Tips & Tricks for Cruises

Many shipping companies offer complimentary onboard credit or other perks if you own a certain number of shares. (Shareholder Benefit Program at NCL)

If traveling by car, in the best-case scenario, one can arrive on the same day. However, if traveling by plane, I would almost always recommend planning to arrive the night before the ship's departure. This allows more time to adjust to potential time zone differences and provides a buffer in case of flight cancellations or other unforeseen events. Even within Europe, traveling on the same day by plane is not entirely without risk. Booking a package tour through a travel agency provides better protection than booking the cruise and flight separately.

In most ports, local tour operators await, often offering the exact same excursions as those provided by the ship but at a fraction of the price. Often, you can also customize the tour to your preferences and pay a flat fee for a full day excursion. Naturally, there's no guarantee that everything will go smoothly, and ships don't wait for individual tours if they encounter traffic (for example, Livorno or Civitavecchia are far from city centers, so I wouldn't recommend a private tour there). Additionally, with privately organized tours, there's no recourse for complaints if something doesn't go as planned. In special ports, like Alaska/Icy Strait Point, it's also possible that nothing will be available locally, leaving you without an excursion if you haven't booked anything through the ship. It's always worth doing a bit of research beforehand.

In my opinion, when you pay a significant amount for your vacation, you expect a perfect experience. However, sometimes there are minor issues, whether it's a problem with the cabin, something with the food, or during an excursion. In my experience, it's almost always possible to resolve the problem by calmly and politely approaching the staff. Whether it's the guest service at the reception, the excursion desk, or the cabin crew. Even the waiter during meals will address any concerns if you just speak up and explain calmly. Particularly with NCL, the staff is extremely attentive, so it always pays off to address the issue rather than getting frustrated and accepting it.

The location of the cabin determines daily routines and the distances one must cover each day. Inside cabin, outside cabin, balcony cabin... here, everyone needs to discover their own preference. However, the location of the cabin may be well planned. Directly below the pool deck, you may hear footsteps from above; at the stern, the vibration of the engine is stronger than at the bow; above a club, you may hear the music at night... There are countless aspects that influence the right location of the cabin. Here, some advice from experienced cruisers can be helpful.

A huge issue on land as well as at sea is the availability of lounge chairs. It's clear that reserving them is prohibited, and those who are away from their chair for an extended period (around 30 minutes to an hour) should make it available for other guests. Sometimes this system works a bit, and sometimes not at all. I haven't found a real solution to be fair here and avoid doing what most people end up doing anyway, which is reserving the chairs.

It definitely pays off to choose a favorite cruise line and remain loyal to it. Almost all of them offer various loyalty programs that provide discounts, perks, or even free events and vouchers based on your level of membership.

What to bring on board always depends on the season and the destination. In Alaska, you can experience everything from warm sunny days to snowfall, so you'll need gloves, flip-flops, winter boots, and a swimsuit in your suitcase. In the Caribbean, you can get by with very little clothing since you often spend half the day lounging in beachwear on the shore. In Europe, you have a mix of city tours and beach vacations. It's best to seek advice from someone familiar with the area.