Things people do that make it obvious they are cruise virgins

[sonofthesun]

My favorite newbie sight is nautical clothing.

 

Does Nautica Brand - swimwear/tshirts count in this? If so I need to unpack afew things.

[34TigerLily]

My favorite newbie sight is nautical clothing. Blue and white horizontal stripes and/or gold buttons.

I have been on nine cruises and I love to wear nautical-themed clothes

Edited January 9, 2011 by 34TigerLily

[brendas92665]

I can't wait for people to spot me as a newbie!

I fully intend to buy the overpriced sailaway cocktail and ooooooooooh and ahhhhhhhhhh at everything.

I feel my newbie stuff has already begun. When we booked I invented my 'I'm going on a cruise' song and dance routine and now I regularly do the dance despite it being 339 days 18 hours and 7 minutes away! (sorry 6 minutes now!)

Oh and I've already planned my formal evening/ dinner outfits! My case would be packed apart from the fact I've got to wear the clothes in the next year... :p

 

I FOUND MY TWIN!! Going on my second cruise in 2 weeks and I've been packed for a month!!

[luzzg]

I just remembered this silly incident when my kids and I were on our first cruise. One day about mid-cruise my son, who was 14 at the time, was in the buffet by himself. Without thinking too much he clapped his hands twice to see what would happen. Two workers stopped to see how they could help him. He asked one of them to get him an iced tea and the other for a dessert. Bless their hearts, they actually got the items for him and thankfully my son had the good sense to tip them.

 

When he shared the story later that day we had a discussion about what what to do (and not to do) in the buffet. It still makes me laugh to think about it.

 

That is hilarious! Now I want to try that! I've always wanted to do that.

[dj_spud]

On our 1st cruise attending the muster drill I put a kids life jacket on and got it stuck! My son who was 3 at the time had an adults life jacket on that covered his whole body, He just had his head poking out! Not sure how we managed to mix them up!

 

On our 2nd cruise attending the muster drill we went to the wrong one, The life jackets had a letter on and when the crew said "you all should have letter A on the life jacket" well we had letter B! hoping to keep quiet about this to save any embarrassement but my son age 5 on this cruise shouts "we have letter B".

 

I am just looking forward to our 3rd cruise, Who know's what will happen this time :o:o:o

[Deb in Cali]

Muster drill, I have to fight down the urge to yell, Dress Right Dress.

 

I hadn't thought of that, but yeah it fits don't it. :D

[mr green]

On our 1st cruise attending the muster drill I put a kids life jacket on and got it stuck! My son who was 3 at the time had an adults life jacket on that covered his whole body, He just had his head poking out! Not sure how we managed to mix them up!

 

On our 2nd cruise attending the muster drill we went to the wrong one, The life jackets had a letter on and when the crew said "you all should have letter A on the life jacket" well we had letter B! hoping to keep quiet about this to save any embarrassement but my son age 5 on this cruise shouts "we have letter B".

 

I am just looking forward to our 3rd cruise, Who know's what will happen this time :o:o:o

 

I have heard officers say that if you have the wrong life jacket on, you could be on the wrong ship.:)

[topguy]

I saw a couple wearing life vests walking around the ship on the 3rd day of the cruise. I don't know if they were just petrified that the ship would sink sometime and they wouldn't get to their cabin to get the vests. I wonder if they wore them on formal night.

[kendevjay]

Giving strange looks and wondering :confused: why there are four people you don't know at you MDR table.

 

Thinking you HAVE to eat dinner EVERY NIGHT in the MDR.

[vivelerock88]

lol...we do that for convenience....:cool: doesn't automatically flag you as a newbie.

might have something to do with the fact that we're used to it because our job id's are on a lanyard too...

and I don't usually have pockets in what I'm wearing. :D

 

I agree! That's so much more convenient then searching for it every time you need it. Lots of women's clothes don't have pockets and I don't want to carry a purse around the entire time. Some ships will put it on a lanyard for you at the casino. Why not take advantage?

 

To add to the list...bringing body wash. Definitely something I did the first time and that was a decent amount of room I could have saved in my suitcase. I agree with the sunburn. I learned that if you're going anywhere very sunny you better bring an old t-shirt or cover up. I even plan to wear it in the water in the future because I got the worst sunburn of my life and couldn't move for a few days. Eating somewhere en route to board, you've got time to kill before you go to your room anyway and there's plenty of food on the ship. Not sure every line does this but I'd also say going to the spa raffle at the beginning. Tons of people rush the spa area only to be disappointed to find that you didn't actually win a treatment just a small fraction off one that's still pretty expensive. Only go to that if you intend to use the services anyway or getting a discount would make a difference in your choice to do it. And waiting till the last day to buy things in the shop. Terrible idea. Take care of any shopping at the beginning when it's empty and spend the last day relaxing not fighting people for the last t-shirt.

 

Ok, that's long. I'll stop now. Sorry!

[msbask]

I really had planned on showing up at breakfast in my pajamas. There goes that idea!

[midnightferret]

Total NOOB here! Can't wait!

 

I can pack for a week + toiletries + shoes in one "smallish" bag, but hubby and I will need a third garment bag for formal night. Not a disaster so, check.

 

Very perplexed re: lanyards. I don't wanna carry a purse. I sure as heck don't wanna put it in my bra, but I'd be worried it'd fall out of my pockets -- if I had pockets. I suppose I could plan things, and go back to cabin before/after, but... but, what about impromptu stuff? I guess I'll end up looking like a dork on sea days. YAY! Maybe I'll make my own dorky clip-on lanyard!

 

Mostly interested in skipping muster, but hey, I'll read the directions or something. If they say wear it, I'll wear it. If they say bring it, I'll bring it. If they say don't have to bring it, well you can betcher I won't be bringing it!

 

Welcome Aboard: I rapidly oscillate between budgeting for a Welcome Aboard Drink complete with souvenir glass (ZOMG, PLASTIC SOUVENIR GLASS!) and thinking I could have *2* other drinks for that price (like $12, n'est-ce pas?). It's a dilemma.

 

I am going to save up as much for that insane bar bill as I possibly can, and then stick to the budget.

 

I'll probably book other excursions (with a substantial window to get back on the ship). I'll also stay away from the dockside cruise company shopping UNLESS I specifically want something cheezy and tourist-tastic from there. I'm kind of perversely into that stuff. (ZOMG! BOTTLE OPENERZ WITH THE DESTINATION ON THEM!)

 

I'm still gonna be SUCH a NOOB! When I know which cruise I'll be on, I'll let all of you know so you can have a giggle!

 

Oh, and you'll like me: I wear nautical clothing NOW. :D

[JDietz40]

I didn't do much of what's been mentioned so far on my first cruise... Except for the pictures thing. But like most have said, that's just me on a normal basis. I did, however, go around singing I'm On A Boat a lot... :cool:

 

I hope that you were singing the clean version or at least there were not youngt children around.:rolleyes:

[Room Service!]

I also carry a purse on the ship, but my wallet and keys are not in there. They have been replaced with cameras, sunglasses, sunscreen, binoculars, etc.

[griffy116]

In July, we will be on FOS for our 10th cruise as a family (my daughters, SIL, Grandson). We will be booking a Europe/Med cruise while onboard. My Grandson is Emerald on-his-own points. I've have never lost that feeling of excitement when I see the ship in the port and know I'm going to be boarding. I should have known my marriage wouldn't last when that feeling of excitement was never there I saw my (now ex) husband (LOL). By bedtime, on the first night, our cheeks are sore from smiling :D. We still take tons of photos; a sail-away drink is a ritual we refuse to miss, in spite of the fact that we know we will lose the souvenior glass before it gets home with us and that it's overpriced :p; Some of us use lanyards, some use a purse..we've lost too many SS cards :o. My daughter takes a ridiculous amount of shoes; Until our last cruise (in April) we always had a photo of us in the life-jacket before leaving the cabin for the muster drill :(, since they now don't require you to wear it. We are so excited about our July cruise because my Grandson is taking a friend who has never been on a cruise. The day we stop going, "WOW" and smiling from ear-to-ear when we board is when we will stop cruising and find something else to be excited about...AND...I still make all the newbie "moves" :eek:

[ChrisB123]

I have a great alternative to the lanyard/bra/purse delema, I bought dh and I the 2 for 1 sholder bags advertizing CC. :D Now I'll look like a cruising trap, not a virgin. :eek:

[smooches173]

I'm cruising for my first time on my honeymoon later this year. This is great to know, because I sure would have presumed that they were complimentary.

[bellybutton530]

Walking around the ship with a purse.

[mr green]

Those who buy 'Inch of Gold', on board, believing it to be all gold.

It happens!!!

 

john

[Railer]

My first cruise was with HAL last year to Alaska. I'm sure others could have pick me out as a newbie. It was a little bigger than our flat bottomed river boats. In a little over 5 months we will be on the Queen Victoria in the eastern Med and I'll be walking around the "boat" with my mouth open checking everything out. I've never been out side of North America so I'm excited about the ports as well as the boat. I will be going to many activities including the formal nights so I can fully enjoy the experience. Maybe the next cruise will be somewhere warm where all I'll pack will be a few shirts and shorts.

[Mickey B]

Crap. What am I supposed to do with it then?

 

 

Yes, I am awaiting my first cruise in 2 months. :D

 

LOL I have been on 3 and am booked for 2 more, I still go get the free one from the casino right away bc I would lose it :p I have not figured what to do with it yet, they fall out of my pockets. Might have to use that as a reason to go on more.

[MrsNancyG]

my first cruise I had made computer printouts just about everything on the ship so my kids would be more comfortable by being somewhat acclimated on paper. If there was something I could print out which gave info, I printed it. We all were lugging around mini notebooks for cryin out loud! Kinda wanted to kick myself when I realized that you could get all of this info and more onboard. I waaaaaay overdid in trying to keep everyone in the family comfortable. Ended up exhausting myself.

[TexasCoastieChick]

As others have said, I'll always be awed by the size of the ship! I love to look around and see as much as possible.

 

Interesting that some thing S&S cards on a lanyard make you look like a newbie. Like many others here, I wear a badge at work and it hangs from a lanyard--so used to it. I would think that thinking of bringing a lanyard or getting one once you board would indicate you've cruised before not that you're a newbie. :)

 

I am guilty of overpacking, but I get better with each cruise.

 

For me, what signifies a newbie is taking all your excursions through the cruiseline for fear you'll miss the ship. We prefer the more personal experience with a vendor than the 50 to 100 people on a ship's tour. We've never even come close to missing the ship. :)

 

Just wanted to comment on the quote in your siggy by Sir Francis Drake...

 

LOVE IT!

 

He's an uncle.... a couple of times removed... LOL

[debris]

Yes we loved the towel animals,er what is muster? yes I know now,we didnt even know there was a muster drill and didnt go to one until the day before debarkation when they picked up other passengers and we overheard it.I took loads of photos but no lanyard,we must have walked every crevice of the ship allowed to passengers.We played scrabble had a stare from one of the crew as we were paying a scrabble game after four oclockI will probably still be a newbie on every furure cruise we go on!

[spunkyhungry]

-thinking you should sign up for the ship's excursions for every port

-being unsure whether you need to tip extra or not

-arriving at shows just before they start and looking around for a seat

-on the first day, you can't stop talking about how big and beautiful the ship is

-on sea days, arriving to the pool around 10 or 11 am and realizing there are no chairs left

 

 

As for the s&s card issue, I think lanyards look dorky and get in the way as I move around, so I always put my card in my pocket if I have one. If I don't have a pocket, I'll put it in a light drawstring bag I wear on my back when I'm going ashore or to the pool (since I also need to carry sun lotion, money, my glasses case, and other stuff). If I'm walking around the ship without these things, I'll ask my husband to carry it in his pocket, since all his shorts/pants have pockets. If I'm by myself without anything to hold my card, I'll just hold it in my hand.