Booking a cruise, either with your husband, your family or a group of gals, is an ideal way to experience new destinations without the many hassles associated with traveling. For first-time cruisers, here are some do’s and dont’s.
Packing
Do: Make the most of your trip by packing travel-size toiletries, an alarm clock, and check to see if your cruise ship will have hair dryers available in each room. A hanging-storage organizer folds neatly into your suitcase and can be a great place to store clothing and cosmetic accessories. If cruising with your partner, pack his and hers clothing items in each suitcase. That way, if one suitcase is delayed, you’ll both have something fresh to wear until departure.
Don’t: If there’s something you want to pack “just in case” don’t. Resist the urge to bring items you’re fairly certain you don’t need. This will clear up space in your bag and won’t add clutter to your already small cabin. Items on the no-pack list include books (most ships have a library), beach towels and excess clothing (use the laundry service instead).
Safety
Do: On board, be mindful of your health. Cruise ships are like little cities on the sea germs are rampant. Wash hands regularly and use the provided antibacterial hand sanitizers located around the ship. Avoid displaying large quantities of money or valuables. Keep valuables and necessary documents, such as passport, locked in your cabin’s safe.
Don’t: If you or your family get sick before setting sail, use TravelGuard cruise insurance and don’t board the ship. While minor ails can be taken care of on board, passengers run the risk of getting quarantined if the ship’s doctor feels they pose a risk of infecting other passengers. It isn’t worth it.
Budgeting
Do: Expect extra fees, despite the “all-inclusive” claims often attached to cruise ads. Most include accommodations, meals, activities and entertainment plus, transportation from port to port. Most don’t include eating in specialty restaurants, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, Internet use, laundry services, shore excursions, spa treatments and gratuities.
Don’t: Feel bad being served without tipping your waiter? Even if you’ve spent significant money booking your cruise, it’s not the same as visiting an all-inclusive resort. Most cruises automatically charge $10-$15 per person. The money is divided among your cabin steward, waiter and assistant waiter. If you feel the desire to tip, leave a few dollars for the staff worker who goes out of the way to help.
Eating
Do: Before selecting early, late or open dining times, check the ship’s entertainment schedule and compare it with your situation. It makes sense to have a late dining time if you’re planning on having a heavy lunch or staying on shore until early evening. But, many of the family-friendly shows are scheduled during late dining times, with adult-themed entertainment available after.
Don’t: Even though many ships are moving away from formal dining, you still want to determine the dress regulations for each dining option; if you plan to eat in the formal restaurant, it might require you to avoid swim shorts and flip flops.
Packaging my husband clothes and mine on both suitcases is the most valuable tip I´ve read on travelling. Most of the time someone´s suitcase gets lost, is a big probability when you travel, you never think about it until you are there in the airport watching them go round and round waiting to see yours. I´ll remember it next time I travel.
This is a great article that I will surely be coming back to reference for my cruise trips. I have never been on a cruise yet so I had no clue what to expect. It is something me an my SO have been talking about for later this year but we have not finalized anything yet.
I need to apply this packing advice to every aspect of my life. Cruises… hah, I overpack when I’m going out to a restaurant ten minutes away! I haven’t really “traveled” as I would like — not outside of the northeast US in my entire life, sadly. Overpacking is one of my major fears, since I do plan on starting my days as a traveler relatively soon. I like that you noted cruise ships can have libraries, since books are one of my huge problems.
The extra fees advice is great, too. I need to bookmark this post for later. I feel like a cruise — should I find an affordable one — would be a good way to start traveling.