Fess Up! Share stories of mistakes you've made while cruising.

[celebrity]

Just wanted to say this is one of the best threads ever. I am LAFFING my head off.

I'm sure I'll think up something to contribute but in the meantime, keep the stories coming. :)

[Wattle]

This is a great thread, I'm learning a lot. I've only been on 2 cruises, and learnt a major lesson on our last cruise. I made a 'friend' through the roll call. On board we met up, and then couldn't get rid of them. We ended up hiding from them when we've we saw them. We just didn't get along - though they seemed happy enough lol. Never though of NOT being the first at muster, will remember that one from now on.

 

 

 

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[celebrity]

This is a great thread, I'm learning a lot. I've only been on 2 cruises, and learnt a major lesson on our last cruise. I made a 'friend' through the roll call. On board we met up, and then couldn't get rid of them. We ended up hiding from them when we've we saw them. We just didn't get along - though they seemed happy enough lol. Never though of NOT being the first at muster, will remember that one from now on.

 

 

 

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That must have been awful. Funny how there are some people you never see and others pop up everywhere you go. Cannot imaging dodging people. Lol.

[cruiseinfoseeker]

This is a great thread, I'm learning a lot. I've only been on 2 cruises, and learnt a major lesson on our last cruise. I made a 'friend' through the roll call. On board we met up, and then couldn't get rid of them. We ended up hiding from them when we've we saw them. We just didn't get along - though they seemed happy enough lol. Never though of NOT being the first at muster, will remember that one from now on.

 

 

 

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Hope this person isn't still on CC then. It would be a shame to hurt their feelings as I am sure they would know you are referring to them.

[Rapsmac]

This is a great thread.

Very first cruise we had plans to stay with relatives out side of Miami. On our drive down to their house found out their sons baseball team made the finals to a tournament in Tampa and they would not be home. Told us we could stay but I said we will just get a hotel. Little did I know, not much available. Only room we could get $250 a night. Instead of leaving car at relatives house, parked at the port, money not intended to spend. Needless to say, no DOD that week. All cruises since then, park and stay booked early!

 

That being said mistake number two. When leaving for the port from the hotel we double check the car and take surrounding pictures just in case. Ritual for me and DS. DS jumps in car for last check and we find out on return, he hit the light with his back and it was on until the battery went dead. It was so light, never noticed it was on. Came back to a dead battery, thank God for AAA. A little later start then we thought. Lesson learned double check the double checker.

Edited May 17, 2014 by Rapsmac

[Jane2357]

I was so excited for my 20th wedding anniversary cruise - we splurged on a Sky Suite - and aft wrap that comes with a butler. I immediately just loved Jose and he took a liking to us too (most likely to our generous tipping ;)

 

This was a 14 night cruise and I of course had OVER packed but reading CC - there wasn't one thing on the suggested packing list that I did not have - including the storage cubes popular on Celebrity. What I didn't realize is that there is no overhead storage (for the cubes) in the aft wrap cabins - no problem I just used them on the floor as the room was large, storing 10 or 11 bras (don't judge me o.k. :cool: 3 evening gowns, cocktail dresses, exercise - a girl needs her undies) there as drawer storage was sparse.

 

Fast forward to the end of the cruise - the when I go to the cube to get the fancy, smancy bra that went with the cocktail dress I was going to wear. THE BOX WAS EMPTLY :eek: As in EVERY SINGLE BRA is GONE. Right then Jose calls our cabin to inform us of some wonderful news - he got his supervisor to comp our laundry. While we were out in port that morning he came in - took the clothes from our pop up hamper and saw the bras in the cube - and SENT IT ALL TO THE LAUNDRY. :eek::eek:

 

I have to tell you that I found another cocktail dress that wouldn't show the utility bra that I had worn into port - as that was all I had to wear. I will NEVER again leave my hamper or my storage cube for the butler to find - LMAO now but several things were ruined but we so loved our butler - he really thought he was helping - we NEVER told him the truth. :D

 

 

 

[euro cruiser]

Hope this person isn't still on CC then. It would be a shame to hurt their feelings as I am sure they would know you are referring to them.

Good point. I don't think people are aware of how easy it is to back into information like this, especially when you have so few postings on CC. Within about 60 seconds and four or five clicks I could see who the poster was referring to. Fortunately for their feelings, they haven't posted in over a year.

[griffy116]

Booked a cruise for the members of my family...Dad, Mom, Sister, Nephew, daughters, son-in-law and Grandson, along with a favorite aunt that always traveled with us. The Aunt's four children found out and booked the same cruise. They all had multiple children and then another aunt and uncle decided to join us. Instead of a fun cruise of 10, which was a big number, we grew to 28. One of them decided to charter a "party bus" for us to go to the port. We had intended to fly, but they insisted we pay about the same as the airfare for an all night trip on a bus with folks ranging from 70 to 7 years old. The Aunt's kids all got into a huge argument at the beginning of the cruise. They had the dining room switch all of us around at the tables, to keep this one from sitting or looking at that one, had a shouting match in a hall with doors slamming and I thought we were all going to get thrown off the ship. When the bus arrived to take us home, everyone drew up "camps" on the bus and no one was speaking. The bus driver even had to stop at multiple places for a meal because they wouldn't all get off the bus and eat at a place the "others" had chosen. Our entire cruise was hijacked. When we stopped at restaurant #2, I saw a liquor store next door to the restaurant and got liquor, beer, cups for mixed drinks and a syrofoam cooler full of ice for the remainder of the ride. Did I mention they were all highly religious too and we hadn't been allowed to drink in front of them during our cruise??? At that point, we became camp #3...the heathens who were drinking liquor in front of them and their children. I felt like I had been kidnapped for 7 days. Never again. They ruined our cruise.

[CaveDiving]

Mine was on my first cruise. I didn't realize that you were to give the cabin steward their tip the last night, I figured I would give it to him the next morning before I left for the ship. Well, much to my surprise, when I returned to my cabin that night, I had no towels or pillows. That was a hard lesson to learn, had to dry off with the sheet (thank goodness he did leave those on the bed).

 

If this had ever happened to me I would have mentioned politely to the cabin steward that he had forgotten the towels and pillows in my room. If I did not receive an immediate apology as well as the items, it would be straight to the front desk to file a written report and probably a letter to the home office after returning from the cruise. It might well get the steward fired.

 

Although we all do it, it is a "tip," not a required payment.

 

Scott & Karen

[julie3fan]

My worst mistake was booking a cruise for my husband and I with a couple that were friends of my husband but just acquaintences of mine, then booking a second cruise with them before going on the first one. Turns out we weren't compatible cruise companions! She absolutely drove us nuts, and by the end of the second cruise all we could say was "Never again!"

 

Julie

 

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[kandainnd]

Twiz: Glad to know someone else also suffers from pre-cruise OCD! :) Seriously, my list sure helps cut down on my packing stress for sure. I love this thread! Thanks to the OP for starting it!

 

 

Yes, there apparently is more than a few of us. My wife laughed when I made our up before our first cruise. Now she also has a list for herself for our second cruise.

 

List made it easy to make sure we didn't forget anything. And of course my anal self triple checking everything the night before our flight.

 

 

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[celebrity]

My worst mistake was booking a cruise for my husband and I with a couple that were friends of my husband but just acquaintences of mine, then booking a second cruise with them before going on the first one. Turns out we weren't compatible cruise companions! She absolutely drove us nuts, and by the end of the second cruise all we could say was "Never again!"

 

Julie

 

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What a shame. Too bad you didn't cancel your 2 Nd cruise with them and go another week.

[Hflors]

Mistake #1 booking thru an agency that would not book a cabin catagory lower then D. No insides no port hole. When I questioned them they said "you wouldn't want to stay in anything lower." After a couple of cruises I did book "lower" myself and saved a ton of money and didn't mind "staying in anything lower" at all!

 

Mistake #2 booking a "romantic" cruise for Valentines day on a cruise line that allows children to accompany their parents for a very modest fee. (Valentines's day was also the same week as president's day = spring break for lots of kids) 700 + kids onboard = no romance what so ever for anyone! (I love kids, but not this many) It was the only cruise that I couldn't wait to get off of!!!

Edited May 18, 2014 by Hflors

[Wattle]

I guess I've been told. But really why would you bother using 60 seconds of your life and "and few clicks" to find out who I was talking about. The persons in question know who I'm talking about, it gets fairly obvious on a small ship. I never meant to hurt anyone's feelings, just a warning to a problem that may present itself.

 

 

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[SadieN]

We were at guest services to get key cards switch when a woman came running up and said they needed to open the door because they left all their money, credit cards, and luggage in the car. They showed her the ship was no longer docked, and she just screamed at everyone. "JUST LET ME OFF! I'd rather not go at all!" We just pulled up a sofa and watched the fun.

 

Carnival gave the whole family 2 logo t-shirts, pants, and flip flops for each of them. That's all we saw them wear all week.

 

 

Found the above gem on a 'Lost Luggage' thread. Can't figure out how this happened!:eek:

[kasi1979]

Bring bandaid, I left mine at home and had to buy some onbaord, expensive.

[bean24]

Sorry typo

 

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Edited May 19, 2014 by bean24

[gooch47]

On our last family cruise, both me and my daughter-in-law forgot to bring any socks. Some coincidence.

 

Fortunately she realized it at the pre-cruise hotel and went out and bought a dozen pairs. Me? I had to borrow some from her.

 

Forgot the charger for my hubby's shaver a few cruises back. The juice ran out the first day. He has never shaved with a razor in his life. After a few days I tried to do it for him. He ended up looking worse, not better.

 

We both forgot the chargers for our cell phones once. Not sure how that happened.

 

And yes, I do have a pretty comprehensive packing list. Doesn't always help.

[celebrity]

On our last family cruise, both me and my daughter-in-law forgot to bring any socks. Some coincidence.

 

Fortunately she realized it at the pre-cruise hotel and went out and bought a dozen pairs. Me? I had to borrow some from her.

 

Forgot the charger for my hubby's shaver a few cruises back. The juice ran out the first day. He has never shaved with a razor in his life. After a few days I tried to do it for him. He ended up looking worse, not better.

 

We both forgot the chargers for our cell phones once. Not sure how that happened.

 

And yes, I do have a pretty comprehensive packing list. Doesn't always help.

 

If you have an iPhone, I highly recommend the free app:u packing list. I love it!

[shoelover536]

On our eastern Caribbean cruise on Eclipse in 2012, my DH forgot a spare pair of glasses. Then he went into the ocean at orient beach wearing his only pair. He asked me to take pics on him standing in the surf and so I have the pic of the wave that swallowed him (and his glasses).

 

He had to wear my spare pair (I wear contacts) the rest of the week. I have MUCH worse eyes than he does, and of course they are women's glasses! LOL!

 

To top it off, we were in the "top optional" area. Right after he lost his glasses, a pretty, tanned and "well endowed" lady comes and lays her towel near us. I teasingly pointed her out to DH, who couldn't see her assets, lol. Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink!!!

[celebrity]

On our eastern Caribbean cruise on Eclipse in 2012, my DH forgot a spare pair of glasses. Then he went into the ocean at orient beach wearing his only pair. He asked me to take pics on him standing in the surf and so I have the pic of the wave that swallowed him (and his glasses).

 

He had to wear my spare pair (I wear contacts) the rest of the week. I have MUCH worse eyes than he does, and of course they are women's glasses! LOL!

 

To top it off, we were in the "top optional" area. Right after he lost his glasses, a pretty, tanned and "well endowed" lady comes and lays her towel near us. I teasingly pointed her out to DH, who couldn't see her assets, lol. Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink!!!

 

Lol..one year my husband dove into the ocean at Horseshoe Bay with his sunglasses on.

Needless to say, they were never recovered. Of course they were Ray Bans, not a cheap pair. He suffered the rest of the cruise without sunglasses although I encouraged him to buy another pair onboard.

[gooch47]

Off topic because it didn't happen to us, but at a beach once a man was screaming at his wife because she forgot to remind him to take his camera out of his swimsuit pocket before he went into the water.

 

I thought he was going to hit her he was so irate at his own stupidity.

[parrotfeathers]

Amen.

 

 

Cruising with the wrong people. You should have spent PLENTY of time with someone before you travel with them, and KNOW that you can have fun. Otherwise, the whole cruise can make you wish you were at home, working!

 

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[LA_CA_GAL]

Thankfully, I am very neurotic about being early.

 

1. My DS (about 12 at the time) and I booked America's Cup Yacht Race. We get off the ship (St. Martin) early. We are walking around the port, and I notice he has flip flops on. Since we will be the crew on a racing yacht, I tell him he should have his sneakers or boat shoes, and I send him back to the ship to change shoes. Some time, a lot of time goes by, no DS. I walk back to the ship, and he is standing on the ship ramp with an officer. They would not let him off the ship being a minor, so I had to get back on and get him. DUH!

 

2. Did a private driver in Cozumel. Hit the wild side, did a lot of bars, hit some beaches, great time. We get back to the port, go to get out my seapass and DL ..... gone. Lost them somewhere in the Caribbean. DS had to run back to the ship and get my PP. That was not a good feeling standing in a foreign country by myself (half buzzed) in a wet bathing suit, no ID, no credit cards, no nothing, for about 40 minutes.

Edited May 22, 2014 by LA_CA_GAL

[Kartgv]

Just re-read this thread and remembered another one. On one of our early cruises we vowed to always use the stairs, never elevators. We did A LOT of stairs exploring the ship, top to bottom, front to back, that first day. Woke up in the middle of the night with awful muscle spasms in both legs, which only went away with a couple of days of massages (thank you, dear!) and soaking in the hot tub. Stairs are a great idea, but if you're not used to climbing them often, start with just a few times and work your way up.

Edited May 22, 2014 by Kartgv