How to Make the Most Out of a Cruise Ship Vacation

If you find yourself on a cruise and really enjoying the experience, then you might want to consider going ahead and booking your next vacation. You can book your next cruise while you’re still on your current cruise to take advantage of discounts. The best part about this hack might be that you don’t even need to book a specific cruise or destination. All you usually need to do is put down a small deposit.

As with anywhere else, there are some do’s and don’ts when it comes to booking a room on a cruise ship. Do book a room with an ocean view (isn’t that half the fun of a cruise anyway?). Don’t book a room underneath a pool, next to a nightclub, or situated near an elevator. These types of rooms tend to be the noisiest since, well, they’re near noisy places.

The cabins on a ship aren’t like the typical rooms you’d find in a home or hotel. Instead, they are made of metal, like much of the rest of the ship. So, many who take cruises regularly will use this little hack to get some more storage space while they’re out on the open ocean. Just bring a magnet with you to hang things like notes, menus, and even your room key.

This usually isn’t mentioned in the brochure, but most cruises offer their guests a secret pillow menu for all of their sleep needs. This also sometimes includes other things like top sheets. All you need to do is ask a crew member after you board the boat. Depending on the cruise line, the menu may differ, but they can include pillows of different softness, as well as special pillows, such as full body pillows.

Waiting to indulge at one of your ship’s fine dining venues might seem like a good idea. After all, everyone knows that a nice steak and a bottle of wine are best enjoyed far out to sea. However, the best day to splurge is actually the first day on the ship. That’s because most people wait to go to these types of restaurants. As a result, plenty of cruises offer discounts on the first day.

An easy way to save some money on your cruise is to opt for parking options that are “off-port.” Every cruise ship will offer on-site parking that’s usually very close to the ship itself, but these can be expensive. Independent parking lots can sometimes be as much as 50% cheaper than their official counterparts. You might have to walk a bit further, but the savings will be well worth it.

You don’t have to have a crippling fear of the dark to want to use your T.V. as a nightlight. There are plenty of cabins on a ship that don’t come with windows. So, the televisions on most cruise ships can be used as a sort of nightlight that will also let you know when it’s morning. All you need to do is turn it to the bridge cam station.

To get steep discounts on cruises, you need to either book while you’re still on the ship or book at the very last minute. Doing the latter is a little riskier, but the rewards can be worth it. A good practice is to call around and inquire about cancellation policies. Once you know when the cutoff date is, call or check online during the cutoff date to snag the best deals.

Sure, you could pay a lot of money for internet packages from the cruise line, or you could get some steep discounts for your trip. To get free and discounted internet, try and buy early. Some cruise lines will also offer discounts if you buy online, but this varies by the cruise line. Many cruises will also give you free credit you can use to purchase internet packages while out at sea.

You might be going on vacation to get away from everything, but that doesn’t mean you’re not going to need a couple of outlets to charge things like phones and tablets. Your cabin will come with a couple of visible outlets, but that might not be enough. Luckily, there are usually some hidden outlets in your cabin that are used when the cabin gets cleaned. All you need to do is ask a member of the crew where they’re located.

You don’t have to have ever stepped onboard a cruise ship to know that the ships themselves are massive and packed with things to do. Cruise lines are always opening new attractions on their ships to see what guests enjoy doing most. However, you should avoid going to these attractions early if you want to save a bit of money. They’ll likely be at capacity during the start of a cruise.

There are going to be a ton of little shops selling delicious-looking food onboard cruise ships. However, many of these shops will also offer free complimentary treats and sandwiches. All you have to do is ask the person at the counter. This is an especially helpful hack since many of these shops won’t be included in food plans and can quickly cause you to run up your tab while on a cruise.

Hitting the casino might seem like a tempting activity while onboard ships, but you should be a bit warier of these casinos than their land-based counterparts. That’s because, in many instances, they’re not governed by the same rules as casinos that are on land. We’re not saying they’re going to play dirty or anything, but the payouts are usually a bit lower on a cruise ship than they normally would be.

While there are plenty of packages that include paid drinks, most experts warn against these as you usually pay for more than you drink. That leaves drinkers with only one option: buy drinks while you’re on board. However, these can usually be pretty expensive. It turns out that while things like beer and liquor are prohibited from being brought on board, guests can bring a couple of bottles of wine with them.

While it can be fun to take the whole family on vacation, it can also be quite stressful. There might come a time when you and your partner just want a bit of free time to yourself. If that happens, just know that most cruise ships come equipped with a daycare that’s usually completely free. The cruise lines know that parents might want to go out to dinner by themselves one night, and they don’t want anyone simply leaving kids alone in the cabins.

While cruises can be a lot cheaper than other types of vacations, they still come with a lot of fees. When you get to port, odds are you’re going to want to spend some time just relaxing. You can take a stroll through the beach town or simply stay at a free local beach all day. However, this one requires a bit of research as most cruises have their own areas where they charge an entrance fee.

For many, part of the appeal of taking a cruise is all of the fantastic shows they have on board. However, most of these shows will require that you book a reservation before you show up. And if you’re anything like us, then odds are you’re not very good are remembering to do things like that. Luckily, there are always going to be a couple of people that book and decide not to go.

This one all comes down to organization. No matter what kind of trip you take, you’re going to want to stay organized. That’s why it’s important that you’re careful about what you put into your carry-on. You’ll want to put things like medicine, electronics, and swimsuits in this bag. Putting your swimsuit in your carry-on allows you to hit the pool as soon as you get there and skip the check-in.

While you’re never going to be out of options when it comes to food, it’s still good to know all of your options. Most larger cruise lines offer free room service to all of their guests. So, if you want to spend some time in your room away from crowds, why not take advantage of the free room service for a night of dinner on the balcony or a morning of breakfast in bed?

Use this hack on a hot day to get some free ice cream. It might be tempting to shell on at that Ben & Jerry’s booth, but you actually don’t have to spend any money to get your hands on an ice cream cone. You can usually get free soft serve wherever it is that you would normally go for dinner, such as the buffet. However, check ahead because some cruises have recently changed their policy.

No, we’re not talking about genies of the magic variety. Instead, cruise ship genies are more like personal staff who are there for one thing and one thing only: to make your dreams come true. These genies can do everything from bringing you a personal breakfast in bed to snagging you tickets to sold-out concerts. You can basically ask your genie to do whatever, as long as it relates to your trip.

One of the big drawbacks of cruising is seasickness. Luckily, cruise lines know this, and they’ll go out of their way to help passengers suffering from seasickness. In most cases, you can simply talk to whoever is at the service desk and pick up some meclizine, which is a seasickness medicine. You can also ask for some ginger, which has been shown to help people cope with the effects of seasickness.

There aren’t going to be many opportunities to do your own cooking while onboard a cruise ship, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t save leftovers for later or store your own champagne bottles. You can do this by emptying your minibar of whatever the cruise line has put in there. Just be sure to put it back in when you’re done or ask staff to keep the items so that you don’t run up a bill.

This one is kind of an open secret, but cruise ships have cameras in nearly every public area on board. While rare, crimes are committed on cruise ships, so it’s important that crew members, security, and authorities have something to look to when trying to figure out exactly what occurred and who committed what crime. Without cameras recording nearly every square inch, that would be impossible on board a ship.

Whenever you get to the port and get a bit of time to roam around, you’re going to want to make sure you carry your ship’s contact details with you. That’s because it can be easy to just get carried away while drinking on the beach or in a local bar and lose track of time. And even if you’re not drinking, being in a new place always seems to make time go by faster.

A cruise might seem like a great place to get flirty — after all, you’re stuck on a boat with nearly unlimited amounts of alcohol. However, it’s really not, and the crew, both male and female, have strict rules against getting with guests. If they get caught, then there’s a good chance that they could lose their jobs. Because of this, it’s just a better idea not to try and hit on crew members.

It’s always a good idea to remember to pack a power bank when you’re going on a cruise. You’ll have outlets in your cabin, but sometimes these just won’t be enough. And odds are you’re going to be spending a lot of time lounging by the pool or off exploring the ship, so it’s just nice to have a little bit of extra charge on hand, especially if you have a Wi-Fi package.

You might not even notice it when you’re on your cruise, but the crew members are actually using secret codes all the time. They do this to communicate quickly and ensure everyone remains calm in case there is an emergency. For example, they could use a code word like “Bravo” to indicate that there’s been a spill. They often use the word “Oscar” to indicate that someone has fallen overboard.

There are tons of different types of cruises out there, from normal destination cruises to cruises that offer a themed experience. So, it’s important that you choose the right cruise for you. It’s also important that you take into account where a cruise is departing from. For example, if a cruise is departing from somewhere in California and you don’t live anywhere near California, you should consider the airfare to get there.

Not many people think about this one, but it’s absolutely imperative that you enable airplane mode on your phone when you board a cruise ship. That’s because of the simple fact that not doing so could leave you footing a very expensive phone bill when you return home. You see, your phone could incur all kinds of roaming charges while you’re out on the open ocean, and you’d never even know it.

At the end of the day, cruises are there for one reason and one reason only, and that’s to make money. That’s why everything about a cruise is thought out, and that includes the messaging. Cruises are known to throw events near the casino when profits aren’t quite what they need to be or offer promotions to clear crowded areas. You might even spot them making announcements with a Starbucks cup in their hand to encourage people to buy coffee.

As was seen during the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic, outbreaks can spread fast on a cruise ship. That’s why there’s always a plan in place, and crew members are trained to deal with sick passengers. Due to the often tight confines of a cruise ship, one sick person can quickly infect entire portions of a ship. If that happens, the crew is supposed to know how to monitor and quarantine affected passengers.

It might be tempting to pack a lot of clothes and other items when you’re going on a cruise, but it’s much better to pack light. You’re going to be on a ship, so all you really need are some flip-flops and a swimsuit. When it comes to nights out at the restaurant, you really only need one nice set of clothes as you can do laundry on the boat. 

Okay, so this one might seem obvious, but it really does help to do a little research online before booking or boarding a cruise. Specifically, you’re looking for people who have been or are going on the same cruise as you. Because of this, it’s worth checking things like Facebook groups and forums, as well as typical travel sites. You’re basically just looking for tips from others who’ve been on the same cruise.

Depending on the cruise ship, there can be thousands of guests on the same ship at any one time, and that’s not even counting the crew. So, it would make sense that a cruise ship would need to be stocked to the brim with a ton of food. However, the sheer amount of food on board might actually be surprising if you’ve never been the person placing or filling the order.