5 things you wish you'd known on your first cruise

[Aurionno1]

Just bumping this up for any 1st time cruisers to look at:)

[Sugy]

duct tape

duck tape can be very helpful and now it comes in many colors and designes. little bit to repair broken sandles, torn cloths,luggage, etc, waterproof bandage used with gauze, seals balcony door that whistles with the wind and it goes on and on. I've seen very expensive hard side luggage at the airport that popped open or split. Also it can be used to shut your husband up when he gets to bossy. :rolleyes:

[Sugy]

The constant hassle does spoil going to Egypt as it is relentless and the thing is that I would spend money in their shops if only they would leave me be to look around first... I do feel awful when it's children though.. friends of ours went to Cuba and told us a desperate woman there begged them to take her baby home with them - for all it's troubles, how lucky we are to live here in UK :(

We went to egypt in Jan2011. It seamed the tour guides wanted you to buy from their venders, I,m a crafter and like to buy from locals so we did. Don't buy the videos unless you have a machine that accepts them. I still haven't seen them.Good luck. I have grandkids I love dearly and hopefully they are well mannered. I almost ended up at the dr. after a kid tripped me on a cruise.They were just playing on the stairs. Parents please know what your kids are doing and have a safe and wonderful cruise

[Tony1878]

Hi Jan,

As an "experieced cruiser" of 3 cruises.

Take the right international plug adapter, or preferably one of each.

There was a large queue on the Escape in December of men whose wives had washed their hair and couldn't dry it. :D

And bring an extension lead with 4 plugs on to charge up all your stuff.

 

Berwyn

Just picking up on this tip, i was in ASDA this morning and they are selling a 4 plug socket without the cable, it just has a plug on top of a row of 4 sockets, it weighs absolutely next to nothing and is really

compact, perfect for all of your chargers and hairdryers etc.

Best part??? ........cost £2.25 :)

[kalos]

Just picking up on this tip, i was in ASDA this morning and they are selling a 4 plug socket without the cable, it just has a plug on top of a row of 4 sockets, it weighs absolutely next to nothing and is really

compact, perfect for all of your chargers and hairdryers etc.

Best part??? ........cost £2.25 :)

 

Hi Tony, Ive seen them but I would still get a cheap 4 way from poundland as without the cable it would tend to be a bit wobbly and loose once you put the USA pin adapter plug behind it and as you added more things to the adapter I think it would become worse as Thomson do not put the plugs in the best of places , half way up a dressing table etc .:)

Edited July 14, 2012 by kalos

[Flopsy]

Bouncing this up the board for Yorkshire1975!

 

Flopsy:)

[ekco]

Good heavens, I've just noticed we've got over 27,500 views on this thread.:eek:

 

Jan

[kruzseeka]

Good heavens, I've just noticed we've got over 27,500 views on this thread.:eek:

 

Jan

 

 

That's definitely a Gold Medal achievement Jan! :)

 

P.S. Was listening to Martin Lewis on This Morning yesterday and he was on about money issues when travelling abroad. Here is the link but there is a very good section on

 

- use of Debit/Credit Cards,

- best way to buy your currency,

- important info in not being charged astronomical amounts on Roaming on your mobile

- and some REALLY important advice on having a EHIC (European Health Card) and CRITICALLY taking it with you whenever you go ashore.

 

http://www.itv.com/thismorning/life/martin-lewis-holiday-money-matters/

 

Worth spending a few minutes reading - could save lots of money.

[ekco]

Lol, Kruzseeka do you think that 27,450 of them are you and me?:D:D

 

I saw that item this morning. We were given a Halifax debit card on a savings account which was a bit odd in the first place and we definitely won't be using it abroad after watching that.:eek:

 

Jan

Edited August 14, 2012 by ekco

[kruzseeka]

Lol, Kruzseeka do you think that 27,450 of them are you and me?:D:D

I saw that item this morning. We were given a Halifax debit card on a savings account which was a bit odd in the first place and we definitely won't be using that abroad after watching that.:eek:

 

Jan

 

Could be!!!!:D

 

Yes, makes you very wary with CC and debit cards - you have to be so careful and one of the Halifax ones is especially bad according to Martin Lewis. I was offered the Clarity card from Halifax and turned it down the first time (being suspicious of the small print) but was later persuaded that it was actually particularly useful for use abroad. I've got it exclusively for that purpose - we try to estimate our needs and take what currency we think we'll need with us but it's important to have a back-up. We used it last trip for the cable car in Dubrovnik - even for a coffee as we'd not taken Kuna and there were no hidden charges - I checked carefully when we got back!! :rolleyes:

[ekco]

Best to be careful I think. We take the cards on lands trips as a backup just in case but changed some pounds into euros the other week when the rate improved. Not that we've got anything booked at the moment as we've got a trips to London for the Paralympics in a couple of weeks. They sent us free travel cards for each of the days we are attending which should come in very handy.:):)

 

Jan

[stevedeccaman]

OMG 27,756 views on this thread since ,well a while ago :rolleyes:

 

and counting ?

great stuff all

 

Stevie

 

No trees were killed in the making of this post... however, a large number of electrons were horribly inconvenienced.

[aligarter]

cut out the liquid shampoo and conditioners by using lush solid block ones make clothes smell nice as well.

[ekco]

cut out the liquid shampoo and conditioners by using lush solid block ones make clothes smell nice as well.

 

Funny that, I was just passing Lush this afternoon. Perhaps you could explain what this product is and how to use it. Thanks.

 

Would you be so kind as to cut down some of your countdown clocks. There is so much scrolling to do when there are a lot of them. They soon add up to half a page. My scrolling pad is getting worn out, lol. Thanks again.:):)

 

Jan

[Cymro1953]

Funny that, I was just passing Lush this afternoon. Perhaps you could explain what this product is and how to use it. Thanks.

 

Would you be so kind as to cut down some of your countdown clocks. There is so much scrolling to do when there are a lot of them. They soon add up to half a page. My scrolling pad is getting worn out, lol. Thanks again.:):)

 

Jan

 

Hi Jan, don't know what's wrong with Aligarter's countdown clocks. Mine have always been wiped off automatically once we've sailed.

 

You keeping OK? Only 5 weeks today till we're on Majesty :D:D

Berwyn

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Mine have never been deleted automatically. I always have to take them off:confused:

[Cymro1953]

Mine have never been deleted automatically. I always have to take them off:confused:

 

I always have to be different Linda :D

They just go on their own

Berwyn

[aligarter]

Funny that, I was just passing Lush this afternoon. Perhaps you could explain what this product is and how to use it. Thanks.

 

Would you be so kind as to cut down some of your countdown clocks. There is so much scrolling to do when there are a lot of them. They soon add up to half a page. My scrolling pad is getting worn out, lol. Thanks again.:):)

 

Jan

 

 

They Shampoo and conditioner are very similar to bars of soap but round and smaller, just wet hair rub with the block a couple times then wash and massage as normal

https://www.lush.co.uk/content/view/994 hope i dont get in trouble for the link

 

I took countdowns off now

Edited August 18, 2012 by aligarter
spelling....lol

[happy v]

They Shampoo and conditioner are very similar to bars of soap but round and smaller, just wet hair rub with the block a couple times then wash and massage as normal

https://www.lush.co.uk/content/view/994 hope i dont get in trouble for the link

 

I took countdowns off now

 

They sound interesting. I'm going to have a look next time I'm in town, thank-you.

[ekco]

Hi Jan, don't know what's wrong with Aligarter's countdown clocks. Mine have always been wiped off automatically once we've sailed.

 

You keeping OK? Only 5 weeks today till we're on Majesty :D:D

Berwyn

 

Hi Berwyn. Not recovered yet, we've had the grandchildren for 2 days. Aargh!! Shattered!

 

I have to go in and delete my countdown clocks. Lucky you going on Majesty, I've got a bit to wait yet. I'm sooo jealous.:):)

 

Jan

[Cymro1953]

Hi Berwyn. Not recovered yet, we've had the grandchildren for 2 days. Aargh!! Shattered!

 

I have to go in and delete my countdown clocks. Lucky you going on Majesty, I've got a bit to wait yet. I'm sooo jealous.:):)

 

Jan

 

We have yet to haver the dubious pleasure of any of those yet and none on the horizon.

 

It was a last minute thing, the Majesty cruise. And it's all Delyth's fault :D

We had a lovely hotel in Spain but after cruising she said she was fed up of being in the same place for the whole holiday.

We only went because we wanted to see Granada and the Alhambra and thought we'd get more time there on an excursion from a hotel than the ship.

 

Berwyn

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Hi Jan,

 

Have you recovered yet? :D Will email you later :)

 

Hi Berwyn,

 

We went away with our son, daughter, son-in-law and grand-daughter to Spain in June - very nice, but as you say - nothing compares to cruising. It just gets a bit boring being in the same place! I've never been to the Alhambra or Granada although OH has. I really want to see it - must book another med cruise :D:D:D

[Cymro1953]

Hi Jan,

 

Have you recovered yet? :D Will email you later :)

 

Hi Berwyn,

 

We went away with our son, daughter, son-in-law and grand-daughter to Spain in June - very nice, but as you say - nothing compares to cruising. It just gets a bit boring being in the same place! I've never been to the Alhambra or Granada although OH has. I really want to see it - must book another med cruise :D:D:D

 

LOL Linda, you've got 3 lined up already I see. Might as well add another one on. :D

 

Berwyn

[ekco]

Lol, you two are the biggest countdown clock culprits!! I've got no skin left on my fingers scrolling down.:eek:

 

I quite like cruise and stay. It's nice to chill out after a week at sea as we never keep still, exploring new places from the ship.

 

Jan

[ekco]

Let's not forget that the item in a cabin with the most bacteria on, bar none, is the tv remote control. I always take anti-bacterial wipes and the first thing I do is give the remote a good scrub. The most disgusting item on a ship or in a motel or hotel.

 

Jan