The one thing I wish I knew before my first cruise...

[westview1]

We had plenty of rom for our stuff on our first cruise, but with 3 "men" in the room, I got really tired of the questions like "where are my good shoes?" when all the shoes were under the bathroom sink on the shelf or floor. I swear, testosterone makes people blind. I thought the perhpas if all the shoes were hanging on the door, perhaps their vision would improve. ;)

 

It's the same principle that is applied to looking for something in the refrigerator. :)

[mynameisjonas]

For the person who asked about the martini tasting - we did this last year on the Glory and had a lot of fun. I think it was about $15-$20 and you get four samples. They were POTENT (and yummy). We also enjoyed chatting with the other people (it wasn't a large group - about 10 of us) participating. Do it! :)

[dustyroad]

We had plenty of rom for our stuff on our first cruise, but with 3 "men" in the room, I got really tired of the questions like "where are my good shoes?" when all the shoes were under the bathroom sink on the shelf or floor. I swear, testosterone makes people blind. I thought the perhpas if all the shoes were hanging on the door, perhaps their vision would improve. ;)

 

omg. you are going too have too mark your territory in the cabin and show them that woman rule :D. good luck

[blondietink]

It's the same principle that is applied to looking for something in the refrigerator. :)

 

Yes, that is a problem, too! I get tired of leaving them something to eat in the refrigerator, only to come home to everybody hungry because they "couldn't fine it" in the refrigertor.

 

They already know that women rule, because we are the only people who can find anything, whether that be at home, on a cruise, or any other vacation destination.

[83tonio]

I was 20 and me and my mom had a inside cabin. never again i didnt know what i was getting myself into. I even told her i would never room with her.

[dustyroad]

I was 20 and me and my mom had a inside cabin. never again i didnt know what i was getting myself into. I even told her i would never room with her.

 

im with you there. works for some, never for me

[mikel24m]

Would $100 a day in the casino be enough for a free drink card :)? I guess not :(.

 

$100 per day theres no chance for drinks unless you get very friendly with the casino host and they comp you a few rounds

 

Myself Im waiting for Carnival to get a real casino club and reward those of us who gamble more than the cost of the cruise.Over two weeks ago I emailed the players club to let them know when were cruising to get our freebies and still nothing! I guess I will save money this cruise and not gamble much and buy my own fruit basket and bottle of wine :)

[SKeighley]

make yourself a "cruise kit" I keep a small tupperware type container (it's not even big enough to hold a pair of shoes) and before each cruise I toss it in my checked luggage (you'll see why when I give you the contents) That way it's always there and ready to go. It may sound crazy but almost all of the items I have used at one time or another.

 

Flat first aid kit. A few antiseptic swaps, bandaids etc. Typically a campers type from Wal Mart is perfect.

 

One small container of Purell hand sanitizer

 

A miniature bottle of OFF insect repellant

 

An off brand Gerber multi-tool. It has a knife, small pliers, etc. Handy for everything from cutting a string off a frayed edge to using the pliers when ultimately your luggage zipper is caught.

 

A miniature screwdriver set (the kind used for repairing glasses that has an extra couple of screws) Nothing is worse than having to use your duct tape because the screw to your sunglasses fell out in the sea.

 

A combination corkscrew/bottle opener. I hate getting a bon voyage bottle of wine and having nothing to open it with.....

 

5 to 10 wet one individual wipes. Throw a few in your pocket at each port. You can never tell when you will have a chance to clean up before a lunch or after a long day of touring.

 

SHOUT individual stain remover packets. Perfect for that occassional food dribble that I am required to get on my shirt I planned on wearing later in the week or within 5 minutes of putting it on.

 

Two rolls of Tums. We can talk all we want about buffets and multiple meals, but you also have to worry about the consequences and it's not like you can run down to the local convenience store in the middle of the night.

 

The always critical extension cord.

 

A aa mag-lite. Perfect to put beside the bed for when a late night bathroom run is needed, plus an added bonus, screw the head completely off, stand it on it's end and it makes an excellent night lite for reading.

 

A tube of super glue. I've actually used this a few times for a minor repair that duct tape wouldn't help, specifically a decorate type button or item on my wife's clothes.

 

A few safety pins. Not usually for me, but definitely a life saver for my wife.

 

Clear finger nail polish GOOD FOR REPAIRS

 

A bungee cord (for the balcony rooms)

 

2 refrigerator magnets, thick size (for the AC unit when the bungee cord is being used)

 

Three or four pens, for some reason we can never find one to write a note or jot something down.

 

A small hotel type sewing kit

 

Immodium AD, once again for all of over indulgence and port visits.

 

A couple of minature chip type clips. Sometimes they are used to hold things on a refrigerator or come in a bigger package, you could always use clothes pins or the like. We always use ours on the window drapes to keep sunlight out early in the morning.

 

Zip ties. These are the ties usually to hold audio video cables together (you've some the much larger ones used as plastic handcuffs in riot situations on t.v. etc.) We always put these as a lock on our luggage, not so much to keep anyone out but to keep the bag from opening inadvertently. They can be taken off by security if necessary very easily, plus it lets you know immediatly if someone has been in your bag.

 

extra batteries

 

Almost all of the above items are very very inexpensive and a majority of them I found a "everythings a dollar" type store.

[CupKayke]

There are lots of things I wish I knew before my first two cruises and here are a few...

 

*A balcony room is a~m~a~z~i~n~g. I've also found I like being on a higher floor and having a room semi-close to an elevator.

 

*Research the ports ~ thoroughly ~ it's amazing the things I have found to do at 1/3 of the price of a ship excursion.

 

*Cappuccinos are free in the MDR at dinner.

 

*Try Tea Time ~ I had no clue about tea time until I found Cruise Critic. It's free, btw.

 

*It is okay to dress casual for dinner ~ jeans and capris ~ no work clothes required for vacation!

 

*You can order pasta as an appetizer in the MDR.

 

*You can order 2 or 3 of anything you want in the MDR! :eek: (Not sure I have the nerve, however!)

 

*Carnival ships have free ice cream and free pizza ~ 24 hours a day!

 

*Bring some fat clothes for the last few days of vacation ~ so I can comfortably waddle off the ship! :o

 

For the record, there are lots of things I wish I didn't know and I now know, thanks to CC... I had no clue the muster drill was "mandatory" as I have yet to attend one, I also had no clue that smoking/chair hogs/tips/etc were hot topics for some cruisers, and I had no clue some people were so critical of others ~ like who cares what someone else is wearing in the dining room ~ unless it's one of those "oh my" people, which I like to photograph anyway ;), I rarely notice anything about anyone besides all the smiles from the happy folks like myself who are simply enjoying VACATION!!! :)

 

GO WITH THE FLOW AND HAVE FUN IS MY BEST ADVICE... but I've always done that... even on my very first cruise!!! I LOVE VACATION!!!! :D

(Can you tell I only have 35 days until a 3-week vaca??)

[sparkleroxy86]

pack festive muu muus- one casual (port days, days at sea), one formal (formal night-DUH), and one waterproof for lido deck grill eatin;):p that way you can say oh my clothes still fit at the end of the cruise!

[dwillis43]

Make up some cruise cards. These are business cards with cruise and contact information on them so you can hand these out and keep in contact with those you meet onboard that you would like to stay in contact with.

[lbosarge]

Also don't be afraid to wear capris to dinner.

 

I dont know about this advice. My wife seems to get really angry whenever I wear capris to dinner :D

[KentuckyKat]

Make up some cruise cards. These are business cards with cruise and contact information on them so you can hand these out and keep in contact with those you meet onboard that you would like to stay in contact with.

 

That is brilliant! We sooo regret not having contact information for friends (tablemates) we met on our first cruise 10 years ago - we still look for them on FB, but can't find them. On our last cruise we were exchanging contact info on scraps of paper the last night. Prepared cards would have been great! Even my own business cards would have been better than scribbling on tiny scraps of paper during dinner in the MDR. I'm definitely remembering this!

[cruisenanny]

pack festive muu muus- one casual (port days, days at sea), one formal (formal night-DUH), and one waterproof for lido deck grill eatin;):p that way you can say oh my clothes still fit at the end of the cruise!

 

Too funny!!:p

[jdvmd]

That is brilliant! We sooo regret not having contact information for friends (tablemates) we met on our first cruise 10 years ago - we still look for them on FB, but can't find them. On our last cruise we were exchanging contact info on scraps of paper the last night. Prepared cards would have been great! Even my own business cards would have been better than scribbling on tiny scraps of paper during dinner in the MDR. I'm definitely remembering this!

 

Started doing this more than two years ago and I regret that I didn't start out sooner. We, too, had little scraps of paper with everyone's contact information. We put our ship and sailing information and home contact information on the business cards (print them ourselves) and also put the itinerary map on the back side of the card. My husband said all of our cruises were running together and this actually helps him remember which one was which.

[alitennessee]

Everyone is talking about a power strip being a necessity... Are there not many plugs? I'm not sure that we would need many. We turn phones off, camera is battery operated and I guess a hair dryer is all I need. Someone also mentioned bringing your own hair dryer. Those are available in the room, right? I am now questioning myself because it's been over a year since my last cruise. :confused:

 

Another question, are the BV liquors worth the cost. I've never done this. Hubby and I are mainly beer drinkers, but having a bottle for sipping on instead of ordering shots at a bar might be worth it? :confused:

 

This is a great thread and I'm sure I'll be tuning in every day til we set sail in 28 days. It makes me want to start my packing, but it might be a little early.;)

[Rockportgirl]

Everyone is talking about a power strip being a necessity... Are there not many plugs? I'm not sure that we would need many. We turn phones off, camera is battery operated and I guess a hair dryer is all I need. Someone also mentioned bringing your own hair dryer. Those are available in the room, right? I am now questioning myself because it's been over a year since my last cruise. :confused:

 

Another question, are the BV liquors worth the cost. I've never done this. Hubby and I are mainly beer drinkers, but having a bottle for sipping on instead of ordering shots at a bar might be worth it? :confused:

 

This is a great thread and I'm sure I'll be tuning in every day til we set sail in 28 days. It makes me want to start my packing, but it might be a little early.;)

 

I've never taken, nor needed a power strip. We turn our phones off as well, and there are plugs, just not a lot. I've never taken my own hair dryer, either, and I have very thick hair. The one in the room has always worked fine for me.

 

DH and I are mainly beer drinkers, also, but we will be getting a couple bottles from BV this time as I'm done with smuggling and the convenience and fun of being able to mix a drink in our room is worth it to us.

[friedshrimp]

On our honeymoon cruise we went with several other couples and we found ourselves pretty frustrated since DH is all about being on time and the others weren't like that. Two couples were constantly late from dinner to excursions, it was so annoying. Now if we travel with others we let them know up front this is what we're doing, feel free to join us if you choose but don't feel obligated, nothing is more annoying than having to wait around for others.

 

Completely agree with you. We just completed a cruise with several friends and we found that we usually did nothing together during the day but met in the MDR for dinner and talked about our day and how each experienced the ports differently. Was wonderful.

[alitennessee]

I've never taken, nor needed a power strip. We turn our phones off as well, and there are plugs, just not a lot. I've never taken my own hair dryer, either, and I have very thick hair. The one in the room has always worked fine for me.

 

DH and I are mainly beer drinkers, also, but we will be getting a couple bottles from BV this time as I'm done with smuggling and the convenience and fun of being able to mix a drink in our room is worth it to us.

 

 

Thanks for clearing that up. I'm not real particular about the little things. I usually let my hair air dry anyway. I'm trying to rule out what is not absolutely needed while making sure I include necessities. On that note, I'm thinking ordering through the BV is a necessity. :p So, where to go from here? Is there a 'menu'?

 

Another point... I always forget about packing the sweaters/sweatshirts. When it's a hot September day packing, it's easy to forget! Then I wind up freezing my booty off at night!!! :rolleyes:

[friedshrimp]

Everyone is talking about a power strip being a necessity... Are there not many plugs? I'm not sure that we would need many. We turn phones off, camera is battery operated and I guess a hair dryer is all I need. Someone also mentioned bringing your own hair dryer. Those are available in the room, right? I am now questioning myself because it's been over a year since my last cruise. :confused:

 

Another question, are the BV liquors worth the cost. I've never done this. Hubby and I are mainly beer drinkers, but having a bottle for sipping on instead of ordering shots at a bar might be worth it? :confused:

 

This is a great thread and I'm sure I'll be tuning in every day til we set sail in 28 days. It makes me want to start my packing, but it might be a little early.;)

 

There is usually only 1 plug available in a cabin. I usually take a standard 3 outlet extension cord, 1 outlet for my clock (rooms don't have them and I MUST have a clock), a second outlet to charge my camera, and the third is a spare.

[Twibbs]

Another question, are the BV liquors worth the cost. I've never done this. Hubby and I are mainly beer drinkers, but having a bottle for sipping on instead of ordering shots at a bar might be worth it? :confused:

 

This has the price for a BV bottle, followed by the price for a shot: http://www.zydecocruiser.com/menus/bv_liquor.htm

 

ETA: Bottles are all 1L

[alitennessee]

There is usually only 1 plug available in a cabin. I usually take a standard 3 outlet extension cord, 1 outlet for my clock (rooms don't have them and I MUST have a clock), a second outlet to charge my camera, and the third is a spare.

 

Good idea! And easy to store away in the suitcase. I'll keep that in mind.

 

Although, I really enjoyed our last cruise when we never knew the time. We use our cells for a clock and turned them off at the beginning. I'm usually a stickler with being on time and I found it exhilarating to think "what time is it?" And then think "Who cares?!?!" Only exception is while off the ship :eek:

[alitennessee]

Thank you!

[Twibbs]

Good idea! And easy to store away in the suitcase. I'll keep that in mind.

 

Although, I really enjoyed our last cruise when we never knew the time. We use our cells for a clock and turned them off at the beginning. I'm usually a stickler with being on time and I found it exhilarating to think "what time is it?" And then think "Who cares?!?!" Only exception is while off the ship :eek:

 

And then I miss dinner and martinis. :p

[TX Cruise Girl]

I wish I had realized from the beginning that my vacation doesn't begin when I set foot on deck. It begins in my driveway, when I head for the airport.

 

Now, I get myself in vacation mode even earlier, by researching on this site, and I fully enjoy the travel time to the airport, through all the checkpoints, with multiple stops and layovers, the overnight hotel in the port city....it's all vacation time, and it's all good!

 

Likewise, my vacation doesn't end sadly when I leave the ship for the last time. I still have the travel home to enjoy with just me and my husband.

 

Vacation REALLY ends when we realize that someone has to cook supper when we get home, and there will be no chocolates on our bed!

 

 

Great advice!