1st time crusing

[alby]

hi guys, the rhapsody is here (Singapore) on december 08' and i've just booked a 5 night to malaysia and phuket and also it's my 1st cruise with my wife and 2 kids.i can survive any way but im not to sure about my wife and kid, i was wondering will there be enough activities to keep them busy and also really need some survival tips for newbie. last one, the internet cafe, is it the same that you get on land..receiving mail etc.. thanks for the info...cheers

[alby]

hi guys, the rhapsody is here (Singapore) on december 08' and i've just booked a 5 night to malaysia and phuket and also it's my 1st cruise with my wife and 2 kids.i can survive any way but im not to sure about my wife and kid, i was wondering will there be enough activities to keep them busy and also really need some survival tips for newbie. last one, the internet cafe, is it the same that you get on land..receiving mail etc.. thanks for the info...cheers

[Sonny V]

Hello alby, welcome to Cruise-Chat. There will be a lot of activities aboard the Rhapsody. Then internet cafe work just like the service you have at home, only is much slower, and cost 50 cents per minute. The Rhapsody is the first Royal Caribbean ship I was on back in 1993. Next month will be my 40th cruise with Royal Caribbean. I hope you enjoy cruising a much as I do...

Sonny

[Wheels87]

My wife, three children and I were on the Rhapsody in December, 2006 out of Galveston and we absolutely loved it! There will always be way more activities than you could ever imagine, so don't worry about anyone getting bored. Also, the Adventure Ocean Children's program has activities for all ages and my girls all loved it. Rhapsody is a beautiful and fun ship. Happy cruising.

[Wheels87]

Oops, I missed the question about survival tips...One thing that would have been nice to know is to make sure and pack your dinner clothing and swimsuits for the first night in your carry on. On our first cruise, we didn't get our luggage in time for the early seating and dinner and had to miss it.

Take a highlighter and read the Cruise Compass (the daily flyer that provides information about activites) every evening and highlight the activities you are interested in. Believe it or not, I found myself disappointed that I missed out on something I would have enjoyed because I forgot about it on more than one occasion.

Don't overpack!!! A few pairs of shorts, half a dozen shirts and a few pairs of dress pants will be enough. Also, bring a tie for the formal night, if you are so inclined. Remember, for a fee, they do have a laundry service on board, so you won't need all of those "Just in case" items. If tragedy strikes and all of your shorts get dirty, simply have them laundered.

Make sure and explore the Royal Caribbean web-site thoroughly before you go. You can pre-purchase various packages, such as the wine and dine or romance packages so you won't be surprised when you get on board.

Also, I am a big soft-drink fan and purchased the soda package and really regretted it. I drank mostly mixed drinks and the free tea/lemonade. I would recommend not buying it.

Good luck and have a wonderful time!