6 things you must do before boarding your cruise
Your departure day is finally here! So what do you need to do before you get onboard? Here are six things to do before boarding your cruise ship.
1. Check in online
Embarkation day can be chaotic to say the least, so you want to do everything you can to make it run smoothly. Most cruise lines will encourage you to check in online before you arrive. You can then print out any documents you need, attach your bag tags and set up your account where you can book extras. Generally these will remain open up until a day or two before you depart.
2. Let your bank know
In their quest to keep your money safe, banks can sometimes go too far and shut down your accounts when you’re overseas. International transactions can seem suspicious, so before you know it you’re stuck in a foreign country without a penny to your name. Give your bank a quick call and let them know where you’ll be going. That way, they won’t assume the worst when you buy that sombrero in Oaxaca.
3. Finish off any last-minute work
It’s hard to enjoy yourself if you know those pesky emails are sitting in your inbox. Do your best to finalise everything before you get onboard, so you can set off for a week of worry-free cruising. And don’t kid yourself that you will do work that you bring onboard – odds are you’ll just end up carrying those unfinished files right off the ship again.
4. Turn off your data roaming
You’ve heard it before, but it’s still an easy mistake to make. If you leave your data roaming on once you’re outside of Australia, you can very quickly run up a huge bill. Even if you’re not using the internet, many of your apps will be automatically updating in the background and churning through your data. Once you’re sailing out of the harbour, switch off your roaming and you won’t have to worry about it.
5. Buy travel insurance
If you haven’t already organised insurance, it’s not too late! Jump online and you can quickly buy a suitable policy. It will take effect immediately so you’ll be covered as soon as you walk up that gangplank.
6. Get a good night’s sleep
You don’t want to arrive onboard exhausted and waste the first few days trying to catch up on sleep. Get to bed nice and early the night before (or even for a few days leading up to it) so that you’re raring to go on cruise day.
What’s your routine before boarding a cruise? Tell us in the comment section below.
Related links:
6 tips for doing laundry on a cruise
7 tips to make your cruise crew love you
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