Best Tips For Cruisers (From Travel Experts)

Taking a cruise is such a fun way to travel! While cruising is enjoyable and relatively simple once you get going, it can feel daunting at first.

I’ve asked a few cruise experts to help out and offer all the tips we all wish we had known when we first started cruising!

So, learn from us, and make your first cruise easy and fun, without the learning curve with these cruise tips!

So, you want to book a cruise? Awesome! Now what? There are so many things to do and know! Let’s start with picking the right cruise!

How to pick the best cruise for you

Everyone is different. There is no right answer to “What is the best cruise” because it all depends on YOU.

What do you like? Amazing scenery? For that, an Alaskan Cruise would be great.

Snorkeling, and relaxing on warm sandy beaches? The Caribbean offers that.

Do you love history? Then maybe a European Cruise would be best.

I’ll tell you how I choose a cruise for our family. First, I figure out the dates that we are able to go. Currently, we have to book our cruises around schools and sports for the boys, if you have more flexibility this isn’t as important.

So, if we can go a certain week, I plug that set of dates into my chosen cruise line website and see what itineraries they have available for that week or time period.

Not all itineraries are offered all of the time, usually due to weather.

Next, I need to decide if there is a certain port I must sail out of, or if that doesn’t matter so much. We live in the Pacific North West, so the only cruises we can go on without a flight are Alaska.

If you live near a cruise port and do not want to fly, then that will help determine your itinerary choices.

Ok, so now we have a decent list of possibilities. Read through them. Do any jump out at you? Do any of them include a location that you have always wanted to visit? If so, don’t overthink it, just go with that!

If you’re still not sure, I suggest looking into a few of the ports and seeing what they have to offer, to see if anything resonates with you. I once booked an entire cruise around one sanctuary where we could hold a sloth in Roatan (would do it again in a heartbeat too).

I like to hop on to Trip Advisor, Pinterest, or the ShipMate app and type in the ports, this will give you an idea of what types of excursions are possible and help you decide what you want to do!

What next?

You’ve got your dream itinerary picked out… now what?

You’ve got to choose a room! Again, so much of this is personal preference but here are a few tips to help:

Which kind of stateroom should you book on a cruise?

There are a few choices here, inside, porthole, window view, balcony, or suite. Inside Cabins are the cheapest.

If you know you will only be in your room to sleep, and would rather spend your money somewhere else, then an inside cabin is just fine.

Porthole cabins are toward the very front of the ship and are still considered inside cabins, but you do have a small porthole view.

If you want to enjoy the scenery from the privacy of your room, then a balcony room is a great option!

If you are traveling with your family, you need to be aware of the occupancy maximums of each room. Some rooms will have pull-down beds, bunks, or twin-only options, so be sure you read through the room description so you don’t spend your honeymoon on bunk beds 🙂

I love to pick a cabin, and then head over to YouTube, or Cruise Critic, and type that room number and ship name in. Often you can get a view of the room, sometimes a video or review.

Expert Cruise Tip #1 Avoid noisy cabins!

This tip is a suggestion from Ellie, of Ellies Travel Tips

When you travel on a cruise (especially the big cruise lines— Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, etc.), you can expect to be surrounded by larger crowds of people the majority of the time. To fully relax on your cruising vacation, it is crucial to avoid the noisiest staterooms at sea

The last thing you are going to want to worry about on your vacation is hearing noises while you are in your stateroom at night or early in the morning. Some of these rooms include those located near elevators, staterooms adjacent to crew access areas, and cabins directly below the pool deck. Other areas you want to look out for are rooms near the anchor (unless you are an early bird) and staterooms near the nightclubs or lounges.

On the flip side, these cabins can be offered at cheaper rates. But if you are looking to prioritize relaxation on your vacation, avoid the hassle of dealing with unnecessary noises on your cruise and book a quieter stateroom.

Expert Cruise Tip #2 Know your ship!

This tip was suggested by Michelle from Wander, Eat, Write

My biggest cruise tip is to know what’s offered on the specific ship you’ll be cruising on! This means the amenities, activities, and entertainment programs. In my three years working on cruise ships, I’ve regularly had guests ask me for directions onboard to features or shows they heard about that, unfortunately, were not offered on the class of ship they were cruising on.

It’s important to remember that each cruise line, class of ship, and occasionally even ships within the same class can all vary in offerings. In order to avoid any disappointment and ensure the best cruising experience, be sure to do your homework!

Expert Cruise Tip #3 Drink Packages

This money-saving cruise tip offered by Sarah, A Free Drink

Knowing your costs before you get on a cruise ship is particularly important as a first-time cruiser, not having to worry that a holiday of a lifetime was going to come with a bunch of hidden costs.   And so, it’s important to carefully review any packages that you can purchase before you board.  Costs for packages are ALWAYS cheaper before you board.  

Take drinks packages for instance.   There are many available – and they’ll include not just alcoholic drinks, but soft drinks, coffee that doesn’t come out of an urn, and decent tea.  You can save a lot of money by reviewing and signing up for these packages before you get on board.  There are a host of different options available – drinks packages with mocktails and non-alcoholic drinks, coffees, wines, beers, and cocktails.   On a recent trip, we saved a lot, even just drinking coffee and soft drinks.  So, read the details, find the right drinks package for you and save the money to take more excursions when in port!

How to choose cruise excursions

Excursions are such an awesome part of cruising! That being said, if you want a laid-back experience, you do not have to do an excursion at every port. Some people hop off the ship for a bit of shopping, and then head back to enjoy the mostly empty ship and relax!

If we are traveling as a family, I like to make sure everyone has at least one excursion that focuses on their interests. For example, my son had always wanted to zipline, so I made sure to include that in our trip, as well as an excursion to Altun Ha Mayan Ruins on the same trip for my other son who liked history!

If we are going on a couples cruise, I try to plan a day of activity, and then a beach or rest day, and alternate that way (because I’m old and need rest)

Expert Cruise Tip #4 Book your excursions outside the cruise line

This cruise tip is from Lauren, The Traveling Moore

Many first-time cruisers will be tempted to book all their excursions through the cruise line. However, for the best value and experience, book activities through local vendors.

Often, cruise lines will upcharge the same activities for their profit. Booking directly will allow you to save on these extra fees. Additionally, booking directly will make sure your money supports small businesses that rely on tourism.

Local excursions and activities are more authentic and personalized than those the cruise offers. Since the cruise must mass-produce excursions for large groups, they often lose the local touch. By booking directly, you will have access to local’s hidden gems and benefit from the local guides’ knowledge. To find great local tours, search on forums such as TripAdvisor. 

Cruise Tips: Packing

These must-have items will help make your cruise experience so much better! But my biggest packing tip is DON’T OVERPACK. I know. It’s a struggle. You think you need ALOT. You don’t. Trust me. You won’t wear half of the things you bring, and will just end up loading and unloading your suitcase and dealing with a bunch of clothes you don’t need. I use packing cubes whenever I travel, and I know you will love them too!

You will need to attach room identification to your suitcase before boarding. This usually is a printed piece of paper, that the porters can staple to your luggage handle at the port. I found these super awesome holders to put the paper in instead! I love them because they are more secure, they are reusable, and they hold up so well!

Expert Tip #5 Plan for parties and dinner

Do a bit of research and find out if there are any special nights or events on the cruise you need to prepare for. Most ships have dress codes for the dining areas, including at least one formal night. Some ships throw theme parties. If you want to participate, you’ll want to be prepared. Often these are things like: glow parties, 80’s parties, or White hot parties.

Expert Tip #6 Help your luggage stand out from the crowd

This cruise tip is from Karee, Our Woven Journey

Have you ever stepped up to the carousel at the airport baggage claim and realized you couldn’t spot which one was yours? At least not without actually checking the tag on every black suitcase that went by to see if that was it. Imagine stepping into a large room with all the suitcases that belong to everyone on the cruise ship in one area and you need to find yours. It’s kind of like an Easter egg hunt, but not nearly as fun!

That’s what happens at the end of each cruise. As part of the disembarkation process, most cruise ships will ask you to have your luggage outside your door the night before the cruise ends. They will carry it off the ship for you and put them in color-coded groups for you to claim. 

There’s a way to make this process faster, though. If you know your luggage looks much like everyone else’s, put something on it you’ll be able to easily spot. That may be something as simple as a bright-colored ribbon tied to the handle that you can see from a distance. It could even be a fun spandex luggage cover that makes your bland luggage quite unique and easy to spot!

A little pre-planning can save you some time, so plan ahead and bring something with you you’ll be able to put on your luggage to make it easy to spot. You’ll be glad you did!

Expert Tip #7 Pack a lanyard

This cruise tip suggested by Ellie, Ellies Travel Tips

The number one item that many cruisers regret forgetting is a lanyard to hold their cruise access card. Nearly every cruise line at sea keeps track of its passengers through personal cruise cards that you are expected to have on you at any given time. 

While you may think that you would just put your cruise key card in your wallet, you would be surprised by how many times you head over to the cruise buffet from your stateroom and up locking yourself out in the process! That is exactly why a cruise lanyard is one of the must have cruise accessories for both first-time cruisers and those who are planning their 15^th.

Avoid the embarrassment and hassle altogether and try to pack an affordable and lightweight cruise lanyard before you leave. You may also want to pick up a simple keycard holder for your cruise as many ship cards will not have a hole to fasten your lanyard during your vacation.

Expert Tip #8 Don’t forget sea bands

Tip given by Jessica, Very Obsessed

My best cruise tip for 1st-time cruisers is to pack Sea-Bands!  These seasick bands are an inexpensive, drug-free way to reduce motion sickness and take up very little space.  A bad day at sea can put a damper on the trip, so err on the side of caution.  

You can wear them the whole cruise or only when the water starts to feel choppy, just slip them on and let the acupressure do its magic.  You’ll never regret bringing them, but you may regret leaving them at home.

Expert Tip #9 Bring a power strip

You may be surprised to find out that most cruise staterooms only have one outlet. Yep. I learned that the hard way. Try curling your hair, and charging everyone’s phones, and camera batteries all with ONE outlet! Nightmare. Bring a power strip, it will make your life so much easier! This power strip is my favorite because it has outlets AND charging ports!

Expert Tip #10 Bring Towel Clips

Why? It is windy on deck! These clips can help hold your towel down to the chair while you are lounging by the ship’s pool! They can easily be packed in your day pack to take ashore as well! We use ours for hanging our wet swimwear in the shower to dry overnight as well! You’ll be surprised how much you use these!

You’re ready for the most awesome cruise ever!

You’re almost ready, but I have a few more cruise tips to offer before you go:

• Try to fly in the day before your cruise just in case there are any delays, this relieves a lot of stress
• Download your cruise lines app to see all of the entertainment and food options, as well as ship maps
• Make a family plan. My kids all do their own things on the ship but MUST be at the dining room every night for family dinner and check-in.
• Know wifi won’t be great. You can usually buy a wifi plan, and some ships have messenger features within their apps. But decide on a communication plan ahead.
• Understand that plans can change. Sometimes, ports of call can change or be canceled last minute. It is not ideal, but it’s okay. You’re still on vacation and not a work! So take the changes in stride, and make the most out of it!
• Tip the staff. These people work so hard. I mean, so hard. They are often away from their families for months at a time and will bend over backward to ensure you enjoy yourself. Reward them. Be kind, be courteous and TIP them!

Most of all, and this is my favorite of all the cruise tips, a cruise is what YOU make of it! If you want to relax the entire time, do that! If you want to live it up, now is your chance! Nobody knows you, and nobody judges you, so sing karaoke, dance on the lido deck, play the games, and have fun!