5 Mistakes First-Time Cruisers Make and Tips to Avoid Them

As a first-time cruiser, you're going to make mistakes. And that's OK! But there are some mistakes you can avoid. Today we'll look at the five most common first-time cruiser mistakes and some tips to avoid them.

*Overpacking
When people start packing for a cruise they do so with their ideal cruise life in mind. They might see themselves starting their day by working out in the fitness room (need workout clothes), then grabbing some breakfast in the dining room (need daytime clothes), heading to the pool for a bit (need swimsuits), go on an excursion or do some shopping in port (need comfy clothes with comfy shoes), head back to the ship for dinner (need fancy dinner clothes), and then to the lounge for the show. It could result in four or five outfit changes per day. Repeat that day after day for the length of your voyage and you’ve got yourself a lot of luggage. Of course you wouldn’t want to wear the same thing twice – other cruisers would notice, right? But the reality is that once you are on the ship, you’re not going to care nearly as much as you thought you would. All those shoes you brought won’t be worn, you’ll wear those pants more than once, and you’ll find everyone else on the ship is doing the same thing.

TIP: Pack half as many clothes and twice as much money as you think you’ll need and you’ll be better prepared.

*Wind up with high cell phone bills
While cell phones can often be used on the ship at sea, high roaming charges may be incurred in international waters. Even if you have an international roaming plan, be aware that roaming rates at sea are a lot higher than regular international roaming rates.  For example, I pay 20 cents a minute for calls all around the world. But once at sea the cruise ship rate kicks in and charges me $5.99 a minute. That cost is set by the cruise line, not by my carrier.

TIPS: Keep your phone in airplane mode, particularly at sea. The alarm, clock, camera, and any stored or downloaded music, movies, games, and books will still be available. If you must use your phone, contact your cell carrier before leaving home as they can advise you on the best plans for voice and data while in port or at sea. Many a passenger has come home to an outrageous cell phone bill because they didn't understand how it worked on a cruise ship.

*Trying to do it all
Keeping a few thousand people busy on a ship requires a myriad of activities. Each day you will receive a copy of the ship’s version of a newsletter/newspaper with the scheduled activities and events. It’s the place to find out about everything happening around the ship. You’ll find trivia, games, and sports. Movies, dance classes, and arts and crafts. Seminars on the history of the region. Comedians, bands, and productions shows. Throw in meals and swimming and visiting with family and friends and you’ve got yourself a busy day. You may be wondering how you will fit it all in. You won’t.

TIPS: Mark the activities you’d like to attend then play it by ear. Balance your activities so you don’t go home needing a vacation from the vacation.

*Not paying attention to the time when in port
While on the ship you can somewhat release the need for a clock, but when in port timekeeping becomes crucial. Some ports are in a different time zone than the ship. Sometimes ships match the local time but sometimes they don’t. Cell phones on airplane mode may or may not display the ship's time, either. Before leaving confirm the time and keep on the ship’s time, not the port’s time. All aboard for passengers is usually 30 minutes before the ship’s departure. This time is listed in the daily paper, announced on the ship, and usually posted somewhere near the gangway.

TIP: Keep on the ship time, not the port time, and allow plenty of time to get back. The ship won’t wait for you to return if you made a mistake in timekeeping.

*Taking food off the ship
If you’re planning on grabbing some food from the ship to take into port for a picnic, forget about it. Fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and cheeses, nuts and seeds, and even baked goods aren’t allowed off the ship. Some ports won’t even allow a cup of coffee. Certain ports have dogs checking every single backpack, bag, and purse, just to be sure.

Black trash bags of confiscated foods

TIPS: If you want to take snacks they have to be prepackaged and sealed by the manufacturer. Granola and protein bars, prepackaged cheese and crackers, and small boxes of cereal are okay. If you are diabetic, plan accordingly.

Follow these tips and you'll be on your way to not looking like a first-timer.

The Friday 15

Goodbye to 15 more items. I can't believe I'm getting rid of my bird watching book, but it's got to go. Sad.

Ruby Princess Resources

If you want to know anything else about the Ruby Princess or have any questions about cruising or Princess Cruises, just ask. 

Roll-up Cord Organizer Sewing Project - Tutorial Tuesday

Looking for a way to store your charging cords when you're traveling or at home? Check out this organizer/holder that you can make yourself.

For this project you will need:

*One piece of main fabric
*One piece of fabric for the lining
*One piece of fabric for the pocket 
*One piece of fusible fleece
*One  piece of fusible fleece
*A piece of Velcro
*A piece of elastic 

*ribbon

*clips or pins

*sewing machine

*matching thread

*iron

*rotary cutter

*cutting mat

*cutting ruler

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

The pattern is now available in my Etsy shop as a digital download with the written directions, and step-by-step photos. Click to get your copy today!

Looking for more storage ideas? Check out these projects!

You can find the step-by-step how to video directions for the homemade roll up cord and cable organizer and holder here:

Join Me!

Remember, if you're in the Boise area and you're looking to learn more about cruising - or cruising to Alaska - join me for one of my classes. 

Register today!

Sewing for Good Sunday

Got more quilting done on the charity quilts. While I think I need more practice on my outlining, it'll do just fine.

Grand Princess California Coastal Cruise Wrap-Up

As promised, here is the wrap-up of our California Coastal cruise on the Grand Princess. I'll jump right into it:

Food:

• Breakfast for hubby was usually oatmeal and for me just a blueberry muffin. Unlike other ships I was able to get a blueberry muffin every single day but one. Sometimes it would have to come from the buffet, sometimes from International Cafe, and sometimes the guy working the IC would go grab one from the back. They were really good muffins on this ship, moist and chock full of blueberries.
• We ate lunch in the dining room twice but never ate there for breakfast or dinner. The lunch menu had enough choices and we had absolutely no problem getting a table for two. 
• We did Alfredo's just once. Remember, as long as they have the ingredients they can make you a pizza not on the menu. We went with pepperoni, lots and lots of garlic, and extra cheese. Their idea of lots and lots of garlic must be different than ours because there was barely any on it. We shared that one, then ordered one more and asked for even more garlic but it looked about the same as the first.
• We ate at Slice, the renamed/revamped pizza place on deck. One time it was a slice of pepperoni and another time it was the Stromboli with some marinara on the side. This was at the end when we started coming down with the flu so we couldn't judge whether it tasted good or not. 
• The rest of the time we ate at the buffet. It was the same standard Princess foods at the buffet dinner. Meat, mashed potatoes, pastas with some of the same Princess theme nights thrown in. (If you've only had the buffet on the Royal, Regal, or Caribbean Princess you will be disappointed.) 
• Our last cruise on the Grand a few months back we did the Crown Grill and didn't have a great experience so we skipped any specialty dining this time around. We also didn't order room service this trip.
• One note about embarkation day dining...we received a note when checking in about all the food venues open for the first day. Now that they've added the dining room to the list, the place was packed. Busier than any first day dining room lunch ever.

Cabin:

• We booked this cruise the week before it left so the lowest of the guarantee cabins, an interior F, was all that was available. A couple days before departure we received an IA cabin assignment. 
• We stayed on Caribe deck, just two cabins down from where we stayed in December. Unfortunately, we wound up having the same not-so-stellar cabin steward. Having experienced his lack of attention to cleaning last time (even with a supervisor being involved) we decided to just overlook it this time. Instead we avoided the sticky desk, stayed away from the corner above the fridge where there were roll crumbs, threw away the empty water bottle someone had left behind in the safe, and didn't use the pink and sticky section of the night stand. If it was our first time with him (and the supervisor) we would have been more insistent upon getting those things cleaned up. But experience taught us to keep our mouths shut because nothing will change.
• In the recent dry dock the TVs have been upgraded to the larger ones. But still no on-demand system.

Ports:

• All of the ports - Santa Barbara, San Pedro, San Diego, and Ensenada - were ones we had been to several times before. 
• Santa Barbara: Santa Barbara is a tender port and you need tender tickets. Passengers were asked to pick up tender tickets in the Explorer's Lounge then wait in Michelangelo's dining room until the number was called. We wound up staying onboard because it was our bartender buddy's last day on the ship. We stayed the entire day at his bar and hung out with him. 
• San Pedro: Usually the Grand docks in Long Beach when it's a port stop but for some reason the ship wound up in San Pedro this time. It confused both passengers and crew. We walked around and rode the free hop-on, hop-off bus to the fish market for lunch.
• San Diego: We went to see the San Diego Padres were playing the Arizona Diamondbacks. We walked all the way to the park and back. (Padres won.) Something to know about San Diego - the Broadway Pier where we docked had stairs, no escalator, and just one elevator. Even though hubby is disabled we weren't allowed to use the elevator. We'll be in San Diego again next month and now know we will have to be much more forceful in order to be allowed to use the elevator. 
• Ensenada: We had every intention of heading out for fish tacos, but all the days of walking had both of us feeling pretty worn down so we never got out. (Looking back now we realize we were also coming down with the flu.) It appeared most people stayed onboard when we were in Ensenada as the ship was super-busy that day.

Weather and seas:

• This was the smoothest sailing we've ever been on. It wasn't until the early morning when arriving back in San Francisco did we even notice any movement. The last day of the cruise was also the only one where we had rain. Otherwise the days were spectacular:

Embarkation Day in San Francisco

Santa Barbara

San Pedro

San Diego

Ensenada

Other things:

• Our sailing was the second one after the Grand left dry dock. I've done a separate post detailing the changes we saw. You can find that list here.
• If you're interested, you can find my day-to-day live trip report from the cruise here.
• If you want the Patters from the sailing, you can find them all right here.
• I left Encouraging Words Money Pockets all around the ship, including in the Wake Show box. I'll still keep that up for my upcoming cruises so if you ever wind up coming across one, you'll know I'm on the ship with you!

Grand Princess Dry Dock Updates, March 2019

When we joined the Grand Princess on March 30 we were on the second sailing post-dry dock. Some of the changes we saw were obvious and others not-so-obvious. I'm only sharing information on those things I saw first-hand. There were other items - wiring, plumbing, sofa swap outs, and new bathtubs - that occurred, but I didn't see those things so I'm not reporting on them.

If you're interested, you can find my wrap-up of the March 30 cruise here.
You can find my day-to-day live trip reports here.

Here are a few things I noticed had changed from our time on the ship just a few months back:

• Mailboxes were gone and Medallion screens are now in place. They aren't yet functional, but they are there - and the mailboxes aren't. Instead the papers being placed in the mailbox they were placed on the bed, folded in the door handle, or slipped under the door.

• Carpeting has been replaced throughout. I saw new carpeting in some of the cabins/hallways but ours was the older carpet that we had in December. (We were on the same deck as before.) The buffet carpeting was replaced but was shedding fuzz terribly. They also had some pretty bad stains already appearing. Double whammy for the cleaning crew.
• Along with new carpeting, chairs have been reupholstered as well. Here's a look at the Crooner's redo.

• Pools were refinished. Unfortunately the Neptune pool had an issue and was drained the first night. A crew worked in the empty pool all week and it was refilled before the last day.

• The Movies Under the Stars screen looks nice and bright now. 

• The cabins have the nice, big TVs but no on demand systems yet. 
• Wheelchair lifts were added to the entrance to the Princess Theater, at the steps to the Terrace pool, and up to the putting green and upper deck.
• The pizza place is now called Slice and has an expanded menu. All items continue to be free.

• The hamburger/hot place is now called the Salty Dog Grill. You can get all items for free, except for the Ernesto Burger and Ernesto/beer combo. 

• Mermaids Bar - the one between Slice and Salty Dog Grill - has been renamed The Mix. No signage was in place so some passengers were a bit confused. All the open deck bars are using the same drink menu.

• Hull paint has been updated.

We expected the Internet to be faster (thinking they would be set for MedallionNet) but it was just as slow as it was in December. Like almost dial up slow.

The Friday 15

Today needs to change from the Friday 15 to the Friday 1500. I went through our nails, screws, nuts and bolts and washers, picture hangers, hooks, and well, about 1,500 other little items we had. I came up with 15 full bags worth of things we don't need. Away they go.

Grand Princess Resources

If you want to know anything else about the Grand Princess or have any questions about cruising or Princess Cruises, just ask. 

No Sew Fabric Bookmark DIY Project - Tutorial Tuesday

For today's Tutorial Tuesday we have a quick and easy no-sew bookmark project idea.

For this project you will need:

*Two pieces of fabric 
*Two pieces of Heat 'n Bond Ultrahold 
*Pinking shears
*Iron
*Ribbon measuring (I cut a little v into the end of mine.)

Disclosure: Deb's Days is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to affiliated sites. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. Your purchase helps support my work in bringing you new sewing and crafting content.

Looking for a different bookmark? 

Check out my other bookmark projects!

You can find the step-by-step how to video instructions for the homemade quick and easy no sew fabric bookmark project here:

Live Froms and Trip Reports

Want to know what it's like day to day on a cruise ship? Check out the live reporting and trip wrap-ups from some of my latest cruises!

Live from the:
106 Days on the Island Princess - Summer 2023

Sapphire Princess Rome to Singapore Cruise
Royal Princess Cruise to Cabo
Golden Princess Repositioning Cruise
Island Princess in Alaska
Royal Princess Northbound Alaska Cruise
Royal Princess Southbound Alaska Cruise
Grand Princess California Coastal Cruise
Golden Princess in Alaska
Caribbean Princess E Caribbean Cruise
Caribbean Princess W Caribbean Cruise
Caribbean Princess E Caribbean Cruise #2
Caribbean Princess Hurricane Diverted Cruise
Crown Princess Transatlantic Cruise
Royal Princess Caribbean Cruise
Grand Princess Mexican Riviera Cruise

Trip Wrap-Ups:
Royal Princess 10 Day Mexican Riviera Cruise
Royal Princess Cruise to Cabo
Golden Princess Repositioning Cruise
5 Weeks Cruising Alaska on the Royal Princess
Ruby Princess Coastal Cruise
Grand Princess California Coastal Cruise
Island Princess to Alaska
Royal Princess Roundtrip to Alaska
Caribbean Princess Month-Long Caribbean Cruise
Crown Princess Transatlantic Cruise
Royal Princess Caribbean Cruise
2018, A Year of Travel

Looking for more cruising information? 

Take a look at what else you can find here at Deb's Days!

Grand Princess Last Sea Day

The other day hubby’s this is awesome quote ruled the day. Today it was me that said some words I never expected would come out of my mouth.

I’m glad we’re not going to Hawaii.

I had been working on hubby, trying to get him to agree to stay on this ship and take the next cruise to Hawaii. It’s a place we’ve been several times over and I never get tired of. But now I’m okay with not going, thanks to the kennel cruise cough I caught a few days ago. A cough that has turned into a deep down chest cold. Yesterday the sneezing and stuffy head started and now I feel completely miserable and have absolutely no interest in going anywhere but home right now. If I’m giving up on Hawaii, I know I’m sick.

So other than leaving the cabin to say goodbye to our cruise ship “son”, I’ve quarantined myself in the cabin, tucked under the covers, catching up on sleep and on movies I had downloaded. Throw in the packing and that has been the extent of my day.

The only picture I could force myself to take was of the bridge cam on the television.

Our first rainy day of this entire trip is probably a good day to be okay with letting this bug run its course. Tomorrow we’re back in San Francisco and will be heading home. I’ll do a trip wrap up sometime in the next week after I feel better.

The link to today’s Patter is here.

(Sorry for the brief, non-helpful post today. I really don't feel up to writing.)

Grand Princess in Ensenada, Mexico

Today was Ensenada and unfortunately we didn’t make it out. All the miles we’ve walked these past few days have about worn us out. While we do some walking at home, we don’t do extended distances like we do when we travel. For good reason. For hubby, it’s the Cerebral Palsy joint issues; for me it’s the rheumatoid arthritis joint issues. I sometimes forget how bad off we will be after long-walking days. Then I remember things like doctor appointments. On August 18, 2014, I wrote on my blog about a doctor's appointment I had that day:

He is absolutely confident that I will be in a wheelchair and on disability within five years. And between now and those five years? The pain, stiffness, fatigue, and joint damage will get worse. I will never get better, never live a normal life. 

And guess what? This year I’m at that five year mark. And darned if that doctor might have been right. It won’t be much longer before I’m going to have to have a scooter for traveling.

The ship has been crazy busy with people today. Of all our ships and all our ports visited, Ensenada is the one port where we find most people stay on the ship. We hear the same two things all the time about why people won’t go out. 1. It’s dirty. 2. It’s unsafe.

I get their concerns. Our first few trips here we felt the same way. But once we ventured out, we realized those fears were unfounded. We have a special taco place we go to every time now. It’s down by the fish market, but too far for us to walk today. 

They look so good, don’t they?

So we didn't get to have our tasty fish tacos and stayed onboard with what seemed like half of the ship. We’re all missing out today, but we might be the only ones who realize it. (If you’re interested in other things to do in Ensenada, click here to see my top five things.)

Tomorrow is a sea day as we head back towards San Francisco. This has been a quick trip for us. I’m not sure we’ll do just a seven day cruise again as we prefer those times we’re gone for weeks at a time, but we’ll see.

Encouraging Words Project update: Just when I write that the messages aren’t being shared, wouldn’t you know they showed up on today’s Wake Show.

San Diego, California

This is awesome.
This is awesome.
This is awesome.

Repeat that phrase about a dozen or so more times and you’ll know the words hubby spent the day repeating. All because of baseball.

Like I’ve mentioned before, he’s a huge, huge, huge baseball fan. He played as a kid for as long as someone with Cerebral Palsy can play before no longer being competitive. When his playing days were over, his participation didn’t end. He took over the role of bat boy through high school and the love of baseball stuck. His love continued big time today.

We left the ship in the morning, with our first stop being Richard Walker’s Pancake House. It’s a place we’ve visited before and a place that has the biggest, tastiest apple pancakes you’ll ever find anywhere. Plate-sized, several inches high, and covered in sugar and cinnamon and tender apples.

After sharing that tasty treat, we headed to Petco Park to watch the San Diego Padres play the Arizona Diamondbacks. (San Diego won.) From our walk there to entering the ballpark to finding our seats and all throughout the game he repeated the same three words again and again.

This is awesome.

He had quite the day. We had quite the adventure, walking over four miles getting there and back. Throw in the stairs in the cruise terminal? We’re pooped. (Something to know about the cruise terminal – there is only one elevator. The lady working there was cherry picking who could use the elevator and who needed to take the stairs. It’s very clear hubby is handicapped and only has use of one side of his body, but we weren’t allowed to use the elevator and were required to take the dangerous-for-him stairs. Thankfully coming back there was a gentleman working the elevator who was much more accommodating.)  I’m also a bit sunburned. While I sunscreened up before we left the ship, I sweated it all off before making it to the game.

We’re in port until 9:30 tonight, I think. Honestly there is no way we are going to be able to stay up that long so I didn’t even pay attention. Tomorrow we head to Ensenada, our last port stop of this trip.

Update on the Encouraging Word Pockets – still no Wake Show appearance so it’s clear no one is reading them and believing in them, so I’m upping the number of them I’m placing around the ship and in port.

If you’re looking for a rundown of all of the day’s activities, you can find the Patter here. I didn’t even look at it today. Taking a cruise ship to a baseball game was enough activity for us. Who is lucky enough to be able to say that after a game they get to go back to a ship? I guess it really is awesome.