Michael Rawlings Posted August 29, 2013 #1 Share Posted August 29, 2013 Hi there, Michael and Cherie Mature couple this is our first Cruise and we feel pretty clueless at this stage! What do we bring for theme nights? Is it better to organise our our land tours once in port? What to pack for 13 days of the Sun Princess? How noisy is our cabin likely to be? What do we do about tipping? Helppppppppppppp! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy4evernow Posted September 3, 2013 #2 Share Posted September 3, 2013 there will be many experienced cruiser on this site such as ourselves who will be happy to help with your questions....yes it is just a bit sceary at first but my advise is to head to the Princess site and you'll find tons of info on it. Also your cruise personalizer will offer relevent info for the cruise you are booked on.......... theme nights...........never really bother with dressing up but then we are not nornmally into that anyway. One can still have a good time weather themed dressed or not There are pros & cons for private tours. Personally although Princess tours are more expensive generally. We like the conveneince and peace of mind using the cruiselines tours. We have NEVER had real problems with noise Tipping is not required anymore but I feel that our cabin steward works so hard to keep our cabin in top condition etc we always tip them plus our waiters- as they always provide to our needs but it's up to you! where and when are you travelling? 13 days is it to NZ? Once you've cruised you'll be hooked! Just go with the right frame of mind to enjoy yourself and not let anything or anyone upset you! MY BEST ADVICE :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy2cruise Posted September 3, 2013 #3 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Wishing you a great cruise....hopefully the first of many;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gooch47 Posted September 3, 2013 #4 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Since you said you're from the Blue Mountains I assume you are from Oz. Tipping is much different in Australia and on ships based in Australia, so other posters need to keep that in mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul929207 Posted September 3, 2013 #5 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Assuming you are an Australian, you will not be charged the autotip on the Sun Princess. Any tip you felt was deserved will be appreciated, but you are not expected or obligated to tip anyone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cauzneffct Posted September 3, 2013 #6 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Hi there, Michael and Cherie Mature couple this is our first Cruise and we feel pretty clueless at this stage!What do we bring for theme nights? Is it better to organise our our land tours once in port? What to pack for 13 days of the Sun Princess? How noisy is our cabin likely to be? What do we do about tipping? Helppppppppppppp! Where and when are you sailing? I've never dressed up for any "theme nights" but, depending on the length of your cruise, there will be one or more "formal" nights (probably 2 or 3 for 13 days) where the norm is suits/tuxes for men and dresses/gowns for women. You can usually get by with wearing less "formal" dress, but I've seen people turned away in jeans. I'd recommend planning tours ahead of time. If you go on your Cruise Personalizer on Princess's website, you can see what excursions are offered through Princess. You may also want to check your roll call on Cruise Critic to see what others are planning. Typically private (non-Princess) tours are cheaper and can be more tailored to what you want to do, but I know that for my first couple cruises, i felt more comfortable going through Princess. I've never had a problem with noise in the cabin, but the closer you are to public areas (ie, the Lido deck, Promenade deck, etc) the more of an issue it could potentially be. There is typically (for not Australian) a daily "gratuity" which you will be automatically charged depending on your cabin. I believe its $11.50 per person per day for most rooms, $12 for minisuites and suites. You can, if you'd like, tip in addition to that based on service. There is also a 15% tip added to drink purchases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtogo Posted September 3, 2013 #7 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Please search for and join the thread for your cruise. You will be able to see what others on your ship are doing. We always book our shore excursions through the Princess website. Please do not wait until you are onboard the ship as the better excursions fill up fast. I've seen and heard many people on the ship discussing how disappointed they are because they missed out on an excursion because they waited to book onboard the ship. Please join your Roll Call. It is the best way to learn and exchange ideas. But, above all, have fun! (Now, I'm curious about where you are going on Princess.) :p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potstech Posted September 3, 2013 #8 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Suits and Tux not required on formal nights. Long sleeve shirt with tie and suitable pants for men are accepted even in the MDR. Enjoy your cruise as there is only one first cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassyredhat Posted September 3, 2013 #9 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Welcome to CC..:) The others pretty much summed it up. Oh you will be sooooo hooked. Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partybarbie Posted September 3, 2013 #10 Share Posted September 3, 2013 One theme night that I like to dress up for is the "Island Party" night. DH wears an Aloha shirt and I wear a dress with hibiscus on it. I don't know if your ship will have that or not, but most tropical cruises have it. There's dancing, games, and food out on the pool deck. Sometimes the ship will have a 50's sock hop, a disco night, or a country and western night. You don't have to dress for those. Just go and have a good time. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruin Steve Posted September 3, 2013 #11 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Hi there, Michael and Cherie Mature couple this is our first Cruise and we feel pretty clueless at this stage!What do we bring for theme nights? Is it better to organise our our land tours once in port? What to pack for 13 days of the Sun Princess? How noisy is our cabin likely to be? What do we do about tipping? Helppppppppppppp! First, your specific questions: Theme nights? I've never bothered even checking out if a ship has any theme nights...Just pack clothes that YOU are comfortable in...Something dressy for formal nights, casual clothes for the rest of the nights...For formal nights, I often rent a tux--because it's easier not having to pack one...but, I will also sometimes pack my own--or just a dark suit...or even a pair of dress slacks and a black blazer...Women can get away with a lot--even a basic little black dress...They know what passes for dressy...Casual nights, I just wear "Dockers" (long cotton pants) and a sports shirt or even a golf shirt--just something with buttons and a collar...(remember, in the dining rooms for dinner, you need long pants...no shorts) For days in port or for even the days around the ship, I wear cargo shorts and a T-Shirt or a golf shirt (of course it depends where you are going and what time of year)...Also, bring a swimming suit... Tips--as has been said--Auto-tips...charged to your credit card as part of your on-board account...I usually bring some extra cash for those crew members who have gone way above and beyond--but it's not necessary... Noise in cabin? Unless your cabin is directly below the disco dance floor or the pool deck, chances are it will be quiet... Tours? Everyone's different...I like to plan mine way ahead of time. Go to the Roll Call boards here on cruise critic...find your cruise line, your ship and your sailing date (may have to run a "search") and you will find a thread with others on your cruise...Some may be trying to put together groups for small group private tours...If you can find folks with the same interests as you, these are usually the best tours...If not, the cruise line offers "Shore Excursions"--generally big bus tours--they are usually adequate...a little more difficult in some ways because you move slowly with 40 people getting on and off a bus at every stop...OTOH, in some ways, they are easier--the cruise line takes care of all of the details for you, you just have to show up...I usually book these in advance as well--in case they fill up...A lot of folks just like to get off the ship and figure it out on their own...If you are like this, I advise doing a lot of research in advance. Some ports have lots of folks waiting at the pier offering private tours...or taxis...Some ports are easy to do your own walking tour...But others you will find yourself stranded--no rides, no taxis, a long distance from things of interest...LEARN ABOUT THE STOPS BEFORE YOU GO as a minimum... My general advice: Relax, take it easy...Cruising is a joy...There's really not much you can't figure out...When you board the ship, there's a process...but there are people there to direct you...They will tell you where to line up, they will explain the card to you, point you to the ship, direct you to the buffet...Later, the cabin steward will come by your room, introduce himself and answer any questions...You will get a daily schedule telling you what is happening around the ship and when...For dinner, either you have Anytime Dining (which works like a restaurant--you show up and they bring you to a table) or you have traditional dining--which means you have a set time and an assigned table...You show up at the dining room the first day and they will show you to your table...In no time at all, you will be very familiar with it all... ...but, just relax...the main point of cruising is to enjoy, be pampered, vacation stress free... Good luck...and have fun... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmst220 Posted September 3, 2013 #12 Share Posted September 3, 2013 welcome to the world of princess cruises . hopefully the first of many . you said sun princess but not the itinery . the folks on here are very helpful and will point you in the right direction . happy cruising Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gubby Posted September 3, 2013 #13 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Pretty much everything has been covered. Just let me wish you a happy and wonderful cruise. If you are like most of us, you will be hooked before the ship travels too far away from the first port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skynight Posted September 3, 2013 #14 Share Posted September 3, 2013 Hi there, Michael and Cherie Mature couple this is our first Cruise and we feel pretty clueless at this stage!What do we bring for theme nights? Is it better to organise our our land tours once in port? What to pack for 13 days of the Sun Princess? How noisy is our cabin likely to be? What do we do about tipping? Helppppppppppppp! Suggest you go to the Roll Call section under the Cruise Critic Forums. Select Princess Roll Calls, then select Sun Princess Roll Calls, and finally search for your voyage. There you will be able to contact those who will be on the same sailing as you. These passengers are in the best position to help, especially since they will be mostly from Australia. Here are a few comments: Bring nothing special to wear on theme nights. Wear normal clothing. Generally it could be difficult to organise a land tour once in port, but don't really know where you are going. Is it NZ? South Pacific? Some ports are walkable, and easy to get around, some are not. You have to research it. Your roll call may have private tours organised that you can join. You can also book with Princess on line. You can search for Princess tours now through the cruise personilizer. Even if you don't book a tour through Princess by reviewing their offerings you can get a good idea of the tourist sights and activities. You will have a nice time, you don't have to do it all, enjoy yourself. Maybe we'll see you on a future cruise. The Sun just came from Dry Dock and it looks as if they added some nice features, "a sparkling new atrium with Princess’ signature International Café, a new sushi and seafood venue, an updated Horizon Court buffet, and a refreshed Lotus Spa." We love the Int'l Cafe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisin' Chick Posted September 3, 2013 #15 Share Posted September 3, 2013 I don't know if there's a separate Princess website for those from New Zealand and Australia, but certainly see if there is (or if you can get to the US one at http://www.princess.com). There will be plenty of info about your ship and Princess in general. Sometimes when people talk about theme nights on a ship, they're referring to the cuisine served that night in the dining rooms. The waitstaff will dress to match that theme and the food. Nothing for the passengers to bother to concern themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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