First cruise tips: what every first-time cruiser should know before sailing

The most important first cruise tips

If you remember only a handful of things, make it these. They prevent the problems that genuinely spoil first cruises: missed ships, lost documents, surprise bills and a wasted first afternoon.

• Fly to the port city the day before. A delayed flight on sailing day can mean watching your ship leave without you, and the ship will not wait.
• Pack a small carry-on with documents, medications, chargers, a swimsuit and a change of clothes. Checked bags can take until evening to reach your cabin.
• Download your cruise line’s app before you leave home and complete online check-in early. The app holds your boarding pass, daily schedule and onboard account on most lines.
• Learn what your fare includes so you aren’t surprised that a soda or a latte is charged to your room.
• Treat the posted all-aboard time as a hard deadline, and use the ship’s clock rather than your phone, which may switch to a different time zone.
• Check your onboard account in the app every day or two, so mistakes are easy to fix before the last night.

How to choose your first cruise

For most first-timers, a 3- to 5-night Bahamas or Caribbean cruise from Florida, or a 7-night Caribbean cruise, is the easiest start. Short sailings from Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Port Canaveral let you test whether you like ship life and how you handle the motion without committing a full week of vacation.

If you already know you love travel, a 7-night cruise gives you a better feel for the rhythm of sea days and port days. Alaska from Seattle or Vancouver is a popular first cruise for people who care more about scenery than beaches, and Canada and New England suits travelers who like history and cooler weather.

Match the cruise line to your style rather than chasing the lowest fare. Carnival is casual and lively, Royal Caribbean is known for big ships packed with activities, Norwegian is built around flexible dining, Princess and Holland America are calmer and more traditional, Disney is designed around families, and adults-only Virgin Voyages has a nightlife-meets-boutique-hotel feel.

Picking the right cabin for a first cruise

An inside cabin is the cheapest way to sail and is fine if you mainly sleep there. A balcony cabin costs more but changes the experience on scenic itineraries like Alaska, the Norwegian fjords or the Mediterranean, where private views and fresh air matter.

Location matters as much as cabin type. Cabins in the middle of the ship and on lower decks move the least, which helps if you’re worried about seasickness. Check the deck plan above and below any cabin you’re offered: rooms under the pool deck, buffet, theater or nightclub can pick up scraping chairs and late-night bass.

• Inside: no window, darkest for sleeping, best value.
• Oceanview: a window or porthole that doesn’t open.
• Balcony: a private veranda, the most popular choice on scenic routes.
• Suite: more space and often perks such as priority boarding or a private lounge, depending on the line.

What’s included on a cruise and what costs extra

Your fare covers more than most first-timers expect: the cabin, meals in the main dining room and buffet, many casual venues such as pizza and burger spots, production shows, live music, pools, the gym, and supervised kids clubs on family-focused lines. Tap water, regular coffee, tea and some juices are free at meals.

Ships are cashless. You link a credit card at check-in, and your key card, wristband or medallion works as your room key, ID and payment method. That makes it easy to spend without noticing, so set a mental budget for extras like cocktails, Wi-Fi, specialty restaurants, spa treatments, photos, the casino and shore excursions. Mainstream lines also add a daily gratuity per person to your account.

What to do on your first day on board

Boarding usually starts late morning, and cabins are often ready in the early afternoon. Use the gap to eat lunch, explore the ship and complete the mandatory safety drill. Most major lines now use a digital muster: you watch a safety video on the app or your cabin TV, then check in at your assigned muster station.

The first afternoon is also the best time to lock in anything that needs a reservation. On some lines that includes headline shows, and on most it includes specialty restaurants, spa appointments and popular activities. Find guest services, your muster station and the quietest pool deck before the ship sails, then head up top for sail-away.

Cruise dining and dress codes for first-timers

Most mainstream ships offer either a fixed dinner time with the same table and servers each night, or flexible dining where you show up or reserve when you like. Fixed dining is sociable and predictable; flexible dining suits families with young kids and anyone who doesn’t want to watch the clock. Norwegian has long been built around flexible dining, while most other big lines offer both.

Daytime dress is resort casual everywhere. Evenings are smart casual on most ships, and many lines hold one or two formal or dress-up nights on a week-long cruise. Formal nights are optional on mainstream lines: some people wear suits and cocktail dresses, others wear a collared shirt or a sundress, and the buffet stays casual. Swimwear is generally not allowed in the main dining rooms.

How to avoid seasickness and stay healthy

Modern cruise ships have stabilizers and most passengers feel little motion on calm routes, but it’s smart to pack a remedy anyway. Over-the-counter options include meclizine and dimenhydrinate, and some people use acupressure wristbands or ginger. Scopolamine patches are prescription-only, so talk to your doctor before you travel if you’re prone to motion sickness.

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially before meals; hand sanitizer is less effective against norovirus, the stomach bug that occasionally spreads on ships. Drink plenty of water in hot ports, use sunscreen generously, and bring a basic supply of over-the-counter medications, since prices in the ship’s shop are high and the medical center charges for visits.

Port days, sea days and all-aboard time

On port days the daily schedule lists when you can go ashore and the all-aboard time, usually 30 to 60 minutes before departure. If you’re on the cruise line’s own excursion and it runs late, the ship waits. If you’re exploring on your own, it doesn’t, and getting to the next port at your own expense is your problem.

Sea days are when the ship is busiest. Pools, the spa and popular restaurants fill quickly, so book treatments in advance and grab a lounger early if that matters to you. Many cruisers find sea days are when they really relax, so don’t over-schedule them.

• Take your key card and a photo ID ashore; you need the card to reboard.
• Carry small bills for taxis and tips, since card acceptance varies by port.
• Plan to be back at the pier well before all-aboard, not at it.

Common first-cruise mistakes to avoid

A few mistakes come up again and again with new cruisers, and every one is easy to avoid with a little preparation.

• Leaving your phone on cellular data at sea, where ship networks bill roaming at very high rates. Use airplane mode and Wi-Fi.
• Packing a surge-protector power strip or a clothes iron; both are banned on most lines and will be confiscated.
• Booking a flight home too early on the last day. Leave plenty of time for disembarkation and customs.
• Buying a drinks package without doing the math for your own habits.
• Trying to do everything. The best first cruises usually mix a few planned highlights with plenty of downtime.

Frequently asked questions