Going on your first cruise can be exciting, and at the same time, you may feel nervous because you don’t know what to expect. You’ll most likely have a lot of questions about your excursion, so before going on an adventure, be sure to do some research so you’d know what to anticipate.
If you have family or friends who’ve tried it out, you can ask for some tips on how to make your cruising escapade worthwhile. Surely, they’d be willing to share personal experiences about their trip. Additionally, you can refer below for some things you must know before embarking on your first-ever cruise.
1. There Are Various Cruise Options
There are different kinds of cruises—ocean, river, couple, family, luxury, and adventure cruises—and all have varying activities to offer. Before booking, check out the pros and cons of each. By knowing what type of activities they offer, you’d have a glimpse of the kind of vacation you’ll experience.
With a wide range of cruise options available, you can easily choose the best party cruise. Some people are easily attracted to one cruise advertisement without checking out other cruise packages, so sometimes they end up regretting their choice.
If you have a travel agency, you may also inform them about your desired vacation so they can find one that matches your preference. But no matter what type of cruise you opt for, the most important thing is to find a reputable cruise company that delivers quality service.
2. Cruise Companies Are Strict With Documentation
There’s a notion that once you’ve received a booking confirmation, you’re all set and you don’t have to think about anything else before the boarding. But one of the important things you must pay attention to is your travel documents. Cruise ships are strict when it comes to incomplete documents.
In most cases, the proper documents to bring are specified together with the email you’d receive for your booking confirmation. If you fail to arrive with complete documents, you may be denied boarding. You don’t want this to happen as there’s a possibility your expenses for the trip would no longer be refunded.
3. Travel Insurance Is A Must-Have
If you need to cancel your trip because of an emergency or if unfortunately you missed your boarding because you’re late, cruise insurance would enable you to get a refund. Another reason why getting travel insurance is a must-have if you’re going on a cruise is to ensure you’d be free from any expenses in case of an accident that leads to an injury or illness during the whole excursion.
In some cases, if a guest met an accident, the cruise company won’t be cooperative enough to resolve things even if they’ve availed of the travel insurance. In situations like this, help from cruise ship accident lawyers is most needed. There are reputable lawyers who can help in recovering the compensation you deserve, such as lawyers from law firms like LM&W, P.A., and others. The process of getting compensation is much easier with the help of a lawyer if you have travel insurance.
4. The Ship Won’t Wait If You’re Late
Make sure to arrive on time. Don’t expect your ship to wait for you if you arrive late. It’s ideal to give yourself ample time to arrive so you won’t be rushing, especially if you still need to take a flight going to the place where the ship is docked. If you allot sufficient time for your travel to where the ship is, you won’t worry too much if unfortunate events transpire.
Don’t risk missing your much-awaited adventure just because you’re late. Some cruise ships require their guests to be onboard hours before the actual departure time. Following this would help you in some way as you’d have the chance to get used to what it’s like inside the ship and get familiar with the different areas you can go to.
5. What Should You Pack?
Unlike riding on a plane, there are no hard rules on how much you can place in your luggage in the case of ships. However, it doesn’t mean you can take anything you want. Remember, you still need to carry your luggage around. So if you bring a lot of stuff, you may have a hard time carrying it. As much as possible, opt for luggage or bags that are easy to carry and can fit all your stuff conveniently.
Make sure to pack essentials only, like clothing pieces or outfits suitable for the weather where you’re going, accessories like sunglasses, medicines, travel documents, gadgets, plug converter, and so on. To ensure you won’t be leaving anything behind, create a checklist of the things you need to bring.
Final Thoughts
To fully enjoy your first cruise, it’s important to be well prepared. Try to do some research on the different cruise offerings before booking to ensure it’s the kind of vacation you want. Also, don’t forget to prepare the needed travel documents and pack only essential things. If you can, you might also want to consider getting travel insurance. Finally, be sure to arrive earlier before boarding to avoid being left behind.