Cruise Planning Tips for Beginners 10 Pro Tips
Table Of Content
We still usually stay in a hotel the night before close to the cruise terminal just to make it easier to get there on the morning of the cruise. For finding the best flights using Skyscanner’s flight search tool will let you compare. They show flight prices of many travel websites so you can choose the cheapest and best one. I brought way too many things and didn’t wear half of what was packed in that huge suitcase (especially shoes)!
Choose an early arrival time
This is particularly rewarding—and feels slightly decadent—in the heat of the Mediterranean summer, but with so much sightseeing on offer, exhaustion is a real issue. Invest in a travel pill organizer for any meds to avoid packing endless bottles, and a jewelry roll to keep everything together. A USB octopus means you can charge multiple devices from one USB socket, although power extension strips are not allowed.
Look for cheaper spa prices on the ship while in port
This way you can always have some water nearby instead of having to find a restaurant to get a drink. We have used this one from Hydro Flask and loved it for our cruise as it kept things cool for a long time (though it is a bit pricey). Lanyards come in handy for putting your cruise keycard at easy reach.
Yes, There’s a Hair Dryer in Your Cabin
Another differentiator is dining; some cruise lines require a specific seating time to control crowds while others let you show up wherever and whenever you are hungry. The more you know about each cruise line’s travel style the easier it will be for you to minimize or (ideally) eliminate any opportunities for disappointment while sailing. Many cruise lines will allow you to bring your own alcohol on board—usually two bottles of wine per stateroom—but may charge a corkage fee in the dining room. Bringing your own wine makes sense if you want to bring a really nice bottle of wine, or if you want to save money. While the perks will depend on what “tier” of the loyalty program you sign up for, top-tier loyalty programs are the best deal for serious cruisers.
This could be the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which offers 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on travel and dining (excluding the annual $300 travel credit). There's also the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which brings 2 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on travel and 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar on dining. Some lines will let you sign up for shows, tours and other activities (including meals at specialty restaurants) in advance of sailing using online portals. If you want to be sure that you get a seat for a specific show on a specific night, or a specific tour or restaurant reservation time, it's a good idea to do this. It's not uncommon with some ships to find that some shows, tours and restaurant reservation times book up in advance. With upwards of 20 decks on some cruise ships, going up and down via stairs is time-consuming… and tiring.
So while all cruise ships are boats, not all boats are cruise ships. If you want to buy alcohol on one of your port stops and take it on board, the security officers will likely confiscate it and hold it until the end of the trip. From experience, this is likely a disorganized system and you can bring the bottle back to your room about 50% of the time. Each company handles this differently, so research carefully and then closely observe how strict that policy is actually enforced. Nothing about cruising is more confusing or generates more frustration than seating for meals in the main dining room.
Cruise ship worker explains the seven must-have gadgets you need to have when you're at sea - LADbible
Cruise ship worker explains the seven must-have gadgets you need to have when you're at sea.
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While most of my friends had spent a spring break, a family vacation, or a honeymoon at sea, my self-imposed rule was that all of my trips must take place on land. The time in each port would be too limited to really enjoy the destination (I mean, isn’t the destination the whole point?). And there could be pirates (seriously – while thankfully rare, this happens). Using cash is more secure than using your credit card in foreign ports, plus credit cards aren’t accepted everywhere like they are back home.
Don't tip twice for drinks and spa treatments
Going on the same cruise ship twice. Is it boring the second time around? - Cruise Blog
Going on the same cruise ship twice. Is it boring the second time around?.
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The cabins on a ship can get dark — especially if you’ve booked an interior room that doesn’t have windows. So what happens if you get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night while trying to navigate a small, unfamiliar cabin with furniture? We’ve all done the dance when you want to open a bottle of wine and search frantically for a corkscrew. If you can’t find one, it usually ends up with you cutting out the cork… and spitting out bits of cork every time you take a sip of your drink. There’s no glossing over the health issues that have hit the world and the cruise industry.
Purchase your card and if you win, you can walk away with cash. It’s not unusual to see people pocket hundreds or even thousands of bucks playing the game on the ship. The truth is that sales run constantly, and even if it ends, it’s often replaced with something that’s nearly identical. In other words, don’t buy the hype that you have to buy right now or miss out.
In addition, you’ll have to pay taxes and port fees, which can run into the hundreds depending on your specific trip. Add to that gratuities, which run about $15 per person, per day. Combined, these fees can add considerably to the cost of your cruise. If you want to have a calmer, quieter cruise, then look for trips that are seven days or more.
If you’re traveling as a multigenerational group, be creative with the configuration of your accommodation. For example, parents and grandparents would appreciate a private veranda, while kids could have an inside stateroom across the corridor. If you find you're experiencing slow internet, look for routers strategically placed throughout your ship, then sit yourself near them. These will usually be on the ceiling, often in hallways or near entrances of big public spaces. You’ll often get a better signal when you are closer to the routers.
If you don't sign up for activities in advance, a backup strategy is to do so just after you board a vessel. That said, whether you need to race to sign up for activities at the start of a voyage depends a lot on which ship you are on. Many cruises depart in the afternoon, so it might seem just fine to fly or drive to a port on the morning of departure. But all it takes is a moderate flight delay or a pile-up on the highway to upset those plans. If you're delayed in your arrival at the port, the ship will not wait for you.
If you’re on the fence about buying insurance, we’d suggest doing so. You can read more about travel insurance and what it covers here. And cruise lines have included gratuities with your cruise fare or charged daily to your account, so they are taken care of automatically. That means when you eat in the free restaurants on the ship like the buffet and the main dining room, there’s no bill to pay or tip to leave.
On a ship, there are way too many places where you can slip and fall — especially around the pool. Upgrade to a pair that has a nice rubberized sole with plenty of tread. Most of us are used to air travel, where you are charged sky-high fees for checking in baggage. The cruise line might sell it as a private balcony, but there isn’t a whole lot of privacy. Your balcony on your cabin will have walls that shield you from the adjoining cabins, but the walls often don’t go from the floor to ceiling. They can easily be looked under or above, and someone could look around the side of them if they really wanted to.
It’s also handy if you lose your luggage or miss the boat and have to make alternate arrangements to meet your ship elsewhere (or get back home). If dining at a specialty restaurant or hitting the spa, you might need a reservation. If so, don’t wait until you are on the ship to make reservations at restaurants or the spa.
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