When researching and preparing for your upcoming cruise, you may stumble upon conflicting information. But, rest assured that we’ve got all the answers you’ll ever need. Take a deep breath and know that cruises are designed to be relaxing and low stress, so take comfort in the fact that cruising is far less complicated than you might think. Here are a couple of things to think about when you are heading off on your incredible journey at sea.

Plan out your excursions in advance

Those cruise ships hold A LOT of people, and a bulk of them will be planning all of their excursions last minute. We recommend not being one of those people. Check out what times the ship arrives at a port as well as what time you need to be back on the ship by. Trust us, you don’t want to be late.

There are a lot of really great tours and excursions that you can book through the ship or through other companies, so be sure to do your research and figure out what’s best for you. It’s also important to check how far your destination is from the port and incorporate that into your plan. For example, your cruise may say that one of its stops is in Rome, but the port could be as far as two hours from Rome. (Just some food for thought.) So, just look into things ahead of time, have fun and don’t be late. We know you wouldn’t dream of being late, but sometimes you get engrossed in your amazing journeys onshore!

Prepare for Additional Expenses

Even if the Cruise is all-inclusive, that may or may not include alcoholic beverages. Your beer or piña colada typically cost what you might expect at a nice resort or restaurant, so be prepared. The same is also true for excursions. This is why you might also want to consider purchasing one of the many packages that you ship might offer. Most ships, for example, offer a drink package. This all-you-can-drink package will allow you to have unlimited beverages as long as you pay an upfront fee.

Make sure to take the time to identify what you want to do, and what the cost per person might be. If you’re prepared and know what to expect, there will be no surprises or stress! It’s a simple fix that will make your vacation all the more enjoyable and stress-free.

Take Advantage of the Cruise Ship

This seems like a pretty basic tip if you ask us, but you wouldn’t believe how many people don’t do take advantage of the ship! Yes, the best thing about a cruise is the fact that you can hit multiple spots and never have to travel far.

Cruises have tons of parties, shows, bars, mini-golf course, water slides and so much more for you to enjoy and take advantage of. You’ll have the opportunity to see anything from a musical like Hairspray to ice skating on a boat. In addition to this, cruises will also sometimes have special events like a formal night where everyone dresses up in their best clothes and goes out to dinner.

It’s pretty common for cruises to have fun waterslides and pools, but some even offer zip lines from one side of the ship to the other, ice rinks, surf simulators, arcades and more. Some ships even offer skydiving simulators. There’s so much that included in the cost of your cruise. Just the initial cost of your cruise most often includes things like food, shows and access to things like sun deck activities, the gym and the spa.

You’ll have plenty of time to chill out on the boat when you aren’t exploring your exciting port destinations, so take advantage of the ship! Really, you could even stay on the ship the whole cruise and have the time of your life.

Sea Sick? Let’s not…

Gross, we know. There’s nothing worse than getting sick on vacation, but we had to put it in here. On a ship as big as this, it’s very hard to get seasick, and it’s likely that you won’t ever feel the boat move, but if it never hurts to be prepared. Better safe than sorry, right?!

They’ll, of course, have stuff on the ship for sale if you feel a little off, but it can’t hurt to already have it in the rare case of something happening. There’s seasickness wristbands, patches and medicine. But, don’t let that freak you out, these trips truly are amazing, and there’s a solution for everything!

We hope we cleared up some concerns you may have had about cruises. We know your first time cruising may be stressful, and while this may be a new kind of travel that you aren’t used to, there’s no need to worry. Just remember to plan your excursions and budget ahead of time, but also be sure to enjoy the ship as much as you can. Cruises have a lot of perks, so don’t forget to sit back, relax and enjoy your boating adventure.