First Cruise

Firstly don't take an iron or anything electrical. They will take it off you and give it back on the last day! If you prefer not to sit with strangers at dinner, tell them on the first evening and they can allocate a table for two, which will be yours throughout the cruise. On the day you board, the buffet will be a bit of a bun fight as everyone is boarding at the same time, and they're all hungry. Don't let this put you off, everything calms down, and eating times become more evened out. Don't try to buy your own booze when you're ashore. They will not let you drink it on board. Again they will return it at the end of the cruise. Happy sailing!

My tip would be to know that on day one you need to go to the reception and cancel the tips. On P&O for two people this will save you almost £200 on your on-board spend (as at May 2016). You can then decide who gets what yourself and hand it out accordingly. Our particular cruise (Med 18 nights) had more walking stick, walking aids and wheel chairs than I ever knew existined on the whole goddam planet, beware when walking around corners! Could tell you a lot more but we didn't enjoy it so I would be a moaning minnie. There is a lot to do but beware they look on you as a walking wallet and will try everything to get you to spend more...

Turn the roaming data off on your phone - otherwise it seems to charge you just for having the thing on - try and get a cabin midship - we were at the front and there was a bit of queasiness going on at times - we had an inside cabin which felt a bit claustraphobic - but it was very much cheaper to do it that way and you dont have to spend much time in it. Altogether a lovely holiday, enjoy.

Have heard Holland America are good.

Yes ee are going with Holland America and yes there is a fixed dining time but we opted for the one that we think suits us best. Thanks for the tips re breakfast. I don't really enjoy breakfast so DH could have room service as he likes to eat the minute his eyes are open in the morning. I prefer a brunch on holiday. DH had a look at Cruisecritic before we booked so that was helpful Bit worried that Galen said 'no comment' is that a dire warning? Help!!

I recommend Celebrity or Oceania cruises. We avoid embarking in Britain, and there are definitely some cruise lines to be avoided!

The OP is cruising from Boston to Montreal, so I'm guessing it's Holland America Line.

Highly recommend Cunard.
Particularly the grills.
If you are on P&O and have a suite or Queens Grill on Cunard you will have a butler.
On all the cruise lines I've been on, en suite breakfast is available.

Saga. No bun fights ( unless it's to get at the delicious cakes served in the afternoon). No fighting for seats for the entertainment ( just be careful you don't fall over the walking frames). Just wonderful friendly crew, fantastic food and a jolly good relaxing time. We love it (even if we are the youngest on board!)

We have been taking a cruise a year for over twenty years and still love it. I agree with previous posters that Cruise Critic will tell you everything you need to know and you can chat on their forums to others who are booked on your cruise.

You don't say which line you are cruising with, so I don't know if they will be giving you the choice of "traditional" dining at the same table, same time, every night, or more flexible "anytime" dining when you can eat at whatever time suits you, with different table mates each night. Again, Cruise Critic will give you pros and cons of each type of dining. If you decide to try a speciality restaurant, which usually costs extra, always ask for a discount - we have never paid full price.

There are lots of other extras you can spend money on - drinks (unless you have a drinks package included), incredibly expensive photos, spa treatments, excursions - the list is endless. Buy the extras if you feel they will add to your enjoyment, but many experienced cruisers can do a two-week cruise with little or no on-board spending.

And the best tip of all - have a wonderful time

Our first cruise was a mini cruise for our 50th wedding anniversary. Complete with our DS, DD ,their spouses and the GDs. We all loved every moment.
So look forward to it with pleasure Teetime, it will be worth the wait. Have a really lovely time

If possible have breakfast from room service. At least have coffee and croissants. If sitting on a table with others, if anybody is irritating, ask to move after the first night, it will only get worse! Don't know much about P andO though.

I've done a few cruises and I agree withMaggie have breakfast in the main restaurant, you can spend ages trying to find a table as some people finish breakfast and then hang around forever nursing a cup of tea not a bit concerned that someone else might need a seat. And it's nicer to be waited on anyway. Try and book a cabin lower down in the middle of the ship, more comfortable if sea is a bit rough. If you want to see a show make sure you get to the theatre at least 20 mins before it starts or you'll find it hard to get a seat. There's lots of cruise forums to look at Cruise Critic is a good one. We've only ever sailed with P&O and found their staff to be brilliant, especially the cabin stewards, they couldn't be more helpful. Next month we're trying Cunard it will be interesting to compare. Above all enjoy your cruise, we find its the most relaxing holiday

Yes, Bbevan P&O do restaurant breakfast, always much more civilised than the buffet, especially on the first morning and the last when the buffet is always chaotic, tends to be for a limited time, though. The Horizon newspaper will say which restaurant and the times, or the cabin steward should know, or reception can tell you. We also enjoy a cold breakfast served in the cabin, good for lazy start mornings.

Teetime once on board its worth asking your cabin steward anything you are unsure about - they know it all! Cruise Critic is definitely a good source of information, your cruise line may also have a FAQ section on their web site. Also worth asking whoever booked your cruise, they often know the answers to questions. One thing we do take, if going on an older ship and if case weight will allow, is a multi point suitable extension lead - cabin sockets are rarely where you want them to be, also helpful for charging multiple items at once. New ships should be fine socket-wise. If its a non-Uk ship you may need adapters as well, but that information should be on the cruise site. It will be lovely, just have fun.

Well I never knew that Maggie How did you find out. We are going on a P&O cruise soon and would love to be able to have a civilised leisurely breakfast.

I've only been on two cruises, so am far from an expert, but we avoided the breakfast bun fight by eating bteakfast in the formal dining room - very civilised. We hadn't realised it was an option for the first few days.

No comment!

Join cruisecritic.co.UK then you can glean lots of info and ask questions about your specific shop, cabin and ports of call. Think there's a thread for first time cruisers. You might recognise chelseababy on three too!

Go to breakfast as early as you can. It's quiet early on and then can turn into a bit of a bun fight

Where's Galen when she's needed? Cruising is for when you want to see lots of places and decide if you want to return.