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First Cruise advice


brplummer
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Hi guys! :DSo I just wanted to get some advice on some tips regarding my first cruise. I am taking a NCL Norwegian fjords cruise out of Germany with my bf for 7 days as a graduation gift to my self next Aug 2018. I am beyond excited because I have always wanted to go to Norway. I have everything booked, but I am still a little unsure about things because all of this is new to me. I just would like some pointers on how to pack, what to bring, not to bring etc.

 

 

Also I must add being an African-American female how is the diversity on a cruise going to this destination? I am in my early 20s and highly excited to be cruising and getting to know others from all backgrounds as I am literally a social butterfly:cool:. I just don’t want to feel too much like and oddball if you understand.

 

Any advice or tips are welcomed! Thanks

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Sounds like a great first cruise choice! Norway is gorgeous. Definitely join your roll call to get to know some people before you cruise. And, make sure you attend the cruise critic meet and greet - you will be able to sign up for it on your roll call.

 

What to pack....check weather for the ports and plan accordingly. Pack like you would for a land trip. Expect rain - I bought a dozen cheap rain ponchos when we visited Norway and they were so small it was easy to carry a couple with us each day. And, because they were cheap we just threw them away after using them so we didn’t have to worry about drying or refolding them.

 

Don’t stress too much over the cruise - you will have a blast.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Definitely join your Roll Call. There will be people there who have cruised before and can help answer any questions you have. Also some of them may be planning private excursions which you can join.

You may also want to check out the NCL board and ask questions there about the ship you will be on.

Dress in layers!! Have a rain proof jacket and a small portable umbrella.

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Also I must add being an African-American female how is the diversity on a cruise going to this destination?

 

I have found that the predominant classification / label of those passengers on a cruise ship are primarily considered "fellow cruisers". You will be in an incredible majority, so have a blast.

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I have found that the predominant classification / label of those passengers on a cruise ship are primarily considered "fellow cruisers". You will be in an incredible majority, so have a blast.

 

 

What a great answer! :)

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I have found that the predominant classification / label of those passengers on a cruise ship are primarily considered "fellow cruisers". You will be in an incredible majority, so have a blast.

Absolutely love your answer! Great way to look at it.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I brought too much on my first cruise. Way too much. I suggest bringing minimal amounts of underwear, tshirts for layers, and PJs and other things that you can easily launder yourself or use the ship's laundry service.

enjoy! And CONGRATULATIONS!!!

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Absolutely love your answer! Great way to look at it.

 

One thing that might surprise you...There are dark skinned people living in Europe who are native to those countries. European countries colonized a lot of Africa, and the native population spilled into Europe. It may seem odd the first time you encounter someone who looks like you, but only speaks German,or French... There are a lot of dark skinned residents who were left behind by American servicemen, too. They were raised as German. French, Belgian, Italian... And if you asked them about their identity, they would not say Africa German, or African French...They would just say German, etc. A German friend (white) who married an American serviceman (black) said she was unaware of any kind of prejudice/discrimination until they came to the States. You might find it rather liberating to spend some time in Europe. EM

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Welcome to Cruise Critic. What a wonderful experience you are going to have. Are you going to get to your embarkation port city a day or two early to explore it? Also that will ease your stress of missing the ship if your flight is late or has problems getting you there. All the advice to go to the boards for your ship, roll call and ports are great tips. Have fun doing your planning and have a fabulous cruise.

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My Tips concern what to bring!

I struggled with putting together a packing list for my first cruise so I published it recently (about to set sail on my 2nd cruise!) for others to use! There is a link for if you want to print it as well. Another blog post I have is about cruise gadgets you will want. The last link I'm posting is tips specific to NCL - I cruised out of the US so not sure if there will be anything that doesn't apply to your cruise since it's out of Germany.

Packing List: http://laurenofalltrades.blogspot.co...king-list.html

Cabin Must-haves: http://laurenofalltrades.blogspot.co...breakaway.html

NCL Tips: http://laurenofalltrades.blogspot.co...uise-tips.html

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Welcome to Cruise Critic. What a wonderful experience you are going to have. Are you going to get to your embarkation port city a day or two early to explore it? Also that will ease your stress of missing the ship if your flight is late or has problems getting you there. All the advice to go to the boards for your ship, roll call and ports are great tips. Have fun doing your planning and have a fabulous cruise.

I do personally plan to spend two days prior in the embarkation port city just to have some time to explore a bit and like you said make it easier for me to get to the port. My main concern was not having enough time to adequately get off of my flight and make it to the port if I chose to fly in and cruise same day. It seemed way too stressful especially since I’m cruising in a different country.

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My Tips concern what to bring!

I struggled with putting together a packing list for my first cruise so I published it recently (about to set sail on my 2nd cruise!) for others to use! There is a link for if you want to print it as well. Another blog post I have is about cruise gadgets you will want. The last link I'm posting is tips specific to NCL - I cruised out of the US so not sure if there will be anything that doesn't apply to your cruise since it's out of Germany.

Packing List: http://laurenofalltrades.blogspot.co...king-list.html

Cabin Must-haves: http://laurenofalltrades.blogspot.co...breakaway.html

NCL Tips: http://laurenofalltrades.blogspot.co...uise-tips.html

Thank you so much for these tips! I will definitely be checking them out as I have a HUGE tendency to over pack whenever I travel and I want to limit that as much as possible this time around.

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One thing that might surprise you...There are dark skinned people living in Europe who are native to those countries. European countries colonized a lot of Africa, and the native population spilled into Europe. It may seem odd the first time you encounter someone who looks like you, but only speaks German,or French... There are a lot of dark skinned residents who were left behind by American servicemen, too. They were raised as German. French, Belgian, Italian... And if you asked them about their identity, they would not say Africa German, or African French...They would just say German, etc. A German friend (white) who married an American serviceman (black) said she was unaware of any kind of prejudice/discrimination until they came to the States. You might find it rather liberating to spend some time in Europe. EM

Thank you for the advice. Valid points. I am definitely looking forward to it as I can agree in the States the prejudice, etc. is still very much alive. It is just the notion I wish to get out if that environment for a bit and feel a sense of unity and connection to others where skin tone is a non factor. As this will be my first time in Europe, I am looking forward to that breath of fresh air.

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