Cruise essentials for first timers

[mybathistoohot]

I’m cruising on P&O Iona at the end of August, Spain and France. It’s my first cruise and apparently there’s a lot of hacks for cruising to make things easier and more enjoyable - regular cruisers please hit me with your tips and tricks! Iona specific stuff is cool too. It’s me, my parents (early 50’s) and DD6.

if you’re not a cruise goer or have strong opinions against them, here isn’t where you need to voice them thanks 🥰

I went on my first cruise recently, make sure you join the Facebook group for your cruise. I used the magnetic hooks suggested before I went. Didn’t need a plug extension, what we had was adequate. I took a lanyard style card holder, but I hooked it around my bag handle and kept it in the bag, rather than wearing it, so it was easier to fish out quickly when I needed it.

I loop my lanyard through the belt loop of my shirts/jeans and pop the actual card into my pocket, or on my tote bag handle when in swimwear. Most people really don’t ‘wear’ them as such. And definitely don’t when ashore, it highlights you as a tourist!

If you plan to do laundry aboard, take a net washing bag, if you have one. The laundry rooms do get busy and people may be tempted to empty your machine. We pick a short programme, set the time on our phones and pop back to transfer to the dryer. There is iron available too. DR Beckman laundry sheets are perfect for this.

Look out for the horror that is The Bay of Biscay if you go through . It can be "choppy"
DH and I did a Back-to-Back cruise last year so Siuthampton through B0B . Then back to S'Hampton and BoB.
(I ordered clothes to pick up from M&S Click&Collect )
Back out , 3rd trip through the bay .
Then awful weather near Sardinia which made the last foray through the Bay a dream

If your cabin bathroom is tight on space, consider showering in the gym/spa area.

If you like the food at the buffet, eat at the buffet. We like Azamara cruise line, where the buffet food is amazing. This way you can also watch your portions more carefully (we hate leaving food on the plate). Conversely, if you can't decide between two MDR mains, order both - it's all included.

Do not knock on a cabin door that has a pineapple fridge magnet. ‡😉

‡ I have never seen one of these, but it's a bit of "lore", apparently.

Do not knock on a cabin door that has a pineapple fridge magnet. 😉
I have never seen one of these, but it's a bit of "lore", apparently

Me neither but there are collectable rubber ducks on some ships

Re. the litre of wine per person that P&O allow... they don't see a link with your carry-on hand luggage and your check-in suitcases. So if each of those have a litre of wine per person... <wink> <awaits being told off>

Different cruise lines have different rules about alcohol. The cruise line I work with does not allow any alcohol to be taken on board at all.

Lanyards make me laugh - do you go to a hotel and wear your room key on a string around your neck? So why do you feel the need to do it on a ship? Crazy.

Check what basics of shampoo, body wash etc are provided in cabins as you may not need to take your own. On the other hand, pack things like paracetamol or plasters as those will be available in the shop but at 10 times the price.

This sounds like very cheap behaviour, why not buy wine on board?

We took a wine box and kept it locked in a suitcase

I haven’t read the whole thread but there are usb ports in the bottom of the bedside lights

Haven’t got time to RTFT sorry but there will be a FB page for your specific boat and tour, so much advice available on there.

I don’t have Facebook so I’m definitely missing out on joining those groups but the advice here has been absolutely fab!

I. Just back from the same cruise on arvia.
It was my first cruise.
Honestly don't overdo think it. It is all so easy.
Don't panic about booking restaurants you can the virtual queues work really well.

You will have a fantastic time! We're sailing on Iona this year and then Arvia next year. We've done Iona before and she's a lovely ship.

My best tips are:

Remember there are USB ports under the bedside lights for charging your phone etc.

Buy one of the plastic cruise luggage label covers for putting your bag labels in and attaching to your suitcases. Officially P&O suggest printing off your luggage tags and stapling them round your suitcase handle but I think you'd risk getting the labels ripped that way.

Take a couple of Dr Beckman laundry detergent sheets if you need to do washing. They take up almost no space but launderettes are free and have washing machines, tumble dryers and irons.

You can ask your cabin steward if you need more clothes hangers and don't forget to take some cash on board if you want to leave them a tip at the end of the week.

You really don't need to overpack. I took WAY too many pairs of shoes on my first cruise when all I really needed was a pair of trainers for walking round on port days, a pair of flip flops for round the pool and a dressy pair of shoes for the evening.

Iona is usually kept a nice temperature inside but you may want a cardigan or other light layers for on deck early mornings or in the evening.

The Glass House is a lovely spot for a glass of wine and people watching in the atrium.

On embarkation day if you want somewhere quieter for lunch go straight to the Olive Grove and let everyone else queue at the buffet or The Quays. That said, the fish and chips at The Quays is really good so I'd recommend that.

We tended to avoid the buffet at all costs other than for late night snacks. It can get REALLY busy. Breakfasts in the MDRs were much calmer and nicer.

Have an idea of what you'd like to do in ports but remember sometimes it's nice to just mooch about and not plan too much. What's In Port is a really good website for handy hints about pretty much any cruise port in the world!

You can just get a drink from the bar in Sindhu and it's much quieter than some of the other bars. Similarly you can get Costa coffees at The Glass House or Ripples (the ice cream counter) and beat the big queues at Vistas.

Oh and if your daughter is going to the kids club in the evening they do a Kids Tea at 5pm in the buffet where it's sectioned off just for children which I thought was a great idea. I'm sure she'll love it .... my DDs are obsessed with The Reef!

Just wondering if anyone who has sailed on Iona can give me WiFi experiences? I’ll need to stay online for work, though I am on AL, so I do need to be able to access emails etc. I’m looking at either purchasing the on board WiFi or buying a maritime e-sim and then using my normal sim for data at port. Can anyone advise or recommend please?

I used an eSIM on Britannia in the Caribbean and it was fine.

You can always top up by buying 24 hours of the onboard WiFi if you do it at say 13;00 one day you get it until 13:00 the next so two half days. NB: Make sure to account for any time differences.