It feels like no one talks about how overwhelming a cruise can be if you've never taken one before.
First-time cruisers experience an entirely new form of transportation. When you're traveling on a large ship with so many places to eat and so many activities and excursions, it can be hard to figure out how to spend your time.
It may help to hear from travelers who have done it before about how to make the most of your cruise.
While on board Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas in April 2022, Business Insider spoke to people who had been on multiple cruises. They shared their best tips to help plan an incredible cruise vacation.
While packing for a cruise, try to keep it light, but make sure you have all the essentials.
Sharon Taylor, a frequent cruiser, told Business Insider that first-timers should avoid overpacking.
"New cruisers think cruising is a fashion show and pack way too many clothes and shoes, but you wind up just wanting to be comfortable," she said.
For her seven-night cruise on board the Wonder of the Seas, Taylor said she packed six tops, four pairs of shorts, two pairs of shoes, one formal outfit, two bathing suits, and eight pairs of underwear. She planned to buy two more tops on the trip.
Paul Gallifrey, who told Business Insider in 2022 that he'd been on 30 cruises, said to pack what you need for the length of the cruise and add an extra outfit just in case.
"Maybe you decide to change clothes between pool time and the buffet," Gallifrey said. "An extra shirt and pair of shorts will come in handy."
Gallifrey added that some activities on ships and excursions require specific clothing, such as lace-up shoes for zip lining. Check the cruise line's website for these requirements and pack accordingly.
Don't forget to pack a magnet to make it easier to find your stateroom.
Large cruise ships typically have seemingly endless hallways lined with staterooms, each with identical doors. Taylor said to pack magnets to stick to the outside of your door so your cabin is easier to spot.
"You will be glad you did when you are looking for your room down those long hallways," Taylor added.
If you have to fly into the port your ship departs from, book a flight at least 1 day before departure to avoid missing the boat.
Seasoned cruiser Stephanie Franks told Business Insider that the ship will leave without you on embarkation day if you're late because of a delayed or canceled flight, unless you book airfare through a cruise-line package.
If you book a flight with the help of Royal Caribbean and it's delayed or canceled, their emergency travel team will get you on an earlier flight or fly you to the next port to join the cruise, according to the company's website.
If you don't book airfare through the cruise line, you'll have to figure it out yourself. For example, Franks said her friend's flight to Miami got canceled the day before her cruise because of the weather in Florida.
"They hopped in a car and drove 19 hours straight to get here on time," she said. "You just never know, but it's best to be prepared and early rather than late."
She recommended flying in at least one day before the ship's departure to leave extra time for delays and cancellations. She said to stay near the port, adding that there were plenty of hotels in Florida with shuttles to the port.
Experienced cruisers recommend booking anything with additional costs before boarding the ship.
On cruise ships, there are often restaurants and activities included in the ticket price, with some specialty restaurants costing extra. When stopping at ports, you can also book excursions for an additional cost.
Once your trip is booked, you can often prepay for dining on the ship and excursions at the ports. Reservations generally fill up quickly, so it's smart to book as soon as possible to ensure you get the experiences you want. Plus, you'll probably pay less than if you wait until your trip.
"Do everything you can before getting on board to save money," said Tekeshia Browne, who told Business Insider in 2022 that she'd been on more than 100 cruises. She added that there are often discounts for restaurants and excursions ahead of the cruise.
If you're a new cruiser, booking excursions with the cruise line is easiest.
At each cruise port, passengers may disembark to spend their time as they wish. They may sightsee independently, take a taxi to a beach, link up with a local tour guide, or join an official cruise-line excursion.
Gallifrey said first-time cruisers would probably have the easiest time by choosing the last option.
Navigating ports can be confusing, especially if you're taking transportation to your excursion, but if you book through the cruise line, you'll be directed to exactly where you need to go. Some cruise-line excursions even include meals.
"If you are new to cruising and have not had experience arranging excursions, it is sometimes easier to go with the ones from the cruise line," he said, adding that these excursions guarantee the ship would wait for you if an outing took longer than planned.
"Self-booked excursions are totally outside of this guarantee," he added.
Some say there's enough to eat, see, and do without spending more money outside booking your cruise.
Some cruisers told Business Insider that everything included in the ticket price is enough for a great vacation. You can eat at multiple restaurants on the ship, participate in games and activities, attend shows, and explore the ports at no extra cost.
"You don't really need to spend another penny after you have paid for your cruise. There are plenty of awesome free shows, foods — including the main dining room — and things to do at every port," Taylor said. "At ports, I roam around the shops and look at the artisan stuff made by locals."
No matter how you spend your days off or on your ship, you should always read the daily cruise planner.
On Royal Caribbean cruises, attendants deliver the daily planner, Cruise Compass, to staterooms each night.
Escape rooms, sports games, dance classes, and karaoke are some of the scheduled activities that you'll know about only if you read the Cruise Compass or check the Royal Caribbean app.
Vickie Carmody, a seasoned cruiser, said first-timers should read this planner. She said she skipped it during her first cruise and missed out.
"I was so bored because I didn't know any better," she told Business Insider. "I missed the welcome-aboard show, the Crazy Quest (a game-show-style scavenger hunt for adults on Royal Caribbean cruises), the poolside games like the belly-flop contest and sexiest-man contest, and a lot of the entertainment around the ship."
If you want to relax by the pool, get a chair early in the day before people or towels have taken them all.
Franks said that by midday on most ships, people take up chairs on pool decks by saving them with towels. So she recommended getting up early to grab a spot at about 6 a.m.
There are rules against saving chairs on cruise ships, but Franks said she has rarely seen them enforced.
"It tends to be a bigger issue on larger ships, ironically," she said. "The smaller ships go to smaller ports, so I guess people focus more on island excursions than the pool deck."
From booking to packing to the cruise itself, these tips can help you make the most of your first voyage.
Without the stresses that come from overpacking, overspending, and getting lost on your way to your stateroom, your first cruise could be a breeze. Happy sailing!
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
