Any advice or tips for a first time cruise?

Question

My man and I are going on a cruise in May. Neither of us have ever been on one so I'm trying to gather as much advice and tips as I can.

Answer 1

I have been on about 20 cruises with four different cruise lines and here's my advice/tips:

The price of your cruise includes your cabin, all meals including breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and free cabin room service. all shows and entertainment on ship, and free use of all facilities on ship except the SPA services. The things that you will have to pay for are:

GRATUITIES: They will amount to about $10 per person in your cabin per day; about $70 each for a 7 day cruise. When you check in at the pier they will set up an on-board charge account for you to cover any and everything you may buy on ship. They will issue you a "cruise card" which will also serve as your room key and pass to get on and off the ship. At the end of the cruise they will add the gratuity to your tab and you can pay with a credit card or cash, your choice.

ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND SOFT DRINKS: Coffee, tea, milk, juice, and lemonade and punch will be provided free but you must pay for drinks (alcoholic beverages) and they will add a 15% gratuity to each drink and soft drink order. You can save a couple dollars per drink of you oder it in a plain glass rather than the fancy souvenir glasses they generally serve them in.

PHOTOGRAPHS: Cruise lines will take plenty of photographs of you all over the ship, in the dining room, and as you exit the ship in ports. These will cost a lot, like $15 to $20 for most. Skip them and save yourself a lot of money. Take your own camera and have the other passengers photograph you on and off the ship.  We generally buy the boarding shot and skip the rest.

TOURS/EXCURSIONS:  First of all, you DO NOT have to do any tours at all.  You can get off and on the ship as much as you want in every port.  However, the tours are listed on your cruise line web site and you can reserve them well before the cruise and pay for them also. If you wait until you are on ship to book tours they will be charged to your on board account (then you can pay cash to settle your account on the last day). Once you book your cruise the cruise line will send you a booklet listing all of the tours. If you are going to the Caribbean, most places you can get a tour or taxi on the pier for a much lower price than on the ship.

SOUVENIRS: Anything you buy on ship from a gift shop or duty free shop goes on your on board account. Things that you buy on shore you pay cash or credit card for.

CASINO: If you plan to gamble on ship you will need cash for that.

OTHER: most cruise lines have what they call "specialty" restaurants, like Italian or steak house, where there is a gratuity/service charge. All other food on board is free and its not really necessary to budget for food; you cannot eat all of the FREE FOOD that will be available.

SPA services: If you want/need to have your hair done, get a massage or wrap, or any services from the spa, you will have to pay for them. You can use the gym free but the spa stuff cost big bucks.

INTERNET:  Ships now have internet cafe and some have WiFi but the there is a fee for internet access and it is very expensive (like about $50 to $60 an hour). Skip the ship's internet service and just look for an internet cafe in your port stops. You can usually get internet service in the ports for $5 to $7 an hour.

You cabin will likely have a minibar with soft drinks and munchies; you have to pay for them.

The dress on ship is casual all day until 6:00PM. So take: -swim wear (at least 2),

-shorts,

-sandals,

-beach shoes,

-your snorkel equipment if you have it,

-sun glasses and sun screen,

-lotions,

-a cap or big hat for the sun,

-a book if you are a reader, -

-your music player,

-sneakers and clothes to workout in if you like to use the gym, -good walking shoes,

-your camera, and

-other personal toiletries.

Your cabin will have towels and soap provided, including pool and beach towels. It will also have a generic hair shampoo so you do not need to bring that unless you like a specific brand. They do not provide tooth paste, mouth wash or lotions. They DO provide a hair dryer.

After 6:00 PM they request that you wear "sports or resort casual" attire. That's attire that you would expect a person to wear in a business office, (like a bank employee), shirt with a collar, slacks, skirt, blouse, etc. You can still wear shorts and swim wear in the pools and spas but not in public areas like dining rooms and restaurants, show rooms, etc. You don't need to take a lot of regular clothes because you will spend most of your time in shorts and swim wear. A couple sets will do.

Most cruises have a formal night when you can wear your best stuff and get pictures taken, and maybe meet the ship’s Captain. The formal nights are REQUESTED not required attire. But most people do dress up. You can wear what you would wear to church and you'll be fine, or go all out with a gown or tux. You will not be denied access to the dining room or anything else if you choose not to dress up.

- Its best to pack using soft-sided luggage because with space limited in your cabin it fits under the beds better if its not hard sided luggage.

-Take a small carry-on bag for the last night of the cruise. On the last evening you will be required to put your luggage outside your cabin by about 2:00 AM so that they can start taking it down to the lower deck for offloading the next morning. So you will need a small bag for your toiletries and your clothes that you sleep in.

- If you can take a six-pack of bottled water and soft drinks in your carry-on for your cabin. You will have to pay for both on the ship and its nice to have those handy in the cabin.

- If you are taking your cell phone, MP3 player or other item that needs to be plugged in take an extension cord as the plugs in the cabin are generally not in the best places and there are usually only one or two.

- Take a small bottle of hand sanitizer. There are generally sanitizer dispensers at the entrances of restaurants, the buffets and dining room, but some times the are not there or not working. The sanitizer helps prevent the spread of the Norwalk Virus that sometimes occur on cruise ships.

-If you plan to get into the pools or hot tub as soon as you get on ship, bring those clothes in your carry on bag; you other luggage may not get to your cabin until much later in the afternoon.

Answer 2

Enjoy yourself, but don't go crazy.   Too often we need a vacation, to rest up after a vacation.   Most cruises have so much to offer, that you could go crazy trying to do everything.   At each port of call, they offer all types of side trips.   Pick them carefully.  They will add up the cost, and only do something if your heart is set on it.   If you like to snorkle or go on a catamaran, then go for it.    Usually at each port, there is plenty to do and see just walking around.   Now on the ship there are a million things to do.    You have all of your meals, plus free room service, plus the midnight buffet.   You just can't hit every meal everyday.   You have shows and lounge acts, all ships have a casino, that is only open at sea.   They play the games at a slower pace than regular casinos, so you don't lose as quickly.   They also have slots, poker, and blackjack tournaments set-up too.   These have a nominal entry fee and are a lot of fun.   You could spend an entire day just walking around the ship and not see everything.   They have a gym to workout, and you can get a massage too.   Just pace yourself, sit back and enjoy, lounge by the pool a bit, and have a great time.

Answer 3

Congrats on your first cruise!  My man and I took our first cruise together a few years ago and it was a GREAT, we've gone on around one a year together ever since.

There's actually lot to cover (some of which you might already know) so I'd encourage you to check out two articles:

"Introduction to Cruises" covers what it's really like onboard, what's included vs. extra, and other frequently asked questions:

http://www.cruisesavvy.com/savvyguide/in...

"Know Before You Go" has a packing checklist, tips on how to avoid getting sea sick, etc:

http://www.cruisesavvy.com/savvyguide/kn...

Also, if you let us know what cruise line / ship / itinerary you're on, I can give you some more specific advice.

I hope you have an awesome trip!

Answer 4

My partner & I have been on over 25 cruises.

TINKERTOY'S answer says it all. He's right about everything. Good job, dude.

As for you & your man, HAVE A BLAST!!!

Answer 5

Set a budget, and read up on tips and tricks to control it. Maybe top shelf alcohol is a "must" for you, or extra dining options, or a jet ski rental.  Don't ruin your vacation by being cheap, but know before you go.

I am cheap, so I take advantage of all that is "included", and LOVE it. Others spend their cruise fare all over again in ship board charges.

I wrote on my "cheap" tricks on cruiselinefans.com

HAVE FUN!

Answer 6

Bring a Power strip. Those rooms only have one outlet and it can get pretty crowded and its in the most inconvienent place. Bring your own shampoo and conditioner. Also chargers for cell phones, etc. MP3 players are good to work out with or whatever. A nightlite would be good, because the rooms are pitch black, no light what so ever. Take comfortable walking shoes if you plan on doing shore excursions which are a must. Definitely bring a couple swim suits and beach attire for the pool. Towels and everything like that are provided. Lots of sunscreen, because being in the tropics you can get burnt really easy. Those lanyards come in handy. Try to not overpack. It's going to happen regardless but you dont even wear half of the stuff you bring. Bring lots of $1, and $5 bills for tipping, those will sure come in handy. Hand sanitizer just in case your on shore and its not the best of conditions. Usually the ships have those at every elevator and dining room area. Bring a camera with extra batteries and memory cards, also a camcorder if you have one with extra tapes or discs and batteries plus their chargers. Bring your formal wear, like formal night is cocktail dress for women, and suits or tuxes for men. Informal or semiformal night is nice shirt and pants/skirt for women, and dress shirt and slacks for men with a tie. Casual night is a nice blouse and pants or skirt, maybe a sundress for women, maybe khakis, and men dress shirt and slacks or khakis. I know thats alot and their is probably alot of other stuff but I cant think right now... I wish I would have known some of these things before previous cruises of mine.

Hope you have fun. Bon Voyage.

Answer 7

I went on a cruise to the Bahamas, and it was really great.There is more stuff to do in Nassau than in Freeport.There are so many things to do on the ship.I had chose Carnival cruise line.Most cruises have what they call a captains dinner so take something a little formal and several dressy outfits for the both of you for dinner.Lunch you can dress anyway you like.There was many dance clubs on the boat.If you go to the Bahamas when you get off the boat always hold your mans hand for safety concerns.Enjoy your trip whereever you may go.Take lots of pictures

Answer 8

Royal Carribean is a wonderful cruise line, I've crusied with them three times before. There will be a nice pool, spa, fitness center, resturants, lounges, bars, a rock-wall, a magnificent dining room for dinner.

Make some friends at your dinner table, and meet people at the pool, or in the lounges. Also, there is a casino!!!!

Answer 9

Definitely take advantage of everything the cruise has to offer!  And if you're looking to meet people and make friends, do it early on in the cruise otherwise you'll regret not having time with your new pals.  Also, considering you can eat as much as you want use the cruise as an opportunity to try new meals because if you don't like it then you can just order another one for no extra cost.  Have fun!

Answer 10

First use common sense & do not try to do too much or plan things to far ahead. Relax enjoy the ship & everything it has to offer. Do not buy souvenirs on the ship- less in port. You will meet people from all over and see some amazing sites. Read the newsletter they leave you every morning to see what you want to do. It is your vacation so relax & do what you want.

ENJOY.

Answer 11

You won't be able to do everything. So pay attention to the little newspaper that they put in your cabin everyday. Some people even bring hilighter pens to mark things they'd like to try. Also, check out cruisecritic.com or cruiseaddicts.com for tips from packing to excusions. I've learned so much. Bon Voyage.