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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Mix & Match Mama

Travel ·

First Timer’s Guide to Cruising


Hey, hey, hey!  Happy Wednesday!

A very sweet blog reader asked if I could do a FIRST TIMER’S GUIDE TO CRUISING for all of you new to this way of travel, and I thought that was a great idea especially going into spring break and summer.

I am here to help in any way that I can…and as someone who has cruised all over the world including EIGHT CRUISES to date with her kiddos (from babies to teens from Hawaii to Alaska, the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Norwegian Fjords and Baltic Sea), I’m happy to give you some info if you’re about to embark.

Of course, I would not being doing you any favors or doing my job correctly if I didn’t kick off the post highly stressing you reach out to my travel agency if you’re interested in cruising.  You guys, you really want to work with an agent for a cruise, and cruise lines want you to use us too which is why they allow us to access their systems for the best pricing, promos, rates and cabin availability.  Listen, do you know who doesn’t want you to arrive at the cruise terminal unprepared?  The cruise line.  They need you to have all of your ducks in a row before you get there, and that’s our job (with no extra fees!).

We are your “one contact person” for everything leading up to your cruise from making payments, assisting with dining plans, beverage packages, booking excursions, providing transportation, making sure you get your entertainment lined up, notifying the cruise line of any allergies or disabilities and most of all, making sure you have all of your travel documents in good standing and ready to go for embarkation.  So, my #1 tip is always and will always be to use a travel professional…and my agency LOVES to cruise and would love to work with you!

Here are a few more tips you should take into consideration before your first cruise:

#1: Make sure you have the correct paperwork and documentation.  I have been in this business 12 years, and I’ve seen everything from clients being arrested and thrown in jail during their vacation to clients passing away on their vacation to…clients being denied boarding because they didn’t have the right documentation.  “Wait, Shay, I thought you said you make sure we have the right documents/passports/etc?”.  We always do…however, there have been occasions when some clients have “thought” they knew best or “read in a Facebook group that they could do it differently” and well, they (or their kids) were denied boarding…and that’s it…vacation over, a lot of money is lost, and you are at a port with nowhere to go.  What you need differs depending on where you’re going (some ports of call require Visas, others just a passport, some don’t require either…it depends on not just where you’re embarking/disembarking but where you’re stopping along the way too.  Before you even think about looking into dining packages or excursions or whatnot, confirm that you have all of the proper documentation for your specific cruise, AND that it’s not about to expire.

#2: Make sure you do your research on the actual destination before you embark (or let a professional help you!).  I think a lot of people assume that cruises are warm weather and beach destinations, but that’s simply not the case.  You could absolutely be on a beautiful vessel with amazing water slides and swimming pools and you keep watching videos of it on their website thinking “my kids are going to love this ship” but then you arrive in a colder climate and bam, those things are all closed for your sailing.  When thinking about your cruise, consider not just the embarkation/disembarkation cities but the ports of call too.  Make sure you’re thinking about the weather, the time of year, the specific locations of each place the ship is docking/tendering…there are many details like that you should consider.

#3: Think about who you are, who you are taking and who you want to travel with on this boat.  Certain destinations/ships/itineraries lend themselves to more senior passengers and others families and others adults and well, it’s good to know that when deciding in case part of your goal is to connect your kids with other kids or if you’re looking for other retired friends to get to know better, make sure you’re not on the “wrong boat”.

#4: I think cruising is the best way to travel with a mixed group of family/people.  It’s wonderful because you are “all together” and yet you can “all do your own things” at the same time.  From big multigenerational family vacations to large groups of couples and friends, there is something for the adventure seeker and something for the person who wants to toggle between the spa and the pool deck.  There are so many options that you can customize for each passenger that allows for individuality while still “being together” on one boat for one fun vacation.  Plus…

#5:  Since cruises work more or less like an all inclusive, this takes a lot of awkwardness out of those big mixed group situations when it comes to spending money for things like dining, entertainment and beverages.  I find that my clients love going with larger groups on cruises because they don’t have to worry about “what if she wants to eat somewhere pricey for dinner, and I don’t have the budget for it” since it’s an all inclusive type vacation.  Prepaying and knowing exactly what you have before you even board really eliminates a lot of the conflict that I see when mixed groups of people travel together.

#6: Don’t shy away from days at sea if you’re new to cruising.  Of course, there are perks to being able to get off the boat each day, but there are also perks to days at sea.  Cruise lines go above and beyond to make these days even more fun on board plus, this is the perfect time to visit that spa, head to the casino, do a little shopping on board, hang out by the pool and simply relax as you have no where to be and no place to go.  Days at sea are one of my favorite luxuries in life.  You truly have the whole day ahead of you where you can do as much or as little as you like without any pressure of “getting off/seeing/exploring/visiting/go, go, going.

#7: Cruising is the best way to visit multiple places and only unpack one time.  In my opinion, this is the best reason to cruise.  You get on the boat in one spot, you unpack and get your cabin all cozy and fixed up for you, you meet your cabin steward and then you’re whisked away all over the world to new and exciting destinations.  Not only is this more affordable than flying from place to place to place, but this is especially beneficial if you have kids, a large family, any difficulties traveling in general.  Relax and let the boat take you while only unpacking and settling in once.

#8: When picking an itinerary, ports of call are important, but weather and time of year are more important.  It doesn’t matter if that itinerary has all of those amazing islands and beaches you’ve always wanted to visit…if the average temperature is 62 degrees and grey, it might not be a good fit for you.  We always like to make sure the expectation of the experience matches the average weather that time of year.

#9: You are so excited about this cruise!  You have saved and paid for it, you’ve packed and taken off work, you’ve boarded your dog and asked the post office to hold your mail.  You need to get on that ship…so it’s almost always our recommendation to fly into that embarkation city at least one day early.  You do not want to miss the boat because the airline couldn’t get you there.  Feel free to fly home the day you disembark (as long as you give yourself enough time between the ship clearing customs and disembarking and your flight), but I strongly recommend you arrive one day early and give yourself plenty of time before your cruise embarks.

#10: Make sure you pack a carry on the day you embark.  It can take anywhere from one hour to several hours (depending on the cruise line/embarkation port/time of boarding) for you to get your luggage delivered to your stateroom, so board as early as you can that day (Why not?! You paid for it!  Get on and enjoy the ship!).  Since you won’t have access to your cabin right away we always recommend you pack items in your carry on such as swimsuit, swimsuit cover up, sun hat, flip flops, sunscreen, phone charger along with your valuables, documentation, and medication.  You will be able to board, enjoy drinks and food on the ship, take advantage of the pools (if it’s a warm weather cruise) and tour the vessel, so keep one bag with you for that portion of the day.

#11: Cruise lines have their own app where all the daily fun and planning is available.  Visit your cruise app often so that you can see what’s happening each day, where you can pre purchase your beverage packages, book excursions, spa treatments and so much more.  You will utilize the app while on the ship for all the daily reminders and activities.  Truly, you’ll want to make the cruise app your new best friend 🙂 .

Planning ahead is key to making your first cruise experience not only enjoyable but stress free. We will help you understand everything that’s included, what’s extra, what are your next steps and more.  We will also help you by providing packing lists (customized for your destination), ground transportation, pre/post hotel, excursions and so much more.  We go on cruises to see the world…but also relax while doing it.  Cruises should be fun, they should be relaxing, and they shouldn’t be stressful.  Let us help you take the stress away.  From river cruises to ocean liners, adult only cruises to family-friendly fun, we are cruise people.  I AM A CRUISE PERSON!!

I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again, I have a few “happy places” in life that when I’m doing/visiting these places, I just feel so much raw and pure JOY.  One of them is the moment I’m walking up the ramp to board a cruise ship.  I’m about to see my cabin, explore this new boat, and I have a whole big fun amazing trip ahead of me…it just makes me smile from ear to ear each time.

So, if you’re thinking about going or need more info, yeah, you should reach out to us.  We want you to cruise, but not just that, we want you to cruise successfully and stress-free.  This is the big picture/broad view of cruising for the first time, but we’d love to share those nuanced and specific details with you as a client too.

Speaking of which…

If you’ve never checked out my blog post on PACKING FOR A CRUISE, it’s super specific and detailed.  I have my own little “way” of doing things.  You can see that HERE.

If you’ve been on a cruise before, and it wasn’t your thing/not a great experience, that’s okay too.  I also love land vacations…and I also know that one cruise experience is never identical to another.  If you’re up for it, I highly suggest you try again!

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday, friends!  I will see you back here tomorrow! xx

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Comments

  2. Natasha says

    We went on our first cruise in 2018, not knowing what we’d think of it, and we are HOOKED!!! It really is the best of both worlds between a road trip (where you can see something new every day) and an all-inclusive (where everything is provided and you don’t have to worry about any details). Cruising is THE BEST!!!

    • Melinda Bridge says

      Shay and Erika have helped us on 2 cruises. Our first one was a Disney cruise with our kids and grandsons. We booked the cruise before Covid and then it was postponed. Erika did a great job of keeping us in the loop with all the updates about Disney resuming cruises. The second one was to Alaska last year. Both were fantastic! They were a lot of help planning etc.

  5. Nicole Thomas says

    This post could not come at a more perfect time! We leave next week for our very first cruise, my HS senior and I as part of her graduation present. Thanks for helping this Mama get more prepared.

  6. Jessica says

    We booked our family’s first cruise with M&MT. We can’t wait to explore Alaska next summer. Your agency has been fantastic to work with, Shay!

  7. Kacey says

    I LOVE a cruise!! Alaska has to be my #1! out of all of the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Alaskan cruises I’ve been able to go on. Antarctica is high on my must-travel list, but now you have me thinking about the Norwegian Fjords and Baltic Sea! The next one will be lucky #13 so it’s gotta be a good one 😉

  8. Laura says

    I love to cruise. In fact my husband and I did an 18 day Hawaiian cruise in December of last year. But I’ve discovered European river cruising. So much fun and all the tours are included at each port.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I would say it’s not something I ever have to address with clients as there are so many ways around it (newer ships, specific cabin categories and locations on board, itineraries, etc). I do follow up conversations with all of my cruise clients and the last time I remember anyone telling me they were sick was 2019.

  10. Ani Martinez says

    Cruising is the PERFECT way to get a taste for an area of the world, or to see a specific area/city that you don’t necessarily want to spend a week exploring. AAAAAND – when we were newlyweds and with a limited budget, cruising was a great way to do “more” with “less”. Great post!

  11. Ramona Puckett says

    My sisters love taking cruises and I always thought “eh” but you’re having me think twice! What about someone like me who’s never been on a cruise? A 3 day cruise to get my feet wet first? It would have to be somewhere warm. Thank you for this great post! ❤️

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I think you would love it! I also think three days could be a great option…but I will say that itineraries tend to be “better” the longer your cruise because the ship has more time to go to “better” places. I think jump in with two feet and see what you think. I would hate for you to do a three day with blah ports of call, so if you do decide to do a shorter one, pick a line/itinerary that has GREAT ports of call on a short sailing. They do exist! Make sure you grab one…and just wait for the fun 🙂 !

  12. Alicia says

    I love the idea of all inclusive and seeing multiple destinations….but I’m nervous about motion sickness and feeling junky the whole time!! Tips??

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I just replied to the comment right above you about this (so I hope you go back and read it!), but I really do not think that should be a concern right now in cruising. I can’t guarantee it won’t happen, but over the years, it’s really become something we rarely ever hear about from our clients.

      • Tina says

        I would agree with this assessment for the most part. I’ve been on lots of cruises and only once have I encountered seas rough enough to make wear one of those patches behind my ear…the North Atlantic (up around Iceland) is no joke! LOL! 25-30 foot swells. Even on a big ship with state of the art stabilizers, we were rocking and rolling! Lots of people were sick on that one. But my mom and I were prepared! I take a box (not unlike a tackle box) full of any possible meds we might need while cruising. Meds on board are limited and very expensive so I come prepared…anti-nausea, anti-diarrheal, stool softeners, bug bite cream, Neosporin, tums, cough and cold medicine, etc….you name it I pack it! It’s come in handy on more than one occasion.

  13. Anna says

    I’m nervous about motion sickness on a cruise! Have you ever experienced that? 🤢

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I have only personally experienced it one time, and that was when I was in college. I can never guarantee that you won’t be affected by it, but here is my professional opinion…over the years, I hear about it from clients less and less now that the stabilizing technology on these vessels are more and more sophisticated. I’m trying to think, and unless people just aren’t telling me, the last time I can recall someone coming home and telling me they got sick was 2019. Another thing is that we do feel like there are certain cabin categories and locations on ships where you feel the motion from the ocean even less, so we take that into consideration too. Obviously some itineraries, like Antarctica, are very rough, but most are not. I don’t even wear a patch/take meds/etc on board, and my hubby and kids have never gotten sick.

  14. Christine says

    Good morning, my husband and I are turning 65 next year, and I want to go to Hawaii and he mentioned he’d like to cruise the Hawaii islands. We’re on the east coast – Boston Red Sox area. I’m in the process of getting others on board for this trip, and I would like to use your agency. Thank you for posting your tips!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      We LOVED our Hawaiian island cruise! It’s one of those trips we are already excited to do again. We would LOVE to help you with it!

  15. Lisa says

    Loved reading this! We are working with Brooke to book our first cruise to the Mediterranean. We have no idea what to expect, but feel like it’s a great introduction to Europe. We are celebrating our 25th Anniversary, so just me and my husband. We are both 50, so still feeling young at heart 🙂 So hard to chose a cruise line/ ship. We are thinking the Sun Princess, the Norwegian Viva, or Celebrity Ascent. We don’t need all the waterslides, arcades, and go cart tracks but don’t want something “fuddy duddy” either. Any quick thoughts or suggestions? Love all your travel advice! It truly is helpful to your followers!!

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Thank you, thank you for working with our office! My first thought is that Brooke knows cruises better than anyone I know. She knows all of the ins and outs of each line/ship/itinerary, so I would trust her direction. The Viva is a brand new ship…so my first inclination is that depending on the itinerary for that particular sailing and what you’re personally looking for/budget/dates/etc, that might be the direction you end up going. We are so blessed to be a part of such a SPECIAL trip for you!

      • Lisa says

        Brooke is amazing! She has been so helpful and has answered my million questions with so much thought and kindness. We are very excited!

  16. Michelle says

    What is the best way to communicate with each other on the boat? When we went several years ago, cell service was non existent. We were looking for our family on the day at sea and couldn’t find them the entire day, only to find they were about 50 ft from us the whole time. lol. Maybe times have changed and you can call/ text each other now?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Yes! Times have changed and communicating via your phone is oh so simple now. Of course, there are certain parts of the world where this might be really tricky, but the vast majority of cruise destinations have great internet service.

      • kristen says

        The last couple of cruises we used the boat’s app and our whole 12 person group could communicate through the app messaging which was great and you didn’t need wifi/internet to access it.

  17. Kristen says

    I am such a fan of cruising! One of the best ones I ever went on was a 14 day cruise through the Panama canal !

  18. K.K. says

    Shay, is there a best cruise line for people with gluten allergies? I’m sure you might know since Kensington has to consider this!! I’m guessing your agency can make suggestions, but generally, are cruise lines good at accommodating dietary issues in your experience?

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      We most certainly can, but I would say that almost all lines truly go above and beyond to be conscious and safe with allergies. They do not want passengers with health issues on board.

  19. Louann Hunt says

    ohhhhhhhhh do you have a post about the Norweigan Fjords as looking at that for a vacation in 2025 before cruise ships are restricted there because of the zero emissions restriction

  20. Julie says

    I grew up cruising but I love to relax by a pool and be able to actually enjoy the water and you just can’t do that on a cruise anymore! The pools are SOOOOO crowded you have to be up before dawn to get good seats and even if you do people are on top of each other in the water! The only days you can enjoy the pool are port days but then you miss out on the beautiful location! IMO cruises are best for vacations where you are not heading tropical and wanting to enjoy the sun!

  22. Jodi says

    We are looking at doing a short cruise in June. It’s June 6-9, 2024 to the Bahamas. My kids passports expire December 15, 2024. Are their passports still ok. It isn’t within the 6 months of expiring time but wanted to check.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      I’m not sure your exact details (what country your passports were issued, where you’re embarking/disembarking/etc), so I hate to give you an absolute answer, so please check with your cruise line. I would *think* you guys would be fine, but since I’m not your travel agent, I don’t want to be responsible for giving you incorrect info.

  23. Jennibell says

    Thank you SO MUCH for this post and all the time you took answering questions in the comments. We are looking forward to our first family cruise though your agency in December!! I shared this post with everyone so we can all be prepared 🙂

  24. LAUREN LAYMAN says

    I would love to chat with you about booking a short cruise for our family of 4! But every link I click on shows that your travel website isn’t working—is there a better way to reach out?

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