The first question that comes to the mind to the first time cruise travellers is what to pack.

Even though the answer to this question varies dramatically according to the location and time of the year we can provide one simple guideline: Do not over-pack. On average first time cruisers pack twice the amount of items that they need. It is always recommendable to elaborate a list of items and then stick to it. Some travellers tend to fall in the temptation of packing loads of shoes; it is very important to avoid this temptation as they take out loads of luggage space. Bringing one pair of walking shoes, one pair of casual shoes and one pair of dressy shoes is more than enough.

Some items which are worth remembering are:
- Moisturized wipes: These are very useful while on shore excursions
- Night light to place in the bathroom. This item will come handy to the passengers in the inside cabins.
- Sun glasses and sun cream
- Pack wrinkle free clothes: Just in case the ship has not got any ironing room as the laundry costs tend to be quite expensive.
- Do not pack too many t shirts as you are quite likely to purchase more either onboard or in any of the places you visit.

Other important recommendation is to never pack cash, traveller’s checks or any valuable items in the check in luggage.

It is very important to bear in mind that the embarkation process is a very hectic time to all the cruise personnel therefore we can make the process easier and quicker for them by making sure that we keep all the cruised documents handy.

Most cruised provide a cruise card that makes the function of a charge card; it is recommendable to monitor the balance regularly specially if travelling on a budget.

It is important to remember that most cruises do not give the option to pay with personal checks and not all of them will include an ATM machine though most of them will. Before making any telephone call you should always check the cost as sometimes they can be quite expensive. It is always worth finding out in advance about the roaming feature with your mobile phone operator. Buying a calling card is an option that can save you a considerable amount of money.

Nowadays cruises offer a wide range of shore activities and excursions, it always pays off to reserve early as the most popular cruises tend to be sold within the first two days of the cruise. It is important to get to know the cruise staff early as they have a great knowledge of the activities on offer so they are able to provide sound advice.

Finally for those who tend to get seasick it is important to avoid looking ou

First time cruising is tricky. Here are some of the things that you need to prepare for.

Pre-cruise Studies: Always research about the cruise ship and the trip itself. Everything else that you need should have been pre-arranged from the cabins you’ll be sleeping in to the food that you’ll dine.

Don’t double tip: When paying for your trip you have already been charged about 10-15% for every meal that you will be having. It is really not that necessary to give tips.

When it rains pack right: When travelling on a cruise ship, it is always a must to be prepared with clothes and other stuff that you can wear when it rains. You can’t always be so sure that the weather forecast is right. Sometimes there are sudden splashes of rain and you don’t want your travel experience to be ruined just because you were soaked in the rain.

Stay slim amidst the all-you-can-eat buffet: Remember that all of these are paid for. If you wish to stay slim despite the huge amount that you paid for then that’s completely your discretion. In case you really want to enjoy that sumptuous feast, here’s what you can do. Instead of taking the elevator when roaming around the ship, why not try taking the stairs for a change. This is to ensure that you’ll burn those calories just right.

Design a Ship Tour for Embarkation Day: You don’t want to waste your time and energy sitting on a cabin while waiting for your ship to arrive at the pier. You can explore the ship. Take a map of the whole ship. You can use the map provided after you book for that cruise. Look at the main areas that you will be going like your cabin, the dining area, and other parts of the ship where passengers are allowed to explore.

Today, cruises have Wi-Fi so Internet connection wouldn’t really be that much of a problem. Instead of wallowing yourself in your social media accounts, you can go around and look for other activities that are going on at the various stations inside the ship. It will let you see how beautiful the ship is. You will also get to experience a lot of amazing activities happening while in the cruise.

Don’t forget to enjoy and try to document every piece of that memory for keepsakes. It is always good to have something that you could look back into for years. Those memories of your first time in a cruise will be rooted in your heart and mind always.