What Mistakes Did You Make on Your First Cruise?

Your cruise is booked! It's something you’ve waited a long time to do.

While it’s an unforgettable experience, first-time cruisers often make mistakes in all of their excitement. 

Even travel agents aren't immune, so we asked them what mistakes they made when going on or booking their first cruise.

Not Pre-Booking

“My first cruise mistake was not pre-booking my spa appointments and excursion reservations,” said Kim DalPonte, owner/consultant, Pixie Dust & Paradise Travel, Inc., in Chicago, Illinois.

“It's always best to do that as far in advance as possible to get the best time slots. No one wants to miss dinner or a show because that was the only time the spa had an appointment available.”   

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Overpacking

“With so many activities to do on a cruise, you need to pack comfortable travel clothes, bathing suits, clothes for excursions, formal night, costumes (for Disney cruises), semi-formal nights, workout attire and all the footwear to correspond with the different outfits,” said Renee Tsang, Centre Holidays in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

“[However], you can actually get by with less on a cruise because no one will be paying attention to what you will be wearing.”

Researching Too Much

“While I was well prepared, it was quite fun living in the moment on our first cruise in September 2004,” said Chuck Flagg, of Cruise Planners, Canton, Georgia.

“It does allow me to prepare a first-time cruiser for what to expect, but I do remind them all to live in the moment and cherish the journey.”

READ MORE:  The Biggest Mistakes Travelers Make

Running to the Buffet

On his first cruise, James Berglie followed the crowd and went to the buffet deck immediately to get food. 

"The crowds were absurd, as everyone went to the same place,” said Berglie of Be All Inclusive. “Later in the cruise, I realized there were a ton of other options for places to eat that had better food and were not jam-packed. Now, whenever I come aboard, I immediately go where the people are not.”

Not Advising About the Muster Drill

As the travel agent and not the traveler, the first mistake Tom Karnes of LaMacchia Travel made selling his first cruise was not advising his clients about the muster drill. Muster drills are a mandatory exercise that familiarizes guests and crew with where they should go during an emergency.

“I was about 19 when I started, and I sold a cruise to a bunch of friends, who were also very young,” said Karnes. “Once they boarded, they indulged in all the fun, fruity rum drinks and didn’t make it past 3 p.m. The crew searched for them and found them passed out in their cabin.”

READ MORE:  Don’t Make These In-Flight Mistakes

Not Handling the Details

As a novice charter broker, Ann E McHorney, Director/Charter Sales of Select Yachts had a client who needed a last-minute yacht charter for the New Year.

“There were not many yachts available in the lower end price range,” she said.

She found one but also learned that the client’s personal assistant wasn’t very astute: “The client was actually the CEO of a famous, major multi-national corporation and he would have booked one of the fine mega yachts on the market that were available because they are not as affordable to most. An ambitious personal assistant thought he should try to save his boss money. His boss just wanted the best vacation available.”

McHorney says that the biggest lesson she learned was to know your client.

“In the age of Google, I now investigate who I am working with so I know the level of the vacation I should propose,” she said.