5 things you wish you'd known on your first cruise

Saw this thread on another forum and thought it was a great idea but it would be better if it was Thomson specific. Best tip I saw was if you are on an inside cabin switch the TV to onboard camera and leave it on all night. That way when you wake up you'll know if it's daylight.

Also

Keep away from lifeboats when choosing an outside cabin you'll see nothing.

Take shoes with swelling room.

Take half the clothes out of the case, nobody notices if you wear the same outfit 2 or 3 times same for shoes.

Buy those empty dispenser bottles from Poundworld and put shampoo, conditioner and anit-bacterial hand soap or shower gel in.

Any more tips from experienced cruisers?

Jan

Hi Jan,

As an "experieced cruiser" of 3 cruises.

Take the right international plug adapter, or preferably one of each.

There was a large queue on the Escape in December of men whose wives had washed their hair and couldn't dry it. :D

And bring an extension lead with 4 plugs on to charge up all your stuff.

Berwyn

Hi Jan,

As an "experieced cruiser" of 3 cruises.

Take the right international plug adapter, or preferably one of each.

There was a large queue on the Escape in December of men whose wives had washed their hair and couldn't dry it. :D

And bring an extension lead with 4 plugs on to charge up all your stuff.

 

Berwyn

Berwyn

Perhaps the wives with wet hair could hang over the side in the wind.:D:D.

Good ideas on the adaptors, it could be a problem with 110V on board so half the power as here.

Jan

Berwyn

 

Perhaps the wives with wet hair could hang over the side in the wind.:D:D.

Good ideas on the adaptors, it could be a problem with 110V on board so half the power as here.

 

Jan

No,

In this case they'd brought European round adaptors and needed the flat ones.

Berwyn

Best tip I saw was if you are on an inside cabin switch the TV to onboard camera and leave it on all night. That way when you wake up you'll know if it's daylight.

 

Jan

Good tip - except there aren't any cameras on the onboard TV on the Destiny!!!:eek:

We always take an extension cable with us.

We always buy all our toiletries at the airport - that way they aren't in your checked in luggage - so it weighs less.

Wish someone had told us when you are on a back to back cruise you don't need to do the lifeboat drill the 2nd week!!

Ann

:DThe 4 socket extension lead is a good tip not only so you can plug your mobiles, battery charger units, ipods etc in to charge at the same time but also bacause the two sockets in the cabin were on the wall under the mirror where the dressing table was and neither my battery charger and mobile charger would fit as therre was not enough space - do you know what I mean? if the sockets had been a couple of inches higher up they'd have fitted in or if the sockets had been at 90 deg. I guess when the ship was built in the 80's we didnt have all these gadgets to plus in and they were just for lamps or something?

You can get the short 4 socket extension leads in Poundland and the 99p shop. I saw pack of two European adaptors in the 99p shop recently.

In my cabin on Thomson Spirit there was one socket USA (with the two flat prongs) and one European one (with the two round prongs). I took both types of adaptor. There was another socket where the tv was plugged in but it was awkward to get to. There was a hairdryer in the dressing table/desk drawer. Several times when I went to Reception to get the news letters or people were handing in mobiles and cameras to charge.

My tips? only 5??? hahah

Not cruise specific but I'll think of some essential on my trips with excursions and children is to take a plastic lunchbox and a few sandwich bags so you can to get a few bits together from breakfast buffet, pastries, make up cheese rolls, some fruit etc to eat on the coach on day trips. It's too early to eat on breakfast for us those early start long day trips but you'll be hungry by mid morn. Same on way home as it's a long wait time at the airport if you disembark after breakfast and don't arirve home till night time. The food is nasty and overpriced Sharm airport it's like £4 or £5 last time I was there for a slice of awful dry pizza.

The in flight meals are not worth paying for if they are additional cost in my opinion - at the airport once we've checked in we have a breakfast then pop in Boots and buy a £3.50 'meal deal' you get three items - choose from sandwiches/pasta salad/wrap/sushi + a drink + choose a snack like crisps/fruit/chocolate/nuts. It does us and

Take plastic sacks for dirty laundry. You will take far more than you need so don't want to mix up the unwoirn stuff with dirty stuff.

Again take plastic bags for wet swim suits that have not had time to dry before you pack.

I could go on forever with tips you know :D

I mix our gear in the cases so that way if one piece of luggage goes missing we'll all have something to wear. Put sheet of paper with name and address inside case as well as the outside tags just in case it gets lost.

There's usually no clock in cabins or hotel rooms so I take a small travel clock ao I can see the time without getting up to pick up my mobile.

Research the ports of call so you'll know what to do when you're there. take print outs of street maps, make copies of your insurance/passport details.

Look on eBay for tuxedo/evening dress bargains, no point spending £100 on a suit you may only wear once?

Get a sheet of those white peel off address labels and write the names and addresses of the people you intend to send postcards home to on them before you go, saves time writing the addresses on all the cards - I like to send one from each port/country to myself as a sort of souvenir.

I'll stop now but I could probably write a book on travel tips being used to organising family and solo hols for years. :D

I meant to add - when I get the Boots meal deal while waiting for the flight out I get the bottle of diet coke and then buy a small bottle of vodka from the duty free shop and add some vodka to the coke. Then I drink that rather than pay £3 each for the mini bottles of spirits and £1.50 for the mini cans of pop on the plane. ooer... not only sounding a real skinflint but an alky too :eek:

Sorry can't stop myself!

Make up a first aid kit - you could put it all in a plastic bag then, to save taking up space in your suitcase, put it in the plastic lunch box that you're taking with you for buffet pilfering?

I take everything cos, even if you can find it abroad, it will be expensive and a palaver trying to find a local chemist. The ship's doctor costs.

Take a few essentials plasters (for the blisters from the new sandals you bought!) antiseptic spray, painkillers, rehydration sachets, bellyache/heartburn medicine (for when you get sick from all that rich food you will eat on the ship), Calpol if you're taking children - can't imagine being able to get that easily abroad...

The main thing we hadn't bargained for before our first cuise was that most men DO actually wear dinner jackets!!! I would go so far as to say you would struggle to appear over-dressed.

I take one of those plastic rings with pegs attached, very useful for drying smalls and swimsuits in the shower cubicle and very quick and easy to move when you want to use the shower.

Pack a change of clothes and mini toiletries in your hand luggage so you can freshen up and change for dinner without needing to wait for your case to arrive. Twice we have had to go to dinner in our travelling clothes.

Carol x

We have the fabric type suitcases and once arrived with the top layer of clothes quite damp after the cases were sitting outside waiting to be loaded onto the plane in a torrential thunder storm. Since then, I've lined the cases with that thin plastic protective sheeting you buy for covering over when decorating - make sure there's a good over-lap though. You get large 12' x 12' sheets in a pack of 3/4? from Wilkinsons quite cheaply. On a subsequent occasion, the case lid was wet but the plastic had kept everything dry.

We take plenty of gaviscon or similar - all those huge late meals! :eek:

Photocopies of travel info off the internet - and also local bus timetables can be accessed for some ports so you can plan to use local buses for DiY excursions.

Check ports out on Google Earth - the photos on there will give you a good idea of whether the port is interesting/attractive in its own right or whether it would be better to venture further afield or go on a trip. Also you can look at the pictures which relate to trip destinations so you can see if they appeal to you. By seeing what's interesting in port, you can plan to include it in your visit. (It's so frustrating to get back to the ship and hear people talking lyrically about some fabulous site - and you never saw it!!)

If possible take an alternative credit/debit card just in case one gets lost or isn't accepted. We usually both take one and leave one on the ship and take one out with us.

Take small denomination currency if you can and if you're not using local currency (e.g. using Euros in non-EU countries) make sure if you need change the trader will give you change in the currency you are offering.

Check out the tourist information sites for your destinations. Often they give ideas of local attractions and if you want more information, send an email - I've found them very good at responding and have even requested town maps/guides which they have sent out.

Try to take mix and match clothing to cut down on weight but still give you several combinations of outfits.

If you are doing a b2b you get a really long day in port on change over day so you can plan quite a big excursion perhaps using public transport as you won't need to worry about getting back until late.

Something which might sound obvious, but I've now been asked it by FOUR would-be cruisers.....

You don't HAVE to get off the ship at each port, and

You don't HAVE to take a ship's excursion.

They were thinking about being shoved out of B&Bs in Blackpool! :D

Jo.

Tell your credit card company when and where you are travelling in case the card gets blocked on suspicion of fraud.

Take photocopies of your passport details and keep them seperate. If your passport is lost or stolen abroad the copies make it easier to get help.

Jan

Excellent tip Ecko, that happened to my partner's card once abroad as it is rarely used as a debit card here let alone abroad. It got blocked for 'suspicious activity' and we had to call the bank. It's quite good really that they don't take chances and the man we spoke to on the phone at the bank said just let us know when you're going to be using it abroad next time so we can put a note on the account...

Sorry I meant Ekco :)

Also

Take £10 notes for taxis in port - short journeys to explore local area are fine

Consider whether it worth the stress of booking an independent long trip incase you miss the boat!

Eat lunch in the Compass restaurant (Spirit)

Book a criuse on the Calypso - a lovely small boat - best entertainment and no children

I meant to add - when I get the Boots meal deal while waiting for the flight out I get the bottle of diet coke and then buy a small bottle of vodka from the duty free shop and add some vodka to the coke. Then I drink that rather than pay £3 each for the mini bottles of spirits and £1.50 for the mini cans of pop on the plane. ooer... not only sounding a real skinflint but an alky too :eek:

Hi grannypops, or should that be alchopops:D. Love all your tips but especially like this one. Interested to know when you do the mixing, in the lounges or on the plane. On our return from the Canaries last week the cabin crew totally ignored the non-meals section and we didn't even get the chance to buy tea/coffee. So serves them right if we take our own!:)

Great response everyone. Fantastic tips, keep them coming. I've got 2 more but memory failure (senility!) kicks in. :D

Jan

I hope no one follows Goodspirit's advice and tries to book on the Calypso. Apparently she is now a pile of scrap metal after being decomisioned. :(

If you've got A.I drinks. Make sure to read the list of drinks available on it so you don't end up buying and paying for ones not on it.

Berwyn

Excellent tip Ecko, that happened to my partner's card once abroad as it is rarely used as a debit card here let alone abroad. It got blocked for 'suspicious activity' and we had to call the bank. It's quite good really that they don't take chances and the man we spoke to on the phone at the bank said just let us know when you're going to be using it abroad next time so we can put a note on the account...

I put my details on-line with Barclaycard even though the relevant section was hard to find. DH phoned TSB and had to answer a whole load of questions about the holiday. I think it's worth it though, nothing worse than having your cc blocked unexpectedly. I read somewhere that some cruise ships ring-fence up to £200 per day for the ship which would leave me nothing left for the week (£1400) as I only keep a small limit on mine. I don't if that's true but it would be interesting to find out.

Jan

A couple of things that would not have occurred to me on doing a hotel holiday.

When I was leaning over the ship's rail and watching the sea go past I realised that if my specs fell off there is no way I'm getting them back. So now I always bring my 2nd pair.

And the same might happen to false teeth if you don't keep your mouth closed or put enough Ploygrip on.

Berwyn

A couple of things that would not have occurred to me on doing a hotel holiday.

 

When I was leaning over the ship's rail and watching the sea go past I realised that if my specs fell off there is no way I'm getting them back. So now I always bring my 2nd pair.

And the same might happen to false teeth if you don't keep your mouth closed or put enough Ploygrip on.

 

Berwyn

what about those rope things you can put around the ends of the glasses and wrap them around your neck?

what about those rope things you can put around the ends of the glasses and wrap them around your neck?

I tried them Kev and didn't like them. And mine are on my nose the whole time, unlike some people who can take them on and off and leave them dangling around their necks.

Berwyn

what about those rope things you can put around the ends of the glasses and wrap them around your neck?

Berwyn

That's a horrible image you just put in my mind. False teeth flying out, imagine being sat in your cabin and seeing someones gnashers flying past. A quick examination of the restaurant at dinner would soon track down the culprit. It's the one eating the soup and trifle.

Jan

Berwyn

 

That's a horrible image you just put in my mind. False teeth flying out, imagine being sat in your cabin and seeing someones gnashers flying past. A quick examination of the restaurant at dinner would soon track down the culprit. It's the one eating the soup and trifle.

 

Jan

:D:eek::D..

It's the 1st thing I thought of leaning over the cabin balcony rail.

Hi grannypops, or should that be alchopops:D. Love all your tips but especially like this one. Interested to know when you do the mixing, in the lounges or on the plane. On our return from the Canaries last week the cabin crew totally ignored the non-meals section and we didn't even get the chance to buy tea/coffee. So serves them right if we take our own!:)

 

Jan

HI jan i usually do it in the ladies before boarding so i can tip some of the coke out down the sink to add the vodka. :D but i have been known to do it discreetly in the bar at the airport if the staff can't see me. I guess you could do it on the plane though but they do say you cant consume your own alcohol on there so I dont risk getting caught hahaha. I often ask for 'just a glass with some ice please' when the drinks service though :D

As a recent wearer of dentures I always take my spare ones with me!

One tip I would say is to take a big enough piece of hand luggage to be able to keep a change of clothes before you go home. When we went to the Caribbean in January we had to put our luggage out before 11pm on the night before and we had to last until 7pm next day before our flight. Obviously we wanted to wear our shorts for as long as possible and change our clothes before the long flight home.

As we are going cruise and stay in May, I shall take a beach bag, so I have enough stuff to take to our hotel before the luggage arrives.

If you cruise from Britain, you could take a small case on wheels as no luggage restrictions.

Linda