10 Things You Should Do Before Your Cruise - Every Time

Need advice on travel insurance? Check out our tips on Cruise Fever here: https://cruisefever.net/0805-travel-insurance-5-reasons-why-you-should-consider-purchasing-it/ Get more info with our post on what to do before your cruise here: https://cruisefever.net/0321-things-you-should-do-before-your-cruise/ 10 Things You Should Do Before Your Cruise 1. Check-in online. Don't wait too late on this one. Most cruise lines will allow you to check-in online up until 24-72 hours before your cruise. Getting those boarding documents ahead of time will save you time at the port. By the way, some cruise lines let you check-in all from your phone these days. 2. Double-check your documents. Most countries will not allow you to enter if your passport expires within 6 months, and it can take 4-6 weeks to get a new passport. So you need to prepare well in advance for this one. Also, see if there are any visa requirements for the ports of call you will be visiting. 3. Study your ship. Going over your ship's deck plans and understanding the general layout will do 2 things. It will help you navigate the ship upon first arrival, and it will help you know everything the ship has to offer. Nothing like getting to day 5 on the cruise before you find out there was a free dry sauna available the whole time. 4. Plan those excursions. Too many people wait until they are on the ship to do this one. But some excursions will sell out well before this. Find out what excursions are available so you can budget both time and money for them. You might be at some of those ports only once in your life, so make it count. 5. Plan ahead for any transfers. Whether you book your airport transfer through the ship or on your own, have a game-plan for how you're going to get from point A to point B. And make sure any extra costs are in your vacation budget as well. 6. Know what you DON'T need to bring. Too many first-time cruisers will bring way too much stuff. Know what the cruise line already offers. Things like hairdryers, towels, soap and shampoo, etc. Keep it simple. Go light on the packing and heavy on the planning. And remember, you can do laundry on the ship. 7. Notify your bank and credit card companies. You don't want to have to deal with the hassle of your debit or credit card being locked out while trying to use it on foreign soil. When you notify your financial institution you should also ask about any travel perks they may offer, like medical insurance or no foreigh transaction fees. 8. Know about data-roaming. If you don't turn off data-roaming on your cell phone you might find a major bill when you get home from your cruise. The ship's cell tower's are not cheap to use. Check with your phone provider to see what kind of options they offer for roaming off network. 9. Buy Travel Insurance. More than anything, this just gives you peace of mind, especially if you're really splurging on your cruise. Many reasonable rates can be found through 3rd parties. Just check what exactly is covered. See a link in the description for more advice on travel insurance before a cruise. 10. Save those small bills. Having $1's and $5's is always a good idea. You can use these bills for tipping the porter, room service attendant, and taxi drivers at ports where US currency is accepted. Save yourself that awkward moment from trying to get change for your $50 dollar bill by saving some small bills. What do you do before every cruise? Any tips or advice to share? We'd love to hear from you in our never-ending quest to expose Cruise Fever to the masses.