Well we took the plunge so to speak. Booked a Mediterranean & Adriatic Sea cruise going to Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, and Greece. Eleven days on the high seas. We’re going mid October pending a favorable outcome of my wife’s PET scan this Tuesday. We have a balcony stateroom ship assigned so I don’t know where on the boat it will be. We’re pretty jazzed up because this has been a trying summer with the cancer and all. Neither of us has been on a cruise before so the whole thing will be a new experience. The only things that concerns me is the ship is an older one commissioned in 1998 so it’s 20years old but has been refurbished. Reviews of the boat and all that comes with it are mixed. Many people said it was a great cruise and thought the boat was very nice, clean and good service. Then there were the reviews that weren’t so good and knocked everything. Didn’t know how to take that - my experience with American travelers is they can be very fussy and ultra particular. In any case we’re going cruising!!
We have sailed on some of the older ships and had a very good experience despite what some of the reviews said. The crew is so accommodating that any issues will be addressed quickly. Enjoy the well deserved holiday!
Couple of suggestions from my wife the travel expert:
If you can arrive a couple of days in advance so there isn't a big rush to the sea port makes for a stress free boarding
Take some local currency for each country for taxis or meals
Always carry your passport when off the ship (Leave a copy in your stateroom if possible)
Pack a carry-on size bag for the last night as they collect all your luggage after dinner of the last night so you will have nothing but what you can carry in the morning
Ship board excursions can be expensive so if you just want to look around on your own look into private tour companies in the city you are in. We used these companies and had a great experience one on one
Bring a multiport charger for your electronic devices as likely there will only be one or two 110v outlets in the room
We picked up some small magnetic hooks from Amazon that we use to hang clothes to dry etc as everything in the room is metal (Walls & Roof) We do some sink laundry or use the passenger laundry so we do not have to pack 2 weeks worth of clothes (bring some detergent pods if you plan to do laundry on board as they will charge lots)
Lastly - the crew is incentivised to sell different drink packages so if you want to buy a drink package choose a crew member who has been extra good so they get the commission. They will look after you all the better. The drinks supplied at the buffets are all fountain based mixed syrup with water. Even the coffee is a syrup mix from the fountain taps. They will sell you a coffee package which will get you decent brewed coffees and some specialty coffee if you like that kinda thing. Bottled water is an extra cost otherwise there is only tap water so heads up.