Questions From a First-Time Cruiser About This Page:

[chrissyherren]

OK, I'm sure all of these questions have been answered numerous times, but since we got to book our reservations today I feel that it's time to start thinking about this stuff. LOL We are VERY excited about our first cruise which will be 12-21 (the day after my husband's b-day) through 12-24 (which is MY birthday). If someone can help me with a few questions, I would be very grateful! Thank you in advance!

1. Weather and Packing: What is the weather normally like at the end of December? Are we talking shorts/t-shirts/bathing suits or more jeans/t-shirts/long sleeve shirts? Is it going to be too cold to swim (on or off boat)? From all I've seen on the net, normal temps in Florida/Nassau range in the low to mid 70's. Is this correct? If so, I figure we can handle shorts and t-shirts and maybe a quick dip in the water...but please tell me if I'm wrong!

2. Excursions: We have reserved the Dolphin Encounter at Nassau and glass-bottom boat at CC. Anyone have any comments on either of these adventures?

3. GTY Cat 12: OK, so you all probably stay in fancier rooms than ours (LOL) but being so close to Christmas and all 3 of our birthdays we were opting for the cheapest we could get. Anyone have any comments about Cat 12 rooms? Are they at least decent? LOL

4. Sea Sickness: The three of us have never been on a cruise before. I'm pretty tough, but my husband and daughter can't even stand small roller-coasters...do you think they're going to have problems with sea-sickness? And if so, any suggestions to ease the quease?

Those are the main questions I have, but if anyone has any other suggestions for first-time cruisers or if there is already a good post on this somewhere, could you please direct me to it? Don't want anyone to have to reanswer all these questions if they have already been answered somewhere else! Thanks to anyone that responds!!

[iamgrumpy]

Well to Passporter! and on booking your cruise!

There are never silly questions and feel free to ask away!

I will answer about the sea sickness, I can handle small boats, but for some reason I had trouble when I was on the Magic (same size as the Wonder) I think it had to do with all the work I had to do before the cruise started and how tired I was. But I had brought with me Bonine and I also used the Sea Bands, from what I could tell the Bonine helped wonders and the seabands well not so much for myself.

I would recommend asking your daughter's doctor about what he recommends for her age, weight, and personal health if she has trouble with motion. As he might have something to recommend you use for children.

If your husband has the same issues then he might want to try Bonine it seems to be pretty popular, I heard about it here and tried it and no issues but again make sure you read the label and make sure your husband won't have trouble with it.

With that said, My mother has issues with motion on smaller boats and she had no issues with it on board the Magic. We had really rough seas the first day too and again she didn't need help where on Ferries, small boats she would have been having maajor issues.

So everyone is different but its better safe then sorry, so talk to the doctor to find out what he/she recommends and if you try Bonine take it before you get on board and don't stop until after you get back to Florida. If you don't take it and start to get sick, then take it the meds won't work fast enough to save the after product.

In terms of weather, I know Florida can range from the 50's to 70's depending on Mother Nature but I would think on board you might find it to be warmer.

I haven't stayed in a cat 12 but have heard others have and they had a great time on the cruise since you spend so much time out of the room except to sleep it shouldn't be a concern.

[wyomom]

I don't have any advice to give as I too will be on my first cruise in Feb 09. When you get back, be sure to share your excursion in a trip report as I am anxious to learn more about the cruise from a fellow first timer!

Have a blast!

PS Welcome to the boards!

[Colexis Mom]

Welcome to the boards!!

[colleymouse]

My DD(8 at time of cruise) takes after her dad and got seasick during our first dinner at Animator's Palate. I was worried that she would feel bad the entire trip. DH got her some seabands and they worked great. My DH supplemented his with Bonine. I know the bands are suppose to work on their own but I think her belief that they would fix everything added to the success. I didn't want to give her medicine because it can sometimes have side effects. We are going over Thanksgiving and we already have her seabands packed. Her older sister thought they were so cool that she wants some for this cruise even though she isn't prone to motion sickness - she is my roller coaster rider! One of the things I think that contributed to her motion sickness is that we just finished up 4 days at WDW and were all very tired so make sure in the hustle and bustle of getting ready for the trip that you all get your rest!
By the way, wish your DH a happy birthday! My birthday is the same day! I know how it is to have a birthday that time of year!

[emtpej]

Hi and welcome!

Sounds like you got some great advice already!

My family LOVED the dolphin encounter at Blue Lagoon.
I think the cat 12 staterooms are all on lower decks, which may minimize the sway somewhat. These big cruise ships have stabilizers, so they also help some. Another thing is that you will probably spend so much time other places on the ship, you won't be in your room much, anyway...

See my 'Raincloud' TR...

[rescuesk]

Welcome to the Boards! You are going to LOVE cruising!!!

We did the glass bottom boat at CC for the first time this last trip, and we loved it! I don't want to spoil it, but let me just say that the fish are very familiar with the boat, and you will see an amazing amount of them! We did it very spur of the moment, and are very glad we did!

As for the weather, we cruised in early January, and it was warm and sunny. We were fine in T-shirts, shorts and bathing suits during the day, at night on deck, we needed a light jacket but were fine in Capri pants. The water in Castaway Cay was a bit cold, but the nice warm sun made up for that. The pools on the ship are a constant temp (I believe it is 84 degrees) so they are wonderful! I brought jeans to go home in and one sweatshirt, we left our winter jackets in the car back home (we flew from Philadelphia). I had a light jacket for my DH and my DS, and I had a blazer that went with everything.

Please feel free to ask any questions you have!

[HeatherD]

We went this past December (Dec 6-9) on the Wonder. When I did wear jeans, I was VERY warm and I never needed more than short sleeves. On CC, we spent the day lounging on the beach, snorkling, etc. I think that the family beach is considered warmer, because it is more protected (more like a lagoon) from winds and frigid ocean water.

I my Sea Bands! I used to borrow my mom's all the time when I lived at home and after when I travelled infrequently. Once we started travelling more, I went out and bought my own pair. I don't travel without them. I use them when I fly, without exception. For boating, it depends, because as long as I'm in open air, I'm fine. Consider what sort of motion sickness your family suffers and that could help. If your DD suffers from carsickness, maybe take a long-ish drive and see if they help her with that.

[chrissyherren]

Thank you all so much for all the advice! I just want to be prepared as much as possible. I will definitely be checking into seabands (never heard of them before so thank you for mentioning them) and we will talk to Lexi's doctor and see what he has to say about possible meds. One more question I have is about dress. We normally are not a "dressy" family and was wondering about appropriate clothes for different activities. I would like to hear some specifics if possible about what is acceptable and what isn't acceptable for dinners. For myself and my daughter, do we need dresses for both nights or would pant outfits be ok? And my husband is NOT a suit and tie person and would rather wear khakis/dress shirts. Is this a problem? Is that kind of attire acceptable or frowned upon? We will not be doing Palo, just Animator's Palate and Triton (I believe that is the name of the two places we will be eating) and I don't know if there is a different one for the third night...I just don't want to be looked down on because we didn't bring the right kinds of clothes! Like I have mentioned, we have NEVER cruised before so I am clueless here! Other than dinners, when we are just lounging or going to shows, are shorts/tops ok to wear? What all do we need to dress up for and just how "dressy" do we need to be? You guys seem to be a wealth of information and I truly appreciate ALL of your help!!

[rescuesk]

OK, first, there is no formal night on the shorter cruises, so you are good there! You will most likely have a 3 day dining rotation, one restaurant the night you sail (the 21st), one the 22nd, and one the 23rd. You will have all 3 places, Parrot Cay is a bit more casual than the other 2. Do not miss Animator's Palate...the show makes me cry every time I see it!

The dress code is "cruise casual", which interprets to nice pants/capris or skirts and tops for the ladies, khakis and collared shirts for the men. My DH wore dress shorts one night(Parrot Cay), khakis the other 3, and golf-type polo shirts for each dinner. I wore capris 2 nights, dress pants one night, and a skirt one night. I wore a nice top with all the outfits, and sandals/kitten heels for shoes.

We had brunch at Palo and a man was turned away for wearing shorts. But my DH wore khakis and a golf shirt there, too, with no problems.

One night will be Pirates night, and you can dress in your finest Pirate garb! Disney will provide bandanas, but feel free to wear pirate hats, etc!

Also, I am not sure how old your daughter is, but princess outfits are always in style and garner alot of attention from both the staff and the princesses on board!

[dmpyron]

Seasickness: talk to your doctor about your daughter, particularly if she is under 12 and especially if she is under 6. For adults, I've found Boninne to work very well, but you should test drive it for side effects, first.

Weather: Well, Central Florida is always a crap shoot that time of year. The last time we went to WDW just before Christmas, it was 80 and sunny one day, then the next it rained, the wind howled and temps never made it above 45. And two days later we were in shorts and t-shirts. Things will be a little warmer in the Bahamas, but you may still find things a tad chill in the evenings. Especially on deck, as there will be a 22 knot wind blowing. Also, the dining rooms tend to be a little cold for many people.

[JackiePsarianos]

The stateroom attendant still pampers you regardless of which stateroom you live in. :-)

My husband has severe motion sickness and Dramamine worked wonders for him, whereas for myself I love the gentle motion, it feels like someone is rocking me.

Have a happy, Merry Christmasy, Happy Birthday x3 cruise.

Jackie °O°

[JackiePsarianos]

Originally Posted by HeatherD

We went this past December (Dec 6-9) on the Wonder. When I did wear jeans, I was VERY warm and I never needed more than short sleeves. On CC, we spent the day lounging on the beach, snorkling, etc. I think that the family beach is considered warmer, because it is more protected (more like a lagoon) from winds and frigid ocean water.

I my Sea Bands! I used to borrow my mom's all the time when I lived at home and after when I travelled infrequently. Once we started travelling more, I went out and bought my own pair. I don't travel without them. I use them when I fly, without exception. For boating, it depends, because as long as I'm in open air, I'm fine. Consider what sort of motion sickness your family suffers and that could help. If your DD suffers from carsickness, maybe take a long-ish drive and see if they help her with that.

Heather,

We cruised on the Wonder from December 6-9, 2007. It was the second half of a double dip cruise which followed four days on the Wonder for Mousefest (December 2-6). We got to stay in the same stateroom, which is the one we've been booking for all cruises.

Do you remember your stateroom number? Ours was 6120 and I had my door decorated for the Mousefest Door Decorating contest. It was a Christmas Tree made up of green hand cut outs. I saved the tree and now it adorns my mud-room entry door into the garage.

[Lumieregirl]

I stayed in a cat 12 room for a 3-day cruise with my mother. It was perfectly comfortable, if a bit small. Ours was on deck 5 near the steps/elevators, so even though we had an inside cabin, we were literally steps away from the deck 4 nice cushy loungers outside.
The one bit of advice i have is to asap when you get there, unpack and get organized. We unpacked our clothes into the drawers/closets, but then wanted to be off to the pool and left the rest and it never really got unpacked. It was cramped in there w/ us trying to fish thru our luggage too much.

[HeatherD]

Do you remember your stateroom number?

We were in 6072 and our in-laws were connected to us (though I don't remember if it was 6070 or 6074). I wasn't on PP then, though I did have my PassPorter books, so I didn't know what the magnets were and all that. I also discovered after the fact that I believe I as at DHS the day Mousefest was scheduled there.

Funny story: Our first night, our table mates didn't make it to dinner. The next night, we went to Palo and weren't at dinner. On Sat, we spent the day on the family beach at CC and I had chatted with a family seated by ours. We discovered that night (our last one) that they were our table mates!