Cruises are great ways to spend your time away from work or school. Although you could, theoretically, simply show up for the trip, the reality is that it takes much more than that. In truth, there are some things that you could do to prepare yourself for the trip ahead in order to be able to enjoy every minute of it. This guide will start you off on the right track to partaking in a rather pleasant cruise break.

Get Help From a Travel Agent

Yes, you can save money by booking a cruise yourself, but it isn’t the best route to take for a vacation you truly want to enjoy. Unless you’ve been scheduling cruises from Tampa regularly, you probably don’t know about the different options, features, and perks they offer. Additionally, you may not get the best cabin for your needs. An experienced travel agent can take care of the little details, cater to your preferences, and hold your hand the entire way. Travel agents are worth the extra costs when it comes to planning and embarking on a pleasurable cruise ship adventure.

Pack Just the Necessities

Leave the kitchen sink at home! You get to bring a carry-on and larger check-in luggage to take onboard, so there’s really not that much space for you to work with. In the end, what little room you have isn’t suited for extraneous ventures. Instead of bringing everything you might use with you, opt instead to take just the necessary belongings along for the trip. Here are a few examples of things to pack:

• Summer clothing
• Towels
• Bathing suits
• Toiletries
• Phone and/or laptop

Remember that you are there to have fun, not to deal with various possibilities. In a worst-case scenario, you could just drop some cash on emergency products from an onboard vendor. In that situation, however, you will need to part with a small fortune to access those conveniences.

Bring a Bathing Suit With Your Carry-on

Many of the onboard activities are best done while wearing a bathing suit, which is a problem when it’s stashed in your luggage! You may not see your check-in luggage for quite some time, which means that you won’t be able to participate in the many activities and events on the cruise line. Do yourself a favor and pack it into your carry-on so that you can wear it from the very start.

Carry Additional Toiletries

Cruise lines and airplanes are notorious for jacking up the price of common toiletries. Most cruise ships will give you shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and body wash or bar soap. You’ll need to pack everything else you’d typically need in a bathroom, such as toothpaste, toothbrush, mouthwash, and dental floss. Take some time to think about what you would want to bring along on your trip so that you don’t end up spending an arm and a leg on their offerings.

Shut Off Your Phone’s Connection

Does your phone include unlimited roaming? Most domestic phone plans do not take into account the travel activities of users, which means that usage is typically permitted while in a local area. Venture outside of your coverage zone, however, and you may end up with a bill the size of Mount Everest. Your ship will often sail into international waters, meaning that the phone will tap into other networks that charge exorbitant fees. Avoid the extra costs by shutting off your phone connection altogether and have peace of mind that you’ll head back to land with just the normal phone bill waiting for you.

Take It Slow

Cruise liners offer plenty of entertainment for guests, often so much that it would take much longer than the trip duration to experience them all. It can feel overwhelming to try to indulge in all of the activities, so don’t! Attempting to do so can lead to undue stress, which would defeat the purpose of going on a trip to relax and unwind. Instead, choose to take it slow and savor each experience to make the most of your time there.

An enjoyable cruise starts with adequate preparation on your part, way before the trip itself. If you really want to make the most of your travel experience, then do the research ahead of time in order to avoid hiccups and catastrophes. Please feel free to follow any of the tips above to ensure that your cruise is memorable and fun.