first holiday

Not only my first cruise but also first time leaving the UK my partner hasn't been on holiday for a few years either. We have booked a 16 night from Southampton to the Caribbean & Azores on P&O on the Azura. So any tips for a novice 50ish and 40ish couple, would be very welcome.

Welcome to Cruise Critic! You also want to post on the P&O board.

A Brit ship like Azura is a good choice for a first cruise, keeps life simple & on-board costs low.

Guessing this is a "repositioning" cruise - you sail out & fly back.

So you'll have quite a few days at sea & the weather for the first couple of days will be cold & mebbe a little choppy.

Have you yet chosen your cabin? There's an art in choosing location.

And have you yet chosen your evening meal sitting - pros & cons which you might like to consider whether first or second sitting (or "anytime", which might be available now on Azura)

On other cruise lines there are severe restrictions on what alcohol, if any, you're allowed to take aboard.

P&O is almost unique in that you can take aboard any alcohol you like, for consumption in your cabin. For a lazy afternoon on your balcony, a pre-dinner drink etc. We usually take a few bottles of wine & coke & a bottle of Pimms (steal fruit for the Pimms from the buffet :))

P&O's drinks prices are reasonable - about the same as pubs - & no service charge. But you're "down at the pub" every evening so it mounts up.

Don't rush to book expensive ship's tours, Those tours can be replicated or customised by taxis & minibuses negotiated at the port & there'll be folk to share with, milling around on the quayside. Cost a third of ship's tours or less - tho' no food etc included. Take beach gear with you - after a tour drivers can drop you at a beach or wherever.

That's OK for simple road tours, but "activity" excursions like zip-lining, catamarans, river-tubing etc are much more difficult or impossible to replicate on-the-fly, so pre-book them either over the internet with a well-recommended local operator (cheaper) or as a ship's excursion (simpler).

US dollars are the simplest currency or the Caribbean - take plenty of low-denomination notes (avoids the risk of getting local currency in your change, & helps your bargaining-power) & don't take notes bigger than $20.

Get those dollars before you go, from the usual high street suspects. Exchange rates offered on all ships are very poor, and because local currency isn't US dollars you could end up with a lot of souvenir money if you rely on ATMs in the ports.

Mobile phone (sending & receiving) & internet connection on ships are very expensive & signals slow & unreliable. Keep your phone switched off on the ship, use your phone or Wi-Fi hotspots ashore

First time abroad - remember to provide API to the airline for your flight back, check your aircraft luggage limits on size, weight, & banned hand-luggage (liquids, sharp instruments, etc). On the last evening of your cruise you'll have to pack your checked luggage & its taken away overnite. It's a bit of a jigsaw putting the right stuff in the right case & within weight limits, packing items banned in aircraft cabins and not packing stuff you'll need on the last day - you don't want to have expensive after-shave confiscated from hand-luggage at the airport or walk through the airport in carpet slippers :D

Last day on a ship for most cruises they want you off the ship soonest - around 8 - 9am. But P&O use chartered aircraft & although you'll have to vacate your cabin about 9am you have the run of the ship - bars, buffet, pool etc until your flight transfer is called. And if your flight is delayed, they'll put back the transfer time to suit. All very civilised.

If you've booked thro a cruise-specialist agency, use their expertise. They can answer most first-timer questions.

Great place to cruise, have a good one

JB :)

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Once you have taken your first cruise, you will be hooked.

Welcome to cruise critic

Suggest first look for your roll call in p&o and get specific answers re the ship and port

Scroll through this thread and ask a cruise question to find threads that

Match your question and read through

Then ask any other points of concern

Many will come right through till cruise day

Congrats on first cruise and first holiday

You will be hooked

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

A Brit ship like Azura is a good choice for a first cruise, keeps life simple & on-board costs low.

 

Guessing this is a "repositioning" cruise - you sail out & fly back.

So you'll have quite a few days at sea & the weather for the first couple of days will be cold & mebbe a little choppy.

 

Have you yet chosen your cabin? There's an art in choosing location.

And have you yet chosen your evening meal sitting - pros & cons which you might like to consider whether first or second sitting (or "anytime", which might be available now on Azura)

 

On other cruise lines there are severe restrictions on what alcohol, if any, you're allowed to take aboard.

P&O is almost unique in that you can take aboard any alcohol you like, for consumption in your cabin. For a lazy afternoon on your balcony, a pre-dinner drink etc. We usually take a few bottles of wine & coke & a bottle of Pimms (steal fruit for the Pimms from the buffet :))

P&O's drinks prices are reasonable - about the same as pubs - & no service charge. But you're "down at the pub" every evening so it mounts up.

 

Don't rush to book expensive ship's tours, Those tours can be replicated or customised by taxis & minibuses negotiated at the port & there'll be folk to share with, milling around on the quayside. Cost a third of ship's tours or less - tho' no food etc included. Take beach gear with you - after a tour drivers can drop you at a beach or wherever.

That's OK for simple road tours, but "activity" excursions like zip-lining, catamarans, river-tubing etc are much more difficult or impossible to replicate on-the-fly, so pre-book them either over the internet with a well-recommended local operator (cheaper) or as a ship's excursion (simpler).

 

US dollars are the simplest currency or the Caribbean - take plenty of low-denomination notes (avoids the risk of getting local currency in your change, & helps your bargaining-power) & don't take notes bigger than $20.

Get those dollars before you go, from the usual high street suspects. Exchange rates offered on all ships are very poor, and because local currency isn't US dollars you could end up with a lot of souvenir money if you rely on ATMs in the ports.

 

Mobile phone (sending & receiving) & internet connection on ships are very expensive & signals slow & unreliable. Keep your phone switched off on the ship, use your phone or Wi-Fi hotspots ashore

 

First time abroad - remember to provide API to the airline for your flight back, check your aircraft luggage limits on size, weight, & banned hand-luggage (liquids, sharp instruments, etc). On the last evening of your cruise you'll have to pack your checked luggage & its taken away overnite. It's a bit of a jigsaw putting the right stuff in the right case & within weight limits, packing items banned in aircraft cabins and not packing stuff you'll need on the last day - you don't want to have expensive after-shave confiscated from hand-luggage at the airport or walk through the airport in carpet slippers :D

 

Last day on a ship for most cruises they want you off the ship soonest - around 8 - 9am. But P&O use chartered aircraft & although you'll have to vacate your cabin about 9am you have the run of the ship - bars, buffet, pool etc until your flight transfer is called. And if your flight is delayed, they'll put back the transfer time to suit. All very civilised.

 

If you've booked thro a cruise-specialist agency, use their expertise. They can answer most first-timer questions.

 

Great place to cruise, have a good one

 

JB :)

Yes we have chosen sail there, and fly home from Barbados. We picked aft B755 cabin, to go for 2nd sitting for dinner, with a table for 2. We also said we would have an upgrade cabin, but think I will cancel that as after reading some of the posts on here I'm happy with the one we choose. We booked with Thomson.

Thank you everyone who replied, I will pop over to P&O site and do as you all said.:)

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Once you have taken your first cruise, you will be hooked.

Hi Got the feeling you are spot on with getting hooked.:D

Yes we have chosen sail there, and fly home from Barbados. We picked aft B755 cabin, to go for 2nd sitting for dinner, with a table for 2. We also said we would have an upgrade cabin, but think I will cancel that as after reading some of the posts on here I'm happy with the one we choose. We booked with Thomson.

That's a stern-facing balcony cabin.

Sought-after by many :cool:

Most at the stern have larger balconies than those on the sides, & the balconies are more useable in wet or windy weather. You look over the wake of the ship, very quiet & relaxing.

Downsides are potential for vibration & it's one end of a see-saw in rough seas - though we sailed a similar cabin on an identical Princess ship, including some rough weather, & didn't have either of those problems.

Also a bit of a hike to walk anywhere, & no lifts or stairs right at the stern.

All-in-all a good choice. Upgrades are a lottery, perhaps a better cabin but a poorer location.

Stick with what you've got - a good choice.:)

Second sitting is our preference. Avoids a rush after a day in port. Any pangs of hunger can be dispelled by a quick snack visit to the buffet.

We choose shared tables, but that's totally a matter of personal preferences.

Your T/A isn't a cruise specialist, but if they were involved in the choice of cabin & sitting then you're dealing with someone who knows their stuff.:)

Post on your P&O board and ask questions, also do some checking yourself.

Absolutely agree on this. Cruising is a different feeling and definitely more relaxing than flying. So if you have several days off for leisure, cruising is the way to go.

quote=mrsdotcom;43829684]Hi Got the feeling you are spot on with getting hooked.:D