Friends Paul and Ruth took back to back cruises on Carnival's Liberty and Destiny. Over the past few weeks (see previous Blogs) they have been keeping us up to date on their journey. Today they wrap it all up with some tips for first time cruisers.
So, tell us – overall, how were your back-to-back cruises?
We had fun. There were some high points and some challenges. We saw some beautiful places and met very interesting people. We are still working out our balcony problem with Carnival. That was the biggest disappointment with the Destiny. We understand that “stuff” happens, but we really felt that our concerns weren’t a priority for some of the more senior staff on the ship. However, the service staff that we saw everyday were incredible on both ships. Our room stewards and wait staff were always professional, courteous and eager to make sure we were well taken care of.
What advice would you give new cruisers?
There are lots of small things that might not seem important that can make or break your cruise. Below are some tips and hints that may help.
Bring a power bar with you. It may sound silly, but if you want to plug in more than one thing at a time (to charge your iPod, your computer, your camera, video camera), there is often only one outlet.
You may want to bring an alarm clock. There wasn’t one in either of our cabins on Carnival. You might also want to bring a nightlight, if you don’t want complete darkness when the lights are out in an inside cabin.
If you want a deck chair, get up early and put your towel and a book on the chair(s) you want. There are signs everywhere saying that you can’t reserve chairs, but no one enforces this rule. If you don’t do this on an at sea day, you probably won’t get a chair.
If you want some real inside tips, ask your room steward and serving staff in the dining room. Ask anything from what to do in port to seasickness remedies (a green apple and soda crackers) to whether or not to order the steak (sometimes the steak is not as good as on other nights when it is a “feature”). The people that you see everyday are also very interesting. They are from all over the world and are happy to chat with you about their lives, if you are interested.
If you want to save money, bring your own alcohol. We followed the rules that say you can’t bring it onboard. But we saw people that bought pop cards (approximately $7 per day) and then “discreetly” mixed their own drinks. The drinks on a cruise are expensive and it can really add up.
If you enjoy a glass or two of wine with dinner, there is often a wine package that you can purchase. For $100 or $150, you can choose from a specific wine list, which, on the Carnival ships we were on, had many choices. You can save approximately 25% by buying this package.
The Captain’s Reception means FREE DRINKS! It’s worth going to just for a couple glasses of wine or a whiskey sour. Go to the Captain’s Dinner too. They often serve the best meals this evening.
Check your bill on a regular basis to make sure you aren’t overspending. It is easy to do, as you can even put money on your “Sail & Sign” card in the casino! If you don’t look at the bill until the last day, you may be in for a shock.
If there is a supper club with a surcharge, go! It is worth the extra money.
If you buy Internet time, make sure you read the instructions on how to log off. If you didn’t read the instructions, it can seem like you have logged off, but the clock may still ticking at .50 to .75 cents a minute. That can add up fast! If for some reason you didn’t log off and you get charged, go to the person that runs the Internet café immediately and explain it to them. They should credit you for the error. (This mishap happened to us for 70 minutes!)
If you have a problem or an issue, immediately ask for the most senior person in that department. Be polite, be courteous, but get to the person that can help you. Dealing with a junior is frustrating and they don’t have the authority necessary to make things right. Go right to the person who does and save time. Be persistent. The staff on a cruise ship is busy and unfortunately, in many cases, the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Always be polite and courteous, but don’t let them blow you off. If you are not getting results, keep calling or going to guest services.
Keep it all in perspective. If there is a line up to get to port, getting angry and yelling doesn’t do anyone any good. Take a deep breath and let it go. You’re about to spend a day at a great place; it might just take a few extra minutes to get there. Having patience will help you enjoy your cruise.
In the dining room, you can order more than one appetizer, main dish and dessert. While we found that the portions were quite substantial, several people at our table ordered more than one dish at every dinner, so they could try them.
Ask other passengers for advice. There will be people that have cruised 5, 10, 15, 20 or more times!! They know their stuff and are usually very happy to share it.
Exercise while you’re cruising. We always took the stairs and we walked around the track for 45 minutes each day that we weren’t in port. With all the extra calories at mealtimes, the desserts and drinks over the 12 days, neither of us gained a pound.
Thanks for the tips! Is there anything you want to add?
Cruising is a great way to vacation. It makes visiting different places convenient and easy. The onboard experience is also a lot of fun. We had a great time visiting all the ports and are looking forward to our next cruise. Thank you for letting us share our experience.