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Pre-Departure Cruise Tips

 Choosing a Destination

If you’ve always wanted to go on a cruise but are overwhelmed by the various destination options available, think of the kind of holiday you’d like to go on. Are you after some tropical sunshine and white sandy beaches? If so head to the Caribbean, the Bahamas and Hawaii. If you’d rather visit a few countries that are steeped in history and tradition then a Mediterranean cruise would be your obvious choice. However you might consider an Alaska cruise or heading to the Galapagos Islands if nature and scenery is what you’re after.

Different cruises offer different itineraries so your choice of cruise also depends greatly on whether you want to spend a lot of time aboard the ship enjoying all the facilities that it offers or whether you want to visit many ports of call.

 Minimum Age

If you’ve got a family with young children it’s always best to check what the minimum age is on your chosen cruise line. Most cruise lines accept young children; however, there are certain cruise lines that cater exclusively for an adult only crowd. You may also want to check what the minimum age of your chosen cruise line is, if you would rather that there aren’t many children on board.

 Choosing your stateroom

The different types of staterooms available are Inside, Oceanview, Oceanview with balcony, or Suite.

• Inside staterooms are generally the smallest staterooms onboard and have no views.
• Oceanview staterooms have windows or portholes.
• Oceanview staterooms with balconies have windows and ocean-facing balconies.
• Suites have windows and oftentimes balconies; they're generally the largest staterooms onboard and offer the most amenities.

Your choice of room depends largely on budget, personal preferences and how you plan to spend your cruise time. If your room is purely a place to rest your head at night and store your clothes then an inside stateroom might be good enough; however, if you plan on enjoying peace and quiet time in your room watching the ocean as you sail past then an oceanview room with balcony would be a better choice.

 Packing

What types of clothing should I pack?

You’ll need clothing to suit both the destination where you’re going as well as the cruise line’s recommended attire. If you’re heading to the Caribbean then you’ll want to pack light clothing and plenty of sunscreen; however, if you’re opting for an Arctic cruise then pack for the cold weather. Remember that you may travel through other climates until you reach your destination so some protective layers may be necessary. Check whether your cruise ship has a formal night because you will need to pack a dark suit or Dinner suit (for men) and a formal suit or evening dress (for women). The same applies for gym clothing as most cruise lines have a gym on board so if you want to work out or take a fitness class then you’ll need the appropriate attire.

Generally most cruise ships promote a relaxed environment so casual, comfortable clothing is the order of the day. Do pack a couple of pairs of trousers as there may be areas on the ship, such as restaurants, where shorts are now allowed. Also ensure that you pack adequate footwear for all occasions.

Remember that cruise ships have no baggage restrictions so you can pack to your heart’s content and shop as much as you like. However, do keep in mind that if you are flying to the destination port then you will have to keep to the airline’s baggage limits.

What else should I pack?

• Sunscreen and protective clothing like a hat/sunglasses should always be included in your list
• Don’t forget your camera and its add-ons like memory cards, charger, cable, etc.
• If you take prescription medication it’s best to take the amount that you’ll require for the entire trip as ports of call may not stock what you need
• Pack an international adaptor for any electronics that you may have such as a laptop, hair dryer, electric razor, etc to be sure that you can actually use them.

General tips

• Ensure that you have all the necessary identification documents with you before you go on a cruise. Check with your Cruise Agent beforehand about what you need.
• Certain countries require immunizations to enter so leave enough time to get the shots needed before you travel. Take proof of immunization with you on board.
• If you have any dietary restrictions or requests inform the cruise ship of these at least 60 days prior to departure.
• Stock up on motion sickness medication if you are prone to feeling ill. Tip: Ginger is said to be a natural cure for motion sickness.
• Remember, if you book ‘cruise only’, you are responsible for arriving at the port in time for check-in, security and departure.
• If you book an air/sea package with Major Cruise and you miss the ship because of a late or cancelled flight, Major Cruise will take care of getting you to the next port.
• Arrive at the embarkation area at least two hours before departure, just as you would for a flight, to allow time for check-in and security procedures.
• Don't purchase duty-free alcohol to drink onboard as it will be confiscated until the last day of the cruise.
• Consider buying cruise insurance because, although unlikely, you never know what can go wrong and you don’t want to see your hard-earned money go to waste for the sake of the extra cost of insurance.

Pre-Departure Cruise Tips

 Tipping

Tipping can be confusing for most people in general daily circumstances, so it’s no wonder that they’re unsure about how to tip on board a cruise ship where there are so many different members of staff at different hierarchical levels. Nowadays most cruise ships include a gratuity charge on your bill so that saves you the hassle of having to calculate how much each person should get. If this is not the case however, as a general rule of thumb tipping between 10% and 15% is recommended, or $10 per day overall. Do be generous with your tips especially if you’ve received excellent service. The staff aboard the ship doesn’t get much in terms of salary and it’s your generous tips that they depend on, so if they’re good to you, be good back.

 Attire

Although cruises are casual, comfortable places this doesn’t mean that you lose all sense of decency. There are a couple of thousand people around you who would prefer not to see you traipsing the corridors in your nightgown or sunning parts of your body which are usually not exposed. Remember that there will always be a general dress code and you should adhere to it. Remember to pack a sensible pair of shoes for deck as certain areas may be slippery and the wrong footwear could lead to an unwanted accident.

 Children

If you’re travelling with children take advantage of the cruise ship’s child service facilities which will look after your child and ensure that he/she is kept entertained with other children. While this may be a family holiday, it’s not fair to other guests if your kids are screaming and splashing around in the pool and making a general nuisance of themselves. Your kids will also be far more content having fun with people their age than being told to keep quiet.

 Ports of Call

Some ports of call allow the cruise ship to drop anchor at the dock allowing you to come and go as you please all day. However in some ports the ship will drop anchor away from the shore and a small boat called a tender will take you to shore. The tender takes small groups of people each time so you will have to wait your turn. When on shore you can get back to the boat by getting on the tender again and trips are made every 30 minutes. Remember that your ship will leave at a certain time and will not wait for any passengers who are not on board, so be sure to know at what time the ship is leaving and plan accordingly. It’s always safest to plan to be back on board at least an hour before departure allowing some extra time for any unexpected obstacles. If you do get left behind then you’ll need to fly to the next port of call at your own expense.

 Shore excursions

Do take the opportunity to visit as much of the shore as possible; however, it’s always safest to do so in a group, especially if it involves taking a taxi somewhere. Large groups could have you waiting for slow people and will lead to a lot of time wasted, so if need be split up into smaller groups according to people’s interests.

General tips

• Smoking is permitted on most ships; however, there may be restrictions in the rooms so be sure to know where the designated smoking areas are. If you’re sharing a room with someone who is a non-smoker be decent about it and don’t smoke in the room.
• Any water or soft drinks that you find in your room are just like those you’d find in the mini-bar of a hotel – not free! It’s best to buy any supplies from a port of call to save money.
• Don’t leave valuables exposed in your room. Use the safe provided or lock them in your luggage.
• Take the time to explore the ship and find out where everything is. You don’t want to find the great sports bar or spa on your last day!
• If you’re travelling with children some cruise ships offer a ‘bottomless soft drink cup’ for kids, which is a great investment.
• Although you want to let loose and relax on holiday take it easy on the alcohol. A drunk is never a nice sight and it would be a shame to waste a day of your trip recovering from a hangover.
• You’ll have a compulsory lifeboat drill when you get onboard. Don’t try to escape from it because a roll-call is held to ensure that all passengers are present. Remember that this information could save your life in an emergency.
• Remember that items and services on board will be more expensive than what you’re used to so budget accordingly and spend only where you need to.
• If you are disabled and need assistance, be sure to inform the cruise ship beforehand so that they can accommodate for your needs.
• Apart from credit cards you should have some cash on you prior to boarding. Although cruise ships do have ATMs on board the charges are very high.
• For onboard purchases you can set up a charge account so that anything you buy is charged to this account which will be linked to your credit card account, meaning that you don’t have to carry your credit card around with you.

Post-Cruise Tips

• At the end of the cruise, you will receive the bill for signed items on your charge account. In the unlikely event that extra charges appear, ask to see all the charge slips and get a copy of a modified bill.
• Develop or upload your photos and re-live the memories of a great cruise! Finally remember that you are on a cruise to enjoy yourself, meet new people, visit new countries and generally have a good time so be relaxed about things and don’t sweat the small stuff.

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