Going on a cruise for the first time is an exciting adventure. You get to see the open ocean and explore beautiful ports. But my very first sailing on a massive ship taught me some hard lessons. Here is a look at the simple mistakes I made that you can easily avoid on your next trip.
Booking A Long Trip For My First Time
I jumped right in and booked a full seven night trip, thinking I would easily get used to living on a giant boat. By the fourth day I was feeling really overwhelmed and ready to go back to land so a shorter trip would have been a much better idea for a beginner like me.
Going On The Cruise Completely By Myself
Traveling solo sounds fun but being surrounded by huge families and friend groups made me feel pretty lonely out there on the water. There were plenty of nice people to talk to but next time I am definitely bringing my own crew so I have someone to share the crazy memories with.
Choosing A Room At The Very Front
I booked a nice ocean view room on deck eight but I did not realize the front of the ship feels the absolute most movement. I am already prone to motion sickness so feeling every single wave made my stomach turn and next time I will definitely pick a room right in the middle.
Forgetting To Pack Earplugs For Sleep
The front of the ship was incredibly loud at night with heavy vibrations that sounded like actual thunder right under my bed. I tried sleeping with my earbuds in but they hurt my ears so some basic soft earplugs would have completely saved my sleep schedule.
Leaving All My Cash At Home
You can pay for almost everything on the ship with your room card but you really need paper cash to tip the tour guides and bus drivers at the ports. I had to use the ship ATMs and they charged some annoying withdrawal fees just to get my own money out.
Wasting Suitcase Space On Formal Clothes
I packed a fancy outfit because I thought formal nights were super strict but people were literally walking around in regular t shirts and shorts. I really hate dressing up anyway so bringing that formal outfit was just a total waste of the limited space in my luggage.
Waiting Too Long To Book Shows
I assumed I could just walk into the cool acrobatic water shows whenever I wanted but they actually require reservations through the ship app. Waiting until the last minute meant everything was totally sold out so make sure you book your entertainment the second you get on board.
Paying Extra For Too Many Restaurants
I booked fancy specialty restaurants for almost every single night thinking the free food would be boring or basic. It turns out the included buffets and dining rooms had incredibly delicious food and I totally wasted my money paying extra for things I did not even need.
Booking Too Many Basic Beach Excursions
I booked two different port excursions that mostly just had us sitting around at a beach club all day long. After the first beach day I was totally bored and really wished I had booked a tour to actually explore the island culture instead of just looking at sand.
Booking My Flight Home Way Too Late
I was super paranoid about the ship getting delayed so I booked a late night flight home just to be totally safe. I ended up getting off the ship bright and early and had to basically camp out on the airport floor for fourteen hours waiting for my plane to finally leave.
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