my first cruise experience essay

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My First Cruise: Preconceptions and First Impressions From a New Cruiser

Are you thinking about booking your first cruise, but you're feeling nervous about spending seven days on a boat? Have you booked a cruise but keep flipping between excitement and apprehension? Are you a fan of cruising but having trouble convincing family or friends to join you?

You're not alone.

Until you've experienced it, a cruise vacation can seem like a risky endeavor. When else do you join hundreds or thousands of people on a giant ship in the middle of the ocean? It's hard to know if the cabins will be like hotel rooms, if you'll enjoy the food, if there will be enough fun things to do. And above all -- is it a safe way to travel?

Cruise Critic's cruise experts can tell you all about what to expect, but sometimes a real-world story makes more of an impact. So we found a first-time cruiser and asked her to share with us her pre-cruise concerns and hopes, as well as her post-cruise impressions of her vacation. Alexa chose a weeklong cruise on Disney Fantasy to the Eastern Caribbean for a spring break trip with her husband, parents and three kids, ranging in age from 5 to 10. Initially, she was a bit hesitant to take the plunge, but she came back as a cruise convert. Here's what she had to say -- plus some tips to allay any lingering fears and help you plan the best cruise ever.

Choosing to Cruise

"We decided to cruise based on the great feedback and positive promotion of people with small children. Disney Cruise Line got such great reviews . The ship [Disney Fantasy] is the newest in the line, and the itinerary matches with our March school vacation. It's an easy time getting to Florida; we can get there quickly."

It can be daunting to look at all the cruise line, ship and destination possibilities and try to figure out which is best for you. Alexa made two smart moves: She started with a vacation recommended by her friends and chose a convenient departure port to make travel easier. Cruise ships leave from every coast in the U.S., as well as the U.K., Australia and Europe, so most vacationers can find an easy travel routing. And if you don't have friends to recommend a cruise line, call up a travel agent for advice, or ask for help on the Cruise Critic message boards .

Related: 11 Best Cruise Lines for First Time Cruisers

Safety Concerns

"I'm concerned about safety because I've never been on a cruise. What's the notification system in case of an emergency? How is law enforcement on ships? What do cruise ships do to keep germs at a minimum?" It's no surprise -- given all the hype in the media whenever something bad happens on or to a cruise ship -- that Alexa's number-one pre-cruise concern was safety. But once aboard, she found her fears quickly abated. "We got tours of the galley and bridge, and it was fascinating and reassuring. My safety worries faded once I understood how exactly it works."

If concerns about health and safety are keeping you from cruising, knowledge is power. Cruise lines are subject to all kinds of regulations, many falling under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention of the International Maritime Organization. These range from systems onboard to emergency procedures. The Coast Guard and CDC do regular inspections of ships sailing from U.S. ports to make sure they're in compliance with safety regulations and cleanliness standards, respectively. Plus, on every cruise, passengers are required to attend a safety drill, so they know what to do in the rare case of an emergency. You can do lots of pre-cruise research on the minutiae of cruise ship regulations, but once you step onboard, you'll see the hard-working crew and the procedures in place and begin to relax.

What's a Cruise Really Like?

"I have an ill-informed vision [of what a cruise will be like]. I imagine a lot of people, a lot of activity, movement and motion. I'm hoping it's a relaxing and a serene environment. Are there areas on cruise ships that have peaceful settings and are not overstimulating?"

Before her cruise, Alexa didn't really know what to expect. Cruise lines promote a vision of a relaxing getaway -- chilling by the pool, leisurely dinners -- yet many first timers imagine crowds. The reality is somewhere in the middle. Reports Alexa, "There was so much for everyone to do. The kids had the best time. It was easy to do what we wanted with no work." On the other hand: "The two pools were very small and there were so many families. If you want to be outside and near the pool, it was just too busy. But we only ever felt overwhelmed by crowds at the pool deck."

The perfect, empty beaches you see in brochures are definitely not the reality. But you can find many relaxing spots on a cruise ship -- on a sun deck away from the main pool, at the spa, in a quiet indoor lounge or even on your private balcony. On the flip side, if you're looking to be entertained, you will never find a shortage of activities, shows, talks and shopping to fill both days and nights. And if you like the high-energy buzz of a bustling pool deck or busy bars, you can find that vibe on a cruise, as well.

"We booked a standard family room with a balcony -- don't know what type. My parents are next door. We went with a room that could fit all five of us and was least expensive."

While repeat cruisers often obsess about which specific cabin number is the best, new cruisers often book on price alone, similar to booking a hotel room. Before the cruise, Alexa didn't really give her cabin much thought as long as everyone could sleep there. The most important factors to consider are whether you want the cheapest room (usually a tiny space with no windows) or whether you want to pay more for a window, balcony or a fancy suite. Expect all standard cruise rooms to be smaller than hotel rooms; however, the suites, depending on the type, can be quite spacious.

"The cabin was well appointed. Nothing to complain about -- we expected it to be smaller. I admired the ergonomics; it was really thought out, and everything was there that you needed."

If you're worried about spending a week in cramped quarters, you'll be pleased to know that cruise lines put a lot of thought into designing cabins, so they can fit as much as a possible into a small space without making it feel overcrowded.

The Service

"Service was the best I ever experienced. I imagined it to be good, but it was exceptional. Everyone went above and beyond, from the check-in people to the people who cleaned the rooms to the people who served you [dinner]. I didn't expect the service to be that over the top."

And this from someone who went to hotel school and worked in the hospitality industry! Alexa also told us that the impeccable service helped to mitigate her fears about cleanliness and safety. Even the cheapest rooms on a cruise ship have an assigned cabin steward, who will clean your room (and your mess), turn down your bed at night and bring you ice and other things you need. Staff try to be as accommodating as possible, so you can have a vacation to remember.

"I'm looking forward to the ports -- St. Maarten, Castaway Cay [Disney's private island] and San Juan. It will be fun to watch the kids see something new." Alexa wasn't disappointed. "We didn't expect Castaway Cay to be so great. The water slide into the ocean was awesome. There was a ton to do, and the snorkeling was fun. My most favorite port was St. Maarten . We hired a boat service to three islands and swam with sea turtles. The captain went to find a pod of wild dolphins, and we got to swim within six feet of playing dolphins. I'll never have that chance again -- it was life changing!"

Cruising isn't just about the ship; it's about the places you visit. For some, it can be the best part. A little pre-cruise research can go a long way in giving you the best in-port experience possible. For Alexa, it meant researching independent tours that offer experiences and smaller groups than the ship-sponsored tours did. For others, it might mean finding the best restaurants, beaches, bars or shops, or hiring a private, local guide to show them the sights. But if you're pressed for time, don't worry -- the ship will have plenty of in-port activities open for signup when you get onboard.

"Food was carefully planned. We don't eat gluten, and they accommodated. We got gluten-free bread every night. The kids really enjoyed Animator's Palate [one of Disney Fantasy's main restaurants]. We were totally surprised by the interactive elements. The decor was toned down, and it was an easy dining experience."

Cruises have a reputation for nonstop eating that they certainly live up to. But new cruisers don't always know how much thought goes into cruise ship dining and how amenable the staff are to catering to special diets. You will find an array of dining venues and cuisines available on modern cruise ships -- everything from huge buffets to Asian, Italian, Brazilian, Indian, French and Mexican restaurants. If you need food that's low-carb, low-salt, low-calorie, gluten-free, vegan, Kosher -- you name it -- restaurant staff will provide it. You just might need to alert the cruise line in advance of sailing, especially if you require specialty food items a ship might not normally carry.

Taking the Kids

"We only used the kids club once for one hour. Our kids didn't prefer it; they preferred to be outside with their parents and grandparents and didn't want to be alone in there without us. But we toured it and it was beautiful."

Prior to the cruise, Alexa was sure the kids would have a blast (and they did!), but she wondered if the drop-off kids club (like camp on a cruise ship) would be a good option for her family. Turns out, her three wanted to stick together with their extended family. The take-home message here is that cruise lines do have fabulous activities for kids, but not all kids wish to make new friends and spend lots of time away from their family on vacation. (Often, the older and more social the child, the more they want to hang out in the clubs.) Don't expect that you'll be able to dump your little ones in "daycare" and hit the spa; do know that, whether you stay together or separate, there will be plenty of fun activities for all family members. Bringing extended family along, as Alexa did, is a nice way to share new adventures with your relatives and provide a break for tired parents without having to resort to dropping off the kids with strangers for an afternoon.

Seasickness

"I had no issues with the ship's movement after day one."

One of the main reasons people hesitate to take a cruise is that they fear they will be sick. And while, for some, it takes a bit of time to get used to the rolling of the ship, most people don't get sick at all. Large, modern cruise ships are built with smooth sailing in mind. They're designed with stabilizers to minimize rocking. The experience is not like that whale-watching trip you took on a small boat where everyone was queasy by the end. Just because you got sick on Grandpa's fishing boat or that ferry ride in 1982 does not mean you will feel ill on a cruise. And if you do? A wide array of pills , patches and pressure bands -- and even ginger candies or green apples -- can quickly settle your stomach.

Final Thoughts

"I was impressed by how the trip went down. Traveling with kids had sounded so tiring, so until now we hadn't done much. My parents LOVED it, and it was fun to see the kids in a fun environment. It was very different from what I expected, and everything was well done. It was a nice break with just family and away from the day to day."

The great appeal of cruising is that it's an escape from the hassles and chores of real life, from the cold and from your everyday surroundings to a place where you're pampered, entertained and given opportunities to have new experiences. Our first timer discovered that. Maybe you'll be next?

Related: Top 15 Tips for First Time Cruisers

My first cruise experience: the verdict!

It’s my first time on a cruise ship and this is a big one to be starting with! So what did I think of my stay on Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas?

Written by Michael Turtle

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle. A journalist for more than 20 years, he's been travelling the world since 2011.

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle and has been travelling full time for a decade.

Updated: February 2, 2023

Royal Caribbean’s Explorer of the Seas

One morning I get up early and head to the gym at the front of the ship. I jump on the treadmill and start running. The panoramic windows around the room give me a 180 degree view of where we’re heading.

We could be going anywhere right now, though. I wouldn’t know. I doubt many of the people on this ship would know, if they weren’t told. It’s all just blue out there. Staring out the window, I can see we’re moving somewhere at least.

I keep running on the treadmill. My efforts aren’t getting me closer to anywhere but I think I need to keep busy so I don’t feel like I’m standing still. Yet it makes no difference. No matter how fast I run, I get nowhere faster. I jump off and head to the buffet breakfast.

This is the cruising life that I have discovered.

It all begins

Let’s go back a step, though, and allow me explain where I am and what I’m doing on board a ship. Because this isn’t just any old thing – this is the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Explorer of the Seas , which has just arrived down in the Southern Hemisphere for the summer and will be the largest cruise ship based out of Australia.

I have never been on a cruise before and, I have to admit, would have been one of those people previously who would’ve turned up my nose at the thought of being stuck on one for any lengthy period. But, at the same time, they have always fascinated me. When I was offered the chance to spend four nights on board so I could get a taste of the ship and write about it, I thought it would be a good opportunity.

I join the Explorer of the Seas in the New Zealand capital, Wellington. From here we will head across the Tasman Sea to Sydney, Australia. No stops – just water. It’s not a typical cruise experience but it gives me a good chance to explore what there is to do on the sea.

There are grey skies when I board in Wellington in the morning. An ominous sign – perhaps of the hair colour of my fellow passengers.

I head straight up on deck and… it’s empty. A cold wind blows across and drags with it the music from a sad speaker. The bar is closed, there’s nobody in the pool, and I’m glad I’ve got a sweater on. It’s the only thing I’m glad of. What have I done?!

It’s not the best introduction to the Explorer of the Seas but, fast forward a few hours, and it’s a different story. What I hadn’t thought about is that most of the passengers were using the day in port to go out and explore Wellington. The ship was basically deserted as people looked around town. It was only me foolish enough to head up on deck expecting to be entertained.

By the afternoon, the sun has come out and the passengers have come on board and many are up on the top decks.

The bars are open and a band is playing calypso pop (as I have decided to name it) in front of the pool. There’s movement and noise everywhere and, as we start to pull out of port, I get rather excited.

I run around, trying to look at everything from different angles, waving to the people I imagine are on shore, thinking about what suckers they are, not here on this enormous cruise ship. Hasn’t my tune changed!! (To calypso pop?)

Days without land

By definition, a cruise ship is designed to take you to new places. One of the great appeals of travelling like this is that you never have to change rooms but you can be in a new city every day. It’s a bit like teleportation – just with a bit of a longer wait and more bingo.

So it’s a strange experience for me to have several days where there is no new place. Although, having said that, the Explorer of the Seas is a new place for me so I decide to treat the ship as the destination.

Life on a ship is different to life on land. You lose perspective. Everything you need to know is contained within this metal hull. You lose sense of time and even sense of the date. Luckily there is a reminder on the floor of every elevator of what day it is. (I don’t know who replaces them but they seem to be up to date even minutes after midnight.)

Royal Caribbean clearly realises that cruise ships are more than transportation these days and they have decked out (see what I did there?) the whole vessel with things to do.

Up top there is a putt putt course (from which I lose a ball somewhere overboard…), a surf machine called a Flow Rider and even a climbing wall. All of them are relatively empty for the days I am on the cruise because this trip is aimed at an older market. Now that it’s based in Australia and it becomes more of a family and party ship, I imagine this will be a popular area.

Of course there are pools and hot tubs, conveniently located close to bars and the self-serve ice cream machine (I swear someone filled up a pint glass and not a cone one time!). But these are standard fare on cruise ships these days. Explorer of the Seas takes the facilities even further – with an ice rink and a 3D cinema a few floors below.

Some people choose not to use any of them, it seems. As I mentioned, the passengers on this trip are older than usual – mainly because of the length of the route (16 days from Perth to Sydney via New Zealand).

In fact, about 900 of the 3000 passengers have come all the way from Southampton in the UK – more than two months at sea. So it makes sense that many people just spend their days sitting on a deckchair reading a book, doing crossword puzzles, or crocheting (or knitting – what’s the difference?!).

But you can’t do that all the time and if the surf machine and the climbing wall aren’t your style… well, then there’s the social agenda!

A social cruise

A chirpy blonde young British woman is reading out the answers to the evening’s trivia competition at one of the bars on level four. There are several trivia events each day and they each have a different theme. This one is ‘Eighties Music’. (I think it is referring to the decade, not the age of the participants.)

The blonde compere reveals one of the answers from a musical question: “Yes, it’s ‘Land Down Under’ by Men at Work.”

Someone quickly shoots up their hand, and shouts out even faster: “Excuse me. I think you’ll find that the correct name of the title is just ‘Down Under’, thank you very much!”

Some people take their social events at sea very seriously. And fair enough – after all, there are some free Royal Caribbean pens on offer as a prize!

Every evening a programme of events for the next day is delivered to your room and it’s an impressive collection of activities.

There are the aforementioned trivia competitions and bingo games. There are lectures from experts and, interestingly, casual debates where people sit around one of the bars and are led through a discussion on a topic.

(I’m amused, as I wander through the ship trying to find a good spot for wifi, that I stumble upon a debate going on in a pub about whether constantly being connected online is a good or a bad thing.)

There are organised gatherings for people with different interests and even a regular lunch for those who are travelling solo, so they can get to know some of their fellow passengers. When I see groups of people sitting at tables around the ship playing cards together, I wonder whether they knew each other beforehand or met on board.

If I had to bet, I would guess the latter. (Well, if I really had to bet, I would go to the casino – have I mentioned there’s one of them on the ship too?)

One evening I meet an Australian woman who has been on several cruises but tells me this is her first one alone. She’s had a great time so far, though, and has made plenty of new friends. She’s alone right now, though, because she wanted to come and listen to the performer at one of the pubs.

This singer/guitarist plays most nights and has a loyal following amongst the passengers. I can see why – when I come back the next night he has learned a couple of songs that I requested the previous evening that he didn’t then know.

There’s no shortage of entertainment on Explorer of the Seas and different venues across the ship have singers, comedians, cabaret artists and dancers all throughout the day and well into the night. It’s impossible to see it all and, even within the one ship, you would feel lost if you tried.

Eating and eating

I do feel lost at first and, to get my bearings, I use the main eating area as a navigation point. (My room is down 5 floors on the right; the gym is on the same level towards the front; the library is… oh, I don’t think I ever found the library.)

It makes sense to use this restaurant as a constant reference because I am there constantly. One of the things I love about being on a ship is I don’t have to go out in search of food three times a day (as I usually do when travelling on land). I know that when I’m hungry, all I have to do is walk in to Windjammers (as it’s called) and there will be a buffet selection to choose from.

One day, when the crew is doing something a bit different and serving a bbq on deck, one of the people at my table comments that the steak looks good but they’re not going to have any because they had the chicken curry from Windjammers already for lunch. It’s only as I’m starting to say – and a few words do escape my mouth before I can stop myself – that the chicken curry was good, that I realise I too have already had lunch today and this is my second one.

Oh well, I had two breakfasts as well so I might as well just succumb to cruising life and keep on eating.

I imagine it would get a bit tiresome to go to the buffet three times a day (or more, if you’re like me) if you’re on a long cruise. Which is why there are a few other options on board.

There is a more formal restaurant spread over three levels where you will be served courses at your table, rather than having to go up to the buffet. The food is of a similar quality (very good, I must say) and I feel that you would come here for a change of scenery and style, more than anything else. It’s also nice to have waiters sometimes.

But there are also new dining experiences that have been added to Explorer of the Seas that I think are pretty impressive. I try out three high-end restaurants during the time I’m on the ship.

First there’s the steak restaurant where the meat is cooked perfectly, there’s the Italian restaurant where (like most Italian meals) there’s much more than I can finish eating, and then the Japanese restaurant with fantastic sushi and sashimi. (When the ship lurches a bit while at dinner, I joke with my travel companions that we just hit a whale and it’ll be on the table soon. I am sure the waiter laughs and then looks nervously at the kitchen!)

The meals at Windjammers and the other main dining room and free (well, included in the cruise ticket), but these other restaurants have an extra cost. At the Japanese restaurant, you pay by the item – but the other two have a fixed extra cost (about US$25-$30) and then you can order as much as you want from the menu. It may not be something you do every night but it’s nice to have the option for variety.

Ultimately it’s this variety on the ship that I find so pleasurable during the cruise. Oh, and I also like the familiarity and routine. Gosh, I’m confused. Why did I enjoy this trip?

I guess it’s that combination. When you don’t want to think, you don’t have to. You can wander up to get food without making a decision, you can sit by the pool and read a book, you can find the guitarist at the same pub doing the songs you asked for the night before. You don’t even have to choose new requests!

But when you get a little bored or feel like doing something fresh, there are always plenty of options available to you. The mind can be challenged at trivia or at a debate; the body can be invigorated climbing up a wall or on a surf machine; social skills can be put to good use with new friends.

You can make your cruise what you want it to be – and clearly that’s what people do here. It’s only on the final day as we pull into Sydney Harbour and get that magnificent view as we come in the heads that I see so many faces for the first time. Everyone is on deck to cheer and soak in the sights and I’m sure there have never been this many people on deck the whole time.

Maybe some of them just moved between their staterooms and the nicer restaurants. Maybe some spent most of their time in the casino, or others were hanging out at the events in the bars, or whiling away the time at the library (where was it?!).

It doesn’t matter. They made the cruise their cruise and that’s what you can do on a ship like this. It’s what I did. After a couple of days I stopped going to the gym. OK, I was getting lazy. But, also, I didn’t need that treadmill anymore. I didn’t mind standing still. I was busy enough.

Time Travel Turtle was a guest of Royal Caribbean International but the opinions, over-written descriptions and bad jokes are his own.

13 thoughts on “My first cruise experience: the verdict!”

I have never been on a cruise and now I feel so tempted, after looking at your pictures. I guess for a constant hungry girl like me, cruises are the best bet.

Oh my, you would love the food! There’s so much and it’s actually really good. I didn’t mention the scones that I would go and get for afternoon tea too!

Great post! However, I do think this kind of cruise would not be my thing. Two cruises are high on my list: 1. a cruise to Antartica 2. a cruise with many stops in the Carribean. That having been said, the ship you were on looks gorgeous!

Both those cruises would be fantastic and I would be interested in them too. Especially the Antarctica one, of course! That’s the perfect way to see the final continent.

Really good roundup! I recently did my first cruise with P&O and had a fairly similar experience (although we had shore stops). I am doing another cruise in Feb to PNG cause I am not confident enough to go to PNG alone as a female with a toddler.

Oh, wow, I’m completely jealous that you’re going to PNG. I would love to get there sometime. And that’s cool to hear you had a similar cruise experience to me. I think there is a lot going for them that I didn’t realise before. Not sure I would want to be at sea for too long, though! 🙂

I’m glad you enjoyed your first cruise! Sorry that you couldn’t shake the feeling of not moving!

I will be going on a cruise soon and I am apprehensive because I have no idea what to expect. However, the information you have provided but me at ease. Thank you.

Hey, Michael, How are you?

Thank you so much for sharing your experience of the first cruise with us. In fact, you have already started performing in one of the best companies available in the world.

Have you ever made other cruises? I loved your post and I agree with you, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to think during the days. Everything is done very easily.

And your pictures look great!

Nice article. All designs are good and very creative.

My friend last year got a cruising experience to GOA in cordelia cruise. He shared that it was really a great budget cruising experience and thanked so much to https://triplou.com/cordelia-cruise . For this summer me too planned for cruising trip and asked triplou for a low budget package.

We were on this beautiful ship in October 2017 for her transition cruise from fantastic Seattle to home .Our best cruising experience ever ❤ her

We are going on the Explorer in the Fall to Greece and this is our 3rd cruise. Eastern carrib and Southern carrib both fantastic trips. Great article excited to see the ship.

My First Cruise! 15 Things I Learned On A Cruise To The Caribbean

A few years ago, I took a trip on a cruise ship with a friend—my first cruise ever—and for today’s episode, I thought I’d share my experience.

The Carnival Dream cruise ship, docked in St. Thomas, USVI

My friend and I flew to Florida to take a 7-day Caribbean cruise. Our ship was the Carnival Dream (which, at the time, was the biggest ship owned by Carnival Cruise Lines). We debarked from Port Canaveral in Florida (just south of Cape Canaveral—we could actually see Kennedy Space Center from the ship) and headed out to the Caribbean islands.

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(And by the way, I still don’t know for sure whether it’s technically pronounced “cuh-RIB-bee-an,” or “CARE-uh-bee-an,” but “cuh-RIB-bee-an” is how Carnival Cruises pronounces it, so I’ll go with that).

In my case, our trip to the Eastern Caribbean meant we would stop at these three places:

#1: Nassau, Bahamas (the capital of a country that is a collection of over 700 Islands, which was formerly a British Crown Colony, and is now part of the Commonwealth of Nations).

#2: St. Thomas (one of the four islands in the US Virgin Islands, a territory of the USA).

#3: Sint Maarten (the lower half of an island half-owned by France and half-owned by the Kingdom of the Netherlands).

Map of the Caribbean Sea showing a cruise ship's route from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas, the US Virgin Islands, and Sint Maarten

My experience on a cruise ship was interesting: “taking a cruise” has long been on my bucket list, so it was good to finally give it a try. After my trip, I took extensive notes about the experience. And so, here are 15 things I learned while taking a cruise to the Caribbean.

#1: You’ll Either Take Just One Cruise, Or Fifty or Sixty

Taking a cruise is not like any other travel experience I know of. You’ll either become one of the “cruise people” if you like it, or you’ll try it once and… that will be the end of it. In my case, I think I fall into the latter category: I certainly had fun, but I think this was the only cruise I’ll take. In contrast, I met several people on the ship who take cruises quite frequently. I met one man (who must have been retired) who said he’d been on 42 cruises in the past six years. He liked them so much that he had already booked himself on the next cruise out on the same ship. As soon as we got back, he got off the boat, then turned around, and boarded it again for his next cruise.

#2: Cruise Line Employees Are Incredibly Geographically Diverse

Cruise ship employees are from just about every country, except the USA. You can always tell because they have their home country printed on their name tag. And I’m talking every country. Even countries you forgot existed. Seriously: when have you ever met someone from Grenada?

On my cruise, I met people from all over the world: the Philippines, Bosnia, Peru, Mexico, Bulgaria, Indonesia, Jamaica, Thailand, the UK, and many other countries. In the seven days I spent on the Carnival Dream, I saw exactly one staff member who was an American: the cruise director. That’s not to say she was the ONLY American, but she was the only one I saw.

One employee I met and got to know a little bit was from Macedonia. He was a lot of fun to talk to, was kind of a joker, and told us all about the working environment on a cruise ship. Which leads me to my next point…

#3: Working On A Cruise Ship Is Shockingly Bad

Working on a cruise ship requires hard, tedious, non-stop work. Actually, the whole cruise industry is becoming somewhat infamous for just how bad working conditions are, and that’s probably a good thing. Here’s the dirty secret that you as a passenger would never know: cruise ship employees work on a contract basis, but that contract is for seven days per week until it’s over. Some employees literally work nine months, seven days a week, without a single holiday or day off.

One staffer I met was on a seven-month contract. I asked him how he felt about it, and while he wasn’t excited about how long his contract was, he told me that when it was over, he’d go back to his home country and take three months off. It’s all a very strange arrangement. Surely the only way cruise lines can pull this off is because they aren’t subject to labor laws like those we have in the USA. And who would want to work such grueling shifts, anyway? Remember the name tags? Ding ding ding: people from poorer countries who have fewer employment opportunities. That’s who would sign up for a nonstop nine-month contract out to sea without a single day off.

#4: A Cruise Ship Never Stops Rocking Back And Forth

The ship rocks, constantly. A giant cruise ship like the Carnival Dream doesn’t get tossed violently in the waves, but it does still rock from side to side, very slowly. And it never, ever stops unless you’re in port. You eventually get used to it: your coffee cup at breakfast slides across the table to the other side, and you think nothing of it. But it definitely takes a while to adjust to it.

A strange side effect about this is just how long it took me to adjust back to normal AFTER the cruise was over! My body kept swaying back and forth while standing on dry land, for at least two days after the cruise. I first noticed this while looking at myself in the bathroom mirror. I saw that I was moving back and forth, ever so slightly. How strange.

#5: Cruise Ships Are Gigantic, Like A Floating City

According to the Carnival Cruise Lines website, the Carnival Dream can hold 3,646 guests, and 1,367 crew members. That’s 5,013 people—the size of many American cities.

This means that you will always be standing in line for everything. If we wanted to use the elevators, we had to wait in line. When it was dinner time, we had to wait in line. When we were in port and it was time to go on an excursion, we waited in line to get off the boat. When our excursion was over, we had to wait in line to get back on the boat.

I’m not trying to complain about this, just stating my observation. I think it was so noticeable because, in many other travel experiences, you can always find ways to avoid standing in line. If you’re at a hotel, for example, you can just take the stairs if you don’t want to wait for the elevator. Or if you don’t like driving in heavy traffic, you can take a train or a bus. On a ship, though, you’re a captive audience and, well, you just have to wait your turn.

#6: Most Of Your Trip Is Spent Just Getting There

Large ships move painstakingly slow, and a majority of your time spent on a cruise ship is spent just waiting as you head toward your destination. Very little time is actually spent at your destination. I’m talking just a couple hours in some cases.

For example, it only took us one day to arrive in the Bahamas after our launch from Port Canaveral, but it took us more than two full days “out to sea” to get back from Sint Maarten. And if you’re claustrophobic or get cabin fever, that is a really, really long time. It’s no wonder cruise lines have to invent silly games to try and break up the monotony. Would you ever attend an “International Men’s Hairy Chest Competition” on dry land?

There are lots of things to do on a cruise ship while out to sea: games at the swimming pool, stand-up comedy shows, pillow fights, musical variety shows, bars with jazz piano players, karaoke, and other things of that nature, but all of them are clearly attempting to distract you from the fact that you’re stuck on a boat, over a thousand miles away from land and there’s nothing you can do about it for days. Most people didn’t seem to mind this. But to me, that time felt wasted.

#7: Water, Water As Far As The Eye Can See

There’s simply nothing to view when you look out a cruise ship window, except for when you pull into port. Otherwise, when you’re out on the ocean, there’s not a darn thing anywhere. It’s just dark blue water as far as the eye can see. It’s a shocking realization that you can be so far away from civilization without seeing anything but water for more than a day at a time. The ocean, in a sense, is like a desert that way: it’s like vast plains of absolutely nothing. Every once in a while we’d see an occasional ship from another cruise line going in the opposite direction, but that was about it.

#8: Cruise Ships Are Very Easy To Get Lost In

Ships designed to hold, feed, and entertain over 4,000 people at a time have complex floor plans and layouts. It is surprisingly easy to get lost in them. We got lost nearly every time we left our cabin, even up to the very last day. There are many hallways, doors, elevators, and staircases that all look exactly alike, so it’s easy to get disoriented. There are even floors that are dis-contiguous: for example, on one floor on our ship (I think it was the third floor), you couldn’t walk straight from the back (the aft) of the ship all the way to the front (the bow) in one shot. Halfway through, you had to go up one floor, walk for a while, then go back down the stairs back to the 3rd floor to continue. We never got used to this. Many times, I would think I was about to walk out to the Lido Deck (the 10 th floor) and accidentally popped out onto the Panorama Deck (the 11 th floor) and vise-versa.

#9: All The Food Is Included—Yes, It’s All Free! (Except for Alcohol)

The food is all included, and it’s all-you-can-eat all the time! I can’t think of another travel experience I’ve had where this is the case. You never have to pay for food: and there’s always food available somewhere. There are multiple food joints, buffet lines, and restaurants, and nobody ever asks you to pay. There was even a 24-hour pizza joint with free pizza, as much as you wanted, whenever you wanted. How cool is that?! We loved it.

The food options truly are amazing: there was a chocolate bar (where you could get dozens of chocolate treats), a grill (with cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and the like), a pizza joint (as I said—open 24 hours!), a sandwich shop (with about 15 different kinds of sandwiches, and it was also open 24/7), an Indian place (this was, by far, my favorite: I ate a lot of Tandoori Chicken, Fish, and Naan here), and much more. This is really one of the best parts of taking a cruise.

The only exception to all this free food was for alcoholic drinks: you always pay for those. Unless you bought an upgraded “beverage package,” where you’d pre-pay for drinks and just scan your room card, you always had to pay extra for anything alcoholic.

#10: There Are No Laws Against Gambling And Smoking In Cruise Ship Restaurants

Remember how I said cruise ships are like floating cities? In some cases, it feels like that city is Las Vegas, Nevada. If you’ve ever been there, you know that Las Vegas is famous for their smoke-filled casinos where people gamble all night long while cocktail waitresses bring mixed drinks to your table. If you like gambling and smoky bars, you would LOVE a cruise ship. If, however, you’re underage, or you’re not into smoking, drinking, or gambling, your days at sea will be spent watching lots of TV in your room in the evenings.

#11: Beware The Discrepancy Between Island Time and Boat Time

This is a big issue that can ruin your vacation if you’re not careful. “Island Time” and “Boat Time” are two different things. If you have any excursions planned on an island, make sure you find what time it starts, and ask whether they’re talking about island time or boat time. For example, I wanted to go scuba diving in the US Virgin Islands, so I scheduled a boat dive in St. Thomas for 9:00 am the day that we would be there. Everything was set: I did my research early, found a dive shop I wanted to use, and prepaid for my dive weeks in advance. They even told me they’d come to the ship and pick me up. Score!

When I got off the ship at 8:30 am that day, I felt good about showing up early. But after waiting for a while and not seeing anybody, I called the dive shop to find out where they were. They told me “Oh, we already came for you at 9:00 and you weren’t there. We waited a while, but had to leave since we couldn’t keep the other divers waiting.”

Oh no, what happened? Ahhhh! I arrived at 8:30 am boat time which was actually 9:30 am island time , so I actually showed up a half hour late.

Now, how could it be that a professional dive shop run by people who make their living selling dive trips to tourists who arrive via cruise ships could forget to mention this difference? I have no idea. But in my case, after I panicked and my head spun for a while as I tried to figure all this out, it turned out okay. I got a full refund from that dive shop and was (miraculously) able to find another dive shop that was about to take a boat dive and I was just in time.

#12: For A Great Excursion, Go Far Away From The Ship Itself

The trick on a cruise is to find the spots where the tourists don’t go when you’re on an excursion. What I found out is that many people don’t go far from the ship. Great example: when the nearly 4,000 patrons were herded like cattle off of our ship onto the dock in Nassau, Bahamas, there were all kinds of vendors hawking their wares, and outfitters offering to take people on tours of the islands and scuba or snorkeling adventures. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of people went to Junkanoo Beach, not even one mile from where the ship was docked.

My friend and I didn’t take the bait in the tourist traps. Instead, we got on a bus and paid a whopping $1.25 for a ride across the island, and when all the other tourists got off at Junkanoo Beach, I asked the driver if he could take us somewhere that nobody else was. The driver (who only had one eye) keep driving for about four more miles, then stopped in the middle of a road and pointed to a break in a fence and said: “over there.” Feeling like I had maybe been tricked, I followed his instructions anyway and was delightfully surprised: we found a secluded area on Cable Beach by a restaurant and it was perfect. There was nobody else there!

#13: You Can’t Use Your Phone On Most Caribbean Islands

Mobile phone coverage in the Caribbean is horrendous. It’s just not worth bringing your phone. Not only will you pay outrageous roaming charges (I’m talking several dollars per minute and over $20 per megabyte of data transfer!), the plain and simple fact is you just can’t get reception. I even paid for AT&T’s international plan on my iPhone for the month to help cover roaming charges, but it didn’t help since I couldn’t get a signal, so it was pointless. I should have just left my phone in my room on the boat the entire time.

The only exception to this was in St. Thomas, USVI. Since it’s technically part of the USA, the cell phone coverage was good, and I even got data and didn’t have to pay any roaming fees. But everywhere else, I kept my phone turned off the entire time.

#14: You Can Make Phone Calls On A Cruise Ship, But It’s Exploitatively Expensive

On my entire trip, there is really only one mistake I made that cost me a chunk of money. That was taking a phone call from my wife on the ship. Obviously, there’s no phone service out on the ocean, so if you want to make a call, you have to connect to the ship’s wireless “advanced roaming network.” It works just fine, but DARN is it expensive!

Late one night, I was tired, and my wife was getting weary of being at home without me so she called me. I answered the call and, foolishly, we chatted for something like 10-15 minutes. Normally, in the USA, I wouldn’t even give this a second thought. But get this: you know how much I paid for that phone call? More than $75.00! It wasn’t even an important call: just a relaxed conversation about “what did you do today?” and things like that. That makes it the most expensive phone call of my entire life. No offense to my wife, it wasn’t worth it.

#15: You Can Buy Duty-Free Items On The Ship, But You Can’t Consume Them On The Ship

Cruise ships are like airports in that they have the ability to sell items “duty free” (or tax free). You can spend time browsing in their stores which proudly advertise low-cost giant bottles of wine, rum, whiskey, and other alcoholic drinks, as well as tobacco products. If you’re into that sort of thing, you might look at a huge bottle of whiskey and say “Boy, are we going to have a party in our room tonight!” …but here’s the catch: you can’t actually use those items on the ship, at all.

They will literally take them away from you and lock them up until you’re back on land and your trip is over. To me, this is the most ridiculously self-defeating proposition ever. You can take a cruise to a tropical location, and literally buy gallons of rum on your trip, but you can’t drink any of it until the trip is done. How silly is that? On the ship itself, your only option is to pay top-dollar for your normal-sized boat drinks, complete with taxes and tips, and you will cry a little bit on the inside, knowing just how badly you’re being ripped off. And the tiny little bottles they stock your fridge with in your room just like a hotel? Don’t even get me started on how expensive those are.

I really detest this whole operation. It feels to me just as silly as going to a restaurant and asking to buy a bottle of wine, but being told you can, but you can’t drink it there—you can only take it home with you after your meal. During your dinner, you have to buy overpriced wine by-the-glass.

Why would they do this? Because they can! They’re in control and you’re a captive audience. We wouldn’t tolerate this on land, because we have choices. On a ship out in the middle of nowhere, though, you have no other options. In my opinion, it only makes sense to buy booze or tobacco like this if you’re trying to get a good deal and stock up for the whole year, or something like that. But who takes a trip on a giant ship across the ocean to tropical islands in order to buy discount liquor? Maybe some people, but I don’t view cruises as a good place to “save money” on shopping in bulk. Especially when people like me have to fly on an airplane to get to the cruise ship in the first place—if I showed up at the airport with my bag full of expensive alcohol that can’t be brought on the plane back home, now I’m just paying for additional charges for more checked bags, making the whole process…. just so absurd that I’m going to stop talking about it now.

Okay, well, actually, there’s one more thing I learned about buying alcohol on a cruise ship that I just have to mention. If you think you can beat the system by buying alcohol off the ship on an excursion, that won’t work either. The airport-style security they have as you board the ship will find your purchase and confiscate it until the trip is over.

But here’s the funny thing: my friend bought at least two bottles of alcohol on two separate excursions. If I recall correctly, one was rum and one was whiskey. The first time we boarded the ship, they x-rayed our bags, and found the bottle of rum, and took it away. But the SECOND time, they somehow didn’t find the bottle of whiskey, so, feeling like school-aged children, we snickered as we took our “contraband” bottle back to our room.

Four Travel Tips

To recap, here are some specific travel tips worth mentioning, if you ever take a cruise to the Caribbean.

Travel Tip #1: Time Zones

Be very careful to find out if your excursions are set for island time or boat time. In my case, the time discrepancy turned out okay. But the difference between the two times could have been a very frustrating and expensive lesson.

Travel Tip #2: Excursions

The further away from the ship you go on your excursion, the fewer people you see, and the better your options are. Also, ask the locals where they would recommend you visit.

Travel Tip #3: Roaming

If you’re going on a cruise to another country, just leave your phone at home, or at least on the ship. Otherwise, you’ll lug it everywhere in your pocket for no good reason, afraid that you’ll lose it or accidentally jump in the water forgetting it’s there and ruin it. Plus, you’re on vacation. Go have fun!

Travel Tip #4: Phone Calls

Do not make phone calls on the ship. It’s just too expensive. And you can’t tell ahead of time what it’s going to cost you because it depends on your cell provider’s agreement with the ship. For a better solution, wait until you’re at an excursion and go to a coffee shop or somewhere like that with free internet (if you can find it) and use Email or text, or use Skype or FaceTime, using their internet connection. That is free!

My Final Conclusion

In all, it was a great trip, and I’m glad to have added it to my list of things I’ve done. And I’m sure going to be more educated if I take a cruise again. Having said that, I can’t really see why I would go on another cruise. There’s just too much wasted time getting to and from your destinations. As I watched planes taking off and landing at Maho Beach in Sint Maarten, I thought to myself: “Next time I come here, it’s going to be on a plane like that.”

I’m much more interested in the doing of the activities once you’re at a fun destination. Cruises, while they have their place, are much more about taking a long time to get to the destination and trying to make it fun in the process. Due to the strict timeline of the ship’s schedule, it takes so long to get to the island you want to visit that you end up with something like 5 or 6 hours to do everything you want, and then get back on the ship before it leaves.

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with this, but I’d rather pay more just to get there quickly so I can set out my beach chair, put on my shades, and have a nice cold Corona in my hand and hang out for many, many hours, without having to worry about accidentally missing the boat. But that’s just me.

If you choose to go on a cruise, that’s fine! I won’t tell you not to. As I mentioned before, some people are obsessed with them and take one or two, or more cruises each year. That’s totally fine by me. But hopefully some of the information I’ve shared here can help you either make a decision to take a cruise (or not). And if you do, hopefully now you can make some slightly more informed choices to make your cruise that much better.

10 Things I Wish I’d Known Before My First Cruise

by Prof. Cruise · Published July 13, 2021 · Updated July 16, 2021

Ten years ago this week was a momentous occasion. I was a newlywed on my honeymoon. But more important than that, I was on my very first cruise as an adult (my husband has since accepted that he comes second to cruising). That first cruise changed more than just the way I vacation, it changed just about everything about my life, from where I live to my career to my waistline.

In the ten years since then, I’ve become so addicted to cruising that I quit my job as a college professor, moved to a city with two cruise piers and to an apartment with a view of said piers, and spend my time cruising and writing about cruising. I’ve sailed dozens of times on all the major lines. I’ve cruised to Alaska, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, and the Panama Canal. I’ve cruised from just about every North American cruise port. I’ve done cruises from 2 days to 21 days. I’ve cruised solo and I’ve done a huge extended family cruise and every combination in between. And I’ve done back-to-back cruises (with a dream to do a back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-death cruise someday).

I guess the first thing you should know before your first cruise is that, if you’re anything like me, it won’t be your last. But there are a few other things you should know too – things I wish I’d known before that very first cruise. So in honor of the 10 year anniversary of my first cruise, here are 10 things you should know before your first cruise.

10 Things You Should Know Before Your First Cruise

1. you will pay a lot more than the advertised price of your cruise.

When you see “prices starting at $399” for a 5 day trip to a tropical paradise on a glossy advertisement you receive in the mail, you may be deceived into thinking cruising is cheap. Then you’re shocked when you actually go to book the cruise and realize that taxes, port fees, service charges, and pre-paid gratuities have nearly doubled the cost of your cruise. Then when you get your credit card bill a month after sailing and add up what you originally paid for the cruise + airfare to and from the port city + a night in a hotel prior to your cruise + transportation costs to/from the airport to your hotel or the cruise pier + excursions and other onboard expenses + travel insurance, you realize you actually paid almost five times that original advertised base cruise fare.

New cruisers should be aware that you will pay a lot more than the advertised base fare of your cruise. However, you should also know that cruising can be affordable if you do it right. Go here to learn how to get the best rate on your cruise and go here to learn how to save money onboard .

2. Choose a cruise line and ship that bests fits you

Cruise ships are just like pants, generally awesome in concept, but some fit us better than others. Some ships are big, some are small. Some are colorful and loud, some are more subdued. Some are geared toward a younger population and some to an older. Some are top of the line, some are budget friendly. Some attract a more diverse crowd, some are very homogeneous. While I’ve loved every cruise ship I’ve ever sailed on and am not loyal to a certain line or class of ships, I encourage first-time cruisers to pick a ship that will most likely deliver you a positive experience.

For example, if you’re extroverted, comfortable in large crowds, like a lot of action and activities, and don’t want to stick to a strict schedule, you’d probably love the Breakaway and Breakaway-plus class of ships on NCL. If you value diversity or like to let loose a bit on vacation, you might enjoy a Carnival cruise (they’re called Fun Ships for a reason). And if you’re introverted or just prefer a more relaxing, subdued experience with lectures instead of hairy chest contests, the smaller ships on Holland America may be a good option. Do some research and choose a ship that generally fits your personality and how you like to vacation. Which brings me to my next suggestion…

3. Learn from seasoned cruisers

An older man who looks like an experienced cruiser

Good news! Because you’re here reading this, you’re already doing this! I hope you find the information in this post and on my website helpful, but I also encourage you to learn as much as you can in advance from other seasoned cruisers. Do that by joining Cruise Critic and reading and asking questions on the message boards and by joining Facebook groups dedicated to particular lines or ships or cruising destinations.

Once you’re booked on a ship you can join your roll call group (a dedicated page for your particular sailing) on either Cruise Critic or Facebook (just do a search for your ship and date). You’ll find the people on these boards and in these groups an invaluable source of information and experience.

4. Book your cruise through an online or local travel agent

Cruise prices are the same (with very few exceptions) regardless of where you book. Ignore cruise lines offering big “sales.” You’ll get those prices regardless of who you book through. HOWEVER, booking with an online or in-person travel agency will offer perks the cruise lines can’t match, usually onboard credit or other perks (bottles of wine, excursion credit, free cabin upgrade, etc). Shop around for the best incentives!

Do note that if you book though a travel agency (online or in-person), all communication will need to go through them. Meaning if you want to change something about your reservation or ask a question, you’ll need to call your travel agency and they will contact the cruise line on your behalf. This can be a bit inconvenient at times, but I’ve found it’s worth it.

In terms of where I book, I usually check these for sites and go with the one offering the best incentives (check with any local travel agents you use too as they can often do even better than an online travel agency):

Cruise Direct

Costco Travel

Direct Line Cruises

Priceline (note that Priceline charges a $25 booking fee, so take that into consideration when calculating the value of the incentives they are offering).

5. Pick a stateroom that will work best for your needs

Picking a stateroom (or cabin) category (inside, oceanview, balcony, or suite) and a location (forward, middle or aft and on what deck) on your first cruise can be tricky as you don’t have prior experience to inform your decision.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

-If you are prone to seasickness (or motion sickness in general), consider booking a stateroom in the middle of the ship and on lower deck. These areas will experience less motion.

-If you are sensitive to noise, book a stateroom with other staterooms both above and below you. Google the “deck plans” for your ship and look for a cabin (stateroom) with other cabins on the deck directly above you and below you. Be especially careful to avoid cabins right below the pool deck, bars, clubs, lounges, restaurants, and service areas.

-Consider booking a cabin closer to the areas of the ship you will visit most frequently. If you plan to hang out at the pool all day, book near the Lido deck. If you plan to eat all day (like me!), book near the buffet. Or if you purchased a drink package and plan to get your money’s worth, book near the medical unit (haha, just kidding).

Also, if you have mobility issues, you will want to book close to an elevator.

-Do you need it very dark to sleep? Are you on a tight budget? Are you traveling solo or with one other person you feel comfortable sharing a very small space with? An inside cabin (meaning no window or balcony and usually slightly smaller in size) may work best for you.

-If you’re on a budget and can’t splurge for a balcony cabin or suite, but you absolutely must have a view of the outside, an oceanview cabin (or a porthole cabin, available on a few ships for less money than an oceanview cabin) is a good option.

-If fresh air in your cabin, the thought of drinking your morning coffee outside in your robe, or having a private spot to gaze out at the sea and watch for wildlife appeals to you, consider booking a balcony cabin. They are more expensive, but many cruisers find them well worth the extra cost.

-If you don’t have any budget constraints and want a larger, more luxurious space with extra perks, definitely look at higher end staterooms like suites, spa cabins, or those located on exclusive areas of the ship (like “The Haven” on NCL).

-Are you traveling with a larger group who will need more than one stateroom? Consider booking adjoining cabins. There will be a door between cabins that can be opened. This is a great option for families traveling with more than two kids or families traveling with grandparents.

-Consider your itinerary. If you’re on a sailing with mostly days in port, you’ll likely be spending far less time in your cabin. You might opt for a less expensive option. But if you have many sea days, you might prefer a slightly larger and nicer place to relax.

6. Your stateroom won’t be ready when you board

Okay, so you picked the perfect stateroom for your needs. Well done! You’ll probably be eager to see it as soon as you board, but in most cases that won’t be possible. While the cruise line will start the embarkation process as soon as the public areas of the ship are clean from the prior sailing and ready for new guests, it takes crew a bit longer to get all the cabins ready. Usually they’re ready by about 1:30. This has a few implications for the first few hours of your cruise.

First, you’ll want to consider what to bring with you onboard in your carry on bag. You’ll be able to check your large luggage with porters at the pier and it will be delivered to your stateroom later in the day. But you can also bring smaller items onboard with you. Keep in mind that whatever you carry on will have to be kept with you until your stateroom is available. Avoid bringing a large and/or heavy bag or anything else that will be difficult to carry while navigating through big crowds and tight spaces. Do, however, be sure to pack anything you’ll need in those first few hours. I’m thinking particularly of things like medications (even over-the-counter drugs you may need). You also may want to take advantage of the pool or hot tubs upon boarding. If so, make sure to either wear a swimsuit under your clothes (with undergarments to change into packed in your carry on bag) or to pack a swimsuit in your carry on bag. Don’t forget to bring your sunscreen too!

Second, think about how you’d like to spend those first few hours and plan accordingly. If you want to eat lunch right away, you’ll need to have a spot in mind. The buffet is very, very crowded on embarkation day, so unless you are in an early boarding group and head straight for the buffet to secure a spot and get your food, you may want to consider eating in a dining room or another alternative to the buffet. Also, loungers around the pools fill up fast. If you want to hang out by the pool, head there immediately to secure yourself a prime spot. Whatever you decide to do, check your deck plans in advance so you know where you’re going once onboard.

7. Prepare in advance for possible seasickness

It turns out that old adage is true: Couples who barf together, stay together. It’s been 10 years since Mr. Cruise and I got horribly seasick together on our first cruise and we’re still going strong! But we’ve since learned to prepare in advance for possible seasickness on our cruises.

After wondering out loud if I’d married a man or a Muppet when I saw the shade of green Mr. Cruise had turned as our ship navigated large Pacific swells, I quickly stopped laughing and started hurling as I too became afflicted with a horrible case of seasickness.

I sent Oscar up to the gift shop to purchase some overpriced Dramamine and we spent the next two days in bed not doing what you’re supposed to be doing in bed on your honeymoon. Turns out regular Dramamine cures seasickness by knocking you out cold. Live and learn and pack these items to prevent and treat seasickness on your first cruise:

If you want a medication free solution, I recommend Sea-Bands . These bands are worn like a bracelet and feature a plastic bead that presses against the Nei-Kuan pressure point on the under-side of your wrist.

If sea-bands sound a little too fru-fru and you want DRUGS, I’d recommend Bonine . It won’t make you drowsy and it works. Be sure to start taking it a few days before your cruise starts so it has time to build up in your system.

And If you dozed through the above part about preventing seasickness like my college students used to during all my lectures until they heard me say, “we just have a few minutes left” indicating that I was about to say something half-way important, you can use the following strategies to treat seasickness onboard:

Ginger Tea or Ginger Candy

Green apples and saltine crackers may also help (both should be available at the buffet).

8. You don’t have to sit with strangers at dinner

The first night in the dining room on our honeymoon cruise, Mr. Cruise and I were thrilled to be seated at a lovely, romantic table in the corner next to a window where we could hold hands and sneak an occasional kiss while gaining back all the weight we’d lost to fit into our wedding attire. It was a four-top, but we naively thought we’d have it all to ourselves to spread out our four entrees and six desserts. But a few minutes later another, much older, couple was seated with us. Instead of a romantic dinner it turned out to be more like a combination of an awkward Jr. High dance and going on a double date with your parents.

Couple looking very uncomfortable sitting with strangers on a cruise

And every night from that point forward, we were seated at different sized tables with different strangers. We adapted quickly and really enjoyed some of our tablemates and dinner conversations, but had we known then that we could request and receive a private table, we certainly would have.

While it is common practice for cruise lines to seat strangers together for dinner (except on NCL where it’s never done unless requested), Prof. Cruise is here to assure you that you DO NOT have to sit with strangers at dinner if you’d, for whatever reason, rather not. If you have “your time” or “anytime” dining (meaning you choose when you eat dinner and just show up at the dining room), you may request a “private table” and will always receive one (although you may have to wait a bit longer to be seated at peak times). While it’s a little trickier, you can also receive a private table if you have an assigned dining time (either the early or late seating). Go here to learn how.

9. The service and food may be worse than you expect

Dining and drinking on a cruise is very different than dining and drinking on land and knowing what to expect and managing expectations is important for a positive experience. Keep a few things in mind as you sit down for your first meal at sea.

First, a cold hard truth: Cruise lines recruit and hire crew members from countries where they can pay them the least for very, very hard work. This means that most crew members are not native English speakers. While they go through a rigorous training process that includes learning English if they don’t already know it, you may experience some language barriers on a cruise, especially in dining and bar areas. You may need to repeat or rephrase something or you may have a bit of trouble understanding your waiter or bartender’s accent. Be patient and understanding and realize how difficult it is to work with the public in a non-native language. On the plus side, you’ll get the chance to meet and interact with people from all over the world. Engage with crew and ask them about their hometowns and their families. I’ve learned so many interesting things from crew members on my cruises.

Second, understand that feeding a cruise ship packed with thousands of passengers is a massive, difficult operation and prepare for long waits at times. You may wait to be seated. You may wait to give your food or bar order. And you may wait a long time between courses. Don’t expect fast meals, especially in the main dining rooms at dinner. If speed is important to you, consider eating at the buffet or at a specialty restaurant (that you will pay extra for). You’re on vacation – relax and go with the flow.

Bonus Tip : Tipping a few dollars in cash will greatly improve bar service.

Third, the quality of the food on cruise ships may be less than you expect. But there will also be many, many different options. I’m a quantity vs quality gal, so I LOVE eating on a cruise. There is food available nearly 24/7 and it’s plentiful. However, if you’re picky or a serious foodie, you’ll likely be disappointed in the food onboard.

My husband and I have started using qualifiers whenever we talk about cruise service or cruise food. We always add, “for cruise food” or “for a cruise” to any discussion of a particular meal or the service on our ship. So, for example we might say, “the service was fast…for a cruise” or “the seafood was great…for cruise food.”

10. Don’t buy excursions or travel insurance through the cruise line

Newbie cruisers can be very nervous about booking excursions on their own. And with good reason – they’ve probably seen viral videos of people running down the pier at port screaming and crying as their cruise ship pulls away without them. However, booking an excursion on your own through a reputable company or just exploring the port on your own is generally safe and will often be less expensive and a much better experience (less crowded, you’ll see more, more personable, etc).

Private tour companies count on good reviews to stay in business. They are committed to giving you a good experience and making sure they return you to the ship ON TIME and in one piece. Most will even guarantee to get you back to the ship on time or will pay to get you to the next port (ask about this if you’re nervous).

I usually book my excursions through Viator (just search for the city you’re docking in and include the word: “excursion” – make sure to read the description carefully to make sure they will pick you up right at your ship), but it can also be helpful to ask for recommendations on cruise forums and boards.

You can also do some research in advance and just walk around the port area on your own or hire a taxi or ride share to take you around to places that aren’t within walking distance. I’ve had an amazing time at so many ports without spending any money. I’ll look for free museums, historical sights, hikes or beaches or other natural areas to explore, fun neighborhoods, even cemeteries (I love an interesting, beautiful cemetery!) Do some research on safety at each port and follow common sense safety precautions, but if you feel comfortable, I encourage you to avoid expensive and often crowded cruise ship excursions and go it on your own!

Travel Insurance

Never purchase travel insurance through your cruise line. It will be more expensive and cover less than plans you can buy on your own. That said, I ALWAYS recommend you buy travel insurance for your cruise. I recommend purchasing insurance through a site like travelinsurance.com where you can compare plans in terms of coverage and cost and get exactly what you want at the best price. Also check with your credit card company. Many cards include free travel insurance (although it doesn’t usually cover very much).

Final words for new cruisers

Cruising is magical. The sounds and sights and smell of the sea. The energy of the ship. The flexibility. The interesting ports. The friendly crew. Treasured time with family. Relaxation. Fun. Friends, new and old. With a bit of preparation and patience, you’ll love your first cruise and the only reason you’ll want to get home is so you can book your next one!

And with that…

Class Dismissed.

Homework (10 points): Go here to see all my other tips for cruising.

Also, subscribe to the blog to receive new course materials directly to your e-mail. Scroll up to the top right if on a computer or keep scrolling if on a mobile device. And be sure to follow Prof. Cruise on social media.

*I participate in several affiliate programs. I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you for items or services purchased through links on my site. All commissions go to support the work of this blog. Thanks for your support!

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About Prof. Cruise

Given name Sarah, but also answers to Prof. Cruise. Retired after 10 years as a college professor to focus full-time on her primary research interest: travel. With a concentration in cruising. Home port: Seattle. Mom of a shaggy-haired dog and a shaggy-haired human. Lover of books and dessert. Fancies herself a bit of a comedian – you’ve been warned.

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