Pack your own shore lunch – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

When you’re busy having fun in the sun during days ashore, why leave the beach or other destination, just to schlep to a restaurant and fork over a wad of cash for lunch? Instead, have your cruise ship make your lunch. Best of all, it doesn’t cost any extra!

Most cruises offer 24-hour room service. An hour or so before you’re ready to disembark, call in an order for a sandwich, chips, and fruit (or whatever suits your fancy). Just pack it in your beach bag, and head out for a carefree day of fun!

Pack a swimsuit in your carry-on bag – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

As soon as we board a cruise ship, my family and I have one thing on our minds: water! My kids head straight to the pool, and my husband and I head straight for the hot tub.

However, waiting on our swimsuits to arrive with our luggage can be a very unpredictable and lengthy ordeal, so we always pack them in a small carry-on bag.

Immediately after boarding, we go to the public restrooms and change. Before the boat leaves the dock, we’re all in our swimsuits, and our vacation is well underway.

Wear your room key – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

When you’re on a cruise, you’ll probably find yourself spending time getting some sun on the deck. Many passengers decide to leave their room key on their lounge chair when they’re swimming in the pool. This leaves your room key available to everyone who walks by.

Get a key chain necklace and put your room key on it. Wear this around your neck at all times to avoid losing it or having it stolen.

Purchase your excursions onboard – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

When preparing for a cruise, there are a couple of advanced purchasing options that travelers have including ticketing, accommodations (drink tickets, suite size, etc.), and shore excursions.

It may be tempting to pre-purchase shore excursions, but there’s no need to be hasty. Shore excursions are fun, desirable, and an important component in the cruiser’s experience. However, unforeseen circumstances can arise during a cruise (a late night, for instance, or horrid weather), and once purchased, these tickets can be difficult to refund or exchange.

In many cases, excursions can be purchased on board, so waiting until you’re aboard can potentially save time and money.

Related: Research, and get off the beaten (excursion) path – Cruise tip

Meet new people while you dine at formal dinners – Cruise tip

by Gadling Staff on

One of the best parts about cruising are the formal dinners every night. In addition to fabulous food, many cruise lines will seat you at larger tables with other passengers.

Eating with strangers is fun? That’s entirely up to you. What better way to meet new people than to chat up the people that you’ll be sharing a mealtime with for the duration of your trip?

Be engaging. Swap stories of your daily adventures. Share tips on cool things at ports of call you may have visited previously. The options are endless and new friends await.

Counterpoint: Tip the maître d’ upon embarkation – Cruise tip