17 Cruise Tips for First-Timers
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The way that cruise ships are designed, there is usually an inner public area in the middle of the ship, with things like the casino, shops, restaurants, and more. Many cruise lines will let you bring on non-alcoholic drinks. But there are often rules about packaging (for example, Carnival allows cans and cartons, but not bottles) and you have to deal with lugging those items around. Most mainstream cruise lines will automatically add daily gratuities to your onboard account if you don't prepay them in advance. The daily rate varies, but you can expect to pay somewhere around $16-$20 per day if you are staying in a standard stateroom (i.e., interior, ocean view, or balcony). If you are splurging on a suite, you will pay a little bit more, usually no more than $25 per day.
Save Hundreds By Sailing Off-Season
When you fly or even drive to your cruise port on the day of your sailing, you're taking a risk that flight delays or traffic will cause you to miss your ship's departure. If you can, make restaurant reservations online as soon as you can after booking your cruise. If not, get on the ship as early as possible and reserve your table as soon as you get on board.
Take advantage of the spa tours
Every port has a small pharmacy and a number of other shops where you can pick up anything you forgot for cheaper. The newsletter should also list contact information for the port agent in every destination you visit. Should you have a problem in port and not make it back to the ship before it sails, the agent can help you figure out next steps.
8 Eastern Mediterranean Cruise Tips: Know Before You Go - Cruise Critic
8 Eastern Mediterranean Cruise Tips: Know Before You Go.
Posted: Thu, 11 Apr 2024 18:00:00 GMT [source]
Running out of clothing? Investigate the laundry services
All of the line's cruise ships, built over decades, do not offer all of the same public spaces, restaurants and cabin styles. Make sure you look up information about what your ship offers before booking. You don't want to get excited about a specific restaurant or onboard roller coaster only to discover it's not available on the ship you booked.
It can get breezy on the ship, especially if the ship is underway. All it takes is one gust of wind and your towels and swimsuits are taking a ride down to the ocean, never to be seen again. Instead, just have one door at a time and you don’t have to worry about anything.
Cruise Packing Hacks
Once per cruise, often on the last sea day, Carnival's room stewards really work their magic by "taking over" the pool deck with their towel animal creations. While some perks may be delivered to your cabin (such as souvenir gifts and special event invites), others you may need to seek out. Read up on which perks you're eligible for and be sure to take advantage of the money-saving offers. Many fun drinks come in souvenir glasses, especially at Carnival's poolside bars.
Secret Tips for Cruise Rooms: Making the Best of Any Cabin You Book
While you might save money by doing excursions on your own or booking privately, there are times when booking with the cruise line is your best bet. Find out info on specific cruise ports by reading reviews on Cruise Critic and other review sites and consider joining facebook groups and roll calls for your sailing. You may even find some fellow cruise passengers who want to organize a private tour together, which is common on some cruise itineraries. Anything can happen, especially if you’re flying into your cruise port. Always plan to arrive at least one day before your cruise for peace of mind, plus you can visit your embarkation port city and extend your vacation.
During your cruise you will have a cabin steward that tends to the cabin each day. They do things like clean the room, restock anything needed, and make the bed. But one tip is to ensure that if you leave the cabin you don’t have anything laying out that you wouldn’t want them to see. While ships would be the perfect spot for stargazing, the lights on the deck are bright enough to create light pollution that drowns out many stars. You’ll see brighter ones, but if you were planning to spot the Milky Way out at sea, that probably won’t be the case.
Complete Guide to Using Your Phone on a Cruise (Carnival, Royal Caribbean & More)
Cruising Isn’t Just for Old People is a cruise blog where you’ll find fabulous cruise information of all sorts. Emma also a vibrant group of young and young at heart cruisers in her Facebook group. 1.Save money and travel more often by booking inside staterooms.
I am, of course, too cool to ever put a key card lanyard around my neck, which means I lose my card once or twice on every trip. My cruise team colleague Ashley Kosciolek also escews landyard-wearing on ships, but that didn't stop her from writing this wonderful guide to the coolest cruise lanyards around. If you've read this far, you are likely a first-time cruiser looking for advice for an upcoming trip, and that's exactly what this story is meant to offer. It contains my list of 21 ways to make your first sailing go more smoothly.
They are actually telling important information about the ship underwater. Keeping things a little quiet can make sure that your fun doesn’t mess with anyone else’s vacation. To find a quieter cabin spot, look toward the ends of the ship.
If you do this in advance of sailing, you can jump right into onboard activities as soon as you board the ship. Depending on your habits, investing in a beverage package can be one of the best cruise tips to follow. If you don’t want to spend money on shore excursions, that’s understandable. A free way to enjoy the port cities and save some money is to simply head to the beach. Given TPG's origins as a points and miles website, we'd be remiss if we didn't remind you to maximize your credit card points while making purchases on ships. It's always safer to build in some buffer time by planning to arrive in your embarkation port city the day before your ship is scheduled to set sail.
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