Preparing for your cruise

If you have never cruised before, it can feel overwhelming those weeks before departure making sure you have everything ready to go. Here are some helpful tips for preparing for your cruise -

Identification

Make sure you have appropriate forms of identification for your flights and cruise. Passports are always highly encouraged, and depending on your cruise may be required. They also must be valid for at least 6 months after your departure date. Some closed-loop cruises (starting and ending at the same US port) allow you to sail with your birth certificate and a government-issued photo id. You can learn more about acceptable forms of identification HERE.

Accessibility and Medical Needs Requests

If you have any accessibility requests or medical needs, each cruise line has a form that you will need to fill out to make your requests. We recommend that you fill this out as soon as possible, as some requests have specific time frames that they need to be made within to ensure they can be fulfilled.

Check In

Download the app for the cruise line that you will be sailing on and make sure to check in as soon as it is available. Each cruise line has a different timeline for when check-in opens, but they all allow for checking in before you arrive at port. This will save you a lot of time on embarkation day and helps the cruise lines get everyone on the ship much faster that first day. This is also when you will choose your embarkation time, meaning the time that you can board the ship on that first day.

When checking in, you will be asked to add a credit card to your account. This will allow you to use your key card to make purchases while on-board. Be aware when linking a credit card to your account that any children in your room may also be able to use their card to make purchases while on-board. There are horror stories about the amount of arcade games billed to a parent’s room because their child used their key card to play games :/ Be sure to ask the cruise line to NOT allow a child’s card to make charges while on board if that is something you’d like to do :)

Traveling with Minors

Cruise lines have specific policies when you are traveling with minors and they are NOT traveling with all legal guardians. It is important that you read through the cruise line’s policy for your sailing and that you bring any documents that they require of you. These policies align with Customs and Border Patrol policy in regards to taking a minor out of the country and if not followed, will result in denial of boarding.

Some cruise lines also have policies about documentation required for traveling with minors who will not be in the same room as an adult. Please be sure to know and follow these policies so that you are not denied boarding.

Luggage and packing

Each cruise line has their own luggage limits and requirements, as well as their own list of prohibited items. For example, some cruise lines allow you to bring as many bags as you want on-board, while others limit you to two per person. Some cruise lines allow you to bring wine, others to bring soda, and others do not allow any beverages to be brought on board. Reference your cruise line’s website to see what the luggage policy is and what items are prohibited.

Need some help packing? Below is my go-to packing list for Caribbean cruises. If you’d like a printer-friendly version, you can download that HERE.

Pre-cruise checklist

Below is a list of things to consider as you are getting ready for the cruise. If you have any “no” items on this list that you don’t know how to do, please let me know and I’d be happy to help!