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Have you been dreaming of setting sail across the deep blue sea? Embarking on a cruise ship is one of the most exciting adventures out there. However, if you’ve never gone on one before, stepping foot on a cruise ship can be intimidating. Here are my top 6 tips on cruising for beginners. 

1. Bring the Right Documents

All cruises require you to bring travel documents in order to board the ship. It is vital that you know the boarding requirements so that you’re not turned away at the port. 

It is also important to note that the required documents may vary based on the country the cruise is based out of, as well as your country of citizenship. 

For U.S. citizens leaving on cruises out of a U.S. port, passports are the gold standard for boarding. Although not required, they will expedite the boarding process and will serve as sufficient documentation for getting on the cruise ship. You can skip the long lines and basically walk right on the ship.

If you don’t have a passport, don’t worry! You can still go on a cruise without any hiccups. For most sailings out of the U.S., you can board the ship with an original copy of your state-issued birth certificate and a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license. For sailers under the age of 15, no photo ID is required, and the birth certificate will suffice. 

This is not a full list, but this is a good basis for most sailings out of the U.S. for U.S. citizens.

2. Book Add-Ons Before Sailing

Cruises offer a variety of add-ons, including internet packages, beverage packages, and excursions. Don’t wait until boarding to book these extras! You will pay a pretty penny if you wait until after you get on the ship to book. However, if you book them before, you can save upwards of 20% off of the price of these add-ons. 

Not only will you save money by booking ahead of time, but it will also give you more flexibility in planning your itinerary. Many excursions sell out before passengers ever board the ship, and so if you want to make sure you get your first choice of activities, you will want to book before everyone else beats you to it. 

This will also allow you to avoid the long lines and the concierge desk once you get on the boat. Those lines sometimes take hours to get through due to the massive crowds waiting in line to get some help. The last thing you want to do on an all-inclusive cruise ship is waste your time standing in line. 

3. Drop your Luggage Off Pre-Boarding

Cruises are unloading passengers from the previous trip as passengers for the next trip are showing up and getting ready to board. Because of this, there is some overlap. Just like hotel rooms, your stateroom on the cruise will not be available first thing in the morning. Housekeeping is frantically trying to get the rooms cleaned and prepared for your arrival. This means that your room will not be available to you until sometime that afternoon. 

However, this does not mean you are destined to haul your luggage with you all over the ship until you can drop it off at your stateroom. Before boarding, you can drop your luggage off at a designated drop-off station. The cruise lines provide you with tags that you can label your luggage with so they know who it belongs to and where to take it, and they will drop your suitcases off at your room for you. 

Tips are not required, but I would recommend giving a few dollars per suitcase that you are dropping off for delivery to your stateroom. 

Now, instead of carrying a suitcase around, you can bring on a small carry-on or backpack to carry on necessary items for boarding, such as your passport and other necessary travel documents. I would also put anything else you might want access to before you can get to your room, such as a swimsuit, sunblock, a book, or any other useful items.

4. Pick your Boarding Time

About 30 days before your cruise, your cruise line will give you the option of picking your boarding time. The times available will range anywhere from about 9 am, to 3 pm. Depending on your travel arrangements for that day, you can decide if a morning or afternoon boarding time works best for you.

Personally, I love choosing as early in the morning as possible in order to get through customs as quickly as I can so I can maximize my time on the boat. There are so many activities and restaurants available on boarding day, and you can take full advantage of the opportunity to spend a full day on the boat. 

I’ve also realized that if you show up early for your assigned boarding time, a lot of times they will allow you to start the process earlier. This allows you to get on the boat earlier and spend even more time on it than you anticipated. This may not work every time, but if you don’t have any other plans, it sure doesn’t hurt to try. 

It is important to note that if you pick an afternoon boarding time that you are not late getting to the port, because the boat has a designated time that it has to leave and if you are not there in time, it WILL leave without you. 

5. Bring Everything you Need Before you get On the Boat

This is a lesson that I learned the hard way. When you go to the airport, we all know that prices on items are hiked up higher than what they would be outside of the airport. The same is true on a cruise ship. You are literally on a boat in the middle of the ocean with no other options around. This means that prices are high, but because you’re desperate you buy it anyway. 

We did not check a bag when we flew into Miami, and so we couldn’t have any liquids with us on the plane. This includes sunblock. However, since both my husband and I are extremely fair skinned and sunburn very easily, sunblock is an absolute necessity. We decided that we’d just buy sunblock on the boat. However, we bought one bottle of sunblock on the ship for $25. The same sunblock would have cost us less than $10 at home. That was a hard pill to swallow. But, since we had to have sunblock, we bought it anyway. 

The same could be said for other items. Anything that you are going to need for the duration of your cruise vacation should be purchased prior to boarding. This includes sunblock, toiletries, motion sickness medication, or swimsuits.

6. Pick your Cruise Based on the Ship, Not the Destination

One thing that long-time cruisers know is that all cruise ships are not created equal. Some are better for couples, some are better for solo travelers, and some are better for kids and families. You will want to pick a ship that has the activities and programs that you are looking for and will meet the needs of all travelers. 

Another reason for this is that there is not enough time during the port days to explore the new place you are traveling to. It is better to travel somewhere that you don’t want to really dive into and explore or somewhere that you really want to visit. You won’t feel like you got to really see the area. This is especially true if you go on an excursion. These excursions are time sensitive, and you have to be at certain places at certain times. You are ushered around, do your excursion, and then are rushed back to the boat to make it back before it has to leave. 

When my husband and I went on our first cruise, one of the ports of call was Nassau, Bahamas. However, I don’t really feel like I’ve ever been to The Bahamas. I never got to see anything, didn’t get to taste any local cuisine or do any sight seeing, and we were truly at the mercy of the company taking us on the excursion. To avoid being disappointed, don’t choose to cruise somewhere that you want to spend a lot of time at. You spend most of your time on the boat anyway, so as long as it has the amenities and activities that you want, you will have the time of your life on your vacation. 

These are my top 6 tips for first-time cruisers! I hope you found these tips helpful. What other questions do you have about cruising? Do you have any tips you would add? Let me know!