What Do I Need to Know Before Booking a Cruise?

Cruise ships remain a very popular vacation destination despite the number of cases of food poisoning and pirate attacks rising. Taking a cruise is an efficient way to enjoy your time off because you don't have to worry about driving, gas prices, or finding a hotel with a great pool. Some things can slip your mind when preparing for a cruise, however, and it behooves you to learn to keep these things swirling around inside your brain as your excitement levels increase and you attention to detail decreases.

Many people overpack for a cruise. It is vital to fully understand that despite the enormity of the largest cruise ships on the water today, your cabin is not going to be merely a hotel room at sea. The average size of a cruise ship cabin is less than 200 square feet. That's not a lot of space. Pack for your cruise with limited space in mind as well as the fact that you may be buying clothes from the ports at which you stop. Pack as lightly as possible. This means eschewing leather for cotton and bringing along more shorts than jeans.

You can also save some space in your luggage by checking ahead of time to see what kind of toiletries come with the cabin. Most cruises provide items like shampoo and soap. Finding out beforehand what toiletries are standard in your cruise ship cabin can lighten the load a little. Leave the towels at home because there will be towels waiting for you. The more upscale the cruise line and ship, the more amenities you can expect to find waiting in your cabin.

Cruises can cost quite a bit of money, but that does not mean you won't be spending extra. Items like drinks, massages, video games and even internet access can cost extra. Completely all-inclusive cruises where you fork over payment at the beginning and never have to lift your wallet again are not the standard operating procedure. You probably won't have to pay for your meals, though you should definitely make sure on lesser known cruise ships. The less you pay upfront, the more likely you are to have to pay extra for fun once on the ship.

As with everywhere else in the world, the ATM is omnipresent on board a cruise ship. You won't be at a loss to get some cash. But here's the thing. You know how you have to pay an extra couple of bucks for the privilege of accessing your own cash that helps keep your bank in business when you are away from town? Well, the surcharges on a cruise ship are even higher. After all, you're in the middle of the sea and away from the competition. Where else you going to get cash? The evil known as the banking industry knows this and so holds a knife to your throat to extort more money from you while you are doing them favor of putting your money inside their bank. Better to bring along a healthy roll of bills than to toss money down the garbage shoot by using an ATM on a cruise ship.