First time crusing

This is the first ever cruise that my husband and I have been on. Any handy ideas or tips.:o

Read back a few hundred threads, and do a few select searches. That's been entertaining me for a month now :)

We are going on our first in April. Loads of good information at CC.

Be

Nicolai

One piece of advice is to read a lot of the posts on this board with a lot of useful information. Also visit the cruise line's own web site which usually has a Q&A section with a lot of useful information as well.

Also, welcome to Cruise Critic and the world of cruising. If you are like most of us this will be there will be many cruises in your future.

Keith

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Check out the section for the cruise line you will be sailing on. Also join your Roll Call. There is also a Ports of Call section.

Give us more information and we can help you navigate around here.

Welcome! We also will be taking our first cruise next year, As suggested above, searching thru the CC forums will be very entertaining. My suggestion is to take some of the posts with a grain of salt. Enjoy!

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How far are you into the planning process? Have you already booked or are you looking for a cruise?

Take half of the clothing and twice the money you think you will need. EM

Welcome to CruiseCritic, and to the wonderful world of cruising.

Search this forum for any info ypu may need. And don't hesitate to ask, just put the appropriate subject so you'll get the appropriate answers.

You WILL enjoy your cruise.

Happy cruising!

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Hi and Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

On which ship will you be sailing?

LuLu

Welcome to Cruise Critic. As many have mentioned, you should be sure to check the boards for your cruise line and join your roll call.

Cruise Critic also has some great info on the ports and excursion reviews.

Also, start the cruise planning process as soon as possible. That is half the fun of cruising. Especially if you are sailing on a newer ship or a ship that allows you to pre-book entertainment or other experiences.

And, have a great time! After your first cruise, you will be addicted!;)

Definitely read up on the FAQs on your cruise line website. If you're flying or otherwise traveling to your embarkation, do so at least a day ahead of your cruise. Don't try to do everything on board or in port. Sometimes relaxing is just as important on a cruise than anything else.

I had hours of fun reading up on here and getting loads of useful info on embarkation, dress, events etc.

On the morning of the cruise we called the cab and from there on sailed through all the formalities with me quietly leading He Who Must Be Obeyed (! some 'ope) through it all.

"How did you know all that?" he asked... I just smirked. I got brownie points.

It is very much easier doing a bit of research and asking questions as you have done. Hope you have a great time.

This is the first ever cruise that my husband and I have been on. Any handy ideas or tips.:o

Welcome to the wonderful world of cruising & welcome to Cruise Critic ( CC)...you may want to start with a thread I wrote about cruising here for newbies...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2098505

This is Pt. 1..then look for Pt. 2, which involves choosing a cruise line...the 5 main questions you need to ask yourselves are:

1) When do you want to go?

2) WHERE do you want to go?

3) How long would you like to cruise for ( 3 days? 7 nights, the standard?)

4) What type of cabin would appeal to us?

5) What amenities are important to us? Dining? Entertainment? Ports of call? Relax vs. active?

We need some more info if you like some help, like: age group? is gambling & casino important? Foodies or eat anything? Do you like musicals & Broadway type shows? If you want to do a Caribbean cruise, did you have any ports of call in mind? Hope this helps..

Big Al

A cruise is merely a vacation...pack for the weather where you'll be going...do some research on your ports, so you know what's there...and that's about it! Cruising isn't some big mystery..it's a vacation from everyday life. There is no right or wrong way to do it.

Everyone has his/her favorite packing tip but the best one we have found is to buy for about $5 one of those shoe bags that hang over the door on your cabin's bathroom door. Wonderful for minimizing the clutter in a small bathroom. Walmart carries them.

A cruise is merely a vacation...pack for the weather where you'll be going...do some research on your ports, so you know what's there...and that's about it! Cruising isn't some big mystery..it's a vacation from everyday life. There is no right or wrong way to do it.

Exactly. And don't worry about bringing all the items that people rave about. You might end up with a 100 pound suitcase.

This is the first ever cruise that my husband and I have been on. Any handy ideas or tips.:o

Welcome to CC.

You don't need to pack as much as you might think you have to pack.

Hi All this will be our first cruise we sail on 20th July 2015. Thank you for all the comments there is some very helpful information.

Welcome to Cruise Critic. Don't forget you can use the search feature if you can't fin d what you want.

Make arrangements to get to the port city at least one day before the cruise. Even during the summer, things can happen that cause you to be delayed. If flying or driving storms can affect you. We drove once and my mother decided to lock the car doors before we got the keys out of the ignition. We were in the middle of nowhere. We had to find a doctor (inner ear infection) one year the day we arrived. Getting there the day before takes so much stress off and you arrive at the cruise port rested and relaxed. Get trip insurance. Try a site like insuremytrip dot com. Enjoy.