Chances are if you’ve landed on this article, you’re planning your first cruise vacation. Or, you may be a few cruises in and want to be better prepared going into your next voyage. Either way, welcome! You’ve come to the right place. Here, we’re giving you 30 first time cruise tips to help ensure you have the smoothest and best time on your upcoming sailing.
Our 30 Expert First Time Cruise Tips
1. Book with a travel agent.
If you’re a first-time cruiser, booking with a travel agent is highly recommended because they will guide you through the entire process — from picking a ship, choosing your cabin, getting the best deal, and more. They also offer promotions and perks that you won’t be able to get on your own.
If you’re looking for a travel advisor, our preferred partner is MEI Travel. They will be happy to help you plan the perfect vacation at no additional cost to you.
2. Check deck plans before selecting a cabin.
Before you choose your cabin and book your cruise, don’t only check the deck plans for your potential deck — check the deck plans for the decks above and below it as well. There are some cabins you may want to avoid.
Chances are you don’t want to be just below the buffet, awakening to the hustle and bustle of people getting breakfast. You also won’t want to be directly above the nightclub (unless you plan to be there all night every night!), trying to fall asleep to the beat of the music.
Ideally, your cabin will be sandwiched between cabins directly above and below you. It’s also important to check the deck plans to see how close you are to the amenities you’ll spend the most time enjoying, how close/far you are from the elevators, etc.
3. Be aware that not everything on the ship is included.
Though cruises are more of an inclusive vacation option than some land-based vacations, be aware that on most lines, not everything is included. Most onboard entertainment, access to many facilities, meals at included venues, and select non-alcoholic drinks are included in the cruise fare.
However, additional costs usually apply to things like specialty restaurants, alcoholic and specialty beverages, the spa thermal suite, and internet access. If you’re planning to take advantage of any of these extras, be sure to account for them when creating your vacation budget.
4. Look into the available packages.
Prior to sailing, look into which packages are available on your ship to see if any of them would be beneficial for you to purchase, such as a drink package, specialty dining package, or internet package. Unless you’re sailing a luxury cruise ship, most of the time these items cost extra. Some lines even bundle packages so if you think you’ll want more than one, see if that’s an option.
5. Pre-reserve shows and specialty dining.
If your cruise line offers the ability to make reservations for specialty dining prior to the cruise, be sure you do for the places you don’t want to miss. Popular restaurants and dining times will fill up quickly.
The same goes for entertainment, which some cruise lines allow pre-cruise booking for as well. Normally, you can book these about three months prior to your sailing.
6. Book your excursions ahead of time.
Don’t wait to book port activities and tours until you’re on the ship — we recommend booking them ahead of time. You can choose to book through the cruise line, through a third-party vendor, or through local tour companies directly.
For first-time cruisers, we recommend booking through the cruise line for added peace of mind. The ship will not leave anyone behind if they’re on a cruise line excursion, even if it runs late. With that being said, there are some non-cruise line excursions that are wonderful options as well. These tend to be cheaper and often have smaller group sizes.
7. Use your passport.
If you’re a U.S. citizen taking a closed-loop cruise from the U.S., you most likely don’t technically need a passport to sail. Most cruise lines allow you to use your birth certificate and another form of government ID instead. However, we still strongly encourage you to have and use a passport anyway. It makes things much easier if for any reason you have to leave the ship early and fly home from a foreign port.
8. Learn some nautical terms.
Though you don’t have to attend the naval academy, learning some basic ship terms can come in handy during a cruise. For example, the front of the ship is known as “forward,” and the back is called the “aft.” When facing forward, the left side of the ship is referred to as the “port” side, and the right is known as the “starboard” side. The ship’s speed will be described in “knots;” one knot is about 1.1 mile per hour.
9. Prepay your daily gratuities.
Most cruise lines charge each guest a daily gratuity, or service charge. It’s usually added to your folio each day of the cruise and will be on your final bill at the end. However, one of the top first time cruise tips is to prepay these gratuities prior to the sailing. That way it’s one less thing on your bill once your vacation is over. Further, if gratuities happen to increase between the time of booking and your sail date, you’ll be locked in at the lower rate.
10. Purchase travel insurance and flights independently.
When booking your cruise, you’ll likely be offered the option to book your flights (if needed) to the cruise through the cruise line. You’ll also be offered the cruise line’s travel insurance. We suggest you skip both and book those things on your own.
With flights, it’s best to either book directly with the airline or through your travel agent because then you’re cutting out the middleman of the cruise line. Plus, many cruise line-booked flights have weird routes and extra layovers that you can easily avoid if you book yourself. With travel insurance, you can find better policies at a cheaper cost if you book that yourself as well. A great aggregate website to find and compare travel insurance policies is tripinsurance.com.
11. Pack mindfully.
Packing is an art that’s best learned through lots of experience — but that doesn’t mean you can’t pack like an expert if you’re not a seasoned traveler! When it comes time to pack for your cruise, think carefully about what the weather will be like, what activities you’ll be doing, and what you will want to wear in the evenings.
Bring layers — especially on sailings that might have cooler or more unpredictable weather. Create outfits at home and mix and match pieces into multiple outfits to maximize your luggage space.
Check whether your cruise line has self-service laundry and if so, consider using it partway through the cruise to save even more space. Cruise lines also have laundry service if you’re in a pinch. As long as you remember to bring layers, chances are you don’t need as many pieces of clothing as you think you do.
12. Bring a sweater and/or sweatshirt.
Even if you’re on a hot-weather cruise you’re going to want a sweater or sweatshirt for layering. Whether it’s freezing air conditioning in the public indoor areas on the ship (which I encounter frequently!) or you just want to wear something cozy during the chilly windy nights out at sea, bring those layering garments. You’ll thank me later.
13. Pack closed-toed shoes.
“I’m headed to the Caribbean,” you might think. “Why do I need to bring anything other than sandals?” Trust us — you’re going to want at least one pair of closed-toed shoes. If your ship has a ropes course, go-kart track, or another attraction that doesn’t involve water, chances are good that it will require closed-toed, secure shoes such as sneakers.
You also might want sneakers for port days where you’ll be doing lots of walking to save your feet the pain of a shoe that doesn’t have the support your feet will need. Sneakers are also my preferred shoe of choice for flying, so you don’t even have to find space in your suitcase to pack them; just wear them during your travels.
14. Dress up for formal night.
Though dressing up for formal night isn’t technically required (you can go to the buffet for dinner if you’re feeling really casual), we recommend leaning into the experience and bringing your best outfits for the occasion. If you’re on a cruise that’s shorter than a week, there may be one formal night. Most seven-night cruises have two, and longer cruises have more according to their length.
You don’t need a gown or tuxedo (though many people wear them anyway). Cocktail dresses, more formal maxi dresses, and suits are common. The evening often includes a captain’s toast, cocktail reception, and photo opportunities with the ship’s photographers.
15. Some things are prohibited on board.
Before you start packing, check your cruise line’s FAQ section for prohibited items. This is one of the major first time cruise tips that many guests wish they knew before sailing. There are some items that aren’t allowed on board such as clothing irons, weapons, power strips with surge protectors, and candles. If you do bring a prohibited item, they will likely confiscate it at the terminal and you won’t get it back until the end of the cruise.
16. Consider seasickness solutions.
If you’re prone to motion sickness, consider bringing seasickness medication (such as dramamine) or other nausea solutions. Popular options include motion sickness patches and Sea-Bands. Many ships are so large today that you can’t even feel them moving most of the time, but it’s best to be prepared. If you find yourself on board without anything to help with the dizziness or nausea, head down to the ship’s medical center. They do offer dramamine to guests for free.
17. Download the cruise line’s app.
Another one of the top first time cruise tips is to download your cruise line’s smartphone app prior to your cruise. Though each cruise line’s app is a bit different, you can generally view information about your booking, view a countdown, and check in on the app prior to your arrival on embarkation day.
Once on the ship, the app has many capabilities such as allowing you to reserve dining and activities, view the day’s schedule, view deck plans, view menus, order food for delivery, chat with guest services, complete muster drill, and more.
18. If you’re driving far or flying, get in a day early.
If it will take a long journey to get to your embarkation port — especially if you’re flying — arrive at least a day early. With the possibility for flight delays, missed connections, and cancellations, it’s best to have some wiggle room for getting to the ship on time.
This can apply if you’re driving a long distance as well, since traffic jams, a vehicle breakdown, or other issues could put you behind schedule. Plus, arriving early means you’ll have a night to enjoy the city and get well rested for the beginning of the voyage.
19. Bring sunscreen.
Though sunscreen is available on the ship, you’ll pay a hefty premium for it. The same will probably be true of shops in the immediate port area during your port days. Pack your own, and make sure it’s not expired. Even if you’re taking a cooler weather cruise where you don’t think you’ll need it — such as in Alaska or northern Europe — there will likely still be warm sunny days you’ll want to be outside and it’s best to be prepared.
20. Consider decorating your door (if allowed).
To celebrate a special occasion, personalize your vacation experience just a bit more, or you just want to be able to identify your cabin in the long hallway, consider bringing decorations for your stateroom door. Before you do that, though, check that your cruise line allows it (because not all do). The door is metal, so you can decorate with magnets and affix other decorations with magnets as well.
21. Front load your cruise.
If your ship has lots of bells and whistles that you want to try such as a rock climbing wall, escape room, waterslides, a ropes course, and other various attractions, try to get some of those “must-do” items checked off your list early in the sailing. By getting to those things in the first few days, you’ll avoid the last-minute crowds and be able to relax during the rest of the voyage knowing you accomplished what you wanted to do on board.
22. Get there early.
Though some cruise lines have implemented time slots for guests to arrive on embarkation day, try to show up at least 15 minutes early to ensure you’ll be there on time without any added stress. Some cruise lines will allow you to begin the check-in process as soon as you arrive, while others will hold you to your port arrival time.
On the ship, it also pays to be early to things like shows and events, where guests often line up 30 minutes or more before the show to make sure they get a seat. Even if you have a reservation for a show, try to show up at least 15 minutes before showtime as many cruise lines will start giving away seats to standby guests around this time.
23. Print and carry your travel documents.
Prior to your cruise, make sure all of your paperwork is in order by printing all important travel documents. This could include your boarding passes, travel insurance policy information, shore excursion information/tickets, etc. We recommend putting your paperwork in a folder to keep it all together. Keep it with you as you board the ship in your hand luggage, along with your passport/other forms of ID.
If you’d prefer to go paperless, take screenshots or photos of these essentials, as WiFi and cell service in the terminal buildings isn’t always reliable.
24. Pack your toiletries and swimsuit in your hand luggage.
On embarkation day, nearly all guests hand off their suitcases to a porter at the port. It is then transferred onto the ship and delivered to your cabin later in the afternoon. However, you need to keep your hand luggage with you, such as your backpack or tote bag. This is where you should keep your embarkation documents, identification, electronics, and other valuables.
We also recommend keeping your toiletries, a change of clothes, and your swimsuit in your hand luggage. This way you can head to your cabin, freshen up, and hit the pool soon after boarding without having to wait for your suitcases to arrive.
25. Register your kids at the kids’ club.
If you’re traveling with the kids, be sure to register them at the kids’ club — even if you’re not sure they’ll want to spend time there (but they most likely will love it!). On the first day, youth clubs usually host an open house where you can get the kids registered, meet the staff, and see the different spaces that your kids will be able to enjoy. Even if you don’t have kids, you can usually tour the facilities on cruise boarding day.
26. Skip the buffet for embarkation day lunch.
When you board the ship on embarkation day, it’ll probably be around lunchtime and you’ll probably be hungry. Instead of hitting up the buffet, consider eating at one of the other casual lunchtime dining venues. Most cruisers make a beeline for the buffet once they board, meaning it will be extremely crowded. Chances are good that the other lunch options — some that haven’t yet been discovered by your fellow passengers — will be less overwhelming for your first meal aboard.
27. Bring your own wine and/or champagne.
Some cruisers don’t know that you can actually bring your own bottle(s) of wine or champagne on the ship on embarkation day. The limit is generally two 750 ml bottles either per person or per stateroom, depending on the cruise line. Once on board, ask your stateroom attendant for a bucket of ice to chill them. You can enjoy them in your cabin, on your balcony, or just about anywhere on the ship. Keep in mind that if you bring a bottle to dinner, you will most likely be charged a corkage fee.
28. Keep your phone in airplane mode.
Once the ship departs port, be sure to switch your cell phone into airplane mode. This is imperative, as you will be charged expensive roaming fees as your phone tries to find satellite service out at sea if you don’t.
Once you turn airplane mode on, you can turn WiFi back on so you can access the ship’s internet. Before you leave for vacation, also check to see if your cell phone plan covers any foreign countries. If it doesn’t, you should keep your phone on airplane mode in foreign ports as well unless it’s an emergency.
29. Get back to the ship on time — with time to spare.
In port, make sure you’re keeping track of time so that you’re back on board for “all-aboard” time — which will be at least 30 minutes or an hour prior to the time the ship will actually leave. We suggest getting back to the ship even earlier though, at least 30-45 minutes prior to the all-aboard time.
Also, make sure you know what the “ship’s time” is before you get off the ship in every port. It may be the same as the local time, or it may not. This is one of the very important tips for first time cruisers.
30. Consider staying on the ship in port.
If your itinerary is really port-heavy or you just want extra time to enjoy your ship, don’t feel like you need to get off the ship at every port. This is among some first time cruise tips that many people just don’t think about. If there’s a port that doesn’t interest you, you can just stay on the ship and treat it like a less-crowded sea day. Lines will be shorter, the sun decks will be quieter, and — bonus — it probably won’t be as windy outside either!
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Our 30 Top Tips For First-Time Cruisers
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