PLEASE understand that as your first cruise .. a SHORT 2 nights one day cruise is going to be VERY non-typical.
Let me try and warn you things you will find.
1. Boarding. Yes will take some time. You luggage will be delivered to the cabin (unless you have only small carryon). THAT takes time. Mine tends to arrive AFTER sailing. So when it comes, you want to unpack and get organized.
2. Getting to know the ship. With a short cruise you will be lost for the first day or two (and by then you will be getting off!). Take the deck plans with you at all times. Port and starboard are hard to figure out at times! Plan to use the stairs as the evelvators tend to get very busy. Walk DOWN and Lift UP if you have to.
3. You will want to experience every place on board. The lounges (there will be many), the library, the main theater, the other places. You won't have time .. so accept this!
4. Dining. On longer cruises the waiter, assistant waiter and wine steward/cocktail waitress will get to KNOW you. With two dinners they wont. And you wont get to know your table companions.
The first night there will be some sort of welcome aboard show .. GO! It probably will not be a big production number .. but fun.
5. Non dinner dining. You board, and have dinner. Then the next morning you have breakfast. GO TO THE Dining Room (not the buffet). It will probably be open seating so you will meet new people. The buffet is toooo rushed unless you need to (as in shore excursion). Lunch .. again will be open seating. You might be tempted this time to try the buffet (just to say you have done it) and this will be a good option JUST to try it.
Second dinner .. again will normally be assigned tables and times (tho not sure on a 2 day cruise). Trouble with a short cruise is that this second day might be suit/tie for men and dress for women. On longer cruises the first full sea day is followed by a gala evening with Tuxes for men and gowns for women.. and a Captains reception. I kind of doubt this will be the case on a 2 nighter! But check it out.. if it is formal ..dress to the NINES! (first night dinner is always casual except on luxury liners).
Second night. Will probably be the bigger production show .. and may be fun. Again there are normally bands and singers in other lounges (lounge entertainment will vary to age bracket).
Oh . but by a certain time (11pm) that second night you will have to have your luggage outside the cabin to be taken off for the next morning. So you have to plan ahead the clothes and makeup... all this after you just unpacked.
6. Disembarkation morning. No cabin service. Buffet should be open .. along with the main dining room. But it will be on a SCHEDULE based on when the ship docks and when they start getting people ashore. So plan this morning (your second morning) on getting up at 6am to see the ship come into port (WAY FUN) .. then eat. Then by 8-9am you will have to be out of your cabin and in a main theater/lounge waiting to be called to leave the ship. Sometimes this gets very complicated .. some ships run this smoothly while others don't.
Pick up your luggage (or schlep it off yourself) and go to the bus if you have a transfer to the airport. By noon you'll be at the airport.
My point... the boarding and debarkation process take TIME and energy. You won't get into the cruise spirit until the ship leaves (and your luggage arrives and you are unpacked and all). Then the last night is a bit crazy with packing and preparing to live. You have this all jammed into two nights and one day (ok part of a day on departure and a few hours on arrival).
You will not get to know the ship.
You will not get to know the waiter and their staff (who normally anticipate your needs).
You will not get to know your cabin steward (again they KNOW your needs).
You will be rushed the first night .. wanting to take everything in .. and then fall alseep.
Morning 1 you will want to be up early and enjoy the full day.
You won't have time to be pampered at the spa
You won't have (maybe) the experience of a luxurious formal night at sea .. meeting ships crew. (these formal days the hair salon is always jammed)
You won't have time for more than one art auction(most ships have them)
You won't have time for more than one or two bingo games
You will only have one day at the pool to watch the games there (different ships different games)
You won't see all the shows and singers and dancers and comedians of longer trips
You will only begin to experience the food onboard. If the ship is newer and has 'alternative restaurants' such as Southwestern or Italian or Japanese or . .. you really won't have time for that.
SHOPPING .. yea here are plenty of shops on board and they tend to run daily specials based on the cruise (the day of formal night they run specials on gowns and such).
You won't be able to attend a lot of classes - the chef will normally do cooking shows and such .. or even napkin folding .. or even computer classes
You will then immediately be packing up to leave
PLEASE understand this 'short I want to experience a cruise' is not a full experience.
I have done about eight 7 night cruises .. and LOVE them.
Some cruises were an-island-a-day .. and those were too hectic.
Some cruises were like 3 islands and 4 sea days . and those were PERFECT.
I have done one two week cruise ... and did not want to get off the ship!
My folks did a back-to-back for a month onboard (LA to SanJuan to Rio) and were very very happy with the life!
I did one four day cruise .. and found it toooo short. I did not have enough time to experience everything they offered.
I'm booked on QM transatlantic this summer .. all at sea! Cannot wait!
PLEASE understand this 'experience' is only a taste. Think of it only as an appetizer .. and a main course would be a week-long cruise. DONT think ALL cruises will be like this one .. they are all different.
In any case ENJOY! BonVoyage!