Questions from a newbie

[Newvoyager]

Hi, sorry if any of these questions have been asked previously. I'm heading on my first cruise in January and I have a few questions.  First off is clothing. Is it ok to dress in jeans (if so is ripped bad?), sweatpants, and hoodies? Like sweatpants and hoodies would be at night if it's cold/windy or early morning.

Do we need to bring our own beach towel for the excursions or can we use the towels from the cruise?

Secondly is there a place to watch the stars on the boat (symphony specifically)? Like I figure if we're out in the middle of the ocean, there would be less noise pollution, so it could make pretty nice to do if there are clear skies, or at least somewhere quiet to relax at night?

Also is there a themed party night? Someone told me that they went on a cruise and there was a tropical night. Is there a way to find the theme beforehand?

Are there generally young adults(18-25) on the cruise( symphony departure in January)? My perception is that, usually cruises are meant for an older age group, but I could be ill-informed.

Any other tips or advice would be cool too. 

Thanks

[MikeK]

yes you are allowed to wear the wear the hoodies, jeans, sweatpants etc.  It depends where you are going if you need many warm weather clothes..  The Caribbean is warm even in the evening in January.  

Beach towels are provided free of charge but you have to check them out and they will charge your account if you dont bring them back

There are plenty of places to watch the stars on the pool deck at night.  Do some exploring when you get on board and I m sure you will find a good place.

Not sure about the theme nights

Symphony is a large ship and there will be a fair amount of young adults on board.  Not as many as a summer or spring break cruise but still a fair amount.  There wont be many young families with kids because of school.

First cruisers need to make sure they have the right paper work (IDs) or they will not let you on the ship.  And it is strongly advisable that you get to the cruise port the day before the cruise.  Spend the extra money of hotel and dont take a chance of being late.  The cruise ship will not wait on you.

[KWong]

12 hours ago, Newvoyager said:

Secondly is there a place to watch the stars on the boat (symphony specifically)? Like I figure if we're out in the middle of the ocean, there would be less noise pollution, so it could make pretty nice to do if there are clear skies, or at least somewhere quiet to relax at night?

If you've got an Oceanview balcony, that's perfect. If not, the pool deck would be good. If the Boardwalk isn't lit up, then the Deck 7 area by the climbing walls might offer a nice view as well.

 

12 hours ago, Newvoyager said:

Are there generally young adults(18-25) on the cruise( symphony departure in January)? My perception is that, usually cruises are meant for an older age group, but I could be ill-informed.

I think you'll find a wide age range of people on board Symphony. If you do a Facebook search you might find a group doing meetups.

Theme nights - I'd probably email guest services and see if they know.

Other tips:

- Bring cash for tipping at the ports.

- If you have purchased the drink package, TAKE IT EASY on Day 1. You don't want to spend Day 2 and maybe 3 with a hangover. 

- Also, don't purchase the drink package on board, unless you can finagle a much better price than what they're listing.

- Don't try to do everything. You won't be able to. 

[WAAAYTOOO]

8 minutes ago, KWong said:

- If you have purchased the drink package, TAKE IT EASY on Day 1. You don't want to spend Day 2 and maybe 3 with a hangover. 

- Also, don't purchase the drink package on board, unless you can finagle a much better price than what they're listing.

- Don't try to do everything. You won't be able to. 

These are EXCELLENT suggestions !  Particularly #1.  I see soooo many people pounding the drinks on the first day/night, knowing that they are going to be sorry the next day.

[KWong]

I've definitely experienced hangover regret in my lifetime. Thankfully never on a boat.

[ChessE4]

17 hours ago, Newvoyager said:

Hi, sorry if any of these questions have been asked previously. I'm heading on my first cruise in January and I have a few questions.  First off is clothing. Is it ok to dress in jeans (if so is ripped bad?), sweatpants, and hoodies? Like sweatpants and hoodies would be at night if it's cold/windy or early morning.

 

You are OK for casual venues, but there is night dining for which you will want to dress "smart casual" or "business casual".  I'd pack one nice outfit to complement the casual clothes.

In other words, have an outfit that would be suitable if you were at home and wanted to go out to a nice restaurant, lounge, or dancing venue.   Have a great cruise!

[Newvoyager]

9 hours ago, MikeK said:

yes you are allowed to wear the wear the hoodies, jeans, sweatpants etc.  It depends where you are going if you need many warm weather clothes..  The Caribbean is warm even in the evening in January.  

Beach towels are provided free of charge but you have to check them out and they will charge your account if you dont bring them back

There are plenty of places to watch the stars on the pool deck at night.  Do some exploring when you get on board and I m sure you will find a good place.

Not sure about the theme nights

Symphony is a large ship and there will be a fair amount of young adults on board.  Not as many as a summer or spring break cruise but still a fair amount.  There wont be many young families with kids because of school.

First cruisers need to make sure they have the right paper work (IDs) or they will not let you on the ship.  And it is strongly advisable that you get to the cruise port the day before the cruise.  Spend the extra money of hotel and dont take a chance of being late.  The cruise ship will not wait on you.

Thanks for the advice

[Newvoyager]

9 hours ago, KWong said:

If you've got an Oceanview balcony, that's perfect. If not, the pool deck would be good. If the Boardwalk isn't lit up, then the Deck 7 area by the climbing walls might offer a nice view as well.

 

I think you'll find a wide age range of people on board Symphony. If you do a Facebook search you might find a group doing meetups.

Theme nights - I'd probably email guest services and see if they know.

Other tips:

- Bring cash for tipping at the ports.

- If you have purchased the drink package, TAKE IT EASY on Day 1. You don't want to spend Day 2 and maybe 3 with a hangover. 

- Also, don't purchase the drink package on board, unless you can finagle a much better price than what they're listing.

- Don't try to do everything. You won't be able to. 

Thanks for the extra tip, will keep in mind deck 7. Hopefully I drink enough for new years, which would keep me away from alcohol for a while lol

[Newvoyager]

5 hours ago, ChessE4 said:

You are OK for casual venues, but there is night dining for which you will want to dress "smart casual" or "business casual".  I'd pack one nice outfit to complement the casual clothes.

In other words, have an outfit that would be suitable if you were at home and wanted to go out to a nice restaurant, lounge, or dancing venue.   Have a great cruise!

Thanks, yeah, I understand dressing up. But sometimes find it too much of an effort, prefer a casual atmosphere.

[Brobbins246]

Sweatshirts and jeans are nice to have on the upper decks at night.  It can get windy and chilly there while you're moving through the ocean.  If you want to dress down all week, I'd recommend sticking with dining venus like the Windjammer, Johnny Rockets (if that's on Symphony), Cafe Promenade, poolside grilles, and Solarium Cafe - places like that.

For beach towels on port days, you can try to check them out at the pool deck stations, but be prepared for the question, "are you staying on the ship" and the answer should be yes if you want to take them from there.  Or you can wait until you get off the ship and there's usually a towel check out station on the pier.