Five Tips For First Time Cruisers

You've decided to go on a cruise, but you don't really know what to expect or how to prepare. Here are a few cruise tips to make sure you have the trip of a lifetime.

• If you're flying into a different country to get onboard your cruise ship, then book an extra night (the night before your cruise departs) in the port you are leaving from. This will make sure you have a stress-free departure. You won't have to worry about missing your cruise ship and your vacation as a result of a delayed or cancelled flight because you will already be where you need to be.
  
  
• This is a tip you can actually use on any vacation: make sure to pack at least one outfit and your bathing suit in your carry-on. Most cruise ships have thousands of passengers and sometimes it might take a while to have your luggage delivered to your cabin. When you pack these items in your carry-on you don't have to miss a minute of your well-deserved vacation and can jump right in the pool or lounge on one of the chairs by the pool.
  
  
• These days you can check-in online for your cruise like you would when checking in for a flight. Make sure to take advantage of this, it will only speed up the process when you want to board the ship.
  
  
• Shore excursions. Everyone is different when it comes to these, some of you might want to make the most of your time aboard the ship, and others will want to explore the destinations where you will dock. If you plan on going on shore excursions organized by the cruise line, have a look in advance at the descriptions online. When already convinced about your choice, you can book these online, ensuring a spot for the desired shore excursion. Not so good in picking in advance? Not to worry, you will have time once you are aboard the ship as well. Just be aware that some excursions might sell out sooner than others. Doing a bit of research in advance on the ports your ship will dock at will ensure you make the most of your time there.
  
  
• Tipping on board can be a bit confusing to some. When to tip and when not to? You will get pampered by the cruise staff and you want to make sure you reward them for their service. The first thing you should do is, read up on the information given to you by your cruise line. Find out if gratuities are included or not. Many cruise lines charge a certain amount per day per person to your onboard account so you don't have to worry about tipping aboard. This amount will either be divided among the crew members that served you or sometimes the cruise line has vouchers available for you at the end of your trip so you can hand these over yourselves to the crew. Also good to know, some cruise lines include automatically a 15 percent service charge to bar bills.

Note: Available plans and coverages may have changed since this blog was published.