How long will it take?

[FloridaCruisinNewbies]

For me and my wife to find/navigate our way around the ship? We will be on the Fascination in 2 weeks on 1st cruise. Will it be hard at first and then get easier? Just curious... thanks! Dan

[dsb9938]

It's not hard to find things at all, my first cruise I had found everything I wanted to in the first few hours.

 

Don't sweat it, it's vacation!

[poobears]

Depends on how quickly you can pick up the navigating. Some people can do one walk through and get it. I'm not one of those people, luckily DH picks it up quick so I can just follow him LOL

 

The worst part is not all decks go through so you may have to go up a deck then back down to get to where you are going.

[FloridaCruisinNewbies]

Thanks for the replies! I am good at navigating... once I've been somewhere; i can always find my way again without help or directions. ( and not just cuz I'm a typical man, either) I really do have a good sense of direction. My wife, on the other hand, does not. So, she may be lost every now and then..... hmmmm; that could work in my favor. J/K LMAO

[J Free 203]

That boat is small enough that a few hours should the trick :)

[murphalina]

You ask the weirdest questions. :p

[Cotton]

About the last day of the cruise, I have usually managed to maneuver wherever I want to go.....:D

[poobears]

Thanks for the replies! I am good at navigating... once I've been somewhere; i can always find my way again without help or directions. ( and not just cuz I'm a typical man, either) I really do have a good sense of direction. My wife, on the other hand, does not. So, she may be lost every now and then..... hmmmm; that could work in my favor. J/K LMAO

 

 

You sound like us. You'll be fine. ;)

[maxamuus]

You ask the weirdest questions. :p

 

They are newbies basking in the greatness of it all. ;)

[glrounds]

Usually, embedded into the carpet is the deck # for that specific deck at the base of the stairs and as you get out of the elevators. You'll more than likely be handed a miniature deck configuration guide as you board, which I suppose is some help to newbies.

 

Don't sweat it . . . if in doubt just ask a crew member or a fellow pax . . . they'll always direct you.

 

Ask as many questions as you'd like to, weird or not. When I started cruising there wasn't such a thing as Cruise Critic, so I had to learn of things the hard way. You have at your fingertips some of the best information (and, unfortunately, misinformation) available.

 

Enjoy your FIRST . . . you'll absolutely positively NEVER EVER forget it. :)

[FloridaCruisinNewbies]

You ask the weirdest questions. :p

:p back at you. I am just SO EXCITED to be going on our first cruise.. and without the kids for first vacation w/o them EVER!! And it is our 10 year anniversary; and I want it to be the best time ever. I just like to pre-plan, then plan, and then coordinate, and then GO HAVE FUN!!! Thanks for the replies

[bankerbabe]

I'm chronically lost, and can never figure out the lay of the cruise ships. My husband, on the other hand, can usually find his way around within an hour or so, but he does study the ship layout.

 

Now me . . . . at the end of our last cruise (a 10 dayer) I STILL couldn't find our cabin without really stopping to think about it. I think I need a hand held GPS unit :)

[palmtre2]

On our first cruise our DD then 8 yrs old would always have to tell me when I was going the wrong way - we'd get off the elevators and I'd take a 50/50 shot at it only to see her behind me, hands on hips rolling her eyes!!!! It happened so often that toward the end of the cruise she started grabbing my hand before we got off the elevators!!!

[old sole]

Go to the Purser's Desk in the lobby and ask for a Deck Plan map. They will probably have a slot filled with them for the taking, if not they will give them to you. It's a small (3X5ish) tri-fold deck plan that shows all the public spaces, and will get you oriented. After that, the only thing that throws me at all is figuring out which way to turn when exiting an elevator on the cabin decks. Fortunately, there are signs at the exits of the elevator lobbies to show the range of cabin numbers for one side or the other.

[cruisene]

It is the little things that throw you. You will remember the big stuff quick enough , I always get tripped up trying to remember where the bathrooms are. Once I was by the pool, couldn't remember which direction the bathroom was, when I got my bearings I couldn't remember where I had left my husband and friends. I just parked it at the bar I knew they would show up there sooner or later! It was sooner, naturally! Have FUN!:D

[Hockey Addict]

Go to the Purser's Desk in the lobby and ask for a Deck Plan map. They will probably have a slot filled with them for the taking, if not they will give them to you. It's a small (3X5ish) tri-fold deck plan that shows all the public spaces, and will get you oriented. After that, the only thing that throws me at all is figuring out which way to turn when exiting an elevator on the cabin decks. Fortunately, there are signs at the exits of the elevator lobbies to show the range of cabin numbers for one side or the other.

 

When you first get onboard you will be on deck 3. They will ding your card and you can take a elevator or stairs up. Jax is working out of a temp. port so you won't be embarking on the Empress deck.

 

We took the elevator to the Lido deck. As soon as we got off the elevator there were people there handing out these cards.

 

We then went to Lido, got ourselves some drinks and food. We sat down and ate and I looked at the card. Then after we ate we just wandered around. You will pick it up super fast. We had it down by dinner.

 

Don't worry!! Just ask someone!

[crusinpsychRN]

On a 7 day I stay mixed up for 4 days! I'm always going forward when I should be going aft until I catch a room number going the wrong way. On Glory I always ended up just outside the midship dining room with no where to go until I figured you could walk through the dining room. My son on the other hand knows his way around by hour 2.

[tnt091605]

For me and my wife to find/navigate our way around the ship? We will be on the Fascination in 2 weeks on 1st cruise. Will it be hard at first and then get easier? Just curious... thanks! Dan

 

It depends on you. We have been on several cruises and I am still trying to find my way around. But the wife got it after 1 day. I just go where she tells me. :p

[steve4040]

At first I was mixed up because I could not remember where the front of the ship was vs. the back when I was inside. At first i had to go and look out a window or go on deck to see which way we were going.

 

The deck plan from the purser's desk was also helpful. I used the the atrium, dining rooms, and theater as reference points when inside.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Of course you can look at the deck plans online a head of time. This will help you too.

[cruiserbryce]

usually by the first evening we have a pretty good handle on things

[murphalina]

:p back at you. I am just SO EXCITED to be going on our first cruise.. and without the kids for first vacation w/o them EVER!! And it is our 10 year anniversary; and I want it to be the best time ever. I just like to pre-plan, then plan, and then coordinate, and then GO HAVE FUN!!! Thanks for the replies

 

I know, I enjoy your posts. :P I am sooooo excited for you! I am usually not a major planner, but I am doing so much research this time, and so far I think it's really helping me know what to expect and make sure I have time for everything!

[grhawki]

For the first day or two they have crew members stationed at the elevators to guide you which way to go. It will be an easy ship to navigate unlike the Glory. Greg

[dan40]

For me and my wife to find/navigate our way around the ship? We will be on the Fascination in 2 weeks on 1st cruise. Will it be hard at first and then get easier? Just curious... thanks! Dan

 

I look at the deck plans and know my way around the ship BEFORE I board. Barb is still getting lost on debarkation day. She has zero sense of direction. RAZOR sharp in all other senses tho.

We used to Rally with her navigating, sometimes I would laugh so hard I couldn't drive the car.

 

Dan

[cruisinbuddy]

Without reading the other posts, I might be repeating. The best thing to remember is, when you're looking at the diagram of the ship near the elevators or where ever, the diagram is facing the same way the ship is. When we boarded the Freedom in January this was one of the first things I told the newbies cruising with us.

[Powriv]

Getting your sea legs will probably take longer than navigation