Total newbie - feeling hideously unprepared

[ellay864]

Hi, I have just posted on the roll call board as with less than a month to go I'm feeling so unprepared and starting to worry. Sailing for first ever cruise on Celebrity Equinox to Eastern Med, 10 nights on 1 June. Haven't done anything about booking excursions yet :eek:

Did have a chat with my boss at work who's done a few cruises including an Eastern Med one and she said she doesnt book with the cruise lines as they're pricey, she's always done her own thing. Kind of like that idea but now getting scared!

Please reassure me and tell me what is the critical stuff I really do need to worry about given the lack of time left!

[Guest LoveMyBoxer]

Hi, I have just posted on the roll call board as with less than a month to go I'm feeling so unprepared and starting to worry. Sailing for first ever cruise on Celebrity Equinox to Eastern Med, 10 nights on 1 June. Haven't done anything about booking excursions yet :eek:

Did have a chat with my boss at work who's done a few cruises including an Eastern Med one and she said she doesnt book with the cruise lines as they're pricey, she's always done her own thing. Kind of like that idea but now getting scared!

Please reassure me and tell me what is the critical stuff I really do need to worry about given the lack of time left!

 

Has your boss sailed and travled to Europe before? If so, he/she probably knows what they are doing.

 

Since this is your first cruise, and possibly your first time Europe, I highly suggest that you look at the excursions through the ship. We only book independent tours in places we have previously visited, since we know the lay of the land. Even though it will cost you more, having the peace of mind that they will take care of you and you will not miss the ship if something happens, is worth it.

[Kamloops50]

Hi, I have just posted on the roll call board as with less than a month to go I'm feeling so unprepared and starting to worry. Sailing for first ever cruise on Celebrity Equinox to Eastern Med, 10 nights on 1 June. Haven't done anything about booking excursions yet :eek:

Did have a chat with my boss at work who's done a few cruises including an Eastern Med one and she said she doesnt book with the cruise lines as they're pricey, she's always done her own thing. Kind of like that idea but now getting scared!

Please reassure me and tell me what is the critical stuff I really do need to worry about given the lack of time left!

 

On the first visit to a port we usually book thru the cruise line.

A little pricier but peace of mind that the ship will wait for you or the cruise line will transfer to the next port.

[blueblock]

And I'm going to take the contrary view. I've been on two Mediterranean cruises and taken only two ship's excursions. I tend to do my own things in ports - with a little advance planning, and if you know what you want to see, it's often not so very hard to walk or take a bus or metro (or for a bit more money, a taxi) to the things you want to see in European ports. That said, that's not everybody's style of travel, and only you know what your style is. Many people would rather have someone else (like the ship) take care of the logistics, and there's nothing wrong with that.

 

I've been to Ephesus twice, and both times I coordinated with people on my Roll Call and we booked a private tour with a local company, which was great and much cheaper than the ship's excursion.

[trish1c]

Take a big long deep breath.

The only critical things to do are as follows:

1. book a cruise
   
2. pay for it
   
3. have a passport
   
4. pack
   
5. get to port of departure
   
6. board / set up on board account
   
7. enjoy!
   

The rest is details & can be worked out. Assuming you have at least 1-3 already done, you are fine.

As for excursions, it's entirely up to you. If you are an otherwise seasoned traveler, by all means research & book independently. If you aren't, for a 1st trip it's probably more prudent to book with the cruise line.

Either way, 1st go to Celebrity's website & check out what the cruise line is offering at every port. Jot down anything that is interesting to you.

Next scroll through your entire Roll Call thread. See if anybody has booked anything that you find intersting. You may be able to add yourself to that.

Now go to the ports of call board & see what is recommended at your ports on these boards.

Cross check tripadvisor.com & any other travel sites you trust.

Narrow your choices down & book.

This process will take a few hours just b/c there is a lot to read on a variety of sites but a month out you probably still have lots of choices.

You are fine & can still have a good time even if you didn't book all these trips 6 months ago.

[Daisyloo]

Has your boss sailed and travled to Europe before? If so, he/she probably knows what they are doing.

 

Since this is your first cruise, and possibly your first time Europe, I highly suggest that you look at the excursions through the ship. We only book independent tours in places we have previously visited, since we know the lay of the land. Even though it will cost you more, having the peace of mind that they will take care of you and you will not miss the ship if something happens, is worth it.

 

I agree with Love MyBoxer. As you are a total newb this might be the easiest and safest way to have a nice vacation. There are usually many ship sponsored excursions to choose from that will be well organized and interesting. The operators want to stay in the ships good books so they will look after you and get you back to the ship safely and on time. It might cost a bit more than hiring someone at the port, but you will have peace of mind and that is important too.

[cb at sea]

This is just a vacation. There is no "right or wrong" way to do it! If you're interested in the ports, get yourself a guidebook and start reading it. So many things are easy and cheap to do on your own, but you MUST have information! Research is key. Ship's excursions are fine, if you don't want to bother yourself with researching. You'll have a great time, no matter how you do it! And, ship excursions are total "no-brainers"...they tell you when and where to meet your group, and they take care of everything...no thinking on your part at all. Easy.

You can save money by doing things on your own, or booking a private guide, but you have to do the 'legwork'!!!

[rutgersgirl27]

I've never done a private excursion, I've always either done something through the ship, or took a cab, and explored on my own. I'm the type who would worry about getting back in time, and that makes ship excursions worth it. Everyone is comfortable doing different things.

 

My suggestion would be to see what's available within the vicinity of the port, and let that be your guide. If it seems like you are docking close to an exciting part of the city, then maybe save your money and take that as a do-it-yourself day. If it seems like you are docking some place where you need a cab to first get into the city, you might consider doing a ship excursion because of the convenience. Also, if you have a long day at port, you may feel more comfortable booking something private because you are giving yourself plenty of time to return. And no matter what you choose to do, make sure you have the number of the cruiseline on you. It's a good practice in case of any issues. Have fun on your vacation!

[Sauer-kraut]

I just want to add, DON'T TRY AND DO IT ALL!! Schedule some downtime, relax and enjoy the ship. You don't HAVE to get off in every port, or just do a bit of walking around and head back to the ship to take a nap or enjoy the nearly empty swimming pool.

 

Take the time to relax and enjoy the trip, don't sweat the small details and get to know the Ports of Call boards they are a wealth of information!

[lahlah57]

You'll be hooked and the meditteranean is beautiful! But beware of anyplace you know nothing about! As a newbie stick with the cruiseline excursions and "their timeline".

True.....you do not have to get off at every port and it is lovely to be on a ship all to yourself! Study the ports and what is offered as far as excursions. Nothing says you have to do the most $$$$excursion.

As a newbie......do not be adventurous until you have had a few cruises under your belt with a sense of timelines, language barriers, money issues as well as the safety of the regions you would be visiting.;)

Firstly though...have fun:D and allow your intuition to guide you!

[djcass4199]

I would agree with most of the above posters that have said book your first excursions through the ship.

 

I'm about to go on my 4th cruise and I'd like to book through an external party. My biggest fear (and I'm sure others probably feel the same way) is that if you miss your port due to an unforseen circumstance, you might not get your money back. Or if something bad happens while you are in port and you miss the ship, coordinating to get back on while in a foreign place is intimidating and really scary.

 

Maybe one of these days I'll try to book indie but for now, I'll just book through the ship, or just get off in port and walk around (which is what we usually do anyways).

[aims85]

Hi! I am exactly the same and we are on your cruise as well so don't worry you won't be the only one looking conufsed!! I've never crusied before and all the information on these boards and the roll call is scaring me a bit as we haven't researched or planned anything and now I'm scared we will miss out on things by not having thought ahead!

 

We have just decided on a couple of ports where we will have a wander/go to the beach etc then probably get back on the boat to relax and a couple of others I think we will try do our own thing i.e. Santorini we might get the bus to Oia and back again but for other larger places I don't know what to do. Like people have said if you go for the ship excursions you don't have to worry, but we don't fancy being herded around with lots of other people, plus none of the trips appeal in their entirity - I don't want to waste lots of money going to 4 places on the excursion when I only want to see two of them! But then if we go independent I have no idea how to go about it... Argh!!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Make a couple of lists of things you need to make certain that you take with you -- either in a purse or your carry-on. These items you do not want to pack in your regular luggage:

 

Passport

Cruise documents

Air line tickets

Medications

Any transfers you have booked

Documentation of tours prebooked

Cameras

 

Have you checked the ports you are visiting to see what currancy they are using? If most are using Euros -- you would be wise to buy some at home.

[pdmlynek]

Welcome to CC, ellay!

Whether you book an excursion with the cruise ship or do something on your own really depends on how comfortable you are on your own or with other cruisers. How often do you travel internationally, how comfortable are you with your own research, how comfortable are you at negotiating with drivers, etc.?

[CruzieSue]

Just completed our first cruise this past March. I was very nervous as well. Sometimes information on CruiseCritic can be an overload and sometimes it's very conflicting - someone had a great experience, someone had a horrible experience.

 

If you have a friend (boss) who has cruised before, get their advice. We booked 2 excursions through the ship and 1 private. The private excursion came very highly recommended and on their website they stated they were very conscious of the times of the ships coming and going and did everything possible to get everyone back when they needed to be back. In our confirmation email, the owner even stated they knew exactly when our ship arrived and left, gave us excellent directions to find them, and that we would be just fine, and we were. :)

 

So far, everyone has given you great advise on this post. MOST IMPORTANTLY - RELAX AND HAVE FUN. It will be great and you'll wonder why you worried so much. :)

[rmurray847]

My wife and I went on our first cruise last year. 10 days, Eastern Mediterranean, Norwegian Jade. It was GREAT!

 

We did no ship excursions. Googled something like "Ephesus Shore Excursions", found some companies, and the ones that looked good, double checked on Tripadvisor. We saved serious money in Greece, Turkey & Egypt and got to see A LOT more than the folks on buses...and at our own pace. For example, our Ephesus tour from Izmir was $226 for the both of us, driver and a private guide. UNREAL. We had a fantastic time and did a LOT of stuff.

 

We're doing a Western Med this summer...private excursions are A LOT more expensive in Italy and other Western countries. So we'll try a few more on our own.

 

If you're going to Ephesus, by the way, be sure to book a tour that includes the Terrace Houses. They are fantastic. No joke.

 

I wish I could tell you who to book with, but if you search for this user name on Tripadvisor you might find my reviews of the folks we used.

[griffy116]

We've cruised several times but never to the Med. We decided to book a private excursion to Ephesus. We found the tour company highly recommended on TripAdvisor and we checked on the roll call for people that had used this company and found them to be very reputable. It's much less money and we will be able to see more. We will probably use some sort of service through RCI in Piraeus/Athens. We haven't made plans for the other ports yet. It can be overwhelming, even if you've done the cruising bit numerous times. Do what makes you feel most comfortable.

[ellay864]

Thanks everybody...this place is busy but very friendly! I'm a Brit and have been to a few places in Europe and we've always done our own thing - we quite like being independent and not being 'herded round' as somebody else put it. My boss has since had another chat with me and told me that Athens is quite easy to bus around, and we've done hopping round other European places on public transport so hoping that maybe that's an option we can do. It's our 'official' honeymoon (got hitched in October, guests chipped in to fund the cruise so couldn't book til we knew what we could afford lol) so hubby in particular wants to try to grab some 'us time'. We've got 4 kids between us so escaping for a while is something we want to make the most of. One other reason I'm not too keen on big group trips is that I have a hip problem and after walking a bit I tire so being indie means we're not having to keep up with anybody else. But I'm going to look at what tours are left on the roll call and see what takes our fancy. Though I do now feel a bit calmer and realise it's not the end of the world if I don't book things - thank you:)

P.S. Aims, if you see a 40-something woman with a shiny purple walking stick that could be me :D

[KCcruisin07]

Sounds like you are feeling more comfortable now. It really is fun, and the crew on Celebrity will do a great job of pampering the two of you. What a nice gift your friends have given you!

You may still be able to join some of the people on your roll call on some of the outings. On a cruise in Italy a group of us took the train together and then went our separate ways when we got to Florence. Sometimes the ship excursion is pretty much the only way to get around, so we've booked one or two ship excursions on a cruise in places like that.

This is a great way to celebrate your marriage, and I know you'll have a great time.