These are the things my obsessive YouTube research taught me that paid off big time on our first cruise which was on NCL's Gem.

There is no perfect cruise line, ship or cruise. There will be bumps. Your reactions will have way more to do with how you enjoy your cruise than the bumps themselves.

Get lost. Don't sweat it. There is always something else to do. <<== We got this from a musician we chatted with as he did Muster Station and we enjoyed a comfy window seat. The real lesson here is talk to the crew. They would rather be around happy cruisers and are eager to share.

Take the behind the scenes tour. See the Captain's Q and A. Go to the crew introduction and appreciation. If three is a crew talent show, GO! Cruise ships are amazing enterprises and these will all add to your knowlege and, for me at least, enjoyment.

The thermal suite is worth it for me. I can get claustrophobic at times and having an uncrowded space to retreat to was superb. Even on a day with a cancelled port stop when the thermal suite was crowded in the therapy pools and the heated loungers, the relation stations and the sauna were still empty. Going forward, we are not sailing ships without!

You cannot do it all. We were on a smaller ship. We did not once enter the bliss ultra lounge because we just forgot about it in light of all the other fun stuff we did.

Talk to the crew. They have a difficult job keeping you happy, and treating them with some kind words and questions goes a long ways for them. I would ask about their favorite itineraries, how long they have been at sea, about food from their homelands etc.

Use your words. If you do not want to be the target of the photographers, art gallery, massage therapist's sales pitches, use your words and gestures proactively. We would shake our heads no and I would make a no gesture with my hands and turn away when approached. Very quickly, no one approached us to sell pitch us as they did not want to waste their time. In the spa, I joked with my technician that I was spending way more than I planned and she had no chance to upsell me. As were were already chatting, it was easy to just keep chatting. Same at the end when she showed me the exfoliant she used and again I made light but clear that it was way to spendy for me. So the spa for me was wonderful and one of the highlights of my cruise and not a pain in the ass torture of constant upselling that so many describe. Once you respond and leave them any hope of selling you, commission sales people will be very hard to fend off. Stop them before they start and they will not.

Remember you can eat 6 meals a day and no one will care.

Walk the promenade deck as soon as you can. The wake at night is mesmerizing. The aft view is always incredible, night or day.

Look out for the pilot boats. Every port there will be a pilot left off the ship as you sail out and at least one pilot will join the ship as you approach the harbor. The pilot boat pulls up along wide and the pilot JUMPS from the ship to the boat or vice versa. All I can say is pilots are NUCKING FUTZ!

The biggest surprises were that it was all better than I anticipated and my cheeks hurt by the third day from walking around with a silly grin most of the time! We have 2 more cruises booked and are just waiting for the right itinerary to use our taavel points for another free cruise {which will be pretty danged expensive for 'free'! but it is another cruise.

So it will probably take us to cruise 5 to try another line because of how perfectly we feel NCL fits us. But others might not want a second cruise on NCL. And that is a good thing. I prefer distinctive cruise ships and lines.

Dinner on NCL is freestyle unless you have a specialty reservation. Literally just show up during a time the dining room is open and they’ll seat you.

Pay attention to the daily itinerary dropped off at your room door. The app has a lot in it but the paper is super easy to carry around with you.

My biggest tip after getting back from my first NCL cruise recently: If you get a drinks package and find a favorite bar you know you’ll frequent, tip the bartenders early and well and you’ll be treated extra well the rest of your cruise especially if it’s a bar that’s already busy or may get busier on sea days. At a minimum you’ll be checked on more often. Also tip your cabin steward early and extra. No need to do it repeatedly, just once per person even if you pre-pay gratuities on board.

When on the ship, you don't need a credit card or ID, all you need is your cruise card. I bought a phone case that also is a card holder and I found that to be really helpful.

The NCL app is actually not great, but that's just my opinion.

There is probably a Facebook group for your specific cruise. You can find it by searching for the ship name and date of departure. You should join the group. It's a good way to meet the people on your cruise and possibly find some social activities. Even if you don't participate socially, it can be a good place to get info about your cruise and ask questions if necessary.

Personally, I think you can't underpack. Maybe some people with medical needs, CPAP, etc. may need extension cords and such, but short of that, I could show up with nothing but the clothes on my back, a pair of Keen sandals, and a bathing suit. I find cruise ships have everything I need. If not, I can buy it in port.

Exception to my "can't underpack" comment ... bring cards and board games if you swing that way. I could spend every sea day playing games and just forget everything else going on.

On Sea Days, you have to realize that you can't do everything on the schedule. On my first cruise, I almost melted when I saw that the poker tournament overlapped with the the Wii Tennis competition. Gotta pick your battles and not worry about what you are missing. You gonna read a book or do sports ? You gonna do a spa day or trivia ? Swim or gamble ? You'll see when the schedule comes out. It's better to be decisive than correct.

I'm not huge on cruise ship entertainment in general. There was 1 NCL show on my last cruise that you needed to book in advance. It isn't necessary. You will still be able to walk in. The big stage shows seem so uninteresting to me but that is personal taste. Sometimes a magician or comedian will do a good show, but the singing/dancing usually fall pretty flat on NCL. The smaller venues can be fun, though. I always love the cruise version of he newlywed game. Majority rules is fun, too. Howl at the Moon is so fun. Sometimes their voices are not so great, but their attitude and piano skills are always incredible. Don't be afraid to check out a show for 5 min and bail if you don't like it.

What ship are you on ? If you are on one with a Pour House (Breakaway & Breakaway + Class) make sure you get to the Pour House stage early every night. The bands that play in there are super good ... AND .... spend every evening on the outdoor Waterfront patio - or the Sugarcane bar on the other side of the Waterfront.

My last NCL cruise I felt like they were mixing drinks with sugar free mixers and I got alot of drinks that tasted poor because of it. Don't be afraid to chuck it and order something else. I might start ordering more straightforward drinks from now on - classic cocktails like old fashioned or martini, or two-ingredient drinks like rum and coke - just make sure they use real coke. Someone slipped me a rum and coke zero - I almost died ! Some of the mojitos were quite good. Some had that sugar-free taste. Some bartenders are much better than others. Find the good ones and stick with it. I could drink my weight in Irish Cream on a cruise ship.

Main dining - don't be shy about ordering multiple appetizers and even a couple of entrees. Sometimes they are great, but sometimes just not as good as it sounds on the menu. First - find something that is on the menu every day that you like. For me, it is the New York strip. Be prepared to be disappointed in the desserts. They are like Anna Kournikova - look great but really not that good.

Main Dining can be really slow. Try O'Sheehans, the complimentary noodle place, the Indian food in the buffet, the American Diner once or twice to mix it up.

All of the upgraded specialty restaurants are pretty damn good.

Do a mix of excursions:
NCL-based excursions,
walk into town if the port is close to town (love going to local supermarkets for candy and local food),
rent a car and go to the same places that the NCL excursions go to (you can probably do 3 of them),
hire a taxi or take public transportation to the main attraction,
hire a private driver for the day - either online (toursbylocals.com) beforehand or find a dude in the port that is on his own and not too "scammy" feeling,
third party excursions like https://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com/, viator, tiqets, tripadvisor, etc,
book a tour or extreme sports day direct through a vendor and catch a taxi there.

Don't even think about buying art or jewelry on a cruise, or going to the shops in port that the cruise line "recommends" (i.e. owns).

Have your next cruise picked out before you leave and pop into the Cruise Next desk to buy your Cruise Next Vouchers and book your next cruise for an in-class upgrade.

A few must-haves that made a huge difference for me:

Bring a magnetic hook set. The cabin walls are metal, so you can stick these up and instantly have extra places to hang hats, swimsuits, lanyards, whatever. It seriously helps keep the tiny room from becoming a cluttered mess.

Over-the-door organizer is another one. I used one with clear pockets for stuff like sunscreen, meds, chargers, and small random things. Makes it super easy to stay organized, especially if you’re sharing the space.

Refillable water bottle is a must. You’ll find water stations on board, and bringing your own bottle saves you from constantly hunting down drinks, or paying for bottled water.

If you’re planning on excursions or beach days, bring a dry bag and reef-safe sunscreen. The dry bag kept our phones and passports totally safe when we hit the beach, and some ports are strict about sunscreen ingredients.

Oh and motion sickness bands or patches. Even if you’re not usually prone to it, rough sea days can sneak up on you. Better safe than queasy.

Hope this helps! You’re gonna have an awesome time. Once you get the rhythm of cruise life, it’s the most relaxing way to travel.

I really start with just a $1 per drink until I find my favorites. Then I'll do $2 or up to $5 if I ask them to do something for a recipe i have or found online. Last night I'll then do a larger tip, at least $20, as a thank you. Also, I'm just pleasant and understanding when they get backed up and won't ask for anything special if they are backed up. They've always been appreciative of that probably even more then the tips.

All my favorites that I've seen again on the same or other ships have always remembered me. It's really uncanny how they can do that with how many people they see every day.

Pick a stop that has Cococay on the itinerary. It's an amazing private island and is basically an extension of the ship. Food is included, lounge chairs are free, drink package works on the island. I like it as one of the first stops of the cruise, but no matter what day it is, I'd recommend having it on your itinerary if you are doing a Caribbean sailing.

It's never the first or last day. Cruises 5 days or less: one formal night. Cruises 6-10 days: 2 formal nights. Cruises 11+ days: 3 formal nights.

1200 points on a 7 night sailing is the start.

I packed for 8 days for a 7 day cruise, only used about 4 days worth. Between swimming and going back to wear my clothes only for walking around inside the boat, i barely sweat. So it was too much packing.

There were two on a cruise that I was on. We dressed the heck up. It was so fun. When else can you get all dressed up on purpose. Life is worth it!! Get dressed up. Do the theme nights, too. It makes it so much more fun. We were on a cruise on New Year's Eve and it was amazing!! Everyone was so dressed up and it was gorgeous seeing everyone. (the people in tshirts looked out of place and not fun).

Second this. You think you’re going to need so many changes of clothes, but you just don’t. I did the same as you, watched and read everything. Problem is the ones that were posting were people who were really into the whole theme night stuff and taking all the social media pictures. I would suggest 2 pairs of shoes, one walking and one sandals. While on ship, I was mostly in my bathing suit, so I brought 2 plus 2 coverups to go in to eat lunch (I hated the taco bar). 1 had 1 outfit for each port (walk around comfortable, nothing fancy). I also noticed those that dressed super nice were the ones the locals were trying to talk up and buy their products. I had on a common tshirt dress and loved feeling like a ghost among the living ( lots of people watching). We ate at the MDR most nights so I had 2-3 dressier outfits but nothing prom like. What I will bring again. Magnetic hooks, they were so good in the room since everything was metal!

I still haven't quite gotten mastery of how much clothing-wise to pack:

1. Either pack for an entire 7 day trip and have potential for extra luggage fees and loads and loads of laundry when I get home

2. Pack for say 5 days and use the ships laundry at some point, paying a ton there....

I do wish for self serve laundry on the ships....

Royal Caribbean has a very generous casino loyalty program so if you’re a gambler at all, I recommend researching it.

Don't buy into what people are saying. Craziness can happen on any cruise line. People who are faithful to other lines just like to give carnival a hard time. My parents go on 3-4 Carnival cruises a year and have for the last decade and have never encountered any problems and that's with traveling on weekend cruises all the way to multiple week long cruises.

I just did my first cruise and it was with carnival and had no issues. We did a 7 day though, I heard the shorter cruises are crazy

My wife and I have kind of written off Carnival. Too crowded.

Short carnival cruises out of Miami are wild.

7 day carnival cruises are ok, the 3-4 dayers are party cruises, most of the time they are ok, but if there’s a problem it’s usually the 3-4 day cruises

I've been on 5 cruises so far and I refuse to learn this lesson.

The ship is more important than the ports. I don’t care how incredible the ports are if you are on a terrible ship you will have a rough experience.

Don’t bring a beach towel, I just got off my first cruise and wasted so much room in my luggage.

By any OTC medicines you use and take them with you. Bring your own Dramamine. You’ll wear fewer clothes than what you bring.

I'm not exactly sure if this is what you mean, but living right outside Boston (you know, where it's closer to downtown than other parts of Boston) I think it's fun that you can take public transport to the cruise terminal.

Going to Bermuda out of Boston is lovely. Its a great first cruise because you are in the same place for 2.5 days and can do lots of sightseeing on without worrying about missing the ship.

A real neat thing to do is a repositioning cruise. I did one from San Juan to NYC, went to the ABC islands. It took longer to get to the airport from the pier in NY than to fly home. They are (or used to be) less expensive.

Ask the folks on the ship what are good places to eat on the islands, or a beach recommendation. The entertainment staff, cruise director staff, casino folks, waiters (casinos are closed during the day in most ports so they can often get off the ship, whereas the waitstaff have less free time) often will share their ideas or info. Some don't really do much besides check their email, buy their needed sundries, so I make it a casual conversation and don't press. I once had a lady tell me all about how she loved because she loved to shop at DSW in downtown crossing when she was on the Bermuda run, it was sweet, but not helpful for Cozumel.

There's a website called cruise compete (no spaces) where you can submit what itinerary you are looking for and then travel agents will send you bids for it. Twice I've gotten fantastic deals, and other times I've booked through BJ's and gotten a big giftcard, plus some extras.

Look at CruiseCritic website. There's tons of info about ports, cruise lines, state rooms, cruise reports, everything.

We went through Costco and you get a lot of on board $$.

When you go to the dinners, you can order more than one entre, dessert, etc.

Minimum a window is nice.

If you don't like children being around, go during the school year.

I loved going to Alaska this way (but we went first ship out so each port was ours)

You won't have wifi on the ship (well you can it's just absurdly expensive). So, download shows you may want to watch or whatever before you get on the ship.

Bring your own medicine and any possible sea sickness remedies... They are expensive onboard.

1. Bring sunscreen
2. Use the sunscreen
3. Don't get so drunk you forget about #2

Trust me.

The rule of thumb I kept reading before my first cruise was to pack half as many clothes as you think you will need and twice as much money.

Afterwards, I thought it was pretty good advice. I definitely packed too many clothes. Most days I was simply in swimwear during the day and usually only wore other clothing at dinner and during shore excursions.

Hello! Just returned on a 5 night on the Grandeur on the 23rd of May also our first cruise too! It was amazing! When you first get on the ship 🚢 go exploring! If you don’t plan on doing the fancy dining, choose the “My Time” dining. The lines at the bars for the first two days were long. Use the app to find out what you would like to see and do when you have time on the ship. There are shows and fun games to participate in. The crew is absolutely amazing! Have a wonderful time!

I’m on this ship on Wednesday, too! Yay!!

One thing….almost always the ports say rain because of the location. It did for us last time and sprinkled for 5 minutes. Don’t let that deter you to getting off the ship to explore!

I second explore the ship after safety check-in. They have a formal night or two that you can participate in if you want. (I missed the memo in my first cruise) I consider myself Ian introvert, but the most fun I had was having conversations at meals with other cruisers or in the bars during the games. I would recommend sitting at a larger table if the opportunity is there. I really preferred the main dinning room over the buffet. Might be good to try both to figure out what works best for you. Connect to wifi and open the Royal app as soon as you get on ship and you can start to schedule stuff that can be reserved and build your schedule for your stay. I would recommend carrying on a bag with a swimsuit so you can hang out at the pool before the rooms are available. Sometimes luggage might not be near your room for a few hours after the rooms are available, so it is nice to have options. We have loved our room attendants, they are a treasure trove of knowledge and can be very helpful. Ask questions! The staff we have interacted with have all been great.

When you board, go immediately to your muster station (assuming you are on a cruise line that does this). It takes two minutes (and may require you to watch a short video in the app).

Then the fun can start!

Remember to pack a carry-on bag with your swimsuit, sunblock, and a clean pair of undies. Your stateroom will not be ready for you when you first get on the ship. So you will want this for enjoying the pool while you wait.

Also, sunblock, seriosly, sunblock.

There is a mandatory safety briefing on every cruise / cruise line. Depending on what cruise line the format may be different. On the app, you will see a meeting station number/ letter like B14. It could be in the theatre or a restaurant. And you literally just go and tell them your stateroom number.

Other cruise lines may require all passengers to meet at a specific time. Again, it all depends.

I’m making it sound more complicated than it is lol but it’s a mandatory step so figure out the process on your embarkation day so you can knock it out.

The best lessons we learned before our cruise were...

There is no perfect cruiseline, no perfect ship nor a perfect cruise. How you react to the inevitable bumps will have more to do with your enjoyment of the cruise than the bumps. Our favorite day was when our port got cancelled, and we did a scenic cruise instead. Others bitched about the cancelation.

Talking to crew members was the highlight of our cruise.

You can't do everything on the ship. We never visited the nightclub and it took us 4 nights before we heard our favorite singer the first time!

You don't have to do anything either. We basically skipped a port because we wanted to sleep in and get a spa treatment on deal. It was a super day.

Yes you can eat 6 times a day, drink well and lose weight on a cruise. I am on an 85# weightloss journey, so that was a major win.

You can get addicted. We have 2 more cruises booked and are waiting for itineraries to be released to book another.

If there's an emergency and they need all passengers to gather, eg for an evacuation, your muster station is where you'll be required to go. It's important so do take it seriously.

I worked on cruise ships for two years, for the love of god, wash your hands as often as possible.

Even if you have an international plan, international waters don’t count in that. You’d need a plan specifically called out for cruise ships or you can get outrageous roaming fees.

If cruising outside your coverage area put your phone in Airplane mode to avoid outrageous fees.

Always prepay your gratuity. We made the mistake of not paying at the beginning of our cruise, and they took out what money we had left on our card. We had no money for the rest of the cruise.

That I’m prone to seasickness

Pack light with your entertainment provisions. There's so much to do on ship and on shore, that you won't have time for your own things.

That if you go with an alchoholic mother. It’s not a cruise, it’s a babysitting trip.

Fun fact

Research your ship. Newer ships are way better than older ones generally in terms of amenities and also space layout.

That isn't to say old ships aren't fun, but don't just assume all ships are equal.

Also, just spring for the balcony. Having your own little private sitting area at all hours of the day, transforms the experience.

I love being out on the ocean.

1. You don't need anywhere near as much random stuff to "hack" your cruise room as the Youtubers make it sound. You'd think cruise ship rooms are unliviable hovels that you need to bring a steamer trunk full of stuff with you to just survive in.

2. You're almost certainly packing too many clothes. Quick drying clothes you can do a quick sink wash or Febreeze spritz and hand up to dry are your friend.

3. Wear your heaviest shoes for embarking.

4. "Am I going to be too underdressed for formal nig-" No.

5. GET A PASSPORT. Every 3rd post here on some days is yet another "Oh crap I just realized I board in 7 seconds and all I have is my expired Subway Sandwich Rewards Card with my maiden name misspelled on it."

6. Have fun. Cruise your own cruise. There's no right or wrong way (within sane parameters obviously) way to cruise and don't let anyone tell you there is.

Powerstrips are banned. Anything now with a cord and multiple outlets will be confiscated. Get a multi port usb block so you can charge two devices with it. Or the one outlet block with USB on the sides. There's new rules on that so do a little research.

Magnet hooks are amazing, don't let anyone say you don't need those YouTube hacks, especially on an older ship with limited storage.

The roll up bathroom bag from Amazon or Temu is your best travel companion for the room. Get a 25lb Magnet hook for those. Wife and I each had our own bag. Plus the other hooks are great for a purse or beach bag depending on weight. Hats and lanyards too.

Medicines (Advil, Imodium, Alka Seltzer, Dramamine)

Royal has really cracked down on any power cords that increase the number of plugs.

A single one with multiple USB charger ports is great though. We have an one that makes use of the European plug, if available (note that it’s an adapter, not a voltage converter)

Hi! Not sure how old your kids are, but I wanted to add that while there is no shortage of food on cruise ships, the snack options may not work for all kids (meaning you can always get cookies, pizza, sandwiches, but not snack bars, chips, pretzels, whatever). You are allowed to bring these items with you, so if your kids (or you and your wife) have particular snacking preferences (I know for longer shore excursions it can also be nice to have easy snacks/protein bars on hand), something to consider.

Enjoy your first cruise!