I wish I had known before my first cruise in 2016, just how much the cruise staff appreciated gratitude, cheerfulness and a general appreciation for their efforts. I’m getting ready for a cruise in March (now that Covid restrictions are relaxed). My goal is to take little gratitude bags that I will distribute to the UnderDogs. Those workers that do things kind of behind the scenes (ie: cleaning all the time that we may not even notice). They’re actually helping to make US more comfortable and enjoy our vacation to the fullest. I plan to have little goodie bags with a few dollars to just hand to them with my appreciation for all their efforts😌

Another tip...Cabin numbers increase as you walk toward the aft(rear). Even cabin numbers are on the port(left) and odd are on the starboard(right).

So this isn't about something that shocked me but good advice for any first time cruisers looking at these comments. Do NOT take dramamine unless you want to sleep nearly the whole cruise. Even the "non drowsy" ones. Instead take some ginger root vitamins with you and take them a couple times a day. They're natural and do not make you feel the need to sleep your whole cruise away.

My wife and I have been on several cruises. Most on Carnival and six or seven on Royal Caribbean and the thing that shocks me is the amount they charge for parking. It was bad enough when they charged $10.00 per day but now it is over $25.00 a day. One thing that new cruisers should be aware of is the fact that the ship never misses an opportunity to try to sell you something. Pictures are a big problem. There is always someone with a camera that wants to take your picture. It's okay to let them take your picture but beware of the fact that you may fall in love with the picture (s). It's so easy to give them your sign and sail card each time you go to the photo shop and you find out at the end of the cruise you have spent $200.00 or much more on photos. Just because you let them take your picture it does not mean that you have to buy it. They can take 100 pictures but you do not have to buy even one. On formal night my wife and I go from one photo setup to the next and get our picture taken. Maybe we hit eight or ten spots and when the pictures are put on display at the photo shop we pick the ONE we like and get it. The other pictures we get are taken with our cell phones. I take hers and she takes mine or we get a fellow cruiser to take a picture of both of us. We come home with sever hundred pictures in our camera and print out the ones we like on our color lazar printer and save the rest to our computers hard drive or a CD in case we want to print some later. Cruising is a lot of fun and very relaxing and if you play your cards right it can be very inexpensive. Happy sailing......

Our first cruise, we had an inside cabin and ended up sleeping til noon the first morning because of how dark the room was. After that, we learned to turn the tv on and put it on the channel that showed the front of the ship. We learned quickly to be on a normal sleep schedule from that one change and haven’t had a single complaint of an inside cabin.

My big shock is I am totally addicted to cruising. You un pack once, and every day you are some place new. Second point all the food and drinks available.

I find that when I am trying to sleep on a cruise the ship has just the slightest rock to it with makes it SUPPER easy to fall asleep. I bet most people don't notice it but I love it. Things might have changed since my last cruise in '14 but I never sleep better on vacation than when I am on a cruise ship.

I saw on one cruise vlog that the carpet in the hallways can help you know whether you are walking toward the front or back of the ship. I forget the cruise line but the carpet had a pattern of schools of fish. The fishes are always swimming toward the front of the ship.

I am always in awe at just how big, even the mid-smaller boats really are. Not until I’m at the dock do I see how big.

We meet some people on our first cruise from California and Minnesota we are going on our 4th and 5th cruise with them

My first Cruise was with Costa Grociere (an italian shipping company). When we first boarded the ship, I could not close my mouth because it looked so luxurious!

Your video is very accurate. I can relate to all the points you made, especially the one about finding your cabin. It usually takes me a couple of days to find my way around the ship.

Going on a cruise for me, is the best way for a vacation,

Since my first cruise 5 years ago. I've met some amazing people. Who never grow tired of hearing cruise stories. I always use to cruise solo. Thanks to Facebook, Shipmates and even Cruise Critic. I've made friends even before sailing. Now I belong to groups of people. The biggest shock is how addicting cruising has become. Thanks so much for all your insight and helpful tips.Hope to see you on a cruise soon

Hungry? You can order three appetizers and two entrees. Maybe a couple of desserts!

Took my family on our first cruise in October 2022 on RC's Wonder of the Seas. The thing that shocked us the most was the sheer size of the ship. No matter how many videos we had watched we were just not prepared that these cruise ships are floating cities. We kept getting lost even on Day 5, 6. My wife and kids are now officially cruisers as a result of the experience

Just got back from my first cruise. Serenade of the seas. I was a little underwhelmed at the size when boarding. I bet that new icon is huge

Most cruise lines have shampoo and body wash, from their salons, in dispensers in the showers. I don't take them anymore.

Going on my first cruise without my family in October. I’m so excited to learn how I travel on my own!

Make sure you take cash with you at port. Especially during your excursions. We swam with the 🐬 in Nassau, but only brought a credit card off ship. The pictures and videos we wanted to purchase were cash only.

Movie night on the deck was cooler than I had planned for. A light jacket or thin packable blanket is a plus

The big thing that shocked me on my first cruise (1997) was how little food there was. One of the only things I’d ever heard about cruises before I went was that you’re eating all the time on the ship. Meals, afternoon appetizer buffets, late-night buffets, and so on. I have no idea what cruise line(s) did this, but the cruise I took had three meals per day. Nothing else. No special dining options, either, just the main dining room. I’m sure things have changed - I haven’t cruised in more than 20 years - but I was shocked that we weren’t fed all that much.

My bf and I are going on our first cruise in August and I’m reading every one of these helpful comments 😉

on my very first cruise on Carnival Legend (AUS) seeing the wastage of printed out pictures that NOBODY was going to buy..and I suspect that's the reason that the ones that WERE purchased were so expensive..covering printer costs..I'm hoping my next sail on Carnival Splendor will only have them displayed on monitors so you can have the choice of buying/printing or not..

I'm not a huge people person but I absolutely LOVE cruising. I also enjoy camping.

On my first cruise I was scared. This ship was so huge. I remember when my brother said to me, the ship was moving. I had grab him. I was so scared. I couldn’t even look at the water, that’s how scared I was. My husband wanted to take pics on the deck and I was to scared to go to the rail. My first cruise was not a happy one. I was just to scared of all that water. But, now, I’m a pro on the cruise now. Im loving them more and more❤️🥰😍😘🙏🏾

Our first cruise was on Disney and what confused my wife and I was how the alcohol package worked. We boarded and a crew member walked up and offered us drinks of the day. We didn’t know if we had to pay for it or what. He said something about keeping the glass and getting it refilled whenever we wanted. We just smiled gratefully and accepted the drinks. Everyone talks about the price and is it good or bad, but we had no idea what to expect as complete rookies. I hadn’t found the videos or Facebook groups yet so it was all confusing and made us both feel like dummy’s. Just FYI, now after 10 (soon to be 12) cruises we yield that package like pros…

Number 8 is not applicable on Aussie cruises but it’s nice to leave your stewards a gift (aka a bit extra money) at the end.

People get lost because they don't take note of their surroundings. I notice things like maybe the even number cabins on the starboard side or visa versa. People are not familiar with nautical terms like stern, port, bow etc. So it is easy to get lost on the ship but it's also very easy to figure it out. So I think it comes down to how a person thinks. People also don't know how ships are designed in terms of managing balance. Like where people mass together. That's why most of the time the main dining is near the rear and the theater is near the front, two places where big numbers of people will gather at the same time. So that's how I figure out which way some things are and the easiest way is to look at the drawind of the ship posted everywhere " You are here ". Thanks bro your videos are always very informative.

My 2 biggest tips for 1st timers - 1- If you are flying during the winter from a cold state (North Dakota, Minnesota, Ohio, New England, Colorado) pretty much anyplace that gets winter weather- and your port is someplace warm- Miami, Tampa, Galveston, LA - Plan to fly the day before and get a hotel room in the port city. The ship will NOT wait for you. 2- buy the soda package or the drink package before you get on the ship. 90% of the time it will be cheaper than if you buy it onboard. You don't even need to try and you'll get your money's worth. I am not a drinker except socially, but when I cruise I love to get the drink of the day usually after a day in port. Often times it's so good I decide to have a 2nd. Some cruise lines like Royal Caribbean include the gratuity for the drinks in the cost of the package. Some cruise lines don't and even though the drink has been paid for, you still get the gratuity charge on your bill. So do your research

I will be sailing on the Carnival Freedom May22. Thank you for the great information.

#1 Rule on a cruse ship have fun, but in pursuit of your fun don't interfere with anyone else's fun. Also you WILL see an item on the itinerary called friends of Bill W. That is not some rich guy who rented out the space. If you don't know what it is you aren't suposed to. And if you need it it is there. Another tip, yes the cabins are small but they are only for the 5 S's ( Sleep, Shower, Shave, S**, & S***.

My first cruise was a 3 night on RC. Considering how many stories I heard revolving around drinking, I was shocked at how much there is to do without alcohol.

The thing that surprised me was how some people that cruise freak out when there is a small storm. Just a little rocking and they get their life jackets ready to get in the life rafts. That was what happened with the people in the cabin next to ours. They were like that for the whole cruise.

I’m about to take my first cruise May 22-28🎉🥂🛳

I sailed to Jordan Israel and Egypt, it did not know at the time that the countries were 30 minutes apart from each port :-)

I met a couple on a cruise that are now my best friends... small world ENJOY! Virginia

Sometimes its easier to navigate on the outside of the ship rather than go through the maze of people, casinos and distractions when you just want to go from one spot to another on the ship

We are going on our 4th, 10 day cruise in 2023. We are going on Princess and they upgraded us from a balcony room to a mini suite. The promotion we got when we booked our 4th cruise came with free wifi, drinks package and prepaid tips. We started with Princess and we will continue with them.

We started cruising many years ago, before specialty restaurants and anytime dining. To meet people, we chose to be seated at a large table, which was really great. With the inclusion of more and more specialty dining, it often happened that some evenings there would only be 4 of us at a table for 10, not great. With the increase of anytime dining to the point where it now takes the majority of tables, you can get back to that enjoyment of communal eating by requesting to join a larger table. My only problem with this came in our only Carnival where on a 7 day cruise twice we were seated at a table as the other people were just finishing their entrée, once the opposite, we were the only ones at a table for 8 until after we had ordered dessert. That said, it is still a great option to meet people, who if you really get along with, can become table partners for the rest of the cruise if YOU so choose.

Nice vid, as always. I'll come back and tell you about what shocked me on my first cruise when... I will actually cruise for the first time, in april 2023. We'll go on the MSC Seashore in the mediterranean sea, and I can't wait :)

Why don't companies offer incentive discount to people to book their first cruise? Why do they only offer discounts to regular bookers? These older, regular bookers are not the money makers for cruise companies. There is no incentive for me to buy a cabin as a first time cruiser when I see others getting discounts - this stops a whole class of potential new, younger clients. When the old clients die there will be no-one to replace them.

One very important tip: if the night before debarkation you leave your bags outside for the staff to provide to you once you disembark, REMEMBER TO SAVE YOUR OUTFIT FOR DEBARKATION IN YOUR STATEROOM! Once they take your bags they won’t be able to sift through the thousands of bags to assist you with finding your debarkation outfit you accidentally packed.

For me personally, i have to disagree with your point about getting oriented and navigating on a ship. I’m blind, and I actually have quite good bearings and directional senses. In fact, it’s far easier to navigate the decks with just cabins than something like the lido, promenade, casino, or open plan areas. When leaving an elevator bank, I always will know which way I am facing, and with only 2 directions to go in a cabin hallway, it couldn’t be easier for me. My family on the other hand, that’s a different story. I remember being on the Golden Princess in 2014 and going back to my cabin with my dad. We were going out the midship elevators which faced differently than the forward ones and he tried leading me down the wrong hallway. I ended up getting us back to our cabin with 0 difficulty though, and that’s how it always goes for me. Sure it may take a little bit, like an afternoon, to find routes I want to take to places I want to frequently visit, but I acclimate rather quickly.

I’ll tell you what shocked me on my first cruise I just took this past month, all of the dang kids in the hot tub doing cannon balls! Lol

The menu in the main dining room is set. Every day of the week has the exact same thing so if your cruise is 10 days every Sunday you’ll get the same stuff. Remember this because if you hated the sea bass last Sunday you’re going to hate it again next Sunday. If you are on an extended cruise, say 22 days around South America, there will be some slight variation on sides but chances are every Sunday will find you eating sea bass.

Another no-go item: power strips (especially those with surge suppressors). These are fire hazards. A short extension with thick wires may be acceptable - I have a 6 inch 3 plug extension cord that has been accepted.

What irritated me most was the nickle and dime method the Cruise Lines use to milk out every out of you . I would gladly pay more to have a truly All Inclusive experience .C'mon expecting Passengers to HAVE to tip Workers to provide a living wage for them ? I have no problem tipping good service but being told to bothers me

I don't know about shock, but the very first time I was on a ship I was surprised that almost no crew were American. I know why that is now, but it was wild to see every employee was from another country.

We was on a small ship so we felt all the movement you fill everything

Friends for sure. I’m still friends with people I meant on my cruises. Great vlog

I LOVE being on the ship….it’s awesome 🥳

I was shocked at how much free food was available. Also the cost of drink packages. Wow

First cruise with parents on Holland America. Most PAX were retired. Most boring vacay ever.

Navigating the ships are easy, even Oasis class ships. My biggest surprise was that they are not totally inclusive and things like soda are not included. I knew that before I sailed but not before I started researching it. I do understand why there is a surcharge for specialty restaurants because if not no one would eat in buffets or main dining. Food is good in the main dining rooms on Royal and Holland but still not the same standard as the specialty restaurants. I do love cruising and I am glad that I can just drive to several ports within a few hours. Makes it much more affordable and I dont have to worry about flying to a cruise port and dealing with airline baggage policies.

We have a very different idea of jacket or hoodie weather. You must live in a warm climate because when I escaped the cold weather for my first cruise in April I never even considered wearing a jacket.

Ty we taking cruise next month this has helped another of your videos !

Size the ship got us my our first cruise . we got lost two i learned follow the carpet some ship have fish on them . it sounds funny but they go in the right direction and extra cost surprised us as well . i have learned to add it to our budget

One thing I definitely remember as a surprise on my first cruise; the main entrees in the dining room tend to be smaller than most restaurants. It was not uncommon for people to order two or three appetizers in addition to an entree or to order two entree dishes.

First time I cruised I was in highschool and didn't know all the things I could do on a cruise ship and all the things included in the initial price so I didn't eat much and didn't do much. I have always been a light packer. I've done 14 day cruises with only a backpack. now it's a military 5 day backpack but I can fit so many days worth of clothing in it and I usually do a load of laundry on the ship if it's available. I usually just hunker down with a book for a couple of hour and get it done its not a big deal to me.

how easy it is to sleep in and miss you excursion time to leave the ship, your tired, its dark and your comfy in your cabin and its noon and you missed your excursion

Since you report 30-40% of ship income is from onboard spending, there is no incentive for the ship to be in port longer than the minimum as the passengers will spend their money in city and not in the ship. Extended stays only make sense for the ship if the company owns the resort island when on an island stop, for example.

@5:15 advertising flyers, I never noticed any on P&O or Cunard, actually, not on Princess or Marella, either. Probably just American lines... Some cruise lines are now including gratuities in the overall price, though it is our experience that staff know it would be rude to refuse! Our first sea trip was on QM2, so gratuities have never been a shock since.

The toilet noise did my head in on our first cruise

as an Aussie sailing out of Australia I assume there are already gratuities included with my fare..so I assume I don't need to tip twice...we are not a tipping nation and with that it should not be expected when travelling within/just off of Australian waters then it should not be expected of us to tip, especially if it's already included in our fare..

Great tips for first time cruisers!

love your channel. its so infrmative. my first cruise is in Sepember. looking forward to it

I had no idea how the dining worked on my first cruise! I thought you could only eat in the main dining room once per cruise 🤦🏻‍♀️ we ate at the buffet a lot that week, lol.

Great info Dave from Hamilton

Rule of thumb for flying in…NEVER ever ever ever fly in the day of your cruise. At the very latest, fly in the day before.

I don't think my wife would like a cruise at sea - she knows I'd want to spend most of the time in the engine room looking at all the machinery!

My big thing is the size of the ship. No matter how many times I see a ship I can’t get over the size.

Don’t recognize your hallway. Do what someone taught me years ago in Vegas. Tie balloons, streamers on your door, esp if you and your other half like to pass out in said hallways before your room. Have fun!

My first cruise was on Oasis of The Seas. I was awestruck when I saw it in person

When it comes to specialty dining pay attention because not all restaurants are a part of specialty dining and will cost extra.

Each cruise line is different. This video presents great generalities, but do your homework on the line you are sailing. For instance, Virgin Voyages includes gratuities in the cruise fare. That means ALL gratuities--if you order a $10 glass of wine, it costs $10 (no tip added). No daily gratuity charges. And basic wifi and beverages are included (some lines charge wifi by the minute or gig of use, or as much as $20 per day). That means you don't need to buy a soda package. Spa charges on ships are generally at least twice wha I'd pay for the same thing in my city (if you live in NY or LA, this may not be true). Always fly in at least a day ahead. My logic is that if I am in the port city, then somehow I'm going to be on that ship. If I'm at my home city, too many things can happen to mess up flights. Yes, I pay for a night at a hotel, but that is cheap travel insurance. It also allows me to sleep late in the morning and get to the ship feeling rested, rather than getting up at 4am to get to the airport on time for an early flight. Also, check flight costs and policies. Booking flights thru some cruise lines can give you less costly flights and still allow you a lot of choice, while other cruise lines sell at the going flight costs or even higher and basically tell you what flight you will be on! Bottom line, I guess, generalities are good, but get the details on the cruise line and even the specific ship you are booking!

That my time dining was a rip. It’s better to eat early to have your whole night free because the MDR takes a lot of time. To have something planned even if it’s little when you get off the ship bc if not you can spend a whole lot of money wondering around. And don’t Waste ur time or money on the in text chatting feature bc is is super spotty. Not that 20 bucks is a lot but it did not do what is what meant to do, for us.

We are traveling on the Carnival Mardi Gras. From what I learned here the tips for drinks are added over and above the prepaid tips? If that is the case I am not wanting to pay the prepaid tips, I would rather pay individually. This is great information!

My first cruise was back in the 90s when we dressed up in formal wear for dinner. I packed a long formal gown and somehow still had room for other clothes. We also could have a travel iron. Now I don't pack a formal gown, I bring dresses or pants and tops for dinner that don't wrinkle or need ironing because we cannot bring a travel iron or steamer. Some ships have a laundry room but I don't go on a cruise to iron clothes. I do that before I pack and I don't send my clothes out to be ironed. I like to cruise ot relax so the serenity deck is my favorite spot.

Heading for my first cruise in 2 weeks. Thanks for these tips.

What shocked me was the sheer size of the vessel. It was way out of the scale that I had imagined.

This is going to be me soon

I have always wanted to do a cruise. Never have but I somehow ended up on the algorithm for cruising and I’m enjoying the imaginary trip in my mind. 😂 Maybe one day. I want to take my kids on the Disney cruise but holy wow the price. 😅 Not ready for that. Nor am I ready to head the Florida for a cruise. I would probably stick to California cruises. Close to home and all. Anyway, thanks for all the information.

Going on my first cruise in October...paying attention to everything. Was def shocked about the amount of advertising that will be sent to us.

I'd rather more time at sea it's a floating city

By the way, I love your videos!

#2 Yep! My jaw dropped when I boarded my first ship. Royal's Freedom of the Seas.

Whatever you do invest in a balcony if you are introverted

Royal limits you to 200Lbs. of luggage per person

We are taking our first cruise in Sept to Alaska on NCL Sun. I'm a bit nervous.

Have you got a video on the life boat telling about them and how many they got her ship and just basic info

We are driving to the ports from now on.. Last cruise we got to Miami airport 2 hours early and we still missed our flights home.. They look the other way with cannabis these days..Last cruise hundreds of people smoking pot on the smoking deck especially after Jamaica

Thank you for saying I can bring all the suitcases I want to. Every one else is like.. just one carry on! just one carry on! Yeah, I'm bringing what i can fit in my car. driving to port. LOL My largest bag is 34 pounds. So... i'm not even close to the 50 limit.

I'm planning to go on a cruise in 2023. Here's one question. Is night swimming allowed?

Hi! I got a question about the bottle of wine you can bring on board. Are you allowed to drink it outside of your room? Any restrictions? Thanks in advance

Im going on my first 7 day cruise next week and im so excited but nervous because I also have a fear of heights around glass stairs and elevators even high floors, any tips or suggestions to cope with it when I go? Thank you everyone Great video as always!

On my first cruise, I was a bit surprised the pool was filled with ocean water instead of chlorinated water like every other pool I had ever swum in.

I was shocked at how crowded it was. Especially at the beginning when you couldn't access rooms...🤦‍♀️

A quiet spot is not the pool! Being in the pool is not replaced by going to a "QUIET" place! Don't gloss over not enough pool area for 4000+ passengers!

When you get on it feels small but within an hour you feel like it is so big you can't find your way.