What can we expect from our first cruise?

Old Jun 9th, 2009, 11:43 AM
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What can we expect from our first cruise?

My husband and I are thinking of trying a northern European cruise. We have never been on a cruise before and we were wondering what to expect. We are in our early 30's and want to explore all the ports of call. Most of the cruises spend one day in each port and then move on to the next. My concern is that we will be too rushed to see anything in those ports. Also how is it getting off the ship? Are we going to be wasting valuable time trying to get off the ship? We are more interested in sight-seeing than spending time on a ship which I figure is like a floating hotel, just a place to lay my head. Am I wrong?
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Old Jun 9th, 2009, 12:54 PM
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Our first cruise was a wonderful experience. It was our first time to Europe and we enjoyed the opportunity to get a little taste of a lot of different ports of call. And it was really nice to not have to move around to different hotels/B&Bs and to not have to deal with how to get where on that first trip.

Getting on and off the ship was never a problem for us, but we were on a smaller boat - Oceania's Insignia. We never felt rushed, although we would have liked to have been able to spend more time in some of the towns. But that's how we determined where we would visit on subsequent trips - which would not be cruises!

The excursions with the cruise line were very expensive and after the first two (which were fantastic, don't get me wrong), we opted to see the areas on our own. It worked out great and we had a blast!
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Old Jun 9th, 2009, 01:01 PM
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If you choose to explore on your own, remember that the cruise ships are berthed quite a way from the town you will be visiting. The time to explore is short. My friend calls it moronic travel because the cruise ship does everything for you if you take their shore excursions. Yellow sticker on chest means yellow card in bus window. Lots of people love it.
You might enjoy a riverboat cruise much more. You have more freedom and time on your own to explore and you often stay longer. The riverboat cruises are easy to walk ashore in town and explore rather than getting a cab to your destination. The big ships are a hotel with lots of time taken up with eating. In a riverboat you may choose to eat in town or on the boat...much easier than the mass eating in the big ships.The river cruises have fewer than the 3,000 much simplier and more personal. You don't get that herded around feeling.
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Old Jun 9th, 2009, 01:13 PM
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We also think of a cruise ship as a floating hotel. Oceania is our favorite line, and their small size makes getting off the ship very easy--we never had to wait in line. I disagree that the ships "always" dock quite a way from town. We could walk into town in many stops, or take a short bus/cab ride.

I think there are advantages and disadvantages to both cruises and land based vacations. Is one day enough to see everything most cities have to offer? Of course not. Can you see a lot in one day? Absoultely.

We also prefer not to take the shiop's shore exccursions. We either tour a place on our own (I often find self guided walking tours) or use private guides.
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Old Jun 10th, 2009, 03:29 PM
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Think of a cruise as a sampler as far as sight seeing is concerned. It is impossible to see anything in depth. You can plan a subsequent trip to places that appeal to you. A cruise offers other advantages. A place to stay without packing and chasing trains every day, meals available at all times. Most of the time ships dock close to the interesting sights. TAxis are usually at the dock to gety you a little further afield. The time docked - 6 or 8 hours - is usually plenty for a quick look. Getting on and off the ship is nsither difficult nor time consuming. Go on a cruise and enjoy.
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Old Jun 11th, 2009, 07:18 AM
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First, a cruise ship is much better than a hotel. Expect a wide array of bars, restaurants, shows, recreational activities, wellness etc. A cruise ship is like a city and life onboard is very entertaining. We always love cruises with lots of days on the sea so that we can enjoy the vessel.

Second, do a lot of research about the ports of call. www.cruisecritic.com is a most valuable source. The excursions that are offered by the cruise ships are very expensive. Sometimes you get exactly the same excursion at half price from a local tour operator.

In many European ports, I do not recommend a tour at all. Many towns can easily be explored on your own. Sometimes, the ships docks directly in downtown, so you just walk off the ship and you are in the midst of things. Sometimes, the ships docks in an industrial port which is far away from downtown. Then, in most of the cases, the ship offers a bus shuttle at 5$ or so. Sometimes, hiring a taxi would be cheaper and more convenient, especially if you share a taxi with four people.

When the attractions are far away from the port, you might consider hiring a rental car. Usually the rental car is delivered directly on the dock which is very convenient. Again, if you share with four, it is very economical. (Use cruisecritic.com to find companions even before you start your cruise.)

If you are more specific about your route and ports of call, we might give you more detailed advice.
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Old Jun 11th, 2009, 09:05 AM
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Cruising advanatage:

Unpack and pack only once, sample all the ports of calls, no worries about meals (or unsafe meals), no language worries, have acceptable level of minimal standard etc.

Once you haved explored and know what you like at a port, you can always make a full trip going back and explore some more.

Another option is to take same cruise again and sample different places for the same ports. Have take the same cruise a few times, but never saw the same place twice! Being somewhat familiar with the place and it is an added bonus.
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Old Jun 11th, 2009, 07:20 PM
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As someone else said, you get a taste of the ports and then you can go back for a longer time if you like what you see. We are going on a Med cruise where we are in port at least 12 hours, so we will have a fairly decent time to explore. Look for a cruise with longer port stays. Northern Europe is a great cruise. Many lines stay overnight and offer two days in St. Petersburg.

With a ship, you don't have to worry about where to eat breakfast and dinner.

We cruised on a larger ship (RCCL Jewel of the Seas) and had no difficulty with timing off the ship. Sometimes in a tendered port, there may be a slight line, but it moves fast.

In St. Petersburg, we had 2 days and a wonderful private tour from Red October tours. We were told that we would not be allowed off of the ship until the ship's excursions left. Not true - we walked off the ship to meet our guide at 7:30AM for a full day of touring.

In Copenhagen, we opted for a 4 hour bicycle tour with a wonderful guide who showed us the major highlights of the ciyt and even took us into a few buildings.

Also, with a cruise, you don't feel guilty for not touring when you have one or two sea days. If you were on land, you would feel compelled to keep going and going. Sea days are relaxing and enable you to recharge for the rest of the ports.

One final note - if you like the ports from where you start and end, stay a few extra days on each end of your cruise. We are staying extra in Venice and Barcelona on our cruise.

Try a cruise - you won't be sorry.
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Old Jun 12th, 2009, 06:03 AM
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Actually we cruised northern Europe two yrs. ago embarking from Copenhagen with stops in Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersberg, Tallin, Gdansk, and Oslo. This is a great cruise and if you go in June during white nights you have practically 24 hrs. of daylight. Getting off the ship is a breeze really. The only port to be concerned with is St. Petes where you need to have a sponsored tour either from the ship or a private Russian tours company (there are several good ones) to avoid visa issues. Otherwise you can just get off on your own. The major attractions are either close to the dock like in Stockholm or you can get a cab and arrange a tour. Its easy really and thigs are not that far away at all if you cab it. In Oslo there is a tour bus right at the dock with stops at the major attractions. You should have enough time for a nice tour in all the ports. Cheers, Larry
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