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Step 1
Pick your choice of cruise carefully. If lively port stops are what you’re after, choose a Caribbean or Hawaiian type of cruise with a different island adventure awaiting every day. If long days and nights at sea are more to your liking, try a trip across the Atlantic.
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Step 2
See if you can talk to a travel agent (even if you don’t book through them) for some good tips, and it can be very helpful to get a layout of the ship before booking your room. That way you can try to be conveniently close to activities like a swimming pool and farther away from such potential problems as a noisy nightclub that stays open until dawn.
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Step 3
Pack lightly and casually. You can get away with a sport coat and tie on "Formal Night," and another option is renting a tuxedo, available on some cruises.
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Step 4
Keep your passport, tickets and other key items on hand in your purse or wallet. Your other luggage will be placed onto the ship separately and you never know when you’ll need your ID or credit card handy.
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Step 5
Be friendly and open to meeting new people. A sea cruise will put you in close proximity with strangers on regular basis--sitting poolside, often dining at large tables, drinking at bars and so on—so if you’re not a people person it might not be the vacation for you.
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Step 6
Participate in some organized activities, even if they don’t seem like something you’d normally do, such as a fitness class or photography workshop. You’ll have plenty of time to relax on your own, and these kind of diversions will only add to the fun.
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Step 7
Assuming your cruise has stops, sign up for a group excursion. These outings are typically led by someone who will know the port well and you’ll be sure to see the best a city has to offer rather than wandering aimlessly on your own.
