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What is the one valuable lesson you learned on your first cruise 🚢


Mommawo
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Stop take a breath and enjoy.

Don't overpack. (You will) 

Don't like your dinner , ASK for something else.

Chilled soups.

Get 2 Apps, Dinners, Desserts.

Talk to bartenders/ waitstaff/cabin steward they are away from their families for months at a time. 

Expect to book another cruise, it is that good.

Don't sweat the small stuff everything won't be perfect.

Avoid buffet at prime times for breakfast/lunch it does get crazy.

Want a chair by the pool get there early. Chair Hogs will be out early 7:00 a.m. or before to "claim" their spot. 

Edited by beerman2
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2 hours ago, beerman2 said:

Stop take a breath and enjoy.

Don't overpack. (You will) 

Don't like your dinner , ASK for something else.

Chilled soups.

Get 2 Apps, Dinners, Desserts.

Talk to bartenders/ waitstaff/cabin steward they are away from their families for months at a time. 

Expect to book another cruise, it is that good.

Don't sweat the small stuff everything won't be perfect.

Avoid buffet at prime times for breakfast/lunch it does get crazy.

Want a chair by the pool get there early. Chair Hogs will be out early 7:00 a.m. or before to "claim" their spot. 

I am so excited to try the chilled soups !!! Hubby and I are by nature early risers.  We are just on a schedule ya know early to bed and early to rise because of pesky jobs. Even on vacation we tend to be up early.  Normally on a beach vacation our kids go (2 are grown up and out of the house) and they bring boyfriends or something and of course the teenager brings a friend.  Anyways hubby and I are normally up and ready go eat breakfast and run an errand or something and are back with their breakfast by the time they are all rolling out of bed. That should work well for us here.  However I don’t see is wanting to grab a chair but who knows 

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Just now, Mommawo said:

I am so excited to try the chilled soups !!! Hubby and I are by nature early risers.  We are just on a schedule ya know early to bed and early to rise because of pesky jobs. Even on vacation we tend to be up early.  Normally on a beach vacation our kids go (2 are grown up and out of the house) and they bring boyfriends or something and of course the teenager brings a friend.  Anyways hubby and I are normally up and ready go eat breakfast and run an errand or something and are back with their breakfast by the time they are all rolling out of bed. That should work well for us here.  However I don’t see is wanting to grab a chair but who knows 

Oh also I love the tip about being kind to servers and such.  It’s a great way to live in general!!!!

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On 11/29/2018 at 8:55 AM, Mommawo said:

Lol um yeah I can see that is a big piece of advice there. I have a feeling there is a huge story here 😂.  I will be going w my hubby. On our honeymoon/28 year anniversary and my birthday celebration cruise 😂.   First trip we have ever been able to take just the two of us in all theses years.  

 

 

 

Lessons I have learned ( abridged version) 

1) Be cautious about bringing teenagers that don't live at your house. Nothing major here but some issues that really complicated the mood of our cruise.

2) Be VERY cautious about the adult singles you cruise with. People who are neurotic complainers on land don't usually improve at sea. Both of my problem people were adult singles , but that doesn't mean that they all are. 

3) On a "couples only cruise" be sure that all of your couples actually enjoy spending lots of time together. Just one couple who doesn't can really make things weird for everyone else.

4) Don't tell yourself that you can get along with the family "for just a week". If they drive you crazy on land you definitely don't want to be trapped at sea with them. 

 

I enjoy cruising with my kids ( I have 8 of them, with 4 being grown adults now) but my favorite way to cruise is with just my hubby. Our 29th is December 30th and we are sailing on Valentines week to celebrate. It is 4 couples celebrating big anniversaries - and we all like our spouse a lot ♥️

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On the subject of towels --- We bring microfiber towels everywhere on vacay and for shower towels in our camper. We have used them as towels, shade and sunscreen on a hot day, privacy curtains for clamshells etc. We like the XL ones with the snap loop tether (very handy on windy sailboats) . Here are two brands we own and like :

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QKV1RLE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0168LB0TY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

We have bought them for cruise gifts and we also used them for prizes when we host parties for group cruises and folks really like them . They take the space of a pair of socks in your luggage. In my opinion it's totally worth it. I will only use ship towels ON the ship because they are bulky/heavy and overpriced if lost. 

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On 12/3/2018 at 12:28 PM, Athankfulheart said:

 

 

 

Lessons I have learned ( abridged version) 

1) Be cautious about bringing teenagers that don't live at your house. Nothing major here but some issues that really complicated the mood of our cruise.

2) Be VERY cautious about the adult singles you cruise with. People who are neurotic complainers on land don't usually improve at sea. Both of my problem people were adult singles , but that doesn't mean that they all are. 

3) On a "couples only cruise" be sure that all of your couples actually enjoy spending lots of time together. Just one couple who doesn't can really make things weird for everyone else.

4) Don't tell yourself that you can get along with the family "for just a week". If they drive you crazy on land you definitely don't want to be trapped at sea with them. 

 

I enjoy cruising with my kids ( I have 8 of them, with 4 being grown adults now) but my favorite way to cruise is with just my hubby. Our 29th is December 30th and we are sailing on Valentines week to celebrate. It is 4 couples celebrating big anniversaries - and we all like our spouse a lot ♥️

This seriously cracked me up.  No way I’m bringing family other than my kids adult also except 1. Yeah I can see how your advice could be valuable 

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To always fly in at least 1 day prior to the cruise.  We were due to leave out of Tampa.  A hurricane was coming up around the southern tip of Florida up the west coast of Florida.  About the time we landed in Tampa they closed Miami airport.  They closed Tampa a couple of hours later.  The boat went to the east coast of Florida and they took us by bus from Tampa where we met the boat.  My wife was watching the weather as we had to go to Chicago and then down to Tampa.  She was afraid they would close the Tampa airport before we got there.  I am a pilot and looked closely at the weather sources and told her we should have a couple of hour window to get in to Tampa.  It was stressful.  Really stressful for her.  From that point on we always go the day before.

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On 11/28/2018 at 7:37 AM, PhillyFan33579 said:

Why did I wait so long to book a cruise?  That was the biggest thing I learned on my first cruise (Paradise out of Tampa). 

Yes!  I never considered a cruise before because I have motion sickness and was too afraid.  I do have to use some medication but it is not like I feared. I wasted a decade I could have been cruising instead of going to Disney.

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On 11/28/2018 at 9:21 AM, MommytoAsquared said:

 

And along with this - The busiest the buffet will ever be is embarkation day lunch.

That is what I always say to people. You only notice how crowded thee ship is on embarkation day.

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4) Don't tell yourself that you can get along with the family "for just a week". If they drive you crazy on land you definitely don't want to be trapped at sea with them. 

 

 

Been there - done that. Great vacation. Nobody was talking to anybody else by the end.

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On 12/4/2018 at 3:03 PM, awreaper said:

To always fly in at least 1 day prior to the cruise.  We were due to leave out of Tampa.  A hurricane was coming up around the southern tip of Florida up the west coast of Florida.  About the time we landed in Tampa they closed Miami airport.  They closed Tampa a couple of hours later.  The boat went to the east coast of Florida and they took us by bus from Tampa where we met the boat.  My wife was watching the weather as we had to go to Chicago and then down to Tampa.  She was afraid they would close the Tampa airport before we got there.  I am a pilot and looked closely at the weather sources and told her we should have a couple of hour window to get in to Tampa.  It was stressful.  Really stressful for her.  From that point on we always go the day before.

Yep! I tried this once, too. I was a nervous wreck until we checked in at the port. Never again.

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Use caution when reading threads where people say "blah blah is a must have item". Maybe for them but not always for you.

 

I'd read lists and took things like the over the door organizer, night lights, hangers, duct tape, stuff like that. Every single one of those items were in the trashcan by the end of day 2. They just took up space in the luggage. 

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One thing I'd probably say is to not get plastered drunk! I will just leave it at that.:classic_ohmy: This was in 2005 when I was barely 21 with my family and then-fiance (now husband). Nowadays I see security guards outside peoples rooms when people get too drunk and just shake my head. Oh to be young and dumb!

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On 12/3/2018 at 1:36 PM, Athankfulheart said:

On the subject of towels --- We bring microfiber towels everywhere on vacay and for shower towels in our camper. We have used them as towels, shade and sunscreen on a hot day, privacy curtains for clamshells etc. We like the XL ones with the snap loop tether (very handy on windy sailboats) . Here are two brands we own and like :

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QKV1RLE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0168LB0TY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

We have bought them for cruise gifts and we also used them for prizes when we host parties for group cruises and folks really like them . They take the space of a pair of socks in your luggage. In my opinion it's totally worth it. I will only use ship towels ON the ship because they are bulky/heavy and overpriced if lost. 

 

I thought I already had everything I needed (magnetic hooks, pop up hamper, foldable zip up box for paperwork, etc), but these towels sound great.  I ordered two of the large ones (70 x 39), just in time for a four-beach cruise on December 16.  Thank you for the idea!

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I was 6 on my very first cruise on The Big Red Boat (anybody else cruised her back in the day?) Well, at the sail away party, they had the crowd of people participating in dances and conga lines (Hot, Hot, Hot and Celebration playing loud). I was glued to my mother's side. Excited to be there but feeling shy. She knew how much I loved to dance and be "out there", but there I was clinging to her.

 

She bent down and reminded me that she did not bring us on this awesome vacation for me to be so uncomfortable, shy, and clingy. She also reminded me that I will never see these people again.

 

So, with her keeping an eye on me from afar, I joined the party. During the rest of the cruise, I made plenty of friends in the kids club, participated in the talent show, and had a great cruise.

Because of my mom, cruising as a kid and teenager made me fall in love with cruising. Making new friends, getting involved in all the activities that I wanted, reminding myself that there is no need to be shy, and remembering that it's up to me to make the best of my vacations is what I learned on my first cruise. 

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49 minutes ago, 17andacruiseaddict said:

I was 6 on my very first cruise on The Big Red Boat (anybody else cruised her back in the day?) Well, at the sail away party, they had the crowd of people participating in dances and conga lines (Hot, Hot, Hot and Celebration playing loud). I was glued to my mother's side. Excited to be there but feeling shy. She knew how much I loved to dance and be "out there", but there I was clinging to her.

 

She bent down and reminded me that she did not bring us on this awesome vacation for me to be so uncomfortable, shy, and clingy. She also reminded me that I will never see these people again.

 

So, with her keeping an eye on me from afar, I joined the party. During the rest of the cruise, I made plenty of friends in the kids club, participated in the talent show, and had a great cruise.

Because of my mom, cruising as a kid and teenager made me fall in love with cruising. Making new friends, getting involved in all the activities that I wanted, reminding myself that there is no need to be shy, and remembering that it's up to me to make the best of my vacations is what I learned on my first cruise. 

Wow thanks for sharing that memory!!!  

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On 11/28/2018 at 1:04 PM, pyropoodle said:

I KNOW!!!!! at first, I thought maybe it was an accident, or perhaps the steward was cleaning rooms and pushing trays along or something, but it kept happening ...almost every day throughout my very 1st 7 night cruise. I never found out who did it...it also happened on subsequent cruises as well, so it wasn't just a bad traveler.  there are people who actually DO this. I would never do it.  I don't get it.  it's not like they have to pay someone to take their tray away....

 

Umm, actually. . .

 

Carnival recommends that you put the trays in the hall when you're finished eating, to facilitate the take away.

 

John Heald has posted this numerous times on his social media page.

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29 minutes ago, dsotm73 said:

 

Umm, actually. . .

 

Carnival recommends that you put the trays in the hall when you're finished eating, to facilitate the take away.

 

John Heald has posted this numerous times on his social media page.

How do I find this page ? Just search him ?

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