What NOT to do - tips for first-timers!

[geogran]

[quote name='vonster']im looking forward to look like a dorky tourist for my first cruise...

Sun visor
camera with neck strap
fanny pack
white shoes[/quote]


and for a real fashinista statement:
Don't forget to wear jesus sandals with white athletic socks everywhere you go - comfortable and so, so stylish. :d:d

[wwcruisers]

[quote name='Harry and Lucille']A simple thing that some forget. The ship staff and crew are working to cater to your every wish. Working 10 or more (usually) hours a day to make your stay with them as perfect as possible. Ungodly hours, extremely low pay, seven days a week for weeks on end. Don't treat them as your servants. A smile. A look in the eyes with a cheery hello. A hand shake here and there. This puts a little cheer into their day. Your cabin steward can be your best friend and still keep the potty clean. Get to know their story, their life, etc. (this has had some delightful results). A good tip over and above the normal charge by the cruise line and respectful treatment has gained us such things as unexpected fruit dish, dish of cheese and crackers, flowers for the wife. You just never know. I would not have their job for the world, while they try to make my world a little better for me.[/quote]

Amen!!! :D
The only thing I can add is: if you want/need/require something -- just ask for it! Please don't expect the staff to read your mind (and then be disappointed when they don't). :p

[johneeo]

[quote name='puckster55pics']Although I do NOT drink there is one thing I do know & that in life you need at least 3 of these friend's
1) a friend who knows cars inside & out (especially if you don't)
2) a computer geek when your puter crashes
3)someone with pro athlete connections
4)a bar tender friend
Fortunately I have the first 3:D[/quote]

I have 8 bartender friends. With that comes connections to everything!:cool:

[ca1rob]

[quote name='WeBeGone'][COLOR=red][B]Completely WRONG - [/B][I][B][SIZE=3]never[/SIZE][/B] [/I][B]take your passport off the ship.[/B] [/COLOR]
[COLOR=red](The only exeption is in St. Petersburg)[B] Leave it in your cabin safe. If you are injured, someone can retreive it for you. If you must, take a photocopy of your passport ashore.[/B][/COLOR][/quote]


This is not the advice to follow ;), check the requirements of your excursion, If your leaving the country you might need your passport. i.e. the white pass train ride in alaska takes you into Canada and you have to have your passport, so make sure you follow the direction required on your excursion. you have to remeber when giving advice its not just read by first time cruisers going exactly where you went.:rolleyes:

[MOTB]

Make sure your passport has at least six months unexpired even for European ports in countries that do not require this for independent travellers. Cruise companies do, or advise that if you turn up without, you might not get through security to board the ship. I only found out when printing off boarding passes for Cunard's Queen Victoria summer getaway to Amsterdam, Bruges and Le Havre and had to go to the passport office for a premium service (ie expensive as well as time-consuming) application for my son (he had nearly five months but we weren't going to risk any problems for my mother-in-law's 90th birthday treat.

[B'moreTraveler]

Thanks to everyone who posted for all the great tips!

I am also new to cruising and appreciate knowing what to avoid and what to keep in mind when I board for the first time in December.

If I may offer a comment that applies to all situations, not just a cruise. [B]Smile and have a positive attitude.[/B] No one wants to be around someone who whines and complains all the time. We are all here to have a good time and escape from the negative people we deal with back home.

If you have a problem, deal with it appropriately. There's no need to share it with everyone around you. If you need to have a temper tantrum or an argument, have it in private.

Remember, it's easy to be nice to nice people. Enjoy yourself and and just relax!

[NMLady]

[quote name='jwoap'][quote name='GlendaleCruiser']Like you said: Don't be a chair hog--30 minutes total. Go to the bathroom, run to the burger bar, but don't be gone longer than that. Don't save chairs for the whole family.


"Chair hog?" Meaning on the deck if you are sun bathing? Only sun bathe for a half hour?[/quote]

I think the 30 minutes is referring to the time length for leaving a chair empty. Some people put a towel on a chaise to reserve it and then go off for hours at a time, not using the chair during that time. Those are chair hogs. They hog a chair and don't use it.

[ThePatientOne]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=red]First time or seasoned cruisers..[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=red][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=red]Don't be late to dinner.. Your table mates usually will wait for you to arrive however it is considered rude..[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=red][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=red]If you know you are not going to be at dinner a night for whatever reason, do let your table mates know or your server so you are not the cause of holding everyone up.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[lovetotravel1043]

Copy your passport and take the original or the copy ashore, whichever gives you most peace of mind, or the ship/shore trip organizer.

Sign up for shore trips on-line ahead of time. Some of the most popular ones may sell out before you get on board.

Read up on not to miss sights/products in ports ahead of time. Maybe you would rather take a taxi to a particular place, than a long bus ride to several places, especially if you are traveling with another couple and can share the taxi, or have limited mobility/patience with bus loading and unloading.

Try making a list of what you think you will wear to each evening's dinner. See ship itinerary for which are casual, chic or formal. Think about switching tops and bottoms to make a different outfit and decrease amt of clothes. Some shore trip outfits may double for casual dinners. Seriously consider renting the men's formal clothes. Seriously consider using the ship's laundry service. The ship laundromats will be too crowded most of the time, and who wants to spend vacation doing laundry? Undies and socks can be washed out in your cabin if necessary.

[cmtom89]

[quote name='bmwsav44']Don't gather up all your ship photo's into a stack and place them back on the shelf to purchase later.
Don't place your ship photo's on top of someone Else's photo's in order to be able to find them easier later.
Randall[/quote]

If you discard photos as you go along and have ones you'd like to keep for the final day for consideration, gather them up and hand them to the photo staff. They will place them in a folder with your cabin number - you can add to it all week and then ask for your folder on the final night, sort and select and make any purchases you wish!
If you get busy on your final day, you will get a polite note in your cabin that evening that your photos are still avaialble for purchase and what the photo shop hours are.:D

[CruzinCougs]

This thread has a lot of great advice. Having completed 28 cruises, I would add your trip could be more relaxing and enjoyable if you [B]avoid[/B] talking politics or religion. I've seen both types of discussions escalate into embarrassing encounters for the people shouting at each other as well as those around them. There will always be more than one side to those discussions!

[jammycat]

The ship will begin to feel like home. Everyone around you is polite and friendly. But don't let your guard down and take your eyes off something valuable--even for a moment. If you put something down, and glance away, it may be gone forever and no crew member will even pretend to care or take time to check to see if a security camera caught the crime. You will be treated as if you "lost" something and will be told to keep checking the lost and found. You will also be reminded there are shops on board where you may purchase a new one. They may not look like Captain Jack Sparrow, but there are definitely pirates at sea.

[dluvsc]

DON'T SERIOUSLY, DON'T

---assume that just because your cell phone has service that it's ok to use it. You WILL incur roaming charges unless you have an INTERNATIONAL calling plan, which most of us do not. Those roaming charges will be HUGE after a week long trip. Been there, done that. :(

---forget to turn off that dreaded cell phone because, guess what, it's constantly searching for service wearing down the battery at the speed of light. I don't recall seeing any cell phone towers out at sea. lol

---add a tip to the drink receipt while laying around the pool (unless you want to). It's already figured into the bill.

---complain about how the locals badger you to buy their wares. You are most likely their main source of income. They live on pennies compared to us. Be kind, say "No thank you", that usually works well enough and know that from time to time you may have to be a tiny bit firmer but saying "No thank you" a few extra times and walking away is all I've ever needed to do. Some folks post that they can't believe that the locals "bother" them while in port. Remember, we look like the equivalent of Donald Trump to them. SO THEREFORE,

DO
---remember how blessed you are that you have the ability to travel and see their beautiful islands this way.

---view each and every day as a new experience, greet all new experiences with a big smile and be optomistic.

---chat and make friendly conversation with people you don't know. Many lifelong friendships have started while two people who were seated next to each other in the main dining room at dinner or in lounge chairs on deck.

---remember to walk up on deck at night long after the festivities have ended. Find a quiet spot and look up at the stars. You will see more stars in the night sky than you've ever dreamed existed. I'm not kidding. Two o'clock in the morning out by the sports bar on the back end of the ship, look up. Un be liev able.

---call it a "ship". A boat is the tender that takes you back and forth to the island when there is no pier or the one you take to fish or parasail or snorkel. If it holds a thousand people, its a ship. Just ask the captain, he'll set you straight. :o

---keep track of your spending. Using that sail and sign card is way too easy. Keep a running total of what you've signed for. That way there will be no surprise at the end of the cruise when you get your bill.

---know that if you have an inside cabin, it's dark. You WILL oversleep. So set up a wake up call. You don't want to miss your excursion.

---pay close attention to the announcements. Sometimes you can't hear them in your cabin. Poke your head out of the door if you have to, you can hear them better in the hall.

---relax and have a great time. A bad day on the cruise is a gazillion times better than your best day at work.

[USAF&wife]

dluvsc - your list is wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!

I am going to print it out and take it with me

Thanks for sharing!

Tamara

[dluvsc]

Oh and if you happen to be traveling with 4 (or even less), teenaged girls, remember to tell the room steward NOT to worry about cleaning the cabin. Just ask them to leave fresh towels and to clean the bathroom, if necessary. Our young ladies left their cabin looking like a bomb exploded in it. Clothes EVERYWHERE. The very first day, just hours into the cruise, I looked into their cabin and couldn't believe it. I found the room steward and told him right away not to worry about picking anything up. He was so thankful, he left towel animals on the beds and used hair ties, brushes, sunglasses, curling irons, etc. as accessories for the animals. Too cute.

Also, remember that you can ask for an entree to be pared down to appetizer size so that you can try something different or not eat too much or even eat more than one entree at one meal. If you have something you love at one meal, ask if you can have it at another. I adore the fruit "soups". My waiter will gladly serve it to me if it's not on the menu.

You WILL gain weight, just assume this will happen and pack clothes that will accomodate a few extra pounds. You'll be so glad you did, believe me.

[dluvsc]

Geez...I can't stop myself...:eek:

DO participate in activities. It doesn't have to be ALL of them, but don't just be a spectator. Chances are that you will never see any of these people again. Who cares if you think you've made a fool of yourself because you think you can't dance well and you've had a blast on the disco floor or been a team member in the pool olympics. It's FUN. As long as I live, I will never forget being on the women's team on the scavenger hunt on the last sea day up on the pool deck, with my boyfriend (age 48)who was on the men's team. As a tie-breaker, both teams had to send two members to dance on the stage to some hip-hop music played by the DJ. I almost wet my pants (actually, my bathing suit bottoms) watching my BF bumping and grinding, something I had no idea he could do so well, in front of hundreds of people cheering him on. It was awesome in every sense of the word.

DO dress up and go to dinner in the main dining room. You don't need to have diamonds dripping from your ears or wear a tux, but dress like you are going to a fancy restaurant, because you are. It's more than a meal, there's some entertainment by the wait staff on a few nights and you don't want to miss it. You can eat at a buffet at home and certainly, enjoy the buffet on the ship as well, but don't blow off the main dining room. Just don't.

My Dad once told me that education is a gift that no one can ever take away from you. I believe travel is too. You're making memories that'll last a lifetime. Life is the journey, not the destination.

[carefreemom]

DON'T let your DH hold all your ID when you go ashore, let him leave you and the kids to wander off to a cigar store, and then realize that you are in a foreign country and have no ID in case of emergency! (not that I know from experience :cool:)

DON'T use the handrails (when possible) when going up and down the stairs to avoid picking up any nasty germs. Watch the crew members and see how they avoid the rails.

DON'T worry about dressing up during the day while on board. Most folks are in beach wear and cover-ups. Super casual.


DO take a sweater to cover bare arms while inside the promenade. Those ships really crank up the cold air!

DO buy a $10 watch (they is ALWAYS a watch sale!) at one of the promenade table specials - cheaper than installing a new battery in your good watch at home!

DO order multiple desserts in the main dining room and multiple lobsters on lobster night. There is no additional charge for this. Taste, do not eat all the desserts :)

DO take the stairs as much as possible to work off those extra meals. If you choose to use the elevator, don't complain about their speed. There are thousands of people on these ships, folks!

DO enjoy the free soft serve ice cream available on all RCCL ships - unless you LIKE paying extra for a name-brand scoop.

[grumpyjr88]

DO keep track of your receipts and check your S&S account daily. Our friends had a few extra charges on theirs and they simply went to guest services and had them removed without any trouble.

DO go to the information events (ie: shopping 101, debarkation, etc...) Not only are they informative, but they're entertaining as well.

DO pick a general "home base" - a spot on the ship that you know you can go to when you don't know where your friends are. Ours was a table by the pool and if there was nobody there, I usually only had to wait a few minutes before someone in my group showed up. We also got to know one of the bar waiters (Joe Joe) and he seemed to always know what each of us was up to and would let us know where to find each other.

DO get to know your room steward. They will help you with anything you need.

DO relax and have a great time!

[shops54]

I love the challenge and the amazing freedom of packing with only carry-on bags. Imagine not having to wait for your bags the first night before changing for dinner, Imagine not having to search through the million bags for yours at customs; of having everything with you the last night, of walking down the street and through the airport and over the curbs with only a light-weight carry-on. My husband and I did just that on a 10 day trip to Oregon and more recently on a 7 day Southern Caribbean cruise. You are allowed a "personal" item in addition to your roll-aboard on the plane. For us that meant we each had a backpack (my sholdier bag was tucked inside mine, DH carried the camera and binoc's etc in his). My roll-aboard had room for his shoes since my clothes are quite smaller than his. It was a fun challenge to mix and match and make it all work - but for sure we packed enough undies for each day plus. There are other threads to show you how to do this but I highly recommend it.
One other thing. I always double tip but it is a choice we make not a rule someone else needs to follow. The staffs' lifestyle is pretty rough on the ship - as other posters noted, and they usually are supporting an extended family back at home. I would much rather have the memory of brightening a staff's day than buy another trinket to clutter up my house.

[Albumlady]

Gosh thanks for all the great advice. I have cruised once before about 15 yrs ago. But after reading these posts and yes I read all 6 pages of them..... I feel like I am a seasoned cruiser. Thanks again for all the info.

[GaNavy]

[quote name='cruiserbryce']its a pretty traditional one, but be sure to pack enough clothing...you will often find yourself changing multiple times in a day...getting up in the am, after a day in port and then again for dinner...[/quote]

Surely you jest. Pack LESS clothing than you think you'll need. I don't remember ever changing clothes more than once in a day. Sure, if you really want to bring all those clothes, go ahead...but you won't wear a lot of them, and you will pay more in checked luggage fees, especially if all those clothes result in your bag(s) being overweight: coats and shoes and denim are the big offenders.

Even if you change clothes a lot, three tops/shirts and three bottoms, if you mix and match, combine to form 9 outfits, which should cover you for a week's cruise. And if you're cruising for a longer time, use the laundry on board instead of taking more clothes - remember that everything you shlep onto the ship you'll also have to shlep off the ship and back home.

Happy travels to all! :)

[gtlovell]

JUST HAVE FUN! There are plenty of people on your ship that will be newbies too.
Also, realize that you will not be able to do everything because there is a TON to do. This just means you have to take another cruise :p


Here is a silly article I wrote to make you understand the depth of funny on a cruise ship:

[URL="http://purpleslinky.com/humor/travel/top-10-stupid-questions-to-ask-on-a-cruise/"][B]Top 10 Stupid Questions to Ask on a Cruise[/B][/URL]

[cooncat_mom]

Do put your medications in your carry-on or purse and keep it with you! (extra underwear & an outfit are smart too).

Do take your own hand sanitizer with you so you can use it after handling the menu, the stair railings, etc.

Do remember when you're in another country where you have to be a little careful about the water to count the ice as water, as well as the wet on the outside of a soda bottle from the ice it was sitting in!

Do remember to leave a little extra room in your bag for souvenirs.

Do, when you get to the pier, take one moment to look at [U]your[/U] ship - what a neat moment!

Do always remember how you felt the minute you realized "We're sailing!"

Do drink in all the sights and sounds and experiences. You may love cruising - but it will never be your first time again - savor it!