10 Tips to Improve your Cruise!

With a few cruises under our belts, it’s safe to say we know a thing or two. At least we like to think so. Over the years we’ve figured out what helps to ensure we have the best experience. As with all trips, there’s more to a cruise experience than just booking and then getting on board. Sure you can do that and have a great time but we at Big Anchor want to make sure you have the absolute best time! After all, our goal is client satisfaction. Even if you’re not one of our clients, we want you to have the best time! These tips aren’t only for once you get on the ship. A great cruise starts prior to embarkation day. Let’s start with a few of those.

10. Book everything you can prior to getting on board. This goes for excursions, internet packages, drinks packages, specialty dining reservations and anything else the cruise may offer. There’s two main reasons for this. The first being some items are cheaper if you book early. Drinks packages, for example, can be 10% off or more. The second reason is, the last thing you want to do is wait in a line at guest services on day one. These lines can be HUGE. There’s nothing worse I can think of doing on day one then waiting in a long line. Avoid these lines at all costs by booking your stuff in advance.

9. Plan to get to your departure port a day early. I cannot emphasize this enough. The last thing you want is to experience flight delays on embarkation day that have you rushing to make it to the ship or even miss the cruise. We always plan on getting to the port a day before in a hotel that’s near the port. There’s one caveat we have for this and that’s if you live close to your departure port. We recently cruised out of Charleston, SC. We live about three hours away which is close enough for us to feel comfortable leaving on the day of to get to the port.

8. Download the cruise lines app prior to boarding. The apps are very useful for use while on your cruise. You can check out all the day’s activities, book reservations, check out dinner menus, chat with your cruise buddies, monitor your spending, etc. The list goes on and on. They’re very beneficial and you don’t want to get on board and not have it downloaded and ready to use.

7. Check in as early as you can. Typically, you can check in to your cruise 14 days prior. We personally like to get on the ship as early as we can in order to explore our home for the next 5 - 7 days. The only way to do this is to secure an early boarding time. The best way to do this is check in ASAP. Boarding times will go quickly. You don’t want to miss out on some extra time on the ship!

6. Pack accordingly. Forgetting some key things or not having everything you might need can make or break your cruise. Sure you can buy stuff on board but who wants to do that? Check out our article, what to pack on your next cruise, for all your packing needs!

5. Expectations for day one. Day one of the cruise is always extremely busy. There will be people EVERYWHERE. This is especially relevant for most food spots, especially the buffet, since you typically board around lunch time. Staterooms won’t be available until around 1 - 2:30 depending on the ship. Since people can’t go into their rooms, obviously they’re going to be out and about. Don’t let the day one madness stress you out about the cruise. It’ll thin out as people find the spots they like and can go into their staterooms.

4. Check out where you're seated for dinner prior to dinner time. We personally love an ocean view while eating in the main dining room. Depending on the time and time of year, you can get nice sunset views. Lately, we’ve been pretty lucky with getting ocean view seats. If this is something you’d like, you can speak to the maître d' on day one and see if you can get a good table if you don’t already have one. You can typically find them at the front desk of the restaurant.

3. Get to shows early for good seats. This may be common sense but you might be amazed at the lines outside certain venues to get in for a show. We recently cruised on the Carnival Sunshine and the line for the comedy shows generally started 45 minutes before showtime! The smaller the venue the earlier you may need to get in line for a show. Theater shows are generally fairly easy to get a decent seat depending on the show but you can never be too careful.

2. The early bird gets the worm. Wake up early to get a good seat on the Lido deck! If you’re wanting to spend the day in the sun drinking margaritas you want the best seat possible. Guess what? So do 75% of the folks on board. We have found that the earlier we get up the easier it is to find ideal seats. I don’t mean throw some stuff on a seat and go do other things for two hours. Don’t be that guy. Just start relaxing earlier. The lido deck will be the busiest area but even some tucked away areas can get packed. You’ll want to beat the rush and get outside as early as possible. As an added bonus, it’s the perfect time for mimosas!

1. Don’t forget to have fun! You are on vacation after all. Ships can be overwhelming with all the things to do on board. Don’t get stressed out trying to do everything. You can’t. Just enjoy what you can. If you don’t get to everything it’s ok. You can always come back! I speak from experience. We went on the Symphony of the Seas (at the time the largest ship in the world) in 2021. I was so stressed the first few days because I wanted to make sure we did all that we could. I couldn’t even enjoy our couples massage. Luckily, the day after I reminded myself that we’re here to have a good time and that’s all that mattered. The rest of the trip was a blast. Try your best to not get stressed and you too will have a great trip!

These were our 10 tips for a great cruise. I’m sure we’ve missed some things. If you have any tips to suggest, let us know in the comments below! We’d love to hear them! We’re always looking for ways to improve our vacations.

If you’re wanting to book a cruise and don’t know where to start, reach out to us! We’d love to help find you your next perfect vacation. Or if you want to check out a new cruise line and can’t decide which one, we can help too! We’re here to help with all your cruising needs. We can’t wait to work with you!