How to Prepare For Your Cruise Ship Vacation

Preparing for your Cruise Ship Vacation is vital, be sure not to over pack. Bringing the essentials is important, but leave room to take home souvenirs as well.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• List of articles you plan on taking
• Itinerary of your cruise and decisions on what activities you will be attending.
• Passport, Photo ID, Medical cards, medications, etc.

1. 
    
   Enjoy your company

   First, get organized because you will need to do this several weeks before you leave, not the night before. Look over your itinerary and decide which events on the ship and on shore you will be attending. Such as, if there is a formal dinner that you will be attending, then you will need formal wear. You ARE NOT required to attend anything on a cruise, you can opt to sit on the pool deck the whole week like a lump if you want, eat at the restaurants that are scattered about the ship and just enjoy the ship itself. You are the ultimate decision maker on what you will be doing.

2. 
    
   See Everything and Enjoy your vacation

   Collect the data from above and make a list of items needed, such as if you plan on taking a horseback ride, you may want special loose fitting clothing that you will be comfortable in. If you plan on shopping at every port of call, you may need to pack an extra piece of luggage inside another or pay to have items shipped back to your home. This is important and will be your base list for packing.

3. Depending on where you are going you will want to pack as much seasonal clothing as possible. If you are going south, you will need bathing suits, shorts, light shirts, hats etc. If you are going north, you will need sweaters, sweat shirts and other heavy outerwear. Just keep in mind, there are laundry services aboard, so it is not a tragedy if you run out of clean clothes. The service is incredible and your clothes come back nicer than you could ever do them. Many people use this on their last day or so and go home with all clean clothes!

4. 
    
   Documentation is Important

   Medications and identification are very important, even though the ship has a fully staffed hospital facility, you should pre-make your med packs for the time you will be away. Identification and a passport are vital nowadays, depending on where you are going you will need them at the airport, on the ship and at some of the ports of call, it is good to have one anyway, they are minimal cost to get and if you can afford a cruise then you can afford a passport. Bring a photo ID such as your license, credit card or debit card and discount cards.

5. 
    
   Free Drinks At the Pre-Cruise Party

   Some other tips to make your cruise better is to arrive a day or two early to the area where the ship is leaving from. This will allow you to get relaxed and board the ship early to enjoy the pre-cruise party. The pre-cruise party is "on the house" drinks and snacks and is a lot of fun, many people miss this that arrive the day of the cruise, this is an option if you have the time and money to do it.

6. Most of all bring your fun side, if this is your first cruise or your tenth, a vacation is what YOU make of it. The cruise ship provides plenty of entertainment, great ports of call and great food and fun, but ultimately it is up to you to enjoy it.
   
   Get my Free Cruising Guide Below, There are also special offers on cruises enclosed inside. Have fun and Bon Voyage!

Tips & Warnings

• Don't over pack, there are laundry services on board
• If you forget something, big deal, the ships have shopping malls aboard them
• You can rent formal wear on board if you change your mind
• Enjoy the ports of call, utilize the tours and have fun while you are there
• Talk with your waiter and other people that work on the ship, you will get to hear about different places around the world.
• Be sure to bring proper paperwork with you ID, Medical, Special diets etc.
• Don't wander to far if you are at a port of call, you don't want to be the people to hold up the ship from leaving.
• Use caution when buying expensive items, such as jewelry, collectible at ports of call.

Resources

• Free Cruising Guide
• Name Your Price on Priceline.com
• Hock's Pharmacy Coupons
• Find a Hotel for Pre-Cruise Layover
• Apple Patch Diet Program
• Free E-books and Information

[bookmom]

on 11/17/2008 I've always wanted to go on a cruise and these are great tips! Thank you so much!!

[coachmac4]

on 11/17/2008 Sounds like you love to cruise! Thanks for the article. 5 stars!