Prebook activities before you leave home
If you are determined to enjoy a particular shore excursion, spa service, class or specialty restaurant, book it in advance. Reservations onboard tend to fill quickly — especially during high-traffic times like spring breaks, summer breaks and the holiday season.
Booking early also allows you to budget more accurately, as opposed to making spur-of-the-moment purchases onboard.
Plan to arrive at your departure city a day prior to your cruise
Your ship may leave in late afternoon, but a delayed flight or heavy traffic is not a fun way to start your vacation. Arriving at the cruise port city a day early allows everyone to get a good night sleep and board the ship on Embarkation Day refreshed and ready for the all important Boarding Picture!
If you are late, the ship WILL leave without you.
Pack a carry-on bag
Typically, you will board the ship well before your luggage reaches your cabin, so pack any necessities — medication, important documents, phone chargers — in a carry-on bag, and include items like bathing suits and sunscreen so when your stateroom is ready, you’ll be all set to jump in the pool or soak in the sun without having to wait for your other bags.
Switch your cellphone to airplane mode
International roaming rates can cost hundreds of dollars, even if you do not make a call, so switch to airplane mode or contact your cell carrier about travel-worthy phone plans. You don’t want a hefty cell phone bill when you return home!
Most cruise lines offer onboard WIFI packages, or you can access WIFI within the cruise ports.
Walk off the All-You-Can-Eat Buffet
Take the stairs instead of the elevator for a little exercise - even if you only do a couple flights at a time. Consider the flights of stairs on a 15-deck cruise ship as your personal stair climber. All that climbing will help to keep off the extra pounds. If exercise is your thing, hit the ship's gym or sign up for a cycling or Boot Camp class to burn off those extra-large buffet meals more quickly.
Pace yourself
Each day you will receive a copy of the ship’s newsletter with scheduled activities and events. The options can be overwhelming — movies, dance classes, arts and crafts, seminars, comedians, bands, shows — not to mention time for meals, swimming, sunbathing and shore excursions. Wondering how to fit it all in? You can’t! Allow yourself some much-needed downtime.
You don’t want to end your cruise feeling like you need a vacation!
In the past, passengers placed cash tips in envelopes and delivered them to staff at the end of the trip. Today, most cruise lines use an automatic gratuity system. Gratuities are pooled and distributed among the housekeeping and dining crew, as well as to staff providing behind-the-scenes support. These are generally paid prior to boarding the ship so you do not have to worry about “tipping.” Most cruise lines already tack a service charge onto the bar tab, so unless the service was exceptional, no need to give extra tip.
However, Should you wish to give an extra tip to any crew member, you can!
Understand pre-paid gratuities to avoid double tipping
Watch the clock and know your time zones
Some ports are in different time zones from the ship’s clock, so make sure you “synchronize your watches.” Passengers are usually required to be back on board 30 minutes before the ship’s departure.
The ship will not wait if you are late!
Research Ports in Advance
On a cruise, it is true that most everything you need – the fun, the food, and your cabins are all arranged for you to relax and enjoy. But you don’t want to “cruise blind” when you get to a port.
Read as much as you can before your cruise about the areas you will be visitng to avoid being overwhelmed and clueless on what to do for the eight hours you are in port. Even if you have an excursion, you may still have several hours free to enjoy the local sites.
