The 15 Things We’d Do Differently Planning Our First Cruise Today
First cruise tips from 100+ cruises and 20 years at sea: what we'd do differently if we were planning our first cruise today, from choosing the right ship and cabin to budgeting, booking, packing and making the most of embarkation day. First cruise tips from 100+ cruises and 20 years at sea: the 15 things we'd do differently if we were planning our first cruise today, from choosing the ship to embarkation day. 💲Save BIG with MEI-Travel cruise deals: https://bookmeicruise.com/?apid=escy 🌎Save Up to 40% On Shore Excursions: https://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com/?id=1603014 📖 Ultimate Cruise Planning Guide: https://eatsleepcruise.com/cruise-planning-guide/ UP NEXT - 15 Things We Stopped Doing on Cruises: https://youtu.be/GtkBjn5GvJA Subscribe to the Eat Sleep Cruise YouTube Channel if you love to travel and cruise the world! https://www.youtube.com/@Eatsleepcruise1 🚢 Planning your first cruise, or your 50th? After sailing Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, Princess and more, we've learned what makes a cruise vacation better and what isn't worth your money or time. These cruise planning tips will help you pick the right cruise, get real value from your fare, and skip the first-time cruiser mistakes we made ourselves. 🌴 PICK THE VACATION BEFORE THE CRUISE LINE A Caribbean cruise, an Alaska cruise and a Mediterranean cruise are completely different trips. Decide first if you want beaches, glaciers and wildlife, a new city every morning, or a mega-ship resort at sea. Then look at the exact ship, not just the cruise line. 💰 SPEND SMART ON FARES, CABINS AND THE WHOLE TRIP The lowest cruise fare isn't always the best value. We'd compare cruise-only pricing against bundled fares and drink, WiFi and specialty dining packages, and only pay for what we'd use. Same with cabins: a balcony makes sense in Alaska, but an inside or oceanview cabin can save hundreds in the Caribbean. ✈️ PREP BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME Today we'd arrive at least a day early. We'd also set up the cruise line app at home for online check-in, dining reservations, daily schedules and deck plans, and pack less but smarter, keeping meds, documents, chargers and a swimsuit in our carry-on. 📅 PLAN THE RIGHT AMOUNT, NOT EVERY MINUTE Have a simple plan for embarkation day: muster drill, lunch and a lap around the ship. Reserve your two or three must-dos early, like a popular specialty restaurant, a show or the thermal suite. In port, splurge on one or two great shore excursions, explore other ports on your own, and consider staying onboard one day to enjoy a quieter ship. 🎭 FIGURE OUT WHAT KIND OF CRUISER YOU ARE Try sailaway, the main dining room, production shows, trivia and formal night. You don't know what you'll love until you try it. But don't try to do everything. Modern cruise ships offer more than anyone can do in a week, so leave time to relax. 0:15 What We'd Do Differently Planning Our First Cruise Today 0:45 Deciding What Type of Vacation We Want 1:40 Research the Exact Ship 2:55 Compare the Real Cost of the Cruise 4:05 Choose the Right Cabin for the Cruise 5:20 Budget for the Entire Trip 6:50 Download the Cruise Line App Early 7:55 Arrive at Least One Day Early 8:30 Pack Smarter, Not More 10:35 Make the Most of Embarkation Day 11:30 Reserve Your Must-Dos Early 12:10 Be Selective With Shore Excursions 13:10 Try What Makes Cruising Unique 14:05 Do Not Turn Vacation Into a Checklist #cruisetips #firstcruise #cruiseplanning #cruisevacation #firsttimecruiser #cruisehacks #eatsleepcruise ---TRENDING VIDEOS FROM EAT SLEEP CRUISE------ 6 Cruise Lines EVERYONE is Switching to in 2026: https://youtu.be/M-4eM2avmPU 40 Cruise Hacks We Swear by After 100 Cruises: https://youtu.be/ivvzrns5QOI 5 Cruise Lines Everyone Is Switching To in 2025: Best Cruises for Couples: https://youtu.be/fenNj5GmLdM Join us on Social Media as we “Sea the World, One Port at a Time.” Instagram: https://instagram.com/EatSleepCruise Facebook: https://facebook.com/EatSleepCruise Twitter: https://twitter.com/EatSleepCruise TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eatsleepcruise Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/EatSleepCruise 📌 ABOUT EAT SLEEP CRUISE We're Don and Heidi from Eat Sleep Cruise. After more than 100 cruises across dozens of cruise lines, we share honest cruise ship reviews, cruise tips, and planning advice to help you book the right cruise. 📢 DISCLOSURE This video is not sponsored, and all opinions are our own. Some links in this description are affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Eat Sleep Cruise!