Are you tired of looking at everyone else’s amazing cruise vacay photos on Social Media while wishing, dreaming, and hoping that one day you could go too? Would you like to know how to book your own cruise, but you don’t want anyone to know, that you don’t know, what to do???
Well, you’ve clicked on the correct link! I will show you how to do it in a few easy steps, and you’ll be sipping The Drink of The Day on the Lido Deck in no time!
1. Budget. What’s yours? How much can you comfortably spend on your cruise without having to resort to unscrupulous, unsavory methods of monetary gain? Prolly one of the best benefits of cruising is that you can book the cruise at a low price ($100 when Carnival has their $50 deposit sale), then make payments up until the final payment date, which is typically 60-90 days before sail date. This gives you time to get your cake up! #score!
2. Check your calendar. This is super important because the time of year that you cruise could drastically change the price. Cruises are more expensive when schools are out for Winter Break, Thanksgiving Break, Spring Break, and Summer. That really just leaves Jan- Early March, Early May, and Mid September-Mid November. If you are chained to the school schedule, play around with the dates, you could still land a deal during Peak Times if you book it a year or so out. Allow time for passport delivery or certified birth certificates if you are going that route. We will talk more about this in Step 6, but this is where you should assess how much time you will need.
3. Search a site. Try cruisesonly.com or vacationstogo.com . These sites are simple and straightforward. This is where you can enter in different criteria and compare prices and features of different cruise lines, cruise ships, and ports very quickly. Look at departure ports as well. Having the ability to drive to port could save you a lot in airfare. Especially if you are traveling with a squad. As a bonus, vacationstogo.com also shows Military Discounts and other Discounts available. From here, make a list of your top 3-4 choices.
4. Research the heck out of everything. You are spending your hard earned coins, and you don’t want to come back with regret and remorse. Your goal is to return refreshed and relaxed! One of the best places to research cruises is on Cruise Critic. I’ve learned loads of very useful information on that site from reading reviews and message boards. Spend time there. Lots of time. You can also ask for recommendations from friends/family who’ve cruised. I prefer to do a mixture, I may ask, but I’m also going to check it out. Trust but verify, because rules change. Often.
5. After you’ve decided on your first cruise, call a Travel Agent or call the Cruise line directly to book, and ask tons of questions. For your first time, I don’t recommend going on your own. Especially if you are booking Military Discounts, you have to call those in because you will have to send in your documentation. You definitely need a knowledgeable professional in your corner. The beauty of that is that it doesn’t cost you a cent for their expertise. See you’ve already started saving for your trip!
6. Yay! You are booked for your first cruise. Now what? Great question! Now it’s time to really plan. Some more. Get your proof of citizenship documents in order as soon as you hang up with the Travel Agent. Passports are the preferred method of ID verification, however for most Caribbean cruises, you only need a certified copy of your birth certificate and a Driver License. Visit https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports.html, ASAP to make sure that you have what you need before your trip. If you need to order certified copies of Birth Certificates, go to https://www.vitalchek.com/birth-certificates .Know before you go!
7. Make a note of your final payment date on your calendar so you don’t miss it. Your cruise will be canceled if you don’t pay your balance in full before the final payment date. Bummer.
8. Check out our guides on Cruise Packing Hacks and Choosing Cruise Clothing, then start shopping! Typically the best time to buy cruise wear is in the fall, but Amazon has great prices year round.
9. Make necessary travel arrangements if you are flying to port. Consider shuttles, Uber, Taxi, or Rental Car to and from the airport to the port and/or hotel. Try to leave the day before sailing for the most stress free travel. Many hotels in departure port cities offer free shuttle service. Some hotels will allow you to leave your car for the week with their park and cruise packages which really only cost you the price of one night’s hotel stay. It’s definitely worth looking into. Hint: Refer back to Step 4.
10. Complete your check in on the Cruise Line’s website, and look at the FAQ section to make sure that you are prepared and bring only allowed items onboard. Nothing will ruin your embarkation day, and make you thirsty, like having your water bottles confiscated because you didn’t know that rule changed. After you make final payment, you will be able to print out your check in sheet and luggage tags from the Cruiseline’s website. You will need these along with your citizenship documents to board the ship, so keep them in a safe place. I also print out all reservations, hotel confirmations, and other important papers related to our trip so that I have them if needed. Sometimes internet can be sketchy and I’m extremely impatient on vacation. Sorry, can’t help it, it’s a condition.
11. While you are on the Cruiseline’s website, look at excursions and any other special activities that you can book ahead of time. You can also look into children’s programs and register for those if you will be traveling with kids. Book whatever excites you. And them. Print out the confirmations and add them to your fun folder.
12. Pack! There are tons of great cruise packing lists online. Search for one that fits your needs and print it out. You won’t know that you needed a packing list until you are on the ship and realize that you forgot to pack underwear, which is very hard to find during a cruise. Don’t ask how I know, just trust me!
13. Queue your cruise time happy dance! You’ve worked hard, saved, sold your old toenails to science, and now it’s time to reap the rewards! Do a final check of the checklist to make sure that you have everything. Grab your bags, your docs, your significant other, and your kids (only if you are taking kids), and get ready for the time of your life! Once you get on the ship, you don’t have to worry about driving, navigating, cooking, cleaning (except yourself please), or any other chore. You are in official vacay mode and you are leaving your cares on land.
Soul on the Seas! 