5 Things Not To Overlook When Planning A Cruise
Photo of Bill Duffield with a Norwegian cruise ship in the background in Bermuda.
In today’s blog post I'm going to share five things that you should not overlook when planning a cruise vacation.
Hi everyone.
My name is Bill. I’m an independent travel advisor specializing in ocean cruise travel. I’ve been on fourteen cruises across six cruise lines. Cruising is my favorite way to travel. I'm excited to take my passion for the industry to the next level by helping people plan, book and have memorable vacations at sea.
So today we are talking about cruise planning and more specifically things you should not overlook when planning your cruise vacation.
With that let’s dive into these five things…
Cruise Add Ons
First up are the add ons. Your cruise fare covers essentials such as accommodations, complimentary food and drinks, and most of the activities and entertainment on the ship. Cruise add ons are extra items that you purchase outside of your cruise fare to improve your cruise experience. This includes things such as shore excursions, specialty dining, drink packages, spa passes, and Wi-Fi. These items are often an afterthought during the planning process because you are focused on the initial price of the cruise. Cruise enhancements can become very costly and should not be ignored. It is very important to include these in your budget when you start planning the cruise. Here are a couple quick tips for cruise enhancements. First, book them as soon as possible. There will be more availability and in most cases will be cheaper before the cruise. Determine if you actually are going to need a drink package before purchasing. If you plan on drinking 3-5 drinks a day it will most likely be cheaper just to buy them individually versus spending hundreds of dollars on a daily drink package.
Pre & Post Cruise Travel Logistics
Once you have figured out the cruise that you are going on, it’s important to start thinking about the pre cruise travel logistics. This includes the travel dates, flights, hotel accommodations, and how you are going to get to the cruise port. Travel Logistics is something that I often overlook while planning a cruise. I find a cruise that I'm interested in going on only to find out that flights and hotels are as expensive or more than the cruise itself. Pre Cruise Travel Logistics are travel associated before your cruise vacation starts. Always plan to arrive at least one day prior to the first day of your cruise. Anything can happen when traveling. Flights could get delayed or canceled. You could get stuck in traffic. That is why it is best practice to plan to arrive at the departure city at least one day prior to boarding day. This will give you peace of mind knowing that you are there, time to relax, explore, and make any final preparations before your cruise. Just like pre cruise, post cruise travel logistics are just as important. Post cruise travel logistics are travel associated with after your cruise. For example, staying a few days at your departure city, flying home, or driving home. If you are flying home, make sure that your return flight is after 1:00pm at the earliest, especially for busy cruise ports such as Miami. This will give you enough time to get off the ship, get your luggage, get to the airport, go through security, and relax before boarding the flight.
Document Requirements
Before booking a cruise make sure to check document requirements for the cruise line as well as the destinations you are going to. In most cases if you are a United States citizen and going on a closed loop cruise all you need is a birth certificate and government- issued ID. However, cruise lines such as Virgin Voyages strongly suggest that all passengers have a passport regardless of what type of cruise you are going on. If you are going to be using a passport, which you always should, make sure that your passport is valid for at least six months after travel.
Travel Insurance
Anything can happen when you go on a cruise. That is why it’s important to purchase travel insurance to protect yourself. Travel insurance is a safeguard that helps you recover financially from certain costs that could occur during your trip. Depending on the package, travel insurance could help you with medical costs, Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption, Emergency Medical Transportation and more. The package you buy really depends on your needs and how much you are willing to spend. It is one of those things that you may not need, however, if you do, it will give you peace of mind knowing that you have it.
Choosing Your Stateroom Location
Your stateroom is one of the most important decisions you're going to make and should not be overlooked. Most cruise lines give you the option of a "guaranteed stateroom” at a discounted price, giving you the chance to save a little money. In turn, the cruise line will assign your stateroom closer to the cruise date. Unless you truly don’t care where your stateroom is located, choose the option to pay a little extra so you have the ability to select the location. If you allow the cruise line to assign you a room you risk the chance of having it be in a not so desirable location such as at the front or back of the ship, under the pool deck, or even worse, under the night club. I’ve rolled the dice with guaranteed staterooms and have been assigned good locations, and not so great locations. This is something you definitely don’t want to overlook when booking a cruise so make sure that you are selecting the right option for you.
In conclusion, make sure that you remember to budget for your add ons, plan your pre and post cruise travel accordingly, check your document requirements, purchase travel insurance, and choose your own stateroom. The best way to avoid all these mistakes is to use an independent travel advisor like myself to help you plan your vacation. I will be able to assist you throughout the planning and booking process to make sure you don’t miss a step. If you need assistance, send an email to billbookscruises@gmail.com.
