What the best advice you ever received or could give a new cruiser?

My advice is always the same. Consult a competent cruise travel agent. It won't cost you a penny and you will probably get extra perks than what the cruise line offers.

Accept reality with a smile --

You may experience rough seas, missed ports and/or obnoxious guests, as well as smaller than expected cabins/balconies and upselling. Don't let it get in the way of a fun time.

Roll with the punches; enjoy the motion of the ocean and the way of the waves

Choose the right ship that fits your desires and needs of you and your cruiser companions. I can give only advice from ships I have sailed. But my wife can tell you anything you want to know about cruising. That is her job.

For instance:

If you have kids, on a budget and/or want to have a younger crowd, go on Carnival.

If you want a white glove experience, go silver seas or regent.
If you want more band for your buck, go MSC (highly recommend them and get the yacht club cabins) well worth it.

If you want big, the Oasis class is the way to go. My recommendation is the Crown Loft Suites.

If you love Disney, well, at least once you need to cruise Disney.

A not so well know Tip:

If you have an American Express card, you get many upgrades booking through them instead of the ship carrier or a website.

How about that! Simon posted his question I posted mine. Great minds think alike they say.....

Don't look for perfection in every aspect of the cruise - the food, the weather, etc. will vary from day to day so enjoy the overall experience of floating around in the middle of the ocean on your way to beautiful islands and places you may haven't seen before. Bring a relaxed - I'm here to have fun - attitude.

See question of the week.

That's a really good piece of advice, but we do enjoy watching those pier runners.

I fully agree with this.

My advice would be to understand the difference between port time and ship's time and realize that the ship will leave without you.

My advice would be to read through the cruise contract & FAQs before you cruise. So often we read reviews from folks who were not aware that a port may be missed or something could change in their itinerary and they expect a refund for part of their cruise. Others post that something was confiscated but it clearly states in the FAQs that the item is not permitted onboard. Contracts change, so it's important to be aware of changes from cruise to cruise.