I love taking cruises. In my mind, it is an excellent value for a vacation. The price of your room includes food, but there are plenty of options to buy more food. You are also able to see a variety of places, depending on the cruise you choose. For a first-time cruiser or even a slightly experienced cruiser, there are a lot of tips that can make the trip even better. I have compiled the below list of tips to help you when you take a cruise! Some of these tips may be specific to Carnival Cruise Lines since that is who I have made most of my journeys with, but you can apply most of these to any cruise line! So, let’s get into the list.

Pre-cruise Tips

Pack a Carry on Bag

This first tip is a big one that needs to be planned right before you head to the ship for boarding. You should bring some extra clothes in your carry-on bag. Unless you travel super light, you will probably have a suitcase to check, and you may not have access to it until well after sail away. If you pack some clothes in your carry on, you will be able to go straight in the pool or do anything else you would like without having to wait for the rest of your bags to arrive at your cabin.

Take a Photo of Your Luggage

If your luggage does go missing, then you can show a photo of what it looks like rather than trying to describe it. The photo is not guaranteed to find your luggage, but it will make it easier for others to help search for you.

Protect Your Credit Cards

Contact your credit card company and let them know where you will be going so that the company does not place a freeze on your account. Most cards these days allow you to put in a travel notification online. Otherwise, you can call the company and tell them the dates and locations.

Looking to Surprise Someone?

Want to surprise your better half or a family member during the cruise? Carnival and many other lines allow you to purchase different packages before the cruise starts. You can purchase things from snacks to drinks to decorations. Many options for kids and spouses. You can also select which day they are delivered if you want to celebrate that special something on the exact day. My last cruise in 2018 was over my birthday, and my Dad ordered one of these packages for my birthday. I received a cake in the room as well as birthday decorations.

Helpful items to bring or not bring

Bring a Power Strip

Most ships are seriously lacking on available power points in the cabins. To combat this issue, you can bring a power strip so that you will have more plugs to use in your room. Just make sure you check your cruise line rules for this as some lines do not allow you to bring power strips with a surge protector.

Bring Small Currency for Tipping

These can be used to tip tour guides after a great excursion, most tours will expect tips to show your appreciation, or you can use the money to tip individuals on the cruise. If you tip crew members on your card, then the money is divided among numerous crew members whereas giving cash goes to the individual. Tipping cash is also a great plan when buying drinks since the crew member will remember that you tipped them and will usually take care of you the rest of the cruise.

Bring Seasickness Medicine

If you are unsure if you might get seasick bring some medicine with you. You will be happier to have it and not need it than discover you needed it. If you do forget to bring some medicine and start to feel seasick, ask the crew for some ginger or green apples. They are not a cure-all, but they often help you feel better.

Bring an Alarm Clock

An alarm clock is not necessary for everyone, but if you are in an interior cabin, then you may not know what time it is without a clock. Another thing you can do in your interior cabin is put the TV on one of the ship cams while you sleep and then you will be able to see when the sun starts to rise.

Bring Your Coffee Mug or Water Bottle

If you bring your own cup/bottle, then you can fill up with as much of the free drinks as you like. You will not be stuck with the pretty small cups provided onboard. You will also save from buying a bottle or mug during your cruise. Of course, if you want a souvenir one, then leave yours at home and get one on the ship or in a port!

Bring Your Own Bottle of Wine

If you are a wine drinker, then you may be able to bring a bottle of wine onboard. The rules vary between different cruise lines, but a lot of lines allow every passenger over the age of 21 to bring one bottle of wine onboard. Keep in mind that your bottle must be carried on and not packed in your checked bag. Pack it in your checked bag for your flights then swap it to your carry on before you head to the port.

Leave the Towels at Home

Beach towels are available for all guests, and room stewards replace them daily. You are allowed to take towels off the ship in all ports, but you must bring them back, or they will charge you for it.

Leave the distilled water and extension cord

If you use a CPAP while you sleep, the crew will be able to help you out. They should be able to provide an extension cord so that you can have your CPAP by your bed. They can also help you with distilled water. Since you are not allowed to bring your water on board, they offer it for sale. They will not advertise the distilled water, but you can call your room steward, and they will bring you a gallon and charge it to your onboard account.

Onboard Tips

Playing Cards

I am not sure if this applies to all cruise lines, but I know it does for Carnival. If you forget to pack a deck of cards and decide you want to play, you can get a free deck with the Carnival logo on them at the Guest Services Desk.

Quiet Places

Sometimes during your cruise, you may feel the need for a quiet place to relax. Most ships have the outside pool area on upper decks that can often be loud and crowded. If you still want to be outside then you can look for the adult’s only area, often it will still be crowded but much quieter.

Another alternative is to find some areas indoors. Usually, you will find at least one place indoors with very few people so that you can relax. These locations will vary though on time of day and ship. In the afternoon hours, between lunch and dinner, the buffet area is often peaceful. Usually somewhere closer to the main show lounge will be a quieter area as well but you will have to explore your ship to find the best place. You can also check deck plans before your cruise to look for any potential hang out spots for yourself.

Leave Your Passport Advice in the Room Safe

It might seem weird to leave your passport in the room safe when you get off at a port, but there is a good reason to do so. If you miss the ship while in port, then the first thing the crew does is check your room safe for your passport. They will then deliver it to the port authority so that you will have it to either get home or catch the ship at the next port. Leaving it in the room safe will also ensure that it is not lost or stolen while in port.

Automatic Gratuities

DO NOT remove the automatic gratuities! Most crew members salaries are way below minimum wage, and tips will be the only real income they receive. If you want to give someone extra, then throw them an additional tip but do not remove the automatic. You may think that part of the automatic gratuities are not going to anyone you interact with, but you are probably wrong. You might choose not to use the main dining room and think those crew members are not serving you, but those same crew members also work around the buffet lines.

Bedding Options

If you do not like your bedding, you can ask your cabin steward, and they may be able to provide a mattress topper, top sheets, or an alternative pillow type. There is no guarantee to this, but you never know until you ask. Worst they will say is that they have nothing available.

Looking for something to do before leaving port?

Here is a tip for something to do after you return to the ship from port while waiting for the ship to set sail again: pick a deck spot where you can watch the pier. You will most likely see a “pier runner” at some point, and it can always be entertaining to watch. Just make sure you are not the “pier runner.” If you are not sure what that is, then it is someone who realized they are late for the ship and they are running to try to catch it before it sets sail without them.

Storage Space in Your Room

Search your room for additional storage locations. Often if you have a couch in your room, it will have drawers that you can use for storage. You can always store luggage under the bed after unpacking to keep them out of the way or leave a few things in there and use them as a sliding drawer under the bed. Also, make sure you unpack your luggage the first day. You may think you can live out of your luggage, but the rooms are already so small that it is better to unpack to keep the room from being overcrowded.

Use a Porter to Save Time

Use a porter when embarking and debarking to save on carrying your luggage to or from your car. It is customary to tip $1-$2 per bag. The porters will make sure to transport your luggage onto the ship for embarkation. When you are debarking, they might also save you time through customs since a lot of ports have a dedicated line that only passengers with porters are allowed to go through. This line is often shorter than the regular line.

Cruise Drink Tips

Soda Drinkers

If you drink a lot of soda, then you will want to purchase the Soda package offered on most cruise lines. The price for this package will vary for each cruise line but should be less than $10 a day. You will be able to order unlimited soft drinks with the package and usually, if you drink at least three sodas a day, then it will pay for itself.

How to Get Good Bar Service

Getting good service is never hard on a cruise. But if you want to get the best bar service, you usually have to tip a little extra. On the main pool deck, you can pick a waiter walking around that you like and tip a little extra from the start. He/she will remember your name and check on you all the time to see if you need another drink. Stick with the same waiter for the whole cruise. At the bars, pick your favorite bar and tip the bartender a little extra. Once they know you are willing to tip extra, they will take care of you for the remainder of the cruise.

Check Out the Specialty Bars

For drinkers on board, you will have a lot of specialty bars to try out on the ships. Every cruise line has its unique bars, and even different ships will have different options. Some of the options will include: Caribbean themed bars, cocktail martini bars (Alchemy Bar on Carnival), bars with robot bartenders (Bionic Bar on Royal Caribbean), ice bars (Svedka/Inniskillin Ice Bar on Norwegian Cruises), elevator bars (The Rising Tide Bar on Royal Caribbean), Piano bars, breweries at sea (Carnival Cruise Lines), and of course many other standard bars. One of my favorite bars is the Alchemy Bar on Carnival. The bar has the look of a pharmacy, and the drinks on the menu keep with the theme by offering you “remedies.” They will also make completely custom drinks and can often find a way to make you enjoy alcohol you normally hate.

The Cost of Drinking on a Cruise

Drink prices on cruises vary a lot, and some of those drinks are not cheap. If you want to get an idea of drink prices on board, then these websites are beneficial:

Carnival Cruise Lines Drink Prices

Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines drink prices

Disney Cruise Lines

Drink prices vary greatly among different cruise lines, but the above links are for some of the most popular lines, and prices will probably be similar among other lines. Note that the dates on these pages may show out of date, but I believe they have been updated over time, so they are probably still accurate. The Carnival link also has some great bonus information on the bottom of the page so check that out as well!

Save Money with Buckets of Beer

If you are a beer drinker, then you can often purchase beer by the bucket. On Carnival, you will receive four beers in the bucket (you can mix and match beers), and you will receive a small discount. The discount is not huge, maybe a dollar or two off the total price but it still saves a little money. If you drink them slowly, then the waiters by the pool will add more ice for you at any time. You can also take the bucket back to your room if you do not finish all of the beers.

Save Money with Alcohol Packages

If you are a heavy drinker, then you may want to consider buying the alcohol package. Alcohol packages vary a lot between different cruise lines. Some packages are a per-day cost and will allow you to order up to a certain amount of drinks each day. Just use the links from the first tip to decide if you will drink enough to make the cost worth it for you. Some other packages might be for a set number of bottles of wine. Just look on the website of your cruise to see what packages they offer.

Cruise Food Tips

Order as Much Food as You Want

At the main dining room, if you would like more than one of any of the appetizer, entrée or dessert options then feel free to order more. There are no limits to what you order. However, please make sure you only order what you can eat. There is no point in ordering five entrées if you will only eat two.

Alternative Food Options in the Dining Room

Want to have a different dinner option than what you see on the menu? They may be able to make something that is not on the menu for you to eat. Or if there is a side on the menu that you want but not the entrée, then you can ask for just the side item, and they will usually accommodate you.

Check Out the Specialty Restaurants

Look out for the specialty restaurants onboard. Some of these restaurants will have an extra cost, but some of them are free to use. They often offer a different selection to the standard buffet offerings. Some options include burger joints, tacos, pizza, and other regional theme locations. Carnival has regional themes that include Cuba, Italy, New Orleans, Japan, and more!

Stay Happy and Have FUN

This final tip should go without saying, but please be respectful to everyone. If you happen to have a bad day remember you can always have a wonderful day the next day. Every guest is onboard to have a good time and relax. The crew members are on board to make sure you do have a good time, so be friendly to them so that they can help make everyone have a great time!

I hope these tips are helpful to make your next cruise vacation amazing! If you would like to find out more about a cruise vacation then check out my posts on the Panama Canal Cruise I took in January 2018. Click here to read it.