10 Free Cruise Tips

Cruise Tip #1: No one likes homework, but when it comes to a cruise vacation, our first of ten cruise tips is that a little research goes a long way. Put this cruise tip into action by deciding what type of destinations you'd like to visit on your cruise. Do you want tropical destinations? A European cruise? Want to sightsee in Alaska? There are enough cruise destinations to keep you busy for a long time -- you just have to figure out where to go first! A great place to start your research on destinations is none other than the websites of popular cruise lines.

Cruise Tip #2: There's nothing wrong with getting a room with a view. But that having been said, we often go for the interior rooms when we cruise. Why? Because the rates for these rooms are often half or less of what you'd pay for some of the more upscale rooms. Think about it: there is so much available on a cruise ship that you'll probably spend very little time in your room. If you're reasonably healthy and active, about the only time you're going to be in your room is to sleep, shower, and change clothes, so why pay double for a room you'll hardly see?

Cruise Tip #3: Price isn't everything, but our third cruise tip is to be sure that you're getting a great deal for the money. Often, just the timing of when you book can make a huge difference in the price of your cruise. For instance, all other things being equal, the cost of a cruise in the fall can often be about half the cost of that same cruise in the summer. Remember, when you cruise to a tropical destination, it's always summer. You should book early or book late when trying to find cheap cruise deals.

Cruise Tip #4: Get travel insurance. You've worked hard to save for your cruise vacation. You've invested thousands of dollars. Now, at the last minute, some unavoidable circumstance has caused you to miss your cruise. The only thing worse than knowing that the ship has sailed without you, is knowing you've just lost thousands of dollars with no hope of recovering it. Not only have you missed your vacation, but the money you would've used to reschedule it is now sailing off into the sunset. Quite the sinking feeling. But it doesn't have to be this way.

Cruise Tip #5: Our fifth cruise tip is to ensure, ahead of time, that you have all the necessary (and accurate) documentation, including Passports, another form of Photo I.D., Credit Cards, Airline Tickets, Cruise Tickets, Hotel Confirmation and Rental Car Confirmations. Bear in mind that getting passports may take a few weeks, so you don't want to be caught at the last minute without your passport in hand. You will have one of the best cruises around the world or to a specific caribbean destination if you are prepared.

Cruise Tip #6: None of us ever forget anything, right? When you're as forgetful as I am, about the only surefire way to be prepared is to use a checklist. Packing lists can be a handy tool for getting most any trip off on the right foot. The difference is, when you're traveling by car to your vacation destination, it's easy to swing by Wal-Mart on the way to pick up items you forgot at home. But on a cruise vacation, once that ship leaves port, it may be difficult or impossible to obtain certain items you need aboard the ship. Pack everything you need!

Cruise Tip #7: It's never a joy to deal with the hustle and bustle of getting to and through airports. Airport parking, ticket counters, and metal detectors are just not my idea of fun. But in this day and age, with increased security threats, the bottleneck at the airport has gotten even greater -- and more time-consuming. So, with that in mind, our seventh cruise tip is to remind you to get to the airport at least 2 hours before your departure time. Doing so will give you the time to get through all the hurdles without beginning your vacation stressed out.

Cruise Tip #8: Our eighth cruise tip is to not forget that there are some items that you don't want to get wheeled off with your checked luggage. We bring our laptop computer aboard, so we have a laptop bag with a shoulder strap that comes in handy for this. It has lots of pockets, so it's also great for carrying all the items that we need to carry aboard ourselves, such as our cruise tickets, passports, photo I.D.'s, credit cards, cash, jewelry, medications and more. If you don't carry a laptop computer, any similar type of small bag will serve the same purpose.

Cruise Tip #9: There's just no easy way to get 3,000 people, with carry-on luggage, through one or two doors when boarding a ship. But you can be assured that the cruise line wants your business, so they will be sure to get you aboard. Our ninth cruise tip is to remind you to be patient: everyone will get aboard before the ship leaves, so there's no sense in ruffling anyone's feathers, or ruffling your own. You may find that your cruise line has provided refreshments for you to enjoy while waiting in the terminal.

Cruise Tip #10: Once aboard, resist the urge to explore the entire ship right away -- you've got several days to do that. Instead, our next cruise tip is to find your stateroom and give it a looking over. For instance, you may find that your room has not been prepared properly, such as beds being made seperate when they should have been pushed together. Following this cruise tip to catch these types of problems now will give your stateroom attendant time to correct them before the end of the day. Who knows, you may even find that someone has sent a gift to your stateroom!