There’s no better feeling than stepping on board a cruise ship and exploring its dining, entertainment, shopping and sporting facilities before leaving port.
But a cruise ship expert has said there’s one mistake first-time passengers often make – and it’s not arriving early enough.
Cruise Critic, a popular site for cruise lovers, suggests getting to your departure port a day or two ahead of your cruise.
Not only does it give you a mini-holiday on land before you board, but it also takes the stress out of rushing to make the cruise on time – and, most importantly, helps avoid the risk of missing the ship entirely.
While many cruise ships typically set sail in the late afternoon, common travel mishaps, such as delayed or cancelled flights, long queues at customs, or lost luggage can hinder your ability to arrive on time.
As such, holidaymakers are warned to be prepared and allow for enough time – at least a one-day gap – to get to their port destinations.
Cruise Critic writes on its website: ‘Arriving a day or two before your cruise not only enhances the overall experience with a mini-land vacation, but it also eliminates the stressful race against time – and the risk of missing the ship.
‘Long flight times, customs, visas and potential baggage delays are just a few reasons to add an extra travel day when flying overseas for a cruise.
Cruise Critic, a popular site for cruise lovers, suggests getting to your departure port a day or two ahead of your cruise to minimise the risk of missing the ship leaving without you
‘More flights and security checks create more opportunities for things to go wrong.
‘Plus, if you’re already traveling across the globe, why not take the opportunity to explore the local culture before your cruise begins?’
One cruise passenger, Shannon Nutting, from the US, warned of the ‘heartbreaking’ consequences she faced after arriving late to the ship, as told by Unilad.
The mother planned a surprise cruise for her kids and drove eight hours from North Carolina to Florida’s Port Canaveral to board a Royal Caribbean cruise – but when they arrived, they weren’t allowed to board the ship.
Reflecting on the ordeal, she said: ‘All that year of saving and paying on it, everybody was just heartbroken and devastated. Everybody was exhausted.
‘I did not want to get on the road for eight hours and travel back Interstate 95 with four kids by myself and my babysitter.’
After the ordeal, Shannon reached out to her travel agent, and Royal Caribbean apologised, admitting it was a human error and that her family should have been able to board.
To make things right, the cruise line offered her three options: she could either get 100 percent future cruise credit for the amount she paid, plus $700 (£540) onboard credit; a full refund; or a full refund plus 25 per cent future cruise credit.
Holidaymakers are warned to be prepared and allow for enough time – at least a one-day gap – to get to their port destinations
So, before you head out on your next cruise, remember to bear in mind getting there early could make all the difference in having a stress-free start to your trip.
It comes after Lucy Southerton, 28, who worked on cruise ships for a decade, warned one of the biggest mistakes passengers can make is not doing their research before signing up for an outing.
Speaking in a video posted to her YouTube channel, which has over 86,000 subscribers, she said: ‘So many people book cruise line excursions without doing any research on the port that they’re actually visiting.
‘Many attractions that people are paying to see like the government buildings and the shopping streets, they could find on their own really easy.’
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