Posted on 08/17/2020 10:26:28 AM PDT by Capt. Tom
Cruising is easy. Or so cruisers will tell you.
For starters, you only have to unpack once, even as you travel from place to place. You also don’t have to go hunting for a restaurant every night. There usually are a bunch just steps away from your cabin, and they have tables waiting for you. And you’ll have no trouble finding entertainment.
But even in its simplicity, cruising still can be daunting for a first-timer. What should you bring? What should you plan on doing in ports? What is the best way to book?
As The Points Guy’s cruise writer, I get these sorts of questions all the time.
Which brings me to the tips below. If you’ve read this far, you are likely a first-time cruiser looking for advice for an upcoming trip, and that’s exactly what this story is meant to offer. It contains my list of 21 ways to make the first sailing go more smoothly.
Arrive at your departure port a day ahead of schedule If you only follow one piece of advice in this story, it should be this one. It is the only way to ensure you won’t miss your ship — something that happens to cruisers more often than you would think.
If you’re traveling overseas for a cruise, we recommend traveling to the port two or even three days in advance. This isn’t just so you don’t miss the ship. It’s also so you have some time to recover from jet lag.
Throw all the clothes you think you’ll need on a cruise in a pile, and then take out half of it. You won’t need it. Trust us. Most cruising these days is casual, and you really only need a few outfits to rotate through a voyage...(plenty more in the article)
(Excerpt) Read more at thepointsguy.com ...
January embarks at San Juan,
November from Miami. Can’t wait.
I never thought the formal dinners everyday were worth the trouble. Even a late seating breaks up the day unfavorably. You have to stop whatever you are doing, go back to your cabin, get dressed, and then wait in line to be seated. Blow off all the dinners; free food is everywhere 24/7 and there is no possibility your are going to go hungry. Be considerate and let your cabin steward know you are not going to dinner. Otherwise, your table mates might be delayed their servings waiting for your arrival.
Some useful points that probably aren’t in the article:
Take a collapsed inflatable raft and a tank of air so that you can try to escape if the ship isn’t allowed to make landfall because of Corona.
Pack medication for the expected nonovirus outbreak. Consider packing medication for possible Staphylococcal food poisoning
Put all the clothes you think you will need in another pile.
Take a fourth of the clothes and four times the money.
This rule is true for every vacation everywhere.
Especially the part about the clothes, my rule is all of my clothes fit in one carry-on regardless of the length of the trip.
“21 tips and tricks...”
22, Don’t go.(I wouldn’t.)
How about up to 11 other passengers?
This has long looked appealing to me but I haven’t tried it yet.
Case of pepto bismol. And be sure to bring a supply of masks.
GMTA-I’ve called cruise ships Klingon prison ships for years-and yes, i have done the cruise ship thing-once-to the Bahamas-hubby and I ditched the cruise at the 1st stop out of Miami, booked a charter flight to Key West, rented a car and had a great time all alone in the Florida Keys for the rest of the week-never been tempted to take a cruise since-it is not for people like me who are claustrophobic...
Pack lots of hydroxychloroquine.
And avoid three hour tours unless Mary Ann and Ginger are on board.
Unless you are of unusual size (really fat and/or tall) you can buy a couple of things to get by with in the shops it push comes to shove. The only time that happened to me was when I was unexpectedly forced into attending a very formal party. I was only semi-formal in my basic black but it served.
I always try to avoid having to check-in luggage, it’s amazing just how much more flexibility it gives you.
Quick-Dry clothes and Woolite are your friends.
I’d have done that in a heartbeat 30 years ago. Afraid my old bones would object now. ;)
1 cruise in ‘88, 1 in ‘95 and then starting in 09 thru ‘19 we did 13 more. The last was really the Mississippi from Minneapolis to New Orleans. Except for the two Alaska cruises and the Mississippi all were international in some way. The last international was the Baltic Sea out of St. Petersburg Russia. But were kinda done with cruising.
Want to do a trans Canada on train.
Agreed. Did it once. It was fun but seen it and done it seems about right.
If your young and newly married - go on a cruise. You will be raw because there isn’t much to do on a boat.
I'd love to do the Trans-Siberian Tour.
stay away from petri dish’s..... cruising is done for ever...
stay away from petri dish’s..... cruising is done for ever...
I told Mrs. JimRed I'd take her on a cruise, if they let me drive! (Early 1960s U.S. Navy Helmsman)
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