We will be our 5th DC, but our 1st on the Western. We are very happy to be going again. Like others we booked on our 2/3/8 cruise for the discount and OBC. New ports will be great. It will be myself and a DD 24 at the time. I'll be celebrating another Birthday on board. For the adults only groups we have always had a great time. We have only had rooms in the lower cats 11 10 and 9's Last cruise we got a sideways inside room Forward deck 6, best inside room we have ever had we will be in one again.
There are lots of tips out there for 1st time cruises as well as continued cruiser. Have fun looking over the forum.
A few I will bring up here for the adult crowd, I don't have any little children so I don't have any tips for that group. These were things that made my trip easier, but it of course may be different for you.
Do: ENJOY YOURSELF YOU ARE ON VACATION
Do: Bring Outfits for Pirates Nights, you will have a blast (we go all out, hand made outfits).
Do: Bring Over the door shoe holder, I didn't bring one for the 1st 3 cruises but the last one we brought on and put it on a hanger and hung it on the closet door hook. It work so well I can't believe I didn't bring the on the other cruises.
Do: Must bring power strip, for all the recharging items, curling irons etc.
Do: Bring more than one swimming suit, one to be wet one to be dry.
Do: If you have late seating for dinner, skip the sweets on Pirate night, go out to the deck for the party and have the sweets out there so you won't miss all of the party. But don't skip dinner in the dinning room it is great fun.
Do: Enjoy dressing up on the formal and semi formal nights and take lots of pictures; you don't have to buy them. But they are usually very nice pictures.
Do: Go to Beat Street the happening area for adults after 9pm; we will be there every night.
Do: Enjoy a walk on desk 10 at night, its beautiful.
Do: Some of the main shows are held at 2pm; check those out if you like to take time getting ready for dinner on the formal and semi formal nights.
Do: If Ducky Williams happens to be on board at the time, he usually stays after his dinner and draws pencil drawings for people that come up to him and ask politely. He is very nice about that. Last cruise he was at the 4 spot table next to our 4 spot table. We were at the latest dinning rotation.
Do: Get to know your head server right away and you might be able to talk him into getting you the famous desert from PALO at your table in the main dining room.
Do: Enjoy Quiet Cove Pool area
Do: Enjoy Quiet Cove Cafe in the morning, Buy a cup of specialty coffee, its pretty good. The baked goods are good also. Earily in the morning, it is so quiet, I was the only one there one morning and the pool was empty. It was great
Don't: Sweat the small stuff
Dont: Over pack. You won't wear it all.
Dont: Sweat it if you don't make it to PALO See Do above about PALO
Dont: Think what they call cool boxes in the cabin are frigs, they are not; they just keep cold things cool. I put ice in the box to keeps things colder for longer.
Don't: Bring to many different shoes; they take up to much room.
Don't: Forget to go to Sessions for a quiet times relaxing to the sounds of the piano.
Don't: Work will your are cruising. YOU ARE ON VACATION
Hope a few of these will help you in all your planning. See you next year.
It mostly involves swimming, eating, and relaxing.
I am also looking forward to swimming, eating, and relaxing. We were never really big party people to begin with, but now my idea of a party is to not be in my PJs by 8 at night! That being said, should be interesting to see who puts who to bed on the ship...the kids will probably be so wired from all of the excitement that they're either going to crash at night, or they'll be climbing the walls at all hours of the night not wanting to miss any of the excitement! 
