There are a lot of things that you need to know before booking your cruise like choosing the right line for you, saving money, packing tips, and finding excursions, and I have done videos on all those things, so today we are going to discuss things you need to know once you get onboard that ship that new cruisers may not be aware of!
1 – Your cabin steward will be servicing your room at least once a day. They will come in, clean your room, make your bed and get you fresh towels. On your first day they will make a point to introduce themselves and see if there is anything you might need. When you first get to your room, look around and see if there is any special requests you might have or something you need. You can ask your cabin steward for things like extra hangers, towels, or bedding. If you want fresh ice brought in every day, they can do that. Your cabin steward will also be the first person to go to if you have any questions; if they can’t answer them, they will know who can.
2 – Did you know the bed in your cabin can actually be separated into two twin beds? While choosing if you need one bed or two should be part of the booking process, sometimes things get overlooked. If you come into your room and there is only one bed but you are cruising with your brother, then just let your cabin steward know and they will get that fixed for you. And of course the same goes the other way as well. This may seem like common sense to anyone who has cruised before, but there are stories of siblings sharing a bed during their cruise because they didn’t know they could ask to have the beds separated! I love my brother, but I don’t want to share a bed with him!
3 – If you are worried about loud kids running around, then fear not. Many ships have adult only areas available for some relaxation, and most are even included in your cruise fare. It will depend on the ship, but these areas can usually be found on the open-air decks and have lounge chairs, a bar, hot tubs and sometimes even an adult-only pool! These can be a great retreat away from the chaos of the regular pool area full of children and the music often found there.
4 – How are you going to pay for all your ship purchases? You will be given a ship card or medallion that acts as your room key, ID and gives you access to your ship account. You will need to set up your account prior to embarkation and link your ship-board account to either a credit or debit card or you will need to put cash on it. I’ll be honest that I don’t have any personal knowledge of the process of putting cash on your account. Some do it as a way to protect their bank accounts from getting fraudulent charges. However, if you are worried, you could always purchase a Visa card that you can pre-load with a specific amount or use a credit card with a low spending limit. You will then use your card to access your room, make any purchases while onboard the ship and as your ID to get on and off the ship while at port. You will want to make sure you take your card with you wherever you go!
5 – Since everything you purchase onboard is linked to your shipboard account, you will want to check your account regularly so you cam fix any mistakes or unauthorized purchases early. You don’t want to wait until the last day when a printout of your account shows up in your stateroom. That last night guest services will be busy! There are three ways to check your account that should work on most lines: 1. You can go down to guest services and ask for a printout, 2. If the ship has an app, you should be able to access your account there, and 3. Your stateroom tv should have a channel that allows you to view your account. Some ships may also have digital kiosks that will allow you to access your account as well. However you choose to do it, I suggest checking in on your account at least once a day as mistakes do happen and you will want to catch those early to save you headaches later.
6 – The best and worst day of every cruise for me is embarkation day. First off you have to get through check in, which can sometimes be stressful, at least for me with the lines, crowds, and all the “hurry up and wait.” Those first few hours onboard the ship can be chaotic and crowded. No one can get to their room so everyone will be milling about the public areas, often with some or all of their luggage. Not all of the public areas will even be open at first to help dispel the crowds. Many passengers will be congregated at places like the buffet, the bars and around the lido pool area. For me, all that adds up to stress, especially if I am unfamiliar with the ship and am not sure where to go to find a place to chill out and wait for the rooms to open. I want to make sure everyone knows this so they know that those first few hours of your cruise will likely be more hectic than the rest of your cruise, so don’t panic if you find yourself overwhelmed at first. For me, knowing the layout of the ship and having an idea of where to go once onboard helps, but then…I am a planner!
7 – Unless you want to come home to some hefty cellphone charges, you will want to make sure you put your phone on airplane mode once the ship sets sail. A good practice is to do it the minute you board the ship, but you will need to do so before hitting international waters if you don’t want to accrue some big time fees. You will also need to make sure your phone, and smart watch if you use one, is on ship time. Depending on the cruise line and itinerary, this could change several times during your cruise. This is super important if you leave the ship while it is at port because it doesn’t matter what time it is at the ship’s home port, it does’t matter what time it is at your port of call, it only matters what time the ship is using. And THAT is what time you will need to use to make it back to your ship on time so you don’t get left behind.
For those who have cruised before, do you use your smart watch while onboard or switch to an old school one?
8 – The Main Dining Room is one of my favorite places to eat onboard a ship. Each MDR will have a maître d’ that helps make sure everything runs smoothly, and that is who you will need to go to if you have any issues or need to make any changes. Sometimes you may want to change your seating. Either you prefer to have a private table or you are having issues with your assigned table mates. This applies mostly to those who choose set dining times as they will have the same table each evening. If you want to request a private table for just your cruise party, you will want to go speak to the maître d’ as soon as possible as private tables, especially tables for two, will be limited. If you prefer early dining and were assigned late dining for some reason, you can ask to switch times, and they will try to accommodate you if possible. If you have any food allergies or special requests, you will need to speak to the maître d’ about it, but I would also suggest reminding your wait staff as well. The MDR staff really want to make sure your time there is one you will enjoy, so don’t hesitate to ask if you need something.
9 – Don’t miss out on all the great things your ship has to offer. The ship’s daily planner will give you info on more than just the entertainment available onboard the ship. There will be times listed for various restaurants and bars so you know when they open and close. You can also find any port information you may need if your ship is making a port stop that day including information on the port authority if you have issues while in port. Many lines still drop off the daily planner in your stateroom the evening prior although most lines have now gone to posting the daily schedule on the ship’s app. If your line no longer provides the paper version, you can check with guest services as they should still have them available.
Finally, we have what is one of the most controversial topics in cruising.
10 – Daily gratuities and tipping! If you have paid your gratuities, which you should, then you don’t NEED to tip while onboard the ship. This is never more true that at the bar, which is weirdly the place you see tipping happen more than anywhere else. When you purchase a drink or drink package, you are already being charged a hefty tip. For example, Carnival charges 18% gratuity on their drinks, so you don’t need to feel like you have to tip at the bar. I like to if I spend a lot of time at one bar, but otherwise, I no longer drop an extra buck with every drink. There may be crew that you feel went above and beyond to make your cruise amazing that you will want to give an extra tip to. I always tip the room steward, and will also tip wait staff if I have fixed dining.
Be sure to check with your cruise line for information on any dress codes and lists of restricted items. If you are new to the channel, I have a lot of videos that are designed specifically for first time cruisers; they have some great information that will help you know what to expect on your cruise!
Cruising From The Ozarks 