If you could have your first cruise back...?

[martinchem]

I would not of had that last margaretta in Cozumel

[tiggerman101]

I am considering my Valor cruise last October here and not my Fantasy cruise when I was a teenager. I really wouldn't have changed much. I would have liked to have found this site beforehand. Instead I spent an ungodly amount of time on the Carnival website forums. I wouldn't have rushed around trying to do a bunch of activities and just relaxed. I would have gotten an aft balcony because I am addicted to them now.

[FLCruiser001]

We would have dined in the Main Dining Room every evening. The first night, we were "scared off" by the experience. Not bad tablemates, just had never been in that environment before. Now, we're much more accustomed to it, and never miss a meal in the MDR!

[DGP1111]

"If you could do your 1st cruise over again, what would be the one thing that you would change or do instead?"

 

SO... What would you change/do if you could do a 'do-over' of your 1st cruise??

 

That's an easy one for me to answer . . . I would have cancelled it, and stayed at home. Totally disappointed in my first sailing, which was a high school senior trip on a crappy ship for 4 nights. :(

 

I actually said, "Who in their right might would plan to do this for a long vacation??" Years later I learned just who would do that - - ME!! :D

 

(and no regrets since)

[tracyvansmith]

Would have went on some tours. Would have been a 7 day instead of a 4 day.

[gargoyle999]

Would have tried to get a table for two in the MDR. Group table is just not my thing, so I never looked forward to dinner. :o

[MrPete]

The only things I took with me that I never used was a book and my Walkman (cassette, no less!).

 

And I wouldn't change a thing. It was PERFECT from the ports, the seas, our tablemates, and even our fellow passengers.

 

Every cruise since has been measured against that one, and NONE has even come close.

[ahaltom2007]

I would have liked to have found this site first, booked a balcony (since now I am a balcony snob), ate in the MD every night, and packed clothes that would fit after all the eating and drinking (did not know about how good the food was going to be).

[crusinpsychRN]

Wish I'd known about Cruise Critic. It was way back in 1964 on the Queen Elizabeth. We were in second class. The bathroom was in the room but shower down the hall. They gave everyone a copy of the list of passengers. Just the other day I was thinking about looking up our table mates son who was about 7. They lived in England.

[live.love.cruise]

I would have packed less and ate breakfast/lunch in the dining room instead of the buffet.

 

Oh, and I would have ordered more than one entree @ dinner! ;)

[mowdoc]

We would have taken a longer cruise.

 

We would have taken some twine to tie the bed legs together so they wouldn't have kept seperating at inoppertune times!!! (we do this on all ships now)

 

We went with a group from one of our local radio stations and spent way too much time doing thier stuff. Should have gone "on our own".

 

We would have tanned to avoid the terriffic sunburn we got the first day. We did not know how strong the sun is at sea and it was in Feb when we were our "whitest". Now, we always tan for a month before every cruise to avoid this problem. Matter of fact, I'm starting my month of tanning tonight as we sail 2/14!!!!!!!!!!

[notme1955]

I would change nothing about our first cruise. It was wonderful.

 

What I would like for future cruises would be to get back that "new cruiser" feeling. You have nothing to compare it to so everything is fabulous and exciting!

[MikeyA53]

Like many have mentioned we would booked a longer cruise, otherwise nothing.

[cruisinbuddy]

We woudn't have changed a thing. We still talk about it, and it was in 1999. It was on a tiny ship, 27000 tons but it was huge to us. Service was fantastic, as was the excursions.

[zcm8704]

My first cruise is by far my favorite I've been on so far. I loved all the ports and the boat. Plus we went with almost 20 family members, the memories are awesome. The only thing I wish we wouldn't have done is book an excursion in every port. It was 7 days and very port intensive. We were worn out by the last port day and almost canceled our tour, so glad we didn't though. It ended up being one of our favorites!

[ckekjhaze]

first cruise was a 5 day to Canada- even in July it was cold and foggy- next time we will do a Caribbean cruise

we spent a lot on pictures even though we brought cameras, but otherwise the total on the S & S account was what I expected

otherwise it was great- can't wait to go again!
my kids still keep in touch(facebook) with another family they met and we still email one of our waiters who was a math teacher in his home country

[vetpath09]

Just did my first cruise out of Tampa over Christmas. Since I can not change the weather (yet:cool:) I guess the only things I would have changed is making it to the top deck as we went under the bridge (missed that) and gone to the Turtle farm in Grand Cayman (good place when the weather is lousy). Oh, and I never tried a midnight pizza.

Other than that, I would not change a thing. A 7 day cruise is just right for the first time.

[F22Smitty]

[quote name='BeerBuckets']I would have taken a different girl...I think the only time I will ever say it, Thank goodness that was only a 3 day cruise!![/quote]

BeerBuckets, great user name.:D

I would have patented my invention/idea and I would be a very rich man.

It was on the Holiday in 1992 (John Heald was our CD). Wha was our Lido deck waitress. I asked her if she could sell us a six pack of Silver Bullets and put them in a container with ice. She came back with two wine buckets with 3 beers in each covered with ice, [B]THUS THE INVENTION OF THE BUCKET OF BEER[/B].:D

When the group of college guys next to us saw this, they ordered a case with ice over. Wha brought them a case of BUD in a bus boys tub. It became the thing to do the rest of the cruise.

The following year on our cruise they were selling buckets of beer at a reduced price.:mad:

As for the cruise, it took me 3 days to find the topless deck.:mad:

[jensambo]

I wish I danced more on my first cruise. I didn't realize the fun I was missing until my second cruise.

[drosphot]

I would have brought an extension cord and not caught the cold I did on day two. We spent our time in Jamaica looking for cold medicine (cheaper than on ship) and an extension cord. We got a cool min-bus tour, but when you watch the videos all you hear is my sniffling. I wouldn't change a thing otherwise, it was an aft wrap on the Conquest... :D
The second cruise is what I would change. NO INTERIOR CABIN! The aft wrap spoiled me! :o

[busdriver161]

I would not fly in the day of the cruise ever again! What a nightmare. I would also not try to do everything there was to do. We never just relaxed! But I am totally addicted and ready to go in February.:)

[Azure Moon]

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][SIZE="3"][COLOR="DarkSlateBlue"]I would have booked a handicapped oceanview or balcony cabin or a handicapped suite rather than an inside handicapped cabin. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[WhenD]

I would have gone with someone else! Me and my boyfriend booked the cruise a year in advance, and by the time it was time to go, things were less... um... perfect between us. We decided to go simply because of the cost of the cruise - we didn't want to lose all the money. And we thought that "maybe" it would put the spark back in our relationship. NOPE!

The entire time I kept thinking, "Gosh! I would be having the best time if only I were here with someone else!"

Even though it was pretty bad, I saw what it *could* have been and booked another cruise just 4 months after. I took the right person that time and had a blast!

[Crusin6]

I would have worn longer pants and a tee shirt on the Istanbul port stop....not the short shorts and tank top I wore:eek:

[path145]

I would have left my (now ex) husband at home!