First cruise - what do I need to know?

[MomtoGKC]

I am sure there is a website like this for cruises, but I don't know it yet. We just got invited on a cruise with friends at the end of April. It's a Princess cruise and goes to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Ratoan and Eluthra.

I've never been on a cruise. To be honest, they don't look that great to me and I've never really had the desire to go on one, but this is free because my husband won an award at work! So - what do I need to know? What do I bring? How expensive are the excursions usually? Are they worth it or should we explore on our own? I'm stressed about the short time at each island, that is why I've never wanted to cruise - I always like to get to know a place and not just go there for a few hours.

Any advice would be great - thank you!!

 

[mjkacmom]

cruisecritic.com is the DISboards of cruising. I could give you advice, but you'll get much more information there, even on the ship you are sailing, and the itinerary. One thing I suggest is that if the excursions are close by, book them on your own. And your cruise is not free - you will be expected to either tip certain people, or some lines have a daily service charge (I know NCL is $12 per person per day).

 

[mickeyluvr004]

we just came back from a carnival cruise to cozumel and g cayman and soo loved it, we did the excursion at grand cayman and went to hell (there is such a place real cute) and turtle farm we went on a bus nice but with your kids thier ages (mine are 7 and 12) so they were kinda bored but the turtle farm was a great trip as they get to hold baby turtles and slightly bigger ones. they also have the dolphin swim which we will do next time that looked fun also. go on your cruise ship website and sign up with them and look at the excursions.. cozumel turned out to be my favorite of the 2 islands we went to.. sooo beautiful.. dont forget to bring dramamine or ginger altoids(i recently found them at rite aid by the pharmacist area just in case your not feeling well.. my daughters first cruise and neither one got sick.. any other questions just pm me ok.. enjoy..

 

[rubato]

I've been on 5 cruises ranging from 5 to 10 nights. I recommend booking your excursions through the cruise line for your first time. It's a lot less hassle, but a little more expensive. I think you will also need to change your way of thinking. Don't expect to get to know each island. Instead, pick something you would enjoy doing, and do it. I've now been to Grand Cayman twice and haven't been past 7 mile beach. I'm okay with that. I'll go sometime on my own and explore, but for now, I just want to lay out on the beach, snorkel and kayak.

There are lots of things to do on the ship. Some are fun, some are cheesy. Just try to get into the spirit of it and have fun doing things you wouldn't normally do.

Yes, please remember the tips. There are guidelines for each cruise line.

Love cruisecritic. I have researched so many things on that website.

Enjoy!

 

[platamama]

I'll add some thoughts that aren't necessarily specific to cruising, but travel out of the country in general.

Make sure your passports are current. Some places require your passport to not expire within 6 mos. of the date you're going to be in that country.

Excursions you book through the cruiseline are more expensive, but they also won't leave you behind if you're late getting back to the ship. You take that chance when booking on your own - the ship will leave if you're not aboard from what I've read.

Opinions range on the advisability of trip insurance. Personally I wouldn't cruise without it, just for the peace of mind. If there is a preexisting condition that you want covered, most of the time you need to buy within 2-3 weeks of 1st deposit for your trip.

Let your credit card companies know when you're going to be traveling so they don't freeze you out when you're trying to use your CC on your travels.

Those were just some thoughts I wanted to add.

 

[usnuzuloose]

To make sure you get back in time set your watch with the ship time. If you are prone to sea sickness it could help to get a room midship. The first cruise we took we did the ship excursions so glad we did. After a few times we set out on our own. Me I love the rocking of the ship. I like eating in the MDR. But the buffet is ok. Just relax enjoy the cruise and the food.

 

[Frannie115]

You will love it! I felt the same way before our first cruise and we've been on 4 so far (DCL, Norwegian, Princess). The entire family enjoys it. We would never get to see so many different places.

Would love to cruise Alaska next year. Have to start saving for that one

 

[jms920]

I agree about cruisecritic.com it is a great site. Look for some reviews of the ship you will be on. Will give you a lot of information and you can ask questions. I also agree, book excursions through the ship for the first time and also agree about the insurance. You can compare insurance at insuremytrip.com

I love cruising, I've been on 14 and have 2 more booked. You can do as much or as little as you like. It's a good idea to check out the deck plan for your ship ahead of time, they are large and can be confusing.

A couple more suggestions, don't bring as many clothes as you think you will need, make copies of all your documents and passport. Keep them separate from the originals, and bring a good attitude and you'll have a great time!

 

[NCRedding]

Accept that the business of getting on the ship can be a lot of "hurry up and wait." You may spend more time waiting to be called to board, getting all the info entered into the computer, going through security, etc. Then, once you think you are done, you have to wait one more time for the boarding picture. Once onboard, the fun begins.

 

[dumbocutie]

Here is a link right to the Princess board.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=197

cruising is fun and Princess is a very nice line. Live and enjoy the experience.

 

[bookgirl]

Take half the clothes and twice the money.


Then go to www.cruisecritic.com probably the best board for cruisers and it has a great first time cruisers thread.

I took nice outfit for every night, I should have taken one pair of black pants or skirt and then just changed up the tops. I took a variety of different 'season' clothes as we cruised in winter and it was cold to begin and end and hot in the middle. Take layers and avoid two completly seperate wardrobes. It's a very casual atmosphere, flip flop and shorts are considered overdressed except in the dining room.

I actually spent very little money, but a lot of people go and way under estimate what they will spend on pop/booze/souvenieers. Everything gets charged to your room key and it can get away from you quickly. Credit cards are not a good idea in some of the local shopping areas, cash is king and a lot easier to deal with. (stolen cc numbers, banks canceling cards because they think someone has stolen your card and using it because you forgot to tell them you were leaving the country, being charged amounts that were not what you thought they were after conversion, street vendors don't always take cards, etc)

Although there are people who ONLY use cc and have no problem and way prefer it to cash and that may work better for you but the CCBoard will have lots of threads with the pro and con's of both.