10 Reasons To Take A First Time Cruise

Being a camp out kind of family, anything that mentioned formal dress has been a turnoff. Retired now, and more relaxed, 14 days with a mere 3 formal nights sounded okay and there are some pleasant surprises with that, which are discussed below.

To start with, the embarking process was easy as eating pizza. The cruise website gets you ready for that. If you confirm your passport and answer a few questions at "Advanced Guest Registration", you will find that all you have to do is walk on board. A brief wait at the San Pedro,CA cruise line terminal is all that we went through.

We are going south to see the sights through the Panama Canal.

As we stepped on board we got our first professional picture taken. One of about a dozen. We received a map of the ship and we embarked on a carefree vacation with no worries. There was a tinge of excitement because this was totally new.

Many of the passengers are retired and are ready to start a conversation with a smile.

Of all the people I met, talked to and shared upscale dining with, no one had done a cruise just once.

We seemed to be the only first time cruisers. There is an art to cruising on the big ocean liners. You may decide that one cruise is not enough. We have taken the Princess Cruises to Baja California and found out many like to take this trip every year.

99% of the servers and cruise employees have the same attitude: friendly and willing to serve. You are embarking onto a carefree time zone.

The people that will be taking care of you are from more than a dozen countries, I am sure. Each will have a name tag with their first name and country of origin.

By the time you cruise past Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, the sweaters are forgotten.

Enjoy warm sun on full length luxury padded lounges on four sun desks.

Our seventh level promenade is lined with steamer lounges on both the port and star sides of the ship. The promenade is wide enough for leisure walkers and the occasional runner. During the day until evening it is manned by the drink servers.

Three swimming pools, a wading pool and six spas for cooling off on the ship.

Satisfy your curiosity about the Panama Canal. Get plenty of information.

Two hour long big screen lectures of its history by the ship expert on the Panama Canal.

This personable director will narrate the whole canal crossing from the moments of ocean approach to the leaving, and full speed is once again started. Every point of interest and the history is mentioned on the port and star sides of the ship.

The new Panama canal construction to provide a third wider, longer and deeper lane for the new big ships, has started and is visible from your ship. You will get all the information about this new project plus a two sided map to follow your course through the canal.

On ship photographers take canal side photos of the passengers and points of interest. Beautiful photos will be offered on the ship. Example of crossing photo packages was 10 for $30 or 20 for $40.00. These were beautifully labeled photo-matted professional photos. Excellent for framing or the photo album.

Grown children can offer a cruise vacation for their parent's anniversary, or a grandmother can take her older grandchildren on a first cruise. Nothing says pride than seeing a 6+ foot, high school senior in a tux with his younger brothers on formal night.

No worries with this gift if you go along or not. Everything is done for you. No meal planning, cooking, and shortage of entertainment. Every evening a Patter arrives at your cabin listing all the hourly activities, movies and live shows for the next day.

Free portrait settings on causal and formal nights. Dozens of pictures and prints available for viewing all trip long.

The only thing missing is the family dog.

The Princess Theater photo above shows only half of the seating. This theater is used for lectures, movies, song show productions, and live comedians.

Some examples of activities is ballroom dance lessons, line dancing, singing, gym activities, wine tasting, shopping, casino games, art auctions, bingo, spa treatments, acupuncture, swimming games, 3 big screen movie venues, one with popcorn, and special interest hours for meeting people.

Special interests, could be singles, AA, table tennis, game room for cards, Scrabble, puzzles, and trivia get together. All but a few of these activities are all inclusive, or part of the original cruise price.

See other cultures and countries at the ports-of-call. Each destination has an hour program lecture before the day of landing. You will not miss anything that meets your interest. Information sheet for each port by Princess Cruises.

At each port you can explore on foot with the help of the lecture or purchase a secure excursion via Princess Cruises. We had five ports-of-call on this 14 day trip.

All meals are serviced to you with several choices to meet your mood at the moment.

Three formal nights that you can skip because the Horizon Court is open 24 hours a day. Many entrees offered at the dining rooms are also served in the buffet.

Anytime Dining with waiter service at a table for two, or larger table settings for meeting other travelers and sharing conversations.

Traditional cruise dining with assigned seating and times.

The menus in the formal dining rooms are elegant with a four course meal. Three choices of appetizers, 3 choices of soup or salad, four or five choices for main dish and a whole dessert menu handed to you for complimenting regular coffee or sometimes coffee specialties, to end your exquisite dinner. Sugar free desserts are available and before the cruise, mark that as a concern on your pre-cruise request form.

There is special service for wine lovers.

Still not satisfied? Try thin crust NY style pizza from noon till evening or grilled hamburgers, fries or hot dogs. There is the Bayou room for pub fare and an Italian restaurant by special request.

At 3PM the fresh baked cookies come out at the Horizon Court. Soft freeze ice cream available all afternoon and evening on one of the sundecks. Popcorn for the evening movie on the Lido deck. Drink servers available before every live show, movie or theater event.

There is barista style coffee service in the atrium all day. This is an extra charge, though.

Even with almost 2000 guests on board there is plenty of quiet serene seating areas. Find them on the Promenade, on the sixth floor inside corridors, the library, and the smoker's lounge.

TV in your room or chairs on your balcony. The fifteen level sun deck was very quiet on our trip.

Your cabin is straightened and freshened for you twice a day. Room service for food or drink is offered for an extra charge.

Luggage is delivered at your door by the time you set sail.

For a $19 fee your luggage is sent to the airlines for you at the end of the trip. Also bus service to the airline terminal. No dragging the luggage around. A perfect ending for your cruise trip.

You know as you are leaving the ship another cruise will be even easier to plan for next year.

See thirteen images on flickr of the Panama Canal cruise.