"I wish I knew before..."

[travelmatron]

There are several differents types of medications for sea sickness. For us Bonine works well without the side effect of feeling drugged. Every medication, even a common over the counter drug, is capable of causing some side effect for someone, you'll want to know BEFORE you go how you will react.

[Marian Paroo]

There are several differents types of medications for sea sickness. For us Bonine works well without the side effect of feeling drugged. Every medication, even a common over the counter drug, is capable of causing some side effect for someone, you'll want to know BEFORE you go how you will react.

 

And the same goes for "natural" substances!!!!!! Please do not think that "natural" means safe!!!!!

[lynkmom]

Thanks to everyone for the input here. I have read the whole thread and look forward to our first cruise coming up in Sept.

[kruzkween]

Speaking of Bonine, on many ships you can get little two-pill packets of Meclizine (generic name for Bonine) at the purser's desk, for free. I always stop by and pick up one or two for "just in case". I've only been on one ship that didn't give these out; not sure which cruise line it was but I think it was Princess.

[stuart.hobs]

Hi everyone. I just joined and would be my pleasure to share experience.

[Alaskanb]

Princess has a wide variety of travel size toiletry items in one of the shops onboard--including sea sickness meds and alternatives.

Speaking of Bonine, on many ships you can get little two-pill packets of Meclizine (generic name for Bonine) at the purser's desk, for free. I always stop by and pick up one or two for "just in case". I've only been on one ship that didn't give these out; not sure which cruise line it was but I think it was Princess.

[JJSMaine]

1 - Sensible and comfortable shoes.... you MUST have these... just walking around the ship all day, you will put on many miles... let alone the amount of potential walking at your ports. In fact, you should tart walking a few miles a day just to be prepared for all the walking you are apt to do... be prepared!!

 

2 - This is your vacation. D not allow yourself to be in situations that make you uncomfortable or that you do not like. Turn heel and choose to be somewhere else. You will have to share the ship with all sorts of people, but the great thing is there is so much to do and so many places to do it... there is no need to worry about other people.

 

3 - Eat or do Not... your choice... I would always recommend someone try the full dining experience, but I also understand many do not like it... so.. do what make you happy... actually you could put this under number two really... but in the Main Dining Room ( mdr for short) do not feel as if you need to follow the three course setup they present.. remember rule number two... you are in charge... if you want to taste all 4 appetizers on the first night, as I do.. Oxtail, and the Onion Tart and a Shrimp Cocktail... the portions are not huge... try it all .. it is wasteful to not eat what you are served, but how will you know if you like something if you do not try... suggest to the table maybe that someone order an entree that can be shared so everyone can have a taste.... IOW.. take charge!!

 

4 - Bring a smile, and the Ire attitude with you in all you do... there will be issues or problems.. you might stub your toe or get a sunburn.. or your steak is raw or burnt.... just let it go... "it's all Ire man", as they say in Jamaica.... I help myself get there by doing tons of up front research about the experience I want to have the options that will be available... by feeling no pressure while on the trip, because I "know my way around" ( at least in my head).... so bring a smile... some people have the grimmace face, and I know they can't help.. due to a issue.... but you would be surprised what happens when you smile right at them and say Hi in a sincere way... so bring your smile with you , and share it..

 

5 - Make time for YOU... be it a couple of hours hidden away on deck four reading a book or stargazing at night on an open deck... make time for you to do for you what you really want.. make sure you tell others in your party of your intention and desire... of course if you travel solo this is not an issue... but I see it in others... they are so busy managing the time everyone is having, they don't seem to stop and make time for themselves....

[stuart.hobs]

Princess has a wide variety of travel size toiletry items in one of the shops onboard--including sea sickness meds and alternatives.

Speaking of Bonine, on many ships you can get little two-pill packets of Meclizine (generic name for Bonine) at the purser's desk, for free. I always stop by and pick up one or two for "just in case". I've only been on one ship that didn't give these out; not sure which cruise line it was but I think it was Princess.

 

 

and what is the approximate price for a couple

[JJSMaine]

One more... ( it could never have been just five now could it?!?)

 

Diner time...

 

On a Caribbean cruise....

 

If you chose an early seating time, you will rush to get on board on port days and you will be inside the restaurant when the ship is leaving port and when the sun is setting..... choose late seating if you can manage... :)

[loobs40]

if you enjoy the Spa, as soon as you board get right up there and get the therapists to give you a quick tour of the facilities. On my last cruise on the NCL Jade, they had a pass for about £10 a day which gave you access to the spa facilities such as sauna, jacuzzi, relaxation rooms etc. It can be a very relaxing place to chill especially on sea days when there is no room anywhere else on the ship, and on the Jade the view was fantastic.

 

Another tip, costing next to nothing. Take some post it notes with you so when you inevitably split up to do your own thing, you can leave messages in your cabin about where you are, where and when to meet etc. Especially useful when you have a couple of teenagers holidaying with you.

[Mocha'shuman]

Thanks to all the suggestions that I read in this thread [and others] I enjoyed a wonderful first cruise so now I would like to share a few suggestions that would have worked for me....

 

1. Do your research through Cruisecritic, the internet in general, travel agent, friends, etc. Learn as much as you can about your destinations, the ship, etc. and figure out what you [and your travelling companion] want from the cruise [:) this one I did but...]

 

2. Understand that everyone comes from a different perspective so don't sweat it if advise seems contrary to what you plan to do :confused: you will drive yourself insane second guessing and trying to take into account everyone's thoughts ... example... shore excursions. So many members indicate that ship shore excursions aren't as good as independent excursions. We both wanted to book ship excursions but then worried that we wouldn't have a good time [at least I did] WOW were/was we/I wrong. The excursions we booked suited us perfectly - we saw amazing things, shared the experience with wonderful 'neighbours' and felt secure that we wouldn't get left behind if the excursion got delayed. We had done alot of research and tried to make sure both of us were seeing what we wanted to see - I think we got what we paid for and don't regret it at all.

... on a similar note... I worried about getting ripped off for pop, booze, etc with ship costs. For us, the comparison for what we would pay in any restaurant for a cocktail, bottled water, pop, beer was easily comparable to the costs on the ship - so I was glad I opted to not bring bottles of water, etc - more to pack

 

3. Wish that I knew about that portion of wall in the shop that had small containers of almost every small container that I had bought and packed from home from pain killers, stomach meds, bandaids, insect repellent [even the clever wipes I had bought]and a comparable prices to what I paid for those small containers [suitcase space was at a premium]

 

4. Relax... there is no way that you can do it all... enjoy yourself - read the Patter [if on Princess] make choices and plan what you want to see but don't plan for every minute of the cruise so that you can enjoy yourself :) So don't regret anything you miss - think about doing it on your next cruise

 

5. From the queen of procrastination, don't wait 2 months after you get back to go on cruise critic to catch up and thank everyone for all of their helpful advice [you all know who you are]:D

 

Fern

 

Ooppss forgot a most important one: if you get the chance do the Chef's table - call the dine line even late and you might luck out and get in on it. Totally fantabulous time -

 

FF

Edited June 24, 2012 by Mocha'shuman

[kimequa]

The best advice I can give you for ANY trip is:

 

1: Buy a really big SD/memory card for your digital camera. Mine is 16GB and I have used it for many vacations.

 

2: Buy an extra battery for your camera and keep it charged (remember to charge BOTH batteries every night!!) I cannot tell you how many times I have been snapping random photos for a while because I didn't know something AMAZING was coming...and when it came, my camera died after 2 minutes. :eek: BIG let down!!

 

3: Make sure you get lots of pictures with YOURSELF in them. I don't care if you HATE the way you look in photos. :o You are not allowed to be "just the cameraman" .....Sometime, 20 years down the line (or 5), you are going to look at these old photos of yourself and think how thin and attractive you look. ;) Believe me. I've always been fat and I will look at old pics of myself and think "I guess I've put on a few. I looked GOOD then-WAY better than I remember looking" hahahaha. Ok seriously though. Take lots of photos of yourself. Traveling SOLO is NO excuse! I have done a lot of solo traveling and I always take photos of myself. All of you with social media profiles know how to do it....just EXTEND YOUR ARM.. try to take the photo from slightly ABOVE eye view to make you look slimmer :p --AND--

 

3.5: The best trick in the book is to find a couple or a family and OFFER to take their photo together. They almost ALWAYS offer to take yours in return. It's not creepy and everyone comes out ahead.

 

4. If your camera does video, do it--at least a little. ;) (Again, make sure YOU make a cameo in them--or at the very least NARRATE.)

 

5. INVEST in a waterproof camera! I bought a pocket-sized waterproof to 10' digital camera that does still and video/HD for like $149 when it was BRAND NEW. Those things have come down in price a little. Mine is a Kodak Playsport. I *love* it.

 

6. If you can't afford $120-150 for a waterproof camera, you CAN afford $10 for the disposable ones. DO IT. The photos come out SURPRISINGLY REALLY clear and beautiful! We used them while snorkeling at Discovery Cove and our pictures are amazing. For this trip, we actually bought the disposable ones for SCUBA DIVING because they can go much deeper than my Playsport. It's a beginner scuba, so we don't go SUPER deep..so I'm hoping the water will still be clear/light enough for the photos to come out nice. Cross your fingers!

 

Now as far as packing, WHO CARES. As long as you bring your ID/paperwork, clean underwear, sunscreen, and some deodorant, I promise, you will have a WONDERFUL time :p

[kimequa]

Oh, one more thing I try to NEVER leave the house without is:

At least 2 Benadryl. (You might have a different allergy medicine)

 

If you are allergic to ANYTHING, it is better to be safe than sorry. (If you are allergic to bee stings or peanuts or whatever, you might take along your epi pen as well)

 

I started developing food allergies RANDOMLY in my 20s. I had NEVER had any allergic reactions until then. One night I was at a friends house, eating random stuff we bought to try out, and watching movies. I had a CRAZY allergic reaction to something I ate (I still don't know WHAT) and half my face ballooned up and it even gave me a speech impediment. I rushed to the emergency room and they put me on an IV of benadryl. Since then I have always tried to have some on me. I only tell you this so that you will consider it even if you have never had allergies before. I was SURPRISED to say the least!

 

One time my stash of Benadryl even saved a DOG. We were at an orphanage in Mexico and one of the pet dogs started acting really woozy and one side of her muzzle was swollen really HUGE (like tennis sized). Her eye was swollen shut and we were scared that her throat might close up. We gave her half a Benadryl and it did the trick. Her swelling went down and she bounced back (after a nap). We guessed she might have tried eating a bee or something. Anyway, I was SO relieved that I just happened to have that Benadryl on me. You never know, you might save someone ELSE'S life, if not your own.

[calliopecruiser]

The best advice I can give you for ANY trip is:

 

1: Buy a really big SD/memory card for your digital camera. Mine is 16GB and I have used it for many vacations.

 

My recommendation is the opposite: Buy several smaller memory cards for your camera, and switch them out as needed. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, or all your pictures on one memory card. They are small and easy to carry (and cheaper too).......instead of one 16G, take 4 x 4G for instance. Less risk in terms of damage, failure, or loss.

[kimequa]

My recommendation is the opposite: Buy several smaller memory cards for your camera, and switch them out as needed. Don't put all your eggs in one basket, or all your pictures on one memory card. They are small and easy to carry (and cheaper too).......instead of one 16G, take 4 x 4G for instance. Less risk in terms of damage, failure, or loss.

 

 

 

Yeah, I actually read your comment not too much after I posted mine and thought "man...they got me beat." haha.

 

The reason I actually bought the big one is so that I could make long videos without fear of the camera cutting off.

 

Perhaps the key is BOTH. Have one large memory card for videos, and smaller ones for pictures. hmmm... :rolleyes:

[feathersandnananose]

For us, we bring the laptop for just a few reasons: files I've made about ports, etc. Though I print a lot of it *** (see below), I still feel happier with a back-up.

 

But the big reason for the laptop is the digital camera:

1. downloading photos each night means we've got back-up if camera has a traumatic event.....

2. every night, I add to my spreadsheet identifying every damned photo (with info / anecdotes) ... and why I took that particular picture. I cannot trust myself to remember accurately WHAT that picture was after we get home ...

 

*** Some have mentioned keeping paper stuff in a binder, but I adore those plastic multi-pocket file things you get at an office supply store. I buy a new one for each trip, with a pocket for each step : airline; first night lodging; the ship; and then each port.... The port info can be tossed when it's not needed anymore, then we replace it with the paper stuff we've picked up: daily schedules, paper souvenirs (maps, receipts), etc. This helps me keep all those pieces of paper together. I use this on ALL big trips, whether driving, flying, on the train, cruising, or combination of the above....

 

And then all our paperwork for the trip is in one place so we can go back and look at it. I'm not a formal scrapbook kind of girl!

 

But my biggest suggestion is to expect to be delighted every minute of your day. Those folks who look for glitches will find them. Those who look for joy will find it. Don't waste your money and time on being unhappy. You ARE in charge of your own attitudes.....

[metermaid79]

So now that I'm an expert...haha..not...but this is what I know fresh off the ship:

1. I packed way too many clothes...during the days wore bathing suit/cover ups and some shorts/tops/capris...didn't need all that I took!! But I did wear all the sun dresses/formals that I took. I still like the dressing up part and wished more people liked to dress up on the ship...it's part of the romance!! Baseball caps and t-shirts just don't belong in the dining areas with the massive chandeliers and beautiful decor is my thinking.

2. If you have other people in your party, sticky notes for the doors was a great idea!! We left notes where we were going so people could meet up with us. Walky Talkies would work too, but we didn't want to spend the $$.

3. Research the excursions. We loved ours, however the ferry ride to St. John from St. Thomas took way too much of our excursion time. (Although we loved Trunk Bay!!)

4. Reserve the shows and dining times and then make sure you show up for the shows 10-15 min before they start...seats go quickly (especially if you're in a large group). And the shows are great...from ages 21-80 we all enjoyed the shows.

5. Read the cruise compass front to back daily...sooo much to do!! And have an open mind, try something different!

6. Be polite and kind to the workers and others on the ship...makes it a lot more enjoyable for everyone!! We met some awesome people in the elevators...haha. And loved talking to our staff...sweet people they are!!

7. Get your lounge chair early on ship days...they go fast!! And don't forget the sunscreen!!

8. Sunrise/sunset...beautiful!! Must see!

9. We bought the wine package to have with dinner, easy to manage, just keep up with the number of bottles used. Any unused will be given to you...if that's possible. Drinks are no more pricey than nice restaurants...and pretty yummy...splurge every once in a while...you're on vaca!!

10. Enjoy, it goes by way too quickly!!!

[nancydru]

My children will be 12 and 16 when we go on the Allure in November. We have only been on a Disney cruise so no formal night really on that ship. What are the expectations for my kids regarding dress. My son is the 16 year old and my daughter 12. For some reason I am more worried about formal night than anything else. :)

[indigosails]

My children will be 12 and 16 when we go on the Allure in November. We have only been on a Disney cruise so no formal night really on that ship. What are the expectations for my kids regarding dress. My son is the 16 year old and my daughter 12. For some reason I am more worried about formal night than anything else. :)

 

Well, you could get room service or eat in the buffet and then it's a non-issue, but if you want to participate in formal night, have them dress like they would for school photo day or church.

[BratDet]

I got FOR my first cruise was to bring a large cup...mine was a 32 ounce insulated plastic cup....have brought one on every cruise since...especially great to fill with ice and a cold drink...and not have to get up while sunning by the pool.....or on the balcony...So many people comment on our cruises that they wish they had though of it!

 

My adult kids recently used the same type of 32 ounce insulated (double walled) cup with lid/strw for wine- chilled sippy cups....I bought them for them...they all loved having them!

 

Never needed a power strip....

 

Bernadette

[KBS1607]

Really learn about the ship ahead of time if possible or once you are onboard. I didn't realize on our last cruise that the International Cafe was included (I thought it was extra fee but that was only the gelato)

DD and I did the spa tour and it was informative and they offered a special.

One of the great things DD and I did was go at night and have a drink at one of the lounges. Since she was a cute 23 yr old we got quite the service. ;)

DON'T do what I did in Cozumel and fall which resulted in a broken bone. Luckily it was the next to last day of our cruise.

I agree about participating in formal nights, when we did our extended family cruise I basically bulldozed everyone into dressing up and every mentioned they were glad we had done that.

Also I wish we had done all our cruises with one line but it's worked out nicely that we have tried several.

I have a Princess credit card and get a few points and perks that way.

[BratDet]

I have been on Celebrity, Carnival, and Princess.....all of my sailings have had terrible blow dryers...

 

I ended up buying one for future traveling,,,,,,but since we are going to Europe NEXT, it's staying home....and I am making sure my hair cut is SHORTER before we go....

 

Driving to port, it will get packed.

 

If you drive to port, indulge in overpacking....if you like

 

I am trying to whittle down my choices for a 12 day cruise...so far the suitcase is only 35 pounds...doing pretty well with it...having the weather be so hot makes it easier since lightweight clothing is making the cut...along with a few mini-lightweight sweaters as air con tends to feel really cold after a long day in super hot weather....

 

Formal shoes will be decided at the last minute when the final decision is made what dresses are going.....

 

I have been wearing nicer sandals around to see if they would stay comfy for longer traveling....and decided THEY are NOT going....a paf of deck shoes are making the cut.

 

We took our family of 6 on a Carribean cruise last year...I bought a case of 24 ounce waters.....4 ports.....a bottle of water each for each port....The porter at curbside said,

 

"Sorry, I can't take it- it has to have a luggage tag"..I showed him the top of the plasticized wrapper...where I had slapped a luggage tag on it with clear packing tape...made it to our room safely...

 

Packing tape is in my suitcase as we will use that to "plasticize" our luggage tags to attach them well.

 

I do pack a piece of 8x11 sturdy cardboard....to protect any 8x10's we get...this year I have a portfolio...so it will do the same thing

and I pack some bubble wrap...not a lot...in case I want a little extra protection for breakables...

 

I do not care a lot about getting wet, but my cell and camera d...so I usually throw in a zip lock bag in my excursion bag....

Went to St. Thomas three times for one day for three years...sudden passing rain....each visit .threw the stuff in for everyone in our group...sun came out and we dried out..

 

 

I also pack GatorAde single powder packs, along with a water bottle.

Keeps my blood sugar up in a pinch and hydrates you decently till you can figure out food and drink options...

 

I always pack my favorite cough drops...which is usually a waste...but no way if I get a cold do I feel like experimenting with new, or wasting time trying to find different places to buy...

 

I always pack Aloe,,,,this upcoming Europe cruise, I am just packing just a small tube of it...for travel to port- I pack a big bottle of aloe and plenty of sunscreen.....

 

BUT- last year since we were 6..the big bottle of Aloe I bought was for our entire group...so if you travel with others...try not to duplicate some common stuff....

 

Bernadette

[missing link]

Here's my $.02:

 

We wished we had:

-Brought binoculars

-Brought walkie talkies

-Brought more cash

-Known how inexpensive cigarettes would be (compared to here in Philly)

-Remembered we could use our phones as a camera. We were so worried about roaming charges that we turned off our phones and left them in the cabin the whole trip (DOH!)

 

So glad we remembered:

-a highlighter to help plan out our activities to make the most of our onboard time

-a stash of pain medication

-our own conditioner

-a small manicure kit and sewing kit

I have only seen one post mention walkie talkies. Do they work well on the ship and in ports?

Edited June 30, 2012 by missing link
Alaskan Cruise 7/15

[paul929207]

I have only seen one post mention walkie talkies. Do they work well on the ship and in ports?

On ship, sometimes. Most of the time there are multiple conversations simultaneously. No one gets thru. In port, you need to check the local laws. The channels designated for walkie-talkies in the US are not always available for them in other countries.

 

Best advice leave them home

[QShip]

What does it cost to rent a tux and accessories for the night?