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Going on a cruise and wanting to know the best way to be prepared for the port stops? This post will go over everything you need to know about what to bring with you and recommended products to make your day easier.
There are a lot of important things to remember when preparing for a day at port while on a cruise.
What should I pack? How do I get my shore excursion tickets? Should I bring my own towel?
There are tons of questions for first time cruisers! This post will discuss the exact step by step process to everything you need to know about cruise port days and shore excursions.
This post is all about how to prepare for a cruise port day.
Things To Do Before You Get On The Cruise:
1. Do research on what ports you are going to
Some people may have done this research even before booking the cruise, some do it after but either way it is important to research your port stops before you actually get on the cruise.
Each port stop is going to have a different list of excursions offered. Here are a couple of things you should do when deciding what to do in each port:
- Google the top excurisons to do in that specific port. Read articles, reviews and more.
- Look at your cruise line’s website and go through their excursion list.
- Once you have narrowed down to a top 3-5 excursions go to YouTube, type in the exact excursion name and watch real life examples of the excursions you’re considering.
Step #3 is important to do because sometimes an excursion seems really great on paper but then you watch videos on it and it doesn’t live up to the hype.
Doing this before your cruise helps you avoid excursions that might disappoint you, saves you money and allows you to choose one that you’ll actually love.
2. Prebook your excursions
Whether you are booking with cruise line or choosing a third party company you should prebook your excursions.
This could save you time, money and makes sure your favorite excursion hasn’t sold out.
For more information on choosing the right shore excursion for you, read this post.
3. Buy any must have products for your port day
1. Visor
No products found.
This visor is one of my favorites and is highly rated on Amazon. It’s a great product because the back has a velcro attachment so you can size it to whatever headsize you need.
It also comes in tons of different colors and rolls up to conveniently put in your bag.
2. Hat
If you’re looking for more coverage than a visor I would suggest a large sun hat like this one!
3. Portable charger
If you need to keep your phone charged on a long day in port either to communicate with other people or take photos and videos of the country, you might want to bring a portable charger.
4. 3 in 1 fan/charger/flashlight
This is one of my absolute favorite products to take with me on a cruise port day.
If you need a fan for those hot beach days but also want to keep your phone charged this is the product for you!
It also has a flashlight if you were to need one.
5. Reusable water bottle
If you aren’t getting a drink package on a cruise or even if you do but want to keep your drinks a little colder I would suggest bringing a reusable water bottle.
6. Waterproof phone case
One of the best and most popular cruise products is this waterproof phone case. It’s great for excursions that involve a little water.
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How to prepare for your port day once on the cruise:
1. Make sure you have any travel documents you may need
For the most part, you will just need your cruise card to get on and off the ship.
You might also need your passport, ID or visas. Check with what ports you are traveling to to make sure you have the proper documentation.
Some people will still bring their passport off the ship in case of emergency. Others will tell you that is not smart because people in port could try to pick pocket your important items/documents.
I personally think either choice is fine so do what you feel is best.
2. Have your shore excursion tickets or email confirmations handy
If you booked an excursion with the cruise line more than likely they will deliver your tickets to your room either the day you board or the night before that port stop.
You will need to present these tickets to go on the excursion so do not forget them.
If your tickets are on the cruise line’s app, I would take a screenshot of them just in case.
When booking with a third party company, you might only have an email confirmation. Either print it out or take a screenshot and put it in a seperate album on your phone for easy access.
3. Make sure you have cash, local currency and/or credit cards
Whether you choose cash or card is a personal choice. I would recommend to use cash in ports and not give out your credit card in case you are charged incorrectly, it is more of a hassle to fix that issue once back on the ship/at home.
Sometimes if you’re buying souvenirs you will also get more of a discount if you pay with cash.
A lot of ports cruising out of the US to the caribbean will be fine with USD but others out of Europe, Canada, etc usually require the local currency. Research what you should bring on your cruise depending on your destination.
Be sure to let your bank know of your travels though if you are going to be using a card or taking out a lot of cash so that your account doesn’t get shut down.
4. Bring any medication you might need
If you have prescriptions you will need to take or even a first aid kit if you’re doing something active and are concerned, be sure to pack these in your bag.
First aid kit
5. Bring water and/or food
If there is one thing I would suggest to everyone it is bringing water off the ship.
Use your reusable bottle or bring a few if you have a drink package off of the ship. If you’re doing a lot of walking, an active excursion or one with a long drive you might want something to drink along the way.
You can also bring sealed snacks off the ship if you want to add that to your bag. You can’t bring some food off of the ship though like fruit, meat, sometimes any food so be aware of the rules of your specific cruise line.
6. Pack a bag with everything you’ll want/need
Everything that I have listed above I would organize in a bag to take off the ship with you.
Shore excursion bag options:
1. Beach bag
2. Backpack
3. Drawstring bag
A few other items you might want to add for your cruise port day are:
1. Sunscreen
It is important to look for a reef safe sunscreen when going on a cruise. Some ports require it, plus it is just better in general for the planet.
It’s also important in general to have protection from the sun. Be sure to bring sunscreen with you to always keep your skin free from burns.
2. Towel clips
If you’re going to be relaxing at the beach on a port day consider some towel clips to hold your towel in place so the wind doesn’t blow them away.
They come in several different colors and some also have different shapes like a palm tree, animals, etc.
3. Towels
These towels are great for resisting sand.
You don’t have to bring a towel with you from home. The cruise line will let you bring one of theirs off the ship but just make sure not to lose it or they will fine you.
4. Sunglasses
5. Dry clothes (if you’re doing an excursion that involves water)
6. Umbrella
7. Bug Spray
7. Make sure your electronics are charged
If you have access to communication via your phone in the port of call country be sure to have your phone charged so you can communicate with those back home or others on the ship with you.
You also might want to use your phone to take photos and videos of the ports.
Other options you might want to bring would be:
-iPad
-Camera
-Portable charger
Whatever you decide to do in port whether it is walk around or book a shore excursion hopefully these 10 steps will help you feel more prepared to have a great cruise port day.
This post was all about how to prepare for a cruise port day.
