First Cruise

We have been on lots of cruises with a variety of cruise lines and everyone is different. Some lines provide toiletries - but some just have shower gel. I always take a tablet of soap and a face flannel plus my regular toiletries. We always try to book a table for six in the restaurant - a good way of meeting people. If you don't get on with you fellow diners - you can always ask for a move. I agree about having tips removed from your account. I also take lavender oil and cotton wool balls - sometimes the wardrobes can smell stale. I agree - the cabin staff are very good and you can ask for extra pillows etc.

We love cruising and have just booked one for next March. The thing people seem to worry about is what to wear. People seem to be more casual on an American or Italian ship and more seem to dress up on the formal nights on the British ships. Having said that, the most important thing is to feel comfortable with what you are wearing and I'm sure most people of our age wouldn't go to dinner in jeans and a T-shirt. Agree that if you want a quieter breakfast go to the dining room, but we are always happy to use the buffet for breakfast and lunch, I've never found it a bun fight and if you're happy to share a table we have chatted with some very interesting people. Agree you should visit sites like cruise.co.uk and cruisecritic.co.uk which have lots of reviews by first time cruisers. But most of all, just enjoy your trip and, if you're like most people I know, you'll be hooked.

annsixty we pay the auto tips then give extra to staff who've made our cruise memorable, could be a barman, receptionist, room steward. Just depends who has gone the extra extra mile! They are nearly all wonderful but can only give extra to some. I would think staff vie for certain positions because of the possibility of additional tips.

Avoid Carnival if possible - was like a floating Butlins! Are we having FUUUN? No we were NOT! I also could go on and on and on...... but don't want to be a moaning mini either

Aquagran. I'm puzzled as to why you advocate avoiding no fly cruises. In recent years we have embarked at Southampton and I have found it bliss to avoid all the aggro connected with airports plus the actual flying, which I don't enjoy. What is it about no fly cruises that you don't like?

Keep washing your hands or using anti bac cleaners. Bugs can spread fast in a confined space. Otherwise just enjoy it.
Omajane

Do you all only use the on board tipping or do you give more to certain people?

Cancelling tips as soon as you get on board for your expensive, luxury holiday is mean beyond belief. Yes, you can tip your cabin steward, yes you can tip your table waiter at dinner, but what about the staff that spend their days cleaning up after you? The ones who keep the restaurant clean, the toilets, the public areas? The chef and kitchen staff? If you are so mean that you dont wish to pay them then dont go on a cruise in the first place. Disgraceful behaviour to my mind.

You can take some electric items e.g. Shaver, hair straighteners (yes really) electric tooth brush and hairdryer (but they provide them). You just can't take irons or kettles.

As for removing tips. Personally, I think that's a very unkind thing to do. Whether we approve or not, Cruise Lines pay peanuts to the people employed to do the worst jobs. They are invariably from the Philipines, Central America, Bali etc. They rely on tips to make-up their wages to a reasonable level. If you remove your auto tips, you essentially remove part of their modest income. The cleaners, kitchen hands, junior waiters etc, all contribute to your comfort and pleasure.

I've been with HAL three times and think their food and service excellent. There is an automatic 15% tip added to all drinks. We booked on Friday for Alaska as they had a brilliant drinks deal, 8 drinks each a day! You can take one bottle of wine or champagne on board to drink in your cabin. Entertainment is geared to American cruisers and they are the majority but there are also Australians, Canadians and New Zealanders in our experience. I have heard that if you want to remove the tips you should do it on the last night otherwise you will be "blacklistef" by the staff who apparently have a list of who has taken off the tips!

I'm not a cruiser so don't know the drill .... presumably they cost a few thousand pounds so why on earth would you make a beeline to cancel £200 of tips?

Sounds extremely mean.

As Maggie referred to, what about those poor people who are out of sight in the kitchens and the bowels of the ship?

I agree that it's unkind to remove the tips. They may seem generous, but they're not really - the staff are generally very poorly paid and really rely on them. Tipping individually might work out well for the cabin and waiting staff, but not for the ones behind the scenes. They all work so hard and are away from their families for long spells.

One of our two cruises was with Holland and America (Alaska), and it was great.

We have cruised with Holland America and loved it. Their ships attract a range of age groups although the biggest majority of people are in the 50 - 70 age range. There are older and younger people, and a few children. The food is lovely, they provide chilled water and still lemonade, plus coffee and tea all day in the buffet restaurant. I never buy soft drinks, just go and get the lemonade. I take a water bottle on board with me and fill it with water to take off on trips, I fill the bottle by using 2 glasses of water, they don't like it if people fill bottles straight from the water dispenser, possible health risks. I have seen people doing it and I don't like it either, I don't want to catch a sick bug! Be aware of possible infections, follow the rules, sanitize hands regularly, they provide hand sanitizer everywhere on the ship. There are companies that do shore excursions much cheaper than the ship's, have a look online, we use one and the excursions are just as good but cheaper. Other than that, just relax and enjoy.

It is possible to remove the tips, but it is considered unkind, as most cruise lines use the US system of paying their staff an almost non-existent basic wage and the tips are in effect the staff wages, which are distributed to the people you see and those behind the scenes. This system wouldn’t be legal in the UK and Brits (and other Europeans) don’t like it on principle, but most go along with it because otherwise they are penalising some of the staff.

I have heard many times on Cruise Critic that if you remove the auto-tips, the staff have to hand in any cash they receive from you personally, but my own theory is that all the cash tips are pooled anyway.

Candelle - I love your tip about bringing a couple of larger sized outfits. I always make sure to wear my snug-fitting clothes at the beginning of a cruise too!

Aquagran: read your post. Which cruise lines would you avoid, please?!

Apologies, message sent before I finished. ... do take a plastic set of plugs - the ones in a row - as there is always need for extras for computer, hairdryer etc. Have a super time.

C ongratulations! I am on my own so would really recommend cruising as a safe way to travel for a single person. Tips: I always take a supply of fizzy vitamin tablets and a large plastic beaker (pref with a straw) and put one tablet with chilled water or ice for my deck drinks. Over a course of a few days it saves quite a bit. I, also do the cancel tips thing and reward personally. I take a hanging plastic shoe store (actually 2) one for over bathroom door and one for the cabin to hold extra shoes etc. Fridg magnets are great for putting on cabin walls to hold papers. One last thing, do

Although not familiar with Holland America (we had a cruise booked with them a couple of years ago but I broke both legs a week beforehand so had to cancel!) I do have a few general tips:
the first would be to try to ensure you have booked the right type of ship for you which I realise is a little late now. Different cruise lines have different personalities and finding the correct fit can help make or break a cruise. Read and read and read up on lines, ships and on Cruise Critic (we enjoy the America-based one) where there is a wealth of information.
Having written that, ask for a large table if you have formal dining. Tables of eight or ten are bound to have a good mix of people and ours is usually the last to leave the dining room as we have so much interesting conversation.
On embarkation, find the library and have first dibs on the books, particularly those in the small travel section - they go fast!
Water and juices are usually available from the buffet all day and night so there is no need to pay for expensive soft drinks by the glass.
If you have a tendency to 'enjoy your food' take a couple of outfits a size up, for the last few days of your cruise!!
If you plan to organise your own excursions, don't plan to leave the ship for an hour or two after docking as organised trips often have priority.
You can take your own soft drinks on board and use the 'fridge in your cabin. I like a particular brand of canned soft drink not stocked on any ship, so take my own for cabin use.
Our favourite thing on a sea-day is to take a book and sit at the stern, feet up on rails or lounger and sit in the sun, mesmerised by the ship's wake. Bliss.
Be prepared for a fair bit of walking. We prefer mid-sized ships but these are growing as the largest are now enormous, so walking from the dining room to the theatre can take time. perhaps five - ten minutes and you may need to rush to catch a show. Even returning to one's cabin after a long day trip ashore can seem like a day-long hike!
Other than the above just relax - you're on a cruise!

Flying to Rome or Barcelona is better floor flock, and it is not too far.

Aquagranm I thought you were going to say that you were on it too. But I now know what you mean, we have heard that from others but we went from Southampton so that there wasn't a luggage restriction and, of course, I have a bad back and can't fly far.

Or ships that sound like they belong to your uncle!

Avoid no-fly cruises on big ships.
As Exalted Wombat says good cruising is expensive, so be prepared to spend money.

Yes, it did...

Accept the fact that a cruise, like all luxury products - is basically a system for extracting your money. Don't go unless you ENJOY spending!

Floor flock...Did it leave from Southampton?