Thanks for all the funny and great suggestions ladiez. Hopefully alcohol will work and I won't stumble off the ship, lol. See you on the cruise. ^.~

Angel.

As an ED Resident Physician:

On the record - Zofran, if you can get a hold of a prescription, will not make your drowsy, like most antiemetics.

Off the record -  If you don't fight the "motion of the ocean" alcohol (works wonders for this, if not in excess), will keep you from getting sea sick. My drug of choice on vacation.

I've been on 2 cruises in my life (1 Carnival, 1 Olivia).  It was suggested by a friend to take Bonine which is a motion sickness pill.  I brought it with me on both cruises and never had a need for it.  If it's your first time on a cruise, I would suggest bringing some sort of motion sickness remedy (such as Bonine or ginger root pills as others have suggested) and if you need it, take it.

The "motion of the ocean" might take a little getting used to but I've found that if you have a few tropical drinks, you won't even notice it!  We actually had a little running joke with some friends we met on our last cruise (Olivia Cruise for our Cause).  After we had all consumed a "few" drinks, one of us would stumble a bit and we'd say "Was that me or the boat?"  Can't wait to relive those memories!!!

Never been on a cruise does everyone get seasick on these things? lol. So ginger root is good? I'm stocking up. Are pills better?

Angel.

This will be our first cruise ever!  Never went on a straight or lesbian cruise, this will be our second Olivia trip...just came back from the cancun trip which was a resort at club med, that was fabulous!  Met great women that I hope will be our friends for life....Thanks for giving us virgins some good advice you guys rock!

 

Peggy &  Kris 

turnbostl,

I use the capsule ginger root, and I take it once a day... it works great!!

I usually take a couple of pairs of dress pants, and a variety of dressy shirts/blouses/tanks type tops.  I also take some "club worthy" clothes as well.  They ususally host something fun like 70's night, or "white night", or something themed (you will find out before hand so you know what to bring.)  Also the formal night is wonderful, because some people go all out!!  We always wear formal attire (me in a gown, my butch in a tux)  it is very romantic.

Yes the "Host Hotel" is where everyone meets and the night before cruise, there is a party with dancing and a "buffet" of sorts.   It's pretty entertaining, and you get to meet some of the Olivia staff, and sometimes the entertainers from the trip.

It is alot of fun, and we are so excited it cannot get here fast enough.

This will be our first Olivia cruise as well and we are very excited! 

I do get sea sick.  Bonine works for me but it does make me drowsy so I'd like to try something natural like ginger root.  Do you take capsules or use crystallized ginger?  How much do you take and how often?

Since it will be hard finding summer clothes in March, I'm trying to prepare for that now.  What kind of special dress events do they usually have on the cruise?

One final question:  we plan to arrive in Ft. Lauderdale the day before the cruise.  Is there a hotel that Olivia typically uses for pre-cruise events?

Thanks for any and all suggestions. 

 

 

The boat is 100% exclusive to women. There are of course male employees working the boat but otherwise it is all women. Are you cruising alone? Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any help. Ive cruised with Olivia a few times and have had the best time of my life.

 

I have a question, still a bit confused about Olivia's cruises. Do they book the entire ship or only a portion of it? I'm asking because you can still book this cruise on other sites. Just wondering if it is exclusive or not. Thanks for your info!

Hi Cruise Virgins!!!  And welcome to the best cruise you will ever book!!!  You are going to have a BLAST!!!  I am addicted...and going on my fourth in March!!!  There is nothing like it on earth (and Yes, I have something to compare to....I have been on 2 "straight" cruises...and it is SOOOOO different!)

I kinda dissagree (sorry) with some of the comments/advise... but only because I am a "fem".   I loved all the chances to change clothes, and wear some stuff I don't get to wear on "land".  I completely decked out (as did my sweet butchy girlfriend) on formal night, for dinner and pictures (complete with my evening gown, and her sexy tux).  We had a blast getting all "schnazzzzed up"!  And I loved  getting dressed up for all the picture and party opportunities.  Now, if what you are going for is to participate in all of the great activities that Olivia, and Holland America has to offer.... bring some changes of clothes.  You will love the extra special parties that Olivia plans, like the "white party", or the "theme nights", cause some people really get crazzzzzy!!! and go all out... it is so much fun, and HEY, you are doing this... not "freestyle straight cruising".... so enjoy it for a week!!!  You can be bland and boring when you get back home!!!  (anyone who tells you cruises are for relaxing... BORING!!  they are so much fun, and there is so much to do you won't want to sit by and observe!!)

Ok... all that said... I don't get seasick... but I also take ginger root religiously for 1 month prior to cruising... and on the cruise... and it works (obviously) like a charm!!  I have turned a few people on to it... plus it just generally helps with stomach problems, and it is "natural", so it is good all the time.  (sorry, the ER nurse in me coming out)   I have never needed the bracelets, or bands, or pills.

Enjoy the different foods on the ship... sure, you can go to the LIdo deck and have hamburgers.... but you can have that ANYTIME!!!  Enjoy the fancy food in the dining hall and the AMAZING table stewards, and wine stewards that bend over backwards for you and get to know you all week long (some of them become like family!!)  And the foods are so much different than your average cuisine!!

Pack your shoes!!!  You never know how your feet are going to react to different terrains!  (I brought lots...and I was not sorry)  All the playing, and walking, and changing from boats, to buses, to ferrys... etc.  (DEFINETELY tennis shoes!)

Ok... good luck, and see you there!! (hope this helped a little)

Hey****  Just a suggestion... the last cruise we took (in october) we all got together at various times during the trip (from the forums) and got to know each other, and have become GREAT friends (from ALL over!!!)  ... just a suggestion!

Hello Lovers,

Welcome to the wonderful world of Olivia. We took our first cruise in January of this year and it was a blast. Advice: bring money for a massage in the spa, make sure you know the themes for the parties ( we had a mad hatter night, it was great), buy some sea sick bands at Rite Aid ( just in case, we needed them and it cost more on the boat), be ready to gain weight and eat all the food that you cant pronounce at the evening dinners, and finally Captains Night is really formal. Lets keep in touch and have a chat by the pool in March.

hey cruise virgins this is what I will tell you to not do and that is pack all this clothes and stuff. what you will need is all the first aid that you can stand.  Dramine, bandages, ginger candy suntan lotions. peppermint balls all the stuff for your first time on a moving ship. wrist bands that pervent motion sickness.. all that is important. then the shorts and the bathing suits...even tums for your stomach cause you will be on a ship with food all day long...you never know what will upset your stomach..3 dressy outfits for the pics on the ship at the evening dining hours. but just dressy pants and shirts and stuff..Sometimes on the ship in the shows the theathers are cold so a lite sweater or scarf to cover you....

Hi.  Jayne here.  we just got off our second olivia cruise...still recuperating but already planning for next year.

First thing you will need only about half of what you pack the first time.  Here are some clues from the last  two march cruises:

You can go the entire week if you wanted with bathing suit shorts and flip flops or water shoes.  From there there is a formal (only if you want) night.  There has been a masquerade party and a white party - with a splash of pink.  Everything is optional and you have to decide how all out you want to go. 

Except on formal night, the 'formal dining' is not so formal.  People where nice shorts or pants and a button down or golf shirt - medium casual.  There is also dinner each night where you can be very casual at the regular restaurant.

The theater and the can be cool (we just brought a sweatshirt).  There is a commitment ceremony.  Again there was the full range of dressy to shirts and shirt.  There is a fitness center if you need workout clothes.  The deck walk will probably happen again.  A fundraiser for the Susan Love Foundation.  We wore pink and white and just walked in our flip flops.

There is reasonable laundry and pressing on the ship.  Don't bring an iron.  THey also provide shampoo etc just like a hotel.  Don't bother with towels.  We did a swap last year too.  We are from Texas and we brought stuff to exchange with folks we met the year before or on the forum. 

The shore excursions range from ATV trips to swimming with the stingrays to walking tours to kayaking etc.  We couldn't sign up for excursions until march 5th.  pleanty of time to think about it.  I have a copy of the general offerings I can send you.

Make sure to have sunglasses, camera, sunscreen (lots) and aloe.  We also bring seabands (bracelets) just incase seas are rough (or when we got on the fishing boat).

We again brought so much stuff we didn't use or need.....

Long winded but a start.....Looking so forward to next March Jayne 

Hello ladies.  As the topic says, this will be our first cruise ever.  Being that we are from Illinois and in March it will be snowing here, we need to get our "cruise attire" this summer.  So, my question is, what do we bring???????

And, how do you choose what else to do....and how do you book it....and what do you wear???

Please help us   

 Sincerely,

Cruise Virgins