12 Cruise Tips and Tricks I Wish I Knew Before Cruising

It had been 15 years since our first cruise vacation, so we literally felt like we were first-time cruisers. Here are 12 cruise tips and tricks I wish I knew before cruising.

I did lots of research and talked to many friends who I consider cruise experts. I got so much great advice and information, but we still learned a few things that no one shared with us before we left – one of them could have been life-saving!

These may not be your typical tips, but they are things we learned and wish we would have known beforehand. Here are 12 cruise tips and tricks we learned while cruising.

#1 – Check Your Luggage

This little tip almost got us off to a bad start! Our friends did share with us about checking our luggage, but we misunderstood. We were told that normally, people will meet you at the curb and try to take your luggage. These are not the people who work for the cruise line. 

No one asked for our luggage until we got close to the check-in area. We told them that we would keep them. BIG Mistake! There was not a place inside to check the luggage, so we had to tote all of it (and we had a lot) around the ship with us until our room was available! 

Check your luggage with the cruise line when you get to the check-in area!

​On the last day of the cruise, you have the same option. You can check your bags the night before or choose to keep them. In this situation, we chose to keep them. You end up getting off of the ship much earlier and faster if you keep your luggage with you.

#2 – Evaluate Your Drink Situation

Although every cruise line probably has different specifics, these seem to be pretty standard.  Here are a few options for drinks on a cruise:

• Beverage Packages
  • Alcohol
  • Soft Drinks
• Free Drinks
  • Water
  • Coffee
  • Juice
• Carry Drinks onto the Ship
  • Water in Cans
  • Soft Drinks

For me personally, I drink coffee in the morning and then water the rest of the time. Jay will have an occasional soft drink, but not enough to purchase a drink package. 

I had read that the water the cruise line provided was spring water, which I am not a big fan of. Due to that, I decided to carry my own water. If you decide to do that, the water has to be in an unopened case, and they have to be in cans. Amazon to the rescue.

After being on the ship and truly seeing how everything was, I have a better solution. Luckily, I packed my Stanley tumbler for the trip. There was filtered ice and water in the soft drink machines, and they both tasted great – not spring water. Next time, I will not purchase and cart around water!

#3 – Dining Options – Reservations & Menus

When you book your cruise, you get to decide if you want set reservations for the main dining room each night or if you want “Your Time” dining. There are pros and cons to each of these. Your time dining made more sense to us, because we didn’t want to be held to a strict schedule.

Reservations

In many cases, when you choose this option you have to wait to get into the restaurant. We found that if we checked in on the app on your phone, we could get on the list while we were still in the room getting ready. The timing works out great.

Immediately, you get an estimated wait time, so you know when to be in the area. One time we did this, and it said the table would be ready in 10 minutes. I just canceled the reservation and checked in later. It was perfect!

I would definitely use this method for larger groups.

Menus

Another thing to take notice of is that the menus are all either on the app or you can scan a QR code at the table. I was very glad I had already made my decisions when the waiter came to take our orders. He was expecting us to order right then. I am sure he would have come back later if I had not been ready; everyone was very gracious and accommodating.

Just a note – This is the time to try things you normally wouldn’t order. Be adventurous!

Other Restaurants/Menus

Most of the restaurants have the free meals that come along with your tickets. (I guess they really aren’t free, but they have already been paid for.)

More than likely there will be a few specialty restaurants you can go to get different meals for an additional fee. These options are your personal preference. I felt like there were so many options that were already paid for that I didn’t see the need to spend money on other food. Again, this is personal preference.

#4 – Use Bug Spray on Shore Excursions

On the port days, you will have the option of purchasing shore excursions. These range from sightseeing, shopping, beach time, cave exploration, ziplining, and so much more. Read what to take carefully, and do not dismiss the bug spray if it is mentioned! We learned this the hard way! 

You wouldn’t think you would need bug spray at the beach, but we needed it! Those sand fleas are no joke. They are like the chiggers we have in Texas, but they are on steroids.

#5 – Gift Fun

I did not realize that people on cruise ships liked to give gifts. It wasn’t until after we got home that I read about the hiding the ducks tradition.

We were given a duck with the date and name of the ship engraved on it. The same lady gave us light up squishy rings for 80’s night – very psychedelic!

There was a group of ladies on the ship that had their own secret gift exchange. One of them accidentally left a gift on our door. I returned it with a message, and she brought me my own gift, a handmade jar opener that was personalized.

Next time I will have a few little items to give.

#6 – Decorated and Interactive Doors

So many of the doors were decorated in a variety of ways. They were all fun to look at, but I don’t see myself ever decorating a door on a cruise. That was one part of teaching I never enjoyed!😂

Some doors had dry erase boards on them for people to draw on or leave messages.

But, look what I found just a few doors down from us…

This was fun for me. Each morning I do word puzzles on my phone. I love the challenge and the thought processes that go along with them. Without an Internet connection, I couldn’t play my games!

I had to stop and make a word or two every time we passed this door.

#7 – Explore Early On

We were given this tip by friends, but we did not follow their advice. Look at some of the things we found on the last day. Although we knew they were there, seeing them made a difference.

On our last full day, we explored new areas of the ship and found things we would have enjoyed had we known earlier. Next time, we will:

• Explore early
• Make a list of things we want to do
• List the “must go to” restaurants

#8 – Special Tips

Take special notice of staff members who do an exceptionally well job. This is another tip our friends gave us, but in the moment, we forgot to get names.

Be sure to make note of their names. You have the option of leaving them a special tip when you leave. It is a great way to bless the ones who blessed you throughout the week.

#9 – Take Blood Donor Cards

LIFE-SAVING TIP

​Unless this happened on the ship someone was on, I don’t know that anyone would think about this. If you are a blood donor, carry your donor card with you on the ship.

One night, the medical team made an emergency announcement. They needed a blood donor with a certain blood type for an emergency situation with someone on the ship. This was Jay’s blood type, but he did not have his card with him. Because of health protocols, he was unable to donate. Lesson learned – keep your blood donor card with you.

#10 – Corridor Hallways

If you need to get from one end of the ship to the other quickly, take the side corridor hallways. These are the hallways outside of the rooms. There is usually no crowd, so you can walk faster with no obstacles.

You might also get to play Scrabble while you are at it!

#11 – Check Your Statement Regularly

It is a good idea to pull your statement up on a semi regular basis. This can be easily accessed on your TV screen or on the app of your cell phone. 

Know what is included in the price of the cruise and what is an extra cost:

• Certain restaurants
• Excursions
• Drinks
• Tips and Gratuities
• Spa Treatments
• Room Service
• Photo Services

#12 – Free Entertainment

One of the great places to find free entertainment is at the pool deck on port days. Almost every time the ship was ready to leave, we were waiting on a few stragglers to make it back to the ship.

We found out that people gathered to watch the “runners” trying to make it back to the ship before it left without them.

​The crowd from the ship would clap for them and make a big deal of it. It was quite funny. With my history, I was just glad it wasn’t me!

We saw several jokesters running to get on the ship to get a reaction from the crowd (and possible YouTube exposure), only to turn around and get on a different ship. It was all good for a laugh.

We were given some of the best cruise tips from our friends. They were very helpful. However, I wish I knew these 12 cruise tips and tricks before cruising. Hopefully they will help you.

Essential Things

• Hanging Travel Bag – I loved this before, but it is a must in a smaller bathroom!
• Lanyard for the key card that doubles as your credit card
• Luggage Tags for Cruise Lines
• Towel Clips
• Magnetic Hooks (These were great, because all of the walls are magnetic!)
• Towel Bands
• Passport Cover
• Stanley Tumbler and Straw Covers
• Crossbody Purse for Excursions
• Have a good book to read!

I bought the towel clips, magnetic hooks, and the towel bands with intentions of seeing what worked and sending the others back. They were all great, and we can use them at the beach as well! They are keepers!

Other Tips Given to Us

Before the Cruise

• Be sure your passport is updated. In some cases, you can use an official copy of your birth certificate and an ID. 
• Check out the cruise line’s website for details.
• Expect to stand in long lines getting on and off of the ship. They move pretty quickly though.
• ​Get the phone app to stay updated.
• Look into Internet or Phone Pass packages.
• Pack nice clothes for 1 or 2 formal dining nights. There are dress codes on those nights.
• Pack a light jacket for cool evenings.
• ​See the essential things listed below, and see what works best for you.
• Sign up for any loyalty programs the cruise ship may have.

While on the Cruise

• Watch the safety drill on the TV when you get to your room.
• Look at the ship maps on each floor by the elevators as well as on the app.
• See if your ship has a real time map. I loved seeing exactly where we were and what other ships were nearby.

• Be sure to connect to the ship’s WiFi, and put your cell phone on airplane mode to keep from getting charged.
• Watch for the cruise news that comes in paper form daily. It is filled with information, just like the app. Ours was left on our door each night.
• Book any excursions, spa days, or other activities early.
• When you are at various ports of call, use ship time instead of local time.
• When in the main dining room, order extra appetizers, main courses, or desserts if you want.
• Let the wait staff know about any special events you are celebrating.
• Make the wait staff aware of any food allergies you have.
• Stay on board at a port stop instead of going onto land to enjoy a crowd-free ship.
• ​If you check your luggage either on the first day or the last, keep your prescription medication with you.
• If you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask a crew member. They are so helpful!

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Whether you are first time cruisers or experts, I hope some of these cruise tips and tricks will help you have the best time on your cruise. If you have other tips that are not listed here, please share in the comments. 

You may also like to read Top Travel Tips and Tricks for other helpful travel ideas.

And remember, don’t forget your blood donor card!

Until next week…

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“…we said good-bye to one another. Then we boarded the ship, and they returned home.” Acts 21:6