Questions Please Help!

[emmy_is_yummy]

Hello All! I am going on a cruise in about 25 days. I leave on the Paradise on 12/14/03, and I am so excited. Let me give you a little bit of background…I am 20 and my boyfriend is 25. I have been on one cruise before. It was Carnival on the Inspiration when it was going out of New Orleans. I was 17 at the time. I went with 4 of my girlfriends and their parents. We had a completely separate cabin, and really never saw our chaperones. Needless to say that we had a total blast partying until 3 or so every morning and waking up by 7 and starting the whole thing again. It was crazy. My boyfriend on the other hand has never been on a plain…he has never been on a boat…he has really never even been out of our state! He, of coarse is very nervous about the whole thing. But I am nervous also…I had such a great time last time with so many great memories, but now I am not in the 17 year old party scene and to be quite honest, he and I aren’t really party people. I really want us to have a great time and I want him to have the time of his life so he will want to go on a vacation again. I am worried that something will go wrong, or there will be some detail that I have forgotten. I am soliciting the help of this board because I have been lurking for a while and I see how much everybody knows! Here are some of my questions.
1. What different things do you guys pack? I know the basics, but I would like to know the odd things, Any tips and tricks for packing?
2. What are some good things to know about the Paradise? Is she a nice ship. I have read mixed reviews. Has anyone been on both the Paradise and the Inspiration? Are they similar?
3. What kind of “adult†things would you guys recommend doing?
4. We are going to be staying in Ft. Lauderdale the day before…any recommended dining places?
5. Any thing else I should know to make this trip great?


Thanks in advance for all of your help! Emmy

 

[Moonglws4u]

Hello Emmy,

Let's see if any of my input can help.

1. What different things do you guys pack? I know the basics, but I would like to know the odd things, Any tips and tricks for packing? : Some kind of motion sickness OTC meds...I use Bonine but there are a variety, an extra power cord strip as there is only two in the room. Some kind of water proof case for your id's and such when your in ports of call if your going to be swimming and perhaps some aqua shoes.


5. Any thing else I should know to make this trip great?

My biggest mistake on my 2nd cruise was to have the expectations that it would be as good of a time as the first. I kept waiting for that big BOOM and it never came. I think that was because I kept comparing the two and you have to work hard not to do that sometimes. This is a completely different experience so try to seperate the memories of the first. Find the pleasure in the time you have together these are going to be NEW memories.

Have you guys talked about different shore excursions (how many, what kind). Perhaps this would be something to have a basic idea of before embarking.

Im sure someone else has more info to give but just my two scents!

 

[Meathead54]

I'm gonna start by saying that my girlfriend and I are going on our first cruise on December 7 on the Inspiration. This is the first major international travel for either of us. She has been back to her home country of Japan and to New York, but this will be her first really relaxing vacation. Myself am sort of in the same boat as your boyfriend. I have been across Canada and drove through the northern U.S. when I was younger but never been on what I consider a true vacation. Mainly I have only really travelled through my home province.

Best advice I can give, never having been on a cruise before, is go and just look forward to a relaxing time. Keep an open mind and do whatever strikes you at the moment. The most important thing is to have fun!

As for things to pack...well think about your everyday activities (besides work) and take what you need. Personal hygiene is a given. Take what you need. For clothes look at where you are travelling. For us it is cold (below freezing at home) and lots of snow on the ground. We abviously won't be taking winter clothes, but will pack lots of shorts and a few pair of long pants. Lots of t-shirts and such. The weather is going to be much better where we are going so hence we have to dig out the summer clothes. Make sure to pack some clothes for rainy weather (just in case) and cool nights.

Research the ports you are visiting and have an idea of what you would like to do while you are there. Keep two or three options available. I have been researching the ports of call since I paid for the cruise in July. I have a pretty good idea of what we are going to do in each port, with a back up plan if the excursion we want is full. If you want to scuba or snorkel look into picking up a disposable water proof camera for underwater shots. Pick these up at home as they are going to be expensive on board. If water sports are not your things lhan you will want lots of film or memery cards for a digital camera if you have it. Of course you will want to make sure that you have enough money for shopping and to settle up ship board accounts at the end. A water proof document holder is a good choice. I don't have a separate one but when I bought a bathing suit it had one. It will hold the most important stuff. Sunblock with high SPF and bug spray are a couple of things I have seen mentioned around here.

Motion sickness is something that some people will never experience. I have never had a problem on flights. Never having been on a cruise this might be something I will encounter for the first time on ship. My girlfriend has had motion sickness on her flights to Japan (over the ocean) but did not experience anything when flying to New York. Visit your pharamcist and ask questions. They will give you advice and suggest things to try. This is what we have done. We may not need it but we are going to have something just in case. Again we want to enjoy our trip, not spend it feeling sick.

And the most important thing to remember is to go and have a good time. When you get on ship there will inevitably be something you need and didn't bring. You can do all the planning in the world and there will still be something you have forgotten. Go and have a good time. Don't worry about anything you've forgotten. You're cruising to have fun, not to worry about things you need!

 

[PEB]

I have been on the Paradise. We did back to back on her this past September. The Paradise is a very nice ship and the crew does a great job. One thing to know about the Paradise is the majority of the lounges as well as the casino are on deck 9 and can be reached going down Carnival Boulevard.

The pool and buffet are on Deck 10.

If you decide to go to the shows in the showroom go early to get a good seat. You will be stuck sitting through Bingo but there are a lot of pillars and obstacles to block your view so you want to find a good seat early.

You will be leaving the ship in every port from Deck 3 even if you are tendering.

The above poster is correct do not compare this cruise to your last cruise. Go and focus on the things you enjoy and don't worry about the small stuff.

One thing to be aware of is Carnival can drive you nuts with picture taking. If you do not want your picture taken just say no thanks and walk away.

If you are going to take tours from the ship book them as soon as possible. There are forms in the Atrium as you enter the ship and the drop off box is also right in the atrium.

 

[Jeff & Susana]

Hello and congratularions on your upcoming trip!

As a couple others have stated, bo not try and compare your cruises.
Nothing takes the place of the first and each are good & bad in vatious ways.
The really great thing about Carnival is that you can do as much or as little as you want, but they do give you a lot of choices!

I also have to agree on the shows. If you do want to see them you need to get there an hour ealry and sit through bingo for a good seat. All the shows fill up early.
Same goes for the popular shore excursions.
If there is something that you want to do for sure, grab the list on your way to your cabin as you board. Look it over right away and drop it back off before you do anything else. They assign the excusions in the order they are placed in the box so you want it in there ASAP.

Carnival does give you the chance to have your picture taken a lot and my advice is do it!
It's something to do and cost nothing unless you buy. Besides, chances are that you will want at least one good picture and the more that you have to choose from the better.

Things will go wrong and you will probably forget some small details.
Try not to worry about it and DON'T let it ruin your trip.

. >>What kind of “adult†things would you guys recommend doing?<<

Sorry to laugh here but as 'adults' in our mid-40's, we actually try to be the "party people" that you are trying to leave behind!

My advice is just go and do you what ever suits your fancy at the moment.
See a show, book a shore excursion or just sit on the deck and eat pizza at 3AM.
We did all that and enjoyed every second of it!

Enjoy your short countdown and cruise!