Cruising tips for first timers

1998 aboard the Veendam

   Seventeen years ago, my best friend roped me into going on my first cruise.  Like most first time cruisers, I wasn't sure what to expect. We were headed to the Western Caribbean on Holland America's Veendam with a group of friends for some sun and fun. Sounded good. But would I like cruising? Would I get sea sick? Would there be enough to do for a week?  Guess what? I loved cruising. I did not get sea sick and there was enough to do for a month. I've been hooked ever since.

   If you'll be cruising for the first time, here are a few things to keep in mind---things I learned from experience.

1.  Fly to the port a day early---I can't stress this enough. I wish we would have flown a day early for an Eastern Caribbean cruise four years ago. We almost didn't make it in time to the ship. It was THAT close. I'm talking minutes. It was all because our first flight was delayed. The ship will NOT wait for you. All passengers are required to be on board at a time designated by the cruise line. If you miss the ship, the burden is on you to get to the next port of call at your own expense. That would have been a problem with this Eastern Caribbean cruise. That's because we had two days at sea right off the bat. Our first port of call wasn't technically until day 4---more than halfway through the cruise! Most of the vacation would have been over! It was so stressful and certainly a lesson learned the hard way. When we first started cruising many years ago, we didn't have as many problems with flight delays, etc.  Now, there is almost always some kind of delay for at least one of our flights. So we play it safe by flying a day early and staying at a hotel near the cruise terminal. I highly recommend this.

2.  Learn the lingo---It's incredibly helpful to know some of the cruise lingo as you are planning your cruise and before you board the ship. The first thing to remember is, it's a ship, not a boat. Here are a few other very basic cruise terms to take with you. There are many more, but these are some to get you started:

     aft:              the back of the ship
     beam:          the width of the ship
     bow:            the front end of the ship
     cabin:          also called a stateroom, it's where passengers sleep
     forward:      the area toward the bow of the ship
     galley:         the kitchen on the ship
     port side:     the left side of the ship when it is facing forward
     promenade: the open deck on a ship that is used for walking or running
     starboard:    the right side of the ship when it's facing forward
     stateroom:   also called a cabin, it's where passengers sleep
     stern:           the back part of the ship
     tender:         a small boat that takes passengers ashore when the ship is unable to dock
     veranda:      a balcony off of a cabin/stateroom

3.  Pack essentials for day one in your carry on---Your luggage will eventually be delivered to your stateroom by the first evening. So if you want to go swimming when you first board the ship, have your swim suit handy. It's a good idea to have your flip flops, sun screen and a cover up in your carry on too. When it's time for dinner, I usually like to change out of the clothes I've been wearing all day. So I make sure to pack my first night dinner outfit in my carry on, just in case. Your luggage may be delivered to your room in time for dinner (depending on the time you are eating dinner). But don't count on it.  In my experience, I'd say we had our luggage before dinner only half the time. Plan ahead. Pack everything you will need that day in your carry on. Don't assume you'll have your luggage.

4. Find a "landmark" near your cabin---I am the worst at finding my way around the ship, even smaller ones.  My husband and I always joke about it because it usually takes me until the end of the cruise to finally start remembering where everything is! Finding your cabin during your cruise can be tricky, especially if you are on a large ship. It's important to remember the location of your cabin. Is it in the front (forward) or the back (aft) or somewhere in the middle? It's also important to remember if your cabin in on the left side (port) or the right (starboard).
   Most of the time, my husband and I go in and out of the cabin together. But sometimes, say if we're at the pool and I forget my sunglasses, I have to venture back to the cabin alone. It is helpful to find a "landmark" in the general vicinity of your stateroom. For example, on a recent cruise, there was a unique sculpture at the bank of elevators near our cabin. If we got off the elevator and didn't see that sculpture, we knew we were on the wrong side of the ship. (that happened a few times!)  Then, once you get into the general area of your cabin, a door magnet or some other identifier can help you find your cabin a little easier.  Lots of people do this on Disney cruises.

5.  Take advantage of the kids clubs---On cruise ships that cater to families, you'll find kids clubs...places where kids can have fun with other kids for a few hours so parents can have a little alone time.  Most ships include this in the cost of the cruise fare. Some cruise lines will start charging after a certain hour, but it's usually not until much later in the night.
     Most cruise lines split the "clubs" into age groups. Many ships also have designated spaces just for teens and preteens which is pretty cool.
    A few years ago on the Disney Dream, our girls begged us almost every evening to go to the kids club.  We could see why.  The kids area took up an entire deck and had everything imaginable for the kids to do. There were games, crafts, computers, dress up---you name it---they had it!

Disney Dream
photos by Alison Dixon

    Our kids also love meeting other kids from across the country and around the world. Some nights on our Mediterranean cruise, our children were the only Americans there.  They loved talking about the countries their new friends were from and the languages they spoke.

6.   Order room service---Unlike a hotel, room service on a cruise ship is free for the most part. Sometimes, cruise lines will charge a fee for items ordered during a certain window of time (like the wee hours of the morning), but it varies from ship to ship.
     Ordering room service for breakfast is a huge time saver if you have early morning excursions.  Sometimes, you just don't have the time to get everyone ready and head up to the buffet or other restaurants on the ship before you head out.  We had very early excursions on our Mediterranean cruise just about every day. Having our breakfast delivered to our cabin allowed us to eat while getting ready. There is no way we would have been able to eat breakfast those days had it not been for room service. You don't have the selection you do at the buffet, but the selections are still pretty good.
     Room service doesn't have to be just for saving time. We've also ordered it to enjoy on our balcony and take in the views.  We love waking up in a new place everyday and drinking coffee on the veranda.  And of course the kids like ordering cookies as a bedtime snack! Room service is great and we make sure to tip a few bucks every time.

    One more thing worth noting is that cruise ship cabins are small, unless you splurge for a suite.  Do not expect your cabin to be the size of a typical American hotel room, because it won't be.  Cruise lines list each stateroom category's square footage in the descriptions.  Inside cabins are the smallest. It should come as no surprise that the bathrooms are small too.  Most people don't spend a lot of time in their cabins anyway. They are out enjoying the ship and the ports of call.
     Cruising is so much fun! Just be sure to do a little planning so you don't make some of the mistakes that I've made. Live. Learn. Have fun.