“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, and sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Taking a cruise is one of the most wonderful modes of travel that I can think of. Over the years, we have learned some tricks that have made it our favorite way to travel and hopefully, if you are new to cruising, my hope is that these 8 or help you to plan your trip.
Drive to the terminal
For those of you who live near a cruise terminal, you are so very lucky! For the rest of us, how to get to our ship is a consideration. My advice would be to drive to the cruise terminal if you have the option.
This might seem like a strange tip and you may be wondering why in the world we choose to drive. Simply, we prefer the freedom it gives us. We are not opposed to flying to catch our ship and we will fly when we want to sail on a specific ship that has a specific itinerary but living on the East Coast, we prefer to drive to our port whenever we can. When we drive, we have much more flexibility our travel days and we are not at the mercy of the airlines and their schedules and delays.
For our most recent cruise, it occurred to us that we could travel halfway to the terminal the night before embarkation. We had not planned this in advance and it didn’t occur to us to try this until dinner time that night. After we finished our dinner we closed our suitcases and hit the road. The benefit meant that we could break up our travel into easy segments, we had a traffic-free trip in the evening, a good rest the night before our cruise, and we had gotten beyond large metro areas that could’ve delayed our travel had we traveled the day of embarkation. This extra travel day added the expense of a hotel stay but it was totally worth it!
As our cruises end, we hate being rushed out of our lovely cruise cocoon and thrown into the hurry up and wait of the airport and the not-so-fun experience flying can often be these days. Instead of sitting in the airport waiting for hours for our flight home, we prefer easing into our own vehicle and making our way home at our own pace. Typically when we drive, we end up getting home about the same time we would’ve arrived if we flew after connecting flights and lay overs. Overall, it just a lot less hassle to drive.
The biggest benefit to driving ourselves? As I pack for my cruise, I don’t have to worry about how heavy my suitcase is and I can even take an extra suitcase if I want to! All the luggage charges from the airline are shifted to the extra hotel night.
We also park at the terminal. We consider the cost of parking for the duration of our cruise to be worth it to walk off the ship when we are ready and head for home on our own schedule. Our vehicle is in a secured parking area and depending on the port, is often covered.
This tip is one that works for us. It has its pros and its cons but if you have the option of driving, the costs you might incur with this option might ultimately be cheaper and less stressful than flying.
Make sure to carry some cash for tips
Before you leave for your cruise, I recommend that you grab some cash, specifically some smaller bills for tipping. Many of the professionals that help you at various points of your trip make a living off tips. Be prepared to tip them for their services.
I don’t typically recommend traveling with large amounts of cash but these are some points of your trip for which you will want to have some cash at hand:
1. Above and beyond the tips that the cruise line will charge, we try to have some cash to tip those crew members who provide outstanding services. You can add an additional amount for a specific crew member to your room account or you can put a tip in an envelope that the cruise line may provide and give it to your favorite crew member.
2. Porters at the airport or cruise terminal who handle your bags.
3. Excursion tour guides and drivers.
4. Bartenders and waiters.
With regard to tipping, be sure to review your receipt when ordering from a bar or when eating in a specialty restaurant on your ship. Most cruise lines are automatically applying tips in these areas but a space for tipping still remains on the receipt. An additional tip is not required but if your service was exceptional, of course, you can add more or you can offer your server a small cash tip, which cruise staff will appreciate.
Your Passport
The one thing you cannot forget before you head off to catch your ship is your passport. If you want to actually get on your ship, a passport is a must. On our last cruise, as we disembarked, we did not need to present our passports to return to the terminal. Instead, Customs agents took our photos and ushered us out with no questions and no review of our documents.
Before you leave home for your cruise, it is a good practice to check again and again and one more time to make sure you have your passport with you. My husband and I take ours out and show them to each other, sometimes multiple times, before we leave home.
The Useful Tote or Backpack
On our very first cruise, I learned that packing a tote in my suitcase was a great idea. In fact, a tote, backpack, or carry-on is a great idea for your cruise from start to finish.
Keep in mind that once onboard your ship, pools, and spas will be open. After a long travel day, it might be nice to have a change of clothes so you can shift into vacation mode. Whatever your plan, remember that your suitcase will take a while to follow you to your stateroom so packing a bag with anything you will want as soon as you get on board is a great idea. Consider a bag with your swimsuit, flip-flops, medication, sunglasses, sunscreen, and any other gear to help you slip into vacation mode.
As we cruise, I use a tote or backpack to throw supplies into before we head up to the pool deck or as we leave the ship for an excursion. A bag of some type is a great place to drop a book or tablet, sunscreen, sunglasses, your sea pass, camera, or any other gear you’d like to have with you as you plan to relax. I try to select a bag that my husband will be willing to help me carry on excursions.
At the end of your cruise, you will have options regarding how to get off of the ship. Do you want to walk off with your luggage or would you prefer that the ship staff to collects your suitcases on the last night of the cruise so you can collect them in the terminal as you come off of the ship? If we drove to the terminal, we keep our suitcases and walk off on our own. However, if we are catching a flight, we will choose to have our suitcases collected on the last night of our cruise. For that last night, I keep minimum supplies that we need to get dressed the next morning including any valuables, toiletries, and any vital supplies like medications (be sure to keep your passport). For the minimal supplies we don’t pack, my trusty tote helps me get those supplies off the ship. If we drove to the terminal, that tote is tossed into the backseat. If we’re flying, I will not hesitate to open my suitcase and put any of these supplies back into my suitcase.
The motion of the ocean
Be prepared for motion sickness. During one of our early cruises, our ship experienced 50-knot winds and 20-foot seas between New York City and our destination of Bermuda. Walking around the ship was difficult and on upper decks where we could see the horizon, the conditions were even more upsetting for those who were susceptible to motion sickness. All doors to outside spaces on the ship were locked for our safety as we sailed.
The ship’s motion never bothers me so on this day, I didn’t think twice about having a Belgian Waffle for breakfast. Still, on the advice of the Captain, we did not move about the ship for most of the day. Instead, we enjoyed a day of naps and reading our books.
When the weather is threatening, most ship Captains will slow the ship and sail closer to shore and into more shallow water for a smoother ride or navigate around a storm if possible. However, avoiding rough seas is not always possible. If motion sickness is an issue for you, be sure to check with your personal physician before your trip. Your doctor can prescribe motion sickness patches if needed. You can also use seasickness wrist bands that help with nausea and other over-the-counter products such as Dramamine can help you to manage. Other advice to survive a rough sea day would include finding a spot low in the ship, possibly in an interior space or even mid-ship, and stay there. If you are susceptible to motion sickness, don’t go high in the ship where you will more notably feel the motion of the ship. If the sea is rough, limit moving around the ship when the ship’s motion makes you unsteady, and avoid top decks where you can clearly see the horizon. When choosing a stateroom, keep in mind that the smoothest spot on the ship is typically midship.
Your Cell Phone
Don’t forget that cruising takes you away from traditional sources of cell service. In fact, your cell phone may indicate “Cellular at Sea.” Don’t be fooled, using your cell phone at sea will ensure that you will be paying very high data rates and you might come home to an astronomical cell bill.
To avoid these steep charges, as your ship leaves port, be sure to put your phone into airplane mode or disable your cellular data.
If you need to stay in touch with home, be sure to check with your cell provider to make sure your service offers international or roaming services at rates you find acceptable. We have Apple devices so before leaving home, we agreed with loved ones to stay in touch through options that we could use over Wi-Fi like Facebook Messenger.
Plan ahead for special needs or a special occasion
As you get ready for your cruise, know that your cruise line can help you with any special needs. Do you need a wheelchair? If you use a CPAP machine, the cruise line can provide distilled water and an approved extension cord, if needed. Do you have a dietary allergy? Are you traveling during a special occasion like a birthday, anniversary, honeymoon, or sailing with a group celebrating something such as a family reunion?
Your cruise line is able to help you with these kinds of needs but advance notice of your needsis typically required well in advance of your cruise. Check your cruise line’s website for assistance and look for any set deadlines that the cruise line has for helping you as you make these special arrangements. Often, you can alert the cruise line directly or your travel professional can help you with your planning.
If you have dietary needs or are celebrating, your cruise line can help you too; photos courtesy of Unsplash.
Download your cruise line’s app
Before leaving for your trip, your cruise line’s app can help you to make reservations for excursions, specialty meals, and shows. The app is very helpful with uploading important document prior to your cruise.
Once onboard, your cruise line app works for free through the ship’s Wi-Fi. The app provides a calendar so you can keep track of all reservations and excursions that you have planned. The app is helpful on board and provides easy ways to cancel and adjust reservations if you need to.
All travel takes some planning, even a cruise, but if you plan before your trip, you will have a smooth, worry-free trip.
I hope these tips help you to plan and to be prepared. I hope your cruise is fantastic!
Enjoy your cruise!
**Some photos courtesy of Unsplash.
Let’s Just Go! 