As the Royal Caribbean’s nine-month Ultimate World Cruise continues to take social media by storm, it’s understandable to wonder whether you’re ready to embark on your own cruise ship trip. It’s also understandable if you’re worrying about whether you can really handle a cruise.
Whether you’re signing up for your own world cruise or starting with a quick weekend getaway, here are a few helpful tips for smoother sailing on your upcoming cruise ship trip.
1. Do Your Homework
If you’re anxious about navigating your cruise ship, look up the deck plan to find your stateroom and study the ship’s layout. It’s also a good idea to look up your cruise’s schedule to know what you can do at your cruise’s ports of call and figure out what you can do during your ship’s sea days. Check the weather forecast before you go to better understand what to expect in the days ahead.
2. Pack Wisely
Staying on the subject of weather, pack appropriate attire so you don’t feel too hot or too cold during your trip. Pack according to your ship’s dress code, such as dressy attire for formal nights. Since porters will take your luggage before you board the ship and deliver it to your stateroom later, pack your bathing suit and an extra outfit in your smaller carry-on bag.
3. Bring Your Documents
You don’t want to be that person who gets turned away from the ship or at port. Remember to pack your passport, cruise ticket, and any other documents you’ll need to enter any countries your ship will dock at. Consider keeping all of these and your ship’s contact information organized in one file that’s easy to reach (see below), and remember to take all necessary documents with you whenever you leave the ship on a port day.
4. Arrive Early
When you leave for your cruise, always check in and get on board 90 minutes before your scheduled departure. If driving to the cruise port, give yourself enough time to deal with local traffic. If you’re flying to the cruise’s departing city, consider arriving a day early to prevent airline delays from keeping you off your cruise ship.
5. Be Smart With Storage
Depending on your cruise’s length, you might need storage options beyond the limited closet and shelf space you typically get in a stateroom. Consider investing in magnetic hooks and clips for your walls, packing cubes or fabric bins for your shelves, pop-up laundry hampers for dirty clothes, and hanging toiletry bags for the bathroom. These will all help you maximize storage space throughout your room.
6. Power Up
Depending on where you’re cruising and the age of your ship, your stateroom might have a variety of electrical outlets. Hence, it’s always a good idea to bring European and British/Irish adapters so you can use them all. Since you probably won’t spend all that much time in your room, consider bringing a portable charger to keep your smartphone working all day.
7. Cheers to Drinking What (And How) You Want
Major cruise lines now offer drink packages as upsells. If you plan on enjoying plenty of water bottles, soft drinks, specialty coffee, or alcoholic beverages on the ship, then a drinks package can provide some peace of mind. But if you won’t be ordering a lot of macchiatos and margaritas on board, you may not need it. Since most ships allow you to bring a certain amount of alcohol on board, you can probably BYOB if you want to save some money.
8. Take Advantage of All Your Dining Options
Passengers usually make a beeline to the buffet on the first day and throughout the cruise. Try your ship’s specialty restaurants if you don’t want to wait at the buffet. This way, you can save time and avoid constant boredom with the buffet food. To avoid any hassle at the restaurants, check before your cruise to see if you can make restaurant reservations.
9. Download the Cruise Ship App
On this note, cruise lines increasingly direct passengers to their respective smartphone and tablet apps to handle everything from restaurant, show, and spa reservations to official excursions and drink orders. Even if you don’t purchase Wi-Fi on board, the app will likely still work, so go ahead and let that app work for you.
10. If You Need It at Home, You’ll Probably Need It on the Ship
While avoiding overpacking is always a good idea, you should pack enough prescription medications to last your trip. Pack sunscreen, any over-the-counter medicines you might need (like seasickness medications and pain relievers), and a first aid kit. The cruise ship may carry these non-prescription items in their shipboard stores, but they’ll charge a steep premium if they do.
11. Have Your Entertainment Options Ready
Though your stateroom will likely have a TV inside, the cruise ship’s satellite TV service may offer limited channels. Even if you purchase a Wi-Fi internet plan, it may only cover so much data, and download speeds can vary. Before you board your ship, download any movies, TV shows, podcasts, albums, or e-books you’ll want to enjoy aboard.
12. Have Fun
Ultimately, this cruise is supposed to be about you living your best life. If you’re into the pool scene, take advantage of the ship’s pool(s) whenever the weather permits. If you love theme parks, try any rides or game rooms your ship has to offer. If you’re a social butterfly, check for any meetups happening on board. It’s your cruise, so feel free to have fun with it.
Prepare to Enjoy Smooth Sailing Ahead
Whether you board your cruise for 90 days or 90 hours, it’s important to come prepared. Cruising can be much easier and more carefree than you think as long as you know what you’re getting into and if you bring all the supplies you need.
While you can’t control the weather outside, there’s plenty that’s within your control for you to utilize to make this cruise one that you’ll want to remember for all the right reasons.