There are lots of cruise tips out there, but I have compiled 5 tips that you may not have heard of before.
I was going through some of my photos from my last cruise recently and it reminded me of a few things I do when I cruise that you may not have heard of or thought about before.
Tip #1
Take a photo of your luggage and tags prior to dropping them off. Most people have heard about adding something to the exterior of your luggage to make it stand out: a ribbon or something colorful to make it easy to identify as yours, but you may not think to take a photo of your luggage. If for some reason your luggage doesn’t make it to your cabin on time, having a photo of your luggage to show guest services can help them locate your luggage. I remember being on a cruise where a photo of some lost luggage was put in everyone’s cabin in case it had been delivered to the wrong room. Now, of course we have modern ways of keeping track of your luggage today with gps trackers like Apple Tags, but it’s still a good idea to have a photo of your luggage even if you have purchased a tracker for your luggage.
Tip #2
Have either a photocopy or photo of your passport and ID. I do both just in case. Anytime I leave the ship, I have a laminated photocopy of my passport with me. I just leave it in my backpack that I take with me when I’m in port. I do this even though I take my passport with me when I leave the ship (again, just in case), but if you keep your passport in the cabin safe, you should definitely have a copy on hand while at port.
I’m sure you can already tell that I like to be prepared for any eventuality. That’s probably why I’m an over-packer, no matter how much I try not to be. No matter how many times I take things out of the suitcase, I still overpack. I never was a Girl Scout, well not more than a few meetings when I was very young, but I do like to be prepared.
Tip #3
My third tip is to have a Medical ID card – This will contain any medical conditions that a doctor may need to know along with all medications, your blood type and any allergies. I also like to add emergency contact information, just a name and phone number. I have all this printed out and laminated onto a card the size of a credit card. I usually have several copies that I put into my purse, wallet, and backpack. You know…just in case. Just like insurance, it is something that you hope you won’t need, but if something were to happen to you, especially while on a shore excursion, you will want to have all that information handy. I first did this when I went on a cruise with a friend, so no family member that would know my medical information was around, and I was going to to be on a shore excursion by myself during that cruise. If something were to happen to me while all by myself, and it was bad enough that I couldn’t communicate, then having that medical information could save my life.
Tip #4
Create a lock screen for your phone in case you lose it. You can use an app like Canva or Word Swag to make a graphic that has your cabin number and/or the phone number of someone in your travel party, then set it as your lock screen. I like to have some way that if my phone is lost, guest services can quickly get it returned to me.
Tip #5
Be sure to have Port authority information when you go ashore. You can find this information in your dailies on a port day. You can either take that daily with you, or take a photo or screenshot it from the app. The port authority will be who you need to contact if you miss the ship. Calling port authority doesn’t mean the ship is going to wait for you if you are late, but they are going to be your point of contact if anything does happen to prevent you from making the ship.
Have you done any of these on your cruises? What other tips can you think of that not everyone knows? Leave a comment below and let’s get a conversation started! Have a blessed week everyone!
Cruising From The Ozarks 