wish I had known about CC 5 yrs ago

[bksjes1998]

My husband and I are getting ready for our second cruise. I have learned so much from reading the boards on Cruise Critic.

 

Some of the things we didn't know on our first cruise.

 

1. We thought we would be charged if we used the towel and robe provided in the room. We didn't touch them.

2. We thought if we used the samples in the restroom that we would be charged.

3. Didn't go to MDR because of having to sit with others and we thought you had to dress up ever time. We went the last night and we were so overdressed (church clothes) compared to the ones at our table. We are a quiet, low key couple, so we are looking forward to ATD and a table for two. Although, I hear they are pretty close together. Still better than being forced to sit with the same people every night:)

 

We had a good time on our 4 day cruise to celebrate our 10 yr anniversary, but hoping from the advice on CC we will have a great time on our 5 day cruise to celebrate our 15 yr. anniversary.

 

Thanks to everyone who post on CC!

[SkyMaster]

Good for you, and Congratulations! You're not the only one who has gone aboard, misinformed, or "under informed". We were disembarking recently, chatting about how good the food in the dining room was, and the young couple behind us ask how we could afford to eat in the dining room every night? They had done the buffet the entire trip, because they thought the dining room was "extra charge". :eek:

You'll enjoy "Paradise". I sailed her in November, and had a GREAT cruise.

 

"SKY"

[Colorado Kat]

Bksjes - It's tough to know "what you don't know". A first cruise can be very confusing. It helps if you have someone clue you in to the basics. When we see people with the blue (first timer) cards, we try to help out.

 

I have made 3 different people very happy at dinner, when they were trying to find some "plain" food, by telling them they could get plain pasta, or order Mac & Cheese from the kid's menu. Or even the kid's Chicken Nuggets. Not everyone has an adventurous palate, but everyone wants to have something they enjoy at dinner.

[KORTAM]

It took me 3 cruises before I discovered CC. On my first couple of cruises I remember seeing CC decorations on a couple doors and thought it was some kind of special club/orginization. I would be lost without it now.

[che5904]

OP I know that feeling. I had just found CC just prior to my first cruise but didn't really have chance to do much researching before it was time to sail. I had had a lot of vacation experience but found cruising to be a whole different experience.

 

I only knew one other person at the time that had cruised, on a different line than I was going on, but at least they had cruised. I emailed her with the request "I understand you have went on a couple of cruises, any tips for a newbie?" The response I received was "any questions you have I will try to answer" LOL that wasn't much help since I knew nothing, I didn't know what questions to ask. :D

 

So I too went in very uninformed. CC is wonderful to get answers to questions you didn't even know you had. Cruiseline websites are not always up to date on the information they have and have quite a few inconsistencies.

[swedish weave]

My husband and I are getting ready for our second cruise. I have learned so much from reading the boards on Cruise Critic.

 

Some of the things we didn't know on our first cruise.

 

1. We thought we would be charged if we used the towel and robe provided in the room. We didn't touch them.

2. We thought if we used the samples in the restroom that we would be charged.

3. Didn't go to MDR because of having to sit with others and we thought you had to dress up ever time. We went the last night and we were so overdressed (church clothes) compared to the ones at our table. We are a quiet, low key couple, so we are looking forward to ATD and a table for two. Although, I hear they are pretty close together. Still better than being forced to sit with the same people every night:)

 

We had a good time on our 4 day cruise to celebrate our 10 yr anniversary, but hoping from the advice on CC we will have a great time on our 5 day cruise to celebrate our 15 yr. anniversary.

 

Thanks to everyone who post on CC!

 

You may want to consider sharing a table. With ATD, you have a choice every night. We have met some great people that way.

[gbphatcat]

I am a first timer my cruise is in soon but i have learned so much from this site in the past year waiting for this trip. Thanks to everyone who has answered my questions and to those whose tips i have learned from woohoo 31 days :)

[Frank12]

We didn't find CC until our after our first cruise also. Still laugh at some of the stuff we did / did not do because we didn't know any better. :p

[cccer]

Our first cruise was before CC and we also laugh at some of the things we did. Arrive at the port between 1-3 pm and wait two hours with everyone else. Who knew you could get there at 10:30 and be on board in 30 minutes.:D

[Peg_S]

(luckily I learned ALOT here before it)

 

We were going thru the buffet on the lido after boarding and the woman ahead of me was asking the crew member (who did not speak english very well) how much the buffet costs. He just shrugged his shoulders...I let her know it was included in the price of her cruise... and the main dining room too.

 

Someone else had posted they were chatting with another couple while disembarking their cruise...the other couple had eaten the buffet only - not realizing the MDR was included.

 

bummer

 

Peg

[MegnJoe]

I'm going to rock my blue sign and sail card proudly. So excited to be on my first cruise. I have learned sooo much from CC, but I feel like I will learn a lot more once I am actually experiencing it.

[okwriter]

bksjes: There are two extremes. I found CC and read a lot before my first cruise. By the end of the first day, even *I* was tired of hearing myself rattle off info from these boards. LOL! :)