30 Key Cruise Hacks You Must Know Before Setting Sail

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If you have your sights set on a cruise sometime this year, you’re about to treat yourself to one of the most decadent vacations of your life.

Nowadays, cruise ships are basically floating resorts. In the lap of luxury, they take you to city after city, offering adventures you can’t compare to any other means of travel. 

There’s an entire industry devoted to helping people secure the best deals and plan the right trips. Below, we’d like to share 30 tips to help you maximize your time at sea. 

1. Book Early

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This isn’t exclusively true because, sometimes, you can find some steals on last-minute deals.

Typically, however, booking earlier saves money and opens the door to a wider selection of rooms. 

2. Consider Booking Through a Points Card

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There are plenty of travel cards out there these days, like the Capital One Venture Card. But you may also want to consider a card that offers points or cash-back rewards. 

With all the spending up to and on board the cruise, you may be glad to come home to a few extra rewards. 

For more on that, check out these 14 creative ways to use your travel miles when you’re back home. 

3. Compare Rates

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If you have a specific destination, check all the main cruise lines. Most of them likely head toward the same corner of the world. 

Another important consideration is a travel agent. Sometimes, they can make planning the whole trip a lot easier and even score deals you might not be able to access on your own. 

4. Choose an Interior Room

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Consider how important it is to have that balcony view. Do you think you’ll spend a lot of time in your room? Or will you be up on the deck, sipping umbrella drinks beside the pool? 

What about all those day trips, spa days, on-board entertainment options, and dining experiences? Take a close look at your itinerary as you weigh the cost of your room in the balance. 

5. Book Your Excursions In Advance

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Once you have your room booked, start thinking about your day trips. You don’t have to jam-pack every day at each port of call. You don’t even have to disembark some days. (Those can be the quietest, most tranquil days on board.) 

But, when you hone in on a city and activity that interests you, be sure to book it in advance because these can fill up quickly, and there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to book them once you’re on board.

6. Plan Your Own Excursions

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Typically, cruise ships offer an array of wonderful excursions. You can kayak through fjords with friends and zipline through the sky. 

But, don’t feel like you’re limited to what the cruise line has to offer. You can also DIY your own off-shore experiences, as long as you time it right and don’t miss the last call to get back on board. 

7. Join a Facebook Group

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If you’re about to be a Disney cruiser or a Royal Caribbean fan, join a Facebook group or two. 

As you know, when leveraged properly, social media can offer a lot of helpful tips, sometimes more than the cruise lines themselves. 

8. Arrive Ahead of Your Departure Date

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Even if it’s just one day in advance, you always want to get to your port of call ahead of schedule.

We all know how flights can get delayed and wouldn’t it be such a shame if you missed your ship? 

Most cruises depart in the afternoon. So, while it may seem perfectly fine to arrive that morning, all it takes is one hiccup at the airport to derail the whole vacation. 

9. Drive to Your Port of Call

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If you have the time or the ability to drive to your destination, it’s well worth your while. Sometimes, the most expensive part of a cruise can be the flight time there and back. 

You still want to arrive a day or two in advance. But, if it’s possible to drive and park at the port, you’ll not only save some money, but also a bit of the airport hustle and bustle. 

10. Pack Lightly

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The temptation to overpack is real on a cruise ship. You have day trips off the ship, onboard activities, and a few fine dining experiences in your future. But, most of your activities will only require casual clothing. 

You’re better off packing lightly, using the onboard launderette if need be, and enjoying the freedom that comes when you don’t have to lug heavy suitcases all over creation. 

11. Use Packing Cubes

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Packing cubes are a semi-recent phenomenon that are well worth the hype. Although it seems like they’d take up more room, they actually create more space due to the ingenious way they force you to organize. 

12. Roll Your Clothes

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While we’re on the subject of space-saving, rolling your clothes is something else that’s absolutely true.

You might need to pack an outfit for every climate, depending on where you’re cruising, and you can save a lot of space by rolling your clothes. 

13. Plan Ahead With Your Carry-On

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Most cruise lines send porters to greet you at some point throughout the check-in process. This is a wonderful perk, as you don’t have to lug your luggage through miles of gangways and decks. 

However, it takes them a little while to coordinate the delivery of every passenger’s luggage. Plan to be on deck for a few hours with only what you can carry in your carry-on.

You may want to include a bathing suit, towel, sunblock, and a book, for example. 

14. Don’t Skimp On the Toiletries

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Even though we just advised packing lightly, there’s one area you don’t want to overlook: your toiletries. 

You might blow through your sunscreen with all that time spent up on the deck or paddling on your offshore excursions. Replenishing your sunscreen or shampoo on board will cost you a pretty penny. 

15. Befriend the Buffet

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Cruise lines do many things well, including upselling onboard specialty restaurants. It might be tempting to upgrade to that dining package, but what if you were to make lunch your big meal of the day? 

You can save a lot of money by enjoying the meals in the main dining room or buffet. Then, for dinner, you can enjoy simple hors d’oeuvres with your evening cocktails and a swirl around the dancefloor. 

You’ll probably want to indulge in a nice meal a time or two. For more on that, here are 10 foods to avoid and 10 foods to enjoy while you’re all aboard. 

16. Don’t Double Tip

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An evening with appetizers and your favorite cocktail sounds wonderful as you watch the sunset, right? 

Always pay attention to your bill, however, because most shits automatically add a gratuity to their bar bill.

Unless the service was truly exceptional, you may not want to leave an extra 15% tip on top of what’s already been included. 

17. Bring Your Own Booze

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An often overlooked reality is the fact that passengers are allowed to bring their own beer, champagne, and wine on board – with limitations. 

Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean, for example, allow up to two bottles of unopened champagne or wine at the start of the trip and at every port of call. 

18. Decide On Drinks Packages

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Here’s one final point regarding umbrella drinks and nightcaps. You may want to consider the drinks packages on offer if you plan to relax to the max while on board.

To no surprise, food and beverages are where the cruise lines can really make their money. 

If, however, you’re good with one glass of wine a day, then you certainly don’t need one of these packages. You can put that money toward more decadent excursions during your day trips.  

19. Leverage On Board Activities

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Without question, the pools see the most action on deck. But, there’s a lot more to leverage like the gyms, spas, and interior lounges.

If you’re an early riser, you may also enjoy a lap around the deck in the morning. 

20. Find the Secret Spaces

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Did you know some ships even have their own libraries like the Holland America line? Wouldn’t that be a nice way to check your email or read through that next chapter in your book during one of your days at sea? 

21. Cash Out at the Casino

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Does your ship have a casino? That could be an exciting way to enjoy one of your days at sea (because most cruise ships can’t run their casinos when they’re docked). 

As with any other gambling experience, it’s more likely you’ll walk away at a loss than a gain. But, it could be a fun way to test your skills for an hour or two. 

22. Skip the Elevators

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The elevators on a cruise ship are often the most crowded spaces – besides the pool decks. If you can, try to take the stairs for two different reasons. 

First, you’ll stumble upon some of those secret spaces. Second, you’ll feel less guilty about that big lunch you just enjoyed at the buffet. 

23. Read the Newsletter

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Most ships deliver a newsletter with daily activities right to your door. You might be surprised by the number of unique activities cruise lines try to offer. 

There’s the more typical karaoke and trivia activities during the day and night. You can also find live music practically any hour of the day.

But, there may also be classes on life at sea as well as history classes about some of your upcoming ports of call. 

24. Download the App

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If delivering a newsletter to your door sounds a little old-fashioned, it may be when you consider most liners have an app that’s brimming with helpful information. 

In your profile, you’ll find all those daily activities, as well as everything else you’ve reserved.

If you want to treat yourself to a more formal dinner one night – instead of a hefty lunch – you can also use the app to make reservations. 

25. Investigate the Internet Packages

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It used to cost cruisers a pretty penny to access the Internet on board the ship. Nowadays, things are not only cheaper, but also faster. 

Take a look at what’s on offer if you don’t want to completely disconnect from the world.

Royal Caribbean, for example, averages about $25/day for their Internet packages, which could be worthwhile if you still want to get some work done in your home away from home. 

26. Check Out the Kids Club

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Typically, Kids Clubs are very safe and well-staffed. This could be a wonderful way for your little ones to make friends on board, as well as a slew of happy memories they wouldn’t make anywhere else. 

27. Stay Open to New Friendships

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Your cruise ship really does turn into a home away from home when you’re all aboard. You’ll probably find that you fall into the same rhythm as other couples – perhaps at the breakfast buffet or cocktail hour. 

When that happens, stay open to the possibility of lifelong friendships.

Plenty of people have made great friends on board their favorite cruise lines, remained in touch, and even planned to meet again on the next cruise. 

28. Don’t Be Afraid to Go It Alone

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Solo cruises are some of the best ways to see the world. Think about it; you only have to unpack once and a luxurious liner will take you to every new port of call with ease. 

All you have to do is disembark, take in your new city, and then make your way back on board to an array of new activities and friendly faces. 

To help you plan that trip of a lifetime, here are 15 cruise lines perfect for solo travelers

29. Book Your Next Trip Onboard

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If you’ve had the time of your life and know you want to do this again next year, meet with a member of staff about booking your next trip while you’re still onboard. 

You might be blown away by the generous credits you’ll receive just by putting a deposit down. In some instances, you may only have to pay a reduced deposit. 

30. Snag Some “Last Day” Deals

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Did you know many ships put their souvenirs on sale toward the last day of the trip? And it’s not just t-shirts and hoodies. 

You may be able to find some really nice deals on brand-name items, as well.

Don’t be afraid to ask the store clerks when they plan on running these specials towards the end of the trip. 

Set Sail Sometime This Year

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It only takes one experience on board a cruise for you to instantly fall in love. Once you’re on board, it truly is one of the easiest ways to travel. 

Whether you’re headed to the Caribbean, up to Alaska, or over to Europe, countless experiences are just waiting for you.

No matter which port of call you’re looking forward to the most, we have a destination guide to help you DIY your onshore day.

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