1. Make sure your name on your passport matches the name on your boarding pass. I do not recommend passport cards, ID cards or birth certificates for boarding a cruise ship. If an emergency happens and you need to fly home from another country you WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE THOSE ITEMS TO FLY HOME. A passport is priceless in these circumstances.
2. Attach stateroom number tags to the suitcases you will give to the porter at embarkation, if applicable. It is also nice to tip these hard-workers.
3. Do not leave ANYTHING important or valuable in a bag you give to the porters.
4. Bring a small tote bag or backpack at embarkation if you are arriving early, and put your swimsuit, empty water bottle, phone, medication and anything else you need for the afternoon, as your room may not be ready, and you may not be able to access your checked luggage for a few hours.
5. You can use your cruise line's app to look at ship maps, see what is going on for entertainment, where you can get food or drinks, sign up for Wi-Fi, special classes, and reserve dining.
6. When you board the ship you should have access to food and drinks immediately. The shops on board and the casino are generally not available until you are out to sea (in international waters).
7. Make sure you do your safety check-in (muster) as soon as you can and get it out of the way. The ship cannot leave the port until every person onboard has done the muster. This will include information such as where your lifejackets are and where to meet in an emergency.
8. Bring an empty thermal re-fillable water bottle. You can fill it at the water station with ice and water and bring it with you at each port. Some cruise lines have carafes of filtered water for your stateroom each day, which is even better.
9. You can sometimes do laundry onboard the ship. If you have a suite or preferred status sometimes laundry service is included in the price. NOTE: Do not bring your own steamer or iron onboard. They will be confiscated on most ships.
10. Some people like to bring big bag clips to hold their towels onto their lounge chairs in case of wind. Do not pack towels for your cruise. They provide nice big towels for you to use and you can exchange them as many times as you want for dry ones. In some ports you may need to take towels off the ship for your water activities. Make sure to ask.
11. I recommend bringing electrolyte drink mix packets. These come in handy if you have had too much alcohol or you have become dehydrated due to heat. They can be a lifesaver.
12. Check to see what kind of electric devices are allowed onboard before you bring them.
13. Are you concerned about motion sickness? Ships have stabilizers that make it tolerable for most people. Make sure you have tried your nausea medication before you leave for your trip and don’t have adverse effects. I usually bring ginger candies/chews because they work great for motion sickness. I recommend a lower level cabin in the middle of the ship for the least amount of movement. Another idea is to go on a river cruise instead of an ocean cruise. You should not encounter many waves that cause motion sickness in a river.
14. Pack a small “just in case” first-aid kit. Put Advil, Tylenol, Band-Aids, Neosporin, allergy meds, cough drops, tampons/pads, aloe gel, and hydrocortisone cream in it. If you forget something or you need medical care there is a hospital onboard the ship, but it is not free.
15. When you get off the ship the crew will scan your ID and keep a log of who has gotten off. When you come back to the ship they will scan you back in and you may have to go through security and put everything through an x-ray machine. DON’T bring leftover food, drugs, alcohol, weapons, or anything else prohibited back onto the ship. Packaged food and drinks are usually ok. Unopened alcohol may be permitted on some cruise lines. Read the policies for your cruise line or ask a crew member.
16. When you get off the ship in port remember to go by “ship time” and make note of when you need to be back onboard. This will be in the app that you download for your cruise line. This time can be different from the local time! Make sure that you get back to the dock before your ship leaves. Don't be a "pier runner".
17. If you are part of an excursion through the cruise company the ship will wait for you to come back even if you are delayed. If you are not part of an excursion through the cruise line at the time of the ship departure and you do not get back to the pier in time you may be left behind. Make sure to get back to your ship with time to spare so you can enjoy your vacation without stress.
18. Some cruise companies do not charge extra for things like gratuities, specialty dining, Wi-Fi, excursions, and other charges you may find surprising when you get your bill at the end of the cruise. Ask me about these cruise lines.
19. Sometimes the ship cannot visit a port that is on your itinerary for a variety of reasons, or they must take a completely different route because of weather. Be patient and relax. They always reimburse you for the excursions you booked through them, and they always try to make things up to you by taking you to a different port, or making the time at the next port longer.
20. If you are doing an activity on the water, invest in a waterproof phone case with a lanyard. Most of them allow you to use your phone through the plastic. This is a gift I sometimes give to my clients.
21. Try to enjoy the entertainment provided onboard as much as possible. Most of it is included in the price of your fare. This gives you the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and participate in a game or activity that you haven’t done before. This is a great way to make friends and have a good time.
22. Put your phone in "airplane mode" while you are onboard the ship and it is out at sea. If you do not do this, you may get roaming charges. Find out whether your phone carrier covers the destination you are traveling to before you text, make a call, or click on the internet.
23. Cruise ships are not known for being a "sustainable" form of travel, but many companies are taking strides to achieve this status by taking steps to protect the environment, the destination communities and cultures. I can direct you to these companies and tell you about the differences you may experience onboard such as the lack of disposable plastic, elimination of "buffet style" eateries, using renewable energy to power the ship, and more.
24. If you have questions about CPAP machines, oxygen use, electric mobility scooters, disabilities, special needs, wheelchair accessibility, or anything else, please contact me and I will help you with this.
-Becky Esquibel
2. Attach stateroom number tags to the suitcases you will give to the porter at embarkation, if applicable. It is also nice to tip these hard-workers.
3. Do not leave ANYTHING important or valuable in a bag you give to the porters.
4. Bring a small tote bag or backpack at embarkation if you are arriving early, and put your swimsuit, empty water bottle, phone, medication and anything else you need for the afternoon, as your room may not be ready, and you may not be able to access your checked luggage for a few hours.
5. You can use your cruise line's app to look at ship maps, see what is going on for entertainment, where you can get food or drinks, sign up for Wi-Fi, special classes, and reserve dining.
6. When you board the ship you should have access to food and drinks immediately. The shops on board and the casino are generally not available until you are out to sea (in international waters).
7. Make sure you do your safety check-in (muster) as soon as you can and get it out of the way. The ship cannot leave the port until every person onboard has done the muster. This will include information such as where your lifejackets are and where to meet in an emergency.
8. Bring an empty thermal re-fillable water bottle. You can fill it at the water station with ice and water and bring it with you at each port. Some cruise lines have carafes of filtered water for your stateroom each day, which is even better.
9. You can sometimes do laundry onboard the ship. If you have a suite or preferred status sometimes laundry service is included in the price. NOTE: Do not bring your own steamer or iron onboard. They will be confiscated on most ships.
10. Some people like to bring big bag clips to hold their towels onto their lounge chairs in case of wind. Do not pack towels for your cruise. They provide nice big towels for you to use and you can exchange them as many times as you want for dry ones. In some ports you may need to take towels off the ship for your water activities. Make sure to ask.
11. I recommend bringing electrolyte drink mix packets. These come in handy if you have had too much alcohol or you have become dehydrated due to heat. They can be a lifesaver.
12. Check to see what kind of electric devices are allowed onboard before you bring them.
13. Are you concerned about motion sickness? Ships have stabilizers that make it tolerable for most people. Make sure you have tried your nausea medication before you leave for your trip and don’t have adverse effects. I usually bring ginger candies/chews because they work great for motion sickness. I recommend a lower level cabin in the middle of the ship for the least amount of movement. Another idea is to go on a river cruise instead of an ocean cruise. You should not encounter many waves that cause motion sickness in a river.
14. Pack a small “just in case” first-aid kit. Put Advil, Tylenol, Band-Aids, Neosporin, allergy meds, cough drops, tampons/pads, aloe gel, and hydrocortisone cream in it. If you forget something or you need medical care there is a hospital onboard the ship, but it is not free.
15. When you get off the ship the crew will scan your ID and keep a log of who has gotten off. When you come back to the ship they will scan you back in and you may have to go through security and put everything through an x-ray machine. DON’T bring leftover food, drugs, alcohol, weapons, or anything else prohibited back onto the ship. Packaged food and drinks are usually ok. Unopened alcohol may be permitted on some cruise lines. Read the policies for your cruise line or ask a crew member.
16. When you get off the ship in port remember to go by “ship time” and make note of when you need to be back onboard. This will be in the app that you download for your cruise line. This time can be different from the local time! Make sure that you get back to the dock before your ship leaves. Don't be a "pier runner".
17. If you are part of an excursion through the cruise company the ship will wait for you to come back even if you are delayed. If you are not part of an excursion through the cruise line at the time of the ship departure and you do not get back to the pier in time you may be left behind. Make sure to get back to your ship with time to spare so you can enjoy your vacation without stress.
18. Some cruise companies do not charge extra for things like gratuities, specialty dining, Wi-Fi, excursions, and other charges you may find surprising when you get your bill at the end of the cruise. Ask me about these cruise lines.
19. Sometimes the ship cannot visit a port that is on your itinerary for a variety of reasons, or they must take a completely different route because of weather. Be patient and relax. They always reimburse you for the excursions you booked through them, and they always try to make things up to you by taking you to a different port, or making the time at the next port longer.
20. If you are doing an activity on the water, invest in a waterproof phone case with a lanyard. Most of them allow you to use your phone through the plastic. This is a gift I sometimes give to my clients.
21. Try to enjoy the entertainment provided onboard as much as possible. Most of it is included in the price of your fare. This gives you the opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and participate in a game or activity that you haven’t done before. This is a great way to make friends and have a good time.
22. Put your phone in "airplane mode" while you are onboard the ship and it is out at sea. If you do not do this, you may get roaming charges. Find out whether your phone carrier covers the destination you are traveling to before you text, make a call, or click on the internet.
23. Cruise ships are not known for being a "sustainable" form of travel, but many companies are taking strides to achieve this status by taking steps to protect the environment, the destination communities and cultures. I can direct you to these companies and tell you about the differences you may experience onboard such as the lack of disposable plastic, elimination of "buffet style" eateries, using renewable energy to power the ship, and more.
24. If you have questions about CPAP machines, oxygen use, electric mobility scooters, disabilities, special needs, wheelchair accessibility, or anything else, please contact me and I will help you with this.
-Becky Esquibel