10 Tips You Need to Know Before Your First Cruise
10 Tips You Need to Know Before Your First Cruise
Ready to jump on the cruise
bandwagon? It’s a great time to get going with some amazing deals available for
ships setting sail for warm Caribbean waters. But if you’re not totally sure
where to start, check out these tips from some of the top cruising experts
around. They’ll help you get started planning, booking and experiencing the
trip of a lifetime!
1. Remember to bring a small
day bag as part of your packing checklist. Fill the bag with all the essentials
(medicines, documentation, swimsuit, and so on) that you’ll need for the first
day while you wait for your [checked] bag to be delivered [to your stateroom].
It’ll also come in handy when you’re out exploring the ports of call.
2. Book a family-friendly
cabin: Many cruise ship cabins are designed for four to share thanks to
pull-down bunk beds and/or sofa beds.
(From Fran Golden, cruise
blogger for Porthole Magazine and USA Today)
3. One of the biggest mistakes
you’ll ever make is to book a cruise solely based on price alone. Cruise lines
these days market to specific travel styles and demographics, and it’s best to
figure out which [cruise line] best reflects your interests. Then feel free to
hunt for bargains.
4. As you shop around, make
sure you understand what’s included — and what’s not — in the cruise fare you
pay.
5. The best way to ensure a
relaxing first day onboard is to figure out, pre-cruise, which [activity and
dining] reservations are most important to you — and make them! Then your first
day of vacation can start immediately.
(From Carolyn Spencer Brown,
editor-in-chief, CruiseCritic.com)
6. With all the cool stuff
there is to see and do onboard a ship (classes, buffets, dancing, comedy,
shopping, gambling, ice skating…!) and at the destinations, it’s easy to get
overwhelmed by all the choices. Don’t succumb to that pressure to see and do
everything. That’s a surefire recipe for a freak-out. Remember, this is a
vacation. Relax! Just make a list of the things you 100 percent must do on this
trip and just focus on those. Don’t let FOMO get the better of you; you can
always take another cruise!
7. Don’t forget to pack your
gym clothes. With all the fitness classes offered aboard a cruise ship, it’s a
perfect time to take a class in something you’ve never tried before — in a gym
where nobody knows you (that way, you won’t feel too embarrassed if you don’t
get the hang of TRX right away).
8. Another healthy tip: Take
the stairs between decks. It’s a great way to help work off all that delicious
food you’re eating. And you’ll see more of the ship.
9. I like to schedule my meals
at the same time as the shows, to miss those pre-show crowds.
10. If you decide you want to explore
ports of call on your own, you should do a little research to determine what
you want to see and how you want to get there (rent a car, reputable local taxi
company, etc.). It may sound like work, but I like to think of this kind of
research as a little pre-vacation. And it really pays dividends in the end.
(From Sid Lipsey, contributing
editor, Yahoo Travel)
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