Pure excitement - but a long way to go!!

[blitz1964]

I am so glad that I found Cruise Critic. I have never been on a cruise in my life and am looking so forward to going. We however, will not be cruising until June or July 2015! I won't be able to stand it by the time it gets here! Going on our cruise will be myself, husband and grown daughter plus my son and his family of four, my parents and my sister and her family. We just want to give everybody the opportunity to save money and have no worries when the time gets here!

 

We know for sure we will be booking on the Carnival Magic out of Galveston and I can't wait. My grandson is super excited about the water slides and says that's the ship we have to go on!

 

Any way although we have a long way to go, I have already learned so much from Cruise Critic and have started a notebook to keep track of it all. I think everybody in my family is a little tired of all my "cruise talk" so I am super excited about having a place where I can talk all about it! :rolleyes:

 

Looking forward to meeting everybody and I know as the time draws near, I will have tons of questions!

[Gunner22aa]

Here you will find a wealth of information on all things cruising from some very experienced travellers. Remember that the only stupid question is the one that doesn't get asked. No doubt you will get lots of conflicting opinions on here as well. That doesn't mean we hate each other or don't respect others views but rather we all have different tastes, preferences and in a lot of cases budgets that we need to work within. Don't ever let any of this worry you. Pay attention to the reviews of the ship you want to go on. There is a lot of information there that you might not find on the boards. Don't however take every word as the gospel. Lots of times you will see two very conflicting reviews of the same cruise. For one it was the trip of a lifetime and for the next the maiden voyage of the Titanic would have been a better trip. Pretty much boils down to specific likes/dislikes and personal expectations.

 

Once again welcome and enjoy your stay here. $2 will get you $10 your first cruise won't be your last! It's a great way to vacation.

[blitz1964]

Thank you so much for the welcome and advice! I am going into this open-minded and the one thing I have learned for sure from these boards is that your cruise is what you make it!

[cb at sea]

Enjoy the anticipation...that's a HUGE part of the excitement!

 

You have tons of time, so get guidebooks from your library on the ports you'll visit. Knowing something about where you're visiting is key to getting the most from you time ashore! Info about beaches, shopping, historical sites, safety issues (if any), transportation, etc.....it's good to know something!!! And, you may find that you don't need to spend lots of $$$ on excursions...what interests you might be easy on your own!

 

Bring binoculars...there's lots to see at sea!

 

And remember....there is no "right" or "wrong" way to take a vacation! Do what you want, when you want! A "must do" for one might be a "never in a million years" for another!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Once you have taken that first cruise, you will be hooked.

Check out the Carnival Board here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=215

 

Check out your Ports of Call here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=587

Family Cruises here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49

 

Join your Roll Call by scrolling down here until you find the date for the Magic cruise you will be on:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=626

[blitz1964]

Thanks for the welcome! Although my family seems a little "tired" of my cruise talk, I keep telling them at least we'll be prepared because of all that I am learning!

[Scrapnana]

Thanks for the welcome! Although my family seems a little "tired" of my cruise talk, I keep telling them at least we'll be prepared because of all that I am learning!

 

Come and talk with us! We love to talk cruising. The time goes by quickly. My last and upcoming cruise were both booked over a year out. I still can't believe how the days are flying by when I look at my countdown clock.

[Keith1010]

It is always very exciting to look forward to a cruise whether this is your first cruise or you have cruised many times in the past. I wish you a wonderful time.

 

Keith

[kcwingwalker]

Thanks for the welcome! Although my family seems a little "tired" of my cruise talk, I keep telling them at least we'll be prepared because of all that I am learning!

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

Stay with CC and you will learn so much. I always love the planning and the anticipation of a cruise. I'm like a child waiting for Christmas.

 

Good Luck and have fun making your plans!

[xnavydoc2]

I just wanted to say congratulations to all those who replied to the OP. I've been a cc fan for a long time. YOU people are what it's all about. You all are the epitome of graciousness and style. A real class act. This thread should be required reading for all newcomers. Thanks for keeping up the true tradition of what Cruise Critic is all about.

[Harry and Lucille]

Really depends on finances. Who pays and when. Cost, etc. etc.

 

Wife and I came into some funds. No explanation here, however, it provided us the chance to provide a trip for our family.

 

Three children, four grand children and a daughter in-law. I was the TA. Scheduled air and seating, cruise, pre-cruise hotel, after cruise tour air boat thru the everglades.

 

10 of us. Two had never been out of the State. Three had never seen the ocean. Two had never flown on an airplane. Seven had never been on a cruise. An old couples dream.

 

Only one requirement for the group. We would meet for dinner on formal nights. Other than that? They were all on their own.

 

The only glitch??? Youngest Grandson forgot to bring his dress shoes. Only the second time that we saw our Grandsons in a suit. (first was at grannies funeral). Great Formal Picture with all of us. Three in tuxes. Gals dressed to the nines in their gowns and the youngest in his suit and tennis shoes. lol

 

At my age, wish I could to it again. :cool:

[blitz1964]

I have been busy, busy at work and haven't had time for replies. Thanks again to everybody that has made me feel so welcome and I am continuing to learn so much.

 

Thanks again!

[attilamom1217]

Welcome to Cruise Critic and the world of cruising in general.

 

Once you book your cruise, look for your roll call. your fellow cruisers will have a plethora of knowledge. Some will have been on that same ship before, others will have been on other Carnival ships, some will be new to Carnival; and some will be like you and your family - cruising newbies!

 

I found cruise critic while we were planning our first cruise and did alot of reading about different ships and cruise lines. I found my roll call as soon as we booked the cruise and have had this wonderful sounding board ever since.

 

For the most part, everyone is wonderful and will do their best to answer your questions. After all, we are all here because we love cruising and want to share with others. However, be careful of the 'negative nellies' who will only give you negative feedback or make generally negative comments on various boards.

 

Your family will love Carnival. There will be much to do for everyone.

[Troyer5]

I want to welcome you also. You will find several posters that give great advice [i have seen about a dozen over the various boards, a few have already replied here]. After awhile you should know which ones to trust, which ones are just fun to read

 

Doug