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

[celebrity]

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.

 

Being half buzzed is probably what kept you from totally freaking out. lol

[LA_CA_GAL]

Being half buzzed is probably what kept you from totally freaking out. lol

 

To be honest, maybe a little bit over half buzzed.:eek:

[Harooni]

upon advice from this site, (and there was so many great ones that came in handy) i got to the ship around 10am. big mistake as there was about 75percent of the passengers waiting (big retired older crowd)and bumper to bumper cars, we didnt board the ship till almost 12pm and i saw many people just sailing in dropping off their luggage and parking with ease. :mad:

[damiross]

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).

That was very unprofessional of the steward. Yes, part of his pay is tips but to not do his job just because he didn't get the tip is plain wrong. Especially if he knew that you were first time cruisers and didn't realize the tradition of when to tip.

Edited May 25, 2014 by damiross

[celebrity]

That was very unprofessional of the steward. Yes, part of his pay is tips but to not do his job just because he didn't get the tip is plain wrong. Especially if he knew that you were first time cruisers and didn't realize the tradition of when to tip.

 

I cannot begin to count the times I have given our cabin steward their tip the morning of disembarking, I like to give it to them in person so if I don't see them in the evening prior, I know I will when we depart. I have never experienced anything so appalling. Sorry that happened to you.

[athenasbyshanna]

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

 

First of all this thread is great! Secondly, how the HECK does this happen? Did they think it was like a ferry and their car was coming with them? I cannot figure out how this could possibly happen. . .

[KAYEF]

When I booked our 18 day re-po from Barcelona to Galveston, I asked that my TA put a note on our res. saying we wanted THIS cabin and NO upgrades. Since we were coming across the pond, I wanted to be low and center for the best stability.:p

Well, we were the ONLY people on our level, I think. We never saw anyone else and learned that "everyone" had been upgraded to verandah cabins if they'd had OV or IN.

The Atlantic was as smooth as glass; we wouldn't have needed the center location I'd booked.:rolleyes:

BUT, we are rarely IN the cabin so it was all just fine.

[griffy116]

Son-in-law went alone on a scuba diving excursion. We specifically chose an excursion to make sure he got back to the ship on time. We saw the folks with him on the excursion enter the ship. We didn't see him. We got dressed for dinner, continuing to check on why he hadn't shown up in the cabin. Some of us watched the pier. When the ship left the dock, his Mother and his wife were almost in tears. He hadn't carried a credit card, only had a small amount of cash and didn't even have his DL or cell phone...just his Sea Pass and some cash (against our advice). My daughter couldn't leave for dinner knowing he might have been left. She watched the dock until we were so far from it that we couldn't see it clearly. She went back to the cabin to see who she needed to contact and what to do. There he was, laying on the bed, stinking drunk. He got back to the pier, saw a local beer stand and decided to kick back a few beers. To this day, we have no idea (and neither does he) how he managed to get back to the ship and get on board. A VERY tense night followed. We were all glad that he ended up with a terrible hangover the next day.

[agargoyle]

One of our first cruises many years ago (early 1980s) stopped at Playa del Carmen.

 

This was the beginning of the internet so I did my research! I knew we would tender in. I knew where the taxis were. I knew the cost of the taxi. I knew the cost to get into Xel-Ha/Xcaret (I really cannot remember the name) the newest attraction along the coast.

 

So we tender in -- at the end of the deserted pier is a gazebo wrapped in barbed wire. Oh well, the soldier with the machine gun standing there looks about 12...different cluture no worries. So there are a lot of empty old hotels and a run down center of town. The cruise line owuld not stop here if it was not safe.

 

I did my research -- we only had our IDs and cruise card and just the amount of cash we would need. No worries.

 

We find the taxi stand. Yes a taxi can take us to Xel-ha\Xcaret for $10.00. Just what I had learned during my research.

 

As we are driving to Xel-Ha\Xcaret I figured out how people end up missing on vacation. Not many cars, fewer houses and people and lots of open country - something my research did not say.

 

We get to Xel-Ha and find the entrance price has gone up. They had started to make more imporvements. Well, we did not have to eat...we went for the swimming and lazy river.

 

By now hubby is a bit worried...no one knows where we are, the people are not that friendly, it was bit of a ride...

 

So we go to the taxi stand to get a cab back to the port....The price was nearly double. I thought DH was going to have it out with the cabby (him in English and the cabby in Spanish)..When asked why -- the answer was "it is a longer ride back!". we just did not have the money. Another cabby jumped in and said he would do it the same price.

 

To be fair the ride back was bout a quarter mile longer because of the one way roads.

 

We have not been back to Playa del Carmen since. I hear it is a lovely place now. I hear the stretch of rode that was was so empty is now built up with resorts.

 

I learned to do research on more thatn one site after that!

[celebrity]

Son-in-law went alone on a scuba diving excursion. We specifically chose an excursion to make sure he got back to the ship on time. We saw the folks with him on the excursion enter the ship. We didn't see him. We got dressed for dinner, continuing to check on why he hadn't shown up in the cabin. Some of us watched the pier. When the ship left the dock, his Mother and his wife were almost in tears. He hadn't carried a credit card, only had a small amount of cash and didn't even have his DL or cell phone...just his Sea Pass and some cash (against our advice). My daughter couldn't leave for dinner knowing he might have been left. She watched the dock until we were so far from it that we couldn't see it clearly. She went back to the cabin to see who she needed to contact and what to do. There he was, laying on the bed, stinking drunk. He got back to the pier, saw a local beer stand and decided to kick back a few beers. To this day, we have no idea (and neither does he) how he managed to get back to the ship and get on board. A VERY tense night followed. We were all glad that he ended up with a terrible hangover the next day.

 

That reminds me of the time we were in Cozumel. My husband and 2 sons both over 21 went with us on a snorkeling excursion to the Palancar Reef and had a great time. Older son

decides to join new found friends at Carlos and Charlie's. I think you know here this is going..

We are back on the ship at the Future Cruise desk booking our next cruise when we realize that the ship has left the pier wondering if he made it back in time. Fortunately, there were some fellow cruisers grabbing a cab and although he ran out of money, they allowed him to join him in the cab with minutes to spare. He confessed a few years later.

[Capt_BJ]

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!

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

 

DANG mine was taken ..

 

we did this .. agreed to sail with a group of parents of graduates . . . the girls could celebrate together!!!!!!

 

BIG BIG BIG mistake

 

excuse me, would you please stop buying the underage kids in our group, that we are chaperoning, ALCOHOL!!!!

 

and stop being insulting to the wait staff (they were 'diamond' and allowed to be demanding! as we heard hourly)

 

we asked to be moved from the group dinner tables after 2 nites.

 

Subsequently the dinner staff came over to say 'sorry' for the behavior of the other guests.

 

How was I EVER that dumb?

[SadieN]

Not cruising....

Went to visit DD in Rome. DH brings his going-to-expire-in two-days ATM card with him, TWICE! Thankfully DD and I had our cards.

 

Always make sure to have the most current card available.

[Whimsy88]

Your post made me laugh! :) This is why I keep a packing list on my PC and print out a copy prior to packing for each cruise. You'd think I'd remember to pack underwear, but that list has saved me more than once! The list also GREATLY helps us to avoid overpacking as well. We now only pack what we'll need/use, no more no less.

 

I print a blank calendar (one for each member of the family) with a note at the top of each day of what is scheduled (sea day, port call, etc.). We list our clothes that we are packing for that day as we pack. We can always change days if we want, but we don't over pack.

 

No major snafus for us (luckily), just little things. 1st cruise - Per pediatrician's instructions, we gave our 11 and 7 year old kids Dramamine. 1/2 tab for the younger one and a full tab for the older one (again per the pediatrician). First dose the morning of the cruise before we left to drive the 3 hours to the port. We had to drag the older one out of the car and he staggered around like he had already had several DODs for an hour or so!:D 1/2 dose only the rest of the cruise!

2nd cruise, 2nd lesson - sunscreen is important, but so is how it is applied! DH coated the little one down with sunscreen the first sea day and then had excess on his hand. He reached over and slapped the back of my calf to get it off. I didn't really pay attention, and spent the rest of the cruise with a perfect untanned hand print on the back of my right calf!:eek:

[Nightowl11]

When I was in my early 20's, my sister and I decided to get off the ship and go to a local pub with some of the ship's crew. It was getting late and we looked around the restaurant and noticed that there were no more cruise passengers in there. We figured that we were with the crew so they would know what time we would need to be back to the ship. Right??? Wrong!!! They lost track of time and when we mentioned the lack of passengers, they immediately panicked and we all ran, full speed, back to the ship. We literally had to jump onto the crew's gangway over the water as they were bringing it up. The regular passenger gangway was already up. My mom, of course, was panicking, that her daughters might be left in a foreign county. All the crew members got in trouble for being late and were confined to their cabins except during their work shifts. Never Again have we relied on anyone else to get us back to the ship on time!!!!!

[Brockwest]

I love cruising. I ADORE cruising. I can't wait until I cruise again.

I've made cruising mistakes. Basically, I'm an experiential-learner...I screw up, then learn not to do it again.

I've had some of the best times of my life, some of the worst times of my life on cruises. I've been cruising 50 years now.

 

My first major mistake was my first generic-line cruise. As a child I had cruised on the SS United States, truly an experience equivalent to cruising the Titanic...minus the sinking, so I expected the same as I boarded the Big Red Boat. My mistake was thinking that all-inclusive meant all-inclusive. I compounded that mistake by getting upset about it.

We arrived and they thrust drinks of the day into our hands, which we happily accepted, only to get the demand for payment which we weren't expecting, a high price, then an automatic high gratuity, when we thought no tips until the final day. I got upset that other than air, basically everything else cost...drinks, sodas, water, excursions, swim snorkles after you had PAID the snorkel excursion fee etc.

After the trip, I thought long and hard about it, then realized....just add several hundred dollars to your concept of the price of the trip and go with the flow. You have to have that iced beer after a day at the beach, you have to go on the excursions, you have to have the photos....just enjoy it.

On the same trip I made the mistake of letting a generic travel agent book it for me. I asked for the best category, so he gave me Category A. I found, when I arrived, that for $50 more, there was a category AA....penthouse, private butler, the works. I found one needs to study on their own. His category A was on the promenade deck with a tiny porthole facing a life boat. I got to spend a week with simply every promenader poking their head into the porthole to see what was inside.

 

I can't count this as a mistake, as I didn't know about it then, but not checking CruiseCritic.com was a huge mistake. It's my first advice to anyone.

 

My next error (you can read about it in detail by clicking on my name for previous posts) was taking my terminally-ill cancer-ridden wife on a final cruise. I thought it would be sweet, and she could be in bed, so why not? I just had no idea how difficult it would be with a wheelchair, gangways, doorway sills, boat motion, pain, nausea and the like.

 

My next error (again you can read it in my posts) was taking a Honeymoon cruise alone after my fiancée dumped me the day before. Bad idea. On this particular cruise, I was the only single on-board the entire ship, so they assigned the gentlemen escorts to me....a guy. Sniffles.

 

My next error (I'm a slow learner), I let someone talk me into taking them on a cruise when we really weren't an item, then let her add her daughter, then a second daughter, then suddenly I was up to cabins, then as we arrived on-board she informed me she had a new boyfriend, so she'd see me at the end of the week, and by the way, her kids wanted to go on all different excursions than mine.

 

My next error was taking an Au Pair on a cruise, and not having her have a single moment of child care responsibility. I ended up babysitting the entire week-long cruise, allowing her a wonderful paid vacation....on arriving home, her first question was "When is my vacation week?"

 

My next error was harumphing and refusing to pay the added cost to eat in the specialty dining rooms. Once I found out that $30/d for six days=only $360 for the cruise difference to have a quiet table, five-star service and food and bar....wow.

 

My next error was not checking if there were any LARGE groups/conventions/spring breakers on a particular cruise date. It can be sort of difficult when you are stuck with a huge incompatible group for a week, and many of the activities on-board are "reserved" for that group only.

 

My next error was avoiding the incredibly-expensive excursions. They are a major part of the fun and memories, so just include the cost as part of the cost of cruising.

 

My next error was cruising with my daughter when she was too young to enjoy it. On the other hand, it was one of my best experiences when she was old enough to enjoy it.

 

My next error sort of goes back to research/reading CruiseCritic.com religiously. I assumed if I went on a wonderful cruise on one ship on a particular line, all ships from that line would be wonderful. I was sorely mistaken. There is a vast difference in cruising on the newest ship of the line and the oldest, decaying ship of the line.

 

My next error was sort of funny. We cruised to the glacier in Alaska. I had no IDEA that because of the tight quarters and number of ships, that we had only one hour by the glacier. I was surprised how empty the dining room was for lunch that day. Thankfully, we made the final ten minutes by the glacier, and that by accident.

 

My next HUGE mistake was trying to be a "modern dad," and signing that my 18-year-old daughter could have beer and wine, reasoning she was going to drink in college anyway, why not let her start under my supervision? I barely saw her that week, but apparently the crew did....a lot.

 

Thanks to CruiseCritic.com, I've been spared many many mistakes, and gotten spectacular advice. Some of the best advice I learned only here?:

1) Do the hotel-the-day before routine. You arrive fresh, happy, without ulcerating all day if your plane will be delayed.

2) Tip daily.

3) Try the specialty restaurants.

4) Do whatever you can to pre-board.

5) Take the cruise-provided shuttle from the airport.

6) :p Realize the casinos are set to pay the first day and the last day, but not in-between. This was a gigantic bonanza for me to learn.

7) Pack a power-strip/electric converter. If they take it from you until the last day, oh well, but if they don't, you can charge everything quickly.

8) Do the knuckle-routine to help prevent Norovirus....use your knuckle to hit elevator buttons and open doors instead of your hands. Along the same lines, bring wipes and wipe the inside of your personal bathroom door. The two most contaminated areas on ships are the elevator buttons (so many hands) and the inside of bathroom doors (never cleaned and the place touched by infected people.)

9) Don't even bother to try to fight for a pool lounge chair..the fight's not worth it. If you do try to reserve one, put a fake diaper bag with a fake diaper full of pudding on the chair.....people tend to leave that alone. :rolleyes:

10) Pre-buy a Minimum of a week before the cruise, the amenity packs the cruises sell....baskets of flowers/fruit/candy/Momento glasses/chocolates/towels to have in your cabin on arrival. It really starts your trip with a smile.

11) When bringing a first-time-cruiser with you, make SURE you have your timing down with your cabin steward, so when you enter you can watch them see their first towel animal...wearing their sunglasses. SUCH FUN!

[trinaM]

I got to the pier, waited in line and when I got to the part where they ask for identification(Drivers License.)

I couldn't locate mine!! OH my. I was nervous. The rep understood and said, just step to the side, I'm sure you'll find it.

I did find it. I had put it in a different pocket than I was used to doing!

 

So Lesson learned was: ALWAYS put important documents in the SAME place.

 

That could be a good lesson for Everyday stuff!!

[trinaM]

I've been cruising 50 years now.

 

!

 

 

I loved your post. Great Great ideas, Thanks..

[Brockwest]

"I loved your post. Great Great ideas, Thanks."

 

Well thank you too. If I knew how to "box" your response I would, but not knowing how, I just copy and pasted it.

[trinaM]

Thanks to all whom have posted. Your stories are helping me learn.

 

and chuckle a bit. !!!

[Starlight Durban Cruising]

"I loved your post. Great Great ideas, Thanks."

 

Well thank you too. If I knew how to "box" your response I would, but not knowing how, I just copy and pasted it.

Brockwest, your post was great.

To "box" you will see an icon called "Quote" in the person's original post. Click on it and a message box will come up. You will see the person's post there, and you can type anything you want after the last text from that person which ends with

.

 

It is basically HTML coding which starts with the "quote" term and ends with the "/quote" term.

 

You should not delete the [ ] around each of these terms, because that tells the system that it is a specific action term. Hope that helps.

[SadieN]

Brockwest, your post was great.

To "box" you will see an icon called "Quote" in the person's original post. Click on it and a message box will come up. You will see the person's post there, and you can type anything you want after the last text from that person which ends with

.

 

It is basically HTML coding which starts with the "quote" term and ends with the "/quote" term.

 

You should not delete the [ ] around each of these terms, because that tells the system that it is a specific action term. Hope that helps.

 

And if you hit the button with the 'quotation marks', it will turn red. Hit it again on another post. This is for multiple quotes or wanting to take the quote to another thread.

[Brockwest]

Brockwest, your post was great.

To "box" you will see an icon called "Quote" in the person's original post. Click on it and a message box will come up. You will see the person's post there, and you can type anything you want after the last text from that person which ends with

.

 

It is basically HTML coding which starts with the "quote" term and ends with the "/quote" term.

 

You should not delete the [ ] around each of these terms, because that tells the system that it is a specific action term. Hope that helps.

 

THANKS!

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Calling the office ....

[pfontes]

Thought I SHUT DOWN my iPad when I put it in the safe and I DID NOT. It must have brushed up against the case I had it in. I didnt have it on Airplane mode either...

Thank Godness it was only a 2 Day CruiseToNowhere. I still got stuck with an additional $289.00 in roaming fees.... Verison was very happy :mad: and said I shuld be greatful it was not a 7 day or longer:eek::eek:

**Note to self......LEAVE THE FREAKIN IPAD AT HOME;)

 

Thank you so much for sharing this experience. You may well have saved us a ton of money. I use a CPAP and I just got a new one that has a wireless connection. If I hadn't read your post, I would have brought the CPAP (and its wireless connection) on board with me - and probably run up a fortune in fees. As soon as I realized that this would be a problem, I checked with my medical equipment supplier. They're going to send me an alternate means of collecting data that does not involve a wireless connection.

Whew...

[trinaM]

Thank you so much for sharing this experience. You may well have saved us a ton of money. I use a CPAP and I just got a new one that has a wireless connection. If I hadn't read your post, I would have brought the CPAP (and its wireless connection) on board with me - and probably run up a fortune in fees. As soon as I realized that this would be a problem, I checked with my medical equipment supplier. They're going to send me an alternate means of collecting data that does not involve a wireless connection.

Whew...

 

thank you for that tip. It helps to be reminded that Wi Fi is not always the way to go.

at least in this circumstance.