12 Things You Absolutely MUST Do Before Your Cruise
Did you know that there are some things you absolutely must do before your cruise? One of our favorite things about cruising is the fact that you don’t have to do a lot of planning to make the trip successful. With other overseas trips, you have to arrange for transportation from Point A to Point B, have to book hotels, figure out where to eat, what to do, etc, etc. With cruises, however, all of that is planned out for you and wrapped up in a nice little package.
It’s truly a stress-free way to travel!
Of course, cruise companies can’t take care of EVERYTHING for you, here’s a quick list of 12 Things You Should Do Before Your Cruise!
12 Things You Should Do Before Your Cruise
1. Firstly, dig out your passport, passport card, or birth certificate. You’ll need these in order to board the ship. Passport holders are also super handy to have. I love this family passport holder. It is the perfect way to store everyone’s passports, identification cards, and credit cards all in one place. Trust me, organization is the key when checking in! If you don’t have a passport, check with your cruising company to see if you can sail with just your birth certificate.
2. Fill out the necessary documents. If you haven’t already, create an online account on your cruise line’s website. Once you’ve added your booking, you’ll be provided with a checklist of documents that you’ll need to fill out in advance. These forms may include customs forms, health questionnaires, etc. Filling these out in advance will help your check-in process run much more smoothly! Trust me, everyone in the line behind you will appreciate it!
3. Next, print your boarding passes and luggage tags. Again, this is done at your cruise line’s website. These luggage tags are excellent to have on hand!
4. While you’re on the website, set up your expense account.
5. Then, Book Excursions. Many excursions fill up quickly, especially if you’re traveling during peak season. Make sure you don’t miss out on your first choice by booking early!
6. Purchase any additional packages. This includes drink packages, spa packages, Faster to Fun Passes, etc.
7. After that, create a packing list. I have found by jotting everything down on paper, it helps me out tremendously! It reminds me of anything that I may still need to purchase or dig out from the depths of the closet. Trust me, you don’t want to wind up on a cruise ship without your bathing suit, sunscreen, or even dress shoes! Once you’ve created your list, look it over a few times and think about the activities you’ll be doing on the cruise. For instance, some excursions, such as zip-lining and horseback riding, require that you wear closed-toed shoes. While you’re at it, check out What Every Cruiser Needs in Their Cruise Embarkation Bag.
8. Charge it! Gather all of your chargers so you don’t leave any behind!
9. Next, make two photocopies of your passport, identification cards, and credit cards. Keep one in your luggage and leave one behind with a trusted friend.
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10. Always, always, always call your bank before traveling abroad. Let them know what countries you’ll be visiting and when you’ll get back. TRUST ME! You don’t want to have your account frozen while you’re away.
11. Speaking of money, go ahead and hit the ATM and pull out some cash money for your trip! You’ll need cash on hand for tipping shuttle drivers, porters, tour guides, etc.
12. Lastly, if you’re flying, be sure to weigh your baggage! The cruise line won’t care how heavy it is but your airline sure will!
We hope that this list of things to do before your cruise helps get your trip started off on the right fin…err…foot. Safe travels!
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Posted Updated: 5/15/22
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