How to Plan a Cruise for the First Time

Table Of Content

• Read Next: Park & Cruise Hotels for Every Port in America
• Your First Day on a Cruise
• Cruise Ship Rooms: What You Need to Know About Choosing Your Cabin
• Get Back to the Ship Before “All Aboard” time
• How To Choose The Right Cruise For First-Time Cruisers
• Cruises
• Avoid Lines By Visiting Guest Services Late at Night or Early in the Morning

Lance has continued his adventures by visiting 70 countries on 5 continents – all in search of the world’s perfect sausage. He’s a passionate foodie and enjoys hot springs and cultural oddities. When he’s not traveling (or writing about travel), you’ll find him photographing his hometown of Philadelphia. On a cruise ship, you can eat exactly what you want. Instead, heed this top cruise tip and head to the main dining room where you’ll get better food, better service, and less hassle.

Read Next: Park & Cruise Hotels for Every Port in America

Passports can allow for faster re-entry into the U.S. but are also helpful in the event that you need to head home in the middle of the cruise. You’ll have to jump through bureaucratic hurdles if you need to fly home from a foreign country without a passport. You Can Still Find Quiet Spots on the ShipFor all the thousands of people on a cruise ship, you might think that it would be shoulder to shoulder the entire trip. All the Sales Pitches You’ll SeeIf you think that you’re done spending money once you buy your ticket to cruise, think again. Cruise lines depend on the money that passengers spend on the ship, and they have lots of pitches throughout the cruise.

Your First Day on a Cruise

Make sure not to bring any prohibited items (check your cruise line website). The next time you feel the ocean’s call, you might find yourself revisiting this guide, rediscovering first time cruise tips, and setting sail once more. The beauty of a cruise lies in its ability to combine relaxation with adventure, serenity with excitement. Yet, time can feel like it’s flying by with so much to see and do. To ensure you squeeze every drop of enjoyment from your voyage, let’s focus on maximizing your cruise moments through these first time cruise tips. In general, cruise ships are no more crowded than a busy shopping center or restaurant.

Cruise Ship Rooms: What You Need to Know About Choosing Your Cabin

The casino, the pool, the center atrium, and all throughout the ship. Speaking of the buffet and dining room, these spots are where most people will eat their meals. You simply walk in when you’re hungry and grab a plate. If joining a ship tour is not your cup of tea, head to the highest deck that speaks to you and work your way down the ship, walking the main public areas on all decks.

Get Back to the Ship Before “All Aboard” time

They tend to work at the times that most passengers are out of the room (e.g. dinner time), so as not to disturb people. So even if someone has sailed a number of times on one line, they may still feel like a rookie the first time sailing a different cruise line. If you haven't booked the cruise line's flight-inclusive air/sea package, you'll need to book your own air transportation unless you intend to drive to the port. It’s easy to get lost when trying to understand tipping policies if it’s your first time on a cruise.

You can also save some money versus buying your drink of choice on the ship. From there, many take the chance to grab a drink and explore the ship a bit. There are also restaurants open where you can get a bite to eat. If you know that you want a drink package, or to reserve your spot in a specialty restaurant, it’s a good time to get those taken care of if you didn’t do so online ahead of time. One thing to note is that many ports of call have welcome areas right at the end of the dock. This often includes shops, restaurants, and spots to book excursions if you haven’t already.

Cruises

It's not always smooth seas when it comes to cruising — or any sort of travel. We hate to even bring it up, but 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.

You don’t have to take the ship’s tours.

Throwing a tub of sunscreen into your luggage is an obvious choice (especially when planning what to pack for a Caribbean cruise). Since your cruise will take you to a variety of ports, you’ll want to be equipped with multiple forms of sun protection. The same cruise advice for first-timers applies to your credit cards, too. Many companies charge a percentage for foreign transactions, while others don’t levy this fee at all. When preparing for your first cruise, one of the most important tools is communication–with your travel partners as well as with the cruise line. In addition to our expert articles and reviews, you can join the Cruise Critic boards community, which has an entire section dedicated to new cruisers.

Avoid Lines By Visiting Guest Services Late at Night or Early in the Morning

13 expert-approved tips for saving money when booking a cruise - CNN Underscored

13 expert-approved tips for saving money when booking a cruise.

Posted: Fri, 07 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Practically everyone you encounter will speak English, so you can leave the Spanish dictionary at home. Think the most valuable thing you’re carrying is the money in your wallet or your purse? Potential thieves would love to get their hands on your passport. And even if you just misplace it, losing a passport is a major ordeal. That’s why we like to put our passport in our cabin safe and carry a photocopy of the ID page with us in port or just use a driver’s license.

But wait, there are a few more pieces to the puzzle before you’re officially cruising. Let’s navigate the waters of those pre-departure essentials. Let’s dive into the essentials with these first time cruise tips. With the right decisions, you’ll not only ensure smoother sailing but also get the most value and joy out of your cruise experience.

Combine that with an unfamiliar space and you’ll no doubt be bumping into things if you need to get up to use the restroom in the middle of the night. The first day on a cruise is actually a bit of a misnomer. The first “day” is more like the first afternoon and evening as boarding generally starts around noon.

East Coast, make sure you know all about hurricane season. Have a rough idea of what you want to do on your cruise. If it's a port-intensive week in the Mediterranean, don't exhaust yourself by booking one tour after another. That doesn't mean you should board your ship without doing some research on your own ahead of time. Not the sort of person that likes having your picture taken by strangers?

If you are a foodie or dining is important to you, consider eating in the main dining room on formal nights and doing your specialty restaurant experience on another evening. 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. The fee is typically about $25, depending on the company.

You can even head to Mexico’s port of Yucatán (Progreso) to brush up on your food photography skills while experiencing fine Mexican cooking and losing yourself in the local culture. The Larger Carnival ships like Mardi Gras even offers a roller coaster at sea! It is also a great time to wander around and get the feel of the layout of the ship and all that is offered. You are then given a sign and sail card (or it may be called different things on other lines). This card is how you scan into and off of the ship.

The sense of security it will provide is worth its weight in gold. Make sure to pick one that’s elegant yet comfortable. So be sure to check with your chosen cruise line/ship and see which nights are “formal”. She sailed Carnival and was told that there is only email customer service after the cruise as they have done away with the phone c.s. On almost every cruise we sit on our balcony (if we have one) and watch pier runners feverishly running to try and get back on the ship after or close to “all aboard” time. Many cruise lines also let you off of the ship first if you have an early excursion booked through them so make sure to check.

There is always a festival, music, or food event to fill the weekends in New Orleans. You will be given (or choose) a time to get off of the ship and when your group, floor, etc. is called you can make your way to the waiting area. Having the larger bags picked up the night before just saves you from having to lug so many bags off the ship. I just thought I’d mention it because I was unsure on our first cruise and some examples would have helped with planning. We were surprised the first time we sailed on RCL Harmony of the Seas that we had to book everything in advance! The ice skating show was amazing (below pic) and I’m glad we made a reservation.