{"id":6634,"date":"2017-04-06T19:09:28","date_gmt":"2017-04-06T19:09:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com\/awaywego\/?p=6634"},"modified":"2017-10-05T16:44:36","modified_gmt":"2017-10-05T16:44:36","slug":"everything-wrong-first-cruise-even-couple-things-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carnival.com\/awaywego\/cruising-fun\/what-to-expect\/everything-wrong-first-cruise-even-couple-things-right","title":{"rendered":"Everything I Did Wrong on My First Cruise (and Even a Couple Things I Did Right)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Getting practical cruise advice is tough\u2014it\u2019s hard to know what to expect from a cruise unless you\u2019ve already been on one. These first time cruise tips are everything you need to know about what to do and, most importantly, what not to do on your first cruise. Trust me\u2014I\u2019m an expert in making mistakes.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Carnival<\/em><\/p>\n

About 15 years ago, I went on my first cruise from Boston to Bermuda<\/a> with my mother. I was young, but I found a few other kids my age to cause trouble with. I developed a small crush on a Russian girl named Olga and, weirdly, she is one of the most vivid memories I have of that trip\u2014Olga.<\/p>\n

Well, Olga, and illegally renting a motorbike in Bermuda with a fake ID and almost crashing head-first into oncoming traffic.<\/p>\n

Fond memories. I haven\u2019t been on a cruise since.<\/p>\n

Last month, I had the opportunity to sail on Carnival\u2019s newest ship, the\u00a0Carnival Vista<\/a>, the same one that\u2019s been named \u201cthe best ship of 2016.\u201d You don\u2019t turn down an offer like that.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t, anyway.<\/p>\n

Winter in Washington, DC has been FAR TOO COLD for my liking, so I saw this as a prime opportunity to get out of dodge, take off for the Caribbean<\/a>, and take a bit of time to explore Miami<\/a> (the cruise\u2019s port of call) while I was at it.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a long year<\/a>, anyway, so it was due time for a break.<\/p>\n

\"Jeremy<\/p>\n

What I Expected from My First Time Cruise Experience<\/strong><\/p>\n

Like I\u2019ve said before<\/a>, going on a cruise is not this \u201cauthentic travel experience\u201d that we, as travel bloggers and chronic\/full-time travelers, put so much emphasis on. Cruising is a vacation.<\/strong> And if you want to take a vacation<\/a> and see a few new countries along the way, then going on a cruise is a no-brainer. It can be a ton <\/em>of fun (and surprisingly, in the right seasons, not that expensive).<\/p>\n

I\u2019m one of those guys who likes to learn something from their travels (yeah, those guys)<\/em>. I like my travel to be transformative and life-changing. I\u2019m all about the journey and all those other clich\u00e9s you\u2019ve heard a million times before.<\/p>\n

Well, this cruise was, in a way, transformative. I learned that travel doesn\u2019t have to be a rigorous journey. Sometimes, it can just be easy and relaxing and fun. Maybe this was obvious to you, but it wasn\u2019t to me.<\/p>\n

I travel too much for my own good.<\/p>\n

\"Maho<\/p>\n

More than anything, I was looking forward to pool days and hot tubs. Blue water. Relaxation. Maybe some coconuts. New countries. TONS of photos. I thought I might even read a book or two (side note: I didn\u2019t).<\/p>\n

I was also looking forward to hanging out with my buddy Kate<\/a>, whom I haven\u2019t seen much since our travels through The Balkans<\/a> a couple of years ago.<\/p>\n

I usually like to travel slowly, spending at least<\/em> a few weeks per place, so the one thing I was most unsure about was spending just one day in port. I didn\u2019t love the idea of powering through a country in just six or eight hours, but I figured, \u201chey, I\u2019m doing it, so I might as well do it right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond that, I tried to keep an open mind. I like to think I\u2019m pretty good at doing that.<\/p>\n

Cruise Advice: My Favorite Things About Cruising on Board the Carnival Vista<\/strong><\/p>\n