The Global Media Site for Entertainment.
Menu
You’ve booked your first cruise and are beyond excited. But lurking in the background is a feeling of being overwhelmed, and you probably have tons of questions.
A cruise is a little like an all-inclusive resort floating out at sea, but it’s much more complicated. Use this list of tips from seasoned cruisers and people in the industry to ensure success for your maiden voyage.
Cruise ships such as the floating resorts used by Royal Caribbean International are so enormous you could spend the entire time exploring all the onboard activities and amenities. Even the mid-sized ships from Carnival Cruise Lines, MSC Cruises, and the Norwegian Cruise Line can be overwhelming.
Take some time to get familiar with your ship by learning about it through their website and online videos. Figure out the deck plans and where all the restaurants, entertainment venues, shops, bars, gym, and spa are in relation to your stateroom.
Check to see if your cruise line will let you make reservations in advance for shows, tours, and specialty restaurant reservations. This can save the day on large ships where thousands of passengers must compete for the choicest reservations, and it’s not unusual for some activities and restaurant reservation times to get booked up in advance.
Some cruise lines also let you book shore excursions in advance. You may also be able to sign up for private tours with an independent operator.
As a backup strategy, do this just after boarding.
Seasoned cruisers also recommend researching your ship’s ports of call in advance. Rather than booking a particular excursion, you may want to hire a taxi and go exploring on your own.
Port calls are at the essence of many cruises, and they may only last a few hours. Have a plan or you may miss out on an important part of the cruise experience.
When it comes to cruising, nothing is worse than missing your ship’s departure, and it happens more often than you think. Departure times are usually in the afternoons, so you may think it’s okay to drive or fly to port on the same morning. But all it takes is a traffic jam or short flight delay and you could miss your ship. (They won’t wait for you.)
If you’re taking an overseas cruise, consider even traveling to port two or three days in advance. European cruises can be especially port-intense. Getting to port a couple of days in advance will give you a chance to rest up before the cruise begins.
Embarkation day usually begins early in the morning and involves a lengthy trip to port and time sitting in a boring, amenity-fee terminal. This usually ends with a horde of hungry cruisers dashing madly to the buffet. Avoid the crowds with a secondary dining option. Some cruise lines offer table-served eateries on embarkation day, and these will likely be less crowded than the buffet.
Yes, cruise lines sell all types of sundries from Bandaids to batteries for your camera, but you’ll pay dearly for them. Pack a bag of OTC medications and extra toiletries.
And speaking of high prices, did you know that many cruise lines let you bring your own liquor aboard? They may be limited to two bottles and you must bring them in your carry-on. You’ll be charged a corkage fee at onboard restaurants, but you’ll save a little money.
One of the biggest horror stories you’ll hear from experienced cruisers is racking up thousands in cell phone charges. Many phone plans, even international ones, do not include texting, talking, and other data on cruise ships, and you’ll end up paying exorbitant roaming rates.
You could look for cruise-specific phone plans, but why not keep it simple by putting your phone in airplane mode the minute you step aboard? Then turn on the phone’s Wi-Fi and buy a Wi-Fi package to do your calling, texting, and internet browsing.
Some cruise lines now have apps that you can download to your phone that will show a list of activities in addition to the ones you have reserved. They may also have private, dedicated Facebook groups you can join for answering all your questions and getting the scoop on itineraries.
Happy cruising!
© 2021 TheatreArtLife. All rights reserved.
