Most of the stress on a cruise is of one’s own making and it happens well before the ship is underway.
It is in the pre-cruise phase that travelers make their errors, when the trip is ostensibly planned but the uninteresting details have yet to be put in order.
27. The Passport Expiration Date
Depending on the cruise line, country or route, a passport can present problems even if it appears to be in good standing. More often than not, the date is only called into question once check-in has begun to put finer points on things.
Open the book and have a look prior to final payment. Should the date be up for renewal, do not put it off. There is no pleasure in a rushed process to kick off a holiday.
26. The Luggage Scale
Packing for a cruise seems like a generous affair until one has to get to the airport first. An overweight suitcase will quickly turn an airline counter into a public re-packing exercise.
Do the weighing at home. It is far more convenient to put away a jacket or some toiletries in the bedroom than on the floor next to a scale.
25. The Departure-City Weather
One can pack for the islands and in doing so forget the city of embarkation. A hot terminal line or cold wind will make for an uncomfortable start long before the ship is in view.
Take note of the conditions there as well. On the morning of boarding, a small umbrella or the proper layer will serve you better than yet another dinner outfit.
24. The Home Checklist
Home worries have a way of traveling with you. The last thing required on a cruise is to be left to wonder if the garage door is shut, the thermostat is amiss or the mail is mounting up.
Make a list for the house. Before the good times begin, give the trash, pets, plants and locks a thorough, if dull, once-over.
23. The Final Payment Date
The final payment has a way of sneaking up on you when the voyage still seems distant. Miss it and the booking can become a mess in short order.
Enter it in the calendar with a reminder a week out. That affords the time to verify the cabin, passengers and card before the funds are gone.
22. The Exact Cruise Terminal
Not all rideshare drivers are adept at knowing which of several terminals to use at some ports. Being dropped off in the wrong place means lugging your bags while everyone is on edge.
Put the precise terminal address in your phone, not merely the port name. Take a screenshot for when the service near the waterfront is poor.
21. The Night-Before Hotel Plan
A hotel before the cruise is for more than a bed. The location, the shuttle, the elevator and the checkout crowds will dictate how your boarding morning goes.
Select for the morning you require rather than the lowest price. A quiet transfer is worth more than a marginally better room some distance away.
20. The Phone Roaming Plan
With roaming zones, ship Wi-Fi and flights in the mix, phone charges are liable to become a puzzle. Most people only think about it once an odd charge shows up.
Before you leave, determine what the phone is for: work, emergency calls, maps? Set your plan accordingly and do not leave it to chance once you are on board.
19. The Dress Code Reality
There is less to the dress code than most would have you believe. The error is in packing for a fantasy version of the ship.
See what the rules are for formal nights and specialty dining, and consider shoe comfort. You are better off with a single practical layer than three outfits packed from a sense of obligation.
18. The Last-Minute Ship Email
While you are packing it is easy to overlook an email from the cruise line regarding parking, health forms or a change in terminal.
Go through your inbox and app the night before. It is hardly thrilling but it spares you from finding out about such matters at the curb.
17. The Name on Every Document
An old passport or a discrepancy in a middle initial can be more trouble than is anticipated. The government ID, airline and hotel must all agree.
Compare your confirmations to the document in hand. If it does not add up, correct it now and not when you are at the terminal with your luggage.
16. The Passport Versus Birth Certificate Decision
U.S. travelers on closed-loop cruises may have options for documentation. But in an emergency that requires a flight home, the easy way can become difficult.
It comes down to risk tolerance and citizenship. Better move: consult the guidance from the government and the cruise line. It is a boring decision until it is not.
15. The Boarding Time Window
Do not treat the boarding time as a mere formality because the vessel is large. Come too soon and you will be waiting; come late and every minute is an issue.
Factor in the traffic and when checked bags close. Embarkation is less of an ordeal when the clock is not against you.
14. The Credit Card on File
You want an onboard account card that will not balk at foreign charges or a hold. A decline at check-in is hardly a drama but it is the sort of problem that puts a brake on proceedings.
Notify the bank if necessary and have a backup in another pocket. It is easy for the tab to run up on a cruise when each little expense seems disconnected from what you paid for the fare.
13. What Must Stay in Your Carry-On
There is no guarantee your checked bags will be in the cabin any time soon. That is not an issue until you realise your swimsuit, medication or dinner clothes are in the one suitcase that has yet to turn up.
Treat the first six hours as if you are on a short trip of its own. Keep your documents, valuables, medicines and an outfit with you; do not leave them to some luggage cart.
12. Medication and Health Supplies
One tends to pack medicine for a ship the way they would for a hotel down the street. But a vessel is not like driving to a corner store when it comes to pharmacy access, port schedules or medical bills.
Have enough for the duration of the voyage with some to spare and put the essentials in your carry-on. If you are flying in, be clear on how they will screen liquids or devices. (Older passengers would do well to read things to check before a big trip.)
11. The Cruise App Login
The app does not seem so appealing when you are in a terminal with a poor signal and have forgotten the password. Yet most ships make you use it for everything from boarding to checking your account and making dining reservations.
Do yourself a favour and log in at home to update it and take screenshots. A hard copy may seem old fashioned until the battery on your phone is at four percent.
10. Dining Time and Table Choice
You might think you can sort out dinner once you are on board, but the timing of a meal dictates your evening, whether you are with the kids or heading to a show.
The wrong table can be an annoyance night after night. Make sure you know if you have fixed or flexible dining. Do not count on an early two-top just appearing by magic.
9. The Cabin Location
A room can be picture perfect and still be located above a lounge or next to the elevators. The deck plan tells you more than the photo. Check what is on either side of the hallway and the decks above and below.
For those where walking distance is a concern, older travelers making big-trip checks early is worth a look for an honest assessment.
8. Port-Day Return Times
Sail-away is not all-aboard time. The difference is significant when you are still putting in a restaurant bill near the port or in a taxi.
Put the ship’s time in a place you can see and set an alarm before you disembark. It is a good way to avoid the kind of port blunders detailed in shore excursion mistakes.
7. The Weather for Every Port
What you need for the departure city is not what you need for the rest of the itinerary. Conditions can change in a hurry from one port to the next in places like Alaska or the Caribbean.
Look at the weather for each stop. A hat or a layer for the evening will serve you better than another dinner garment, particularly on routes where Caribbean booking mistakes have a bearing on things.
6. What Your Fare Already Includes
Some will pay for extras without realising what is already covered. The fare often includes the shows, the pool parties, the lectures and even casual food.
Consult the daily planner before you part with more money. You could find plenty in free cruise activities passengers skip too often and forgo an upgrade.
5. Cancellation and Change Terms
Cancellation policy is the last thing on your mind until a flight is changed or a port is swapped. Timelines get tighter as you near the date.
Get past the headline and read the fine print. Find out when the deposit is gone for good and what your third party booker will do.
4. The Flight Buffer
An early morning flight is fine until it is not. With the ship on a schedule, crew delays or baggage hiccups are magnified.
Fly in the day prior if you can and put up near the port. Otherwise, pick the earliest sensible option and have a back-up plan in mind.
3. Luggage Tags and Bag Rules
Cruise tags are easily overlooked as mere paperwork. Without a solid tag your bag can be held up in the shuffle of thousands of suitcases. Put them on before you get to the port and tuck a spare in your carry-on.
If there is a flight involved, see carry-on mistakes before an international flight to head off trouble at the airport.
2. Emergency Contacts and Offline Copies
A phone can make one complacent about having a backup. When the device is dead or the account locked, simple details become hard to come by.
Print off the itinerary and travel papers and keep them apart from the originals so a lost purse is not the end of the world.
1. The Reason You Booked the Cruise
Ultimately it is not about the paperwork but whether the plan delivers what you want: the scenery, the rest, the family time and a week of not cooking. Trim the superfluous things.
A more relaxed cruise is a matter of better timing and knowing which cruise extras sound better than they are to let go.
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