Cruise Tips | 7 Things You Need to Know Before Taking Your Family on a Cruise
Planning on going on a cruise with your family for the first time? Read up on these 7 cruise tips so you can be prepared!
Cruise Tips | 7 Things You Need to Know Before Taking Your Family on a Cruise
If you have never been on a cruise before, planning one can be a bit overwhelming. Don’t get discouraged because with a few cruise tips you will be just fine and on the boat before you know it. Follow these seven cruise tips you should know before taking your family on a cruise to help ease the stress.
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Plan to show up the night before
You may be tempted to drive down or take a flight the day of your cruise, but this is taking a huge chance. If you have car trouble or the flight is delayed, then you will end up missing your cruise that you have been planning. It is best to plan to get there a day early. If all goes well, you can just relax when you get there and if not, then you might prevent actually missing your cruise because of unforeseen problems.
When do you sign up for a shore excursion?
My advice is that you should sign up for a shore excursion before you ever leave on your cruise. If you do it at home, then you can spend a lot of time researching and finding the best one for you. You will be told that you can save money by not booking through the cruise ship, but there is a huge negative to this one. If your shore excursion has problems and is running late and you booked through the cruise line, then the ship will wait on you no matter how long it takes. If you book on your own, then they don’t have to wait around and you could end up getting left behind.
Sometimes you will decide to just skip the excursions all together and that is okay too! Enjoy checking out a new country or spend time on the boat while everyone else is off and you will really enjoy the fact that there aren’t near as many people around.
Can I bring soda or drinks on the ship?
This answer will entirely depend on the cruise line you are taking your vacation with and what they allow so check out their website to find out the answers. Most who do allow it will want to inspect your bag, so be ready for that.
Figure out what is included
Different things are included on different ships. If you know ahead of time what is included, then you won’t be overwhelmed with the amount of money you are spending once you get on the ship. Some include all alcohol and others don’t include any at all. Most cruise ships have places that cost extra if you want to eat there. If you know all of this ahead of time, you can take advantage of the things that are included in the price you already paid for your cruise.
Schedule your parking ahead of time
Make sure that you schedule your parking ahead of time. Most ports have places right across the street where you can leave your car safe and sometimes even inside with security. If you book this ahead of time, you can save money and also save time by not having to try to find parking and figure out what to do when you get there.
Don’t wait until the last minute to book
You will not want to wait until the last minute to book your cruise. If you do this, then you won’t be able to pick out the room that you want and could get stuck in an area that you don’t like such as right under the club where you will hear the music all night long. Some of the suites can sell out pretty quick if you are wanting to spend the extra money for an upgraded room.
How do I keep from getting motion sickness?
Honestly, I get motion sickness in the car, but I have never had it happen on a cruise ship. Some people do deal with it though and there are a few things you can do to prevent it. Choosing a cabin in the middle of the ship can help because it won’t rock near as much while you are laying down.
A lot of people buy Sea Bands, the little elastics that you wear on your wrists. These push on the pressure points and help prevent you from getting motion sickness. Bonine or Dramamine are great, but if you buy them make sure you get the non-drowsy type so you don’t sleep your vacation away.
Hopefully, these seven things you need to know before taking a family cruise will help you to stress less on your vacation. Remember a cruise is all about having fun, so enjoy yourself!
This was a gust post written by Mandy Robinson! She has been a freelance writer for ten years, but just recently launched her new blog The Destination Seeker where she shares travel tips and reviews places she takes a trip. You can contact her at thedestinationseeker@gmail.com.
