First Cruise with NCL

[heatherRN53]

We just booked our first cruise with NCL...in fact our FIRST CRUISE EVER!! We booked an aft facing balcony..11912 on Norweigan Getaway for November 8th 2014! Super excited:D

[spidybabe]

Congrats

There is nothing like a cruise, and aft balcony are the best!! Only thing you have to remember for your first cruise (well, really there is a lot) is there are seasickness pills available at guest services and a fun happy attitude

ENJOY

Safe sailing

 

 

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[KansasCityGuys]

Congrats on booking your first cruise and I hope you will love Norwegian as much as we do! Nothing is more exciting than that first cruise, Our first cruise we ever took was on the Norwegian Star and to this day, she holds a special place in our hearts.

 

Scott

[mvdude111]

Congrats....my first cruise was on the Epic. We were on the Breakaway last week and are going again next month.

 

 

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[Demonyte]

Nothing is more exciting than that first cruise, Our first cruise we ever took was on the Norwegian Star and to this day, she holds a special place in our hearts.

 

Same for us with Jade (and her sister ships Jewel, Pearl and Gem) - I feel almost like home on any of those four ships.

[biker@sea]

We just booked our first cruise with NCL...in fact our FIRST CRUISE EVER!! We booked an aft facing balcony..11912 on Norweigan Getaway for November 8th 2014! Super excited:D

 

Tell your T.A./P.C.C. to put a Do Not Upgrade / Do Not Move attachment to your booking to insure keeping that cabin . ;)

[NH Cruisers]

We just booked our first cruise with NCL...in fact our FIRST CRUISE EVER!! We booked an aft facing balcony..11912 on Norweigan Getaway for November 8th 2014! Super excited:D

You certainly choose a great stateroom location. Now just about a year of waiting. If you knew what you were getting into you would even be more excited!

 

Jon

[TracieABD]

Yay! There is nothing like your first cruise and the wonder of a floating city! Enjoy!

[SteveH2508]

I predict - within 24 hours of getting on the ship you will feel like part of the Norwegian family. You will get that feeling whenever you return (which you will - trust me!)

[sassyredhat]

Congratulations on your first cruise and your first NCL cruise.:)

We are booked for our first NCL cruise in April.

We have an aft penthouse. NCL gave us a price we couldn't refuse. :D

Pat

[Joyride37]

Congrats. When you get off the ship to come home, the only thing on your mind will be "We need to go on another".. Cruising is addictive and fun. Our first NCL cruise was on the Spirit and we fell in love with the ship, had so much fun and the kids loved it too. DD's still communicate with the friends they made, and the cruise was 3 years ago. Have fun.

 

Joyride37

[Joyride37]

Congrats on booking your first cruise and I hope you will love Norwegian as much as we do! Nothing is more exciting than that first cruise, Our first cruise we ever took was on the Norwegian Star and to this day, she holds a special place in our hearts.

 

Scott

 

We are from the Olathe area

[DCP]

Congratulations, you're going to LOVE it!! I don't know why we never cruised before - be prepared, you won't want to vacation any other way from then on!

[Tiggertastic]

Congratulations, better warn the bank manager as it may become a regular thing

 

Have a fantastic time

[Oldgoat61]

I am jealous! We have been on 5 cruises so far, and have yet to cruise on a new ship, as well as an aft facing cabin! As others have mentioned, you will no doubt get hooked.

 

Plus you have picked a cruise line that has a relaxed feel to it, and the crew is exceptional. It's all about "freestyle".

 

Enjoy!! :D

[Cruise_More_Often]

Heather (and Pat, too, who is also going on her first NCL cruise), I hope you love your first cruise on NCL as much as my husband and I did and that you get as hooked on it as we did. Have fun!!! :D

[Knight Of The Seas]

Congratulations on the cruise booking. As has been said before, you will love it. Cruising is such an enjoyable experience. It's a great way to travel without ever leaving your hotel. And the hotel is incredible.

 

You're going to love the Getaway. I haven't been on it myself, but I have heard good things about it. A few things to be prepared for:

 

1) Don't overpack. Pack just enough for what you will need for the cruise. If you want to do "formal nights," then by all means, bring what you need. Leave the extra pairs of shoes and handbags, etc. at home. Cabin space is limited, which means space is limited for keeping all that stuff. Don't forget, luggage easily stores underneath the beds.

 

2) Bring a night light for the bathroom. I don't remember why, but the switches for the lights are located OUTSIDE the bathroom. I find it easier in the dark of night to just go in without turning on the light so I don't disturb my fellow cabinmates. Also helps if you have a practical joker who might flip that switch off while you're in there.

 

3) If you have lots of electronic devices (mobile phones, tablets, etc.) bring a power strip. Most cabins only have one - maybe two - outlets. They'll be your standard 110v/60hz outlets, so no need for adapters. Don't count on reliable internet service, and if you do want any internet service, it'll be pricey. Best to just forget about email, etc. until you get back home.

 

4) Speaking of mobile phones, TURN OFF YOUR PHONE RADIO as soon as the ship starts leaving Miami (I'm guessing Miami). You can leave the wireless on and the device on, but turn off the phone service. You don't want to get hit with the roaming charges on the ship.

 

5) Introduce yourself to the stewards serving you the first night. They are very attentive to what you need and will be very happy to assist you however you want. I've always been very well served by the stewards.

 

6) When you first embark on the ship, your cabin may not be ready. If so, hit one of the two main dining rooms and just enjoy a meal while waiting for your cabin to be ready. Don't go for the buffet, as that tends to be the more common choice, and is very crowded.

 

7) Don't be afraid to stay on board during port days. If you enjoy spa services, there are generally discounts during port days. You also get to enjoy a lot more of the ship during port days as most passengers have left the ship and are hitting the local straw markets.

 

8) Have fun!

[Joyride37]

One more thing, or observation I made during my cruises. You will see the McD's, Wendys and so on at some of these ports. Im a fan of "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" attitude. Dont be afraid to be a little adventurious when in port. Just be aware of your surroundings and assure yourself that a large proportion of the people in and around the port are there to make money and dont want anyhting to happen to thier customers. In Costa Maya, I had the driver(70USD for the day to drive me, GF and 3 kids around at our will) ask if we wanted some food. The kids were hungry. The kids wanted tacos so the driver took off for a seaside resort area, but then abruptly stopped and asked if we wanted real tacos. We said Sure and he took off into the interior of the country. About 10 minutes later we stopped at Jorges Orange Taco shack(its literally a orange shack and the owner is Jorge). So I ended up buying myself, GF, the kids and my driver tacos and drinks for under 20 and it was by far the best tacos I've ever had.

 

Something like that.

 

Joyride37

[AZ Lady]

You are going to love cruising. I went on my first cruise in July and have another booked for 5/2014 on the Gem to Florida/Bahamas. Even though I travel solo it is still a great time and the people you will meet (passengers and crew) are just like everyone says -- like family! Enjoy and look forward to hearing about it when you return! And great cabin, by the way!

[pliskin]

our FIRST CRUISE EVER!!

 

Congrats, Heather. You are going to have a blast! I would recommend saying "howdy" on the roll call for your sailing. Its a great way to meet other travelers. They will do a meet and greet usually the first full day at sea and the crew comes and explains things about the ship. Sometimes they have a cabin crawl where you can see other rooms and other times they may do a behind the scenes tour.

 

You can find the NCL roll calls listed here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=110

 

And if you have 45 minutes to spare, watch this TV episode. Its from the show 'Undercover Boss' and features the CEO of NCL, Kevin Sheehan. Made me appreciate NCL that much more.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H7uUrilOEM

 

The last tip, as you have figured out, Cruise Critic is simply the best message board out there. Ask tons of questions on these boards. We're all here to help! Personally, I am exactly 7 days away from departure on the Jewel out of New Orleans!! I can't wait. My suitcases are already packed! lol (not joking either)