A lot of travellers champion the notion that their holiday starts the second they wake up on the day of their cruise, or even on the way down to port.
So, the last thing you should be feeling on this day is stressed and unprepared! It could be as simple as bringing a book or actually setting off two hours late…
Read our ultimate guide to having a smooth, stress-free embarkation day to do exactly that. You’ll realise you’ve been doing it wrong all along!
Hotel Stop
We’re not all lucky enough to live right next to the port our chosen cruise is embarking from. So why not extend your holiday for an extra night?
Head down to your port the night before embarkation and stay in a hotel so you wake up well-rested, refreshed and close to the ship!
That means you can wake up for a leisurely breakfast before hopping in a short taxi, or even walking, to the port and being first onboard.
You’ll be tasting the very first cocktails of the day from your ship…
Time Killer
Although you don’t want to hear it, there will inevitably be a queue to get on your cruise ship (especially if you’re running late!)
Prepare for the worst and bring yourself a book for the wait, or charge your tablet so you can browse online.
If you really can’t wait, at least you can head to the cruise line’s website to obsess over the ship you’re about to board!
And if you have kids, no doubt they’ll be even more restless than you if the wait is a long one so bringing a few snacks and toys could be the idea that keeps you sane…
One and Only Organisation
You’ve had weeks, maybe even months, counting down to your cruise but still, there will be some that turn up somewhat unprepared (insert eye roll).
If there’s one thing you put a little bit of extra organisation into, it needs to be your documents. Having them all at the ready really will help things go a bit more smoothly.
You’ll step onboard the ship a lot sooner and will annoy less passengers behind you in the queue. And there’s nothing like pulling everything out your suitcase to find your passport at the last minute, is there?
Passports at the ready!
Know Your Do’s And Don’ts
It’s important to research your cruise line before boarding so you’re fully prepared and don’t get anything confiscated out your suitcase as you go through security.
This really wouldn’t be the most pleasant start to your cruise and the delay is not what anyone needs! Note that most cruise lines only allow you to bring one bottle of wine, champagne, beer, spirit or liqueur onboard.
You can buy alcohol onboard tax-free so in the interest of saving money, wait till you’re on your cruise to bag your drinks!
The Little Extras
In the unlikely event that your suitcase takes an extra day to get to you (it happens to the best of us), it helps to at least have a change of clothes.
Pack a day’s worth of clothes and toiletries into your hand luggage so you’re ready for every situation, regardless of if it even happens!
You’ll be surprised how many things there really are to know about packing for your cruise. Prepare for a revelation with our guide below…
De-Stress With Your Guide Of What NOT To Pack On Your Cruise This Year Have you actually planned to bring something that is completely banned from your cruise? Let’s avoid any nasty surprises with this list of items…
Pick Your Timings
Would you ever have thought we’d be telling you to turn up late?! Well, not exactly.
If you’re not an early bird but equally hate queues, you could always turn up with the intention of being the last onboard. That way you’ll have skipped the wait before embarkation.
Our true recommendation is to turn up as early as you can so you can beat the latecomers. Time is precious! You should saviour every moment of your cruise you’ve paid for.
The sooner you get onboard, the sooner you’ll be sunning it up in the pool or exploring a ship you’ve never been on before, or indulging in the all-you-can-eat buffet!
What do you think of our guide? Do you always set off early or stay in a hotel the night before embarking? How do you minimise stress right before your cruise? Leave us your comments below…
Real Cruisers Advice To Avoiding Cruise Queues Forever! To help solve your woes, we turned to our cruise community to find out their top tips for avoiding the queues and having a chilled, relaxing holiday instead. ..
Our Expert Community’s Top Tips For A Stress-Free Cruise We gathered the best tips that we thought could help anyone that is planning on booking a cruise, or someone that has already booked one and is awaiting their adventure…
