Cruise Confessions: 5 Mistakes I Made on My Week-Long Voyage
Embarking on a week-long cruise can be an exhilarating experience filled with breathtaking views, gourmet dining, and exciting adventures. However, amidst the excitement, it’s easy to overlook crucial details that can turn your dream vacation into a stressful series of regrettable mishaps. In this post, I’ll share five mistakes I made during my recent cruise and offer insights on how you can avoid them to make the most of your maritime getaway.
Not Researching Parking Ahead of Time
One of the most overlooked aspects of cruise travel is parking arrangements at the port. Like many travelers, I assumed that parking fees would be reasonable and readily available. However, upon arriving at the port, I was shocked to discover I needed to pay $145 upfront to get into the parking lot. Although this isn’t an abhorrent price for seven days of parking, I was still stressed because I completely forgot to consider paying for parking before departing and I hadn’t budgeted for that cost.
To avoid this mistake, always research parking options at the port well in advance. Look for discounted rates, shuttle services, or alternative parking facilities nearby. By verifying parking costs ahead of time, you can save both time and money while ensuring a smoother embarkation process.
If there aren’t many parking options, like at the Galveston, Texas port I left out of, at least you’ll be aware of the cost and won’t feel anxious when you have to pay it upon arrival.
Not Booking Excursions Before Embarking
While spontaneity adds an element of excitement to any trip, leaving excursion bookings until the last minute can lead to disappointment. Before our cruise, my boyfriend and I found ourselves overwhelmed with day-to-day tasks and decided we’d figure out our excursion options once we were onboard.
Technically, you’re able to book excursions up until the evening before onboard pending availability, but we found the only times we were able to go to the excursions desk were during other events we wanted to attend and it was an inconvenience.
We took it even further down the “we shouldn’t have done that” path and decided not to book onboard at all! We’d just book on shore when we land in Roatan! You can choose to do this at any port, but there are pros and cons to booking through the cruise line you’re with vs. local tours. One of the cons for us was that we were bombarded with offers and weren’t able to research any reputable organizations/companies or pricing options. We just went with one and hoped for the best.
To make the most of your shore excursions, research and book activities before your departure. Most cruise lines offer online portals where you can browse and reserve excursions in advance. By planning ahead, you’ll have access to a wider selection of activities and ensure you don’t miss out on unforgettable experiences at each port of call. If you have onboard credit, you’ll want to find an excursion through the cruise line so you don’t miss out on that opportunity to use the money you’ve already paid!
Booking Excursions Through 3rd Parties
If you don’t have onboard excursion credits, you can book your excursion(s) through a third-party website too! One of my favorite websites to book excursions and tours on is Viator. I’ve enjoyed my Viator experiences so much, that I signed up to be an affiliate for their program. If you click the links below and choose to book any tours through their website, I’ll earn a small commission.
Not Packing Enough Clothes
Packing for a week-long cruise requires careful consideration of both attire and accessories for various occasions. Despite my best efforts to pack efficiently, I underestimated the diversity of activities onboard and ended up with a shortage of clothing options. Whether it was formal dinners, poolside lounging, or adventurous excursions, I found myself wishing I had packed more versatile outfits.
I would say I’m an expert carry-on-only packer, but I still managed to forget some important items I wish I had had on board. We were traveling from a warm place to even warmer places so I didn’t think to bring along clothes for when it wasn’t warm! We had some evenings where the wind was pretty strong and chilly and all I had packed was a swimsuit cover-up and some T-shirts. Next time, I will bring at least 1 long-sleeve/warmer item to wear.
My boyfriend is NOT an expert carry-on-only packer and he way under-packed. He forgot to bring a bag for his dirty clothes, a nice outfit for our formal dinner, and enough clothes overall to last the entire week. Luckily we were able to buy him some things in the ports that sufficed.
My advice on avoiding this faux pas is to create a comprehensive packing list that includes necessities and potential weather outfits too. I brought an umbrella just in case it rained while we were off visiting a port or on an excursion and an extra pair of sunglasses in case I lost mine. You can never be too cautious.
Cruise ships allow you to bring a LOT of luggage onboard with you, so ensuring everything you need will fit in your allowable luggage size isn’t something you really need to worry about. However, verify what you’re allowed to bring onboard before packing so nothing ends up getting confiscated or rejected when embarking.
Buying a Bunch of Drinks Before We Left Texas
Hear me out. We purchase the all-inclusive alcohol package and fully intend to get our money’s worth while on this cruise.
After arriving onboard, we immediately head for the bar because our room won’t be ready for another hour. We proceed to drink until our room is ready, drop our things off, and then start exploring the ship while stopping at multiple other bars.
At the end of the night, we get back to our room, turn the TV on, and find out we have a $35 bar tab.
How could this be?! We got the all-inclusive package?! We visited customer service the next morning and they kindly explained to us that while we’re still in the Galveston, TX port, we have to pay all taxes on purchases made while still in the port due to Texas alcohol laws.
$35.00 isn’t a big deal, but when we had the all-inclusive package, we weren’t sure what was going on!
Not Bringing Enough Cash to Tip Staff
Cruise staff work tirelessly to ensure passengers have a memorable and enjoyable experience onboard. From housekeeping to dining staff, their dedication often goes unrecognized. Unfortunately, I made the cruise mistake of not bringing enough cash to tip the hardworking crew members who went above and beyond to cater to our needs.
We chose to pay gratuities in advance so we didn’t feel too bad about not having enough cash, but it would have been nice to give a little extra to those who got to know us throughout the week.
To show appreciation for exceptional service, budget accordingly and bring ample cash for gratuities. While some cruise lines automatically include gratuities in the fare, additional tips for exceptional service are customary and greatly appreciated by the staff. Plan and set aside a designated amount for tipping to acknowledge the efforts of the onboard team.
Those are the Cruise Mistakes I Made so You Don’t Have To
Embarking on a week-long cruise is a thrilling adventure filled with unforgettable moments and unique experiences. However, avoiding common pitfalls can enhance your overall enjoyment and ensure a smoother sailing experience. By learning from the cruise mistakes I made, you can better prepare for your vacation and create stress-free lasting memories.
Despite these cruise mistakes, we still had an amazing week-long cruise on NCL’s newest cruise ship – the Norwegian Prima! Read more about it by clicking the post below.
Katelynn is a Texas-based writer and travel enthusiast who makes the most of her time exploring new destinations while balancing a full-time 9-5 job. She has visited 12 countries and 27 U.S. states. She describes herself as a weekend warrior and shares her passion for travel, outdoor adventures, and solo journeys on her blog, KatelynnOutLoud.
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Oh, I love the tip about drinking on the cruise, even with the all-inclusive package! I had no idea that was a thing and would definitely want to avoid that.
For first timers it can be a little confusing all around because you get the “all-inclusive package” but there are some things you can’t order and now I know it’s also NOT free at the Texas port. There’s not a print out or guide from what I’ve experienced so it’s a bit confusing. I would say that 99% of drinks are covered though, which is really nice!
As a long time cruiser I was interested to see what mistakes you made on this trip. Every cruise we learn a new tip that we take with us on our next voyage. We have missed lots of excursions we wanted by dragging our feet on making choices. But I seem to always pack for “just in case” and have rarely been caught without key things I needed. But I will admit that my hubby often does not listen to my advice and has had to scrounge for things he missed packing! Some great advice for new cruisers.
I met some long time cruisers while I was on my trip and I love hearing about their experiences! I got some good excursion advice as well as general cruiseline booking advice!
Do you have a favorite cruise line?
I’m hoping to do an Alaskan cruise, and having never been on a cruise before these tips will surely come in handy and make for a better vacation.
I’ve never been on an Alaskan cruise either, but my grandparents have been on a bunch of them and are absolutely in love with the scenery out there! They’ve been on a lot of cruises and Alaskan is there favorite! I’ve heard that from a lot of others too. I hope you get to go soon!
These are great tips, especially about understanding what is and is not included in your all inclusive. I haven’t done cruises, and wouldn’t have thought of most of these.
Understanding what was and what wasn’t included was honestly the most confusing thing on this cruise! When I was previously on a carnival cruise, the bartender would tell you whether or not something was included (most things are) so that you weren’t charged, on Norwegian, the bartender just made up whatever you asked for, which resulted in us being billed a few times.
Now we know for next time!
Ive never been on a cruise so I didn’t know any of these – it’s a really helpful post for newbies! But omg that last one! They really should have told your your drinks would cost you while you were in texas!
p.s. I would never have guessed the under packing! I feel like so many posts tell people to pack light. It’s so hard to get it right!
Cruise packing is such a unique thing too because you could be leaving a cold place and traveling to a hot place. You’re also allowed to bring a lot of luggage so it’s so easy to overpack. I am used to traveling with just a carry on so I figured I could make that work, and honestly, I probably still could have fit everything I needed in a carry on, but it’s a balancing act for sure!
I’ve never been on a cruise but this article helped me realize what I need to avoid if I ever do decide to book one – Bringing cash is huge because we often forget about tipping! Thanks for a great post!
I’m glad you found it helpful. Tipping is such a debated topic on cruise ships since many people pay all gratuities upfront as part of their package. Since I don’t know how much each staff member makes, (and I’m sure it varies greatly depending on their specific position), and I don’t really know how my gratuities are divided up, I always like to tip the staff that I personally interacted with and had a good experience with. Our housekeeper was amazing! She memorized our names on day one, always greeted us by name when she saw us and she left our room spotless!