newbie cruiser tips, part 1
So, you've decided to go on a vacation and that vacation just happens to be a cruise! Well you have come to the right spot! Here you will find a few newbie cruiser tips that will help you get the most out of your vacation. This will be a series, so check back for more tips.
We have been cruising since 2007 and have 30+ cruises under our belts! With many more planned in the future (maybe you will join us on one of our cruise adventures???)! So these are a few cruiser tips that we have learned along the way.
Book with a travel agent!
This will save you so much time, money, and effort. Basically, just tell your agent what it is you want to do and what your budget is, and let them do their magic. Agents usually get more deals and promotions (that can be combined with other deals at times!) from the cruise lines so you get the perks without the hassle. Your agent can book everything; your room, transfers from the airport, hotel stays before or after the cruise, excursions, dining packages, drink packages, and more.
Packing is a subtle art form
There are plenty of packing tips out there. The key here is to pack only what you need!! Hubs and I so good now that we can pack for a 7 day cruise with 2 nights of formal wear, beach wear, snorkel gear, etc...all in our carry on bag!
But a few things that we take along, no matter what are:
a water bottle or insulated travel mug. This is for water, lemonade, tea. Regardless of if you get a drink package, at night you WILL get thirsty and you will not always want to go to a bar or the Lido deck to get something to drink. Or when going on excursions, fill up your bottle and you won't have to pay for water while you are away from the ship.
a travel sized surge protector and extra chargers for devices. There are only so many outlets in a room! And no matter, how many chargers you bring, something happens and one gets lost or broken.
a rain poncho. This gets packed when we know the weather is iffy - it's not always sunny in paradise! The heaviest cruising season just also happens to be hurricane season. Caribbean islands can also have sporadic rain showers. There have been plenty of times where the sun is shining bright one minute, then a down pour, then back to sun shine.
garbage bags/cheap "dollar tree" laundry bags. This is for dirty laundry, duh! But, instead of putting stinky clothes in your suitcase, put them in the bags. Then when you get home to unpack, you can put the whole bag of dirty laundry in the laundry room and there's one less thing to do.
Learn some basic nautical terms
No one is expecting you to be able to steer the ship. But, if you ask for directions on the ship, the crew will use terms like, "port", "starboard", "aft", and "forward".
Port = Left
Starboard = Right
Aft = back of the ship
Forward = front of the ship
Midship = middle of the ship (there are not always clear indicators of this!)
Knots = speed of the ship
Cruises are NOT all-inclusive
While your fare does include quite a bit, it does not include everything! Most meals, live entertainment, some non-alcoholic beverages, and most of the shows, are included in your fare. Additional costs will apply to other amenities such as alcoholic beverages, some shows, specialty dining/restaurants, photos, the spa, and internet. Also, there is a gratuity fee that is accrued every day of your cruise. This varies from cruise line to cruise line and can range from $12-$18 a day. This fee gets paid to your cabin steward, servers in the main dining room, and other crew members.
Packages, packages, packages...
Because cruises are not all-inclusive, just about each cruise line offers some type of package for amenities that cruisers use most often. This includes beverage packages, internet packages, spa packages, specialty dining packages. Sometimes, these packages are a bit less expensive if you pre-book them before sailing. Most packages offer something for everyone, like my kids would die without WiFi, so most lines offer a small package that allows them to have enough WiFi just for social media.
Any cruiser tips that you may have for another cruiser or a cruise newbie? Let me know and I will give you a shout out in the next post...More tips soon!
