CRUISING MADE EASY... TIPS FROM THE NI TRAVEL NEWS TEAM
4 CRUISE NEWS
Take That are Taking Over P&O’s Arvia
P&O Cruises have announced that Arvia will be the only place in the world where guests can watch the stage musical,
Greatest
CRUISING MADE EASY
CRUISING is easy. Or so seasoned cruisers will tell you. But even in its simplicity, cruising still can be daunting for a first-timer. What should you bring? What should you plan on doing in ports? What is the best way to book? No matter if it’s your first cruise or your one-hundredth, the first day of your cruise is the most exciting, but there are a few things you’ll want to consider to make it as simple and enjoyable as possible.
1: Arrive a Day Early Add on a night in a hotel at port before
joining your cruise? This way you can enjoy a little local culture on your first night - for example, a stroll through Venice, or a platter fresh seafood with a glass of crisp wine in Barcelona. Arriving a day early means you are also less likely to miss your sailing time.
2: Pack Smart Experienced
cruisers
have many tips and tricks for packing, some more expected than others. Some cruisers swear
by
using magnets to stick documents to the ship walls, but we prefer a multi- pocket travel organiser, making it very easy to organise all your excursion tickets and keep different currency separate. Towel clips will stop your beach towel from flying off your lounger while compression cubes are perfect for squeezing more into your luggage. A hanging washbag is a must as stateroom bathrooms don’t have much surface space for toiletries. Need to take medication with you? Invest in a travel pill organiser to avoid packing multiple bottles. A roomy foldable tote bag is perfect for the pool deck, beach or a day shopping while a roll-top waterproof backpack is perfect for more active excursions such as kayaking or if you are headed to the Galapagos, where you’ll be zooming around on Zodiacs. A wet bag is handy for storing wet beach or pool gear in your bag without soaking through. A lanyard (to
hold your cabin key card) is also a neat tip.
Days – The Official Take That Musical. Greatest Days is a story about friendship and music and focuses on five 16-year-old girls in 1993 for whom Take That is everything. The show follows this group of girls as they reunite after 25 years apart and try to fulfil their dream of meeting the boy band.
The team at NI Travel News are no stranger to a cruise, but they do understand that it can be a daunting experience for first-timers. Here they have put together their top tips and tricks for making sure your first cruise experience goest as smoothly as possible...
When you first arrive at a ship, in most cases,
a porter working with the line will whisk away your luggage, and it’ll be delivered to your room later in the day. This is a great convenience — there’s no need to haul your bags through the entire check-in progress. But it also means that you might not have access to your luggage for many hours on your first day on board. Pack everything you need for the first afternoon of embarkation day in your carry-on (as well as your valuables), not least swimwear, a cover-up, and suncream, so you don’t have to wait for your suitcases to be delivered to your stateroom. This means you can fully enjoy your first day on board without having to wait for your suitcase to be delivered - sometime this can take several hours. Your cruise documents and your passport should also go in your carry on. Keep this bag as light as possible as you may need to wait for your stateroom to be ready depending on your boarding time and the cruise line.
3: Check the Day’s Schedule The first day’s programme will
usually be handed to you when you check in, and if not, you should be able to pick one up at guest services. Most cruise lines even put this information in their app. This will list important information about the afternoon and evening happenings, ranging from muster drill to evening shows.
4: Get to Know the Ship Take some time on the first day to explore
your new home. This will help you figure out where you want to sunbathe, eat, and relax. You can also sign up for classes you like the look of and book spa treatments.
5: Always Carry the Ship’s Contact Information with You When going ashore, always bring the ship’s contact information with you. Those
details are usually printed in the newsletter that’s delivered to your cabin each night. If something goes wrong when you’re away from the ship, you’ll want to get in contact with the cruise line right away.
6: Muster Drill The muster drill or emergency drill is where everyone - regardless of age, how many times you’ve cruised - goes to their designated muster stations (remember the back door of your stateroom) to get familiar with that location and to
review what the procedures would be in the event of an actual emergency. Most lines have made muster quicker and easier by
allowing you to watch the safety video on your phone or stateroom TV, and then head to your muster station for a quick check-in in the first few hours after you’ve arrived.
7: Document Your Voyage Make sure to take plenty photographs and
videos. Record the memories to look back on time and time again. Ask the whole family for their best shots at the end of the trip and create a photo book. An essential cruise tip is to bring a spare battery, nobody wants a dead camera just as that pod of orcas appears. Drones are off-limits onboard, however some of the tiniest models, for which you don’t need a license, are handy for catching those ‘wow’ aerial shots as you explore your port- of call. Always check, though, whether your mini-drone is legal in your destination. If you’re sailing somewhere tropical and are likely to be snorkelling or diving, consider a GoPro or a waterproof case for your smartphone for underwater shots.
8: Bring Extra Toiletries You’ll be able to find
sunscreen, aspirin and
plasters on a cruise ship but they can be expensive. Make sure you pack a small First Aid kit filled with over- the-counter
medicines
and topical creams (for bites) that you think you
might need - pain killers, cold medication, seasickness tablets and aloe vera for sunburn.
9: Plan Specialty Dining Skip the buffet on your first day on board.
There’s nothing busier than the buffet on embarkation day. Everybody boarding heads straight up to it. To avoid the first-day buffet crowds, head to whatever secondary dining option is available. Sometimes, a ship will open one of its table-served eateries for lunch on embarkation day, and it’ll likely be much less crowded than the buffet.
10: Book Through a Travel Agent Given the complexity of booking a cruise its
recommended that you use a seasoned travel agent who specialises in cruises to help you arrange things. A good travel agent will get to know about your particular interests, travel style and preferences, and steer you to the perfect cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you. They also can help you if something goes wrong just before, during or after your voyage. In addition, travel agents often can you extra onboard credit and other perks that you might not be able to get by booking direct with a line.
11: Get Travel Insurance It’s not always smooth seas when it comes to
cruising — or any sort of travel. There is always the possibility that you might need to cancel your cruise in advance due to the sudden onset of an illness. Or, maybe you’ll fall ill during the cruise and need emergency medical attention. Maybe your flight to your ship gets cancelled and you miss the ship’s departure. These sorts of things can happen, and they’re all the sort of situations where you might benefit from having travel insurance.
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