Tips while on Board
These are especially for first-time cruisers, just to give you a better idea of what to expect and how to make the most of your cruise.
Embarkation
CruiseStarter will send you instructions to pre-register for your sailing online. Definitely do this – it will speed up the embarkation process when you arrive. You can also review and book shore excursions, and other amenities.
The cruise line will give you instructions on when to arrive at the pier. Most cruises sail out in late afternoon, and they will tell you not to arrive more than about four hours before the sailing time. But the ship will often be ready for boarding before that, once all of the previous passengers are cleared from the ship. If you do arrive early and the ship isn’t ready yet, all terminals have comfortable seating areas in which to relax while you wait. (But you must arrive no later than 90 minutes before sailaway, or you might not be permitted to board!)
The cruise line may have mailed you luggage tags for your bags. (It’s okay if you don’t have them – the porters can tag your bags.) You’ll drop off your bags before you check-in – don’t forget to tip your porters! (Who, by the way, are not cruise line employees, but contractors hired by the port.)
During the Cruise
Each night, usually while you are at dinner, your stateroom attendants will service your room and leave a newsletter for the next day’s events. Read this newsletter before going to sleep, and figure out what you’d like to do the next day. It’s good to have a plan in place by the time you wake up the next morning! But remember, you’re on vacation – feel free to change it if you’d like.
If you’re on a cruise with set dining assignments, stop by the dining room on the first day and ask where you’re sitting. If you’re not satisfied with the table location or the size, the staff *may* be able to re-accommodate you. (I stress “may” – please be understanding if they cannot.) If you have preferences, ask about your table mates – for example, if you’re a couple traveling alone and prefer not to sit at a table with children, ask the dining room staff if there’s a spot open at another table with only adults.
If you’re on a cruise with specialty restaurants, find out how soon in advance you can make reservations. If you have a strong preference for a particular dining time, it will be easier to book in advance. Some cruise lines will even let you make restaurant reservations online before your trip.
Cruise lines will offer optional shore excursions at each port of call. Typically, many of these tours can be done with independent operators available at the pier (or pre-booked via the Internet) for considerably lower prices. However, cruise lines guarantee that they will hold the ship for you should one of their ship-booked excursions run late — and this simply won’t happen if you get stuck somewhere on your own and can’t make it back to the ship in time. So, do your research and book independent tours with caution. And CruiseStarter can also help you find and book independent shore excursions!
Debarkation
No one wants the cruise to end, but it’s a reality we must face. You’ll hear a lot of instructions about leaving your luggage outside your door before you retire on the last night (the ship’s staff will move your bags into the terminal for you to claim) – but you do not have to do this if you don’t mind lugging your own bags off the ship when you leave. I’ve found it to relatively easy to take my own bags off, and I don’t have to worry about accidentally packing something that I needed on the last morning. But if you’re one who doesn’t travel lightly, you may appreciate the option to have your bags delivered into the terminal.
The ship’s buffet area is always crowded on debarkation morning. If your ship is offering served breakfast in the dining room on this morning, I recommend eating here instead. No tripping over carry-on bags from passengers waiting for their luggage numbers to be called.
Finally, give yourself enough time to get off the ship and on to your next destination, especially if you are flying home. In addition to getting off the ship with a couple thousand other people, you also have to go through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. And if you need to take a taxi from the terminal, there may be a queue of other passengers. From my experience, give yourself at least two hours to go from ship to airport – you may not need all this time, but you’ll be glad you have it!