free shuttle bus takes you to the bottom of the Ramblas, where you can walk up seeing the markets and street entertainers... beware of pick pockets.

[bluekipper]

good point dont want to miss the ship i will need to have a good look at the p&o trips

[capasamari]

The palace in Monaco on top of the hill is beautiful and well worth a visit. If there is an excursion available it would by-pass the queues. The little train will trundle you round the sights, it goes from just down the hill from the Palace. There are any number of reasonably priced restaurants for lunch up here as well, though if you want a treat go down the hill and around the marina to the Cafe de Paris (by the casino in Monte Carlo) for at least a drink and some people watching!

 

Carol x

[jenny wren]

There is loads of information on the 'ports of call' section of this site......under Europe. The Americans seem to be alot more confident doing their own trips and it can certainly save you alot of money.....so eventually you will be able to afford another cruise!!!!!!!