Cruising Tips Please

Good Morning Ladies - I hope you are all as well as you can be. Whilst I feel able I am going on a cruise in a few weeks time, my husband was made redundant in March so we are blowing the redundancy payout. Neither of us have been on a cruise ever before, nearest we ever got was the ferry over to the Isle of Wight. We are starting small with a trip from southampton to Guernsey France and Spain for 7 days. So ladies what are your top tips for cruising, advise on anything from packing to sea sickness greatly appreciated. Plus where have you cruised to, what was your favourite. Many Thanks in advance. Have a great day. xx 🚢

[Katmal-UK]

|Hi Lyn Never been on one, never appealed, but I have a colleague at work who goes regularly and absolutely loves cruises. Hopefully you will get some tips from ladies who have been. Have an amazing time and don't forget to share the highlights when you get back. xx Kathy xx

[Hidden in reply to Katmal-UK]

I am a little apprehensive, I am claustrophobic and got sea sick on a ferry to Germany when I was in my teens. Possibly not an ideal candidate for cruising, but hey ho if I don't give it a whirl I will never know.

[Katmal-UK in reply to Hidden]

Exactly! To be honest after reading Charlotte's reply I'm feeling rather envious! Maybe I it's something I should consider but like Charlotte the thought of seeing all the water puts me off. Hubby has been a couple of times before we got together and he loved it. Maybe one day.... xx

[CharlotteSo_UK]

Hi. We went on a cruise with my Mum last year. I had never wanted to go on one, the thought of just seeing water was enough to put me off, but as Mum loves her cruising, and I thought was in need of a fantastic time, I bit the bullet and booked a P&O cruise to Norway. I have to say, it was probably one of the most relaxing holidays I have ever been on, totally stress free. From parking up at Southampton just outside the ship, where our cases were taken from us (we next saw them in our cabin), the really simple way of checking in (you are given a card with a letter on when your board and you sit until your letter is called) and then being totally looked after throughout the cruise. The food is amazing, you literally can eat all day if you want to, and the thought of a buffet meal at a holiday hotel is now really not appealing!

We packed for all weathers - it can get nippy on board - but there are washing facilities on board so not too much of a problem really.

You also have numerous options for dining. We did the freedom dining which meant we could go down for a table at any time, you just had to hope there was one free! We loved the flexibility of that though and the food was amazing. We did also dress up on some of the days.

I was so dreadfully sea sick from the second day but you can buy tablets on board (the look on the stewards face when I wanted some sickness tablets was priceless really - with him commenting on the fact that the waters were actually quite still). Worked a treat though and I was fine for the rest of the cruise. Might be cheaper to buy beforehand though - just in case!

I do wish as well that I had planned the trip a little better in terms of tours. There were a few we really wanted to do but just didn't book in time. The ones we did do were expensive, and we thoroughly enjoyed them, but I do wonder with a bit more planning if we could have done more, and more cheaply.

Have an amazing time. xx

[Hidden in reply to CharlotteSo_UK]

Hello and thank you for your input, I will get some travel sickness tabs to take with us. I have left it too late to book any tours as all the good ones were fully booked weeks ago, will know if we decide to go again. It sounds as if you would do another cruise? hoping we like it as much. xx

[angelina in reply to Hidden]

when you are on the ship go to the travel desk and tell them which trips you are interested in, usually there’s quite a few passengers wanting to book trips and often an extra coach is put on.

you can also buy sea bands for sickness which you can buy from the onboard shop. I swear by these

and it’s best to wear them just in case.

Hope you have a lovely time i’m sure you will. I started cruising after my OC 7yrs ago, wouldn’t do anything else now, it is totally stress free.

Take care

Lynda ⛴

[Hidden in reply to angelina]

Thank you, I was wondering if anyone had tried the arm bands, will be getting some as well as tablets, belt and braces approach. Take Care xx

[Caleda4]

I cannot help with a cruise, but if you want something for sea-sickness try Stugeron. They were recommended to me by someone that was in the Royal Marines & I have found them very good. You should be able to get them in any pharmacy.

Go enjoy yourselves you deserve it.xx

[Hidden]

Thank you I will stock up............think I am going to need them 🤢

[gmc920]

Hi Lyn, we’ve done 2 cruises, one to Alaska and one that was mainly Norway and went all the way up to the North Cape. Loved them both! If you’re worried about sea sickness, there is the scopolamine patch (called Transderm- Scop in the US) which is a little round patch worn behind one ear and changed every 3 days. It requires a prescription in the US, not sure if it’s that way in the UK, but just ask your doctor or pharmacist. I hope you have a wonderful time!

xx Gina

Just did a little research... it’s called Scopoderm (Hyoscine) patch in the U.K. 😊

[Hidden in reply to gmc920]

Thank you - I will get some patches, our boots chemist sells them. Glad you enjoyed your cruises, are you planning another one?

[gmc920 in reply to Hidden]

We don’t have anything booked at the moment, but would like to do a Mediterranean one next time 😊

[mrstadpole]

We love cruising and have been on several since retiring.It is a very relaxing holiday as you only unpack once and the food is lovely with plenty of choice.

Last year because of my cancer diagnosis I was advised not to travel abroad.I did actually get some quotes for insurance but it was extremely expensive,especially a sea cruise as you travel more than 10 miles from shore.Anyway we opted for a cruise around the Highlands and islands of Scotland. The insurance was much cheaper. It was wonderful holiday.

They have a medical team on most ships so you do have that option but it is all done privately so can be costly.I don't suffer from sea sickness but I packed some sea-sickness tablets anyway.

Hope you have a wonderful, relaxing time.

Annx

[Hidden in reply to mrstadpole]

Hi Ann - we used World First for insurance and ours was £107 for a 7 day cruise, that includes my husbands medical condition as well. I love Scotland so will add that cruise to my list. Take care xx

[Andrea63]

Hi Lyn, I hope you have a great time. Apart from a cruise when I was 11 (loved it) I haven’t done any. I hope all goes well for you but for future trips you could also try river cruises - my in laws have done quite a few of these and seen some amazing places. Andrea xx

[Hidden in reply to Andrea63]

I saw Jane McDonald on a river cruise on the telly looked fabulous. Take Care xx

[Di16]

We went on one cruise, up the coast of Norway, calling at different places each day. The sea was mainly calm, even though it was February, but we were mostly not too far from the coast, which helped. I enjoyed the experience, & only felt seasick once. I hope you have a good trip. Di

[Hidden in reply to Di16]

Thank you - I am hoping the sea sickness doesn't happen - had enough of throwing up!

[Jude136]

We’ve done lots of cruises and enjoyed them all. We loved the Norwegian Fjords, and also did one to Faroe Islands and Iceland which was amazing. In February we flew to Dubai and cruised round the Arabian Gulf. That too was I really special. We had to cancel a cruise to Caribbean when I was first diagnosed in January 2015. It was for our Golden wedding. I have been NED since December 2015 so we have booked for February next year and I’ll go for our 55th anniversary. It is very relaxing and you can do as much or as little as you want. Enjoy it. Hopefully all will be calm and you will be fine.

[Hidden in reply to Jude136]

Thank you - Wow 55 years Congratulations, also for your NED long may it continue, enjoy your cruise. xx

[lynn6156]

Have done a few cruises a long time ago, to Spain, Madeira, and most of the Canaries. Loved it to bits. Only felt sick once and that was on a very old small ship during a massive storm in the bay of biscay. Would recommend Stugeron tablets. Sometimes you need to 'pace yourself' with the abundance of food - I had a relative with a bad heart and a food addiction and in that situation a long cruise isn't a great plan with lots of food available all the time!

I'm saving up for future cruises (i think i need to save quicker!)

Lynn

x

[Hidden in reply to lynn6156]

I am expecting to come home quite a few pounds heavier........taking elasticated waists cos I thought sod it! been on and off a diet for over 30 years, kept my weight within a healthy range, ate all the right foods and still got stage 4 cancer! really can't be bothered any more! 7 meals a day here I come!! Take care xx

[lynn6156 in reply to Hidden]

Don´t blame you at all !

I´m planning to work through the cocktail menu on a world cruise...hopefully assisted by a nice young waiter called Pablo or Manuel

Looking forward to hearing about your adventure!

Lynn

x

[Hidden in reply to lynn6156]

😆 enjoy! xx

[MsLizD]

Been on quite a few cruises both big and small ships. Just love them, food and entertainment always good. I've never been seasick but I've never experienced rough seas.

My main tip would be to research the ports you are calling at. Many now have hop on buses which call into the ports they are far cheaper than the cruise excursions and if your time in the port is limited very easy to sightsee knowing the bus will get you back to the port. I've saved lots of money not using excursions.

Another tip, an imprint of your credit card is taken when you first board the ship as cash is not accepted when buying drinks, shop purchases etc whilst on board. For any purchase you just sign for charges. At the end of the cruise usually the day before your bill is left in your cabin and charged to your credit card or I believe if you want to you can pay cash at reception. Included on this bill can be a service charge which is supposed to be for tipping the crew. It's a daily charge, per person and over a week it's quite expensive. Myself and a lot of passengers I have spoken to object to being told how much tip to give, I would rather give to 8ndividual staff or leave a tip in the cabin at the end of cruise. It's no problem to have this added amount removed, just go to reception with the bill and ask to have it taken off, you maybe asked for a reason but its then removed.

Another tip if you like to have drinks, look into purchasing the inclusive drinks package, this can be much cheaper than paying individually for drinks.

Finally, have a great time

Liz x

[Hidden in reply to MsLizD]

Hi LIz Thank you, we did look into tipping as it does seem a bit cheeky to just add it to your bill, I like to tip for good service only. However we chose P&O cruises as they have done away with tipping altogether as of the beginning of May this year. Yippeee more to spend on shopping! We were only interested in a couple of the excursions but we left it too late to book. We quite like the idea of doing our own thing and not being shuttled around, and as you say mega expensive!

[Trathi]

Hi Lyn1987, sorry never been on a cruise but wanted to say thoroughly enjoy yourselves, every minute. The nearest I have been is the overnight ferry from Hull to Rotterdam.

Sending lots of love 💕 hugs 🤗 and positive energy to you both xxx

[Hidden in reply to Trathi]

Thank you..........I am getting mega excited, having something to look forward to really helps to focus the mind and forget about the big C. Got a check up just after we get back so am forgetting about it all until then. 🚢🙋‍♀️😎

[Neona]

Cruised to the med for 2 weeks in 2010 and we were married on board by the shio’s captain. Then cruised to the Canaries last year while on my clinical trial. It is just fantastic. If you are driving to the docks you can take as much luggage as you like and it is all taken up to your cabin for you. I didn’t take any sea sickness tablets but it is worth taking any medicines you think you might need as the shoos on board are expensive- remember sun cream etc.

[Hidden in reply to Neona]

Hello Neona - Thank you - What a lovely wedding that must have been! The canaries sound wonderful. I don't think we should let this horrid disease dictate what we can and cant do. Ships ahoy!!! 🚢 xx

[Flamingobeef18]

Hi Lyn

We adore cruising and in August will be going on our sixteenth with another already booked for next year.

We have done a couple of fly cruises but much prefer to sail from Southampton as it is totally stress free.

Since diagnosis my stamina when walking and standing is not brilliant and I tire easily. I like to save the energy I have for the fun things. Therefore nowadays I have assistance when embarking and disembarking even though I can walk. This makes life so much easier as there is no waiting around or long walks and you board immediately. Also don’t slow the family down.

I also hire a powered mobility scooter to use on board. This is excellent for getting around the ship as the ships are huge but very accessible. For example in an evening I scooter to the restaurant, park outside and walk in, then scooter to the theatre to watch a show and then to a bar for a nightcap- perfect! A scooter is also excellent for exploring on shore and easily fits in the coach luggage hold if going on an excursion or a taxi if you are doing your own thing.

We have cruised the Med, Scandinavia, Canaries, Baltic and Norway Fjords so far and loved everyone. Which ports are you calling at?

Our favourite cruise lines are P&O and Princess. Both are brilliant. Not sure what ship you are going on but our favourites are Ventura, Azura and Britannia but we have never had a bad cruise. Which ship are you sailing on?

Do check out the room service breakfast delivered to your cabin without charge. You can order the evening before by completing the card in your cabin. It is the best sort of wake up call to be woken with a tray of fresh coffee and pastries. Also look through the newsletter delivered to your room daily to find out all the activities and also the port guides.

We love the formal nights. It is a wonderful opportunity to go a bit OTT and dress up in your glad rags. On P&O the majority of people will be in evening dresses and tuxedos and it does make for a very special atmosphere.

As you can see I could bore for England about cruising. I am sure you will have a fantastic time and if you have any questions I can help with please let me know.

Love Juliax

[Hidden in reply to Flamingobeef18]

Thank you Julia we are booked with P&O on the Arcadia, its an older ship but had a refurb in 2017. We are going to Guernsey St Peter Port, Santander, Le Verdun and cherbourg. Not too far for our first trip, and in case I hate it or am ill, we can always fly home quickly.

The breakfast idea sounds great, we have a balcony so could eat alfresco. I love the idea of the dressing up, and we have two formal nights, him indoors is not overly impressed but he will play along to keep me happy. Have a lovely time in August, where are you off to?

[Flamingobeef18]

Hi Lyn

Your itinerary sounds great. I have not been on the Arcadia myself but many seasoned cruisers say it is their favourite ship. Having a balcony definitely adds to your experience. Watching the sail into your new port each morning takes some beating.

My husband was initially reluctant to do the full tuxedo but he took the plunge and now enjoys it even more than me.

We are spending 14 nights around the Med including Cadiz, Florence, Sardinia and Marseille. We are going on the Sapphire Princess which is our daughters favorite line. It is very similar to P&O but maybe a little livier with a nightclub etc which suits the girls. But next year we are back on Azura. It’s just the two of us then so we have treated ourselves to a full suite.

I do hope you enjoy your cruise. The only downside to cruising is that it can become addictive!

Love Juliax

[ZenaJ]

My first and only cruise up to now was across the pond from Southampton to Boston then down to New York, Cape Canaveral and getting off in Miami. It was great. I came out of hospital on a Friday after a blocked bowel episode and went on the cruise on the Monday morning. I ate light meals and had no problems. There were people that had sea sickness but luckily I wasn't one of them. I think they got pills on the ship.

You have a lovely time and forget everything.

Best wishes, Zena xx

[Hidden in reply to ZenaJ]

Thank you Zena hope you are keeping well. xx