Cruises are a great option for vacation. Pampered with all the necessities taken care of for you. Why would you want it any other way? Four and five star meals, daily maid service, and best of all, a room that travels to your favorite destinations. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. How can life get any easier than that? Enjoy the ride, but know what you are getting before you arrive at the port.
Getting On Board:
Getting on board and getting off ship are the two most unenjoyable parts about cruises. Long waits in line with nowhere to sit can be stressful and taxing. The key to both is to treat it for what it is. Getting on board, you want to get this cruise underway, so get there early. Do not have a lot of carry-on luggage; check it all in. Use a porter. What? It might cost you a five or a ten? You are on vacation!! Enjoy the convenience. They know where to go; you don’t. If you have mobility issues, most cruises will move you to the front of the line.
If the stateroom is not ready for you, go and enjoy exploring the ship and get to know where things are. Better yet, go get signed up for excursions, dining reservations, and, shows in that order. Off boarding is the exact opposite. Wait until the last minute to exit your room. Take a moment to enjoy the peaceful bliss of being unencumbered with luggage and not waiting in line. Again, if you have mobility issues, most cruises will move you to the front of the line.
First Things First:
As stated before, do this as soon as you get on board. Do not wait, or what you want may get filled up, and you will be out of luck. Most cruises offer an online option for selecting these before the cruise date. Absolutely do it. The earlier the better. Get the excursions done first. Most ships have so many specialty dining areas that there is no huge hurry to sign up, so get your excursions done. Handle the dining options second. The general evening dining area will have a selection from the specialty restaurants or will be very close in the level of dining.
The shows can come last. There are plenty of other activities on board to keep you occupied during the evening. Of course, you can flip this order to accommodate special situations, like a Valentine’s Day cruise, and you want the top-tier specialty restaurant for a romantic meal. Remember, if traveling as a couple, one can take care of excursions as the other takes care of dining or shows.
Know what you want before arriving at the port. Make sure to have a plan B in case something is filled up. Move through signing up as smoothly as you can; there will be a line and people asking questions, delaying the process. Remember, you still have other sign-ups to do. A fun plan C can be a day on board ship without disembarking at the port. Having the spa, pool, or outdoor jacuzzi by a bar all to yourself can be very relaxing. Or maybe just exploring the port area instead, without any hurry to be somewhere.
Shopping On Board:
Shopping on board is like walking into the local mall, everything is on sale all the time but there are no taxes. You will constantly have advertisements for watches, jewelry, clothing, hand bags, liquor and art work delivered to your stateroom. There are some very good buys if you know your pricing. Liquor is generally required to be held for you until you offboard at the end of your cruise. With some of the drinking packages available you don’t need to buy any to drink on board.
You will see the same items at your ports of call for probably the same rate or less. So wait. As the trip goes on the prices will fall. Be careful. The salespeople get very aggressive the last two nights of cruises. If you do know your pricing, there can be some very lucrative buys available. Be very careful with the jewelry, especially the precious stones, whether on board ship or at a port city. Most people cannot tell glass or lab-created gems from the real thing. Do some double-checking on the authenticity of the cruise line before you get to your cruise.
Selecting Your Stateroom:
For those of us who live on a budget only two things should be used to determine your stateroom, size of party and budget. When you really think about it, your stateroom only has a couple of purposes:
- Holding your things
- Changing room
- Bathing area
- Sleeping quarters
Think about it; you will not be in your stateroom. If the cruise is good, you will only come back to your room to shower and change. The only other time you will be in your room will be to sleep at the end of a fun-filled day. Does it really matter whether you have a balcony off your room or a big portal window to see the ocean from your room? No!
The size of your party will make that determination. Two double beds may not be available in the inside stateroom configuration. However, there can be nearly a thousand dollars saved between an inside stateroom versus a portal window versus an outdoor balcony. Do keep in mind that the lower your stateroom is in the ship, the less expensive it is, and the more machinery noise it may have.
You Never Know What’s Around the Corner
The main attraction to cruises is the adventure of the unknown. Going to far-off places you have never been before and getting a taste of the culture while having all your basic needs tended to. It’s a chance to completely unwind and relax. But don’t miss the opportunity to meet interesting people too. You never know who you could run into.
While on a Disney cruise, I was at the rail watching the ship leave their private island. Another gentleman was at the rail, and we started conjecturing about how many people it took to run the island and how long they stayed with each tour of duty. As we talked, another man came to the rail and started to rattle off the number of people and how long they stay on the island.
My new friend and I were, of course, wondering who this guy was since he seemed to know a lot of details about the operations. He was the president of Disney Cruise Lines at the time, Matt Ouimet. He started to ask us how we liked the cruise and what they could do better. Very nice guy. We talked until his family arrived and then they left for their dinner reservation. You just never know who you will meet.
Save Even More For Cruises
If you intend to take cruises often, then becoming a “frequent cruiser” member of your favorite cruise line may save you some money in the long run. Many programs offer special discount packages for their membership. Note that this is designed to entice you to cruise more often so know you will hear from them often as each new deal becomes available.
Another avenue to save on your travels is to join a membership program which partners with brands for “Members Only” discount offers. Whether enjoying cruises once in a while or several times per year these types of programs can save significant money. Additional benefits can usually be found in these programs for savings with other travel options or other areas of life.
Cruises Are Fun:
The main advantage of cruises are the price. It’s difficult to find a better value for your money than a cruise. Seeing multiple destinations in a single trip is a huge advantage. It’s like walking into a five star restaurant and getting a taste or two of each menu item in a short period of time. Afterward, you will know if you want to go back and experience a full meal. After your cruise, you will know whether returning to a particular destination is of interest. In the meantime, you are catered to like royalty and chauffeured to every destination in style. Enjoy the adventure.
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