6 Cruise Rules You Should Never Ever Break!

I am lucky enough to cruise a lot. I have built a business around my passion – which is cruising!

There are certain rules I never break when it comes to booking and going on my cruise.

In this article, we look at what those rules are – so that you don’t make any expensive mistakes.

#1. Choose A Cruise Line And Ship That Will Suit You

Not all cruise ships are the same!

Some of the more luxurious lines have small ships that only hold a couple of hundred guests. The largest ships, like Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, holds 7600 guests – and around 2,350 crew.

Do you think you will be happy on a ship with thousands of other guests, or would you prefer something smaller?

Do you prefer a more relaxed cruise line where you don’t have to dress up? Or do you think you would prefer a more formal, traditional cruise experience?

Do you need a ship with water slides, rock climbing walls and laserquest? Do you enjoy intimate dining experiences in small restaurants or like the main dining room atmosphere on a ship? What is important to you?

Are you happy walking up multiple flights of stairs on a ship that has 18 decks, or would that be too much for you? (All ships have lifts/elevators but you may have to wait a while for these at peak times.) If mobility is an issue, maybe consider a smaller ship.

As I always say, ” There is a cruise line to suit everyone, but not every cruise line will suit every person.” You need to find the right cruise to suit your family or friends.

Don’t assume because you have seen ships with zip lines and water parks, the ship you have booked will have those features. Even if you are booking with your favourite cruise line, be aware that not all ships in the fleet will have the same facilities.

Do plenty of research on your particular ship before you book, and then you will know exactly what to expect.

To look at a family-orientated cruise with many exciting activities, watch this video about my cruise on the Mega ship Symphony of the Seas. I was kept very busy – I could have stayed on the ship all week and never tried everything:

If you think you would prefer a smaller, more relaxed ship with excellent food, watch my video below of the trip I took on Azamara Onward. It offered a completely different cruising experience:

#2 Use A Travel Agent

To make sure you pick the right cruise line and cruise ship for you, I would always recommend booking through a trusted Travel Agent.

Travel Agents can give you advice and look at different ships and cruise lines to see which would be the perfect fit.

If you book directly through the cruise line, you won’t get that. They are only interested in selling their own cruises – they aren’t going to tell you that their cruise won’t suit you!

Sometimes when booking through a Travel Agent, you get added extras – like onboard credit or a free “welcome” bottle of wine or other treats in your cabin.

And of course, if anything goes wrong, the travel agent will help you sort things out.

To find out more about the great reasons to use a Travel Agent, read the article below:

Is It Best To Use a Travel Agent or Book Directly With The Cruise Line? (Money-Saving Hints and Tips For Booking, and Much More…)

#3 Always Buy Travel Insurance

Never consider going on a cruise without buying adequate travel insurance.

If you were to need medical treatment whilst onboard, you could get it, but it is expensive.

In an emergency situation, they could decide to airlift you off the ship to the nearest hospital, this could cost a fortune!

Read the article below to hear about real-life examples of those who didn’t have travel insurance and suffered the consequences.

5 Cruise Nightmares Caused by Not Having The Correct Travel Insurance (Real-Life Examples)

Because I travel often, it makes more sense for me to take out an annual Travel Insurance policy. Often that works out far cheaper.

Cruise lines may offer their own insurance policies at the time of booking.

Find out here if it is better to book insurance via the cruise line, or research and buy your own in the article below:

Should You Buy Your Travel Insurance Through The Cruise Line or Directly from an Insurance Company?

Still not convinced? Watch the video below – and then buy some insurance!

#4 Buy Drinks Packages or Dining Packages Beforehand

If you know you are going to want a drinks package or a speciality dining package ( which allows you to eat at a set number of extra-cost restaurants) I would recommend you research and buy it online before you get on the ship.

I have never found drinks packages or dining packages to be cheaper once onboard.

The only exception to this is if I have onboard credit, given to me at the time of booking. If I have credit to use, I can only use it when I am onboard the ship. I buy a drinks package as soon as I get on board to get the most use out of it.

Having said all that, I don’t often bother with a drinks package, they just aren’t worth it for me.

Sometimes I will buy a soda or soft drinks package, but I don’t really drink alcohol much and I don’t drink the speciality coffees that are often included in the full drinks package.

Find out more about that here:

Drinks Packages Aren’t Worth it For Me – Here’s How I Decide (Price Lists & More)

#5 Research Ports In Advance

Check where you will be going, and have a look to see if there is anything in particular in that port that you would like to see.

Once you are actually there, you might not have WiFi or mobile data on your phone, so you might not be able to check.

Cruise lines will give you limited information – but they won’t tell you, for example, that if you dock in a container port, the Port Authority often runs a free shuttle bus to the town.

Budget cruise lines will want you to pay extra to use their shuttle bus.

If there is any cruise line excursion you don’t want to miss, book it before the cruise. You might find once you are onboard your preferred excursion is sold out.

Also check to see if you can visit that attraction on your own. Sometimes, you might find you can easily walk to the site or use public transport.

I recently took a cruise to Norway on the Anthem of the Seas. One of the most popular cruise ship excursions was a trip on the Bergen funicular railway to the top of Mount Fløyen.

We just walked 15 minutes through Bergen to the train station. I had booked the tickets via the App prior to getting to the station, which helped us skip the queues.

We saved ourselves a fortune! Once at the top of Mount Fløyen, we took a leisurely walk back down the hill, which was a lovely way of exploring the town.

Find out about that great family cruise below:

#6 Complete The Online Check-In Before Embarkation Day

Most cruise lines give you the option of checking in online in the days before the cruise.

You enter all the relevant information online, you will get either a boarding pass, a cruise ticket, a QR code – or something else equivalent. It is then just a case of getting your passport and documentation checked before you can board.

Online check-in really helps speed things up in the terminal. You will get onboard quicker.

If you haven’t done your online check-in you will need to make sure you have all your documentation with you at the terminal. It will take a little longer for your documents to be processed.

Make sure you have all your important documentation with you by reading the article below:

Cruise Paperwork! Make Sure You Don’t Forget Essential Paperwork, or You Won’t Be Sailing Anywhere…

Before You Go

Find out about the top packing mistakes you should try and avoid here:

Top 8 Cruise Packing Mistakes You Need to Avoid

Cruising is good for you! Find out the many reasons why in the article below:

5 Ways Taking a Cruise Benefits Your Body and Brain!