Planning:
Do look into what each different cruise offers while staying in what is basically a floating hotel. Different cruise lines and even different cruises to the same destinations by the same cruise line but on different ships can vary in what they offer.
Do think about the size of the ship you would like to be on. Some people like large ships and other people like smaller, usually older, vessels. Honestly, from our experience, the size of the ship really only matters on two occasions. First, how far you will have to walk to get from point A to point B and how long you will have to wait to disembark at a port of call (i.e. more people = longer lines on the gangway but usually more gangways).
Do consider what the weather could potentially be like during your trip. Remember, hurricane season often affects the eastern and northern Caribbean (for example) and winters are colder in Alaska than the summers.
Do talk to other people who you know that have taken cruises on different cruise lines you are thinking of giving your hard earned money to. Well put together TV ads and great looking brochures are no substitute for personal experience. But …
Do remember that not everyone enjoys cruising and you will likely get some responses from people that went on one or multiple cruises with possibly even different cruise lines but didn’t like it. However I have never personally met anyone on a cruise ship that wasn’t having a great time.
Packing:
Do pack enough clothes for the length of your trip. Remember that many cruises do provide laundry services for additional fees so consider this in determining how much is “enough” and if you are willing to pay a fee in order to pack less. Most ships also have self service laundries but these can become quickly backed up and you will have to decide if you would prefer to hang around a washer and dryer waiting for your clothes to get done instead of partaking in other activities.
Don’t forget that some cruises have formal wear requirements for certain functions such as dinners and receptions. Often times these cruises do provide formal attire for rent if you chose to go that route but make sure that they do first before you decide not to pack your good suit or dress.
Do travel with only what you can carry and leave yourself with extra room for souvenirs that you are going to pick up in port or on the ship.
Don’t over pack and stuff your suitcases to the gills!!! Many cruises provide things such as bath robes, shower gel, shampoo, etc. so find out what they provide before packing so that you don’t bring more than you need to. Besides, why pack your shower gel and take the risk of it leaking all over your luggage if you don’t have to?
Do become familiar with travel restrictions and what you can and cannot carry on airplanes if you plan on flying to your port of embarkation. You don’t want a hassle at security to start your vacation off on the wrong foot.
Don’t forget that if you use those snazzy vacuum bags to compress your clothing so that you can pack more that you will need a way to recompress the bags when you are ready to leave! Vacuums are not easy to find on cruise ships but your cabin steward may be able to help you out. Yes, I have seen people forget this and wonder how they are going to get what are now five full suitcases of clothes into two. If you chose to use this sort of packing technique use the bags that have a hand or portable pump and remember to pack it for your safest bet.
Do remember that you should pack at least one set of clothes for weather that you might not expect. It doesn’t hurt to pack one sweatshirt even if you are cruising in the Caribbean for that day when the wind is blowing cold and you want to be on deck. It happens.
Do consider how you are going to pack based on how you are traveling. Packing for a trip that requires an airline flight is different than if you are able to drive to where you are getting on your ship. Don’t pack lots of fragile gear in your checked luggage if you plan on flying.
Money & Paying for Stuff:
Do carry traveler’s checks and a small amount of cash. We always suggest carrying checks in the amounts of $20 and $50 increments but the denominations can change based on where you plan to spend them.
Don’t carry all cash! We suggest 90% of your walking around money be in traveler’s checks which can be replaced if lost or stolen. Yes, even that guy at the water stand in the mountains on your trek to your excursion will accept your traveler’s check! Just don’t be surprised if he can’t cash a $50 traveler’s check after you’ve bought a $1 bottle of water though.
Do, speaking of walking around money, plan ahead for how much you think you are going to need.
Don’t underestimate the amount of money you need and get stuck using the local ATM (or the one on the boat) that charges you $3.00 or more per transaction! You can always put money back into your account when your trip is over and you return home if you took too much.
Don’t use your credit cards or ATM cards for purchases if you can help it. Like cash, they can be painful to loose or have stolen and wind up in the wrong hands. We suggest that if your cabin has a safe that you keep your credit and debit cards in them at all times while on the ship. Even if you promise yourself to be extra careful, thieves are adept at stealing your PIN and account numbers just getting a quick look at your card and watching your fingers on the key pad.
Fun In The Sun In at your Ports of Call:
Do be VERY careful especially if you are in a foreign country. Lots of bad people will try to take advantage of the gullible tourist. If you don’t know who the gullible tourist is in your group, look in the mirror to find him or her.
Do realize that you probably stick out like a sore thumb as a tourist if you are in a foreign country. Don’t fool yourself.
Do STAY AWAY FROM PEOPLE who say they “want to take you on a tour” of a local resort even if they offer you time on their beach or other free stuff. They are at best going to try and sell you a membership in a timeshare and eat up a good portion of your day. And at worst they are going to take you somewhere unpleasant and do bad things to you. Don’t go anywhere with strangers! Ever!
Side note on timeshares: If you are into this sort of thing, knock yourself out but most people are not. Yes, I know these people that come up to you and want to take you on a tour seem very nice but their goal is to get you to spend $10,000 or more with them that same day and sign a legal contract in a foreign country requiring you to pay them even if you have regrets next week.
Do be careful what you eat. Getting sick is not fun on a cruise ship. If you are not used to local foods and flavors stick with what you know you can handle. We know you might want to try to the local cuisine, but be warned. One spice your stomach is not used to can cause you a quick trip to the bathroom.
Don’t overwork yourself by packing in too many activities for the limited time you are in port. You can’t “see everything” so don’t try.
Do pre-register for any excursions you might want to go on if your cruise line allows it. This means you will be more likely to get the ones you want AND not have to spend any more money once on the ship.
Don’t wait until you are on board the ship to plan your excursions at each port of call. While your ship may allow you to easily book excursions through an interface on your cabin television, realize that lots of other people are also thinking the same thing at that point. And if you wait longer, your chance of getting into a limited person excursion (like swimming with dolphins) gets lower and lower with each passing minute, hour and day. If you are unlucky and on an ship where you still have to sign up for excursions at a desk then plan to stand in line for an hour or two.
Do consider how much activity you can handle when booking your excursions. If you have a bad knee, don’t sign up for a long hike and if you get sea sick don’t sign up for white water rafting. Hey, we’ve seen it happen.
Don’t over book your excursions. If you are on a seven day cruise with four ports of call and book an excursion for each day make sure you can handle the total amount of activity. You don’t want to need a vacation from your cruise vacation when you are done.
Don’t book excursions at times you know you cannot make. If you know that you cannot get up at 6:00 AM for that sightseeing trip that leaves the dock at 7:00 AM because you know you will be at the bar until 2:00 AM then don’t book it!
Do realize that the cruise ship will not leave you if your shore excursion is a long one and is running late IF it was an excursion booked through the cruise ship. But if you booked the excursion on your own through an outside tour company (or one not approved by the cruise line) you might wind up waving bye-bye to your floating hotel.
Do realize that the cruise line’s shore excursions and the companies that they deal with are not the only things to do once at your port of call.
Do realize however that in all likelihood the cruise line has vetted the tour operators they are associated with and that they are safe. They do not make money from tourists that get seriously injured or worse after all.
Don’t assume that just because you are on a tour sponsored or recommended by the cruise line that you are automatically safe and secure. Lots of tours take you out into the countryside and they do this over and over and day after day. This sort of predictability makes them a target for thieves. Don’t let such thoughts ruin your experience but always keep the thought in the back of your mind and stay alert.
Don’t be too eager to just jump on a tour bus at a port of call because someone offers you a good deal on a sightseeing tour. While tour operators in many ports of call are licensed, it doesn’t stop fakes and cheats from scamming the system and you.
Do remember that tours and excursions run on a schedule and they will stick to that schedule whether or not you want just another 5 minutes on the beach.
Don’t feel pressured into going on excursions just because the cruise line promotes them.
Do take part in whatever activities in each port you want.
Shopping:
Don’t let street vendors (which are EVERYWHERE) push you into doing something you don’t want to do. Some of them are nice, but many are pushy beyond belief and will even yell and swear at you if you refuse to acknowledge their presence. Don’t worry about it. You’ll never see that person again. And even if you do, they won’t recognize you anyway.
Don’t buy anything at the price on the tag, especially in Central America, the Caribbean and especially Mexico. You’ll be surprised how quickly just by feigning the slightest interest in something you can get the price down 50% or more.
Do make sure you have enough time to shop for souvenirs at a port of call if you want to in addition to other activities you want to partake of.
Don’t forget that tours often run late for various reasons. If your ship sets sail at 6:00 PM and your tour is due back at 4:00 PM don’t be surprised if you don’t get back before 5:00 PM and don’t have two hours to shop in the local town or city for trinkets.
Do remember that if you allot one hour to shop that it takes time to get to the shops and time to get back. If it takes 15 minutes to the market and 15 minutes to get back you have 30 minutes to shop.
Do familiarize yourself with exchange rates before you travel if you are going to a foreign country. You will often find that in places (like Mexico) vendors will use standard rates of exchange that may vary from the actual rate of exchange you can get at a bank. They love U.S. Dollars and will gladly take them but, for example, often vendors will use a 10:1 exchange rate (10 Mexican Pesos to 1 U.S. Dollar) even though the actually rate is often closer to 11:1. For example on September 11, 2007 the official rate was 11.1076 Pesos to 1 Dollar. Using the standardized rate of exchange for $100 you would get shorted 110 Pesos or nearly $10 US. Decide whether you can live with this difference before going on cruise. If you can’t then get local currency before you depart.
Don’t be afraid to haggle over price in foreign countries especially with street vendors. You’ll find that going next door you can often find the same thing for less and can get discounts. We’ve found that in the Caribbean and in Mexico you can often get them to drop their prices 50 – 60% without even working up a sweat. Yes, even on larger ticket items like jewelry.
Do be cautious of where you buy big ticket items! If you are in the market for such things (like jewelry) do some research on places BEFORE you go on cruise. Use the internet and then talk to people on the ship who know about the ports of call you will be visiting. I guarantee you if you go to a street vendor to buy a piece of silver jewelry you will wind up over paying for some cheap piece of silver plated junk more often than not.
Do realize that many cruise lines do not let you take liquor you purchase on shore back to your rooms. They will usually hold it until the end of the cruise and return it to you the last night because it is so much cheaper than what you will buy at their bars and they don’t want to lose that money. Know your cruise lines policy before hand.
Onboard the ship:
Do avoid the temptation to over pay for luxuries such as a few hours in the ship’s spa. Personally, I have found that these services are overpriced for the service you receive although my wife may certainly disagree. But if you are in the mood for a sub par massage or facial where the real goal is to get you to buy more overpriced “health products” then knock yourself out. But wait. Regardless of what you may be told, places like the spa are not so popular that they are booked solid from day one. By the middle of the week you will have all sorts of specials being thrown at you to get you in there and fill up their unbooked time.
Do really think about what you are buying when you are in your ship’s own mall area if it has one. A two for one special on watches sounds great as does that fabulous deal on jewelry, but make sure it is really worth the money and hassle because everyone and their mothers will be there trying to save a few bucks while spending money. If you bought something you didn’t need just because it was on sale did you really save yourself any money?
Do make sure you are well aware of all the activities that are going on. If you are not, you might miss something you might really enjoy!
Do plan your day to get your desired activities in. If you are starting your day at 5:00 AM in the gym and want to get to the art auction at 1:00 PM and the stage show at 10:00 PM take a nap somewhere in between if needed.
Do take advantage of free stuff! Just remember that it is true what they say about “free stuff” and you often get what you pay for. But hey, it was free! But generally the “free” stuff is never worth what they tell you it is. Especially at art auctions! You have been warned!
Don’t skip the safety drill. Don’t even try to skip the safety drill. First it is required and second it is required.
Do consider purchasing drink or “fountain” cards if offered and you plan on drinking pop/soda a lot. Usually the cost of the card is less than the cost of one can of your favorite carbonated beverage each day on board.