Doing this one thing should be your No. 1 priority upon embarkation
This Is the First Thing You Should Do When You Board a Cruise
Updated Oct. 04, 2024
Stepping on board a cruise ship is always exciting—I’ve done so dozens of times in my life, and 10 times just this year, and honestly, the feeling never gets old. The anticipation is palpable. Your vacation has just started, and the possibilities for the coming days are endless!
Except if you fail to take care of the single-most important task on your first day, that is. This is a mistake I’ve seen friends, family and complete strangers on all the best cruise lines make, and I always hate to see how this simple oversight negatively impacts their entire vacation.
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The first thing I always do when I board a cruise ship
While the pool bar may be calling your name or that lunch buffet may seem tempting, put those items on hold for just one hour.
Instead, use this time to set yourself up for the most epic cruise ever—and that means booking reservations at all the venues you want to experience so you can ensure your spot. This includes shore excursions, specialty dining restaurants, spa treatments and entertainment.
You’re going to get some immediate steps in as you visit each one of these locations in a power hour focused on booking activities, meals, entertainment and rejuvenation. Trust me—the delayed gratification of eating and drinking or taking a dip in the pool will pay off in spades all week long when you’re sitting pretty with the carefully curated itinerary of your dreams.
Why is this a must-do?
It all comes down to supply and demand: Cruise ships have a finite number of reservations available in their venues, so you are competing with upwards of 5,000 other passengers for the few open slots. The other passengers might be busy eating and drinking or not remember to book these activities until later that night or the next day, which means you get a jump start on locking in your top picks at prime times.
Shore excursions
Are you dying to swim with the pigs in the Bahamas or tour ancient Pompeii from Naples on a Mediterranean cruise? So is everyone else on your ship—and some passengers may have already reserved their spots online prior to embarkation. Your best bet to secure your bucket-list excursions is to head straight to the shore excursion desk and get in line. (The line now will be much shorter than it will be the rest of the day and evening, I promise!) This shouldn’t take more than 20 to 30 minutes, as long as you already have your choices selected. Not sure what to book? Ask for the packet of options to peruse while you wait.
Specialty dining restaurants
Some nights are perfect for the main dining room or even the buffet (especially after a long day of excursions). But on sea days, I love to get dressed up and enjoy dinner at an a la carte restaurant with a menu that wows me. Some of the big ships—like Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship—have 10 specialty venues to choose from. And some of the most-coveted ones, like Empire Supper Club, have a capacity for only 42 people a night. So it’s no surprise that these limited seatings sell out quickly.
Once you’ve identified your top picks (I suggest two or three for a seven-day sailing), visit each venue and reserve your preferred date and time. (Be sure to keep track of what you’re booking.) This should take about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how big the ship is and how far apart the restaurants are from each other.
Spa treatments
Not only are cruise ships known for excellent spa treatments, but they are also known for offering discounts or specials on embarkation day. (Think: “Book a 60-minute massage and get an extra 30 minutes for free.”) Head to the spa and ask about their specials, and then book your treatment(s) of choice. I like to schedule these for sea days, and everyone is vying for those spots too. This quick stop should take only about 10 to 15 minutes.
Note: This advice is true on both ocean cruises and river boat cruises. I just returned from a cruise on a 60-passenger boat on the Mekong River, and the spa was almost entirely booked up by day two. Go figure—the one time I didn’t follow my own advice!
Entertainment
On mega-ships, the popular show venues—such as aerialists, high divers, ice skaters and on-stage productions—have limited seating. If you wait until showtime, you may end up in the splash zone or with standing-room-only spots that aren’t comfortable and have obstructed views. Instead, hop on the cruise line’s app and check to see if you can reserve seats for upcoming shows. (Daily newsletters with activity times are among the things you won’t see on cruises anymore.) Just be sure to allow for enough time before or after your dinner reservations. Since this can be done on your phone, this is a great five-minute activity to do while waiting in line to book excursions or spa treatments.
Now go have fun!
With your cruise schedule now full of appointments for food, fun and rejuvenation, your one hour of work is done—you’re free to officially begin your vacation, and you’ve earned that multi-course lunch and a margarita in a pool lounger. Sit back and relax, knowing you’re about to start building memories that will last a lifetime.
Editor’s note: If you’re on a Disney Cruise Line cruise, head to Guest Services to make spa and dining experiences for one-stop shopping.
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At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. For this story on cruising, Jill Schildhouse tapped her experience as a cruise expert and longtime travel writer and relayed her recent experience on cruises. We also rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions, verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Originally Published: October 04, 2024
