Cruise Travel Hacks From A Travel Agent.

Important Cruise Travel Hacks That Will Never Limit You.

We all love to travel because it is a fun and great experience. There is a lot of great food to challenge our taste buds, awesome new destinations to see, and many new experiences that we probably could never have imagined, that we would have ever experienced.

However, as much as travel is a welcoming experience it comes with a lot of responsibilities. From budgeting to itinerary planning, packing, visas, and customs, in addition to all that, there is the actual travel, (which is generally very fun) still you have to catch your flight or cruise on time.

Travel may sound overwhelming to inexperienced travelers but the great news is that you do not have to learn from your own experience but from other people's experiences.

Here is a list of travel hacks that you may or may not know about, to help you feel, as confident as an experienced traveler, even if you just started checking places off your bucket list. 

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Cruise Travel Hacks For Before You Book Your Cruise.

1. Have a feel of what you want. What kind of experience do you want? This will help you decide on the destination, cruise line, ship, and cruise tour to choose from the many options out there. A good travel agent can help you map out a good vacation that suits your needs.
2. Know your budget. One of the many advantages of booking a cruise vacation is that they are affordable, compared to many land tours. They offer amazing onboard activities for everyone and the ships are phenomenal, so the probability of getting value for your money is very high.
3. Get acquainted with what is happening socially and politically at the places where you are going. If interested, you can also read or watch some cruise news.
4. Get in touch with your travel agent to advise you on the current cruise promotions available at the moment.

Cruise Travel Hack For When You Are Ready To Book Your Cruise.

1. Find out what documents are required for the itinerary you are interested in and ensure that you have the correct IDs, visas, and passports, it is better to have your documents early enough.
2. Book a good cabin. A good cabin is sometimes totally worth it. A balcony would create a perfect breakfast experience and would be great for a visual itinerary like an Alaska cruise. I have however read reviews online that stated that there was no need for a balcony-tier cabin because they were so busy with all the activities onboard and that an inside cabin worked perfectly for them. That might also be true but then, once you sail on a cabin with a balcony you might never want to go back.

Cruise Travel Hack For After You Have Booked Your Cruise.

1. Book a hotel stay near the embarkation port, and spend the night before your trip at the hotel close to the departure port, or book your flight to the port with the cruise line for a flight-to-ship guarantee.
2. Log in to the cruise line's website or app and see if you can start customizing your trip to your preference. 
3. Check in online for a faster and smoother check-in process. It will feel much better to skip the lines and the long wait.
4. Get photocopies of your passport and ID and then pack a copy in your suitcase, just in case you misplace your original copies. It is also a good idea to leave the other copies at home.
5. Book your shore excursions as soon as possible online before your trip and not at the port of call because they might sell out.
6. Confirm that everything is correct, from the names on your confirmation, make sure they match your ID, to your flights and transfers, make sure they are booked, do not wait last minute to confirm everything, especially if you are cruising on a mass market cruise ship, make sure you reserve your onboard entertainment and spas.

Cruise Travel Hack To Help Save You Money.

1. Book your next cruise with a travel agent. In some cases, a travel agent can get you a better deal, they may also have travel perks and promos that you may not know of, and in addition to the cruise suppliers' promotions, they usually have exclusive promos.
2. Sign up for a cruise email list, either through a cruise travel blog, a travel agency website, or the cruise line itself. These websites usually send discounted offers to their email lists, especially during the holiday season.
3. Book your cruise trip ahead of time, especially if you will be traveling during the peak season. Booking your trip three or more months in advance ensures the best price guarantee, sometimes booking your cruise up to one year early can get you great savings.
4. Carry enough cash with you, you may need cash for tipping or for other expenditures. It might also be a good idea to not change currency before you leave your country, Wait to arrive at your destination, and then withdraw from a local ATM. Get a debit/credit card that allows free international/national ATM withdrawal.
5. Purchase your cruise excursions, cabanas, drink packages, and all-you-can-eat packages online, because some of these packages can be bundled together with your cruise ticket purchase. 
6. Take advantage of the loyalty perks, and If you stay loyal to one cruise line, you can accumulate a lot of these points and probably even sail for free at some point.
7. Cruise lines have deals based on membership levels, age, residency, travel agencies, military, and many other categories. Look out for these deals because they can help you save on your next cruise trip.
8. Avoid shopping onboard, unless you want to. It is best to pack what you need, a packing list will help guide you on what to pack so that you do not end up forgetting something and then end up purchasing it onboard. 
9. Take advantage of onboard cruise credit. This is an awesome way to save. Check-in with your travel advisor to get onboard cruise credit for your next trip.
10. Book your next cruise while onboard your current cruise.  It is a suggested best practice because the prices are usually discounted and you get more onboard credit. Usually, you book with a small deposit.

Cruise Travel Hack For When You Are Inside The Cruise Ship.

1. Dress up, especially after getting off the swimming pool. You might not be allowed to get inside the finer dining areas with your swimwear on.
2. Be kind, courteous, and mindful of others.
3. Take a lot of pictures and videos. It is not fair that the memory only lives in your mind, share the experience with others, and maybe next time they will want to join you.
4. Enjoy your ship. Cruise ships are huge and phenomenal with a lot of onboard experiences. Try out the different activities onboard, the different restaurants, and the various entertainment onboard, also don't forget to relax.
5. If you choose to explore a port of call on your own or book a shore excursion on your own and not through the cruise line, make sure you get back to your ship on time after your shore excursion. Cruise ships operate on a schedule and will leave at the scheduled time, you do not want to turn into a pier runner trying to catch up with your cruise because you are late.
6. Put all your valuables in a safe. Cruise ships come with a safety deposit box, or you can purchase your own and bring it on board.
7. Be sure to bring your cruise ID card with you when the ship docks at the port. Keep it with you at all times. You will need it when leaving the ship and when returning back into the ship.

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Cruise Travel Hacks For Packing.

1. Use a packing list so that you do not forget anything.
2. Pack a carry-on bag. In most cases you will not be able to access your travel bags for about 2-3 hours when you check them in, it is a best-suggested practice to pack your essentials in a carry-on bag.
3. Carry painkillers and sea sickness medication, however, it is a good thing to note that cruise ships have places to buy essential medication on board.
4. Be sure not to pack items that are not allowed on board. Items like candles, explosives, and weapons are totally not allowed on a cruise ship.
5. Do not overpack. Unlike flights, cruise ships have an enormous amount of space, and for this reason, they do not have high restrictions on the amount of luggage you can bring on board. However, this does not mean carrying all you can.
6. Pack early enough. Check the itinerary and ensure that you bring clothes and shoes for every occasion. Bikinis and swimsuits are not allowed in the dining areas. A different set of clothes for this part of your itinerary is required. Also, be sure to check the weather and pack accordingly. This is especially helpful when the ship docks at a port and you get out only to find that you did not pack enough warm clothes or vice versa.
7. Carry a book, headsets, and your favorite music, to help you relax.
8. Most cruise lines allow you to carry snacks on board if they are not perishable. This might be a good idea if you have kids.
9. Roll your clothes instead of folding them to save space.
10. Write your contact information on your luggage tag in case the cruise line loses your luggage. Most cruise lines do this for you though.
11. Most cruise lines do not allow pets unless it is service animals, however, if you happen to board a cruise ship that allows pets, it might be a good idea to carry a lint removal brush to remove hair from your clothes. You might also want to give your furry friend a quick brushing when necessary, to prevent hair from flying all over the place.

Conclusion:

What does a great vacation mean to you? To some people, it might mean fine dining or just lots of good food, to others lots of fun activities, please be sure to plan your itinerary carefully and have lots of fun. Don't forget to grab your free Traveler magazine, sign up today.