Arrive a day ahead of schedule
If you arrive at the port on time, chances are good that your ship will be docked and ready for boarding. But if your flight lands late or there are any other delays in getting there, it could mean missing out on the opportunity to explore an exciting new city or country before embarking on your cruise vacation.
It’s easy enough to get caught up in all of the excitement of getting away from home and planning what you want to see once aboard — but don’t forget about the logistics!
Book activities in advance or soon after boarding.
Cruise ship activities are the best part of a cruise. Whether you’re a fan of dancing, cooking demonstrations, or stand-up comedy shows, there are plenty of ways to make sure that your cruise is packed with fun things to do. But did you know that there are some great ways to get more out of your cruise activities?
One thing you can do is sign up for activities in advance or soon after boarding. 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.
No to power boards, irons, hair dryers, and more
When your bags do not arrive at your cabin door, they are most likely quarantined in the naughty room waiting for you to …please explain? If you’re planning on taking a cruise with Carnival or Royal Caribbean, you need to get rid of your multi-socket adaptors/power boards and the like.
Both cruise lines and many others have banned guests from bringing them on board. P&O Cruises, on the other hand, say that they may be allowed on board if they are deemed to be in safe and proper working condition.
You might try to sneak it through security, but inevitably that does not work, and the walk of shame is just an embarrassment. Do not do it.
Take the ship’s contact details ashore.
If you’re going ashore on a cruise, it’s crucial to have the ship’s contact information with you at all times. The information is usually printed in the newsletter that’s delivered to your cabin each night, so if something goes wrong and you find yourself away from the ship, you’ll want to get in touch with the cruise line as soon as possible. This also applies to your personal information like passport details, home address, etc.
Download the cruise app
You can download the cruise app to your smartphone before you sail and use it on board, even if you don’t pay for a Wi-Fi package.
The apps vary in what they offer, but many will show you a daily list of activities and all of the things that you have reserved. Many also will let you make restaurant reservations and book shore excursions and other activities, and a few will let you order drinks and other items to wherever you happen to be standing. That’s pretty cool, right? The best part: The apps will work on board even if you don’t pay for a Wi-Fi package.
If you cannot afford insurance, you cannot afford to travel.
Cruising is a wonderful way to get away from it all, but it’s not always smooth seas. You might need to cancel your cruise in advance due to the sudden onset of an illness. Or, maybe you’ll fall ill during the cruise and need emergency medical attention. Maybe your flight to your ship gets cancelled and you miss the vessel’s departure. These sorts of things can happen to cruisers, and they’re all the sort of situations where you might benefit from having travel insurance. Here’s a comparison of the top travel insurance providers and information about Cancel for Any Reason add-ons.
Switch your phone to Flight mode.
When you get on a cruise ship, you might be tempted to leave your phone on so that you can use its data to check in with friends and family. But there are way too many horror stories of cruise passengers forgetting to turn off their phone’s data and then coming home to huge bills for international roaming.
That’s why you should either turn your phone completely off or turn it on to airplane mode so it doesn’t use up data (but can still connect to wi-fi). It’s the simplest way to make sure there are no big surprises when you get your next phone bill.
One or two bottles of wine are nice.
Bringing alcohol on a cruise is a little tricky, but it’s not impossible.
The vast majority of cruise lines don’t let you bring on beer or hard liquor. Nearly all of them will let you bring on bottles of champagne or wine. Check with your cruise line, but the rule is usually either one bottle per cabin or one bottle per adult passenger.
One or two bottles of wine likely won’t last your entire cruise, but considering the price of drinks onboard, anything you can bring saves you a lot of cash.
Breakfast and lunch in the main dining room
If you want to eat in the main dining room, you’ll have to plan ahead. You can’t just walk in—you need to make a reservation beforehand.
Breakfast and lunch are also served in the main dining room, but most people don’t know that. Everyone knows about dinner in the main dining room… but they usually eat the buffet for lunch and breakfast. If you want something higher quality, head to the main dining room instead of the buffet. They serve both meals, but with much smaller crowds. Best of all, the food is usually better as well, since it’s made fresh.
Have an arrest warrant… think twice.
Have you ever wondered what happens if you have an arrest warrant when you get on a cruise? Well, wonder no more! Cruise ships are a great way to get away from it all and relax. But if you have an arrest warrant, think twice before getting on a cruise.
Once you board, local authorities will often run the names of the passengers through a database to check for any outstanding warrants. The result? Assuming the warrants are for minor items, they will then let the passengers enjoy the cruise before escorting them off the ship once it arrives back at port.
This may seem like a harsh punishment for those who haven’t done anything serious, but there’s also an upside: You’ll be in good company! In fact, one study found that one in five people arrested on cruise ships had outstanding warrants.
Travel luggage selfie
When you’re travelling, there are so many things that can go wrong. You could get held up in a long line at passport control, or your bags could be lost by the airline. Whatever the case, it’s always good to have a plan for when things go awry.
One of the best ways to make sure you don’t get stuck without your bags is to take pictures of them before you leave home (or even before they leave the airport). If your bags are lost or stolen while you’re travelling, all you need to do is show a picture of them on your phone and send it off with your missing baggage report.
It’s much easier than trying to describe what’s inside each bag, especially if you’re dealing with a language barrier or noisy environment!
Good hygiene habits
We know you’ve heard this before, but it’s worth repeating: good hygiene habits are the key to preventing a norovirus outbreak on board.
That means frequent hand sanitizer use, and even better, a good hand-washing regime. Be mindful of not using your hands to reach for food at the buffet, and always make sure you wash after using the toilet. If you’re going on an excursion, be sure to wash your hands before coming back on board—and don’t forget about those hand sanitizer stations!
