Cruise Advice?

Question

We are going on a cruise for our honeymoon and I was needing advice on what we need to take since we've never been on one.

I know the basics like clothes and stuff. I was also wondering what to expect and how early we should get there to get on board. We're going a 5 day Carnival to Cozumel and Progresso!

Answer 1

Carnival is quite a relaxed cruise.  There will be at least one dress up evening where they will have a photographer.  There may be other themed evenings and you can choose if you wish to dress in a certain way.  The flight is often booked as part of the package vacation.  They usually board during the day and then leave around dinnertime.  If you book early enough, you can request a window table in the restaurant.

Answer 2

well ive been on 4 cruises before, will be 5 in august..so i can help you out.

i can honestly say i like cruises better than going to a resort.

at dinner, you will have the same server every night

there are always shows at night.

gift shops, buffets, resturaunts.

usually atleast 2 pools.

then when you make your first stop, it can be kinda busy getting off the boat early in the morning so i usually wait till late morning to get off but it doesnt matter.

the first day you'll most likely have a fire drill but that does not take long.

and before you get on the boat theres usually a huge line to wait in but thats no big deal either. cause once you get on the boat youll realize it was worth the wait!

and to get on board try to get there as early as you can due to the line that will be forming.

i have never been to cozumel or progresso but hopefully you'll haev a good time!

Answer 3

For lots of advice about all aspects of cruising, go to CruiseCritic.com.  Click on "Boards", then go to the various categories.  You may especially be interested in "First Time Cruisers", "Ports of Call", etc.  I think they have a honeymoon or romantic cruises category.

Good luck and congratulations!

Answer 4

You'll want comfterable clothes and walking shoes for port days. You'll also want to bring along swim suits. There is usually at least one formal and sometimes a semi-formal night, so pack for that. There are photographers on board to take your picture, but you pay a lot for each print. I suggest you take your own camera- if you don't have a digital, bring LOTS of film. They can overcharge you for the film onboard. If you're planning on snorkling or something else that involves water, you might want to plan on taking or buying a waterproof camera onboard. They sell disposables on many cruise lines. Most necessities can be found or bought on the boat or at ports. Shore excursions are a great way to go if your cruiseline offers them because you can be sure that you'll have a safe and fun experience and that you'll get back to the boat if your tour runs late. I always try to be on the earlier side of the allowed boarding times, just in case. If you have to fly to get to the port your boat leaves from, either buy travel through the cruise or try to get there a day early just in case anything happens. Planes get delayed all the time.

Answer 5

We went on our first cruise over xmas...one thing that I will take next time is munchies...sounds dumb because they have sooo much food onboard, but I am a snacker and if you want to eat, its all meals.  You can always get pizza or fries or something, but they dont have bags of chips or little snacks.  The lines to board are soo long, we got there around 2p and sailing was at 4 and it moved pretty fast I think cause the majority of people went early.  You dont want to get on too early cause you wont have your luggage (they deliver it by the end of the night) and you cant go in the pools.  BUT you can drink!!!!  Oh also, we didnt take a water camera, big mistake, make sure you take on cause they charge a lot for them.  One place tried to charge $35 for one!  Take the basic med stuff cause on board your insurance doesnt cover anything and it is pricey. Hope this helped!  Congrats and Have fun, we went on Carnival Miracle (Eastern Caribbean) and had a blast!

Answer 6

Get there as soon as you can, the cruise line will tell you when check in begins.

And when you get off the ship for your ports of call please remember to be there at least an hour before the ship is scheduled to leave.  The ship will leave without you if you are not there.

Answer 7

I have been on many cruises and here's what I suggest based on my experiences.

The cruise line will generally start boarding your cruise ship between noon and 1:00 PM. The check-in process will likely take about 15 minutes unless its really crowded.  But the cruise lines typically have about 15 to 20 check-in desks open.  They will want to see your passport, cruise documents, and a credit card to set up your on-board cruise account (everything that you purchase while on ship goes on this account/tab, including at the end of the cruise the gratuities ($10 per person per day))

When you arrive at the port, you will drop your luggage with a porter (yes tip the porter about $1. per bag) who will carry it (in big carts with other's) to the ship's door where members of the ship's security staff will send it through a scanner (like at the airport) and then turn it over to other people on the ship who will take it to your cabin.  Your bags will likely not arrive at your cabin until much later in the day.  So if you plan to get into the pools or hot tub as soon as you get on ship, bring clothes for that in your carry on bag because you will not see your checked luggage for a good while.

When you finish the check-in process and board the ship there will be a buffet lunch ready.  I suggest that after lunch you walk around the ship and take pictures of it; I do this on all of my cruises before things get crowded and end up with a lot of people in the picture.  Also, this is a good time to start to find your way around the ship; the first day it can be confusing.

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. If you want you can wear sports/resort casual that evening and you'll be fine. 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.

-Make sure that you 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.

- Take a can of spray air freshener for the bathroom as they do not have exhaust fans.

Answer 8

I THINK YOUR BEST SOURCE OF INFO WOULD BE THE CRUISE LINE.