8 cruise tips for beginners
I never thought I would become a “cruise person”. The thought of being stuck on a boat with no land in sight just didn’t appeal to me. I heard a lot of great reviews from family and friends about how much easier it made traveling to multiple places at once, I just wasn’t buying it. I finally gave in for Laila’s annual family birthday trip on a quick cruise from Los Angeles to Ensenada, Mexico…it was horrible. The weather made the ship rock back and forth noticeably the entire trip and I experienced sea sickness the majority of the time. Laila was perfectly fine and thought the rocking was “fun” lol go figure!
My family convinced me to give cruising another try, and I reluctantly agreed. I spent 7 days in the Caribbean, with four port stops on various islands. This time around it was great! If you follow us on Instagram, you know we recently spent two weeks on a ship in Europe and once again the trip overall was great (with a few hiccups)! I’ve been converted and I now agree cruises are worth the experience and a great way to spend a vacation possibly once a year.
Below I have listed 8 cruise tips that could be helpful for people who are new to cruising.
- Get the travel insurance
In all honesty, I typically don’t get the travel insurance when I book trips. After my last cruise through Europe ending unexpectedly early in a different country than originally planned and watching people around me panic (I will be adding an in depth post about how crazy things got at the end of our last cruise another day) because of the high last minute flight prices they would need to shell out to book a flight back home…I realized just how important travel insurance is.
- Bring any medications you could possibly need
My personal list of medications I typically bring on trips include Tylenol (both kids and adult versions), Motrin (both kids and adult versions as well), cough drops, cold and flu specifically branded medication, oragel, and anti-drowsy motion sickness medication. I know some of you are reading this and thinking it’s dramatic, but my motto is that it’s better to have it and not need it than the other way around. If you neglect to bring these medications and need them for some reason on the ship, you’ll be paying an arm and a leg at the on-board shop and if it has to come from the medical office on board be prepared for a definite price shock!
- Be aware of the dress up night if you wish to participate
Most cruises have at least one formal night on board. This was something I had no idea about prior to my first cruise, but luckily my experienced cruising family let me know. It’s an optional event, but I think if it’s your first cruise you should participate and enjoy the fun formal evening while you’re aboard. It’ll make for great pictures when you’re looking back on your trip and I don’t know about your kid(s), but Laila LOVES to dress up and feel like a princess! You’re on vacation after all, have a little (or preferably a lot of fun).
- Pack a carry-on
You’ll want to check in your luggage once you arrive at the port for boarding since your room most likely won’t be ready yet and you don’t want to have to carry around heavy luggage. One thing you should remember though, is to bring a small carry on with a change of clothes, or your swimsuit to hang out comfortably by the pool.
- Download the app before boarding the ship
Using the specific cruise app for your trip while onboard is such a huge help with knowing what activities are available for the day, what dining options are available, port information, keeping in touch with your family on board through messaging, all at the tip of your fingers in your phone.
- Opt in for the cruise tour on the first day, or take the time to create your own once onboard
On the three cruises I’ve been on so far, they have offered a tour of the ship as a boarding day activity that you can do as a huge group with someone who works on the ship. I’ve always created my own though so that I can move at my own pace. I grab a copy of the onboard map or I use the map located on the app and just walk around the entire ship so that I can plan out the things I want to do later without having to figure out where everything is and feeling lost.
- There will be the option to over indulge on food and drinks once aboard, try to pace yourself
I’ve never had so many food and drink choices at my disposal all at once the way I have had on cruises. It’s so easy to feel like you’re getting your money worth by eating and drinking as much as physically possible. While I’ve come to understand indulging in this perk is a part of the cruising experience, you don’t want to over indulge and regret it later. Enjoy the food and drinks while on vacation, but pace yourself. Your post vacation body will thank you!
- Get a copy of your account before leaving the ship and dispute any charges while still onboard
Taking the time to get a copy of your bill and making sure it is correct is important to do while still on board the ship. It’s so much easier to get any inaccuracies corrected quickly on the ship than having to go through customer service later. I wrote about an issue I had to the email address provided on the cruise company website and received an automatic email that I would receive a response within 15 business days. Life is easier when we don’t put off things for tomorrow that could be done today.
Hopefully some of these tips help you with your cruise if you decide this is the right vacation for your family, or if you just want to give cruising a try for the experience!
