As I was going through some old files this morning, I came across my folder with cruise pictures and room keys in it. I came across a card from my very first cruise (there were two, sort of) on the Emerald Seas. I say two because when I first got onboard the Emerald Seas, I was a typical first time cruiser, full of excitement and armed with just enough brochure memories to get me in trouble.

It wasn’t until I got to my room, and saw the daily sheet, that I realized this was not the itinerary I booked. Instead of being a certain Bahamas cruise with the stops I had read about, this trip (one of 4 like it during the year) was making a special stop in Port Canaveral instead of one of its Bahamas stops. Having driven down from Orlando, the last place I wanted to cruise was to Port Canaveral. Now keep in mind this was back in the days when you could actually go down to the pier and, with bags in hand, catch a last minute special if the ship had open space on the day of the cruise. As I ran to the purser’s desk to explain what had happened, and to see what my options were, I was panicked and angry about the situation. This of course, comes from a lack of preparation on my part, and a travel agent who didn’t take the time to see what I really needed as opposed to making a sale. Well, after speaking with the purser, who totally sympathized with my dilemma, and offered the only viable solution at the time, I was on my way off the ship, bags in hand, and over to the cruise ship sitting right next to mine. This was an Italian ship called the Flavia. Good itinerary, good ship to a first time cruiser, and most importantly, willing to allow me to go on board and take a cruise. As a result, I was lucky, my vacation was salvaged, and I did return to cruise again (some 53 times).

What’s the point of all this? Simple. Make sure you do your preparation work up front, and make sure your cruise agent knows what you need before you go. I say this because as a first time cruiser, you never know quite what to expect, you can only guess what the norms are, and you are eager not to make gaffes and appear a greenhorn in a situation where you will be among the same people for a while.

Your cruise agent is important because they should know the right questions to ask, based on what you’re looking to do, and if it will be a good fit for you. For instance, bad knees are incompatible with getting into Zodiac inflatable boats, which some ships use for shore excursions, and men unaccustomed to neckties may be uncomfortable at a table setting with six forks.

The ship is your destination. First-time cruisers should not base their choice on the idea of seeing an island. St. Lucia sounds wonderful, but you go ashore for six to ten hours. What are you going to do? Go to the beach. Shop? See a Piton or two? It’s your days on the ship that are your most pleasurable.

Hopefully some of the readers of this blog can comment about their own first time cruises, and what to expect, and make your initial cruise a wonderful sailing experience. If I can be of any further assistance, or if you have questions about cruising in general, feel free to contact me at gregg@yourcruiseyourway.com or visit my website at www.AVCTravel.com/GreggEppleman. See you out there!