A friend of mine asked for some cruise tips. I thought I’d post them here as well.
Use a travel agent. If there is an issue, they’re the ones on hold for three hours with the cruise line, not you. And it doesn’t cost you any more than doing it yourself, in fact sometimes it’s cheaper.
Always fly down the day before. The ship sails when they say they are going to, and they won’t wait for you if you are late.
Don’t overpack, you can wear shorts two days in a row.
Formal nights aren’t nearly as formal anymore. You can get away with khakis and a polo shirt if you wish. Or wear a suit if you want. I brought my kilt last time, but it was kind of bulky so I probably won’t do that anymore.
The walls/doors are all steel so you can bring magnetic clips to hang things.
Yes, you can sail on any closed loop cruises (those that leave and return to the same port) with Michigan’s Enhanced ID. But get a passport anyway. If you are late getting back to the ship staff will enter your room and bring items like that to the port officials so you can get home. You won’t be able to enter the country with an Enhanced ID, but you’ll be able to with a passport.
Get the drinks package – the booze is nice, but so are the free coffees, fresh squeezed orange juice, grabbing a bottle of water when leaving the ship, etc. On my last cruise drinks were $14 each (until I found a waiter that I tipped generously, and suddenly he forgot to bill me for drinks. But that rarely happens).
Speaking of water, have your room steward keep your ice bucket filled with ice. It melts into some nice cool water.
Brings lots of $1s for tips. Unless you are cruising in Europe, US cash works everywhere.
The ships can be cool in the evenings so Emily always brings some sort of coverup like a sweater or shawl.
I don’t know if this is the case on all cruise lines, but with Royal Caribbean you can book excursions, specialty dining, etc online. Later, if they have a price drop, you can cancel and rebook at the lower rate. Same with the cruise itself, you can have it repriced up until a certain point before sailing. Just contact your travel agent.
