Top Cruise Travel Tips from the My Cruises Experts

Getting ready to embark? Whether it’s your first cruise or your fiftieth, ensure your cruise holiday is all smooth sailing with these handy travel tops from our Cruise Experts.

Research the best cruise line for your travel style

The first step to ensuring a memorable cruise holiday experience is choosing the right cruise line for your travel style. This is because the onboard experience can vary considerably depending on which cruise line you sail with. For instance, cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line offer resort-style ships with fun-filled activities like water slides and go-karting, making them a popular choice amongst families and younger cruisers. Meanwhile, the likes of Holland America Line and Princess Cruises offer a more traditional cruising experience.

Download your cruise line’s app

Almost every cruise line now offers a smartphone app that you can download ahead of your sailing. These apps can be used to plan several aspects of your cruise holiday in advance, from booking shore excursions to selecting an embarkation time. Plus, these apps can also enhance your onboard experience. Chatting with your fellow passengers, tracking your onboard spending, and ordering drinks to your exact location are just a few of the many things these cruise line apps can do. And the best bit? These apps will work even if you don’t purchase an onboard wifi package!

Arrive at your embarkation port early

Unless you live within a short distance of your embarkation port, you should plan to arrive at least one day before your cruise departs. After all, nobody wants to miss their cruise holiday because of a delayed flight or traffic jam! By arriving early, you can spend some extra time exploring your departure port (who doesn’t love an extended holiday!), plus it gives you a chance to sleep off some jetlag. That’s why My Cruises include exclusive pre and post-cruise discoveries in every cruise holiday package, to ensure you never miss the ship!

Choose your cabin position wisely

As your home away from home, the cabin you end up in can make or break your holiday. Our cruise travel tip is to choose a cabin that best suits your personal needs. For instance, if you’re prone to motion sickness, you’ll want a cabin located midship, preferably on a mid-level deck where the motion’s less extreme. To stay close to all the onboard action, opt for a cabin on a higher deck, where you’re only a short elevator ride from restaurants, bars and the pool deck.

Check what you can bring onboard

 Save yourself from embarkation frustration by checking the packing rules for your chosen cruise line in advance. Most cruise lines frown upon bringing onboard items like household appliances, candles and incense, perishable food products and, of course, anything that can be used as a weapon. Definitely double-check this list if you’re planning on packing alcohol – some cruise lines allow you to bring a limited amount of your own alcohol onboard, while others do not.

Book onboard extras ahead of time

With so many places to eat and drink onboard, why not enhance your onboard experience by purchasing an onboard specialty dining or beverage package? To get the most bang for your buck, our cruise tip is to buy these before you set sail. Most of the time, specialty dining, beverage and even wifi packages, are cheaper when purchased before your departure date.

Upgrade to a balcony stateroom

Booked in an interior stateroom? So long as your budget allows, we highly suggest treating yourself to a balcony cabin upgrade. There’s nothing quite like relaxing on your stateroom balcony with a glass of champagne in hand, drinking in the fresh sea air as you watch the world glide by. While these cabins are more expensive, they are almost always worth the splurge!

Research the ports visited on your itinerary

While you don’t need to make a detailed itinerary, be sure to some time researching the ports of call visited on your cruise. This will help you decide whether you should book a guided shore excursion or simply stroll around at your own leisure. For example, beachside destinations in the Caribbean or South Pacific can usually be explored independently, while historic sites like Pompeii or Ephesus are best visited on a tour.

Check whether your ship has a dress code

Gone are the days where formal wear is required nightly onboard cruise ships – most cruise lines now accept a more casual dress code. However, many cruise lines still have at least one formal night per sailing, where it is expected that men dress in tuxedos and dinner jackets and women in cocktail dresses or elegant pantsuits. To avoid a fashion faux pas, our cruise tip is to check the dress code for your chosen cruise line and pack accordingly.

Pack a carry-on for your first day onboard

Another handy cruise travel tip is to pack a separate carry-on bag with everything you’ll need for your first day onboard. This is because porters will whisk away your luggage upon boarding your ship, meaning that you may not have access to your belongings for many hours on embarkation day. By packing holiday essentials like swimwear and sunscreen, you can head straight to the pool deck to begin the fun!

Eat breakfast and lunch in the main dining room

While most cruisers enjoy dinner each evening in the main dining room, the buffet tends to be the more popular choice at breakfast and lunch. However, if you’re looking for a higher quality dining experience at breakfast or lunch, head to the main dining room instead. By doing so, you’ll not only miss the buffet crowds, but also enjoy a freshly cooked meal.

Note your ship’s contact information

Each time you head ashore, be sure to bring your cruise ship’s contact information with you. These details can typically be found in the newsletter that’s delivered to your cabin nightly. After all, if something goes wrong when you’re in port (although we hope that’s never the case), you’ll want to get in touch with your cruise line immediately.

Sign up for activities as soon as possible

If you want to get the most out of the facilities onboard your cruise ship, consider signing up for activities in advance. With thousands of people onboard, it’s not uncommon to find that certain theatre shows or specialty dining reservations book up ahead of time. Many activities can be reserved before setting sail using your cruise line’s app or, alternatively, by talking to the friendly staff onboard your ship.

Purchase travel insurance

Ensure you have the peace of mind to truly relax on your cruise holiday by taking out a travel insurance policy. By purchasing fully comprehensive travel insurance, you can trust that any disruption to your cruise holiday can be fixed, whether that’s lost luggage or an unexpected medical bill. Don’t forget to talk to our Cruise Experts about adding travel insurance to your booking!

Enjoy a seamless cruise experience with My Cruises

Take the stress out of planning your next cruise holiday by booking with My Cruises. We offer an exclusive range of bucket list cruise itineraries, all perfectly packaged with flights, hotel stays, guided tours, scenic rail journeys and so much more.

To find your next cruise getaway, get in touch with our Cruise Experts or start exploring our Hot Deals!