What did you think of your very first cruise?

[PSCruiser]

I'll borrow a line I saw elsewhere recently - Going on your first cruise on the Mariner will be like a Beverly Hillbilly walkimg into the mansion for the first time. You'll be gaping!

[Nick Needs To Know]

I was hooked from the first day on board. I found it to be the most relaxing vacation I've ever took and, with the exception of a few trips to California and Las Vegas, cruising has been my vacation of choice every year! Happy cruising!

 

Nick

[lil nemo]

We were very apprendsive our first time out! we did everything to ensure a smooth ride to avoid seasickness, inside, midship, cabin lower deck. made sure the beds were side to side for rocking not head to toe.

we got prescription patches, and draminne. we all took it for the first 2 days. 1st crusie left out of san Juan port and was in a big hurry, leaving us pitching literally from side to side while heading down to our cabin!

We thought what did we get ourselves into???

 

after 2 days we were hooked, we basically crawled from island to island leaving the ship motion hardly noticable.

Only my spouse continues to use and meds, while cruisng and i think it's more preventive than neccessary!

 

^ cruises later we are already planning our spring break 07 cruise, plus we have hooked my siblings on cruising!

 

word to the wise, once you go balcony, u never go back!!!!

what u never have u can't miss. but, upgrade just once and your a balcony cabin forever!!

 

I've never cruised before and am probably going to cruise for my HM coming up in October. I simply have no idea what to expect! I've seen a lot of pictures of the cruise ships, but can't really fathom a boat that big!

If we decide to book, we'll be sailing on the Mariner to the Caribbean.

 

Anyone want to share what you thought of your first cruise? I've read so much on these boards and have received a lot of good info., but it's all so overwhelming!!!

 

The only thing I am a little concerned about is motion on the ship and seasickness! I've never been motion sick before, but get a headache if I ride in the back of a car at night. I've been on a steam and speed boats before and gotten a very little bit nauseous. I guess I'm just worried that I'll be able to feel the ship move a lot and cause me to feel sick. I'm sure this is a typical worry of first-time cruisers!! I don't want that worry to ruin my HM!!

 

Any advice and help will be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks!

[TheWog]

Seasickness is a worry of many first time cruisers. DW is prone to motion sickness. She took some Bonine and wore her Sea-Bands and she did great. She actually loves it and we just booked the Freedom. OUr first cruise was on Disney's Magic and we absolutely fell in love with it. We then cruised the next year on the Enchantment. We are taking a year off to go to Disney World - our son is making us;) :D - but we will be back on the Freedom in Jan 2008.

 

The ship, the ports, everything is wonderful. You will have a great time!

[wraithe]

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=14336

There's my formal review of the Grandeur, suffice to say that after the first pleasure cruise in Oct/Nov 2005, we booked Mariner in April 2006, and it was even better than the first cruise, since the wife and I have taken ballroom dance lessons and had many opportunities to dance onboard ship. If you haven't taken dance lessons yet, I'd recommend it, there have been quite a few at our studio that took lessons just for their first wedding dance (some in secret to the immense delight of their friends and family at thier wedding) and then continued on to learn ballroom dance. Okay, commercial over, here's the link to the review I did on Mariner, http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=17882.

We now have two more cruises booked, can't say that I'd ever plan a vacation any other way.

 

 

There's a really great post here from someone who wrote what to expect for their kids, http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=348152. Really good information, I think. Hope this helps a little.

[luv2travel29]

had an awesome first time cruise a couple weeks ago!! booked our second on DCL magic for next year..... one of our best family vacations!!

[clerky96]

My cruise last Sept was my first. I cruised with my sis and left hubby at home (he doesn't like the water). I am prone to sea-sickness, so used a patch behind my ear. My stomach was still a little unsettled for most of the cruise, but we sailed through the tail of Hurricane Rita, so the water was a tad rough. I have also been told that the waters in the Eastern Caribbean are a little rougher than in the Western Caribbean because The Western route is in the gulf. Don't know if that is true because I have nothing to compare it to. When I felt a little queazy, all I had to do was go out on deck and breath in the fresh air. Worked every time.

Had a great time and have talked DH to go on a cruise this year (leaving 3 weeks from today) to Alaska. I think it is addictive!:D Good luck and hope you decide to go.

[Jan_In_Maine]

Our first cruise was on the Voyager (30th anniversary) - I had without a doubt the best time that I have ever had in my life - enjoy the positve and ignore the negative - what an amazing adventure it was. Jan

[Xcruzr]

Our first time was over 10 years ago on the Monarch (at the time, one of the largest ships in the world) and it was love at first site. From the sail away to the very last day on RCCL's private island it was a week of wonders and enjoyment. It took 4 years to book our next cruise but we have not looked back since. We have had the pleasure of cruising in Europe, Alaska, the Galapagos and off course the Carribbean and have NEVER had a bad cruise. From the mega ships to the small 100 passengers, it is worth every minute.

[kittymom65]

Our first cruise was on Sovereign in October 2001. We were talked into going by our best friends to celebrate their 5th anniversary. They were expereinced cruisers, and DH and I had NO clue about cruising, and we were very apprehensive about it. We got a great deal on the cruise, and our friends convinced us to go. This was in July.

Then 9/11 happened. If we were apprehensive about going before, we were just plain scared to go now with the news all saying it still wasn't safe to fly and that cruise ships would be targets for terrorists. Then our friends decided to cancel, since they had a small child and worried what would happen to her if something happened to them.

At the time, it was really a financial stretch for us to go on this trip to begin with, and we just could not afford to cancel and lose all of that money, and after a lot of praying and crying, we finally decided to go by ourselves.

Any concerns I had melted away the moment I set foot upon that beautiful old ship. We truly had the time of our lives (up until that point at least).

DH gets sick riding in the back seat of the car, but he was not the least bit nauseous the whole time.

We were not able to go for our second trip until February this past year, but we are booked again for next February, and hope to be able to go at least once a year from now on.

Don't worry about anything and have fun!

[Lookingtohome]

How exciting, your first cruise!! I remember that feeling. My first was on the Monarch in 1998. That is where DH and I were married, on the beautiful island of St. Thomas. I'm already getting ahead of myself though. We arrived from the airport in Puerto Rico at around 9:30pm. We had been on a plane for around 12 hours and were a bit loopy with lack of sleep and travel burnout. Then out of nowhere it seemed we turned the corner and BLAM, there she was, I looked out the window and could not believe my eyes, straining to see to the very top of the ship I was in awe. When we stopped to get out and go into the embarkation station my DH pointed out that right next to the bus was the anchor to the ship. It was HUGE, bigger than the bus itself!! Still reeling from the thrill of seeing this grand ship for the first time we went to get checked in. Since we had gotten in so late there was no wait and we breezed right thru the check in process. We got onto an escalator that took us up a steep incline, walked off into this grand entryway to be greeted by the friendlist people. I remember looking at my DH and asking him "When do we board the ship?" He, having cruised before with his parents laughed and said, "You're on it." Shock and awe is all I can describe it as. It looked as if we had entered a grand hotel like the Ritz Carlton, not a ship!!! I think the rest of that night was just a fairy tale, trying to take it all in and process.

As a side note, if you have never been to the Carribean before I want to let you know that the pictures you see are real, but do not in the least give the place justice until you have seen it with your own eyes. I used to think that the pictures I saw were photoshopped or altered to look as beautiful as they did!!

Here is hoping that your first experiance is a BEAUTIFUL one, Congrats on your pending wedding and be prepared to have the time of your life!! Happy Cruising!!

[zotzer]

My first cruise was with my cousin on the Carnival Holiday in 1993.

 

The first thing to hit us was the size of the ship (funny now, looking back on it) It was the biggest thing we had ever seen! She really was a wonderful ship back then. Fantastic food, wonderful crew, loads of fun!

 

The second thing to hit us was how friendly everyone was...crew and passengers alike. It was as if we were all going to be stuck with each other for a week, so we might as well all get along and have fun.

 

We met a group of people (which was comprised of people sailing in two's who had formed a little group) the first 15 minutes we were onboard. It was on the pool deck, and we all were eating burgers and drinking foofey drinks. Well, we were instantly friends and pretty much stuck together the entire week. Everyone was young and single, and a love connection was even struck between two of them.

 

Third thing I remember most...just as we were settling in and having some serious fun, the call came for the muster drill. We had no clue about such a thing. It felt like "sheesh...we are on vacation, and now you are making us WORK". ROFL It's all part of the fun now, but was really annoying that first time, especially since we didn't know to expect it.

 

I had to drag my cousin on that trip, as she really didn't think she would enjoy a cruise. Well, her worries were erased within that first 15 minutes onboard, and we seriously had the time of our lives! Will never ever forget that trip!

 

Tracy

 

oh...had to edit to add my fourth big impression, because it was so odd. Never in one place had I seen such a collection of hairy backs. It was the hairiest collection of people on the face of the earth. It's not like I'd led a sheltered life or anything...but I'd never seen anything like it. Of course, by the time the "hairy back contest" came around later in the week, it was all part of the scenery and we were cheering on our favorites! :)

[Criscomia]

My first was RCCL Enchantment of the Sea back in 2002. It was my mother, sister and daughter-in-law. I was awe struck!!!!!! Have booked my 4th cruise for May 6, 2007 with another cruise line. Don't get me wrong, I loved RCCL, but have tried a few other ones (i.e.: Holland - 10 Days, Celebrity - 10 days and now booked on Carnival for 7 days). My fav is Holland. Do yourself a favor and book a balcony. My first was an ocean view and have been on nothing but balcony suites since. What a way to go..........

[JAM810]

My first cruise was with my cousin on the Carnival Holiday in 1993.

 

The first thing to hit us was the size of the ship (funny now, looking back on it) It was the biggest thing we had ever seen! She really was a wonderful ship back then. Fantastic food, wonderful crew, loads of fun!

 

The second thing to hit us was how friendly everyone was...crew and passengers alike. It was as if we were all going to be stuck with each other for a week, so we might as well all get along and have fun.

 

We met a group of people (which was comprised of people sailing in two's who had formed a little group) the first 15 minutes we were onboard. It was on the pool deck, and we all were eating burgers and drinking foofey drinks. Well, we were instantly friends and pretty much stuck together the entire week. Everyone was young and single, and a love connection was even struck between two of them.

 

Third thing I remember most...just as we were settling in and having some serious fun, the call came for the muster drill. We had no clue about such a thing. It felt like "sheesh...we are on vacation, and now you are making us WORK". ROFL It's all part of the fun now, but was really annoying that first time, especially since we didn't know to expect it.

 

I had to drag my cousin on that trip, as she really didn't think she would enjoy a cruise. Well, her worries were erased within that first 15 minutes onboard, and we seriously had the time of our lives! Will never ever forget that trip!

 

Tracy

 

oh...had to edit to add my fourth big impression, because it was so odd. Never in one place had I seen such a collection of hairy backs. It was the hairiest collection of people on the face of the earth. It's not like I'd led a sheltered life or anything...but I'd never seen anything like it. Of course, by the time the "hairy back contest" came around later in the week, it was all part of the scenery and we were cheering on our favorites! :)

 

Hey Tracy ... pretty cool, my first cruise was the Carnival Holiday too, but in 1994 (I was in my mid-20's). I went with my BF (now my hubby), his sister (now my sister-in-law ... LOL) and a good friend. We had an awesome time. My BF & I shared a lower level cabin with bunks. We all consistantly joked about the flush of the toilets. SWOOSH! Don't sit down & flush or you'll be out to sea we'd say (J/K can't possibly happen). We had fun with that. My BF's sister is a finikey eater and ate off the children's menu every night and our waiter teased her; plus she's a real jabber jaw and our cabin steward thought she was always drunk and she hadn't hardly a drink at all ... we'd say, she's always like that (LOL). We loved our Dunn's River Falls excursion. We were the first group up. It was breath taking and the beach was everything I dreamed the caribbean to be. And, we did the Sting Ray City trip in Grand Cayman. That was so cool too. Some people I've spoken too since then were a little wierded out by it, but I thought it was cool. Just watch where you rub that squid juice (LOL). We did the rum runner cruise in Mexico. Had a great time, but from big boat to little boat with a whole lot of drinking ... my BF couldn't even walk in Mexico when we went shopping ... he took a siesta on a park bench. My BF's sister got tipsy on sampling rum cake in Jamiaca (Tortuga is the best); what a light weight. We all bought some great gold jewlery that I still wear every day and have everyday since then. Some really great memories that will last a life time. We took so many pictures, but every single great moment has melted into my memory and will be cherished forever.

 

Sorry got little off track there ... see what cruising can do. I too was a little aphrehensive at first in doing this cruise ship thing And, I think mostly everyone is on their first cruise as they do not know what to expect. I have been on two cruises since (see my signature) and have one in the works for June 2007, probably on NCL.

 

The only thing I can say to this "bride-to-be" is to expect an AWESOME time. Cruising is one of the greatest ways to travel. I always feel like a big shot ... sounds funny, but its true. As I look back to the days when only the rich could travel in such luxury (like the Titanic days) however, crusing today is so affordable and for all you get, worth every single penny!!!! Great destinations, wonderful food, etc., etc.

 

You have quite a bit of feed back here of which I'm sure you can make a well educated decision. And, I'm sure any other questions or concerns you may have can be posted here in which you'll receive a well educated reply.

 

Best of wishes on your up coming marriage and honeymoon plans! Happy sailing!!!!! ;) ;) You can't go wrong!!:D

 

If you're concerned about sea sickness .. try the bonine a head of time (as suggested in a previous post) and try a drink or two to make sure you have no side effects. As for my personal preference, I like the Transderm patches (by prescription only). No problem with drinking with them. I just make sure to change the patch every two days.

[Cruisechick82]

Our first(and only so far!) cruise was 2 years ago for our honeymoon. I remember be amazed at how big the ship was and pulling up to the pier and seeing the ship as tall as the buildings around it!

 

I used to get motion sick all the time when I was younger and still get it sometimes it we are driving on a curvy or hilly road, but I didn't have any problems on the ship at all. We even had a rough storm one night. My husband got a little seasick and too some medicine. I would just take all the precautions and bring along some seasick remedies.

 

Our first cruise was on the Majesty which is one of RCCL's oldest and smallest ships. Next we are going on the Serenade to Alaska which should be bigger and nicer. Even so we had a blast on our cruise and fell in love with the whole cruise experience. Now if we only lived closer to an ocean instead of stuck in the middle of the Midwest.

[NancyIL]

My first cruise was on Holland America's Zaandam out of Port Canaveral, Feb. 28-March 6, 2004. I was invited to join my 78-year-old mother, who usually cruises solo. I had been reading Cruise Critic for several months before the cruise, and was prepared to be awestruck by the beauty of the ship and the experience of cruising. The Zaandam was nice enough, but not jaw-droppingly beautiful. (My 3 subsequent cruises were on Royal Caribbean, and all were much prettier ships, in my opinion.) I am prone to motion sickness, so I took Bonine every day. However, the seas were rough leaving Port Canaveral for the first 24 hours or so, and I really didn't feel well. That put a damper on things right off the bat. Then, the ship had engine troubles, so we didn't get to our first port (Tortola) until mid-afternoon, and left about 3 hours later. The fact that my mom wasn't feeling well and spent most of her time in the cabin, not to mention her comparison of the Zaandam to her beloved Crystal - didn't help me to love cruising with HAL!

 

I am glad that I didn't give up on cruising, because I have really enjoyed my cruises since then. My mother also wasn't on those cruises! ;) I may give HAL another chance in the future, depending on itinerary and price.

[cruisin' 4 fun]

Let me preface this by saying: I am the typical guy. I am into tools, do-it-yourself projects, I own a musclecar, and follow major sports. I cannot sit still for a movie let alone a vacation. I have travelled throughout Europe, and all have been without tour guides or much of a plan beforehand-just show up and let the wind take you style travelling.

 

My DW wanted to do a split honeymoon-4 days at Disneyworld, and 3 days on the Disney Wonder (was just being put into service then). I was not really thrilled with the cruise part, but obliged. I was hooked immediatey. The ships are HUGE, there's usually enough space to not feel cramped, except at meals and maybe a popular activity. The crew is usually very polite, though some are shy. I have yet to have a bad crewmember come into caontact with me, whether it was on Disney, Carnival (x2) or Royal Carib (x2).

 

When we plan future trips, we try to go somewhere we haven't been before, but I look at it as a break from the ship. I think most people see the ship as a way to get somewhere, I'm the opposite. The ship is the reason, while the ports are just another activity. Think of eating buffet-style--you sample different foods, and then go back for a serving of what you liked. I have been to Nassau, Key West, etc. I don't want to stay there for a few days, but I'd go back to St Thomas or St Maartin for a week-no problem.

 

We recently spent a week in Ixtapa, and though it was really nice and relaxing, I miss the ships.

[zotzer]

My BF & I shared a lower level cabin with bunks.

 

Oh my gosh, we had the same type cabin! Honestly, I can't remember...I think it was $800 or $900 each for a cabin in the bowels of the ship, with *bunkbeds*, and we thought it was the bargain of the century! LOL

 

People complaining about prices haven't been cruising long enough. I will tell you though...the food and service is NOT today what it was back then. Not even close.

 

We felt like royalty for the week....even in that tiny cabin sleeping one on top of the other. :D

 

Tracy

[CL-JW]

Our first cruise was QM2 in 2004 and we became addicted. There is nothing like a cruise for fun and relaxation.

 

We've done four more since then (two RCI - Voyager and Vision; and two Princess - Sapphire and Dawn) and we have one scheduled in September on Radiance of the Seas.

 

Go and have a great time.

[jerick]

Our first cruise was on the Carnival Paradise, when she was less than a year old. We also had no idea what to expect and had a great time. Stay flexible, relax and don't try to do everything. Seas were a little rough one evening, but nobody in our family had any problems, other than slight difficulty walking.

 

The Mariner of the Seas is nearly twice as big as the Paradise, and is a beautiful ship. We sailed on a sister ship, Explorer of the Seas, recently. There was very slight motion, but much less than on the Paradise. I found that the motion would lull me to sleep at night. We will be on the Mariner for the October 1 cruise (our 4th), and I'm not really concerned about hurricanes. Be sure to have travel insurance, just in case, though.

 

Book it! You will have a wonderful time! :D

[Rudi610]

My first (and so far only) cruise was on the Nordic Empress back in June 1995 for my honeymoon. It was a 4 night cruise to the Bahamas. Loved the ship, was not too thrilled with the destination. I think it is funny how some call the Empress a small ship. I remember boarding her and being amazed at how big she was. Yes, the newer ships dwarf her in size, but we sailed on her back when RCCL still had the Song of Norway and the Nordic Prince, both of which were about half her size. And in Nassau, we were docked next to the Big Red Boad which again was about half the size of the Nordic Empress. She may be the smallest ship in the RCCL fleet now, but by no means is she a small ship.

 

I do look forward to taking my family (expanded to 3 kids) on a cruise sometime next summer (2007). Looking into the Explorer of the Seas out of NJ.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[JAM810]

Oh my gosh, we had the same type cabin! Honestly, I can't remember...I think it was $800 or $900 each for a cabin in the bowels of the ship, with *bunkbeds*, and we thought it was the bargain of the century! LOL

 

People complaining about prices haven't been cruising long enough. I will tell you though...the food and service is NOT today what it was back then. Not even close.

 

We felt like royalty for the week....even in that tiny cabin sleeping one on top of the other. :D

 

Tracy

 

Tracy -- We paid about the same amount for our cruise too. I haven't been in a "bunkbed" room since though (LOL). Last cruise was a balcony on the NCL Dawn ... I'm hooked.

 

Certainly can't complain about the pricing. I spent just about as much for four days in Disney (my DH and two kids) at a medium rate hotel in 2003 than I did for my week long cruise (also with my DH and two kids) on the NCL Dawn last year. And, my kids loved the cruise just as much if not even more. So go figure!!!! They keep asking if we are going this year when school is over as that is what we did last year. But, we need to hold off until 2007 ... keep that anticipation brewing (LOL).

 

We too certainly felt like the king and queen of the ball on that first cruise and even to this day, feel the same. I would say though, that the hospitality and service has remained consistant through all three cruises. Keep in mind I've only been on Carnival and NCL and only just three cruises, but I'd say they were equal in service. However, the NCL dining experience and freestyle cruising is more to my liking. And, NCL has in my opinion better meals and I like where you can pay the extra $10 or $20 to go to the specialty resturants. :)

[karessamom]

We took our very first cruise last year on the Carnival Conquest and absolutely loved it! When we first got on the ship, I was totally overwhelmed and stood "frozen" so to speak--it was all my DH could do to get me moving again! (I was standing right in the traffic path) :D --I just wanted to soak it all in! It was truely AWSOME! no other words could discribe it!

The only problem I had with motion sickness was after the cruise! and this went on for about 3 weeks. I'd heard from other posters that it could possibly be from accumulated fluid behind my ear (I have alot of allergies) that can cause an equalibrium inbalance and to take some antihistamine--It cleared it right up! This next cruise I will be prepared this time.

I don't want to go into details of cruise since this is an RCCL board but just leave it at AWSOME! For first time cruisers You will not beleive all of the food--that was my first impression--You will NEVER be hungry and if you are--it's your own fault! As advice from 1 time cruiser and all the posts i've read--fly or drive into port day before--that way you don't stress over lost luggage, delayed flights, traffic jams etc. then you can relax (if you can!:D )

I was like a kid at christmas during planning stages and beyond. and yes be advised YOU WILL catch a BUG!! the cruising bug and you will be forever addicted--:D :D

[LABCHICK]

Our first cruise was Nov. 2005 on the NAVIGATOR. I said I would never go on a cruise because I have a real fear of water. When we boarded I forgot all about the fear. I felt so safe. We had such a great time that we booked another cruise on the NAVIGATOR for this Dec. Our first cruise was western caribbean. This time we are going eastern caribbean. Well, we are really hooked. Two weeks ago we booked another cruise. This one is for Nov.2007 on JEWEL for western caribbean. We are talking about doing a southern caribbean out of San Juan after Jewel. Judi :)

[sicsinohio]

Our first cruise was on the Explorer of the Seas in 2003, and afterward we wondered why it took so long for us to try cruising! It was the first vacation I wasn't ready to come home from...I kept trying to find a place on the ship to hide, so I wouldn't have to get off:D We've gone on two more since, have another booked for our son's high school graduation present next summer (he'll be a cruise virgin, too), and plans are in the works for March 2008. DH doesn't care if he ever goes on any other type of vacation again. A coutdown clock at the bottom of you post is always a good thing when there's a cruise ship on your horizon!