As we have already mentioned here, Crystal is our favorite cruise line. So since we have traveled on Crystal before, now when we’re planning we know much better what details we need to pay attention to. But no matter which cruise line you pick or how many cruises you’ve been on (or cruising in general), here are a few things we look into and think about each cruise.
Plan ahead for the paperwork end of things –
- If you don’t have a passport, get one. If you have one, look ahead to the expiration date as it relates to your cruise. Plenty of cruises get planned a year in advance, sometimes more. You will need a passport that is valid for six months from the last day of your cruise. Yes, passports are good for 10 years, but you would be surprised how fast that can sneak up on you. (Yes, we are speaking from experience) You might also be encouraged by your cruise line to have quite a few blank pages available. Depending on the cruise line, they might also require your updated passport information before they allow you to make a final payment or plan excusions.
- In addition to your passport, depending on where you are traveling, you might need a visa as well. And if you have ports in different countries, you might need a few visas. On most cruise ships, it is your responsibility to figure out which countries you will need visas for. The need for visas may also vary depending on the country that issued your passport. For example, you live in the US, but are traveling on a passport from another country. The relationship between the country issuing your passport and the country you are visiting determines the need for a visa, not where you currently live.
- For passport & visa information, as well as general travel information, from the US check out the US Department of State website for the most up-to-date information. It is good to take a look at each country you will visit as there can be small differences between their requirements. For example, Spain only requires one blank page to enter, Portugal requires two. And in France, even if you have a 12 page US Emergency passport, that is not valid for entry.
Plan ahead to feel your best during your cruise –
- Depending on where you’re traveling, consider visiting a travel doctor. They will help you with all the vaccinations you might need when traveling. Some might be suggested, some might be required to enter a country. Again, you will be responsible for finding out if any are required and having proof with you when you travel. They can also help you with how to handle GI issues you may have related to travel. Some you can medicate for, others you can’t. But we’ve had helpful travel doctors in the past talk through how to handle some uncomfortable situations.
- If you already know you are prone to motion sickness, most likely you already know what works for you. Even if you are not prone to it, plan to have a few options of how to handle it. A rough day at sea can make even the strongest stomachs turn, so have a few options in case. Sea bands are good options, as well as OTC medications. It can’t hurt to just have something with you rather than going to the medical center to find an option with everyone else who is suffering.
Planning for the full cost of the cruise –
As you start to look at your options, most likely you have a general idea of how much you want to spend for your vacation. Again, this is very personal, we all have different things what we are willing to splurging on and other things we’re ok saving on. No matter what, go through all the details of your trip to make sure you plan for all of it from the beginning. As you start to look at options, remain open minded and don’t get sticker shock from the first number you see. Some cruises, like Crystal (or Regent Seven Seas, Oceania, Silver Seas, etc), you might look on the website and think that it’s really expensive. Yes, it looks like a lot compared to other cruise ships. But that price is all inclusive for when you’re on the ship (excursions are not included). We’re not saying a cruise on Crystal isn’t a commitment, just that sometimes the difference between cruise lines are not as significant as they are presented. The first price you see for some cruise lines is not even close to all inclusive. The one thing that shocked us the most looking at others is that some don’t even include bottled water or soda – that is an add on. Just a few items that might come at an extra cost for you to consider and add to the total if you want them during your vacation –
- Bottled water, soda
- Specialty coffees – lattes, iced coffee, etc
- Alcoholic beverages
- Specialty dining – just because they have quite a few restaurants, that doesn’t mean they are included in the price.
- Wi-Fi
- Gratuities
Of course, even if you add all this in, some cruise lines are more expensive than others. So the choice becomes what are you comfortable with spending and are you good with spending more for things such and quality of food and service, room amenities, etc.
Plan on getting to and from your cruise port –
Our main suggestion on this – fly in the day before! Of course, this depends on where your cruise is leaving from and where you live. If you can make it to your cruise port on a non-stop flight, you might be able to leave the same day as embarkation. If not, you might want to think about arriving the day before. A few other things to consider when planning your flights to and from your ship.
- Be clear on when the ship departs and when you are required to be on board. This is usually no earlier than 5:00pm, but it depends on the port. Your cruise line may also require you to be on hours before departure on embarkation day (Crystal wants you on board 2 hours before departure).
- For both arrival and departure, know where your ships port is in relation to the airport and what traffic might be like to get from A to B. For our cruise in fall of ’23, we flew into LaGuardia Airport. That is only 11 miles from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal. If you have been in NYC traffic, you know that could mean an hour depending on the time you land. But sometimes you’re just far from the airport. If you’re docking in Rome, that really means Civitavecchia, and that is about 40 miles from the airport.
- You might just want a day to adjust to the local time. Susan and Chris had a cruise leave from Tokyo. With the 13 hour time difference, they just needed a day to recover a little bit from travel so they could feel as best as possible when boarding.
- Sometimes things just happen. Random things – like a strike at the airport you’re traveling though. Luckily for us this has only happened to us when leaving the ship in Nice, France, but it can happen either way. It was close, but we made our flight to Paris. Our bags were not so lucky. We did get them the next day, but if you’re boarding the ship the same afternoon, you have left the dock and now your bags need to find you at the next port. Of course there are the more common random things like a thunderstorm delaying flights, in coming flight is delayed…you get the point.
Whether it’s the trip of a lifetime or a cruise you take every year – your vacation is important! Taking the time to get some of details sorted for the lead up to your trip can make all the difference once you leave. If you do it yourself or have a travel agent help you, the time you spend on planning in advance will be worth it.
