15 Best Tips For Your First Cruise
When my non-cruise friends tell me they are thinking about taking a cruise for the first time, they always have so many questions. They often ask if I have any tips for them. My intent of this article is to help shed some light on some of the most popular concerns first-timers have.
So, you have had discussions with your friends, family, colleagues, and the internet (and yes it sometimes answers back) and you have decided to go on a cruise for the first time. You have so many questions and decisions to make. Now what? What are the next steps you need to do to book your first cruise?
Where to go? Caribbean? Mediterranean? South Pacific? How long? What cruise line? How to choose your cruise ship? What itinerary? Once you have decided on the destination, cruise line, itinerary and ship, here are the best tips for your first cruise.
Pre-Cruise
Flights
If you have decided to book your first cruise through a travel agent, that is awesome. I would recommend that the agent also coordinate any flights required directly through the cruise line. Alternatively, flights can be booked separately but make sure they are scheduled to arrive ahead of your cruise or the day before so as not to miss the embarkation of the cruise. It is highly recommended that you should arrive in the departing port the day before especially if it us your first cruise.
Tip: If you do choose to book the flights on your own, make sure you give the cruise line your flight details. This is particular importance at the end of the cruise.
For first time cruisers, it is worth noting that return flights should not be booked any earlier than 11:00am on debarkation day as there is always the possibility of delays returning to Port. More about this in the disembarkation section. This is a very important tip for those on their first cruise.
Pre-cruise Hotel
It is highly recommended that you book a pre-cruise hotel the day before your cruise departs. This will lessen the impact flight delays may have on the departure of the cruise. You certainly do not want to miss it!
It is also recommended that the hotel you choose is close to the port, has breakfast included and a shuttle service to the port. Having breakfast already planned the morning of departure will allow you more time to organize everything else in the morning so that you are ready to head to the port.
A shuttle service is also beneficial as the taxis and shuttles tend to have priority at busy port terminals. If you have rented a car, it will take extra time to find the correct place to park and return the car. This also may require you to transport your luggage through the parking area to get to the port terminal. A shuttle service will drop you off where you need to be.
Arrival at Port
When you arrive in port, there will be instructions on where to drop your luggage. On my last cruise with Princess Cruises, it was a very easy process. The hotel shuttle delivered us to the side of the road outside the cruise terminal and basically took our luggage directly from us and placed it on a luggage trolley.
At this point, you need to remember that you will not see your luggage again until it is delivered to your cabin sometime later in the afternoon or evening. This could be hours so remember to pack your carry-on accordingly. For tips on what to keep in a carry-on, check out my blog post of essential items for a carry-on.
For other cruise lines or ports, this process may require you to bring your luggage into the terminal and place it in a long row. This is to allow for a security protocol to search for illegal substances.
If you are fortunate enough to walk to the port, there will usually be a long line prior to entering the terminal. Be aware of your embarkation times so you do not wait needlessly long. Security does take time at the terminal prior to boarding.
Embarkation
This is the process of getting you fully registered for the cruise and walking onto the ship. For most cruises nowadays, much of this process is done ahead of time. When you book your cruise, you will be selecting many optional packages, if you wish, and uploading any flight or security documents such as passports, visas, and vaccine information as required. The more information you pre-load onto the cruise portal, the faster the process will go. As this is your first cruise, I would recommend uploading as much as possible for peace of mind.
With Princess Cruises, they are now using an electronic medallion. With this medallion, you can find locations on board the ship, unlock your cabin door, order from the bars and restaurants, locate other passengers, chat with member of your travelling group and review information about the ports of call and shore excursions. It really is an amazing tool!
Prior to your cruise, your information is pre-loaded to the medallion so that all features applicable to your requested services packages will be available to use once on board the ship. This includes which drink package you have, which dining package you have selected, your shore excursions (if selected) and who your travel companions are. This feature can come in handy on large cruise ships if you want to locate your friends or family. It will show their current location or if they are moving, it will indicate their direction. This is somewhat like the “Marauders Map” from Harry Potter fame.
Arriving on board the Cruise Ship
Once you have passed through the cruise terminal and have finalized the embarkation paperwork and logistics, it is time to finally get onboard the ship. In many times you will be asked to pose for the camera on your way onto the gangplank. This is entirely up to you but rest assured that the photo will be available for purchase at some pint on your cruise.
Tip: As you walk onto the ship, you will be greeted by several crew members welcoming you aboard. A good tip is to get to know some of their names. If you need something special, it may be arranged if you have taken the time to meet them.
One of the first things onboard you will want to do is to go to your cabin. It is fine and dandy to go there; but be prepared that your cabin may not always be ready for you. The stewards may still be cleaning or making the beds. You are welcome to meet them and introduce yourselves as they may be your best friend throughout your cruise. It is their job to assist you in any way that they can. If you need something, ask. If something is wrong, ask. You are welcome to drop your carry-on luggage and go explore the ship.
Some of the other things to do is familiarize yourself with include the layout of the ship and the location of the dining rooms, bars, pools, casino, tour desk, shops etc. If you arrive early on board, go have lunch or head to the pool.
Leaving Port
If this is your first cruise, this is one event you will not want to miss! This is the part of the trip where everyone in on the outside decks of the ship and gets to wave goodbye to anyone onshore. There is commonly a “Sail Away Party”. It does not matter that you probably do not know anyone. If you are lucky, there will be someone who waves back. The best side to be on is the side that will pass by the most amount of people on your way out of the port. Keep in mind that the ship may be backing out of port or may turn around in larger ports. A viewing spot along the railing will give you the best view!
Onboard
Muster Drill
Once the cruise is underway and has ventured out into international waters, there will be a muster drill. This is a very important cruise tip. This is where the captain will have all passengers and crew assemble in specific locations on board the ship with their lifejackets to receive further instructions. In an actual emergency, you would get directions to the nearest lifeboats or perhaps to return to your cabin and await other instructions.
Depending on your cruise line, part of the drill may be done in your cabin by viewing the screen, followed by checking in at your muster location. In most cases, you will not be wandering around the ship with life jackets for the drill!
Stairs
On any cruise ship there are several banks of elevators that allow you to travel and access all the floors of the ship. However, even with all these elevators, there is simply no way that all passengers will be able to always travel by elevator. The line-ups would be astounding. So, you will need to learn where the closest sets of stairs are located to the areas of the ship that you want to go. Keep in mind that not all staircases will access all decks.
Elevators nearest the buffet restaurants are usually the busiest.
Entertainment
There are many types of entertainment on board a cruise ship. During the day, there are areas where you can quietly read a book or play a board game. There are also several of the bar and lounge areas that may have some music playing either live or recorded for your listening pleasure. Some may even transform to stages that provide some form of trivia or music contest venue. Bars may offer wine tasting. And there is always the opportunity to stroll through the art gallery and ask questions to the curators present. Casinos are always an option if you are into that sort of thing. Be aware that casinos are not open in port.
Outside, many pool areas could have contests in additional to the obvious swimming amenities.
For the children, most cruises offer some forms of teen or children’s clubs to keep the younger ones occupied.
Beverages
All cruises provide various types of beverage packages. Some include alcohol but not all of them. Basically, anything other than water, regular coffee, and tea you will be paying extra for. Cappuccinos, lattes, and smoothies are extra. So, the question is – if you drink alcohol, do you really need to have the all-inclusive package? Most drinks on board a ship will run you between $8 – 18USD. A full-price drink package is somewhere between $800-900USD. Do the math to see which is best for you.
For most people, either the soft drink package or the specialty coffee package will be all that you need. You will still be able to buy drinks if you wish that glass of wine with dinner. On a side note, some ports do not allow alcohol purchase or consumption while in port due to local regulations. The port of Galveston in Texas is one. One bar will be open and will have a limited serving menu. Once out of port, full service resumes.
Wi-Fi
Cruise tip for wifi, plain and simple, if you plan on using your electronic devices at all on your cruise, make sure you purchase the Wi-Fi package before you sail. Otherwise, the cost of internet will be VERY expensive. Most cruise lines have a pre-cruise deal on the internet and depending on your cruise, it may even be included as a bonus. Just make sure you have it!
Tip: Wifi packages can be cheaper if you purchase before departure.
Laundry
For many people gong on vacation means a break from the mundane things of everyday life including laundry. However, unless you plan on bringing a lot of clothes or are on an extended cruise, there really is no need to do laundry. If you do decide that laundry is required, be prepared that it too can get very expensive on a cruise. To make matters worse, there are usually very few machines and from personal experience, not all of them work well.
In many cases, the dryers take longer to dry than the washers do to wash, sometimes two cycles. If you are not physically present to verify the dryness of your laundry, it could get removed from the machine and you will be stuck with somewhat damp clothes. So… there is your warning. Try to avoid laundry on a cruise if possible.
Excursions
Excursions are some of the most desirable parts of cruising. They include so many activities such as watersports, hiking, sightseeing tours, museums, and culinary experiences. The cruise lines will have you pre-book all your excursions to be sure you will not miss out. There are usually plenty of activities to go around. However, if there is an excursion that you do not want to miss or one that has any type of restrictions, those are the ones that you should want to pre-book.
Some people will just go ashore and find a local operator and arrange with them to do an excursion. The advantage is that it may be cheaper and more personal. The disadvantage is that if anything happens, they are not responsible for getting you back to the cruise ship.
Important Cruise Tip - If you are not on board the ship by the requested time, the ship WILL leave without you.
Debarkation
Eventually your cruise will come to an end, and you will have to leave the ship. Normally the debarkation process will have you pack your luggage the day before and leave it outside your cabin. Depending on the cruise, it may be collected during dinner or some time during the night. It will be placed in large luggage carts to be removed from the ship once the ship has docked and cleared customs. The ships crew will deliver it to the location in a warehouse where you will eventually retrieve your bags. You and your bags will proceed to customs and the departure area. This process can take several hours given that there are several thousand people trying to leave a cruise ship.
A little cruise tip for you. If you are able-bodied and capable of carrying/pulling your own luggage, do not place it outside your cabin. When directed in the morning, go to the walk-off departure area of the ship with your bags. This is the first group off the ship and will be the first to engage the taxis and shuttles. If you have an early departing flight back home or your next destination, this is an absolute MUST!!
Post-cruise Flights
When you are planning your vacation and your need to fly cruise port, be sure to check that the departing flight is no earlier than 11:30am on the day that you arrive in port. This will allow for any delays in either the ship docking or clearing customs or you leaving the ship. You would hate to miss your flight at the end of your vacation.
Tip: Facial recognition at customs does not always work well. Manual passport/ID checking does still take place in some ports. Have your ID handy to save time.
Conclusion
I’m sure there are more cruise tips for first time cruisers that I have missed but I think these are the most important ones.
Be sure to read about the Top 7 Cruise Etiquette Rules and what happens to cruise ships during hurricane season as well.
Happy cruising!
Are you ready to book your first cruise?
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