7 avoidable mistakes that will ruin your cruise
Cruising has become a popular travel choice because of the ease and luxurious experience it offers passengers. Although cruising offers passengers a range of benefits, there are some mistakes that many people unknowingly make that will certainly put a damper on the whole experience. Here are seven avoidable mistakes that you don’t want to make on your cruise adventure.
1. Being late to board
When you are sailing on the high seas, you will have endless opportunities to forget the time pressures and constraints of your day-to-day life. However, when your ship has a boarding time you need to make sure that you have your time perfectly scheduled to avoid missing your ship’s departure. It is far better to over-prepare and leave plenty of time to travel to the ship, rather than ruining your day because you are in a frantic rush. Your cruise holiday should be a time of ultimate relaxation and you can achieve this by planning your itinerary carefully prior to your trip.
2. Falling for every sales pitch you hear
As you physically won’t be handing over money for every meal you eat onboard, it’s easy to feel like you have plenty of money to spend while you are away. Be aware of sales pitches that are enticing you to buy items that you will never need or use. If there are stores onboard your ship, don’t get caught up in excitement but look around and wait until you have done a few port stops before you buy your souvenirs.
3. Ignoring hygiene
It is so important to utilise hand sanitising stations onboard your cruise. Unfortunately, there will be some passengers onboard who forget that they are in a public place and will slip into the unhygienic practices they do at home. Being aware of what you have touched and washing your hands regularly before meals are simple ways you avoid contracting someone else’s germs.
4. Not preparing for bad weather
Unfortunately, there will be days when you are away on holidays and the weather will turn grey. It is important that when you prepare for all weather situations so remember to bring items such as a raincoat and appropriate footwear. Do your research prior to booking your cruise to find out what the weather is expected to be like during your travelling time (even then, be prepared for any scenario.)
5. Forgetting to check your onboard account
It is easy to get carried away swiping your cruise card without realising just how much money will be charged to your account at the end of the cruise. You might not be so happy when you see the bill at the end of your cruise. Check your statement a few times throughout your cruise so you can be sure you are living within your budget.
6. Sitting anywhere at dinner
By choosing your dinner seating strategically you can save yourself a lot of grief during those moments when you are hungry. If you are a with a group, discuss when you want to have dinner. Are you willing to wait in lines? Make sure everyone is on the same page with their dinning expectations.
7. Complaining at the end of the cruise
Cruise staff will go over and beyond to meet your expectations and requests while you are travelling on board their cruise liner. If you feel like one of your needs or expectations have been overlooked, make sure you voice your concerns to a staff so they can rectify whatever is causing you concern. If your problem is with a crewmember, find a worker is above them so they are aware of the issue. Leaving all your issues bottled up until you get back home will do little to make your holiday better.
What are your tips to having a great cruise holiday? Let us know in the comments below.