What to Know Before Your First Cruise
Booked your first cruise? How exciting!
Cruising is one of my favorite ways to travel because you can unpack once, visit several destinations and enjoy plenty of entertainment, dining and relaxation along the way. But if you've never cruised before, there are a few things that work differently from a typical vacation.
Here's what you should know before you sail.
Before Your Cruise
Download Your Cruise Line's App
Do this well before your sailing date. Most cruise lines use their apps for important parts of your vacation, including online check-in, dining reservations, entertainment schedules, shore excursions and onboard information.
Complete your online check-in as soon as your cruise line allows and make sure you know what documents you'll need at the terminal.
Check Your Travel Documents
Passport and identification requirements depend on your itinerary, departure port and destinations.
Even when a passport isn't required for a particular cruise, there can be advantages to traveling with one. For example, if an emergency requires you to fly home from a foreign port, traveling without a passport can make the situation much more complicated.
Always verify the requirements for your particular sailing well before departure.
Consider Arriving a Day Early
If you have to fly to your cruise port, I strongly recommend arriving at least one day before your cruise whenever possible.
A delayed or canceled flight on an ordinary vacation is frustrating. A delayed flight on embarkation day can mean watching your ship sail without you.
An extra hotel night can provide valuable breathing room—and gives you an extra evening to enjoy your departure city.
Embarkation Day
Your Checked Luggage May Take a While
At the cruise terminal, you'll usually give your larger bags to a porter. They'll be delivered to your cabin, but they may not arrive until later in the afternoon or evening.
That's why your carry-on is important.
Keep medications, travel documents, valuables, electronics, chargers and anything you'll need during your first several hours aboard with you.
Want to head straight to the pool? Put your swimsuit in your carry-on, too.
Your Cabin May Not Be Ready Immediately
Depending on when you board, you may have some time before cabins are available.
That's okay—your vacation has already started! Explore the ship, have lunch, find the pool deck and start learning your way around.
Learn a Little Cruise Lingo
Cruise ships have their own vocabulary. You'll hear terms such as:
- Port
- The left side of the ship when facing forward.
- Starboard
- The right side when facing forward.
- Forward
- Toward the front of the ship.
- Aft
- Toward the back of the ship.
- Embarkation
- Getting on the ship at the beginning of your cruise.
- Disembarkation
- Leaving the ship at the end of your cruise.
- Port of Call
- A destination the ship visits during the cruise.
- Sea Day
- A day spent sailing without a port stop.
- Tender Port
- A port where the ship anchors offshore and smaller boats transport passengers between the ship and land.
- Gangway
- The entrance/exit used to get on and off the ship while in port.
You'll be speaking "cruise" in no time.
Dining Isn't Just the Buffet
Most cruise fares include a variety of food, but exactly what's included varies by cruise line and ship.
You'll typically find a main dining room, buffet and other complimentary options. Ships may also have specialty restaurants that charge an additional fee.
Some cruise lines offer traditional dining at a set time, flexible dining, or a combination of both.
If there's a specialty restaurant you really want to try, consider reserving it in advance.
Drinks May Work Differently
Coffee, tea, water and some basic beverages may be included, while soda, specialty coffees and alcoholic beverages may cost extra.
Cruise lines also offer beverage packages, but don't automatically assume a package will save you money. What's included, pricing and rules vary considerably.
It's worth doing the math based on what you actually expect to drink.
Shore Excursions
When the ship reaches a port, you generally have several choices. You can purchase an excursion through the cruise line, book with an independent tour operator, or explore on your own.
There are advantages to each.
Cruise-line excursions are convenient and can provide additional reassurance about getting back to the ship on time. Independent excursions may offer smaller groups, different experiences or lower prices. Exploring independently gives you the most freedom.
Whichever you choose, remember one very important thing:
The ship will not wait indefinitely for you.
Know your ship's time, know when you need to be back aboard, and give yourself a comfortable cushion.
Your Phone at Sea
This one can result in an unpleasant surprise if you aren't prepared.
Your normal cellular plan may not cover usage while the ship is at sea, and connecting to a ship's cellular network can be expensive.
Before sailing, check with your cellular provider about international and cruise coverage. If you're using the ship's Wi-Fi, follow the cruise line's instructions for your phone settings.
Airplane mode can be your friend—but remember that you can turn Wi-Fi back on while leaving cellular service off.
Gratuities
Many cruise lines automatically add daily gratuities or service charges to your onboard account. Others may allow or require them to be prepaid.
These gratuities generally compensate crew members who provide service throughout your cruise, including some people working behind the scenes whom you may never meet.
Check your cruise line's policy before sailing so the charge isn't an unexpected surprise.
You Don't Have to Do Everything
This might be one of the most important first-cruise tips.
There will be activities, shows, trivia, live music, restaurants, pools, parties, demonstrations and probably several things happening at the exact same time.
You don't have to do them all.
It's your vacation.
If you want to sit on your balcony with a cup of coffee and watch the ocean for an hour, you're not "missing" anything.
You're cruising.
Disembarkation Day
Unfortunately, they eventually make us get off the ship!
You'll receive instructions toward the end of your cruise explaining the disembarkation process. Depending on the cruise line, you may put checked luggage outside your cabin the night before or choose to carry your own bags off the ship.
Keep everything you'll need overnight and the following morning with you—including clothes to wear home.
Yes, people really have packed all their clothes in the suitcase they put outside the cabin.
Don't be that cruiser. 😉
One Last Piece of Advice
Your first cruise doesn't have to be perfect to be wonderful.
Ask questions. Explore the ship. Try something new. Take lots of pictures. Talk to people. Visit somewhere you've never been before.
And leave a little room in your plans for doing absolutely nothing.
That's part of cruising, too.