1. The main dining room is complementary
From all everyone had said, I knew there was going to be more than enough to eat on a cruise. What I didn't know, was the more formal looking restaurant was included in the fare until the second last day. For the majority of the cruise we lived off the buffet.
Since learning this, I always eat in the main a la carte restaurant now.
2. You can have more than one dish
Continuing on from number one. Eating in one of the restaurants and can't choose between 2 dishes for dessert... why not have both!
You are not limited to one entrée, main and dessert.. if you want 2 dishes just ask your waiter. They won't even look twice!
3. Let your waiter know of your dietary requirements upfront
Travelling with someone who is gluten intolerant, one key learning was to let your waiter know about your dietary requirements. Sure the menu's are often labelled with what is gluten free / vegetarian / dairy free, but letting your waiter know in advance can open up more possibilities.
For example, with gluten intolerance, they will often bring you the following days menu, and see what on the menu you would want to order (even if it's not marked gluten free) - that way they will check with the chef if it is possible to prepare that dish in an alterative way just for you!
4. Cabin location is important
The location of your cabin on the ship can have a huge influence on your holiday. Booking our first cruise, we chose a nice cabin with a window, right up the front, up high, looking out over the bow. Then we hit a low pressure system!
After the experience of rough seas I did a lot more research in selecting my cabin on subsequent cruises.
Here are some of the things I have since leant to consider:
- Worries about motion sickness - try and choose a cabin that is midship and low, this is the point that you will feel the least motion
- Look on deck plans, and check what is above and below your cabin. If you are a light sleeper you may not want a busy public area above or below you where you can head all the foot traffic!
- How close are you to the elevators, remember these will also be high foot traffic areas, so you need to balance convenience with noise.
5. Talk to strangers
Yes, my parents would be mortified that there teachings are being ignored!
Once you are onboard, a cruise vacation can fly-by - and as an introvert I have learnt that you need to let your hair down and talk to random people.
One thing I now love about cruising is meeting new people. Someone sits next to you at a bar.. smile and say "Hello", ask how they are liking the cruise. Mingle at social events, you never know who you might meet. Sure some people might be a bit dull and boring, but what have you got to loose!
(Bonus) Plan ahead to avoid bill shock
I'm going to preface this point by saying - you are on holiday, and the point is to enjoy yourself. So spoil yourself by not thinking twice about ordering a drink, enjoy the specialty dining, have a spa treatment.
You onboard account balance can creep up very fast, so there are a couple of things you can do to minimise your bill shock at the end of your cruise.
- Consider a drinks package. Depending on how much you drink, and the current going price for a drinks package, it can work out better to pay one flat price for a drinks package. There is a handy drink package calculator on this site to help you do an estimate.
- Preload credit onto your account. Quite often some sales will include some onboard credit preloaded onto your cruise account. What you might not know is you can usually call up your cruise line and add your own credit before the cruise - and sometimes at quite a good conversion rate. This won't lower your overall spend - but can make the bill at the end of your cruise a little less daunting.
- Look at private shore excursions. Shore excursions though the cruise line can be quite pricey. Most ports will have local tour companies eagerly awaiting at the docks to take you away and share the best of their destination at a much more competitive price. There are pros and cons however to consider.
Remember though - you are on holiday so enjoy yourself!
What did you wish you knew before your first cruise?
Did we miss something you wish you knew on your first cruise - or was this list right on the mark?
Share your thoughts and tips in the comments below.