5 THINGS I WISH I KNEW ON MY FIRST CRUISE

ANNIVERSARY

On the 21^st August 2007, 15 years ago today, I was sitting on a coach, transferring from the airport in Palma de Mallorca, on the Spanish Balearic Island of Mallorca.

And then the port came into view and through the coach window I got my first view of the Island Escape. My first cruise ship.

In 2007 I was at least an experienced solo traveller if not yet a seasoned one. I had long fancied a cruise and now I had finally plucked up the courage to do it.

I was risking 7 nights in the Western Mediterranean, with all the anxiety that a week away on my own, stepping into the unknown, could bring.

Well of course it was amazing. It changed my outlook on life and the way I travel. I found a passion for cruises that a lot of my friends still don’t quite understand.

But with the benefit of hindsight I can now look back and wonder what do I know now that would have been good to know then?

So for all you would be cruisers here are 5 things I wish I knew on my first cruise.

1. RELAX

This might sound obvious. You are on your holidays, of course you are going to relax.

But its your first cruise and you don’t. You get into holiday mode and don’t want to miss a thing.

Onboard activities

For starters whichever ship you are on will deliver a schedule of activities every day. Some are trying to go digital, but for most cruise lines you get a daily newspaper with lists of things going on around the ship for every hour of the day.

It is physically impossible to do everything, no matter how much you want to join in.

Don’t even try. You will run yourself ragged. Be selective and do the things that most appeal.

Or do none. When you catch the cruise bug (and you will) you can try the things you missed in a different format next time.

Shore Excursions

And then after a night at sea you wake up in a new port of call, even a new country.

On my first cruise I had such a great itinerary, places I had never been to, that I booked a full day tour almost every day, to get the most out of my visit.

By the end of the week I had seen some amazing sights, but I was exhausted. I was ready for another holiday.

So if you take nothing else away from this blog remember to choose your shore excursions wisely.

Nowadays I only ever book half day tours unless its a must see place. If you’ve read my Destination: Rome post you’ll know that’s one you need a full day for and you won’t scratch the surface.

But for many ports of call half a day is enough to get a flavour of the place and you can use the rest of the day to explore near the port, or just relax on the ship to recharge for the next day.

To be honest I have learned that many places are easy enough to explore by myself. That way I can do it at exactly my own pace.

2. CRUISING IS NOT (JUST) FOR POSH PEOPLE

What if I didn’t fit in?

There is such a thing as Cruise snobbery. Some people will only cruise with a certain cruise line, or in a certain class of cabin. They look down on anyone not doing the same.

Thankfully, although I have seen it in action, its very rare and most certainly unjustified.

For the most part the cruisers I have met have been a fabulous bunch of people. I’ve made lots of cruise buddies along the way.

What do I wish I knew on that first cruise? “Don’t worry – you’ll be fine!”

Cruise lines and cruising times

But you also want to feel comfortable with the cruise you choose.

In the early days I used to book during the school holidays. I don’t have kids, but the people my age going on holiday probably did. That’s when I thought it more likely to be travelling with people of my own age.

As I’ve got older I’m less fussy about that, but the age demographic does tend to shift upwards outside term time.

Then each cruise line targets a different demographic.

For example I often think Royal Caribbean is more fun, with its climbing walls and waterslides. Celebrity a bit more casual chic. I always assume Saga Cruises are for an older cruiser, though that’s based on the name rather than experience. Cunard are renowned for a more formal type of old style cruising.

Island Escape was no frills, no formality, just fun. Exactly what I wanted at the time.

Whatever type of person you are, I’m sure you will find a ship that offers what you are looking for.

These days cruising is so popular that there is a lot of helpful inspiration out there to help you decide.

3. DINE IN THE MAIN DINING ROOM

I can’t go on about this one enough.

On my first cruise, and for that matter the second and third, I was so self conscious as a solo cruiser about eating on my own, that I ate in the buffet every night.

There it was always busy, so no one would notice me on my own.

The food is always good and there is generally so much choice you never have the same meal twice in a week.

Now I know from reading cruise forums that this is not uncommon for solo cruisers.

Formal dining

But then I went on cruise number four. The Thomson Destiny. This cruise was a bit more formal than the Island Escape and Ocean Village ships I’d sailed on up to now.

It also had formal dining. You were allocated a fixed dining time and sat at the same table, with the same people every night.

I was a bit anxious about this. There was of course still a buffet option. But there was a place set for me. So I went along.

Well I had a ball. I met so many people, who made my holiday outside of the dining room as well as with over dinner conversation. It was a revelation.

Here it was a four course dinner every night. A beautifully constructed plate of food, designed for the eye as well as the taste buds.

The main dining room is where I choose to eat these days. Check out my recent blog post about Celebrity Beyond : Dining to find out how I eat these days!

Can I have some more?

The other thing I’ve learnt in the dining room is that you can have whatever you want.

Every cruise line caters for allergies these days. If you are gluten free or have an allergy talk to the Maitre D and your waiters. Most ships will prepare a special menu just for you. I think you just have to choose the day before.

If like me you will eat anything you are often spoilt for choice. Which of those two starters do you go for. Should I have apple crumble or a cheeseboard for dessert?

Well the answer is, have both!

I once asked the waiter which of two desserts he thought was the best. He came back with both of them. I wasn’t actually all that hungry, but I have to say the Cherries Jubilee was worth the extra inches on my waistline.

4. MEET THE SOLOS

This one is particularly for those travelling on their own. However a lot of solos travel with larger groups of family and friends, and are left to their own devices a lot.

The daily Cruise News, or whatever they call the schedule on the ship you are on, lists all those activities I mentioned.

One of them will usually be a Solos Meet Up.

It is often set as a certain time on the first full day, sometimes even the first evening, in a particular bar or lounge around the ship.

Some ships will have a social host or crew member come along to start the conversation and get everyone talking. Those solo nerves sometimes just need a nudge.

Other times they leave who ever turns up to self lead it, so you have to hope for at least one talkative solo.

I have to say it very much depends on the ship, the itinerary and sometimes how the meet up is organised whether I choose to join in or not.

But without doubt some of the best cruises I have been on have been ones where I’ve met a group of 3, 5, or even 10 solos. We have gone to dinner, then like on Thomson Destiny go on to the theatre or game shows after dinner.

Some people have grouped together to go ashore so they weren’t on their own.

Personally I like to do my own thing during the day and join up in time for pre dinner drinks. But you often end up finding someone to make a team for the daily quizzes or just for a chat by the pool.

I wish I knew not be be quite so self sufficient on my first few cruises. Joining in has proved to be so much more fun.

5. GET SOME TOWEL PEGS

Now this might sound like a weird one, but you will see that all of the experienced cruisers up on the pool deck will have over sized clothes pegs clipping their towels to the sun bed.

Its so your towel doesn’t go flying as the ship heads off on a windy day. Buy them from your local pound shop, or for a couple of Euros in port. You don’t need to buy the fancy designer ones that have now appeared.

Is that the thing I wish I knew on my first cruise?

Well its one of those Top Cruise Tips I picked up along the way, that’s the real thing I wish I knew.

A few more Top Cruise Tips

• Your suitcase can be stored under your bed once unpacked. Although this might be easier for the squashy ones than the hard ones that look like a Giant Turtle.

• Then I mentioned Towel pegs, but you don’t actually need to take your own towels. Ships provide both bath and hand towels for your stateroom and beach towels for the pool or going ashore.

Different ships have different rules. Some put the pool towels on the sun beds.

Other’s leave a set of beach towels in your cabin, which have a charge if a set is not still there at the end of the cruise. I’ve had cruises that beep them out as you take them off the ship.

Whichever version applies towels are one thing you don’t have to worry about packing. Flannels are a it more hit and miss.

• Similarly they provide coat hangers. Whether there are enough is a different question. The joy of solo travel is I have all the wardrobe space for one!

EVERY DAY IS A LEARNING DAY

Even with a bunch of cruises under my belt I still constantly find out new cruising tips.

The Internet, social media and their cruise content has definitely moved on in the past 15 years. There’s lots of advice and inspiration out there.

These are the 5 (ish) things I wish I knew on my first cruise.

Why not leave a comment if you have discovered any more Top Tips.

One more thing I wish I knew on my first cruise….

7 nights is really not long enough. But I’ll leave you to find that one out for yourself!