There's so much you have to know about cruising before embarking on your trip that I wasn't expecting.
This was back in 2022, when I booked my first cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas. My seven-day voyage out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, took us to Honduras, Mexico, and the cruise line's private island in the Bahamas.
Since it was my first time at sea, I was still learning a lot about how cruises work, and I was surprised by some of my findings even just while booking the trip.
Cruisers recommend booking your flight for the day before the ship leaves.
Since my cruise ship left from Florida and I live in New York, I had to fly there. When I started searching for flights, I looked for reservations on the same day as my cruise departure.
After a little research, though, I learned that seasoned cruisers recommend flying into your port city at least one day before your cruise ship departs to leave room for potential delays. So I booked a flight that arrived the night before my trip and had a stress-free embarkation day.
Similarly, when choosing my flight home, I learned that the scheduled port arrival time wasn't exactly when I'd be off the ship.
The ship's scheduled arrival time is when the ship docks at the port, a cruise ship employee previously told Business Insider. Before passengers can get off, there's an inspection that can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour or longer.
Just to be safe, I booked a night flight at 9 p.m., thinking I'd rather wait at the airport all day than miss my ride home. However, I regret booking such a late departure because I arrived at the airport 12 hours before takeoff. Next time, I'll book an afternoon flight instead so I don't spend all day in the airport.
I thought cruises would be priced like hotels — per room. But when booking my Royal Caribbean cruise, I learned about the "single supplement."
When booking a Royal Caribbean cruise, I found that the price per person varied depending on the number of guests. When I searched for just one guest, as I cruised solo, the rate per person doubled compared to searching for two guests.
This is called the "single supplement." Many cruise lines price this way for solo travelers to make up for the revenue that would have come from a second guest.
While there are many included meals and activities on cruise ships, excursions and some restaurants and amenities cost extra.
I was previously under the impression that cruises were all-inclusive.
But while some restaurants and activities were included in the room price, like the buffet and waterslides, spa treatments, port excursions, and select restaurants on the ship cost extra.
Some rooms on cruise ships don't have windows.
When booking my Royal Caribbean cruise, I noticed that the least expensive room option had no windows. I couldn't imagine living without a window for a week. Luckily, my room had a small one.
You can add gratuity during the booking process.
When I was getting ready to purchase my cruise, I noticed I could add gratuity in advance. I went for it and thought it made my trip easier.
Once you're booked, you can reserve food on the ship and excursions at each port.
As soon as I received my confirmation email for my booking, I learned that I already had the option of planning out my whole trip, from restaurant reservations to excursions. I booked excursions in advance, so I had one less thing to worry about once on board.
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Joey Hadden is a travel reporter and photojournalist at Business Insider based in NYC. She covers transportation modes, alternative lifestyles, and luxury travel. Many of Joey's stories are visual features that give readers a front-row seat to her personal experiences at home and around the world.Joey graduated from St. Edward's University in May 2019 with a BA in Photocommunications. Since joining BI in 2019, Joey has traveled by train in seven different countries, from day trips to overnight rides as long as 30 hours. She's ridden on many different train lines, including Amtrak, Via Rail, and the iconic Orient Express of the 21st century, among others. During her travels, she's slept in countless accommodations — five-star hotels, unique tiny homes, and private train cabins, to name a few.When traveling in North America, Joey takes readers inside the continent's wealthiest enclaves where billionaires hide away, from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to Medina, Washington. She spends her free time singing and playing drums for the indie-rock band Blanket Approval. You can follow Joey on Instagram or send her an email at [email protected].Popular ArticlesI spent $1,000 to have a room to myself on a 30-hour Amtrak ride. It was the best experience I've had on an overnight train in the US.I booked basic economy flights with Delta and United. They felt like 2 completely different classes.I went on an adults-only cruise for the first time, and 8 things surprised meI spent 2 nights in a 2-story, 100-square-foot tiny home in Germany that was smaller than any I've seen in the USStep inside the richest city in Arizona, where wealthy Californians are flocking for private mountainside estates
