Questions from a first-time cruiser - Ventura

[bigpete47uk]

Hi there, just a few questions from a first timer:-

1. Doing back-to-back cruises, can we stay on board/in our cabins on changeover day?

2. Is the on board shopping 'Duty-Free' and also what kind of goods are available?

3. Having never been on a ship of any size, how pronounced is the sensation of movement? Basically, any chance of being sea-sick?

4. Booked on Ventura cruises to Med and Canaries Aug/Sept this year,

anyone got any tips for first time cruisers?

MTIA

bigpete47uk

[jeanlyon]

Hi, don't know the answer to staying on board between cruises, but I would have thought so.

 

I've always found shopping on board to be expensive, why not shop in port.

 

Of course you can get seasick on any vessel - depends entirely on the weather. I take ginger for the first few days.

[daiB]

Hi there, just a few questions from a first timer:-

1. Doing back-to-back cruises, can we stay on board/in our cabins on changeover day?

2. Is the on board shopping 'Duty-Free' and also what kind of goods are available?

3. Having never been on a ship of any size, how pronounced is the sensation of movement? Basically, any chance of being sea-sick?

4. Booked on Ventura cruises to Med and Canaries Aug/Sept this year,

anyone got any tips for first time cruisers?

MTIA

bigpete47uk

 

 

 

Hi Pete,

 

Answers to your questions:-

 

1. If you are in the same cabin then change over day is like any other, most bars will be open and most services will also be available to you. You can also get off the ship and go into Southampton. You will be able to get your new cruise card on the evening before you arrive back from your first cruise. You leave and return to the ship through the crew gates so there is no waiting around.
   
2. Fairly limited, evening wear, perfume, jewelry some clothes and watches. You have to search for the bargains
   
3. Yes. It does effect some people so take advice from your doctor/chemist. If you are lucky you will not be affected at all. We have not had a problem in 10 cruises and a few storms.
   
4. This I will leave to others unless you have specific questions.

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

:cool:

 

 

Dai

[southwinds]

I if you opt to stay on board you could be bored as everything closes and the staff have time to go ashore in Southampton.. limited service is available in the self serve restaurant... You can ask for a pass to go ashore and join the staff shuttle bus into Southampton, our friends wished they had done that... as while on board they found lots of men at work all over the place doing maintenance jobs so they couldnt get around the ship easily as walk ways were closed off while the men where working fixing lights and air con units... even Capet's get replaced if needed. cleaning also takes place...

They sat in the self serve the starboard port side prom deck is closed as the ship refuels that side... again sitting out can be smelly !

The Duty free shops arnt so very cheap its just the VAT thats missing!!

Sea sick effects some and not others and the Bay of Biscay is the worse place to get it in fact some seasoned sailors only get effected there.

Take Sturgeon tablets and the wrist bands work well failing that the Dr can give you a jab... for which you pay.

Happy Sailing:)

[bigpete47uk]

Many thanks for all your replies, getting excited now, only 6 months to wait....

[daiB]

I if you opt to stay on board you could be bored as everything closes and the staff have time to go ashore in Southampton.. limited service is available in the self serve restaurant... You can ask for a pass to go ashore and join the staff shuttle bus into Southampton, our friends wished they had done that... as while on board they found lots of men at work all over the place doing maintenance jobs so they couldnt get around the ship easily as walk ways were closed off while the men where working fixing lights and air con units... even Capet's get replaced if needed. cleaning also takes place...

They sat in the self serve the starboard port side prom deck is closed as the ship refuels that side... again sitting out can be smelly !

 

Happy Sailing:)

 

 

Remember your fellow guests start embarking at 12.30 so the boredom level is not that great.

 

When we did it you got rather a good lunch in the restaurant.

 

 

:)Happy Cruising:)

 

 

:cool:

 

Dai

[The Monocled Mutineer]

Specific to your queries (sea sickness is developed in my notes below)***

 

***

 

The following notes are for a first timer on P&O from a Southampton departure point of view:

 

Your 1st Cruise will be one of the BEST cruises you will ever go on.Believe you me: nothing beats the 1st of everything you do during your xn onboard. This is not to say with the 90%+ certainty that you will become addicted to cruising, that you will not have wonderful, future cruises too. But, there is something very magical about your 1st cruise:

 

I capture a bit of that magic when I see the cruise through a newcomers eyes.

 

Don't feel that you need to book a tour at every port of call. The ship is a destination in itself. There is a very special atmosphere on sea days which (in my view) is rivalled by a day on board when at port, or better still at anchor. The ship takes on a quieter ambiance with half or more of the passengers ashore. There are no queues and the service up on deck is snappier. With a very few glorious exceptions, you will find little better ashore.I tend to go only on tours where a "must-see" is a long distance from the ship and the public transport cannot be relied on. I also find an afternoon tour preferable to a morning one as breakfast on board in popular destinations can be somewhat "traumatic", especially in the self-service restaurants.

 

Advice? Suggest you arrive early’ish at the terminal say around midday. When you arrive at Mayflower you say good bye to your cases as they are placed in a "hole-in-the-wall" by a porter. You will next see them outside your cabin when you board or say about 30 mins after.You proceed into check-in where tickets & passports are checked: you are given your cruise cards there and then: this is both your charge card (you can use it straight away without the need to register your credit card/bank charge card - unless you intend to charge casino chips/tokens to it) and ID to get back on the ship when at port. (I understand that the procedure to register your charge/credit card now takes place at check-in – others will no doubt confirm)

 

You then proceed into the embarkation lounge following a security check (x-ray machine for your hand luggage, etc - rather like an airport) then unlike an airport you then pose for your photograph.

 

Make sure you look your best and smile - tomorrow your photo along with 1800 other passengers will be on display in the Photo gallery for naughty chaps like me to have a laugh (when you look like I do, stones and glass houses spring to mind)

 

Embarkation for the majority of passengers start from c.14:30 (although this now starts earlier). You will have already boarded after noon (suite priority) and will be plied with gratis drinks.

 

When you are called there is then a long walk while you carry your hand luggage along covered walkways that seem to go on for ever.Eventually you suddenly reach a large deck hatch opening and as you step on board it is if you have entered another world.

 

You will be greeted by an officer or one of the Entertainment team (ENTSs - not be confused with Treebeard from the Lord of the Rings) and, if you require, a white-gloved steward will relieve you of your hand luggage and take you to your cabin via lift or stairs.

 

WARNING: You will have studied the deck plans for months and you will think you know your way around.

 

WRONG: The deck plans are in 2 dimensions - the ship is in 3 dimensions.

 

HOWEVER: within about 24 hours you will know your way around!If you are lucky the steward will take you directly to the cabin. Sometimes the stewards do get lost!

 

At last your cabin, (with hopefully your luggage outside). Get to know your home for the next xx nights. There will be continuous safety video playing on the TV and your cabin key-card will be in the door with a spare one on the writing desk with all the bumph and info folders. Have a look at today’s issue of the ships newspaper XXXXX TODAY - it will have a nice picture of your well-fed Captain (they usually look as if they have had a few “Captain’s Dinners”) saying "welcome aboard". This will confirm what times all sorts of things are happening today and tonight. The only compulsory thing you must attend is the ships safety briefing held in your muster lounge at c.16:15 (it takes about 30 mins and you will find your muster station location on the back of your cabin door)

 

Your cabin steward will shortly introduce himself and ask what time you would like to be awakened and whether you prefer Tea / Coffee in the morning.

 

There will be a card in your cabin confirming your Dinner reservation which will show Restaurant name, sitting and table no. You might like to go down to the restaurant to see what table size and where it is. At about 15:00 the restaurant manager will be on duty and will try to accommodate any changes you might wish to make.

 

*** SEA SICKNESS ***

 

Most people do not experience problem ... however there are exceptions ...

 

 

The tablets my Val takes (she is sensitive to motion) are Stugeron. Take 2 c.15:00 (2 hours before sailing) and then 1 every 8 hours until unconsciousness or sleep occurs! You will awake the next day but will probably have missed lunch by the time you wake up.

 

Now if you are sensible and have brought quite a few garments and suits it will speed unpacking if you packed them at home on hangers. But hey! ... hang the packing let's go and explore the ship.

 

As I said earlier, afternoon tea is served from c.15:00 in one of the restaurants or self service style in the SELF-SERVE RESTAURANT

 

If it's a lovely AUGUST day the prospect of sitting out at the TERRACE BAR afterwards sipping a cocktail of the day or a bottle of champagne is a tempting prospect.

 

In no time at all bells and announcements will go off requiring you to go to your muster station.

 

You will need to go back to your cabin and retrieve your life jacket and take it with you.

 

Once the VERY IMPORTANT safety drill is over (about 16:45) you can then go out on deck and start to enjoy the proceedings regarding departure out on the Promenade Deck. (Of course you might have a port-side balcony cabin in which case you can swank on your own private space).

 

There is champagne at £2.75 (I think) a glass - good value and a jolly band on the quayside playing Maritime & Military Greatest Hits.

 

In no time the last lines have been slipped, the last gangway removed and suddenly the bow & stern thruster push this Beautiful ship away to warmer climes. THE CRUISE HAS BEGUN.

 

The peregrination and twisting down the Southampton Water, Calshot Spit, the dog-turns to starboard then to port, traversing Cowes Roads and then on to the Pilot drop-off takes about over 90 mins.

 

It is lovely just to sit on the Promenade Deck and watch the last of England slip by. (or in the Crow's Nest Bar if inclement).

 

And just think your cruise has only just begun. You will have a wonderful time.

 

You will want to book again as soon as that sad day back in Southampton arrives.

 

 

Some Suggestions:

============

 

1. Unless you really have to, avoid the reception desk on embarkation day and disembarkation day.

 

2. Avoid queues to leave the ship by avoiding the gangway for the first couple of hours in port/at anchor (unless you're on a tour).

 

3. The Fish Main course as a starter if none of the "regular" starters tickles your taste buds.

 

4. Order wine for dinner at one of the bars during the afternoon (or via the Wine Line). Your choice should then be ready and waiting at your table when you arrive. For wine/food matches, dinner menus are available to scrutinise at some bars.

 

5. Without going daft, maximise on the Cocktail of the Day ... good value.

 

6. Champagne at £2.75 (?) a glass at departure is good value.

 

7. Do not rely on the library to be able to supply your travel book needs for destinations on your cruise. They are for reference only and cannot be removed from the library. Bring your own Baedekar, Insight, Rough Guide, etc.

 

8. Do not rely on the library to supply the latest blockbuster from J.K.Rowling, John Grisham, Stephen King, etc. They will have a copy or 2, but 500 other passengers are also relying on reading a copy during the cruise. Bring your own.

 

9. If you go to a film in the evening after dinner - beware - unlike a shoreside cinema, this auditorium gently sways - the combination of warm sun all day, a beer or 2 at lunch (wasn't that curry lovely?) 2 or 3 cocktails of the day, 6 course dinner, a bottle of Rioja, and an Irish Coffee, and the darkness of the cinema will induce narcosis. But don't be embarrassed - you are not alone. The cinema in the evening sometimes reminds me of Paul McCartney's "Frog Chorus" - the sound of syncopated sequence snoring!

 

10. (As per 9 above) try not to do this in the show lounge / theatre - especially if the cheeky comedian is performing. It must be either funny or disheartening to the hard-working, slick company singers and dancers when confronted with "An Ocean of Faces with Mouths Wide Open and Eyes Wide Shut"

 

Tom & Nicole in the cinema aren't really there!

 

11. If you are lunching up on deck, it is a good idea to secure your wine / beverages before you go to make your selections of food.

 

12. Save most of the unpacking (unless you choose to travel very lightly) till when you retire tonight. Excepting 2n-4n party cruises, the 1st night after dinner is usually a fairly quiet affair with many people retiring early as "it's been a long day". If the weather is glorious in Southampton, get yourself into some deck wear and relax in a lounger up on top with a Pimms, a G&T, a cocktail, a glass champagne or whatever tickles your taste buds (for example get a tray of afternoon tea comestibles from the deck restaurant) for a couple of hours before attending the compulsory SAFETY DRILL c.16:15(?).

 

13. When you leave the cabin to explore the ship take your Dining room table card (which is in your cabin on arrival) and visit the restaurant at c.15:00 (a manager/maitre d will be in attendance). If you are not happy about the location of your table, its size or/and the sitting, there maybe the opportunity to change it. Likewise in the hopefully unlikely event of having the "table companions from hell" (most folks who cruise however are a nice bunch) get this sorted after your 1st dinner. (Only twice out of c.20 cruises have we done this: the 1st for environmental reasons - we were right by the waiters fast lane and revolving doors to the galley; the 2nd time after the main course and before dessert - yes they (the “companions”) were very bad!!!).

 

14. Forget about snappy cabin-service (room-service) on embarkation day. If you desire a bottle of champagne or/and nibbles for the departure up on your balcony order them as soon as you board and say you want them in your cabin ready for after the safety drill.

 

15. As I am a very early bird and my wife enjoys the luxury for her of a lie-in, I keep in contact with her during the morning a couple of times by using one of the bar or corridor telephones. This saves a lot of traipsing down the length of the ship and we don't have to waste time looking for each other and arranging where to meet for late breakfast or early lunch.

 

16. Do not feel that you need to book an excursion for every port or for all the day that you are in port. I personally feel that excursions are not the best value for money. The exception would be where there is a "must-see" that is a long way from the port or/and where public transport cannot be relied upon. If you are late getting back to the berth or tender point the ship will NOT wait for you unless you are on an official tour that has been delayed.

 

17. Do feel encouraged to linger on board when in port or at anchor. The ship takes on a different and not unwelcome ambiance with half or more of the passengers ashore. Remember all the facilities that you have already paid for are at hand, the service will be snappier and, other than in the most exceptional of destinations or establishments you will find little better ashore. To my mind spending a day onboard in a unremarkable port is the equal of a warm, languid sea-day. RELAX and forget about traffic, pollution, pick-pockets, paying out for this, that and the other, etc, etc.

 

18. Other than when the ship is very quiet it is nearly always quicker to use the stairways. That way you keep yourself trim (remember there's a lot of food morning, noon and night that's just there for the taking) and it helps free the lifts up for those less ambulant of folks.

 

19. On the last day (usually at sea) pack all but one of your cases as early as possible. That way you are free for most of the rest of the day – a day to savour the last of what will be one of the most memorable holidays you will ever take … and believe me … you WILL go on more P&O cruises but the 1st will ALWAYS be special!

 

20. You will standout as a Newcomer if:

 

a). You call the ship a boat.

 

b). You ask what "floor" is the cinema on.

 

c). You refer to your cabin as your room.

 

d). You call the bow the pointy end and the stern the blunt end.

 

e). You refer to the right hand or left hand side of the ship. Depending on whether you are facing the pointy or blunt end, both sides of the ship can be left and right. That is why there are the terms Starboard & Port.

 

f). At the safety drill on embarkation day you come in to the muster station wearing your life jacket.

 

g). When you see the Captain doing a tour of the ship and glad-handing passengers you call out "'Ere! Who's driving the Boat, Cap'n?"

 

HAVE A WONDERFUL CRUISE!

 

Derek “The Monocled Mutineer” Kane

 

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[bigpete47uk]

Many thanks Sir, a most comprehensive and useful reply.

Pete.

[Flat booby]

Going on our 1st Cruise with Ventura on 5/12/08 so really enjoyed what you posted on the board explaining all about what happens. Also enjoyed your sense of humour.:D I expect even though we are sailing from Barbados embarkation will be something similar to Southampton Thanks.

[BrianI]

I expect even though we are sailing from Barbados embarkation will be something similar to Southampton Thanks.

Not quite. You come down the steps from your aircraft and there is a fleet of minibuses waiting on the tarmac and you just get on and are taken direct to the ship, which takes around 40mins. Alongside the ship is a large shed, where you are given your cruisecard and then you get straight on the ship. There is no departure lounge to hang around in. All very well organised. On Ventura the arrivals/departures are done over two days, so you will have a day in Barbados either at the start or end of your cruise, depending on whether you arrive on the Friday or Saturday.

Brian