Advice From Our Cruise Advisors
Cruise Tips for a Better Voyage
Practical advice for planning, packing and enjoying your time at sea, with links to the official sources that set the rules for your trip.
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Browse Cruise Tips by Topic
Jump to the part of your trip you are planning now. Each topic links to our advisors’ tips further down this page.
Planning & Booking
Choosing a cruise, when to book and how to find good value.
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Packing & Preparation
What to pack, what to leave home and how to get ready.
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Life Onboard
Reservations, staying active and settling in on day one.
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Health & Travel Protection
Medications, staying well and protecting your investment.
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Family & Solo Cruising
Making the most of a cruise with children or on your own.
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Featured tips · 01
Planning & Booking
The best cruise for you depends on the ship, the itinerary and the timing. These tips help you choose well and book with confidence.
Work with a cruise advisor
With so many cruise lines, ships and itineraries to choose from, there is probably a cruise that suits you well. The challenge is finding it. A Cruise Company advisor can help you compare cruise lines, ships, cabin types and itineraries, explain what a fare does and does not include, and point out current promotions for the sailings you are considering.
Tell your advisor how you like to travel, who is coming and what matters most to you, and they can narrow the choices before you commit.
Book early, and keep an eye on prices
Cruise lines often have the widest choice of cabins and dates when a sailing first opens for sale, and fares can rise as ships fill. Booking early is the surest way to get a specific cabin, dining time or popular date. It does not guarantee the lowest fare, because prices and promotions can change after you book.
Ask your advisor whether a lower fare or a new promotion can be applied to your reservation before final payment. Whether that is possible depends on the cruise line and the fare you booked.
Booking your next cruise while onboard? Many cruise lines sell future cruises at sea, sometimes with onboard booking offers. Ask the ship’s future cruise team how to link the booking to your Cruise Company advisor so we can keep helping you with it.
Stay flexible
Ask your advisor for alternatives to your first plan. Shoulder-season and off-peak sailings, a different ship on a similar route, or another cabin category can offer better value. A sailing that is less popular with other travelers may suit you perfectly.
Featured tips · 02
Packing & Preparation
A little preparation before you leave home makes embarkation day calmer and your cabin easier to live in.
Pack smart
Lay out everything you plan to bring, then edit. Most travelers need fewer clothes than they expect, so choose pieces you can mix and match. Check your cruise line’s dress code before you pack, because evening attire varies by line and by night, from casual to formal.
Small tricks help: a shower cap or cloth bag keeps shoes away from clean clothes, and packing cubes make a compact cabin easier to keep tidy.
Keep a day bag with you
Checked luggage is usually delivered to your cabin later on embarkation day. Pack a small carry-on with your travel documents, medications, valuables, a change of clothes and anything else you will want that afternoon.
Check what you can’t bring
Every cruise line publishes a list of prohibited items, so review yours before you pack. Some items allowed on U.S. flights, such as pepper spray, can be illegal in foreign ports. The U.S. Department of State also suggests checking your bags for leftover ammunition or other items that could be illegal at your destination.
Get your home and accounts ready
Let your bank and card companies know your travel dates, ask your mobile provider about international and at-sea charges, arrange mail and package holds, and leave a copy of your itinerary with someone at home.
Featured tips · 03
Life Onboard
Settle in quickly, book the experiences that matter to you and keep your days at sea as relaxed or as active as you like.
Reserve popular experiences early
Specialty restaurants, spa treatments, shows and shore excursions can fill up, especially on busy sailings. Many cruise lines let you reserve before you sail through their website or app, often once your cruise is paid in full; on some ships, certain bookings open only at embarkation. Check your cruise line’s planner and reserve what matters most to you first.
On embarkation day, a walk around the ship helps you find the dining rooms, spa, pools and your muster station, and see which times are still available.
Check the daily program and all-aboard time
Each ship publishes a daily schedule, often in its app, with activities, show times and port hours. Port times can change, so check the all-aboard time before you go ashore. If you are not back on time, the ship may sail without you.
Stay active at sea
It is easy to keep moving on a cruise. Try the fitness center or an early swim before the decks get busy, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and join a class or a game on the sports court. Many ships also have a jogging track, and some have climbing walls or surf simulators, so see what yours offers.
Featured tips · 04
Health & Travel Protection
Plan ahead for your health and for the unexpected, so you can relax once you are aboard.
This is general travel information, not medical or insurance advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about your own needs.
See your doctor before you go
The CDC recommends seeing your healthcare provider or a travel health specialist at least 4 to 6 weeks before your trip, making sure your routine vaccines are up to date, and checking its destination pages for vaccines or medicines recommended for the places you will visit. It is also a good time to ask which onboard activities and shore excursions suit your health.
Sources: CDC Cruise Ship Travel and destination health information
Pack enough medication, plus extra
Keep prescription and essential over-the-counter medicines in your carry-on, with enough for the whole trip plus extra in case of delays. Bring a written copy of your prescriptions, including generic drug names, and your health insurance card. Some medications that are legal in the United States are restricted in other countries, so check the rules for each country on your itinerary.
Help prevent illness onboard
Wash your hands with soap and water before eating and after using the restroom. It is one of the best defenses against stomach illnesses such as norovirus. If you feel sick before your cruise, contact your cruise line about your options, and if you feel unwell onboard, report your symptoms to the ship’s medical center.
Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher, as the CDC recommends, and reapply as directed on the label, especially after swimming or sweating. Sunburn is possible even on cloudy or cool days. If you are prone to seasickness, ask your healthcare provider about options before you sail.
Mobility and accessibility needs
If you use a wheelchair, scooter, walker or medical equipment, or need other accommodations, tell your advisor when you book. They can ask the cruise line about accessible cabins, its accessibility services and how to arrange equipment for your sailing.
Protect your vacation investment
Even a carefully planned trip can be affected by illness, travel delays or emergencies. Travel protection can help with costs from covered events, such as trip cancellation or interruption, emergency medical care and baggage delays. Plans differ in what they cover, what they exclude and how claims work, so read the terms before you buy.
Also check whether your health insurance covers you abroad and at sea. The U.S. Department of State notes that Medicare and Medicaid do not cover medical costs abroad. Learn about travel protection.
Featured tips · 05
Family & Solo Cruising
Whether you are sailing with children or on your own, the right ship and a little planning make all the difference.
Choose the right ship for your family
A cruise can be a rewarding trip for parents and children alike. Many ships offer supervised youth programs, but age ranges, hours and any fees vary, and babysitting or nursery services are available only on some ships.
Ask your advisor to compare what each ship offers for your children’s ages, from kids’ clubs to family cabins.
Pack for little ones
Bring extra diapers, wipes, snacks and a favorite toy in your carry-on, especially if flights are part of the trip, so a delay is easier to manage. Baby supplies onboard can be limited, and some cruise lines let you pre-order items for delivery to your cabin.
Shore excursions and documents for children
Family-friendly excursions are a great way to explore together. Some tours have minimum age, height or ability requirements, and child pricing varies, so check the details when you book. Children may also need their own travel documents, and a child traveling without both parents may need a consent letter. See our passport and travel documents guide.
Cruising solo
Cruising on your own can be just as enjoyable as traveling with others. You set your own schedule, with plenty of chances to meet people or simply relax.
Cabin pricing is usually based on two guests, so solo travelers often pay a single supplement. Some ships have studio cabins designed for one, and some sailings offer reduced solo fares. Ask your advisor to compare the options.
Pre-cruise checklist
Before You Sail
Work through this list in the weeks before departure. Requirements depend on your cruise line, ship, itinerary and citizenship, so confirm the details for your own sailing.
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Travel documentsA passport book valid well beyond your travel dates (the State Department advises at least six months and two blank pages), any visas needed for ports of call, and names on your booking that match your ID exactly. See our passport guide.
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Cruise line requirementsOnline check-in completed, boarding documents and luggage tags ready, and any health, vaccination or document rules your cruise line sets for your sailing confirmed.
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Embarkation detailsYour arrival time, terminal address and latest boarding time, checked again a few days before you leave.
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Flights and port logisticsFlights that leave time for delays (many travelers fly in the day before), plus transfers, parking or a hotel near the port arranged.
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PackingA carry-on day bag with documents, medications and valuables, clothes for your cruise line’s dress code, and nothing from its prohibited items list.
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Medications and healthEnough medication for the trip plus extra, copies of prescriptions, your health insurance card, and a visit with your healthcare provider 4 to 6 weeks ahead if you need one.
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Money and phoneBank and card companies told your travel dates, and your mobile plan’s international and at-sea charges checked.
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Protection and copiesTravel protection reviewed, copies of your passport and itinerary kept apart from the originals, and, for international sailings, enrollment in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
Official guidance: U.S. Department of State cruise ship guidance · CDC cruise ship travel
Personalized help
Plan Your Cruise With an Advisor
Every cruise line, ship and itinerary has its own rules and details. Our advisors can help you compare options, answer your questions and handle the arrangements, so you can look forward to the voyage.
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