Im am going on my first cruise! Any tips?

Question

A girl friend and I are taking our first cruise together, We were wondering if anyone had any advice on what to pack etc, we are traveling to the western carribean in early late January. Any special advice!?

Answer 1

Here's a basic packing list, one that I followed as a guide when I went on a cruise last year.  You might want to pack a light jacket or windbreaker for the evenings at sea, since you'll be going in January, but the days should be warm.  Other than that, pack your camera and/or camcorder and go on as many shore excursions as you can afford.  If Tulum appears as a shore excursion you would be interested in, put on your bathing suit and carry a towel, that place has a good beach!

Answer 2

If you drink, try to sneak alcohol on and despite what others say it is possible to do through your luggage just be smart about it. The drinks of cruise ships are often overpriced and watered down and if you buy any duty-free, they take it from you until you get off the ship once you get back home.

Usually there is one to two formal nights so bring some nice attire and then other then that just some casual clothing, sunscreen, bathing suits, and stuff like that...

Other then that have fun and try to do some of the mini-trips that the cruises offer at each stop so you can really get experience the areas that you travel too...

Take care and good luck:)

Answer 3

Good for you !. you will have such a wonderful time just don't forget sun screen they have it on the ship for sale but its pricey. honey just pack enough clothes for as long as your cruise don't forget dress up night at dinner its fun once .but you will be amazed at how large your ship is and how fun the vacation will be have fun

Answer 4

If you visit the boards of www.cruisecritic.com you will learn sooo much.  There you can also meet people that are going on the same ship (look for the roll call of your cruise line and date).  I did that when we planned ours and met some nice people that we actually met in person at the bar when we got there.  It's a lot of fun plus you get tons of ideas and what to do, bring, excursions, etc.  Enjoy!!

Answer 5

If you go to the site where you will find everything you want for cruise;

www.sptravel4u.biz

Answer 6

Pack comfy clothes and shoes, and get ready to have fun!!

I'm so excited for you guys, I'm going to (hopefully) the Western Caribbean also but next year. I've only ever heard great things about that particular cruise. Also make sure you bring lots of film and/or make sure your digi camera battery is charged & that you have packed the charger.

Answer 7

Here are some tips to help you on your way!

Pack lightly, especially for warm-weather cruises. Just remember to toss in a sweater, jacket or shawl for cool evenings and hyper-air-conditioned ships.

By day, casual shirts, shorts and beachwear are ideal. For going ashore and walking on deck (which may be slippery at times), flat comfortable shoes with a rubber grip are a must.

Although cruising isn’t nearly as formal as it once was, people still love to dress up. Some ships have a variety of Formal, Informal and Smart Casual evenings. On formal evenings, for ladies this is the opportunity to wear something glamorous and dressy such as an evening dress or cocktail outfit. For men a dinner jacket or tuxedo are the norm, otherwise a suit and tie is fine.

Don’t forget sun protection cream, a sun hat and sunglasses – the sun is much stronger at sea!

Dont forget your swimsuit! Many ships have whirlpools as well as swimming pools.

Gym kit - many ships have a state of the art gym, jogging track and sporting facilities so trainers are a must!

For hotter climes it would also be advisable to pack some insect repellent to help avoid irritating insect bites.

If you are taking any personal medication, please ensure you take enough to last the duration of the cruise.

Don't bother packing towels for your cruise - towels are provided for the bathroom. For the swimming pool, towels are usually provided at the poolside.

In the event that you do forget anything, on board shops are usually very well stocked with 'ordinary everyday' goods.

Check the baggage size and weight limit for the airline you are using. The rules are not the same on all airlines. Make very sure you have underweight luggage when you leave home, because it never seems to be that way on the way home!

Check to see if they have a theme night or talent show where you might need some special outfits.

Check whether your ship has two pin or three pin sockets and pack an adaptor if necessary.

Dont forget to buy fully comprehensive travel insurance and take your documents, your tickets and PASSPORT!!

Answer 8

If you are doing excursions bring sunblock and bug spray. Bring formal wear for the formal nights and comfortable shoes.

Answer 9

Um I would pack nice clothes dresses suits and casual outfits as they ahve different nights that you dress up on and everything bring t shirts and shorts and jeans and or camis or tank tops that sort of thing, all your necessities like toothbrush etc, and everything and then bring comfortable shoes, sandals for the pool tennis shoes for excursions and have insurance and everything and bring sunscreen, money, and dont forget ID passports or birth certificates and etc. Then i would bring swimsuits and just basically every thing else that you would need on vacation but make a list and just keep on adding but pack as light as possible. Bring a carry on and dont forget cameras batteries, film etc. That good stuff.

Answer 10

Depending on what cruise line you're on, you might want to bring conditioner. For whatever reason now, a couple lines have started either giving out only shampoo, or a poor shampoo + conditioner blend which doesn't really do much for your hair (and can sometimes smell awful).

Even though you're going to the western caribbean, bring along at least 1 sweatshirt/sweater/very light jacket. When you're out on the water at night it can occasionally (rarely) get cold, but even more importantly, sometimes certain rooms on the ship can be so overly air-conditioned that you freeze inside, when it's 90 degrees outside!

Sunscreen is an absolute must, as is a bathing suit.

Don't be afraid to bring jewelry for a formal night, but be sure to lock it in the safe.

Bring along a charger for your camera and/or cell phone, as you will need the camera on the ship, and your phone when you get back to shore.

Also, follow the cruise line's recommended packing list. You probably won't use it all, but it never hurts to be prepared.

Have fun!!!

Answer 11

Don't buy port excursions through the cruise, its a complete rip off.

Answer 12

i would pack a couple of casual outfits, and a couple formal. there is always a "galla" night on cruises so you can really dress up. usually dinners arnt casual but not formal. usually a nice dress or pretty top and skirt will do. i would also definitly bring a bathing suit! or two :P sunscreen, flip flops, sunglasses and a hat.

some actual cruise advice is try not to gorge yourself on the food ( which is available 24/7!) have some self control ( stop at the 3rd dessert..lol)

and a way not to gain too much weight is use the stairs instead of the elevators. it makes a difference. also ther is a track which you can walk and there are some gyms too .

and when you have to choose which dinner time i would recomend the earlier timing (usually 6pm compared to 8pm) becuase all of the shows are around 8pm.

yes the shows...you have to watch the ship's entertainment...there is some real talent

and if you and your girlfriend love to shop...the ship has greaaaatt shopping on board..all duty free. sometimes its cheaper on the ship compared to the islands.

if you want to book excursions on the islands i would book ahead on the ships website becuase they can sell out very quickly.

hope you have lots of fun in the sun!!

Answer 13

BATHING SUIT  .. i forgot mine ( i know thats bad ) but i had to buy one on the ship and it was 100$  and really nice dinner outfit because on our cruise we had a black tie dinner and had to dress up

Answer 14

Use the Purell before you eat, and after touching hand rails and doorknobs, etc. Sickness always ruins a trip, but Purell is great!!