Travelling the world on a big boat or a ship, making a lot of stops at beautiful destinations along the way, and enjoying the view of the ocean for as far as you can see; it sounds like a dream. A cruise can be the perfect way to get away from city life and to enjoy your vacations. If you choose the best one, it can be affordable, packed full of activities and destinations, and incredibly relaxing experience.
Unfortunately, the only issue one can have is when they are travelling on a cruise for the first time. This can lead to a lot of bad decisions, tiring visits and stops, and overpaying for a lot of things. For those travelling on a cruise for the first time, here are 5 tips that can make sure that you have the best time possible:
1. Don’t disembark on every port
The paid tours that are being arranged at every port can often be very overpriced and can put a substantial dent in a traveller’s bank account. Most people feel obliged to embark on every single tour at every port and feel as if it is necessary to pay those hefty fees for an average experience in the harbour. This, however, can be avoided if you just arrange your own small tour. The paid trips are often extraordinarily tiring and stressful, which is why these tours can prove to be a perfect and authentic alternative as well. The experience one gets from such tours is far more rewarding, because it is neither based on a set route nor is it based on a tight schedule.
You can save up quite a lot of money by not disembarking on each port that you stop at, but apart from that, there is a lot more that is good about staying on the boat. Saving yourself the hassle and the time that you would be spending on a place you might not even be interested in is no fun. It is sometimes even better to stay on the boat and just enjoy the ship itself without the crowd and spend some quality time in peace with the people you are travelling with.
2. Don’t do everything
You don’t have to do every single activity on the cruise ship. In fact, you will never be able to do so many things at once and enjoy them even a little bit. Also if you do go out and explore each port, try not to let all the different sights and activities overwhelm you. There is only so much that can be fit into the small time frame given to you by the cruise management. Plus, there is just so much that can comfortably fit into one’s budget. Trying to do everything will just end up becoming too stressful and far too expensive.
3. Keep track of ship time
Ship time and the local time of the place where you disembark might not be the same thing. There are a lot of travellers that don’t necessarily know this fact and can end up missing their deadline to get back on the ship. People often forget to adjust their schedules according to the ship time and rely on the local time entirely, which means that they can miss out on critical activities back on the ship or disembarking from the port altogether.
4. Food options
For those that are on a tight budget, taking advantage of the all you can eat buffets on cruise ships can be a genuine lifesaver. They are extremely cost effective and can be a much better alternative to ordering or eating out at a local café on the port. If you do not want to go for the buffet, then the main dining room is also quite nice on most ships and does not cost that much as thoroughly. On some cruise ships, room service might even be free. If not free, it might require a few dollars at most. If budget is an issue, then eating on the ports might not be the best option mainly because the prices are often jacked up just because tourists come to these places.
If price point and budget is not an issue, then the restaurants on the ship themselves are often really great too. They have excellent food and good service. The restaurants and cafes on the ports also have really authentic and good quality food that is essential for all foodies to experience. It can get expensive, but it might end up being a worthwhile investment for those that love food.
5. Know the tips and tricks
Most people don’t know that there are a lot of hacks for travelling on a cruise ship. One of these is that novelty, and fancy restaurants on board often serve you a free bottle of wine if you call ahead and make a reservation stating that it is your first time on a cruise ship. Speaking of alcohol, bars and pubs on cruise ships often already have quite a hefty service charge on the sale of alcoholic beverages. Since people do not know this, they end up ‘double’ tipping. Unless the service is excellent, tipping will just be an added expense for you.
Last but not least, there is a lot of motion sickness that comes along with travelling on cruise ships. This is why experts at Click Pharmacy recommend choosing a cabin near the centre of the ship so that it can reduce motion sickness symptoms. This is because this area experiences the least motion.
For those embarking on their first cruise ship, knowing these facts is a way to save yourself a lot of money, hassle, and unnecessary frustration. Use this guide to get the best value out of your money on your cruise ship, and to enjoy it in the best way possible.
