What would be the one nugget of advice you would give cruising "virgin"?

[GUT2407]

Don't overplan

 

and

 

don't stress the small stuff

[vamartha]

Pack your patience.

[oldracer]

We are taking our first cruise for our honeymoon on the Crown in July doing the Med. Just curious to know what you wished someone had told you before you went on your first cruise? :D

 

Don't feel like you have to do everything. Plenty of time, lots to do and using this site for research can save you many mistakes.

[kruisey]

It is easily done but don't get off on the wrong floor and wonder why your cabin door will not open:o;p

Take this hint from someone who only knows too well:o;)

[waltd]

Pack your patience.

Boy do I agree with you. We love cruising but there have been times. Patience, Patience, patience. Or a glass of wine. :D

[arb18]

If you are drinkers and have the money buy the all you can drink plan. It was so nice to get a drink and if it got watered down...get another one. Also got to drink many different things I probably wouldn't try without worry.

 

Take a drink into dinner with you unless you drink water and order another as soon as you sit. Sometimes drink service is sloe unless you are a traditional diner (they get to know what you like)

Ultimate Balcony Dinner is great if you have a balcony.

Find and seat and watch sail away from different ports.

Take magnets with clips to hang up documents or other things on the walls.

Relax!

 

 

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[eandj]

Don't overpack. Repeat outfits and mix and match. Save room/weight in a bag for things you might buy or collect for memories.

 

Beware of pick pockets. Keep your money and i.d's in a neck pouch under your hubby's shirt and you with a crossover bag. Leave passports in the room safe and carry copies.

 

Research tours online and book privately for smaller groups and nicer tour experiences.

[eandj]

Gratuities, my first cruise my travel agent neglected to tell us about tipping. There five of us in the cabin. My DH and my three kids. We. Were on a tight budget for this cruise and what a surprise when envelopes were brought to our room. That was several years ago, 1984!

 

Altho I remember this routine too, not a "happening" for the OP to worry about.:)

[Motorcyclemomma]

Make sure you sign up for the marriage game. It will be listed in the daily patter. They are looking for newlyweds and the prizes are fantastic.

Have fun.

[riclop]

You will be hooked like the rest of us.

[Lucky TGO]

My advice to you is just go and have a GREAT time on your honeymoon cruise. Stay away from the negative people.

Tony

[PescadoAmarillo]

Congratulations on your wedding!

 

Everyone has offered you great ideas; mine is not to feel you have to plan each and every day. Don't feel you're 'wasting' a port visit if you're not the first off the ship in the morning and the last back on. Mediterranean cruises are port intensive and nothing would ruin a honeymoon for me more than running myself ragged trying to see and do everything in the ports. Pick a couple of ports to focus on but go low key in others. Most Med ports offer Hop On Hop Off buses. If you're feeling slow after spending a prior day sightseeing, HOHO buses are a nice way to get an overview of a city. The sights basically come to you! You might even discover a few highlights of interest to see the next time you get there.

 

Besides that, just be chill. There may be a few bad moments (weather, crowding, service) but let the many more good ones stay in the forefront of your mind. It will be a wonderful honeymoon.

[ckb104]

So much good advice has already been posted, but I'm going to add my two cents anyway. =)

 

I'm one of those people who love to research everything and over-plan. I like to know what to expect as much as possible. However, once there, I let it all go. Try and go with the flow and don't try to do everything.

 

I firmly believe that your attitude will decide what kind of trip you have. I've seen reviews of the same cruise where one person had an amazing time and another hated everything - the weather, the food, the activities.

 

Ask questions or for help when you need to. That's what the staff is for. Being polite and kind will make you that much more likely to get great service.

 

Have fun and welcome to cruising!

[ontheweb]

Relax and enjoy. There's no way you can see/do everything in the ports, so see what interests you most, and appreciate just being there! Remember .... you can go back again on another cruise and see more.

 

The first time I went to Venice, I was thrilled, walked and walked and walked, to see as much as possible, thinking I would probably never be there again. A couple of years later, a great deal on a cruise popped up, I was able to go back to Venice!! That same sort of thing has happened for a number of ports in various parts of world that I was sure I'd never get back to..

 

I want to second the you may go back again advice.

 

Our first cruise was on our 25th anniversary, and we did a Western Mediterranean cruise. And because of my terrible sense of direction, we ended up on a train going the wrong way out of the port for Florence. (We did after my wife figured out what had happened, get back in time to at least see Pisa.) Ten years later for our 35th anniversary, we did a similar cruise, and this time we took the ship's Florence on your own tour and my art teacher wife booked the two major museums in advance on line, well worth the extra cost.

 

General advice---as others have said, do your research, but pace yourself. On that first cruise, we had all our ports and then finally a sea day. My wife said, "I'm tired of people waiting on me and I just want peanut butter and jelly."

 

I wish I had discovered these boards before that cruise. Keep asking questions. And definitely find the roll call for your cruise. We actually for a Baltic cruise for our 30th anniversary met a couple from our cruise in person before the cruise.

[gottagocit]

Unless you're very familiar with the transportation systems in the embarkation city, consider booking the Princess transfer to start your voyage. Navigating your way to the port and ship with your luggage in tow can be daunting for some. Doing so while already stressing a bit about boarding logistics can be especially frustrating for a new cruiser.

 

The transfer allows you to hand off your luggage when boarding the transfer bus in the city and as long as you have the princess luggage tags installed properly you'll not have to see (or handle) them again until they're delivered to your cabin. Just make sure you have all of your cruise documents and passports...etc in a small bag they you keep.

 

 

Chris

[Pmorton3360]

Be aware that on Med cruises, you dock a long way from the city you want to see. Trains are available and private excursions. Rome is a very large city and Florence is very small. You can walk from the Academia to the bridge in a short time. Book tickets for museums and the Sistine Chapel ahead. Check out Rick Steve's. Full of great information. Have a great time. So many fabulous things to see.

 

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[oxypete]

My advice to you is just go and have a GREAT time on your honeymoon cruise. Stay away from the negative people.

Tony

This may be the best advice you could receive and I second it without reservation.

 

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[Happy2cruise]

All of the postings have great tips. Mine is a little different. If you or your husband to be have a tendency to get motion sickness be prepared with some medication. I am one who has experienced motion sickness. I find that taking Bonine several days before I cruise is my cure. I hope that you have a wonderful cruise and many happy years of marriage.

 

 

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I have also read that ginger tablets are effective for motion sickness.

[Mediterranean honeymooner]

Wow so much great advice and all of it really useful!

 

My fiance and I are so excited to be going on this cruise......probably more than the actual wedding 😄 (I'm afraid I'm turning into a bridezilla!!!)

 

We have decided that we will book the princess tours for Rome and Florence but make our own way for the other ports. My fiance as a really big fan of the movie Gladiator really wants to stand in the colleseum, I want to see the Sistine chapel and throw a coin in the trevi fountain. I am really looking forward to Florence as I love renaissance art, plus the Ponte Vecchio is such a romantic bridge. Other than that we have decided that we will take it easy at the other ports.

 

We have taken the advice and have already booked the balcony dinner, we have booked it for the fourth day of the cruise so we will be well past the Bay of Biscay and high winds.

 

Luckily we are both good sailors but will be packing some medication just in case......apparently green apples are a good treatment!

 

Thank you all for taking the time to give all the excellent advice and tips.

 

Xxx

[jeromep]

On port days, assuming that you haven't booked an excursion that happens about the time the ship docks, you don't have to get off the ship when everyone else is trying to get off. Likewise, if a port doesn't seem interesting, or if you don't feel you'll have enough time to enjoy your time in port, stay on board. And some ports just aren't worth visiting. Do your research.

 

On port days the spa lowers their prices and are much more competitive than on sea days. Plus, the ship is remarkably peaceful when most of the passengers are gone, you have nearly all the venues to yourself and the few others who are choosing to stay on board. I'm a bit of a ship rat (I frequently enjoy the ship much more than the ports) so staying on board is a welcome time of peace and relaxation.

 

Have the Princess Love Boat Dream at least once. It's a chocolate mousse desert and it is really very good. If you can find Opera Cake, often times in the buffet, do have a piece or two of that. And order the Volcano from the kids menu, yet another desert.

 

Synchronize your watches with ship's time and pay attention to the notices in the Patter and the little cards they hand out regarding any time changes that the ship moves through. Make any time changes to your watches before going to bed at night. And always pay attention to the ship's departure time. If you are a planner and worrier like me, you will want to be back at the dock and going through security to board the ship at least an hour before the stated departure time.

[mdgary]

Consider signing up for the Ultimate Ships Tour when you first get onboard. It's around $150 per person but well worth it. Normally last's around 3 hours and includes "free" gifts and pictures on the bridge with the Captain.

 

 

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[framer]

Honeymoon...

 

Room service...

 

Enjoy the moment.

 

framer

[pris993]

We are taking our first cruise for our honeymoon on the Crown in July doing the Med. Just curious to know what you wished someone had told you before you went on your first cruise? :D

 

Assume you will go back again, do not try to do and see it all. Mediterranean is wonderful... over past 20+ years we have gone again and again... have been to most ports, east, west and middle east... all fantastic. Have a great time.

[Woobstr112G]

Don't try and do too much each day. Join your roll call and look into private excursions vs the ship based ones. I've grown to love them as they seem to offer more personalized service than a ship's bus filled with 40 passengers.....:):):)

 

Bob

[ChiefBoats]

We are taking our first cruise for our honeymoon on the Crown in July doing the Med. Just curious to know what you wished someone had told you before you went on your first cruise? :D

Just enjoy yourselves.