My list of ten things...to do or not to do...

Packing:

I always pack... I don't bother with...? (items)

Arriving:

We arrive a day ahead...fly in the same day?

Catagory:

We prefer amenties and a premiun cabin...We prefer more economical cabin and cruise more often...?

B) must have balcony, b) don't need balcony

Holiday-Not:

We travel during peak season due to personal schedules...We travel off season or of peak week...?

Food:

Quality and quantity are most important on a cruise...(rate a differance if you like) ...Food is lovely and needed but cruise isn't wrapped around eating...?

Dinning:

You must eat in main dinning room when you sign up for it, and let staff know if you don't...You can feel free to eat where you like regardless...?

Dress:

You should dress formally on formal nights...You need not bother or don't choose to dress formally...?

Chairs:

You should not save chairs when you are not using them...You can put a towel on a chair and expect to have it when you arrive at 11:00 (K had to get a little personal with this one)...?

Tipping: (not a place in China...LOL)

We tip according to ships recommendations...We tip or don't tip according to the service we recieve...?

Smoking:

We smoke in our rooms and on balconies...We don't smoke...

b) as smokers we wish...b) as non smokers we wish...

Love:

Balconies? Y/N ;) ;) ;) LOL Ok 11

Just a brief synopsis (sp?) would be fun.

Ok here is mine;

Packing: I always pack to much. Over do it!...I never pack duck tape.

Arriving: I have done both, will never arrive the day of again. I loose a day of vacation in my book.

Catagory: Will only go to balcony, won't go inside again, but love the suites!

Holiday: Don't HAVE to like some, do so I DON"T. Off peak all the way!

Food: It should be great! But there seems to be pleanty of it so I can always get satisfied somehow, my cruise is not based on food.

Dinning: (same as food I guess) I'm not sure about this one, would like some input...

Dress: To the nines baby! That's the fun of formal night! And yes, I do like to see my fellow shipmates dressed as well and I consider it somewhat dissrespectfull that some don't comply. But, (sigh) it's their vacation too...

Chairs: If I see a towel on a chair, (with no personal belongings) I will remove it and replace it with my but...(after I watch to see if no one is there for a bit)

Tipping: I do tip the recommended, I do pre-tip, and I do give more. However if there service is really bad I will leave less.

Smoking: Don't smoke, don't like it, but love my peeps that do...can't we all get along?

Love: Yep. Yep. Yep! Or "YES, YES, YES"!!! LOL:cool: :p:D

Packing: I'm a pro at packing, but still find a few items I never use. I'm not sure how my husband can get everything he needs for a week in an overnight bag...

Arriving: Depends on how far! We usually drive, so we go same day, leaving at the crack of dawn.

Catagory: go cheap on the room and then we can afford to splurge on drinks, excursions, etc. A balcony would be great if the price difference isn't huge, but how much time do you really spend in your room?

Holiday-Not: Never peak season unless there's no other option. I try to plan for when my trips will be least crowded, but I know many people don't have that option.

Food: There's nothing like cruise dining. That's half the fun!

Dinning: I wouldn't miss the main dining room for dinner (breakfast and lunch aren't as important), unless I've got a good reason (in a hurry to get to something we want to do, etc)

Dress: Dressing's fun, but as long as others are presentable, I don't see a problem with others choosing a more casual aproach.

Chairs: No way! Why would I do to others what I don't want them doing to me? If I can't find a chair on this deck, it's an excuse to go exploring other decks

Tipping: Ship recommendations, more if deserved.

Smoking: I'm a rare smoker (one pack lasts me about 3 months) but never indoors except bars.

Love: Not sure to interpret this one...if the balcony part goes with the love part--how big are those balconies!?

OK, I will try...

Packing: I am the packer, always heavy, with anything and everything someone might need (learned it from my mother)

Arriving: Usually same day, upcoming cruise a day ahead. Just for fun

Catagory: Inside, possibly balcony if can afford. However, not necessary.r

Holiday-Not: Always non peak, no hurricane/storm season. No children, no need to travel peak...yet.

Food: Gotta be good, love our food. However, not food snoby. Just want to find and try something new and different.

Dining: Like anytime dining option. If traditional dining, eat there most nights for the food and enjoyment.

Dress: Like to dress nice on formal nights. However, do not look down on those that do...it is a personal preference. I have always done it, so I love to do it. It is a vacation and you should be able to do what you like.

Chairs: Agree with the 30 minute rule. If there is no one there or coming, and only a towel on the chair for the rule time, will move and replace with butt.

Tipping: Auto tipping according to ship recommendations. Will tip extra as needed. If serious issue, will go to purser before removing tip, then remove as necessary (only if terribly bad and will specify who to remove from!)

Smoking: I do not smoke and other half only smokes cigars in remote areas (cigar bar), and believe that is where it should be kept.

Love:...and balconies...hmmmm, quietly ;)

O.k., here I go.....

Packing:

I always pack over the door holder and multiple outlet extension cord. I've been on 2 cruises and over packed both times, but not as much the 2nd time, hopefully our 3rd in January I'll do even better!

Arriving:

We arrive a day ahead - we travel in the winter from Canada. I don't think I could take the chance that the weather and planes will co-operate, plus....I'm another one that wants that extra day of vacation!

Catagory:

We always have a balcony. We usually splurge on whatever we want when we're on vacation. We figure we work hard and our vacation is the cruise once a year, so we just enjoy ourselves!

Holiday-Not:

We sail the Caribbean in the winter.

Food:

Again.... when we're on vacation we splurge, I diet the rest of the year, and eat whatever and however much I want on the cruise. (although we do always take the stairs instead of the elevator)!

Dinning:

We always eat in the main dining room for dinner - breakfast and lunch varies.

Dress:

We always dress up for formal night, and love walking into the Dining Room and seeing everyone else dressed up - but I think that if you don't want to dress to the nines....it's your vacation.

Chairs:

I think people that hog chairs all day are very inconsiderate of others, (if you needed that chair ALL day you would either be leather or a lobster)! Having said that, if there aren't any empty chairs, I'll just go to an upper deck and find one there - I really don't think it's a necessity to be right beside the pool!

Tipping: We tip what the ship recommends, then just give a large amount to any of the staff that went above and beyond on top of that on the last night. (No, we don't tip extra at the beginning to get better service, we're found so far that there are always people that want to make you cruise memorable, and we enjoy surprising those people at the end. We also love to get to know the personnel from different countries and email a few of them with pictures of Canada and our family, and visa versa. Alot of the time they have left children/spouses at home in order to make a better life and I think truly appreciate your interest in their lives).

Smoking:

We're ex-smokers...however one of the people we cruise with does and is always respectful of the non-smokers on the ship.

Love:

One of the reasons we always take a balcony...LOL!!

Packing:

I always pack blank CDs so that I can burn photos for my fellow passengers.

Arriving:

We arrive a day ahead. Or 2 or 3 or a week or more -- depending from where we are sailing. With weather, "mechanicals," strikes, bomb scares, TSA idiocy, etc., I think one has to be crazy (or at least crazily optomistic) to risk spoiling a trip by flying in the same day the ship is leaving. Also, checked bags are sledom lost, but they are frequently misrouted. An extra day or two has several tiems meant sailing with more than what we have in our carry-ons.

Catagory:

Must have a balcony or, at least, a "french balcony." The sound of the water splashing against the ship is one of the joys of cruising.

Holiday-Not:

More destination based than anything else. We both love ocean crossings, so that usually means spring and fall.

Food:

I'd kill for a good cup of coffee on board a ship -- any ship.

Dinning:

If I happen to see the waiter or head waiter or some such, I'll mention that we are heading off for dinner.

Dress:

I wear my tux and pumps -- or my dinner jacket. It makes little difference to me and makes others happy.

Chairs:

Never had an issue with this. Must be the types of cruises we choose.

Tipping: We tip most crew more than the recommendations. On occasion we have tipped some crew members less if the service was poor. I always tip the "occasional" crew services (deck crew, etc.)

Smoking:

As a smoker I wish they would make the entire inside of the ship non-smoking. Just because I have a bad habit, is no reason others should suffer.

Packing: I always pack my own toiletries, don't want to use mystery products. I no longer bother with electrical gadgets, only my cameras battery charger, I'll put up with everything else the ship offers. Always take my most comfy shoes, even if they are ugly. I have never packed my own coffee mug or duct tape.

Arriving: I like a day or two ahead, if at all possible. I also like to stay over an extra day.

Category: What we can afford. Balcony preferred, but will take an inside if that is all the budget can handle. DH says, just get me on the ship!

Holiday: Yes, until the kids are grown and gone, we don't take them out of school for vacation. Exception, we will never cruise spring break, no thank you.

Food: Yes, we do eat. No, we do not expect gourmet on a cruise ship. We avoid buffets and prefer to be served. Quality is far more important to us than quantity. Never order the chicken at dinner and never expect the desserts to taste as good as they look.

Dining room: Sign up for it? I don't understand this, as I thought you were automatically assigned a table. But we do eat in the dining room when it is open, the buffet is only an option if the dining room is closed. We absolutely let the staff know if we don't expect to be in the dining room (specialty restaurant) it's just good manners.

Dress: According to the request. Although I'm not a fan of formal, I do like to dress in semi-formal clothes and actually would like every night, except first and last, to be semi-formal.

Chairs: We've never considered chairs next to the pool desirable and prefer ones away from the "action". We like peace and quiet and don't have to be a part of the games or be annoyed by screaming children. We rarely make it to the shows, if we do, we take what is left over, usually behind the posts. We usually leave early because we can't see anything anyway.

Tipping: Always and more than the recommendation if we have exceptional service. I would not care to work for a week for nothing and I don't expect our servers or attendants to work for me for no wages, even if they are not perfect.

Smoking: No and I avoid the smokers areas, they are entitled to smoke if they wish. Although, if I'm ever ruler of the world, smoking would be banned forever and everyone would be healthier :)

Love: On the balcony, no way! I want to be comfortable and I don't care to be watched. If I catch you doing it, I'll print out a photo for you to keep forever. Give me a comfy bed and privacy, please ;)

You left out favorite activity onboard! Ours is to get up on deck first thing in the morning and last thing at night, when the crowds aren't there. We cruise for the ocean more than for the ship activities. The ocean is beautiful at night and the ports are so lovely to see at arrival, like gems!

Packing:

We overpack some stuff and underpack others. Always opposite of what we end up needing oops. First cruise, packed 2 weeks in advance (so it didnt get in the way of wedding and reception etc..). Get out bag late first night to find I did not have any shirts other than for formal night packed.

Arriving:

Cross country - Day before

Out of L.A. or San Deigo - either way.

Catagory:

4 days or less - whatever is available

5 day or longer - prefer a balcony

Holiday-Not:

Unless spring break is considered a holiday, usually not.

Food:

Have yet to cruise and not enjoy the food.

Dinning:

Dinners a must at the Dining room, other meals, anything goes.

Never done specialty restaurants on board, would let waiter know if we do in the future. Must try the pizza a minimum of once per cruise.

Dress:

Dark suit for me, nice dress for my wife on Formal night. Care less what others wear (I am usually out of my suit an into more comfortable clothes shortly after dinner). Non formal nights, I have been known to disgrace the dining room with my Jeans:eek: .

Chairs:

Non issue for us unless its a chair in the casino, in which case whats your wet towel doing there?

Tipping:

Leave standard auto tip alone and tip additional in cash where we see fit.

Smoking:

Non smoker and ex smoker. Dont have a problem with smoking and non smoking areas as they are now as long as people abide by them. Goes both ways. Not right for a non smoker to go the the cigar bar and complain, nor a smoker to take their lit cigarette thru the non area on their way from one smoking area to another. Wishfull thinking tho - non smoking area in the casino.

Packing: Let the wife do it, prevents stress for both of us. Usually way over packed but who cares as long as it all gets on the plane.

Arriving: Get there a couple of days early and enjoy. Minimize stress when connections are missed and luggage lost. Both happened on our last trip.

Catagory: Loved our wrap around balcony. Don't think I could handle anything less than ocean view. would remind me to much of a Submarine

Holiday: Off peak all the way! Save money so I can afford the balconey

Food: It should be great!

Dress: That's the fun of formal night! And yes, I do like to see my fellow shipmates dressed as well and I consider it somewhat dissrespectfull that some don't comply. We even dressed in suits/dresses on non formal nights

Chairs: We must have been lucky we never had a shortage of chairs to use.

Tipping: We tipped well above the recomended because service was incredible

Smoking: Don't smoke

Packing: Very light with only the necessities and no electronics but with a few books.

Arriving: Day before if not from Norfolk.

Category: Balcony, always.

Holiday: Definitely NOT.

Food: Good and simple with many vegetatian entrees; much prefer casual and freestyle dining. Food is not a priority except for whole grain pasta items and a good salad bar; e.g. spinach leaves, sprouts, low-fat cheese, dressings, etc.

Dress: Would love a casual-only cruise. Also, I could not care less what others wear. However, we do dress up for the required formal night meals.

Chairs: Have never had a problem in that regard.

Tipping: We tip VERY well because of the lack of labor laws in the "flags of convenience" conundrum.

Smoking: We don't smoke and would love a no-smoking cruise though, truly, it has never been much of a problem on any cruise thus far.

Packing:

I pack a multiple outlet extension cord. I try to be conservative because I will end up carrying it.

Arriving:

We arrive a day ahead. Less stressful with a nice start to vacation.

Catagory:

We have done inside, ocean view, and have our first balcony booked.

Holiday-Not:

We don't take it into consideration.

Food:

I work in food service. I like the attention given in the main dining room. There's nothing like cruise dining. That's half the fun!

Dinning:

Dinners a must at the Dining room, other meals, anything goes.

Never done specialty restaurants on board, would let waiter know if we do in the future. Want to try the speciality restaurants on the Marnier.

Dress:

I like formal night. That is part of the fun!

Chairs:

Shouldn't be saved.

Tipping: We tip according to ships recommendations. Usually add to room attendants.

Smoking:

We don't smoke.

Love:

Balconies? Looking towards our first.

Packing:

Always split stuff up between cases that way if a case is lost we all still have 3/4 of our clothes. Ialways over pack kids T-shirts because of choclate ice cream, coke etc.

Arriving:

Same day and stay on afterwards

Catagory:

Inside ~ The dark helps the children to sleep later or they would both be up with the sun and we don't spend enough time there anyway.

Holiday-Not:

August in Europe better in May ~ lower temp and less people.

Food:

I like plenty of variety and as long as it is acceptable & fresh I don't mind

Dining:

Lunch time & breakfast I alternate between main dining room and buffet. Evening has to be served in the main dining room with a good glass/bottle of wine.

Dress:

Formal is fun, Britain has got sooo slovenly~ the only time people seem to do it now is at weddings. It's nice to be able to dress up, wear a nice frock and have big hair. I even buy my daughter a big frock to wear, usually akin to a bridesmaids dress.

Chairs:

You should not save chairs when you are not using them ~ half an hour is about the longest you should leave a towel, books etc before they are removed~ Not all morning whilst you are on a tour just so you have a poolside chair for the afternoon.

Tipping: Ships recommendation, but extra at the end for room boy and always extra for room service even if it's 2Euros for juice and coffee in a morning.

Smoking:

My husband smokes, I gave up ~ I don't mind if the extraction is good but the casinos are always attrocious. It should be kept for on deck only.

Love:If I get a balcony I'll tell you after LOL

Packing:

Too much! I tend to pack way more than we ever need. There is nothing I am okay without.

Arriving:

Usually arrive day of out of NO, or with flight, but leaving Galveston we stay over the night before. Would love to arrive early and stay late, but never have been able to schedule it.

Category:

Inside for three and oceanview for one. We would prefer to cruise more often and save money on the rooms that we nearly never see.

Holiday:

Not a consideration. Usually travel in Feb/March and with kids in mid August. Would consider a Christmas cruise, but have not done so yet.

Food:

As long as there is a great breakfast and pizza, we are great. Love formal nights, but not for the food necessarily.

Dining:

Late dining and most nights in dining room. Dressed for dinner each night.

Dress:

To the nines! Love the formal nights and have the portraits to prove it! Love the excuse to buy a new dress.

Chairs:

Won't save one. If I see someone saving one I won't move the towe, but I sure will complain about it...to my husband. Ha!

Tipping:

Usually according to ship policy, but will move up or down as appropriate to service.

Smoking:

I am ex-smoker and hate folks that aren't considerate of others. My hubby enjoys the occasional cigar and will only partake on deck at night when no one is close by or in the cigar bar.

Love:

As much as I can get by with! The where is not important.

Packing:

I generally overpack as I like to have choices. I also pack a multi-plug surge protector for camera batteries & phone charger.

Arriving:

Always go a day early b/c it's part of our vacation.

Category:

Never inside, have done outside, but try to book balconies now. Very reasonable with CCL's military rate.

Holiday:

Always cruise in the fall for lower prices & fewer children. Not afraid of no stinkin' hurricane!:rolleyes: Got hit with 5 from 9/04 to 10/05. :eek:

Food:

Enjoy the dining room for dinner at a table for 2 and any venue for other meals. Always have had good meals.

Dining:

Late & always a table for 2. Smart casual dress. Always tell waiter if we'll be going to the supper club. The one cruise we had on NCL, we loved the Freestyle.

Dress:

Prefer smart casual to formal, but will do it if required - no tuxes or ball gowns, tho.

Chairs:

Don't save & can usually find one away from the main pool area where DH can have shade & I can have sun.

Tipping:

Always leave tips on our s&s, but bring $75 in singles & tip every drink or service. We feel it gets us much friendlier and prompter service. Also tip extra in envelopes last night.

Smoking:

DH and I are ex-smokers and have not experianced any problems except for occasionally in the casino.

Packing: I pack like the house is on fire and I need to get as much out as I can. Have never under-packed in my life!

Arriving: Since the DH works and the DS has school we usually don't arrive until the day of the cruise if possible.

Catagory: Whatever we can afford that will sleep 3 people. In a perfect world would love to someday try an "owners suite" just for the fun of it. Actually, we are rarely in our room!

Holiday: No choice here, we have a kid in school so its been Spring Break cruising for the last two years and in two weeks another one. We don't mind. Never had a problem with spring breakers ever!

Food: I'm a picky eater but always find something I like, same with the DS, the DH will eat just about anything put in front of him. He ate aligator stew once!

Dining: We eat everywhere there is a place on the ship to eat for variety. But we never pay-to-eat. Just don't see the point of it.

Dress: We dress up for formal nights but never in tuxs or long gowns. The DH wears a nice black, suit, I wear cocktail dresses and the DS wheres a jacket, tie and long pants.

Chairs: Chair hogs are rude! End of story!

Tipping: We tip what the cruiseline advises and more when we get great service. Even though I use a soda card and they charge you 15% up front. I still tip everytime I get a drink.

Smoking: Hate it!!!! Never have smoked in my life, thank goodness the DH is not a smoker either. The DS knows better!!!! Hate it when people smoke in non-smoking areas. I avoid smoking areas at all cost.

Love: Not having to clean, cook, help with homework, do laundry, answer phones, volunteer at kid's school, grocery shop, sit for hours at sport practices. Wind in my hair. standing at the rail late at night and looking out into infinity. Seeing a full moon shining on the water at night. The smile on my DS' face when we tell him we're going on a cruise!

Packing:

I always pack too much. I don't bother with trying to sneak things on.

Arriving:

We arrive a day ahead.

Catagory:

We prefer more economical cabin and don't need balcony

Holiday-Not:

We travel off season or of peak week. After doing a Thanksgiving cruise I try and avoid holidays, too many "drag alongs" who are not there to have a good time.

Food:

Quality and quantity are most important on a cruise.

Dinning:

You can feel free to eat where you like regardless, it's more about schedules than anything else.

Dress:

You should dress formally on formal nights, I purchased a tux just for cruises.

Chairs:

Don't care. Not my thing.

Tipping: (not a place in China...LOL)

We tip according to ships recommendations, and a little extra.

Smoking:

We smoke in our rooms and on balconies.

Love:

Balconies? Y

Arriving: We have only cruised out of a local port until this trip in July so we arrived the same day. This trip we are flying in the day before as there are too many factors that can come into play and missing the ship is not a good option.

Categories: In the past I have always been in an outside cabin either ocean view or balcony and loved them both. This year to save money I am going inside.

Holiday: Usually travel during summer or early January.

Food: I am sure glad I do not eat like that everyday, but I really enjoy it while on the cruise. I think quality is more important than quantity.

Dining: Main dining room mostly, but we always check the menu around lunch time to make our dinner decisions. Some nights are just not worth eating in the dining room and the buffets seem more appetizing, especially on HAL (plus the poor service we received from the waiter was another factor).

Dress: I wear scrubs and sneakers almost everyday at work, so I enjoy the chance to get dressed up. I may not stay in the outfit much past the dinner, but I think it is alot of fun. I enjoy going to the different picture stations and getting the photos done at least once a cruise.

Chairs: Chairs left unattended for more than an hour are free game.

Tipping: Always tip well for excellent service. We do not like the cruise lines were tips are included as the staff does not seem to care about the service they give. The cruise on HAL was the only time I can remember not going above and beyond (at least 2x the recommended tip). We did contribute to the collection for the Tsunami victims that was collected for the staff who had family members lost. Maybe our waiter had other things on his mind and this led to poor service, I am not sure.

Smoking: I do not smoke, but my parents and sister do. They smoked on the balcony for the most part.

Packing: I always pack as light as possible.

Arriving: We arrive a day ahead... I consider this insurance, anything can happen.. a flat tire on the plane can cause you to miss your ship!

Category: We prefer more economical cabin and cruise more often...? We don't need balcony but sure do want a widow.

Holiday; Not: We travel off season or of peak week...

Food: Quality and quantity are most important on a cruise... rated 8

Dinning: We eat in main dinning room; Breakfast and Dinner; noon anywhere, if we eat at all.

Dress: I would never not dress up but I sure don't want too. I'd rather be casual, but not jeans either.

Chairs: Should not save chairs when you are not using them...

Tipping: We tip according to ships recommendations... and add tips according to the service we receive...

Smoking: We don't smoke any longer ... as non smokers we wish no one smoked ...

Love Balconies? not especially. I'd rather use my money for excursions to see things

Packing:

I'm an electronics junkie so I need the multi outlet power strip. Camera, cell phone, computer, Palm, GPS, mp3 player. Good thing electronics are small!

Arriving:

Day ahead. Way more relaxing.

Catagory:

We've been spoiled -- can't do without the balcony.

Holiday-Not:

DH is a professor, so we're stuck with summers. Avoid spring break.

Food:

The dining experience is key! I don't expect small-restaurant gourmet, but I want multiple courses and new things to try.

Dinning:

Love the main dining rooms for dinner. Love assigned seating, meeting new people, talking with them several nights. If we're going elsewhere, we let the waiters know the night before.

Dress:

Formal nights are fun. Almost the only chance I get to where glittery stuff, so go all out.

Chairs:

People who save chairs when they're not there are just out-and-out rude and inconsiderate. But I usually like the more remote decks so it's only a problem if I'm traveling with someone who likes to be at the pool.

Tipping:

Ship standards, plus extra for our waiters and room steward.

Smoking:

As non smokers we wish everyone was - but have found most people are considerate.

Love:

The stars at night. The sound of the waves. Watching from the balcony as we pull into port early in the morning. Coffee on deck before anyone else is up. Looking for dolphins. Standing on the VERY front and feeling the wind in the evening. Promenade decks.

Packing:

I always pack ENOUGH for myself for the whole trip, but next cruise is 14 night:eek: AND I'm packing for 4 this time:eek:

Arriving:

Always flew in day of, this time taking a limo because port is only 2 hours away.

Category:

Inside, the cheaper the better, especially when I have two DSs that I want to sleep late.

Holiday-Not:

I am a teacher so summer.

Food: Love to try new things especially because if I don't like it I can always get something else!:D

Dinning:

First time on Freestyle, will probably try a specialty or 2 since I am going 14 nights. Normally I miss breakfast in the dining room so I have to go to buffet:mad:.

Dress:

Always bring something nice, cocktail-ish.

Chairs:

Just try it and I'll snag it, how come no one ever admits to being a chair hog?:mad:

Tipping:

Ship standards, plus extra for our waiters and room steward if they are good.

Smoking:

HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT, EWWWW! Just don't blow it in my face and I won't complain.

Love:

So many things...first drink of the day, meeting new people, waking up in new places, looking out at sea and only seeing sea, not having to be a designated driver, the list goes on and on....can't say balcony as so many of you have, if I stayed in one I'd never go back to inside so right now I don't know what I'm missing.

Packing:

I always remember my power strip! The shoe bag was good the first cruise (with four in a suite) but not really necessary last time. I pack pretty sparingly and wear things more than once, try to pack coordinates.

Arriving:

Have only cruised with drive-to ports - the last one out of Charleston (from Richmond). We stayed the night in Santee, so only had a brief drive the morning of sailing. If I was to fly to the port, though, I'd definitely want to arrive the day before.

Category:

Prefer balcony, but had an inside the last time and it was okay. Not like I spend much time in the room anyhow (although that will change -- I hope -- on the next cruise with my honey!)

Holiday-Not:

I work in a school, so it's really difficult for me to cruise other than during breaks. That being said, NEVER AGAIN during spring break. Even though most of the kids were well-behaved, the few who weren't spoiled the experience, not to mention that you couldn't get near the pools or hot tubs.

Food:

I love trying new things. Basically I just love food.

Dinning:

The dining rooms are fun for dinner, but that's really about the only time I eat there. I enjoy the burgers, omelets, specialty snacks, buffets for breakfast and lunch.

Dress:

I don't have much in the way of fancy duds, and really would just as soon not get all dressed up for formal nights. But I do enjoy seeing my fellow cruisers all decked out!

Chairs:

I don't save 'em, and it pisses me off bigtime when others do, particularly on the smaller ships with limited deck space. I probably wouldn't toss others' towels and/or belongings from unattended chairs, though, lacking the guts to do so, and not wanting to invite bad karma if I ever decided to try and save a chair.

Tipping:

I like the auto-gratuities, don't typically tip over and above that except for extraordinary service.

Smoking:

I don't smoke; my honey does. Most people are considerate of others, whether smokers or not. However, some locales are miserable to frequent (example: casino, some of the smaller bars) because it seems like EVERYBODY smokes there and the ventilation is substandard.

Love:

Early mornings and late nights. Towel animals. Room service. Being pampered by dining room staff. The friendliness of just about every single staff member. Getting used to rocking gently. The view as you leave port, and as you come in, and out on the sea with no land in sight. So much more.

Packing: The wife packs and does a good job. Not many left over clothes. We always pack extra batteries for the cameras.

Arriving: We always drive and get there the day before

Cat: Prefer a balcony but will book based on my budget at the time.

Holiday: Prefer going off season.

Food: I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy. I don't even try the fru fru food. I just like my steaks cooked right and plenty of them. I do like the sandwhiches in the onboard deli's and the burgers on the lido deck.

Dining: We rarely miss dining in the dining room for dinner. We usually do breakfast and lunch in the buffet or lido deck.

Dress: I always according to the code for the dining room. On deck or in ports, it a pair of shorts and a cut off t-shirt.

Chairs: I am not a chog and I have no problem removing towels and other things that people forgot to take with them when they left their chair. What part of 'no saving chairs' do people fail to understand.

Tipping: I usually tip a bit more than the auto tipping unless I received sub par service.

Smoking: I smoke where I am allowed to smoke and I don't smoke where I am not supposed to.

don't forget to spend at least one night sleeping on the balcony just bring a mattress out there you won't regret it.having a great companion makes it all soooooo nice>>>>>>>enjoy

Packing:

Last cruise, I under packed shirts and shorts. Everything else, I over packed. This time I will probably pack a little on the heavy side. Last thing I want to do is run out of something!

Arriving:

Last time, it was the same day...BUT it was an August cruise. This time we are flying down a day early because it will be February and I live in Michigan. For those of you who don't understand... that means LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS of snow, delays, etc...

Category:

My first cruise was a balcony, and I loved it. Since it was my honeymoon, I spent lots of time in the room :p. This time we opted for an inside room because of how cheap it was, and now we have lots more cash to spend on drinks, excursions, and other things we might want to see/do/buy/eat.

Holiday-Not:

I don't think it would matter. We try to go off season to avoid the crowds more than the costs.

Food: I am a foodie! The best part of the cruise is eating new things, not having to do the clean up, and being waited on hand and foot. I don't do specialty dining because if I am going to eat something super great, I want to be able to take credit for making it myself!

Dinning:

Early seating in the main dining room for dinner. Breakfast and Lunch is either Windjammer, Sea View, or on the islands, depending on what we are doing.

Dress:

LOVE to get dressed up on formal night, and I love that DH will get dressed up with me. We dress appropriate for whatever is going on that day/night. We find it sad that some people refuse to get into the spirit and don't dress appropriate for the dining room. It cheapens the experience for the rest of us.

Chairs:

Did not even use it the last time.... Am hoping the boat won't be full and it won't be a problem this time.

Tipping:

Ship standards, plus extra for our waiters and room steward if they are good....ditto.

Smoking:

Wish all ships were smoke free...or at least a few on each line...they would have a loyal customer if they did. Besides... isn't fire the biggest concern on a ship out at sea??? Never understood why it was allowed in the first place. And it's bad for you!

Love:

Food, trying new things, seeing people's faces who have never seen a cruise ship before (and are amazed at the size), room service, snorkeling, not being bugged by the family, in laws, work, etc.

Packing: I always pack my own toiletries, don't want to use mystery products. I no longer bother with electrical gadgets, only my cameras battery charger, I'll put up with everything else the ship offers. Always take my most comfy shoes, even if they are ugly. I have never packed my own coffee mug or duct tape.

 

Arriving: I like a day or two ahead, if at all possible. I also like to stay over an extra day.

 

Category: What we can afford. Balcony preferred, but will take an inside if that is all the budget can handle. DH says, just get me on the ship!

 

Holiday: Yes, until the kids are grown and gone, we don't take them out of school for vacation. Exception, we will never cruise spring break, no thank you.

 

Food: Yes, we do eat. No, we do not expect gourmet on a cruise ship. We avoid buffets and prefer to be served. Quality is far more important to us than quantity. Never order the chicken at dinner and never expect the desserts to taste as good as they look.

 

Dining room: Sign up for it? I don't understand this, as I thought you were automatically assigned a table. But we do eat in the dining room when it is open, the buffet is only an option if the dining room is closed. We absolutely let the staff know if we don't expect to be in the dining room (specialty restaurant) it's just good manners.

 

Dress: According to the request. Although I'm not a fan of formal, I do like to dress in semi-formal clothes and actually would like every night, except first and last, to be semi-formal.

 

Chairs: We've never considered chairs next to the pool desirable and prefer ones away from the "action". We like peace and quiet and don't have to be a part of the games or be annoyed by screaming children. We rarely make it to the shows, if we do, we take what is left over, usually behind the posts. We usually leave early because we can't see anything anyway.

 

Tipping: Always and more than the recommendation if we have exceptional service. I would not care to work for a week for nothing and I don't expect our servers or attendants to work for me for no wages, even if they are not perfect.

 

Smoking: No and I avoid the smokers areas, they are entitled to smoke if they wish. Although, if I'm ever ruler of the world, smoking would be banned forever and everyone would be healthier :)

 

Love: On the balcony, no way! I want to be comfortable and I don't care to be watched. If I catch you doing it, I'll print out a photo for you to keep forever. Give me a comfy bed and privacy, please ;)

 

You left out favorite activity onboard! Ours is to get up on deck first thing in the morning and last thing at night, when the crowds aren't there. We cruise for the ocean more than for the ship activities. The ocean is beautiful at night and the ports are so lovely to see at arrival, like gems!

I pretty much agree with you on all points. Now I have found comfortable shoes that were not ugly though-LOL! Maybe not beautiful-but definitively not crocs either!

As far as the buffet, sometimes, if we have an early excursion, the buffet is quicker for breakfast-but on sea days- I prefer the dinning room.

I do not enjoy cruising during holiday weeks as much as other times of the year-the ship is always very full and I hate the congested crowds-but like you-I will do it to cruise with my daughter. Every once in a while though, hubby and I will pick a cruise for just the 2 of us. We can go off-season-which means we can pick a much nicer ship, with less people, for less money by going off-season.