What tips do you have for someone going on a cruise for the first time in their life?

Zack: When I went on a cruise ship

When I went on a cruise ship: 1. The first day they made people from certain decks gather at certain stations. A guy at each station told the group what to do if the ship starts sinking. Necessary information, but LONG and boring. 2. The food is ALL free!. You can eat all you want at the buffet without paying any more than what you did for your ticket! At dinner, they have lots of tasty food and very good dessert! 3. Lots of entertainment. Pools, mini-golf, sometimes plays, a T.V in your bedroom, music, etc. 4. I went on my cruise over new years. When the new year arrived, there was a big party near the pool. You will have a lot of fun!

Den B7

- First time cruisers always over pack. Consider packing lighter. Take clothing items that mix-and-match so you don't wear the same outfit twice. DON'T pack beach towels. Use ship towels even when going on shore excursions. In the Caribbean you'll dry fast... one medium towel is usually enough for two people if you go snorkeling or whatever. - Use a credit card - don't carry a ton of cash. Use cash only for tipping cabbies, etc. At the end of the cruise, we usually tip wait staff and cabin stewards a little extra even when tips are included. - Sunscreen! Getting sunburned is no fun. The sun can be brutally hot. Pack a big floppy hat (that can be flattened in a suitcase) to shade your face and ears. Don't forget sunglasses too. - Save money, avoid specialty restaurants that cost extra. Eat in the main dining room, you'll get the same steaks, they're just smaller cuts. If you want more... order two meals. If the menu has a steak choice and a lobster choice and you are in the mood for surf & turf... order both meals. Use the buffets only for lunches. Get a 1st class breakfast in the main dining room. You can ask for a table for two OR be seated with other passengers. Sitting with other passengers is a good way to meet people and get good cruising tips from seasoned travelers. - When on the ship, lock your stuff in your cabin safe. You don't need your cell phone, car keys or wallet while in the middle of the ocean. The only thing you need is your ship card. - Drink packages are pricey, even for soda. Weigh out how much you expect to drink and determine if it's worth the price. My wife and I limited our alcoholic drinks to one mixed drink per evening, usually in a comedy club (Carnival). You can survive without soda for 5 days. Drink water, coffee and juices that are available 24/7 on board. Hint: You can make your own iced coffee easily too. - Wear a watch. Ships don't concern themselves too much with tracking time. Having a watch allows you to separate from your party and schedule a time when and where you can hook up again. I've forgotten this on two occasions and ended up buying a cheap $10 watch in the ship's store. - Find a way to know where you are on the ship. At elevators and stairs it's sometimes difficult to know if you are in the front or back of the ship. Carnival stairways have themes that you can figure out. Our last cruise we figured that collages meant the front of the ship, ocean scenes = middle and watercolors = aft. Alphabetically C forward,O middle, W aft. - If you want something, ask for it. If you don't like the heavy duvet cover on the bed, ask for a blanket. If you want mac & cheese in the dining room and it's not on the menu, just ask for it. - To quickly get from the front to the back of the ship, use the hallways on cabin decks. It's faster than weaving through crowds on the lido deck. Most cabin decks have hallways that run the length of the ship. - have tiny LED flashlights, especially if you are on inside cabins. - travel alarm clock, especially for inside cabins. Midnight looks exactly like noon in a cabin with no window.

Mike

Just because you can eat all you want doesn't mean you have to eat all you can.

Bubba Ray

Always remember, a cruise lasts for days, but herpes is with you for a lifetime.

Anonymous

- Bring enough clothes and underwear. Better to over-pack than under-pack. - Brint sunscreen and aloe vera gel ! - Bring sunglasses. - Bring a camera to take lots of pictures ! - Have fun !!!

Ryan

Be humble.

pmt853

Pack layers, don't lose your cruise pass, keep your passports and money safe, drink plenty of water, read all the information the cruise line gives you, walk the ship from end to end on each deck on your first couple of days to find all its goodies, get off at each port and explore, be nice to the staff they work hard, get out on deck and admire the scenery, take lots of photos. Enjoy it all.

Forty Licks

Free alcoholic drinks already paid up front is a must Bring some smart clothes but don't over do it as you are likely to wear shorts when sightseeing Make sure you have the different types of currency but not too much of each Remember that the staff are usually Filipino and any poor ratings of the staff has a direct result on their earnings Don't stay in the sun for too long and take some sun cream Bring a good book whilst you are in between sites Make sure you know where every thing is If you are happy with the service you receive,tell them Watch out for news on shows Seek out quiet areas If you have children,see if they have supervisors to arrange play Finally,you will enjoy it and you are making me feel jealous already

Emerald

Just enjoy yourself and have a great time.

Simpson G.

You’ve gotten a couple good answers and mostly a lot of crap ones, but I wanted to add a couple things. If you’remold enough to drink on the cruise, and money is something you monitor, you absolutely need to keep track of what you’re spending. There are some apps for this, so consider using them. Otherwise, record what you prefer, when, and how much it cost in notes or a similar apps. 04/05 5:45p Corona $5.25 04/05 6:30p Fancy Dinner $85 Tally nightly. Most ships also allow you to check your bill on the TV, but this keeps you really aware of it and you can also use it to make sure your bill is right. Take the stairs. Elevators take forever. And it’s good exercise. Remember that they can’t overcustomize your meals. They’re more than happy to give you double potatoes with extra butter if that’s offered that night, but they can’t serve you a bagel and lox at 9pm in the dining room. They also can’t make a fresh batch of salsa because you don’t like cilantro. If you’re going to be walking a lot, this is not the time to break in new shoes. If you’ll be walking a lot, bring good walking shoes. That’s not flip-flops, uggs, sketchers, crocs, or sandals. That’s closed toe crosstrainers (or similar) that have been broken in and support your foot correctly. Please dress up for formal nights. Please. Please be presentable at dinner if you’re dining in the main dining room. No uggs, pajama tops/bottoms, yoga pants, hooded sweatshirts, flip flops, cargo shorts, and other loungewear. It’s already been mentioned, sunscreen sunscreen sunscreen. More often than you think. Do not support animal encounters, like swimming with captive dolphins, visiting a turtle “farm”, taking a picture with a monkey/iguana/parrot... Yes to hand sanitizer. Regularly. Unless you buy a package, soda and alcohol are not included. I sat down to figure out the cost for an alcohol package and I think it worked out to having to have like 4-5 drinks a day. You can math to see what makes sense to you. Specialty food is extra. So while coffee may be included, Starbucks isn’t. Krispy Kreme probably won’t be. Make reservations early! Enjoy shore excursions, but also price out taxis and compare. One cruise I went on had a beach day shore excursion which was shopping for a bit, transport to the beach, a boxed lunch, and transport back, for $55. Each. A taxi to that same beach was $12. Total. Don’t forget your device chargers!!

Joshua

Have fun

Common Sense

Expect to have a huge bill at the end. Everything in a cruise is expensive from the services where you dock to the drinks you have on board. They know they have limited time to buy and limited access to shopping. Try to sneak some booze on board whenever you can. It is a game and they will not throw you in the brig or walk you off the plank if they catch you.

Anonymous

Don't eat their food , or you will get sick

Max Hoopla

Pack light. Don't drink too much.

Artemisc

Go on cruise critic, register, and sign up for the roll call for your sailing. Chances are, there are a lot of repeat cruisers with valuable information. And see if there is a "fan page" for your cruise line. A fan page is one set up by people who like the cruise line, not the cruise llne itself. Both Royal and Celebrity have nice ones. I suppose there. are good ones for other lines but I only cruise RCL and Celebrity so I've never looked. Anyway the people o such luges are usually very knowledgable. And cabin hack, your suitcases will fit under the bed, so you have more closet space.

Antony

Have your seasickness medicine an hour before you board the ship or before the waters get choppy. Try to be in the middle of the ship where the swaying is the least.

purplebinky

Wash your hands a lot and use hand sanitizer. I'm always reading about people on cruise ships getting sick.

Ann

Stay below deck if the wwater's rough, so you won't get seasick. Buy some Dramamine for motion sickness, or get a prescription for Scopolamine (sp.) patches that are worn behind the ear. They will keep you from getting sick. Being seasick is the worst thing that can happen to you, because there is no place to go. Be sure you're armed with preventives. Also, don't go off by yourself when there are land excursions. Go in a group. Don't let yourself be accosted by the natives to buy a lot of nonsense. Don't eat land food. Eat on the ship. Take advantage of the shows they put on, but don't get caught up in the casino. It's rigged (of course) so you will lose. Pace the money you spend, so you don't spend it all the first day and have none for the rest of the trip. Take lots of pictures. Do not end up in a "shipboard romance" with any ship's employees. It won't end well.

Obamavenger

Don't over pack. Take it easy on the booze or you are going to get a bill at the end of the trip that will drive you to drink.

Greg

"someone" way to vague. "A cruise", way to vague. Determine what you are going to do in each port and on ship. Determine what you will spend. Determine what you need to take (toiletries, clothes, electronics). Get passport and visas.

merchandise

What is cruise

Alexandra

Just one advise Don't die kid

JOHN

Bring your own life preserver the one on the cruise boat may have holes in it.

Anonymous

after a few days you get tired of being on a boat. bring something to read.

Gerald

middle of the ship in bad weather

Never Trump

Meclizine tablets (over the counter in the US, often sold as "motion sickness pills" or "seasickness pills") can be very helpful if you're concerned about seasickness or if there's the possibility of rough waters. I've found it helpful to bring some books with me but I love to read... and if you don't, you might elect otherwise.

Jake

If you are in rough waters, try to stay on the lower floors where it is more stable, unless you are a seasoned alcoholic you are going to puke all over the place in those conditions if you eat. the movement of the boat when she's rough is the same as being really drunk.

Anonymous

My tip would be stay home and save a fortune.

The Donald

Pepto Bismol.

Andrew the Mullin

Take lots of money. They try to screw you as much as possible. If you want to leave the port when it docks, it costs big dollars.