From picking the right cruise line and ship to booking shore excursions and other cruise add-ons, there is a lot that goes into planning your first cruise.
While taking to friends and family that have sailed before can be helpful, the internet is also full of veteran cruises who are eager to share their best tips that they have learned over the years.
Whenever first-time cruisers disembark the ship, they often express what they wish they had done differently to make their vacation a little bit smoother.
To help you plan for your first cruise, we asked cruisers on Reddit what they wish they knew beforehand. Here are our favorite 15 answers.
On embarkation day, get on the ship as early as you can and do the activities you really want to do
While some might prefer to wait until later to board the ship, Reddit user sassyhill explained why they thought boarding as soon as possible is a great way to kickstart your vacation: "Get on the ship as early as you can on [embarkation] day. All activities are available and almost no people. Bring a backpack for necessities. You'll get your room later, and that's no problem."
Other users, such as CruisePanic agreed with this piece of advice, as they said, "Yes. I wished we had done the ropes course when once we got on...Every other time, it was either too windy or we were off [the] ship."
Boarding the cruise ship allows you to get a feel for everything prior to setting sail. You can grab a bite to eat, locate your cabin, resolve any issues with your dining time, and snag a great spot to watch your ship sail away! If, however, you do want to board early, you will want to make sure that your carry-on bag has some essentials (i.e., swimsuit, medication, jewelry, phone chargers, etc.), while also being light enough to carry around.
Read more: 30 cruise ship embarkation tips and tricks
Pack medication to combat motion sickness
Even if you are a veteran cruiser, you should always bring motion sickness medication with you on a cruise; you never know when it will come in handy!
User loveskittles said, "I used to be fine, but this last cruise (six years later), I felt like I could have used meds."
If you happen to forget medication, the onboard shops will have something; however, you will pay a premium for it. And when you start feeling ill, the last thing you want to do is navigate to the shop! You will benefit from having some on you at all times.
Heed this warning from littlemybb, though: "Don’t do what I did and take too much Dramamine! I took 3-4 a day for 5 days straight, and when I got onto land the world felt like it was spinning and rocking like a boat for 3 days. I went to the doctor, and she said I should have weaned myself off it..."
Read more: Bonine vs. Dramamine for Motion Sickness: Which Is Better for a Cruise?
Book cruise add-ons in advance
Mainstream cruise lines are not all-inclusive. Cruise lines do this so that you can choose how to upgrade your vacation. Not everyone, for instance, is interested in unlimited alcoholic beverages; they may prefer to spend the money on shore excursions or a nicer stateroom. As soon as you place your deposit, you will be able to begin booking cruise add-ons.
"Book as much as possible in advance - special restaurant reservations, spa, excursions, rental cars," advises Reddit user bheliae.
Most of the time, booking certain extras ahead of time will save you money in the long run. If sailing with Royal Caribbean, for instance, you can sometimes save up to 30% off the onboard price for drink packages by booking in advance via the online Cruise Planner.
Similarly, guests sailing on Carnival Cruise Line can save 10% off of the CHEERS! Package by purchasing it online by 11:59pm the day before embarkation. This amounts to around $5 in savings per day.
Read more: 14 cruise ship extra charges you should know about
Make reservations as soon as you get onboard
If you forgot to make reservations in advance or your cruise line did not open them up until embarkation, you will want to make sure that is one of the first things that you do when you get onboard!
Reddit user PurpleEngineer said, "...check out the shows in the schedule and book early when reservations are required. I only made it to one show my first cruise and had to watch from a side standing room only balcony."
While you may be able to still get in by waiting in a standby line, you will need to arrive at least an hour or so before the show time, whereas with reservations, you could arrive fifteen minutes prior. Nobody wants to wait in line during their vacation, and there are no guarantees that you would even get a seat!
There are ways to make your stateroom feel more spacious
First-time cruisers should be aware that cruise cabins are much smaller than traditional hotel rooms. Some can even be as small as 150 square feet! That being said, there are some ways that you can maximize your limited amount of space.
Reddit user dspip said, "Magnets with hooks on them are helpful." Bringing magnetic hooks onboard with you will help you keep any clutter off of the desk and couch. You can even bring some with clips to hang shore excursion tickets, disembarkation information, and any other papers that you may receive.
When xenglandx took their first cruise, they said that they did not even realize that the walls hold magnets until they boarded!
Other hacks include bringing nightlights, especially if you are in an inside cabin, and your own bathroom amenities.
Read more: Top 10 cruise cabin hacks to make your stateroom more livable
Cruising during popular school vacations can impact your vacation experience
After Christmas and New Year's, spring break is the first opportunity for families to vacation together. For that reason, the months of March and April see an influx of families with children traveling together.
User What_if_I_fly said, "Paying attention to school and college break schedules is vital if you aren't into screaming kids or...frat boys."
You are less likely to see large groups of college students traveling on longer cruises due to budget constraints. 3- and 4-night sailings are the cruises that are subject to party atmospheres. The best way to avoid these is to do your research before you book.
Does the cruise you are looking at booking overlap with, for instance, a College Party Cruise (CPC)? You can also search the ship's name, sail date, and words "spring break" on Google and Facebook. Sometimes, larger groups will create dedicated webpages or Facebook groups for these events.
Many American schools have their spring break either the week before and after Easter, so these sailings often booked at full capacity and see more children than usual. Note, however, that families sail year-round! I went on a cruise the week after New Year's and was surprised to see so many children onboard.
Read more: Spring break cruises: are they fun and should you try one?
Read the cruise line's list of prohibited items
My friend went on her first cruise in May 2022 and brought a steamer with her. She did not realize that this was not allowed and was surprised when she got her luggage with a note that it was confiscated.
This happened to general-illness, too: "I would say be very careful you are not bringing prohibited items on board. I completely forgot that I had a very small pocket knife in my shaving kit. It was confiscated and I picked it up [at disembarkation'. There were about 15 irons sitting on the table with my knife."
Some items, including toasters, fireworks, and drugs, make sense. What about a surge protector or baby monitor? Policies vary by line, so you will want to read what items your cruise line does not allow onboard.
Read more: Banned: 23 Things You Absolutely Cannot Bring on a Cruise
Bring extra cash
"In my mind, with so many things included, I figured I'd be good without cash," wrote Double-Lemon3021, "Wrong!!! Tip your bartenders for faster service in busy places (really helped with the Lido deck bars)..., your cabin steward..., [and] waiters for their service at your sit-down options as well...We also took tips for shuttle drivers, tour/excursion guides, [and] staff at beaches who brought food/drinks/etc."
While ships do have onboard ATMs, they are subject to hefty fees, and you should not rely on them working. On my first-ever solo cruise, I forgot to bring extra cash with me. Both ATMs onboard were not working the first few days, so I was stuck with nothing!
Even though gratuities are included in your cruise fare, you will want to make sure that you have extra cash to tip if you feel as though the service warrants it. And for most shore excursions, tips are not included. Depending on what country you are traveling to, you may even want to carry some local currency for this and other incidentals.
You never know when your card will be denied in ports of call, either. Maleficent-Dirt3921 added, "...my credit card was halted in port for suspicious activity. To avoid the latter, call your credit card company before you sail to let them know you'll be traveling so they don't flag your transactions as suspicious."
Read more: 10 do's and don'ts of cruise ship tipping
Label your bags
When you arrive at the cruise terminal, you will hand off your larger pieces of luggage to a porter, and you will not see them again until a few hours after you get on the ship.
"Make sure you label your bags one of five, two of five, etc.," said npc71, "so it makes it easy for [the crew members] to deliver your bags." If you do find yourself missing a bag, having a label will make it a little bit easier to identify.
With that, sometimes the delivery of your bag can get delayed. You may want to pack a separate outfit for dinner in your carry-on bag just in case. That way, you are not stuck wearing your daytime pool attire to the main dining room.
Consider whether or not some of the sales and demonstrations are worth your time or not
Throughout your cruise, you will see advertisements for free spa demonstrations, art auctions that are accompanied by free champagne, and sales in the gift shop.
To Reddit user bowscatspink, they are not worth their time: "Don’t go to the art show, jewelry or gift shop sales, or spa demos. They’re all trying to sell you overpriced [stuff]."
bluGill, however, suggested visiting the spa on embarkation day: "Go to the spa the first day for the must be present to win drawings. Few people do so odds are in your favor." Who knows, you may end up winning a free spa treatment!
Of course, there are other things that you may deem are more worthy of your time, so weigh your options before attending any event!
Hit the pool deck early
The pool deck is one of the most popular areas onboard any cruise ship, especially on sea days.
SpookyVoidCat suggested visiting the deck early in the morning: "If you want to use the hot tubs or pools, go in the morning. It took us a couple days to figure this out. I was able to have a lovely routine of swimming and soaking in the whirlpools after breakfast, having them all to myself most of the time. If you wait until after lunch you’ve missed your chance..."
You do not, however, want to hog any of the deck chairs. If you are not actively using them, give them up for other cruisers to enjoy! Now, many cruise lines have policies in place that allow crew members to remove your stuff if you are absent for a certain period of time.
Casual versus stylish attire
While there is no denying that the overall vibe of cruises today is much more casual than it used to be, people do love an excuse to dress up!
"[I] wish I had known that I’d actually want to wear cute, chic outfits," wrote Dry-Student5673, "I assumed that most people would be in sundresses and beach clothes (and most were!), but our cruise was a pretty stylish and attractive crowd, and I felt kinda under dressed..."
While you will not be denied service if you enter the main dining room in shorts and a simple t-shirt, you may feel out of place, especially if everyone else is dressed for a specific theme. Prior to leaving for your cruise, research what theme nights you will have on your cruise, so you can prepare outfits in advance.
Read more: Cruise Packing List: What to Pack for a Cruise
Skip the main buffet on embarkation day
Those new to cruising may not be familiar with all of the dining options on embarkation day and head straight to the buffet.
"The buffet is usually crazy busy on embarkation day, but speciality restaurants (and the main dining room) are usually not," suggested madmaxx, "Our first day on our first cruise was utter madness as the Lido buffet was a zoo; it difficult to find tables and long lines for food. Every other day was fine."
Of course, options will vary; however, check the cruise line's app or online portal before making a decision! You can book reservations for specialty restaurants ahead of time. Plus, since this overall dining experience will take longer, you will not be stuck lugging around your carry-on bags as much.
"Eating breakfast in the dining room is leaps and bounds above the buffet. You'll usually get fresher food and full service," added Reddit user stevensokulski. That being said, if you are in a hurry (i.e., if you have a shore excursion booked), you may not enjoy the more laid-back dining room breakfast.
Choose your itinerary wisely
Part of today's cruising experience is sailing on mega ships that offer "you wouldn't believe" activities at sea. Before, however, you choose a cruise based solely on the ship, you should also consider the itinerary.
Neat_Crab3813 said, "I personally find sea days boring, so I need to find cruises with more ports."
If you know that you are more focused on the destinations, rather than onboard thrills, you will like a cruise that has more days in port than at sea. Of course, a cruise that visits more ports of call means that you will want a higher budget for shore excursions. For those planning a cruise on a budget, this may not seem practical.
On the other hand, some people prefer sea days, so they can take advantage of everything that the ship has to offer. It is hard to feel as though you maximized your time onboard if you are spending most days ashore, especially if you are on a ship that has waterslides, a go-kart track or rollercoaster, surfing simulator, ice skating rink, bumper cars, or 4D cinema.
You may end up falling in love with cruising
Available-Anteater48 did not know that they were going to love cruising as much as they do: "[I didn't know] how much I was going to love it. I wish I had known that earlier in life, so I could have gone on a lot more cruises before I had kids. I am absolutely hooked now, but it’s so expensive with three kids and a limited school break schedule."
There are many reasons why people love cruising, whether it is the convenience, ability to offer something for everyone in their travel party, or being able to visit multiple different destinations and only having to unpack once.
You never know, you may even find yourself talking with the future cruise desk before you even disembark!
Read more: 15 reasons why I fell in love with cruise ship travel
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Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she had the privilege of traveling frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas her freshman year of high school. She wanted to pursue a career that highlighted her passion for travel and strengths as a writer.
