You've secured your spot on the ship. You've arranged your air travel. You've also reserved your accommodations before and after the cruise. All that’s left now is to count down the days till your maritime journey starts, correct?
Well, not quite.
There are numerous small tasks you should complete before starting your trip to the dock where your vessel will be departing from.
Starting with downloading your cruise line’s app and utilizing it for checking in prior to your voyage, we've compiled this useful list of 13 items you ought to take care of before departing on your cruise holiday. This includes pre-registering for various onboard events as well.
Check in online
Sure, I understand you might have planned to handle this task regardless. Still, should you haven’t: Keep in mind that it’s highly beneficial to complete an online check-in prior to your cruise.
A significant amount of documentation is needed when signing up for a cruise. This often includes completing forms that request private details like your full name, home address, gender, birthdate, nationality, and whether you're pregnant; plus names and contact info for emergencies; along with your travel arrangements before boarding and after disembarking. Additionally, you will have to establish an account for expenses during the trip and provide a recent photograph of yourself.
If you do this all in advance online — and many lines now require that you do — you'll be able to board your ship quicker than if you wait to do it at the pier.
In most instances, you have the option to check in online for your cruise several weeks ahead of time. Royal Caribbean , the check-in window opens a full 45 days in advance of a sailing. At Carnival Cruise Line , check-in opens 14 days before departure.
Related: 21 Tips and Tricks That Will Ensure Your First Cruise Is Seamless
Check your identification documents
Well before you arrive to board your cruise ship, you ought to review whichever form of ID you plan to use for the check-in process to ensure it isn’t expired—or nearly so.
On many cruise itineraries, you will need a passport Moreover, numerous destinations visited by cruise ships necessitate that your passport remains valid for a minimum of half a year after your intended departure from each country. Additionally, many nations insist on having at least two unmarked pages available within your passport. Should your passport be brimming with entry stamps, consider obtaining a new one, regardless of whether yours has not yet reached its expiration date.
Download the cruise app
Many cruise lines now have apps you can download to your smartphone. The apps vary in capabilities, but many will show you a daily list of activities on your ship and everything you have reserved. Many also will let you make restaurant reservations and book shore excursions and other activities.
A few will let you order drinks and other items (think: pizza and beer) to be brought to wherever you happen to be standing. That's pretty cool, right? The best part: The apps will work on board even if you don't pay for a Wi-Fi package.
Several of these applications will assist you during the check-in process as well. Celebrity Cruises For example, this app allows you to easily check in for a cruise. You can even upload the required security photograph directly through the Celebrity app. Additionally, the application displays your Celebrity Xpress boarding pass, eliminating the need to print one before going to the dock.
Related: Top cruise apps to simplify your ocean voyage
Print out your documents
Theoretically, printing your document isn’t necessary. cruise boarding pass If you keep it on your mobile device, I still always do — and I suggest you follow suit.
I always ensure I have a physical copy of all travel documents—such as the pages detailing my schedule along with reservation numbers for connected hotels and flights—in my hand luggage.
Several factors make carrying physical documents essential. Firstly, your smartphone could run out of battery or lose signal, making digital versions inaccessible when needed most. Additionally, you may face officials such as those at borders who insist on seeing printed copies of travel plans prior to granting entry permissions.
Tell friends and family about your trip
It's always a good idea to let at least a few people close to you know you're leaving on a trip. Give them a rough outline of where you're going and tell them how to contact you in an emergency. This might seem like obvious advice, but a reminder never hurts.
I have forgotten to do this at times — and while it's never resulted in a crisis, it has gotten me in trouble with the family.
I found myself in the big-time doghouse in late 2020 with my 75-year-old, always-worries-when-I-travel mom after forgetting to tell her I was heading to Barbados at the last minute to report on the first Caribbean cruise After the COVID-19 crisis started, she discovered I was overseas when one of her acquaintances spotted me on television discussing my situation. isolated in my cabin aboard the vessel Because of the illness outbreak. You can picture how she felt about it. A lesson was learned.
Also: Call your mom.
Research ports in advance
For certain getaways—like a seaside excursion—you might not need extensive planning beforehand. Simply arrive and improvise your daily activities as needed.
Many cruises aren't like that — particularly not if your aim is to fully enjoy everything they offer. Most cruise itineraries revolve around stops at various ports where you typically only spend a brief time ashore, usually lasting mere hours. It’s essential to have an itinerary ready for each stop so as not to overlook a significant aspect of the cruise adventure.
After identifying the ports you’ll visit, gather as much information as possible. You should check out TPG’s guides for the top excursions and things to do in locations such as Alaska , the Caribbean and the Mediterranean .
Participate in a Facebook community related to your cruise line
A fantastic resource for gathering ideas about activities in ports and onboard cruises, as well as determining what to pack for your voyage, can be found within numerous private Facebook groups focused on specific cruise lines.
I belong to a number of them, including the Royal Caribbean Cruises group, the COPs (Cruisers Opinion Page) group and the Holland America Line Fans In these sections, you can discover numerous communities of cruise enthusiasts who frequently express their readiness to address any queries you may have regarding your forthcoming voyage. I've encountered many great individuals within these groups; several have even turned into long-term acquaintances on Facebook over time.
Register for personalized tours beforehand.
Reserving a shore excursion via your cruise line is straightforward. Simply tick a box on their online form either prior to departure or during the voyage, and—voilà —it’s taken care of. However, using the cruise line for tour bookings isn’t your sole option, nor does it guarantee the most optimal experience.
Often, you can significantly reduce costs and enhance your touring adventure by pre-booking shore excursions via independent tour operators in ports or through a tour reservation service like Viator or ToursByLocals .
Frequently, independently organized tours tend to offer a more personal experience compared to those provided by cruise lines. While they may visit the same locations, these tours typically use smaller vehicles like vans rather than large coaches. Instead of being part of a crowd of around forty passengers, you could find yourself touring with only six or eight others. Should your travel party consist of several members, you might consider reserving a exclusive tour exclusively for your friends and family through an independent tour provider.
Related: We opted out of the cruise ship excursion and chose ToursByLocals instead—here’s how it turned out.
Register for events ahead of time.
Certain lines allow you to register for performances, excursions, and additional activities (such as dining at speciality eateries) prior to your voyage through their online platforms. To secure a spot for a particular show on a certain evening or reserve a desired slot for an excursion or table booking at a preferred restaurant, it’s advisable to take advantage of these options. Popular shows, tours, and dining reservations often fill up quickly ahead of time.
If you don't sign up for activities in advance, a backup strategy is to do so just after you board a vessel — but I'm a big advocate of advance planning. You'll find it particularly pays off when sailing on a giant ship, such as Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas , where there are thousands of other passengers competing for restaurant reservations and show tickets.
Related: The 17 best cruise ships for people who want to never grow up
Consider travel insurance
Cruising, like all forms of travel, isn’t without its challenges. Unfortunately, circumstances such as falling ill abruptly may force you to cancel your voyage ahead of time. Alternatively, you could find yourself needing urgent medical care mid-journey. Additionally, your connecting flight might get grounded, causing you to miss boarding the ship altogether.
Such incidents can occur for cruise passengers, and these are scenarios where travel insurance could prove beneficial. Here's a a comparison of leading travel insurance companies and information about cancel for any reason add-ons .
Related: Cruise vacation protection: Coverage details and importance
Pack wisely
To begin with, start packing well ahead of time... and do so strategically. Lay out every piece of clothing you believe you might require for your cruise, then take away half of those items. Trust us; you will not end up needing them all.
Much of today’s cruising is quite relaxed, requiring just a handful of outfits for your journey. No worries if they get soiled; many cruise ships offer laundries on deck levels where you can wash a couple loads over several days. Should your ship lack such facilities, you can usually arrange to have clothes professionally cleaned onboard for an additional charge—though sometimes this service may be complimentary if you meet certain conditions like reaching a spending threshold or holding a specific type of ticket. status update regarding a cruise line ).
The additional expense of washing clothes onboard a ship is minimal compared to the liberty of avoiding the hassle of dragging a massive suitcase between your vessel and various destinations. Besides, you should keep space free in your luggage for all the tiny souvenirs you're bound to collect during your journey.
Related: All you should understand regarding the laundry services aboard cruise ships
In addition to packing light, pack anything you think you might need for the first few hours of your cruise in your carry-on bag . This means things like medication and a phone charger, but also a bathing suit, a hat, sunscreen and other items that'll let you head straight to the pool deck to start the fun. A porter will likely take away your main bag as you arrive at the port, and you might not see it delivered to your cabin for several hours.
Put your phone in airplane mode
Some of the biggest cruise ship horror stories online are tales of cruising newbies who racked up thousands of dollars in cellphone charges while on ships.
This scenario often occurs when you keep your phone powered on and proceed to browse through online videos. Numerous mobile plans—even those designed for international use—typically exclude voice calls, messages, and data usage on cruise ships, leading to extremely high roaming charges for these services which will appear unexpectedly on your telephone bill after several weeks.
You can find methods for making calls and connecting to the internet on board ships Without breaking the bank, you can purchase a Wi-Fi package that allows you to use FaceTime and stream videos (available on certain vessels) via Wi-Fi instead of consuming your phone data. Additionally, several mobile service providers offer cruise-specific plans that you can acquire before setting sail.
I prefer to keep things straightforward. As soon as I get onboard a vessel, I set my phone to airplane mode and leave it off throughout the journey. Then, I enable the phone’s Wi-Fi, purchase a Wi-Fi plan, and use the internet for calls, texts, and browsing. This method ensures I won’t face any unforeseen mobile charges.
Prepare to disconnect from your job
Seriously, this ought to be obvious, but you are headed in vacation . Look up that word using Google (and go beyond the listings for the Ed Helms and Chevy Chase movies to the Wikipedia page).
This journey will entirely revolve around taking a break from work , avoiding spending hours each day tackling the most recent crisis at the office — or it should be like that.
In the days leading up to your trip, make sure you wrap up any pressing work projects, let your co-workers know you'll be offline, reply to any outstanding emails and — most importantly — turn on your out-of-office message.
Count on it: You'll feel much more content.
Thinking about taking a cruise? Begin with these tales:
- The top 5 sought-after cabin positions on any cruise liner
- An introductory guide for choosing a cruise line
- The 8 least desirable cabin positions on any cruise ship
- The definitive checklist for packing essentials before embarking on your cruise journey.
- A brief overview of the top cruising companies
- 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
- Top ways cruisers waste money
- The definitive handbook for selecting a cruise ship stateroom
The editorial disclaimer states that the views shared are solely those of the individual author and do not represent the stance of banks, credit card issuers, airlines, or hotels. These organizations have neither examined nor supported these viewpoints in any form.
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