We are sure all you cruise lovers have been to a myriad of cruises, but you know what? A lot of you are still doing your cruise wrong. Well, we sincerely do not intend to offend you, but please know and understand that there are a lot of cruise mistakes, which we tend to make either because of little knowledge or out of habit. Surprisingly, many of the experienced sailors, too, make these mistakes. We believe many of these mistakes happen because you probably do not have enough time to maximize every cruising opportunity that we get. With some people, there may be some cruise hacks that you are still discovering. We, at cruise addicts, intend to ensure that you have the best experience cruising. So, here, we have come up with a list of cruising mistakes that a lot of you may still be making. If yes, stop, and you can get yourself the perfect vacation that you deserve.
Overpacking
A swim outfit, a dinner outfit, a day outfit, a gym outfit, along with footwear to complement each of these. Wondering what this is? This is the day’s outfit details for most of the people planning a cruise trip. Many of you savvy travelers make this mistake and end up overpacking for your cruise vacation, especially when you have to pack for the evening dress code. What will this lead to? Naturally, if you overpack, you will be stuck paying the checked bag fee at the airport. It doesn’t end there. When you bring with you heavy bags on the embarkation day, you overload the tiny cruise ship closet. Shelly, an online C++ tutor, says that she carried with her a lot of clothes and certainly did not end up wearing all the garments that she got with her on the cruise.
So, what should you do? Color coordinate your outfits. Why? It will help you re-wear your evening wear or at least the bottom wear. In almost all of your outfits, you can jazz up the outfits and make them different. All you need is a few accessories, and you and we both know accessories take up very little space compared to the entire outfits. Coming to the footwear, curtail yourself, and get with you only one pair of flip-flops or sandals, one pair of sneakers, and one pair of dress shoes.
Flying in on the same day as the day of the cruise
You have a cruise departure scheduled for 6 PM. So, what do you do? You plan a flight that has the arrival of noon. Do you think you did right here? Well, if you do, let us break the bubble for you. There is so much that can go wrong with this planning. Now, think of a situation when the weather is bad, or a small mechanical issue with the flight occurs. What then? Your flight is delayed by a few hours. Forget that, what if you find a huge jam between your cruise port and the airport? See, the possibilities are endless. Do not trust your luck so much.
So, what should you do? Do not put yourself at risk of missing your ship. Hanna, an associate with EduWorldUSA, says that she always ensures that she reaches the cruise boarding city a night before the day of the cruise sail. Well, to be honest, that is something that all of you need to do. We know you are worried about the hotel charges for one extra day, but believe us, it will all be worth it. You can enjoy wholesome meals and enjoy a good night’s sleep at the hotel. It is imperative if you are flying overseas when there is a higher chance of flight delay.
Hogging on the smorgasbord on the embarkation day
Yes, we know you did not even think about this, but it is one of the biggest mistakes people make. For most people, the embarkation day routine comprises – boarding the cruise, unwinding at the pool deck, and heading straight to hog on to the elaborate smorgasbord for lunch. You are then just waiting in endless queues, juggling between the plates and the carry-ons, while simultaneously hunting for an almost elusive empty table. Seems like chaos? Well, it is. So, what should you do? Take some time, and do your research. Please, hunt for the other venues on the ship, which may be open for a quick lunch on your embarkation day. Lily, a TrueBlueFishermen representative, shares that she always prefers to have lunch at a casual cruise café on her embarkation day instead of hogging on to the buffet. Well, you should too. Do you know why? It is way more peaceful and certainly an excellent way to kick-start your vacation.
Taking the elevator
We would sincerely urge every fit cruiser to take a flight of stairs over an elevator. You are no less than a fool if you waste your short cruise time waiting for the elevator. The elevators are cramped, and they always have a long wait, so I always prefer the stairs on a cruise, comments Nia, who offers the best online photography courses. Well, so should you. Moreover, the problem is elevators stop at all the floors. Consequently, it takes what may feel like forever to reach where you are. So, what should you do? Walk. Take the stairs. Walking and taking the stairs is one of the best ways to burn those extra calories you consume, drinking the endless Pina Coladas and hogging onto the elaborate cruise meals. Further, you should be a good samaritan by leaving the elevators free for the other shipmates who need them more than you do.
Heading only for the excursions on the cruise line
Well, it is an undeniable truth that the cruise ships do offer some incredible shore excursions, but if you make the mistake of only booking these excursions and do not even look for any independent options, you are making a huge mistake. Kylie, an associate with MyPlumbersChoice, says that she always makes her independent excursion bookings because she finds them more affordable than cruise excursions. Well, it is truer than it gets. More so, if you go with the cruise excursions, you will end up seeing the attractions that you may not even want to explore in the first place and miss out on the expedition that may have interested you more. So, what should you do? Do your homework. There is a good chance that you will find the same tour for a lesser price online.
Moreover, a reputable company is always trust-worthy. They will ensure that you reach back to your ship in time to have enough time from sail away. More so, in any case, something goes amiss, they take it upon themselves to ensure that you do board your ship, no matter what. Furthermore, if you are traveling in a large group, they will often give you good discounts, and in the end, it will end up being more pocket-friendly for you. Booking a private tour guide independently will also be affordable, and you can easily explore the places and do the things you want to do. For people who have some special interests, such as hiking, cooking, history, or others, you can look for the interest-specific private tours, which will be focused on taking you through the places that are selected, keeping in view your interests. More so, we anyway do not recommend the cruise line tours for parents with little kids at all. Kids do not have the patience to follow the itinerary that these cruise companies make.
Ordering wine by the glass
Jennifer, an educator with Razorhood, says that she understands that ordering by the glass instead of a bottle is more expensive, but she drinks white wine, and her husband drinks the red wine. It is quite understandable in Jennifer’s case, but why would you do that if the same is not your situation?
See, when you are all decked and head to a cruise restaurant to enjoy a fancy dinner onboard, you might want to look posh and order by the glass, but who are you there to impress? Believe us, if every night at the dinner table, if you go on ordering by the glass, you will certainly drill a hole in your pocket. So, what should you do? Well, simple, buy the whole bottle. Nobody will tell you, but let us share a big, big secret with you. If, in any case, you do not finish the whole bottle, or if you want to drink a glass out of it, you can request the restaurant waiter to recork the bottle, and then you can save it for the following day. There is also an option of ordering a bottle of wine in any specialty restaurant and have them serve the leftover to you the next day in your dining room. Also, the cruise has an option to get your wine on board. However, for that, you will have to pay a small corkage fee, which will still be more economical than ordering by the glass. More so, if you drink your wine in your cabin, there is no fee to pay.
