First Time Cruiser
Tips
More often than not, first time cruisers question whether
they will actually enjoy cruising or not, and so those guests tend to want to “sample
the waters” as inexpensively as possible and do everything they can to “trim
the fat” so to speak. The temptation to try
and do everything as cheaply as possible often leads to headaches or system
shocks that can be avoided with a little extra planning and preparation. Your travel consultant can certainly help
with that part of your vacation.
If you aren’t sure you’ll enjoy a cruise and don’t want
to break the bank on your accommodations, you can always book a lower category stateroom,
such as an inside cabin (no windows or verandah). Depending on the itinerary, these
staterooms usually sell for as little as $45/day per person and include food, entertainment
and stops in the various ports of call. If you don't like the cruise you
haven't lost much; if you do like it, then next time you might upgrade to a more
expensive balcony stateroom.
You’ve arranged for the cruise, now you have to figure
out how you’re going to get to the port.
If you don’t live within reasonable driving distance, chances are you’re
going to be flying to the port city. Be
very careful about flight times. Do not
book a flight that has you arriving in Miami at 3:00 pm the day the ship sails. Passengers must be onboard ship at least an
hour before sailing time, and you have to account for everything in your timing
calculations – luggage retrieval, walking between sections of the airport,
transfers from the airport to the port terminal, check-in at the port, etc,
etc. Everything adds up, and you cannot
control how quickly something that is outside of your control moves, such as
baggage handlers, lines, traffic between airport and port terminal and so on. If you
miss the ship it's your fault, even if the airline had a delay, and even if you
purchased travel insurance, you will not get your money back simply for missing
the ship’s departure due to poor planning. Many
people who live on the West Coast fly into Miami a day early and stay at a
hotel - remember that the East Coast is three hours later than the West Coast -
so if you have a five hour flight leaving California at 7:00 a.m. you still
won't hit Miami until 3:00 p.m. Consider
a "redeye" flight departing California at midnight instead. Even if the flight has a two-hour layover somewhere
in the middle, that flight will put you in to Miami at just about the right
time to go to the port and board the ship.
The main difference between getting to an airport really early and
getting to a cruise ship really early is that you’re just going to sit around
and wait to board your plane typically 20-30 minutes prior to departure; with a cruise, you can start boarding 3,
sometimes 4 hours prior to departure and start enjoying the fun! Throw on your swimsuit and enjoy the pool or
other amenities onboard. Remember this
adage when it comes to planning for your cruise – if you’re on time you’re late,
if you’re late you’re out of luck, get there early!
Ports of Call and the shore excursions into those parts are
all part of the cruise experience. No
one has to disembark the ship while in port, and many first time cruisers don’t
because shore excursions cost extra. Not
everyone utilizes actual excursions offered by the ship or other excursion
providers opting instead to “do it themselves.”
But if you do, consider the options carefully and pay attention to the
details – most especially the time!
Whatever the stated return time to the ship is, again, make sure you are
back early, with time to spare. Naturally,
it makes sense that if you paid to cruise in Europe you should see the Leaning
Tower of Pisa. You paid to get to Italy, after all. But if you have to walk to
a train that makes local stops it could take all day. Instead, you can get a tour from the ship that
visits Pisa and Florence with a tour guide. Make the most of your limited time in port by
planning your time carefully and keeping value and margins of error in mind. You don’t want to get left behind in that
beautiful port only to have to figure out how you’ll catch up to the ship at
the next port so you can ultimately find your way home again.
Another quick tip regarding shore excursions, especially
when you are paying for tours and the like – if you imbibe, don’t drink too
much. Yes, it might be fun and enjoyable
dancing the night away, but you don't want to miss the next port of call due to
a wicked hangover. Of course how much
you drink is up to you, but keep in mind that on most ships alcohol is an added
cost, and it can really add to your cruise costs. If you plan to drink a lot you can do that at
home.
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