Advice & Tips

Would you leave behind your family on an island if they were running late for your cruise ship’s departure? That’s what one teenager did - and now they’re asking the internet if they were in the wrong.

Preparing for an upcoming cruise is an exciting part of the vacation planning process. Half of the fun is the anticipation of an upcoming cruise to look forward to. For me, the excitement amplifies when it’s time to start packing!

Drinking water and staying hydrated on a cruise is very important. Most cruisers are spending their day out in the sun with a cocktail in hand. This is especially true if you spend most of your days at the beach or exploring ports of call throughout the warm, sunny Caribbean or Mediterranean.

After taking four cruises by myself, it’s unlikely to be something I do again.

From sharing laughs with friends and family over dinner, exploring romantic ports of call with a loved one, and partying on the pool deck with a group of friends, cruising is a vacation experience that caters to groups traveling together.

Yet although the vast majority of cruisers travel with others, there are some passengers onboard traveling solo, whether they prefer solo travel or just couldn’t find anyone to come with them.

With only so many hours in each port of call, you'll want to maximize your time ashore with shore excursions, tours designed to immerse you in the culture, history, and beauty of each destination. 

You can elect to book shore excursions through your cruise line or independently. Either way, it's important that you do enough research on all the available options to ensure you find the best fit for your budget and preferences. There are also pros and cons to each. 

Though part of the allure of cruising is visiting multiple places within a single vacation, the ship itself is often considered a destination in and of itself. 

From world-class dining to entertainment options that rival those in major cities, cruise ships offer numerous onboard experiences for guests to enjoy. Because the ship is essentially a floating playground, passengers may not always feel the need to disembark in port. 

If you are torn, here are 8 reasons you should consider staying onboard during port days. 

Would you ever consider bringing cleaning supplies to tidy up your cruise cabin?

One TikTok user, Niki’s Side of Cleantok, shows how she deep cleans her cruise ship cabin in a viral video. The creator has more than 3 million followers on her TikTok page, which focuses on cleaning, organizing, and self-care. Cleantok is a community of creators on TikTok that focuses on handy cleaning hacks.

Embarkation day is one of the most highly anticipated days on any cruise vacation. Not only does it mark the first time that you'll see the ship in person, but it signifies the true start to your vacation. Hours after stepping foot onboard, you'll be sailing away and watching the coastline disappear. 

Amidst all the excitement, however, there are some common embarkation day mistakes that you should avoid making. Though not all will ruin your vacation, you certainly don't want to start off on the wrong foot. 

Out of the nine cruises I went on in 2023, four were aboard the same two ships: Symphony of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas. I wasn't worried about being bored, though, even with both cruises on Freedom sailing to the same ports of call in The Bahamas. 

I knew these ships had enough to offer new and experienced sailors alike, and reflecting on all four sailings, the experiences couldn't have been more different.