5 Tips to Enhance Your Cruising Experience

by Elijah Bitson
(Paris)

Cruising means you will only need to unpack once and get ready to have the time of your life with everything else being catered for by the ever-friendly and accommodating crew and staff. However, if you have never been on such a situation before, it might seem daunting as you may not know what to expect.

Actually, even seasoned cruisers have been faced with tough times each time they think of taking one. Here are a few tips that will help make your cruising experience the most memorable one in your life.

Take good care of the crew
One of your best friends on the cruise will definitely be the person 'paid' to take care of you. Cabin stewards do all the dirty work, hanging wet towels, picking up dirty clothes, and straightening up your messed-up vanity. This is the same individual who will take care of any special requests that you could be having.

Take your time to get to know your steward and be generous on tipping. It is true that your daily perk added on your account covers the cabin staff, but make no mistake. They can make your experience enjoyable or boring. It doesn’t cost much to be friendly to someone who serves you, now does it?

Make copies of your travel documentation – it pays to make copies of all travel documents that you have, passport, driver's license, credit card etc and ensure they are kept in a safe place while on board the cruise. Should anything happen, you will at least have information to get you started.

While still at it, you might want to print out the information you will expect to use the most such as phone numbers and directions, on a different colored paper. This way, it will stand out from the other papers and you will be able to easily identify it.


Pack a can of your normal air freshener – this becomes all the more important if you will be travelling on one of those old cruise ships. You might want to carry one that kills odor instead of those that scent the air. You will be better off if you find one that will both deodorize and sanitize surfaces. In tiny confines of a normal cabin, any repulsive odor can be oppressive and the ventilation system may take long to work.

Carry additional clothe hangers – in most cases, there are often not enough hangers for clothes in a standard cabin. So be sure to pack enough of those to help you keep your room organized and help you handle all your delicate hang-up clothes. You might want to try inflatable clothe hangers if you think the normal ones will occupy much of your luggage space.

Check with your medical insurer - should anything happen to you while away that you will need medical treatment, chances are quite high you will pay out of pocket and get reimbursed later on. As such, it would be wise to confirm with your insurance provider how they go about such cases, and whether there are any documents required while filing a claim.

Avina is a contributor for the site Kefalonia where you can get interesting information on Kefalonia hotels as well as the famous Lassi resort.