First cruise any advice?

[needabreakcanada]

We will be booking our first cruise when the Southern Caribbean schedule comes out for 2013.

 

I have a TA helping us. Any advise? Even step by step would be appreciated. Things like don't forget to... Or these are the things you need to book and in this order....Or how to book this or that and when you book them.

 

Any advise is appreciated - thanks want to be ready when they go online.

 

Oh and in case you find it strange - its my first time using a TA as well.

[NorbertsNiece]

Hi,

 

Has your TA agreed to honour price drops should they occur during the period of your booking?

 

Best advice I can give you is read the FAQ's at the top of the board, read the ports of call boards relevant to your itinerary and take your time with regards to cabin choice.

[Az's Cruising Nana]

If leaving from San Juan look at a hotel named Le Consulate. Not the Ritz but not a dump. It is in the Condado district and very central to good places to eat. Go a few days early if possible the bus system is pretty easy and reasonable. BTW my best advice have a good time.

 

Sue

[Caughrons]

Greetings,

 

You are probably going to get conflicting advice, as opionons differ on what people want from a cruise. My wife and I don't plan on doing much, then as things come up we do what we want to do.

 

If we are cruising with friends we have a few hard and fast cruise rules we as a group use. First if you talk about work it costs a round of drinks. Secound is that everyone does what they want to do.

 

As far as clothes. lay out everything you think you will want, then take half and put back in the closet. You won't really need that winter coat..:).

 

Enjoy yourselves and don't have too many pre-concieved ideas about the cruise. I don't think i helped you very much.

 

 

Caughrons

[DirtyDawg]

If your sailing out of a U.S port the first thing to do is decide how your are going to get there. If your are flying you can save lots of cash by flying out of Buffalo vs. Toronto.

 

And if you are flying, get to port the day before and don't book an early morning return flight the day the ship gets back. Give yourself some time at the beginning and end of the cruise - much less stressful that way.

[JMG]

Start or join a thread on the Roll Call Forum so that you can get a group together that are sailing on your cruise. You will have the opportunity to share lots of information with this group while you await your cruise.

 

Register for the Meet and Mingle for your cruise date. Hopefully enough people will sign up and there will be an official gathering on board.

[needabreakcanada]

TA will get price drops for me if I qualify. She also does not charge booking fee's. I have 4 rooms picked out and hopefully I can get one of those (balcony).

 

We fly in/out of San Juan. I will fly in one day early. Flying on aeroplan pts so will check out Toronto and Buffalo as we still have to pay taxes.

 

Have started reading the posts on FAQ's.

 

Thanks all.

[NorbertsNiece]

RCCL docks at the Pan Am pier. You will need to cab it from your hotel to the pier.

[BecciBoo]

Here's pretty much everything ever written on CC about first time cruising:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/search.php?searchid=30153048

 

Read up to your heart's content and Bon Voyage:D

[jackretired]

Trip insurance. Either RC or from your TA.