Among Friends

[meallen616]

@fairydogmother,

[drizzellla]

I realize not all boats are alike. But the only time I noticed anything that would cause being seasick, was the one year we sailed during a hurricane. The boat went around the hurricane. It wasn't until we got on shore, I was swaying from side to side. 

It didn't help that we went to Disney Quest right after we got off the boat. My son spent much of the afternoon with "Build your own Rollercoaster". You would design your own roller coaster and then take a simulated ride on the rollercoaster that you built. After about 4 rides, I had to tell my son I couldn't handle any more.

[JeanLouiseFinch]

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@fairydogmother wrote:

Wow you all have made my day with your sweet and helpful responses 👏 

Re: motion sickness. On yeah. Big time. Darcy is bringing sea bands and I'll bring the Dramamine. I get queasy on the ferry from Mackinaw City to Mackinac Island. 
Went sailing on a big boat about forty years ago and barfed the whole time. They renamed the Tilt a Whirl the Tilt a Hurl after me 🤪

yeah I know the weather will be hot. But on the ship will it be air conditioned? Will I get a nice cool breeze on deck or by the pool? 

Darcy says she needs to "evaluate my condition" when she sees me, before deciding if the Thailand trip is still a good idea. This is what a thirty-five year old says to her mother. 
I was speechless. 😂🤣😆

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@fairydogmother   Just an FYI regarding Dramamine vs Bonine. Dramamine is taken in multiple doses throughout the day.  Bonine is taken once daily.  Dramamine causes drowsiness. Bonine causes less drowsiness. 

[PickyPicky3]

I always bring a small am/fm radio. I enjoy listening to local music/news/talk when I'm getting dressed or drying my hair.

[fairydogmother]

Even if I discover that cruising isn’t my thing, I’ll have a great time being with my daughter. We only get to see each other once or twice a year. I didn’t know that about water temps/air temps in the Caribbean. See I’m learning already😊

[sandy53]

Another recommendation for Bonine here.  On my first cruise people were saying, "I've never been on a cruise this rough."  So be prepared, especially since you have a history of motion sickness. 

And I also agree about Cruise Critic dot com.  That's a great website and you can read about your specific ship, get tips for first timers, read about your ports, and get insights about your chosen cruise line. 

I cruised on Celebrity for the first time in November and I thought the entertainment was especially good.  One night we went to the same show twice because it was so great.

[Villagesbabe]

Good advice from your responders. I would to add some things to bring as a veteran cruiser. I have so many! 🤗

You may want to bring:  comfortable walking shoes both on ship or for walking tours; a light sweater or topper as some ship entertainment theaters can be chilly!; a large mug (e.g., a Big Gulp) so you can carry around more amounts of free beverages - ships have small cups; this a good one: bring your own beach towels! You can easily locate your lounge chairs when sitting around pools or leisure areas and use towel clips/claws for chairs...the lido deck chairs have a sea of the ship's same free towels people use; use strong magnets in your cabin (walls) to hang up items for instant accessibility; Extra hangers like felt ones or you can ask your cabin stewart for more, also extra pillows too; bring some duct tape (yep) for possible repairs or other uses you may want. A very small bottle of Dawn for washing or stain removal, etc.; extension cords. Be sure to clear floor after use for safety of your cabin steward; I always bring my own blow dryer as most cabin ones may not be powerful enough. I purposely bought a mini 1,000 watt portable one (Amazon).  Also, I always bring my own 2-sided make up mirror so I can see better for makeup and hair. Prop it on top of something like an ice bucket (top upside down). Wall or bathroom mirrors are too far away for me...ok, so I'm older. ☺️  Lastly, binoculars for seeing other ships (cruise) out there on the seas or anything else that peaks your curiosity far away.  Hope these suggestions are helpful and have a blast on your maiden voyage!🛳

[patbz]

Frequent cruiser here!  You'll save a lot on tours if you book them once you're in port.  Cruise tours are always the most expensive and usually involve buses and mandatory " recommended ( paid a kick back)" shops. Just take a flyer from ship ( so you know itinerary) and negotiate your own trip, maybe with one other couple, for less.  Be sure to ask to get back to ship with at least one hour to spare.

[Kachina624]

When my sister and I cruised the Caribbean, we really weren't interested in the expensive excursions so after we docked, we hired one of the many waiting taxis and told the driver in general terms what we wanted to see and he took us on an excursion very inexpensively. 

The drivers were courteous, informative, and we learned a lot about the island.  We shared a taxi with another couple.  We saw a lot more of local life and the flora and fauna of the area than did the people who went on official excursions.

[Lipstickdiva]

I haven't read any of the replies (I know) but my advice would be

Make sure you bring seasickness meds even if you aren't prone to getting seasick.

Make sure to check the cruiseline app or website for all updated policies regarding masking, testing and vaccinations.  I just cruised with Royal and the testing policy changed twice within a 2 week period. 

Make sure to do the muster drill pre-cruise if you can and check in at your muster station first thing to get it over and done with.  If you can't do it pre-cruise, do it right when you board the ship, if you can.  When I cruised, they were calling people out by name about an hour before we were supposed to leave the port because people hadn't completed that drill.  Ultimately they ended up closing down all the bars until everyone did what they needed to do.

I would recommend walking the ship to get a feel where things are.  On our first cruise, we were so lost we didn't even know what deck we were on when we first boarded.  We stood in the atrium totally lost, practically spinning in circles.  We didn't know where to go or what to do. 

Depending on your check-in time, you may not have access to your cabin and you won't have access to your luggage so make sure you are wearing something you want to be in for a few hours, or bring a carry-on with a change of clothes.

Don't feel like you have to do every single activity on the ship everyday.  I ran myself ragged our first cruise.  LOL

I'm not sure what type of cabin you are in but unless it's a suite, it's probably going to be smaller than you think so pack accordingly.  You aren't going to have a lot of space for toiletries, clothes, shoes, etc. 

Don't bring clothes that need to be ironed because there is no iron in your room.  Bring Downy Wrinkle Release otherwise you'll have to use the ship's laundry service.

More than likely there is a Facebook group for your exact cruise.  If you are so inclined, search that out and join the group even if you don't plan on participating.  You will get helpful hints and tips and people will keep you up to date on things.