Read the top 10 things you don’t have to do on a cruise in this post if you’re a first time cruiser wanting to learn more!
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When it comes to cruising, there are so many stereotypes and misconceptions. There are also a lot of opinions when it comes to going on a cruise.
If you’ve never been on a cruise before it can be tough to know what is true, what isn’t, what’s a must have and what can be left at home.
This post is going to discuss and debunk cruise rumors you may have heard before. Read this if you need advise for your upcoming vacation from a seasoned cruiser.
This post is all about things you don’t have to do on a cruise.
THINGS YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO ON A CRUISE
Dress up for formal night
Lots of first time cruisers believe you have to participant in formal night on a cruise.
This is simply not the case.
The great thing about most cruise lines nowadays is the dress code isn’t so strict. They will have theme nights most nights of your cruise but you are under no obligation to participate if you don’t want to.
Some people don’t like taking the time to dress up and that’s okay! Some people don’t own formal clothes and don’t want the added expense and that’s okay!
Or others don’t ever eat in the main dining and don’t want to wear formal clothes to the buffet or other venues.
Of course if you want to dress up for formal night, rock the elegant look and take some great photos, you absolutely should!
Cruises will typically have 1-2 formal nights depending on the cruise length.
If you are looking for inspiration for formal night, white night, 70s, and other themes check out these curated lists of the top items for your cruise.
Click here for cruise themed outfit idea lists.
Buy a drink package
Many people who want to go on a cruise for the first time think they have to buy a drink package if they want to consume any alcoholic beverages while on their vacation.
This is not true!
Buying a drink package is actually a big decision you should weigh the pros and cons on if you’ve never been on a cruise before.
Most cruise lines as well will mkae both people in the room if they are of drinking age to buy the alcohol package, even if only one person wants it.
That is something to consider as well when thinking if you should buy the drink package or not.
Read more: CRUISE DRINK PACKAGE: THE TRUTH ON IF THEY’RE WORTH IT OR NOT
It’s important to know that there are other drink package options besides ones that include alcoholic beverages if you are not a big drinker.
You could get a water package, soda package, sometimes a coffee one and then a few lines have drink packages that include everything except for alcohol.
For some people who want to consume a lot of cocktails, buying a drink package will be a no brainer!
However, if you’re someone who just wants to have 1-2 drinks a day, might not drink every day (especially on port days) then you’d be better off paying for your drinks individually.
Really think about what the best option is for you before just automatically buying the package because they tend to be VERY expensive. Drink packages are a huge added cost to your vacation. If it won’t be worth it for you, you shouldn’t waste the money.
Go on a shore excursion
Some people seem to think that if you didn’t buy a shore excursion, you can’t get off of the cruise ship at the port stop.
This is a huge misconception!
You don’t have to book a shore excursion through the cruise line or another company to be able to get off the ship.
If you don’t want to spend the money on an excursion, you don’t have to. If you looked through the list of options for that port and nothing interests you, no need to worry!
You can spend your day doing a multitude of things. If you want to plan an excursion of your own by traveling to different places, that’s always an option.
You can also just stay right in port if you don’t want to venture out. It is not the most authentic area however. There will be lots of tourist shops and restaurants but it’s still not a bad way to spend you day.
You can also go out and explore the city/get a taxi. The options really are endless. Whatever you choose to do, just make sure you are making smart decisions and staying safe in a foreign country.
If you don’t want to get off the ship at all that is also an option! A common cruise port stop for US cruises is to Nassau, Bahamas. I personally like Nassau, but many do not and it is a frequent stop on most bahamas cruise itineraries.
A lot of people will comment on cruise Facebook pages that they won’t get off the ship at Nassau and instead will stay on and enjoy the amenities of a mostly empty ship.
Read more details here: SHORE EXCURSIONS: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CHOOSING THE RIGHT ONE FOR YOU
Eat dinner in the main dining room
When you think about going on a cruise, one of the main food venues that comes to mind is the large dining room.
You will be assigned a dining time and table or you can choose something like ‘my time dining’ where you can dine any time between a certain timeframe or make reservations for each night.
Just because you have this assigned seat in the main dining room does not mean you have to eat there every night for dinner.
You can go to the buffet, other included dining venues or pay for specialty dining.
Some people will let the dining staff know they aren’t going to be eating there that night so they aren’t expecting you, but it isn’t necessary to do that.
Spend any extra money
If you didn’t know, cruise lines make a lot of their money once people are onboard the ship. They don’t just bank on the money they make off of your cruise fare (Although prices are continuing to go up).
They know that the majority of their cliental will spend much more than their fare amount once they get on the ship on things like drinks, food, excursions, paid activities and more.
If you are cruising on a budget though I just want to let you know that once you have booked your cruise and paid for the taxes, port fees and gratuities, you don’t have to pay for anything else if you don’t want to.
This may seem like a foreign concept to some people who like to add on several services. You can have a great cruise experience though by just taking advantage of the included drinks, food, entertainment and venues around the ship.
Always take the elevator
This will not apply to everyone depending on your physical abilities. However, many people will only take the elevator on a cruise.
I’d suggest you not do this for several reasons.
The first one is the fact that elevators on a cruise can take a VERY long time. Especially on the first day or sea days when everyone is on the ship.
You could be waiting awhile for an elevator just to have it open up and already be full.
Another reason you shouldn’t always take the elevator is if you’re able and where you want to go is only a floor or two away. They have stairs by most of the elevators on the ship, making it easy to just go up or down a floor as needed.
Cruises are a place you’re already going to do a lot of walking, might as well take a few stairs too.
The last time you might want to consider taking the stairs is on disembarkation morning. Everyone and their brother will be trying to get an elevator.
If you can take the stairs and handle your luggage if you didn’t leave it out for them to take, I would 100% suggest doing so.
Buy wifi
When you’re going on a cruise, you might think you absolutely have to buy the wifi because you won’t be able to use your phone without it.
There are a couple of options and solutions for this.
First, if you’re able, you can just not buy the wifi and keep your phone on airplane mode for the duration of your cruise.
If you didn’t know, you most likely will need to keep your phone on airplane mode or turn off cellular data to not get extremely expensive international data roaming charges.
This is going to vary based on every phone plan so be sure to check with your provider.
Second, some phone plans will have access in certain ports with no extra charge. For example, a few AT&T plans in the US will allow users to use their phone in Mexico with no additional charges.
Another option is getting some type of international plan for your cruise. I have heard these don’t work as well as the wifi plan though so do your research on your best option.
However, like I stated in the beginning, you can always turn your phone off, unplug and relax for your vacation if you’re able. (I do know some people absolutely need to be able to communicate with loved ones back home)
Not all cruises require a passport
Most first time cruisers are under the impression that you 100% must have a passport to go on a cruise, this is not the case.
I will say that for most you will need a passport and it is the best option to have. However, some cruise itineraries require just a birth certificate and government ID.
This type of cruise would be something like a closed loop cruise from the US. Meaning, you start and end your cruise in the same US home port.
For more information check out this post: A COMPLETE LIST OF CRUISE DOCUMENTS YOU NEED FOR YOUR VACATION
You don’t have to carry your bags on
If you’re a first time cruiser you might not know that you don’t have to carry all of your bags onto the cruise ship with you.
When you get to the port for your vacation there will be workers outside the port that are able to take your bags for you. They will be delivered to your stateroom later that day.
It’s a very convenient service so you aren’t struggling with multiple bags the first day of your cruise!
You do want to make sure that you give them a small tip for handling your bag. These workers are not employed by the cruise line. They are from a third party company so I would recommend a tip.
Be sure to put your luggage tags on your bags as well with the correct stateroom number so that they don’t get lost. I would also suggest putting a luggage tag cover over the paper attached to your bag.
The paper is easily ripped off and then no one will no who the bag belongs to. It could also get wet in bad weather.
Here are a couple luggage tag covers that are highly recommended:
Products you don’t have to bring
Listed below are common items that most people think they need to bring with them on their cruise.
These products are provided to you by the cruise line. Not to say that you can’t bring your own and in some cases I would suggest doing so but I will go into more detail below.
1. Hair dryer
The cruise line will provide a hair dryer in every stateroom for you to use. This is one of those products however I would suggest you bring your own.
If you have thick hair and/or long hair, using the cruise line’s hair dryer will take quite a bit of time to get the job done. They are not very high powered.
2. Towels
Some people will bring beach towels with them on a cruise. You can do this if you want but you don’t have to. Cruises not only provide towels for the bathroom to take a shower but also seperate towels for the pool.
You can take these off of the ship as well into port if you need a towel for an excursion. Just be sure to turn the towel back in so you don’t get charged.
I will say that not all of these towels are the best quality and some can be kind of small. That is usually why some crusiers will opt to bring their own.
I personally love the towel listed below and bring it on cruises with me. It is a fast drying towel, keeps me much warmer on colder cruise nights when getting out of a hot tub and is a larger size. You can also personalize them.
3. Snacks
Some cruisers will bring snacks with them on vacation. This is unnecessary in most cases because of the vast amounts of free food you will have access to while on your cruise vacation.
Bringing snacks on a cruise makes the most sense if you have dietary restrictions you need to follow or you have small children that may need snacks they like available to them.
4. Themed clothes
As I mentioned this a little bit above when talking about formal night, you do not have to dress up for any theme on a cruise if you don’t want to.
It can be fun to dress up for white night, tropical night, formal night and more but it is not a requirement.
If you don’t want to pack these extra clothes or go out and buy ones to fit this theme no need to worry! You will still have fun and won’t stand out if you aren’t dressed in theme because not everyone participates.
5. Shampoo
This is another product that I would still suggest most people bring their own. If you have fine hair or hair that tangles easily then the shampoo provided by the cruise line could be tough on it.
Shampoo and bodywash is usually always available in the shower of your stateroom. Sometimes they will offer conditioner as well and other times you can ask for it if you need it.
This post was all about things you don’t have to do on a cruise.
