Newbie - I booked my first cruise - lots of questions - any advice

[ktmo]

I just booked our first cruise. It will be myself, my DH and my two DDs. They will be 5 (two weeks shy of 6) and 4 when we cruise. We are cruising out of Baltimore in April '11 on the Enchantment of the Seas. We are going to Port Canaveral and then on to the Bahamas. Any advice for a newbie?

 

I have looked into the excursions, but it doesn't look like anything is showing up at this time. Any idea when I can start booking those. Do they book up quickly? I don't want to miss out.

 

Any thing special we need to do to take advantage of Adventure Ocean. Can we schedule time before boarding, or do we do it after we board? Does it fill up quickly?

 

I am reading the boards and learning so much. Thanks in advance.

Katie

[BethV114]

I just booked our first cruise. It will be myself, my DH and my two DDs. They will be 5 (two weeks shy of 6) and 4 when we cruise. We are cruising out of Baltimore in April '11 on the Enchantment of the Seas. We are going to Port Canaveral and then on to the Bahamas. Any advice for a newbie? Make sure you all drink enough water! On my first cruise, I got terribly dehydrated and felt completey awful. Now I make sure to drink something (non-alcoholic) at regular intervals so this doesn't happen. Make sure the kids get enough fluids, as well. Nothing worse than feeling lousy on vacation when you can easily prevent it!

 

I have looked into the excursions, but it doesn't look like anything is showing up at this time. Any idea when I can start booking those. Do they book up quickly? I don't want to miss out. They usually open up around 90 days out, so just check back closer to your sailing. Don't worry, most won't sail out before sailing. Also consider researching the boards dedicated to your ports as you may find excursions that aren't sponsored by the ship that work better for you. This is what we usually do now.

 

Any thing special we need to do to take advantage of Adventure Ocean. Can we schedule time before boarding, or do we do it after we board? Does it fill up quickly? You can't schedule time before boarding. You must sign your child up on embarkation day and then after that I believe it's a drop in type of service where you drop your kids of as you/they please and pick them up when they're ready to leave. There may be special "events" that you have to sign up for, but you will get info on that when you sign up and/or in your AO Compass.

 

I am reading the boards and learning so much. Thanks in advance. Keep reading. You'll learn a lot and when you get back you can post a review!

Katie

 

Hope this helps. Have fun with your family!:)

[klingoncruiser]

You are soon to be so addicted!:D

[ktmo]

BethV114 - thanks for the information.

 

You are soon to be so addicted!:D

 

This is my fear. :o My DH is the one who has been wanting to go on a cruise for years. Now that the girls are older and there are ships sailing out of MD, I hope that we do this often.

[lady_cruiser]

Learn to relax while on your cruise. You will probably see long lines while trying to get off the ship at the different ports-of-calls, long lines while trying to get into one of the shows, etc. Some people, not all, will also push their way to the front of a line while boarding a tour bus, getting on the elevator or boarding a tender. Ignore them, step aside and let them do what they want. These people are very unhappy individuals and it is not worth your vacation to get upset over their lack of consideration.

 

You are on a vacation. You don't have to worry about fax machines breaking, phone calls that went unanswered, last minute memoes that need to get out or unscheduled board meetings that are lacking agenda items.

 

Sit back, relax and enjoy the new smells, sounds and cultures that await you.

[Paul65]

Don't worry about Adventure Ocean. There is no need to schedule time. You just sign up for the program and you'll get daily schedules of activities. I've never heard of AO "filling up." There will be some sort of orientation meeting on the first night, and that's a good thing to go to, especially for a newbie. But the program is not at all complicated.

 

BTW - Don't be scared by lady cruiser's comments. Long lines and pushing are not typical of cruises. Sometimes there are long lines to get off the ship in port, especially if you're trying to get off as soon as the doors open (because a bunch of other people will be doing the same). If you are not in a hurry, you can go down 10 - 15 minutes after the doors have opened, and there will not be much of a line. I've never seen a line to get into a show, but maybe that happens at times.

[lady_cruiser]

........

BTW - Don't be scared by lady cruiser's comments. Long lines and pushing are not typical of cruises. Sometimes there are long lines to get off the ship in port, especially if you're trying to get off as soon as the doors open (because a bunch of other people will be doing the same). If you are not in a hurry, you can go down 10 - 15 minutes after the doors have opened, and there will not be much of a line. I've never seen a line to get into a show, but maybe that happens at times.

 

I wasn't trying to scare her. But if you the read many of the posts or reviews here at CC you will always read that someone mentions how they were upset because some fool pushed them aside to get ahead of them on the bus, elevator or tender.

 

I was just letting the OP know that it will happen and not to be surprise by it. I just wished I had been warned on my first cruise that "some but not all" people leave their good manners at home. While I wasn't upset by it I was shocked that people did act like that on a cruise ship. I was always under the impression that all cruisers were happy go lucky people.

[Paul65]

I know. It's good advice. I just didn't want the OP to take from that an impression that crowds and long lines are typical. In my opinion, Royal does a good job of ship design to minimize the chance of feeling crowded.

 

But you most likely will run into the occasional pushy person, and I agree that you need to just let 'em go and not let it bother you.

[khm1]

Try the new RCI Faq thread for good information: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1195482

Have a great cruise!

[GEORGET]

Basic tips onboard

If you have prepaid your tips try mytime dinning as gives you flexibility,

Main dinning room

The meal can be as many courses as you want.(not three as it implies)

Use breakfast room service as a wake up call.

use the cabin fridge to store your sodas and milk

Milk can be obtained from Windjammers or room service

Find out where the ice cream machine is.

Dont bother buying bottled water.

Ask steward to do towel animals for the kids.

enrol the children in the chilrens club, to give you free relaxing time.

 

One thing it takes a couple of days to unwind, epecially after a long flight, so try and aviod long trips.

Hope it helps

enjoy

G

[hotrod1954]

I wasn't trying to scare her. But if you the read many of the posts or reviews here at CC you will always read that someone mentions how they were upset because some fool pushed them aside to get ahead of them on the bus, elevator or tender.

 

I was just letting the OP know that it will happen and not to be surprise by it. I just wished I had been warned on my first cruise that "some but not all" people leave their good manners at home. While I wasn't upset by it I was shocked that people did act like that on a cruise ship. I was always under the impression that all cruisers were happy go lucky people.

Well in me exp. If you wait on an elevator that is not crowed you will never get on one during the day. So hop on and take a ride