Planning

I am so excited to be going on my first cruise to the United Kingdom in October! I am looking forward to a great adventure exploring much of the United Kingdom via cruise. Additionally, I am excited to see what a longer length cruise will be like to Northern Europe for the first time. 

This cruise is a 10 day voyage, making a roundtrip journey to and from Southampton, England. We will be visiting England, Scotland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, as well as the Isle of Man on this cruise. 

When beginning the search for your first cruise vacation, you will notice that there are different itinerary lengths. 

While the majority of cruises offered are usually 8-nights or fewer, longer cruises are offered to meet the needs of those with different travel needs and preferences. For the most part, longer voyages are more destination-focused or are offered as a means to get the ship from one port to another, such a ship repositioning from Miami to Barcelona for the summer, meaning that they often come with more days at sea. 

No one wants bad weather on a cruise, but sometimes it does happen, and you may encounter a day full of rain or choppy seas. 

Planning your shore excursions is a vital part of any cruise vacation. With a limited amount of time in each port of call, you do not want to be fumbling to make plans at the last minute just to settle on whatever is available. You might miss out on some incredible experiences if you wait!

In recent years there has been a major increase in the amount of cruising happening to and around the Alaskan and Canadian regions. This is exciting and with the increase in travel it can be important to know more about the destinations where you will be visiting and cruising too. 

When looking to plan a cruise vacation, you are probably hoping to find a great deal on the initial cruise fare, as paying more than necessary may limit your onboard spending and restrict which cruise add-ons you can splurge on. Thankfully, with a little bit of research, you will find several tips that will aid in your efforts to find the best cruise deals available. 

Weeks before your cruise begins, you will have an important decision to make: when do you want to check-in for your cruise?

The online check-in process varies from cruise line to cruise line. Carnival's, for instance, opens up 14 days before your sail date, while Norwegian's opens 21 days prior and Royal Caribbean 45 days before.

During the process, each cruise line will ask you what time you would like to arrive at the port and begin the physical check-in process, which entails checking your travel documents and going through airport-like security. 

Seattle is among one of the most popular cruise ports for sailings to Alaska. During the 2024 season alone, there will be over 200 different sailings to Alaska that leave from Seattle. 

While most people are familiar with Cozumel, Costa Maya is another popular cruise port on Western Caribbean itineraries. 

Unlike Cozumel, Costa Maya is located on the Yucatán Peninsula at the southern end of Quintana Roo. Despite being on the mainland, it is still far from the majority of Mayan ruins. Tulum, for instance, is about 2.5 hours away, while Chichén Itzá is almost 4 hours from the cruise port.