12 Important Cruise Tips to Cruise Like a Pro

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Going on a cruise trip, whether solo or with your family, is really exciting. Here are some important cruise tips sorted based on my personal experience and the data collected from other experienced cruise travelers. Go through these cruise tips and avoid regretting the things you could have done while on your trip. 

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Here are the words of a cruise traveler – “Just because I forgot to include the essentials for the first day of the cruise in my carry-on bag, I had to wait for long hours till my suitcase got delivered to my room.” This is just one instance. If you want to be a cruise traveler who returns from your cruise trip completely satisfied, have a look at the different cruise tips mentioned in this article. Also, all those who are looking for Carnival Cruise tips, Disney Cruise tips, or any general cruise tips can find what they need in this article.

Pack Smart 

Ask an experienced cruiser about the importance of smart packing. That person will tell you how it can influence the total mood of your cruise trip. Every cruise traveler will pack items for their cruise journey, but the question is: have you packed smart? 

Here are some items to include in your luggage which can make your packing smart: 

  • Use compression cubes to add more items to your luggage. 
  • Include hanging washbags in your luggage to avoid cluttering the bathroom with clothes. 
  • Carry towel clips, a travel pill organizer, and a USB octopus (to charge multiple devices from the same port). 
  • Include a thermos flask in your luggage to keep the water cool. 
  • Include the items you might need for the first day in your carry-on to avoid waiting until your luggage is delivered to your stateroom. 
Woman lying on bed talking on smartphone after packing things for travel
Image by Kostikovanata

Note: Remember not to overpack; pack only what is actually needed. 

If you need the cruise packing list, have a look at the Carnival Cruise packing list! 

Take a Self-Guided Ship Tour

One of the important cruise tips you need to keep in mind is to take a self-guided ship tour on the first day of your cruise with the help of a map or using the cruise line app. By doing so, you will know where the restaurants, pools, and entertainment areas are. You can avoid wandering around the ship to find the spot you are looking for. This self-guided tour will be of great use if you are with your kids.

Arrive at Your Port Early

By early arrivals, you can avoid the chances of missing your ship. Flight delays or high road traffic can delay your time of arrival at the port. If you don’t want this to happen, arrive at your port early, or you can stay in a nearby hotel the day before. If you stay in a hotel near the port, you will get an opportunity to enjoy the local culture, sleep off the jetlag, and reach the port fresh. 

Save on Beverages

Beverage rates are usually high on cruise ships. If you want to avoid huge expenses on beverages, try to bring your own drinks on board a ship. Cruise lines won’t permit all types of drinks, so you need to check with your cruise line before carrying drinks onboard. 

If this is not possible, another option is to invest in drink packages. If you choose drink packages, you can buy beverages at comparatively lower costs. This is one of the important cruise tips to avoid unwanted expenses. 

Are you cruising with your partner? Here are the different things you can do!

Stay on the Ship on a Port Day

If you are traveling on a cruise ship with multiple ports of call, one of the best cruise tips for you is to stay on the ship during one of the port days. It is during the port days that you can enjoy all the amenities on the cruise ship without the usual crowds. You can experience a relaxing environment inside the ship and avoid the costs of shore excursions. 

You can find pools, spas, and lounges that are less busy during the port days. Also, you can make use of the special deals and discounts available during these days. 

Look for Last-Minute Deals

Always check in with the cruise websites to find out the kind of deals they are offering. Through last-minute cruise deals, you might be able to save up to 50 percent. It is not always mandatory that last-minute cruise deals offer you more savings than booking a cruise ship early. The chances of getting last-minute deals will be higher if the booking is made during the shoulder season. 

Kenan Thompson Snl GIF by Saturday Night Live
Image by GIPHY

Document Your Cruise Experience

One of the best cruise tips for you to make your cruise trip memorable is to document your journey. To document your trip, you can click pictures, use your drawing skills to draw whatever you find relevant, brush up your creative writing skills, or write down your personal experience in your diary. These are just a few ideas; you can try even more. 

Exercise Regularly 

On a cruise ship, you will get all the delicious foods you want. That too, you won’t have to cook; someone will cook for you. Hence, you will tend to enjoy the three-course meals and add up all those calories. It might be on the last day of the cruise that you regret forgetting your diet plans. To avoid this happening to you, exercise regularly.  

The simple exercise that you can do is to use the stairs instead of the elevator. Or you can join the salsa class (if your cruise ship offers that), go to the gym, and also keep control over the food you are having. 

A woman practicing yoga inside the cruise ship
Image by Pavel Losevsky

Try Not to Skip the Formal Night

People usually have a tendency to skip formal nights just because of the thought of wearing tuxedos and ball gowns. However, not all cruise lines mandate such formal wear. You can check with your cruise line or go through their website before your trip to learn about the type of clothes you need to carry during the night. In Carnival Cruise lines, there is usually a Cruise Casual dress code in the evenings, and there will also be an occasional Cruise Elegant evening. Try not to skip formal nights, as meals on formal nights are usually better than on other business attire nights. Why miss a lobster dinner? You can enjoy lobster with large prawns and various other choices on a formal night. 

Skip the Cruise Ship Buffet on the Embarkation Day

If you don’t want to get suffocated by the first-day buffet crowds on the cruise ship, try skipping it. You can opt for the secondary dining option or one of the table-served eateries for lunch, which will be less crowded. 

People enjoying food inside the cruise ship
Image by Dasha Petrenko

Plan On What to Do at the Ports of Call

The cruise ship won’t stop for long hours at the different ports of call. If you fail to have a proper plan on what to do at these ports, you will miss having a memorable experience at these destinations. To avoid this happening to you, properly plan ahead of your journey. 

Use This Time to Reinvent Yourself

When you are on your cruise trip, you are traveling with people you didn’t know before. This is the right time to be whoever you like. Push your boundaries and try everything you want. Dance till you drop, do all the onboard activities that excite you, wake up early & watch the sunrise, visit the glamorous cocktail bar, and wear that dress you always wanted to but didn’t due to different inhibitions. 

Find out what you love. Spend some time for yourself, maybe go to a secluded space on the ship and enjoy the sunset. Once you are back from your cruise journey, you should be happy and content.

Nicole Kenney

Nicole Kenney is a seasoned writer with more than five years of experience, and she’s your go-to guide for all things related to cruise travel. Her love for the open sea and for discovering new destinations drives her to write and share insider tips, itinerary suggestions, and everything you need to know to make your next voyage unforgettable. When she's not exploring the world's most beautiful ports, you'll find her curled up with a good book, planning her next adventure, or playing with Jack, her dog.

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