Taking a cruise! any tips?

Question

well its going to europe around the area of italy. I haven't been on one in years! so any tips would be appreciated! thanks =]

Answer 1

I have done two Med cruises covering Italy, Greece, Spain, Gibraltar and a few other places.  Our cruises left from Barcelona.  The port in Barcelona is right downtown and easy to get to from the airport, about 30 to 40 minutes, depending upon traffic.  

It is very advisable to fly to Europe a day early so that you do not miss your cruise due to flight delays. We always fly over a day early and the night we spend in a hotel is well worth the price to get some rest before the cruise and adjust to the time difference.

You have to watch out for pickpockets in Barcelona, and Rome.  Keep your camera and valuable inside your clothes and be suspicious of suspicious looking people.  Some pickpockets will disguise themselves as tourist with cameras hanging from their necks.  Don't give money to the Gypsies either, they will try to rip you off.

It is also advisable to get some Euros before you go to pay for taxis, meals, etc or to get to the ship. You can use Euros in Italy and Greece and the merchants will even accept them in most places.

Rome is the one place to do tours if you don't do any anywhere else. We had a day there and that was not enough time. Tours to do; The Vatican City, the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Catacombs.   The port city of Civitavecchia, Italy is an hour or more from Rome by bus or taxi so its best to book the ship's tour there if anywhere.  Its NOT the place to try to go on your own unless you know exactly what you are doing. Its not like other cities where you can walk off the ship and go a short ways an be in town or close to attractions.  Other port stops in Italy you can do your own thing if you want.  

In Naples the main attraction is Pompeii and you can do that on your own or through the ship. You will be there long enough to get a taxi or tour on the pier and have plenty of time to get back to the ship. When we went we combined it with a tour of a lemon and olive farm and I could have just as well skipped that part.

In Athens the main attraction is the Acropolis and that is a very strenuous tour as you have to walk up to the top. Lots of uphill walking and steps, but an interesting historic site. The rest of our tour was a mini tour of the city with a stop at the Olympic stadium.  You can do the ship's tour or go on your own in Athens, but since all street signs are in Greek I would just book a ship's tour.  If you got lost you could not even tell anyone where you were unless you can read Greek.

Our cruise stopped in Nice after leaving Barcelona and there we toured Monte Carlo and a Mideval city of Eze.  That was nice but don't pay the $10 a person to go into the casinos in Monte Carlo.  They are not worth it; there are much prettier casinos all over the US.

If you got to Mykonos and/or Santorini, the Greek Isles, those you can tour on your own.

I have been on about 20 cruises and here's what I suggest based on my experiences:

Always pack your passport and cruise documents in your carry on bag ONLY.  If you plan to get into the pools or hot tub as soon as you get on ship (they will be open), bring those clothes in your carry on bag; you other luggage may not get to your cabin until much later in the afternoon.

The dress on ship is casual all day until 6:00PM, so take:

-swim wear (at least 2),

-shorts, tank tops and "T's"

-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,

- a wrap or light jacket for cool evenings

-your camera, and

-other personal toiletries including tooth paste, mouth wash or lotions.

Your cabin will have towels and soap provided, including pool and beach towels, and a hair dryer. It will also have a generic hair shampoo so you do not need to bring that unless you like a specific brand.

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, bars, casino, etc. Don't over pack , take clothes that you can mix and match tops and bottoms and plan to wear each piece twice.

Your cruise will have a formal night or two 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. You will not be denied entry to the main dining room if you decide not to dress up, as long as you are at least sports casual. But most people do dress up. A gown or party dress for women and a suit or tux for men. Some people dress up both formal nights, some don't.

- 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.

- Pack using the vacuum clothing bags (about $20 for 3 at Target) so that you can get more in your bag AND so that if the TSA at the airport opens your bag they can see what's inside without rummaging through your things.

-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 and/or hand-wipes. 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 air freshener for your cabin bathroom. The bathrooms do not have exhaust fans.

- Take a few zip lock bags of various sizes; they always come in handy.

- Take some one dollar bills (also maybe a few $5's) for tipping the porters in the airport, at the pier (they do not work for the ship), and they will come in handy in port stops for buying small items in the markets and at vendor stands; especially bartering places.

Answer 2

a nite lite if you have an inside cabin

a power strip so you have enough outlets for your electronics

small first aid kit ( I paid 5.00 for a small box of band-aids)

motion sickness pills very costly on ship

hand sanitizer

if you see two things on the menu that you may want for dinner don't be afraid to ask for them both you can anything you want that is on the menu and as much as you want...

plenty of 1 and 5 dollar bills for tipping..

have a great time enjoy your cruise

Answer 3

Lets see, watch you spending on the ship.Buying all those t shirts, jewelry, gambling, and alcohol really adds up quick. Also take less clothes then what you think, especially since you have to pay for extra luggage on the plane now a days. Go to the port city a day early. That way you can get acclimated to the time change quicker and you won't miss the cruise due to a flight problem or delay. What you buy in port, put it on a credit card, then you have an automatic receipt for it, plus it is easier then figuring out money exchange and all that. Lastly, don't buy morano glass in Italy unless you absolutely must have it. I have found you can get beautiful murano glass where and vases for about the same price as at home, plus you don't have to worry about breakage. Lastly, don't worry and have a wonderful time.