Pre-Cruise Travel Tips
They say in business that the 3 most important things are location, location and location. For cruise travel they are probably planning, planning and planning. But it is a lot easier taking a cruise than opening a business so here are some pre-cruise tips that hopefully will help you relieve some of the anxiety as you get ready to sail away.
Leave Early: If you are flying or driving a long distance to embark on your ship, it is an excellent idea to plan to arrive the day before, and enjoy a relaxing evening in a hotel near the port. Yes, it does add some expense to the trip but can you say, “Passengers were held on the plane for 8 hours” or “Interstate 5 was closed for 6 hours due to a late season ice storm”? Not things you want to hear. Think about the piece of mind that you will have in knowing that your cruise ship is literally parked outside the door of your hotel room. Many port area hotels have cruise and stay packages that include parking or meal programs. If you have a bunch of “loyalty” miles in your credit card account, this would be a great way to use them for something that you really need. It is important to note that the airlines generally take no responsibility for delayed or cancelled flights other than getting you to your destination – eventually. But if you arrive in Miami a day late you are only going to be greeted by an empty pier. And yes, trip insurance will pick up the cost of transporting you to join the ship in the next port of call but this might mean spending a couple of days on the beach waiting for the ship because ships travel at 20 mph and planes at 500 mph. And be aware that missing the ship due to airline or other travel delays is considered by the cruise lines to be a “no show” meaning “no refund”. The cost of a pre-cruise hotel can be as little as $75 per person, a small price for knowing that your ship won’t leave you behind. Our sister site, www.GreatPorts.com has lots of good information on hotels near major cruise ports.
My bathing suit is on Deck 2 but my stateroom is on Deck 8: Savvy cruisers, particularly those that come from colder climates, have learned that it does indeed take up to 5 hours or more to deliver all the baggage you have checked to stateroom. So, make sure that your pack one carry on bag with some resort wear – bathing suits, shorts, t-shirts or the like so you can enjoy the ship in comfort while the bags are being delivered. You can usually access your stateroom shortly after embarkation, throw the jackets etc. in the closet, change into your “fun” clothes and explore the ship. There’s no better feeling than being “in the know” when it comes to cruising. And by the way, don’t forget to put medications and sundries you may need on sailing day in your carry-on and of course, don’t put your cruise documents and proof of citizenship in checked baggage.
TIP: Throw several coat hangars in your luggage because sometimes there aren’t enough built-in hangars in your stateroom.
Why is everyone going the wrong way? Unlike the airport, it is not a particularly good idea to arrive at the cruise terminal several hours before departure (it’s also not a good idea to arrive several minutes before departure). Cruise terminals usually do not offer nearly as many of the amenities that airports do. That’s because they sit empty several days a week when the ship is not there. Facilities and comfort level vary from port to port but suffice it to say that no-one looks forward to spending a couple of hours in a chair designed by the Marquis de Sade and dining at a snack bar run by Big Al. If 2,000 passengers departed last week on your ship, 2,000 of them have to get off this week as you prepare to sail. This process can take several hours. You can’t get on until they get off. We recommend that you plan to arrive at the pier no later than 2 hours before sailing. This leaves a pretty wide window for you to make your plans.
TIP: If you have a whole bunch of time, it is possible to go the pier, check in large suitcases with porters and then take transportation to “town” and sightsee, shop or dine. Due to security concerns, it is not easy to do this at the airport as most lockers have been removed and you will have to cart your luggage with you. If you are traveling on a weekend, there are usually some really cheap rental car deals and you can pick up a car for several hours for not much more than cab fare or transfers – and your luggage can stay with you.
