Cruise ships

There are some groups who should be cautious about cruising, and whom it might well not suit or may even be impossible. A few possibilities are:

Environmental or ethical considerations are important to you: Cruise lines pollute more than almost any other type of transportation or vacation option you could choose, and can be quite wasteful in their operations, particularly in terms of food waste. Their operations rely largely on low-paid workers working for months at a time away from home, in ways that could reasonably be seen as exploitative (see § Ethics). If you are not comfortable with either of these aspects, you should steer clear.

You value spontaneity: Cruises are about the least spontaneous form of holiday you can choose, since by their nature they will always travel on a fixed itinerary and with strict limits on the time you can spend ashore in each port. Whether you fall in love with a certain destination or wind up absolutely hating it, you're there for a fixed time, whether you like it or not. Additionally, bookings on specific sailings can be sold over two years in advance (unlike hotels and flights), and ships generally sail full; "last minute" prices are going to be hard to come by.

You are on a tight budget: While, as above, a cruise can be cost competitive with a similar-length holiday, they are not usually cheap. Cruises - even those with cheap fares - come with ancillary costs that can quickly mount up, not least travel to and from the departure port(s), and the cheaper the fare the more likely it is you will need to spend additional money for necessary amenities. While buying a very cheap fare and spending nothing else is certainly possible, it will require some ingenuity and forethought to not be a restrictive and miserable experience.

You value, or need, quiet: Cruise ships (at least outside your cabin) are often busy, loud environments where you will be expected to at least be in the vicinity of other people, with music playing in public areas and even outside. No real adjustments are ever going to be possible on this. You can potentially mitigate these issues by booking reputedly "quieter" lines or itineraries, and there are usually quieter places on any ship (even reputed "party" ones like Virgin or Carnival), but you'll probably find any line that promises true peace and quiet a lot more formal, more expensive and with an on average older passenger base than you might want.

You find it difficult to tolerate other people: Similar to the above, cruises are not for you if you cannot bring yourself to deal with other people. Unlike almost every other type of holiday, you will be stuck on the same vessel with, and possibly take tours or do activities with, the same group of people for the entire length of your holiday; although this is becoming less common and there are usually ways around it, requirements to share tables with strangers at dinner are not unheard of. An inability to tolerate others is simply not compatible with such a holiday, and as above, there are very few if any adjustments that can be made to suit you.

Especially for first-time cruisers, this overall article should help you understand what going on a cruise is all about, and what might fit what you'd like. Before this, you might ask yourself key questions:

Who'll be in your group, e.g., just friends, a couple, a family of parents and children, a multi-generational family (including grandparents)? And do any members have special needs, e.g., to get around?

What "caliber" of cruise interests you – economy, mainstream, premium, luxury, expedition?

What kind of experience do you want? – a traditional, "dress up for dinner" style cruise with Broadway shows and lectures, a casual "anything goes" style cruise with raucous entertainment and parties, or somewhere in between? These choices will determine the line you go with, since things like the caliber and style of entertainment, the food choices available and the dress code will all differ based on this.

What's your budget? Different lines serving different markets will have wildly different costs for similar or even the same itineraries. Consider that depending on the line or your needs, you will almost certainly wind up needing to budget for a lot more than the price of the cruise itself.

Does your budget fit a typical cruise with lots of benefits included? Or perhaps an "all-inclusive" where (at substantially greater cost) nearly everything is pre-paid by and for everyone, e.g., tours, spa services, unlimited alcoholic drinks?

How much time do all in your group have to make the trip together and when? And how well does the "when" fit with where you all might want to go? Alaska or Northern Europe in January might have certain complications.

How much time do you want to spend at each cruise destination? Each cruise tends to vary in the amount of time they spend at their destinations. This is an especially important consideration for Caribbean and Mediterranean cruises, which can stop in multiple islands and cities even in the span of a few days. Some cruises will spend a few hours at each destination, whereas some cruises will spend a whole day or more. Look into the trip itinerary and ask yourself if you want to spend most of your time relaxing on the ship, or if you prefer to explore each destination.

With basic answers to those questions and use of this article, (we hope) you'll be able to generate a picture of what kind of cruise fits you best. Many who come to cruising considering it an unimaginably expensive luxury find themselves pleasantly surprised that the cost for a cruise may, when everything is taken into account, be about the same as a road trip or fly/stay vacation of comparable length, services and accommodations.

This article attempts to give as broad an overview as possible of cruising, however different lines provide many different services at many different price points, all targeted at many different markets. While we will not recommend booking with one line over another, we may need to refer to specific lines on occasion, particularly where they deviate from what may otherwise be industry norms; part of this means understanding who the players in that industry are, and their general characteristics.

The "Big Four" of the ocean cruise industry are (from largest to smallest) Carnival Corporation and plc, Royal Caribbean Group, MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. Together, they carry just under 80% of all cruise passengers.

Carnival Corporation and plc is the largest of the big holding companies (33% market share), and is jointly British and American listed. It owns nine cruise lines:

Carnival Cruise Line – the main company in the concern. Operates mainly in the North American market, and is aimed at families, young adults. With a strong emphasis on entertainment, and a light vacation at affordable prices.

Princess Cruises – Carnival's division for natural and scenic destinations such as Alaska, Norway and New Zealand, with relatively small ships that do not constitute a "floating amusement park"

Costa Cruises – an Italian company that is the Mediterranean division of Carnival. Low prices, and an atmosphere more suitable for Europeans, and less for North Americans. Costa still allows smoking on the ship's balconies.

AIDA Cruises – a company aimed primarily at German-speaking audiences, with no formal evenings and an emphasis on wellness.

Holland America Line – suitable for a mature audience who wants a relaxed cruise.

P&O Cruises – a cruise line tailored to the British market, with an atmosphere that can be reminiscent of an English pub.

Cunard Line – an ultra-formal British luxury line and operator of the last remaining transatlantic ocean liners. Easily the most traditional line at sea by any measure.

Seabourn Cruise Line: Another company that provides formal service, with a high level of personal service.

Royal Caribbean Group is the second largest cruise line group in the world with a 26% market share. It owns three cruise lines, and co-owns two with the TUI Group:

Royal Caribbean – a major American mass-market cruise line with a strong emphasis on mega-ships – the eight largest ships in the world are operated by Royal, Royal Caribbean's emphasis is on attractions, which cater to a wide range of ages, from children's theme parks to Broadway shows and Las Vegas. And gives a full "floating city" experience.

Celebrity Cruises – suitable for couples looking for a more relaxed and intimate atmosphere than Royal ships.

Silversea Cruises – the division of Royal Caribbean that offers cruises to isolated destinations. Such as the Galapagos Islands and Antarctica.

The below are either part of a different group or are independent lines in their own right:

Ambassador Cruise Line — British budget line, targeted at a 50+ market

Compagnie du Ponant — French luxury cruise line that cruises using small ships

Crystal Cruises

Disney Cruise Line — family-oriented premium cruise line

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines — UK-based premium/formal line

Marella Cruises — mid-priced all-inclusive line, owned by TUI and targeted specifically at the UK market

Margaritaville At Sea — American budget casual cruise line, part of the overall "Margaritaville" brand

Peter Deilmann-Reederei

Phoenix Kreuzfahrten

Saga Cruises — British cruise line that is solely for age 50+ passengers

Transocean Kreuzfahrten

Viking Ocean Cruises — luxury cruise line, sister to the Viking river cruise line

Virgin Voyages — American "disruptor" premium line, aimed at a younger market; the exact polar opposite of Cunard in most ways

Adventure Canada — Canadian Arctic including Northwest Passage crossings, Greenland

HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) — expedition cruises to Alaska, Antarctica, British Isles, Europe, Galápagos Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Northwest Passage & Arctic Canada, Norway, South America, Svalbard

Nicko Cruises — cruises in German rivers including the Rhine, Elbe, Saar, and Oder

North Pacific Expeditions — adventure cruises to Alaska (via Inside Passage), Prince William Sound and the Kenai Peninsula

North Star Cruises — Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia

Orion Expedition — adventure cruises, worldwide but specialising in things like Antarctic or Amazon trips

Paul Gauguin Cruises

SeaDream Yacht Club

Star Clippers — sailing vessels

TUI River Cruises - budget river cruise line aimed primarily at a British market

Un-Cruise Adventures — small ship adventure cruises focusing on wilderness, wildlife and treading lightly; Western hemisphere

Viking River Cruises — river cruises in Europe, Egypt, and Asia

Windstar Cruises — luxury sailing vessels

SkarvLines Adventure Cruises — small ship converted fishing trawler cruising Scotland's waters, focussing on wildlife, walking & Scottish heritage.

When making a decision as to your itinerary, you should be aware of where the ports will be in relation to anything you personally want to see, and whether it's even worth you getting off the ship at all. Some cities have cruise ports right in the center, so visiting is as easy as walking down a gangway (e.g. Amsterdam, Las Palmas, Stavanger), while other cruise ports are more far-flung, and may be a short bus ride from the towns from which they get their name.

Unhelpfully for the novice cruiser, and more egregiously, lines - and not just cheaper ones! - sometimes advertise the locations of their ports in ways that make low-cost airlines look like paragons of straight-talking honesty. A stand-out example is Le Havre, which is frequently advertised as "Paris (Le Havre)" when it is in reality roughly the same distance from Paris as it is from Southampton, where your cruise might well have embarked. Southampton itself being often advertised as "London" similarly stretches the truth to breaking point.

The lesson here is to check itineraries fully before committing, and particularly to pay close attention to any words in brackets after a port name. This could mean something like "Athens (Piraeus)" (where Piraeus is a suburb of the city of Athens proper) or it could mean psyching yourself up for your dream visit to "Paris" to have a leisurely day browsing The Louvre, only to be confronted with the reality of a five hour round trip on a coach.

Lines will also sometimes include stops in their itineraries that are more out of operational convenience, for tax purposes (e.g. a single stop outside of a country, or a bloc like the EU, to make it an "international" voyage) or out of contractual necessity, rather than them being places a traveler would rationally want to go. Wikivoyage destination guides can assist with detecting these. A cheaper line may include more of these in its itineraries compared to a premium one, but this isn't guaranteed.

When you find a voyage that appeals to you, look at the ship's description via its website to see the onboard activities that are available to you. Each line will at the very least give you a deck plan on its website which will give you an indication of what's on board; see Do for a brief overview of what you might expect to find.

Your experience will be substantially affected by the cruise type you choose, which can roughly be delineated by the balance between port days (when the ship is docked, and you can get off and explore) and sea days (when the ship is sailing all day, and you will be restricted to onboard activities).

On a port-intensive itinerary, except for a few sea days (possibly none at all, but usually at least one), you might dine one evening, then enjoy entertainment, dancing, etc. go to sleep, and wake up docked at your next port of call. On a typical full day port visit, you can often start ashore at 7–8AM and be expected back approximately 30 minutes before ship departure at 5–6PM or so.

If you prefer such a cruise, look for itineraries in regions that offer many nearby ports, such as the Mediterranean, Baltic, the Fjords, Northern Europe, the Caribbean, Alaska, Australia, South Pacific and the Mexican Riviera. You should also look for departure ports within the region, and be prepared to travel long distance to your departure port, to minimize sea days: for example, San Juan for the Caribbean, Amsterdam or Copenhagen for the Baltic or Fjords, or Southampton for Northern Europe.

If you prefer sea days, you can look for:

Re-positioning cruises (often crossing oceans) or crossings per se. The former takes the ship to a new region to take advantage of an approaching high season, e.g. from Alaska to "winter" in the Caribbean. The latter involves a segment of a major cruise to another region. Both usually take two weeks or more, and often involve one-way international flights to reach departing (or travel home from ending) ports.

Visits to distant islands or regions, e.g. a voyage to/around Hawaii from Los Angeles.

Segments of around-the-world cruises, usually "crossing" major regions over a period of 3–6 weeks. They, too, will usually involve one-way international flights.

Around-the-world cruises, taking 90 days or more — best considered once you know you're comfortable with many days at sea.

There are also various cruises for special interests, e.g. for bridge players (perhaps with a few masters on board), celebrity entertainers, lectures on culture, political science or history, or LGBT lifestyles. There have even been Linux, "geek", big band, rock and roll, and home theater cruises, some of which are annual events. A few cruise sites will help you find them; their itineraries may focus more on on-board activities than destinations.

Classic cruises still exist, the cruises where you dress up for dinner. The exclusive ships are patronized by an affluent clientele and the ships are more of ocean yachts with larger cabins than modern ocean giants. A special subcategory are the large sail ships.

Sightseeing cruises are designed to include as many sights as possible, itineraries including the Mediterranean and port cities of Northern and Western Europe. A subclass more reminiscent of expeditions are cruises around Cape Horn, to Antarctica or into Milford Sound. On such cruises you will generally travel onboard special-built ships.

Club cruises have a casual atmosphere and dress code on board. They almost always include land excursions, wellness, fitness and sunbathing on board. These cruises are common all over the world.

Fun cruises are geared towards entertaining the guests and include an entertainment program as well as discos and movie theaters. This "Las Vegas-version" of the club cruise is primarily offered by American cruise companies in the Caribbean.

Theme cruises – as the name indicates, they are centered around a theme like music, sports, wellness or fine dining. Frequently there are famous people on board such as Olympic medalists, star chefs, singers or orchestras. These cruises can be quite expensive and are usually only worth considering if you are very interested in the theme.

Mini-cruises of one or a few days are usually taken on board large ferries, these are common for example in the Baltic Sea.

Expeditions mean a limited number of guests, and high prices on board ships small enough to get to places where normal cruise ships wouldn't be able to go. Popular are destinations like the Amazon or the Poles. In particular the icebreakers that are required for some polar cruises offer only a few dozen cabins. Such cruises are geared towards people who want to experience and learn more about the destinations and are often headed by academics and other experts who hold lectures on board.

Round the world cruises on luxury cruisers take at least three months and prices start from US$15,000. These are in practice series of shorter cruise segments, each one or two weeks in duration, that can be booked separately.

Freighter cruises sound exotic, but on surprisingly many freighters you may travel as a paying passenger. For long distances, these are often cheaper than regular cruises and they are certainly different from other forms of travel. There are some drawbacks, though: there is generally no entertainment on board and the cabins are rather spartan. The ports and the schedules are planned according to the freight, not to the wishes of the couple of extra passengers.

The character of these cruises depends on the cities and regions next to the river. These are common on major rivers such as the Danube (Europe), Volga (Asia) or Nile (Africa). Many package tours to China include a multi-day cruise along the Yangtze River including passing through the ship locks of the Three Gorges Dam.

These ships and boats are much smaller than ocean cruisers and the entertainment and amenities available on board are much more limited. River cruise passengers also trend towards an older, more sedate demographic, and consequently they tend to be more formal or upmarket than ocean cruises. While a standard ocean cruise will include a fairly full range of entertainment, food available more-or-less around the clock and a wide range of bars, venues and facilities to enjoy, river cruises will have almost none of these things.

Many cruising regions have "high", "low" and "shoulder" seasons. These usually track with the most and least desirable times to visit the region, and times in-between, e.g., winter for the Fjords and late summer and fall for the Caribbean (tropical storms) are deemed undesirable. Expect to pay premium prices during high-season, substantially less in "low", and perhaps you'll find some bargains in "shoulder", e.g., for "re-positionings".

Under repositioning cruises, many ships transfer among distant regions that have opposite high-seasons, e.g., between the Mediterranean, Baltic or Alaska and the Caribbean, South America, Australia, or New Zealand. The long distances require many sea days, often at attractive per day prices for those who like at sea days. On the downside, you may not see much else than the ocean during the cruise.

Here are some of the most popular cruising regions in the world:

Mediterranean — often divided in a western and eastern section, cruises in the latter section may include ports in the Black Sea or the Red Sea

Western Europe — some cruises are extended all the way to the Canary Islands and the Azores

Northern Europe — including the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, if you are looking for a shorter cruise, this may be a good area

Alaska — normally runs out of Vancouver in the summer months

Caribbean — possibly the most popular cruise destination, usually out of ports in on the east coast of the United States, some trips continue all the way to the South American coast

Oceania — commonly in the waters of Australia and New Zealand, but sometimes also including islands in the Southern Pacific, usually from hubs off the east coast of Australia

Southeast Asia — can generally be divided into the eastern and western sections, with Singapore serving as a hub serving both sections. Hong Kong is also a major hub for the eastern section of Southeast Asia.

Cold areas of the world, like Greenland, Svalbard and Antarctica are usually visited by special ships that have the ability to travel through ice. Be prepared for bad weather or ice changing the itinerary of the cruise. Usually the cruise company has planned in alternative destinations if it's impossible to follow the original schedule.

While the cruise industry once catered primarily to seniors, the age of passengers has diversified significantly as the lines seek out new markets. The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) in 2018 reported the average age of cruise ship passengers is 46.7 years, which is slightly younger than the populations of Japan and Germany (47.3 years and 47.1 years respectively). Many lines appeal to 20–to-40-year-old couples, "party" cruises attract young adults, and Disney and others focus on families with children and teens. Cruising has turned into an enormously popular family vacation due to well-designed children's programs, even special cabin configurations.

If cruise demographics are important to you, read the cruise description carefully, research web sites on cruising (see "Other resources" below), and work through your travel/cruise agent to learn the probable demographics of any trip you're considering. If this is important to you, you'll be glad you did so, or you risk embarking on a ship filled with rowdy young adults or seniors with limited activities. In particular:

Be sure to scrutinise the cruise line's marketing to determine what the line claims to offer its passengers, and conversely the kind of passengers that the line expects to attract. A cruise line whose website is filled with images of older people clinking wine glasses in front of sunsets is unlikely to cater for a desire to party through the night, nor are passengers on such a line likely to be amenable to such activities.

Some itineraries may attract more seniors, e.g., trans-Atlantic and -Pacific re-positioning cruises, which would be difficult for most people to fit around work or school, or those which are within the "term time" of local schools, which may be less accessible to families. River cruises, in particular, tend to attract a significantly older customer base than ocean cruises.

Certain lines such as Celebrity, Princess, Cunard and especially Holland-America may also appeal more to seniors, even if they're not solely targeted at them. Some, such as Ambassador and Saga, are either specifically targeted at an older crowd or even do not allow bookings from anyone below a certain age respectively. Conversely, lines like Marella, MSC and NCL try to appeal more to families and younger adults, while Virgin is targeted (with middling success) at a younger adult crowd. Some lines, like Carnival and Margaritaville at Sea, have strong reputations as "party" lines.

The expected dress code and formality of the line will strongly inform the demographic. There is further discussion on the nuances of this in the Respect section, but as a general rule, you should expect that a line with a stricter (or more enforced) dress code will attract a more conservative, buttoned-down - and probably older - demographic than one that is less concerned about what you wear. You categorically should not book a more formal line if you're not prepared to adhere to the dress code consistently, as you will attract negative attention from other passengers.

If anyone in your party has a physical limitation, the cruise line can usually help – especially if notified in advance. Let the line know, via your agent if necessary, to let them know about your needs and when they apply.

If you need access to special cabin facilities, you can be assigned a cabin specially equipped for your general needs. These may include door thresholds with little or no rise, convenient handrails to get about the cabin and bathroom, and special bathing equipment. Lines will invariably also offer help with the significant walking distances to embark and disembark, or to go on port visits. In some ports, the ship is anchored offshore and shore excursion participants are transported ashore by small boats, which might pose challenges if you've not pre-arranged crew assistance.

If you purchase a fly-cruise or cruise extension package, you should mention any other help you'll need. Some companies may also require you to bring an assistant (often chargeable at full fare) to help you in possible emergency situations.

River cruise ships, owing to their size and generally limited nature relative to ocean cruises, are often inaccessible to those with physical disabilities. This is particularly the case if you are incapable of going up and down stairs as these ships frequently do not have elevators, and as such adjustments may not be physically possible. If this may pose a problem for you, you should research this thoroughly and make enquiries with the line before making any bookings.

Those with conditions such as ADHD and autism spectrum disorders should be aware that public areas on cruise ships, for the most part, tend to be busy, stimulating and often loud environments, where socialization is – if not required – generally expected to some extent. Adjustments for this are not going to be possible in any environment outside your cabin.

The ship and your cruise depend on a few key officers, although depending on the line and the formality of the cruise, you may or may not get the chance to meet many of them. Some lines in particular may simply not have some of the more formal roles that used to define cruising, and most tend to abstract these roles away from the passenger in the same fashion as any other customer service organisation's management.

Just a few of the key ship staff include:

Every ship will have a Captain. They're called the "ship's master" for a reason; they have total operational command and responsibility of the vessel and when and where it goes, and on the ship, their word is almost literally law. It is generally unlikely that you will meet the captain out and about the ship, but you may get the chance to on designated formal/"gala" nights, or as part of paid-for ship tours. Depending on the ship's nation of registry, some may be able to officiate at weddings.

The Cruise Director is likely to be the officer you come into contact with the most. They are responsible for all entertainment, special activities, key briefings and announcements, and any port or shopping advisers on board. Some less-traditional lines (e.g. Virgin) have simply abolished this role, replacing the traditional "cruise director" position with a cast of entertainers.

The Hotel Manager is in charge of all staff that deliver on-board services, food and bar service, cabin staff, tour office, shops and nearly countless behind-the-scenes support staff. In general, rather than speaking to this person directly, you will find a "customer service" desk (formally a "purser's desk") on a lower deck, usually in or near the atrium of the ship.

If your line does traditional fixed seated dining (see Eat for more details), there will usually be a Maitre d' or Head Waiter for your dining room. You will also likely have a specific waiter for the area where your table is located. They stand ready to make special arrangements for you on request, such as birthday or anniversary celebrations, table changes, and special or required dining needs. This does not apply if you do not have (or your line does not offer) set dining, since you will be served by whoever is available in whatever dining room or restaurant you choose.

Beyond these senior officers, you will encounter numerous other crew members around the ship, carrying out various different roles; "front-of-house" crew might have multiple different roles at a time, or be encountered in various different venues around the ship.

Travel insurance with specific cover for cruise-related perils should be strongly considered for any cruise of significant length. Medical care on board a cruise ship can be ruinously expensive, and if your medical needs exceed what the ship's medical centre can offer, this may result in you needing to be airlifted from the ship, which is even more ruinously expensive. Good travel insurance with cover for cruise-related expenses will cover this eventuality.

Good cruise travel insurance may also repay you travel costs for getting to the next port if you miss the ship's departure due to something beyond your control (e.g. an excursion delay) or compensate you with an additional cash sum should the ship skip a planned port stop (while lines usually won't need to compensate you at all if they do this). This may prove crucial should you (against all advice) choose or be required to fly in the day of your cruise.

Generic travel insurance packages (including included ones from banks or credit card companies) may or may not cover cruise-related perils at all, or may only cover up to a certain amount, and often don't include compensation for things like missed ports as a matter of course - you can usually upgrade existing cover for a relatively small fee.

Travel experts recommend against buying "insurance" from airlines or cruise lines. Coverage offered often focuses only or primarily on the responsibilities of the line, while a quality policy will cover all elements and risks of your end-to-end trip, with options for many risks that apply uniquely to you. It is also likely to be far more expensive than policies you can purchase on the open market.

For a more in-depth discussion on the merits of travel insurance, and any pre-conditions you may need to meet, see the dedicated article on travel insurance.

Several websites provide objective information about various cruise lines, ships, cruising regions and ports, and how to choose, prepare for and go on a cruise. Many offer professional reviews, some offer passenger reviews. But because they often sell cruises through third parties, they cannot be listed here. To find them, use a good search engine, with "cruise" and "advice" or "review" as keywords among your search parameters.

Those sites and travel magazines discuss other valuable topics, e.g., "wave season" (when to book, not when to go) versus other times, understanding what's included (and not) in prices shown, industry trends that may cause prices to go down. A good travel/cruise agent will have those and other insights. Knowing exactly when and how to best book a cruise receives nearly constant attention in travel articles, and approaches being an art.

YouTube and other similar video sites can also prove useful, with a wide variety of creators offering full video "tours" of ships or individual cabin types, as well as more subjective reviews. Simply searching for a ship name and "tour" or similar is likely to yield some results, although bear in mind that as with websites mentioned above, many cruise-related videos will be sponsored.

Unless you have considerable experience with choosing and booking a cruise, you should consider using a travel agent. They should help you considerably to understand the contract, all fixed costs, all options available and their costs and importance. Before you buy any cruise or package, they should provide you with a full invoice reflecting all costs and the basic cruise contract, and will explain non-cruise arrangements needed. This allows you to question details and request changes in advance.

When choosing an agent, ensure that you are looking at a reputable one - look for credentials, and consider seeking out personal recommendations from people you know and trust. Cruise specialists are certified by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), and will show a seal authorized by the CLIA. You should also look for other certifications relevant to your location - for example, ABTA and ATOL in the United Kingdom - that may offer you additional protections.

Agents receive variable amounts of commission from cruise lines for booking for you, and may offer you additional benefits over and above what the line offers - in reality this is likely to be the agent simply rebating some of that commission back to you. As a rule of thumb, for non-complex arrangements, an agent should not be charging you any more than what the line charges to book directly for the same itinerary and cabin – at least not without some material difference or other inducement.

Some agents are also tied to specific cruise lines, in that they either specialise in a particular line's offerings or they are part of a group that actually owns one (e.g. TUI own several lines). They should be professional enough to tell you if a particular line or itinerary will not meet your needs, but keep in mind that they have a heavy vested interest in getting you to book through them.

Note that if you book via an agent, in most cases you will need to speak to the agent to make any changes - the line will not be able to help, since the agent "owns" the booking. Having the agent be responsive and helpful is critical given this. Some lines may also assume that any agent you book through is "your" agent going forward, and will (in addition to paying them completely unearned commission) direct you to contact them for any changes or requests, even when you've booked the cruise directly. This can be fixed easily, but you'll possibly only find out when time is of the essence. (Virgin Voyages are notorious for this practice.)

If you become a repeat customer, your agent can learn your preferences over time, and can give personalised advice and services, help with problems encountered as your trip approaches, and even offer notices about unpublished deals that might interest you; information which is unavailable to the general public.

Booking direct with a line rather than via an agent has its advantages; the line can sometimes offer bonuses to people who buy direct, and if you have your heart set on a particular line while being flexible on the itinerary, it makes it far easier to see what the line can offer you. The downside is that you will have to make other travel arrangements yourself, and any issues that crop up will be for you to resolve with the line directly, whereas an agent will have some responsibility for fixing things on your behalf.

Once you book a cruise on your own, unless the line is making the arrangements on your behalf, you become wholly responsible for anything not already covered, including flights, transfers and anything else that might stand between you, the ship and getting home at the end of your voyage. It's worth enquiring about the feasibility/price/accessibility of these well before you book the cruise itself, so that you do not wind up having paid a deposit for a cruise that proves impossible - or at the very least, deeply expensive and/or inconvenient - for you to get to.

Certain lines may be more or less accessible to you depending on your country of residence. In particular, some European lines are deliberately difficult to book with from outside of their home markets either without an agent or at all (e.g. Marella Cruises are a British line who, notoriously, do everything in their power to prevent non-Brits from booking). The only solution here really is to either find an agent who can assist or to book another line.

Online booking flows usually start with choosing an itinerary and dates, then the cabin type, possibly the cabin itself, and then various other sundry things such as drinks packages and prepaid gratuities. You may also be offered flights or transfer arrangements at ports. Pay close attention and consider the value to you of any additional upsells or pre-payments - these could make sense for you, or they could be a complete waste of money.

You will usually be given the option to choose a cabin; it is generally a good idea to research at least a general idea of where on a particular ship you wish to be before choosing. Picking a bad cabin on an overall good ship can be worse than having a good cabin on an overall bad ship. Various websites exist to help with details of "good" or "bad" cabins on particular ships, but some rules of thumb are listed under Cabin location in this article. Consider carefully any "guaranteed" cabin offerings; these remove your choice of cabin (which could wind up being very good or very bad), as well as any cancellation or refund rights you might have, in exchange for possibly substantial savings, and even the slim chance of getting a far better cabin class than you paid for.

Cruise ships will usually have a dedicated office that offers information about and the booking of future cruises. They may offer some additional inducement to book another cruise while you are on your current cruise, such as additional onboard spending credit or a free drinks package.

Naturally, this is rather advantageous to the line, since you cannot easily compare their offerings to other lines, the staff may be on commission, and there is somewhat more pressure to book right there and then. Any "cooling off" rights you might have in your home country may not apply, or be subject purely to whatever the cruise line's contract offers you. It's not a categorical no-no, but it is worth being cautious about - and the benefits may or may not be worth it to you.

Some lines (e.g. Virgin) have a program where you pay a nominal deposit while on the ship and then can choose the specific cruise later, with perks added of a discount and additional benefits like on-board credit. As above, these benefits may or may not stack up for you and you are usually required to sail (not book!) within a limited period after putting down a deposit. You also cannot easily get a refund on the deposit if you decide that actually, you don't want to sail with the line again after all. You should, as above, be cautious.

One quirky way of getting "comped" cruises is by gambling in a ship's on-board casino. Since the casino is a major profit center for most cruise lines (because most people lose), they can comp a cabin to a heavy gambler and receive back more than sufficient compensation in whatever they may lose while gambling. This is most common on American cruise lines where individual play is tracked via your cruise card.

The emphasis here should be on "heavy gambler". The house always has the edge in a casino (especially on a cruise ship), and the amount of money you would have to put through the casino in order to even be considered for a free cabin is typically thousands of dollars a day - which, all told, you could probably just pay for a cruise with anyway.

Under no circumstances should you gamble with the potential of a comped cruise as a motivation - you are most likely to simply lose a large amount of money and have nothing to show for it but an empty wallet.

If you wish to cruise alone in a double-occupancy cabin, you will often face a "single supplement" charge; often equal to the cost of a second person. Cruise lines dislike single cruise guests in double cabins (even if they pay the double price for the cabin), since the ship can't earn other revenues from your non-existent travel companion in the restaurants, bars, and shops on board, as well as for other services.

Certain limited cabins on some ships are designated "solo" cabins which may have a price that is somewhat less than booking a double cabin by yourself. These may or may not be in less pleasant or advantageous places in the ship, and may predominantly be inside cabins. Once these run out, you should expect to need to pay the single supplement for a "normal" cabin.

If cruising alone remains crucial to you, you should allow an informed cruise/travel agent to help you choose it and a cabin.

You may be able to extend the cruise you're looking at economically if cabins are available. Book any extension very-preferably at the same time you book the initial cruise segment, at least well before cruise start. You can ask about an extension just before or after embarkation, but you'll have little hope in high season when cruises are quite full, and virtually no hope of occupying the same cabin.

Many cruise lines now offer loyalty schemes which for the most part function similarly to hotel loyalty schemes, by providing additional benefits to those who sail with the line repeatedly.

Registering for these schemes is usually free, although some lines require you to sail with them a certain amount before they'll accept you. While you may receive some meagre benefit just for being a member (leaving aside dubious "benefits" like a "member's e-newsletter" or your "status" being shown on your cruise card), for the most part you will not see any tangible benefit from being a loyalty member until at least your second cruise, more likely your third. Even then, benefits will probably amount to trivial things like a free drink, or discounts on additional purchases, until you reach the higher tiers of statuses.

Unlike with frequent flyer programs, you cannot usually get free cruises, but you also will usually earn points/accrue "sailings" at the same rate regardless of the cabin type you choose or the price of the cruise. This means that on some lines, particularly cheaper ones, status can be very easy to reach. Additionally, there are no "partner cruises" that allow you to collect status on one line by sailing on another line - you will not accrue Carnival status by sailing P&O, and vice versa, even though they are both part of the same group. Status also tends to be based on lifetime sailings, rather than expiring - you do not usually have to cruise every year with the same line to maintain your status once you achieve it.

Some lines will match status with other lines, but usually only on their higher or even topmost tiers (e.g. Virgin will only match status with MSC if you have MSC's very top status, which requires at least twenty cruises to obtain.)

In general, the same caveats apply here as to frequent flyer programs - you should probably not make any decisions based solely on the idea of accumulating loyalty status, but if you genuinely fall in love with a particular line and intend to sail with them forever, being a member of their scheme definitely won't hurt.

For more discussion, see Packing for a cruise and the section on dress code

You should generally pack in line with expectations for the destinations you will visit on your cruise - check individual Wikivoyage articles for countries for suggestions of dress, and any cultural mores you might need to adhere to. If you'll fly to/from a cruise port, see Flying for other advice and suggestions.

On-board dress will be defined by your cruise line's policies; you should read these to understand what the expectations are. If you are in any doubt, "smart casual" wear will generally be acceptable on most lines in most circumstances so long as you don't feel like participating in any kind of "formal night".

Depending on the specifics, you may need or want to consider sun protection, or items like binoculars and duct tape.

It's generally a good idea (although rarely mandatory) to install the cruise line's app, if any, on your smartphone - this can greatly simplify your time on board by allowing you to look at the daily schedule and ship maps, book excursions and restaurants and much else besides, wherever you are on board.

Any authority looking at airline tickets, boarding passes and passports will examine names carefully. TSA and other security authorities often require that key papers (e.g., airline tickets, passports, visas, ship boarding passes) precisely reflect your full name. This applies to all persons in your travel group, e.g., spouse, children (toddlers perhaps excepted). Ensure that whoever books your cruise (and any associated airline tickets) accurately enters names in full and correctly on all reservations and tickets.

Unless your ship's itinerary is confined to your home country (not often), you must prepare for a cruise as you would for any other international trip, to include passports and perhaps visas. Many countries to be visited may levy few or no visa requirements on day visitors via cruise ship. Your cruise line and agent should be able to advise on this, and you should make enquiries well ahead of time. Some lines will arrange needed visas for scheduled port visits, but you should also check specifically for visa requirements if you have an international flight itinerary.

Ultimately, however, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have the appropriate documents to enter whatever countries you will be travelling to or via. Lacking a passport, or any required visa, you risk being denied boarding on your departing flight or ship at the point of embarkation without refund or other compensation. Your resulting expenses will likely also not be covered by travel insurance, since it is your duty to ensure that you have all required documents to travel.

The cruise line will often insist that your passport have more than six months before it expires as of the date your international travel ends, due to requirements of countries the ship will visit or where you'll fly. Many countries will not issue visas for passports with less time.

Port officials in certain countries may require review of all passenger passports before clearing the ship for passengers to go ashore. If so, they may join the ship a few days in advance, and the ship will announce a day or so before the port visit that the staff must gather all passports for inspection, or that passengers will be processed in person.

If your passport is stolen during a visit ashore during an international cruise, you will be left stranded; the cruise line will not let you return to the ship.

Before you leave home, make copies of at least the primary, facing pages of each passport as advised in Passport#Make copies, and take these ashore with you instead of your original documents. Only take the originals with you ashore on the rare occasion that this is needed per the ship's daily news or announcements; otherwise, once on board, leave them in your cabin's safe.

If you are United States citizen, you can be issued special passport cards for possible use at land borders and on cruise ships. However, in the event something comes up and you need to fly home from an international port of call, they are not accepted for international air travel.

Once booked and paid, you must promptly go to your cruise line's web site to register. Immigration authorities require that any ship leaving (or entering) their jurisdictions have personal data of all passengers well in advance of cruise embarkation. Your agent or the line may also need to mail documents to you reflecting that registration data.

On the cruise line's web site or app, complete all details about all people in your travel group for whom you are responsible. If you are informally travelling with others, ensure they understand this. Data needed will include, at a minimum, full names, addresses, phone numbers, passport details, and contact details for an emergency. You may also have the opportunity to do other pre-embarkation tasks beforehand to save time at the cruise terminal (see Embarkation).

You might need to print or be mailed a physical boarding pass for your cruise, however many lines no longer require this and will simply look you up at the terminal via your cabin number, booking number or your passport. If needed, this will usually be provided between 30-60 days before your cruise departure date. If you've paid the line for flights or airport-to-port transfers, you should also find details of these online within this timeframe. If you don't have these key papers in-hand in usable form at least three weeks before your cruise, notify your agent/cruise line immediately.

If you did not (or were not able to) choose a specific cabin at booking, this will likely be assigned and visible to you a few days prior to departure.

Tags showing your name, cruise ship, cruise date/identity/number and cabin number are essential to ensure your large luggage reaches your cabin.

Some lines will send you durable tags in-advance, to attach at least to your large luggage. If so, they'll often come with your boarding passes and vouchers if you have prepaid transfers. Others will offer tags for you to print at home; you can print these on normal printer paper (ideally in color) and then fold as indicated into a narrow strip, and reinforce it with transparent package sealing tape. When you're ready to attach one, wrap it around a fixed luggage handle, with the information showing, and then staple multiple times or apply strong tape at the overlapping ends. The results can be surprisingly durable.

If you make your own flight arrangements, you'll have to get yourself and all bags to the port/cruise terminal. You can wait to attach the cruise line tags as you claim them at the end of your flight, but do so before your bags reach the port if possible. If you have no tags, porters at the terminal will be able to assist.

If you have arranged services through the cruise line to transfer your checked luggage from the end of your flight to the ship, you need to attach the cruise tags before you check in the luggage to begin flying. Make enquiries about specific arrangements before you fly, e.g. if flying internationally, you may have to first claim your bags to go through customs and immigration processing before re-checking them into the cruise line luggage system at the airport.

If travel is international, take no more prescription medications than you'll need on your trip, with convincing documentation that they belong to you and are necessary, e.g. properly labeled bottles with your name, and perhaps a copy of the doctor's prescription. Leave the medications in and pack their prescribed bottles; otherwise, the meds lose their link to the prescriptions, and may be summarily confiscated as you enter or transit some countries.

If any contain a controlled or narcotic ingredient, make absolutely sure you will not violate any law of any country you'll enter or the flagged country of the ship — even as a through cruise or flight passenger, you will need to have the country's written permission to carry the meds within its borders. Most countries with restrictions will have ways to apply in advance for permission; if so, apply well in advance, especially if mail is required. This can take weeks or months to arrive.

Some countries may have unexpected restrictions on entering/transiting with some basic medications, e.g. mild opiates such as codeine, or decongestants such as pseudoephedrine. Always read the ingredients. Without prior permission to have them, they will be confiscated, and you may be arrested. Replacement medication may or may not be available, and if it is will likely require consultation with a doctor.

For some medications the consequences can be severe, and may involve arrest and imprisonment. In particular, medical cannabis is usually banned on cruise ships, and is illegal in many destinations, even if you have been legitimately prescribed it in your home country.

If you are taking valuable items (including electronics and jewelry) with you, it may be prudent to carry proof that you already owned these to confirm that you did not try to import them, and avoid paying unsue import duties in one or more countries.

If you have purchased travel insurance, take at least a summary of the policy coverage and how to contact the insurer for help from wherever you will go on the trip. Leave a copy of the policy with someone at home who can help with any actions needed, or who may benefit from its terms.

Cruise ships sail from an increasing number of port cities, and most people must fly to get to them. If that applies to you, you have options, with the primary choices being between making your own flight arrangements (perhaps using a travel agent) or opting for a "fly-cruise" package, in which the line sells you flights as part of the overall cruise fare.

If you miss your ship's departure (actually from any port), you are responsible for joining it at its next port of call or getting home on your own. That can be very expensive unless covered by travel insurance, and even then travel insurance may not pay out if your missing departure is due to poor planning. This makes choosing flights appropriately, allowing for any number of contingencies en route, extremely important.

For basic return flights for "round-trip" cruises that start and end at the same port, you will likely be fine booking any flights directly with an airline as you otherwise would with any other flight. However, if your cruise ends at a different port from the one it starts at, or you have other complex needs, consider fly-cruise packages or at least booking through a travel agent. Agents can sometimes get better deals on "open-jaw" or one-way flights than you could find on your own.

The pages on Planning your flight and Flying on a budget will be useful here on specifics of how best to book a flight.

If you're a seasoned traveler, have non-complex needs or have a good travel agent, you or your agent may do better by booking your own flights and lodging. This can mean better economy, flight dates and times, routes, seating and options for hotels.

The golden rule of all fly-cruising that experienced cruisers will swear by, regardless of all other factors, is to never fly in to port on the day of the cruise – always fly in the day before. While this may involve your paying for an overnight stay, meals and transfers, this additional time and expense might prove to be the critical difference between you missing your cruise entirely and you making it with time to spare in the event of some emergency or other. It may also give you an opportunity to explore your departure port, that you might otherwise not have.

If you truly, unavoidably must fly in the day of a cruise, ensure that your flights are scheduled to arrive in plenty of time for you to reach the ship's terminal at least two hours before the ship sails, taking into account any contingencies (e.g. lost luggage, passport control, visa difficulties, traffic, or anything else you can think of).

Regardless of the dates, ensure you have completely adequate time to make flight check-ins and flight connections (including possibly going through customs and immigration at some airports) Include extra time for unpredictable delays. Consider everything that might make you late, e.g. "tricky" connections, seasonal weather, time to reach the cruise port from the airport, ground transport dependability and how far in advance you need to check-in for flights. If you don't have fully adequate time, or are in any doubt at all, choose other arrangements.

For return flights, cruise ships will tend to dock around 8AM, but you may not be able to actually get off the ship then, and may indeed only be back on land some time after midday unless you are willing and able to personally walk all of your luggage off the ship. This is something you should factor in when choosing return flight times. An evening flight home or a flight the next day, even if otherwise inconvenient, may be prudent – and again, you may want to explore this city too.

A fly-cruise package means the line makes all arrangements for you to fly to, get on and return from the cruise. This offers convenience and confidence for first-time cruisers or those going to/from unfamiliar ports. These packages include air travel (typically economy class), land transfers to and from the ship, and may also include lodging. Depending on the line (and its price class), transfers could involve coaches with fifty other passengers, or an individual taxi for you and your group.

A key point in favour of fly-cruise packages is that, in addition to providing an "end-to-end" solution, ships will often delay departure for flights their line has arranged (see below) that arrive late. This tends to be more common on lines where the flights and cruises are operated by the same organisation (e.g. Marella/TUI, Virgin/Virgin Atlantic), although in practice may only happen if it doesn't compromise the ship's ability to reach the next port on schedule. However, either way, it then becomes the cruise line's problem to solve to get you to the next port in an expeditious manner, whereas if you make the arrangements yourself, this is entirely your (and possibly your insurer's) problem.

Fly-cruise packages have trade-offs in exchange for the ease and peace of mind that they offer, chief amongst them that they usually cost more than arranging your own flights and transfers; "usually" because some offers may be a good deal. For the most part however, you will find that "free" or "included" air fare tends to be simply a markup on the core price of the cruise as advertised.

Cruise line-booked flights are often block booked by the line in advance, and as a result there are some quirks; you may not be able to check in online, or use automated check-in kiosks at the airport, and might instead need to queue up at a desk to do check-in formalities in person. The airline will also not usually talk to you about the booking, and you may not even be given a booking reference before you arrive at the check-in counter. Flights will often be chosen based on cost, bulk availability or convenience for the line, rather than what might make your flight more pleasant, and they can as a result have odd timings or have long journey segments. Lines may also only book flights through certain airlines; often mainstream name-brand airlines, sometimes not. Some of this may be unavoidable, or it could be simply down to commercial arrangements.

Another key demerit is that while some lines will tell you the anticipated flight timings at the point of booking, others will only actually make the bookings and communicate the details to you until very much closer to the cruise date, which makes informed decision making as to other arrangements (e.g. hotels, land transport, vacation time from work) extremely difficult, and may lead to additional costs.

If you have special needs that would affect transfers or seating need/preference, let your agent or the line know as soon as possible, ideally before or shortly after you have booked and preferably before the line makes initial flight choices. This may give you or your agent some leverage in later negotiations over cruise line choices.

Some high-end cruise lines may offer premium flight seating at relatively modest cost, which is perhaps crucial for tall or "mature" passengers. Others may simply only offer economy, with little deviation possible.

Most lines also offer cruise extensions, where you can opt to spend a few nights at or near a port immediately before and/or after your cruise. Extensions can be somewhat to decidedly pricey, and are integrated into your overall trip; flight arrangements, quality lodging and transfers are usually included, but meals and tours may not be.

If you need to otherwise change flights that are otherwise included in your cruise, for example to arrive the day before your cruise or for any other reason, contact the line (or your agent) to try to arrange a "flight deviation" as soon as feasibly possible before your cruise. They may or may not be able to do this, and the longer you leave it, the less likely that they can be accommodated - at a reasonable cost or at all. If you have truly peculiar flight needs, you should consider whether a fly-cruise package is appropriate at all.

In contrast to flying, you might be able to drive to your port city, or use other over-land transport. With an adequate vehicle, you can take and bring home much more than allowed by air, which is quite useful for serious shoppers with family souvenirs, etc. It may also allow you to visit the port area one or more days before or after the cruise. If this sounds tempting, examine and compare:

Using a hotel/motel park-stay-cruise package near the port. Some will let you park for 7–14 days at no or small charge (but without assurance of vehicle security) and offer shuttles to/from the port. Certain web sites specialize in finding such offers.

Driving and parking at a commercial parking lot near or at the port. They nearly always offer shuttles to and from the port. They can be pricey for multi-week cruises, but do offer some security for your vehicle. Lots in/on the port are often much more expensive than off-port.

Renting a car or van one-way each way. If your group is three or more people, you'll need a sizable vehicle for all, to assure comfort and room for luggage. Renting lets you "up-size" as needed and avoid parking costs for long cruises. However, watch out for large drop-off fees, especially if the drive crosses any borders. Major rental brands should have an office for vehicle drop-off and pick-up near the port, often offering shuttles.

Although this may sound obvious, driving to the departure port in your own personal car is unlikely to be a good choice if your cruise ends somewhere other than where it started and then you need to fly back home afterwards. You may wish to consider other options.

If you can obtain quality, convenient bus or train service (as in Europe), you might obtain similar benefits, with simplicity and savings possible over a car. Examine the carrier's costs, reputation for punctuality, schedules, locations of terminals, transfers needed and any parking costs near home, and plan your departures accordingly. Some ports are distant from rail stations, but there is often an easy bus transfer available.

This all starts as you reach your ship's terminal. The walking distance from ground transport to on-board ship can vary from 100–300 meters or more depending on terminal design and ship size. If anyone in your party has mobility challenges, request help in advance.

Many lines will conduct pre-embarkation checks and check-in prior to you reaching the port, often via a website or a mobile phone app. This will include things like collecting passport or other ID information, which you can usually do from the point of booking onwards. You may also be asked to provide a selfie (which is used as "ID" for your cruise card), or asked for a credit card to start your onboard account.

Each member of your group will also be asked to complete a health pre-screening questionnaire, either via a website/app the day before or the day of your cruise, or actually at the terminal. If anyone reports or exhibits symptoms of an infectious disease, they may be interviewed. At worst, they may be denied boarding at no liability to the cruise line. (Law requires ship's officers to minimize health risks to all the (perhaps) thousands of passengers and crew on board.) Good travel insurance should cover this.

The specific requirements and when these open depend on your line, but in general, doing these earlier will be either mandatory or will make your embarkation significantly easier. If you don't do them online, then you will usually have to do them at the port.

If you're boarding a large ship, examine the cruise line's instructions on when to arrive. Many lines will offer a choice of embarkation times; there is no sense in arriving significantly before whichever time you choose, since you will likely just have to wait. In the absence of any such instruction, you should consider reaching the terminal 30 minutes or so after the time mentioned by the cruise line.

In any event, reach the cruise terminal at least two hours before the ship is scheduled to sail. If you're traveling in a group (e.g., family), don't begin embarkation processing without all members present.

At the cruise terminal, give any large luggage items, with cruise tags attached, to the porters. If you have no tags to attach, the porters will help you to fill in blank tags - you'll need to give, at the very least, your cabin number. At some ports, it may be customary to give the porter a modest tip; this is worth researching in advance.

This will be the last time you see your luggage for at least the next several hours, so ensure you have your travel documents and anything else you might need in the immediate future in your possession before handing it over.

If you've paid the cruise line for airport-to-terminal transfers, and you have no intermediate customs processing at the airport, you may not see your checked luggage after initial airport check in until it reaches the terminal, perhaps even at your cabin. Your line will inform you if this is the case.

Some of these steps may take place in a different order, depending on the port, but all of them will happen at some point at your journey through the cruise terminal.

Entry processing will usually start with a security check, akin to that at an airport - at the very least, your hand baggage (if any) will be scanned and you will be asked to step through a metal detector. The purpose of this is to both detect obvious no-nos (weapons, drugs, other dangerous items) but also things that may be against the cruise line's policies - in particular, alcoholic drinks are a frequent forbidden item. Some lines may also forbid bringing aboard non-alcoholic drinks. Check your line's policies well before you get to the port to avoid embarrassment.

If you haven't completed the check-in procedures online or via an app, you'll be required to do this at the port, including having a photo taken, registering your credit card and completing your health declarations. Your passport/other travel documentation will also be physically examined here, even if you have provided the details already.

At this point, you may be issued with your cruise card - this is a card similar to a plastic credit card that acts as your cabin key, as well as your means of charging things to your onboard account (see Buy). On some lines (e.g. P&O), you will not be given this here, and will instead need to collect your cruise card from a pigeonhole outside your cabin. Others, such as Virgin Voyages and Princess, will give you a wristband or "medallion" to use instead of a card - these serve more or less the same function. Keep your cruise card safe and on your person at all times when out of your cabin.

Regardless of how or when you get your key, after you have passed through entry processing, you will then, finally, board the ship. Depending on the port, this could be via a structure like an airport jet bridge, up a simple ramp or a more complex affair where a bus has to drive you to the ship proper. You may have to scan your newly-acquired cruise card to register your presence as you board the ship, but after that, you are in.

On the way aboard, you'll often encounter a ship's commercial photographer. All pictures they take throughout the cruise have no cost unless you choose to buy one as you find it later in the ship's photo gallery. They tend to be rather pricey. You may also encounter cruise line staff trying to sell you upgrades such as drinks packages, WiFi or specialty dining.

Your cabin will often not be ready when you board - these tend to be available after 2-4pm on embarkation days, as they are being cleaned and sanitised. There is no sense in going to the cabin any earlier as you will not be allowed to get in - although if you need to collect your cruise card from there, this will usually be in a small pigeonhole on or by the door.

This is a good time to get acquainted with the layout of the ship, and some of its key locations. Ship maps should be available around the ship, and printed copies made available; you may also be able to see maps on the cruise line's mobile app, if any.

In general however, most cruise ships have quite a predictable layout:

Elevators and stairs will often be distributed between three separate shafts, forward, aft (rear) and midships (in the middle).

There is typically a large midships multi-level "atrium" area, surrounded by bars, lounges and shops. You may well have embarked via this area, or near to it. This is typically the area with the most elaborate decor anywhere on the ship; some lines delight in creating truly baffling works of ostentation.

A buffet and/or casual food counters await, usually on an upper deck towards the rear of the ship. (This being the first stop-off for any new joiner of a ship is borderline mandatory.)

On the top decks, usually forward from the buffet, you'll probably see a swimming pool, other sports and exercise facilities, bars and perhaps a spa.

There is usually a bar and lounge ("crow's nest") at the front of the ship on one of the uppermost decks.

Main dining rooms tend to be on the lower decks towards the rear of the ship, although this does vary by line.

Entertainment facilities like theatres and casinos tend to be on the same decks as dining rooms.

Likely on the lowest public decks, you'll find the Purser's Desk (aka Customer Service), often a concierge desk and shore excursion ticket office, future cruise sales desk, perhaps shops (which will not be open until the cruise sets sail), and (less frequently) an Internet cafe. The medical centre will also be on a lower deck.

Before sailing, there will be a safety at sea briefing that everyone must attend. The purpose is to teach you the location of your emergency "muster station" (where you are expected to assemble in the event of an emergency), ways to get there, emergency signals and procedures, and how to wear your life vest. While these used to involve all passengers being asked to physically go to their muster stations all at the same time to receive an in-person safety briefing, most lines (Ambassador being a strange exception) have streamlined this significantly.

The beginning of the drill will be heralded by announcements over the ship's public address system. Most commonly, you will be asked to watch a safety video on the television in your cabin, and perhaps confirm you have done so via the line's app. There is likely to also be a live demonstration of the ship's general emergency signal, at its full ear-splitting volume. You will then be asked to physically visit your muster station and have your cruise card scanned by a crew member to confirm attendance. You may or may not need to take or put on your life vest; the safety video and line's instructions will tell you.

If anyone in your group has mobility problems, this is a good time to tell the staff for your muster station so they can prearrange special help for emergencies.

Taking part in the muster drill is not optional - cruise lines and captains take this maritime law requirement extremely seriously. Most if not all ship services will be closed during this time, and will reopen after the drill is complete. Truants will be called to a separate, later briefing at staff's convenience; continuing truancy can result in being ordered to disembark at the next port, or indeed at the current one should time permit.

If time permits after the briefing and before sailing, go to the top deck for departure. It's always interesting, often scenic (take your camera if light will be adequate), with a bon voyage party likely.

Coasts are seldom straight lines, but if you are taking photos of the ocean, keep the horizon horizontal.

If you plan on taking photos involving the ocean or distant objects, learn what situations recommend a UV or circular polarization filter, and prepare accordingly.

Binoculars are essential when just looking at ships and coastlines, typically at considerable distances. If you plan to take photos of them, make sure you have a lens with focal length to magnify considerably. Your smartphone's zoom will probably not be up to it, especially as it is difficult to hold it steady enough.

You'll receive a daily newsletter with a schedule of activities, apt to mention art auctions (reportedly the "most dangerous place on a ship"), bingo, kitchen tours, port and shopping lectures, cruise enhancement lectures (by naturalists, historians, political scientists, et al), arts and crafts lessons, poolside contests, dancing classes, and so on and so forth.

The line and type of cruise you are on affects the specific activities available. Family-oriented cruises (especially Disney) will have many age-specific activities and staff, geared for kids and teens. Cruises which are aimed at or cater primarily to seniors should be expected to have a far more sedate list of activities available, potentially including mild calisthenics or craft lessons. Cruises aimed at a younger adult crowd might be rather less sedate.

Large ships will have most or all of the features discussed below—mega-ships even more. Smaller ships (e.g., below 1,200 passenger capacity) will have many of them, but in fewer numbers or smaller scale. River cruise ships will have almost none of them.

On larger ships, Las Vegas and Broadway are the models for entertainment. They'll variously feature singing-and-dancing shows, feature singers, comedians, magicians, jugglers and other live entertainment. On large ships, they'll be presented in a large theater; on small ships, they'll use a lounge with stage. Shows typically follow dinner, but may precede it for those who opt for "late" dinner seating. During and after shows, other venues offer small bands, piano bars, and dancing to live music or a disc jockey. Special cruises focused on certain types of music or performers/bands will use many of the same venues.

The line and its target market will again affect the calibre and kind of entertainment you see. For example, Virgin is aimed at a young adult crowd, and gained some notoriety early on for the more risque nature of its entertainment. Meanwhile, MSC's frequently multi-lingual passenger base results in them offering shows that aim to please all comers regardless of the language they speak, resulting in shows with a minimum of dialogue that are as spectacular as they are utterly baffling. It is worth researching the entertainment on board a line prior to booking if this is important to you.

For culturally- or geographically-important destinations or special events, ships might offer knowledgeable lecturers. Some ships provide on-board chaplains to conduct religious observances, although this is becoming less common outside peak times, e.g., Christmas, Easter. To bolster this at other times, they may welcome credentialed passengers (with necessary accoutrements) as volunteers to conduct services.

A movie theater is found on most ships, playing movies similar to those found on airlines. There is usually a library on board for your reading pleasure but don't expect the latest novels unless left behind from an earlier cruise. If cabins have DVD players, the library may have a modest collection of titles. It may also offer electronic or board games to check out; you might also find an arcade on board.

Lines (especially the large mass-market American ones) are in a constant competition to try to fit ever-more ridiculous activities onto their ever-more bloated ships. Some very large ships have ice rinks, bowling alleys, rock climbing walls, "surf parks", water slides, go-karting and other such activities. The largest cruise ships can frequently resemble a container ship with a very dense amusement park on top. Some of these may come at an extra charge; you may be able to pre-pay for a "fun pass" or similar to obtain a meagre discount.

You'll be surrounded by water you can't swim in (it's passing by at 15-20 knots or so), but all but the smallest ships will have at least one swimming pool - perhaps covered, otherwise usable only in warm climes. The pools won't be great for swimming laps, but some new ships are being equipped with small, swim-against-the-current pools. Most are filled with processed seawater. Parents of infants and small children (or staff on some ships. e.g. Disney) must ensure that their little ones create no safety or sanitary problem for anyone - commonly, nappies/diapers are completely banned in the pools. You might well be provided with towels in your cabin for use here; you'll usually need to return these to your cabin at the end of the cruise, otherwise you'll be charged for them.

Outdoor pools will usually be surrounded by any number of deck chairs. The depressingly-common practice of "reserving" deck chairs by putting things on the chairs and then walking away persists, and lines will usually have very little tolerance for such behaviour - attempting it is likely to get your belongings unceremoniously moved to some distant location, to be delivered back to you with a small lecture on consideration for others.

Most major cruise lines, including Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean, do not generally permit female topless sunbathing in public areas; others (notably Virgin) may allow it but only in designated areas; usually out of view of the rest of the ship.

Most ships have a gym or health center with exercise machines. They often offer instruction programs in exercise regimes or Tai Chi, etc. at modest cost, which may need to be booked beforehand. Many people use the "promenade" deck or topside track for walking/jogging. The former usually loops around the ship on a mid-deck, but may have stairs that interrupt you. If so, a topside track might be better if available - often the sun deck is available for joggers at a certain time, usually in the morning.

Some ships find room for putting greens, crazy golf, a golf simulator, a basketball or tennis court (enclosed by ball-catching nets) on their top decks.

Spa facilities are a staple of cruise ships. Everything from massages to hairdressing to exotic health and beauty treatments are available at substantial extra cost. Be aware that these spas are usually run by concessionaires, and are strongly associated with upsells of dubious potions at even more dubious prices. If that isn't your bag, there is usually a "thermal suite" including saunas and various other relaxing areas.

The ship will often offer space and seating to support impromptu or organized bridge, and potentially even tournaments. Staff very often have trivia and other contests - on most sea days, you'll see at least one large bingo session offered.

Shopping is readily available, with shops on board (see Buy). They'll be duty-free, but don't expect big bargains; they will also only be open while at sea. There will usually also be at least one shop selling cruise line branded merch, which may be of dubious value relative to its price but could be a nice keepsake if you have some affinity for the line or want to buy someone a souvenir.

Weddings at sea are possible on some ships, depending on the specific line and their flagged state (as well as the presence of a suitable officiant on board - this may be the captain, or could be another crew member), but require advanced requests and planning to be feasible. It is worth making very early enquiries with cruise lines in advance; the line may be able to offer special deals for the booking of multiple cabins at once, and perhaps the reservation of a dining room or other facilities.

It is worth flagging to the line in advance if a honeymoon is the reason for your cruise, but it may or may not grant you any special privileges beyond perhaps some flowers and a bottle of champagne in your cabin.

Typically you won't get anything special if you just happen to be sailing on your birthday, but letting the line know in advance can't hurt. Everyone has to provide their date of birth as a matter of course when checking in, so it's possible the line might take it upon themselves to make some small arrangement for you, such as (if you have fixed dining) some additional decoration on your dinner table; but this shouldn't necessarily be expected.

You or your companions can often purchase additional services, such as a birthday cake being served to you in your dining room. If this appeals, bear in mind that (depending on the line and how formal it is) this can be a rather raucous occasion, heralded by a significant proportion of the wait staff approaching your table, banging pots and pans and singing "Happy Birthday" in unison; an experience not recommended for those who don't enjoy being the centre of attention.

Scattering of ashes is usually possible, again with some pre-planning. Contact the line well in advance to discuss what they offer, any additional fees chargeable and any restrictions you need to adhere to. A common restriction is only allowing the scattering of human ashes, rather than those of pets.

Lines offer varying levels of service – some will simply allow you to carry out the ceremony by yourself with your guests, others will make the captain or another senior officer available to take part. Any ceremonies offered will likely be secular and non-denominational.

Scatterings and their locations will be restricted by environmental regulations – you cannot scatter ashes in protected bodies of water such as the Norwegian fjords, and any scattering must take place a suitable distance from a coastline. Anything you choose to scatter alongside the ashes must be biodegradable.

Without the legal restrictions imposed on land-based facilities, most cruise ships have a casino - this is most common on American or American-style cruise ships, while European lines (or ships aimed at European customers) may have smaller casinos or none at all. The casino will only be open when the ship is in international waters - usually half an hour after departure, but this depends on the itinerary. Specifics will be advertised by the cruise line.

Don't expect table games or machines with payoff rates even close to those found in better land-based casinos; concessionaires pay dearly for the space. The rules of blackjack and poker tables will usually be optimised for casual gamblers rather than card sharks (e.g. the option to surrender a blackjack hand isn't usually available), and you should expect to be playing largely with amateurs. You might on occasion come across a single-deck blackjack table, but don't count on it.

The casino is one of the few places onboard where you will need to use cash. Some nuances of this are detailed in the Cash section.

Security at cruise ship casinos is the same as on land, including "eye-in-the-sky"-type systems - activities like card counting will attract exactly the same amount of negative attention as they will anywhere else.

Research in advance each place you'll visit; it can greatly enhance your cruise experience at little or no cost. Many ports and nearby sights are covered by Wikivoyage destination pages, travel web sites, and books.

Port visit times usually allow passengers to go ashore by 7-8AM, with ship departure often at 5-6PM. Earlier or later departure times can be affected by tides, distance to next port or special tour needs ashore; disembarkation may be delayed slightly by port customs clearance of the ship or passengers. At special stops, some ships may stay later, perhaps overnight or multiple nights.

Standard safety precautions for your destination, including those against crime, the sun and any other hazards you might face, apply when on land. It is generally advisable to avoid displaying that you are a cruise passenger through any means (e.g. wearing your cruise card on a lanyard) to avoid advertising yourself as a tourist.

At some ports, ships must dock among commercial freight operations. Walking from/to the ship may be through unpredictably dangerous activity, or even forbidden by the port authority. Look at the ship's newsletter for port conditions and listen for announcements. At such docks, most ships will arrange a shuttle from the ship to a terminal with taxis/buses, or possibly to a shopping area or downtown. If so, look for details about a return shuttle as well. Lacking a shuttle, you should request transport that avoids the danger; the line's service team will be able to advise on this.

You will be asked to scan your cruise card (or wrist band/medallion/other similar tchotchke) every time you leave and re-board the ship. It's how they determine if you're aboard and how ship's security staff recognize you. Without doing this, they might leave you behind. Certain river cruise lines may instead ask you to exchange your cruise card for a "shore pass"; this serves the same function.

The ship will usually dock at a pier, and you will simply walk down a ramp to the shore. If no pier is available, the ship will anchor or moor off-shore, and the ship's lifeboats or commercial boats will tender you to a convenient place on-shore. Your detailed itinerary will indicate how your ship will visit each port.

If you're on a very large ship, tendering can take considerable time. Ship's tour takers usually go first, then "early-birds" who've obtained first-come-first-served tender tickets/numbers, or who have status with the cruise line. Unless you've purchased a ship's tour, plan your time ashore accordingly.

If weather generates rough seas at any port where your ship anchors/moors, tenders to shore may be unusable and so cancelled. If the ship cannot get you on shore at a port, the line may offer reimbursement for the disappointment, but will refund the cost of ship's tours purchased but cancelled.

The cruise will offer to sell you "excursions" - a variety of sightseeing tours, cultural visits and organized activities (e.g., scuba, snorkeling, kayaking, bicycling), with offerings dictated by the nature of each port, its climate, time of year and time in port. These can often be purchased on-board at a shore excursions office (some lines may call this something different, e.g. Virgin calls excursions "Shore Things" and Marella call their booking service "Destination Services") - but you can also most often buy them before boarding, or via the line's app. There is sometimes, although not commonly, a discount for purchasing in advance of boarding.

At major ports, tours often use large air-conditioned buses for 30-50 people. Popular ports will also have large numbers of air-conditioned taxis, sedans or vans with drivers/guides for-hire: cars able to carry 3-4 adults, vans for 6 or more.

All-day tours often fill virtually all your time in port, which may not be optimal if you also wanted to explore on your own somewhat. You'll usually find half-day tours offered as well, which are worth considering if a walk-about or shopping before or after lunch also appeals.

If you are a confident traveler or you've visited the port before and want to tour special locales, you may do well hiring a car with driver/guide to take a tour of your choice and design. It can involve just your family/group or 2-4 fellow passengers or so. Again, advanced arrangements may be advisable.

Excursions bought from the cruise line often cost more than equivalent tours negotiated independently with locals, e.g. you may be able to hire a taxi or van with a guide at $40–50 per hour for 4-6 people, but a half-day ship's tour might cost at least double that per person. However, for that extra cost, you do get some benefits; convenience, some level of confidence about the itinerary, assurance that you will not be scammed or taken advantage of in certain "entrepreneurial" locations, and greater (although not perfect) assurance that the ship will wait if your tour is not back on time.

Very popular ship's shore excursions may fill up many days before you set sail, since they're purchasable online. You may be wise to research them and commit to some or make advanced, self-arranged alternatives, as justified, e.g. if you have your heart set on swimming with dolphins or stingrays, or climbing a glacier, or you're focused on a full-day tour at a truly special locale some distance from the port, like the Normandy beaches from Le Havre.

Availability of tours heavily depends on location/tour popularity. For instance there are several operators and dozens of buses taking travelers from Cancún to Chichén Itzá. You won't see this on small, and less-visited Caribbean islands. With several cruise ships in port, tours anywhere may be sold out.

You'll be instructed to be back on the ship at least 30 minutes before its scheduled departure. This "all aboard" time (as well as the time for the final tender boat back to the ship, if any) will be communicated through various means; at the very least in a daily planner if the line has one, but also on signs around the ship, and very likely on the line's app. Make sure you are aware of this whenever you leave the ship, and remember that it may well be ship's time, which itself may differ from local time. Remember also that "all aboard" means the time you are expected to be on the ship, not at the port.

You will usually need to go through security screening when rejoining the ship; typically this is just a simple bag scan and a metal detector, like in an airport. Most frequently this takes place on the ship, but may otherwise be in a cruise terminal.

If you are not going on an excursion run by the cruise line, or if you are otherwise off the ship on your own frolic, you should ensure that you have a full plan of how you are going to get back on the ship before the published all aboard time, taking into account any contingencies you might encounter and ideally leaving a generous window. This is especially the case if you are at a tender port.

In all likelihood, the ship will not wait for you if you are late. By the time the ship has made preparations to weigh anchor they will not (and probably can not) easily drop it again; many, many people have tried to gamble on this and lost, and "pier runners" are a source of amusement for seasoned cruisers. If you wind up being one of those pier runners, travel to the next port of call to rejoin the ship (as well as the obvious embarrassment) is your problem to deal with, and the line likely cannot and will not assist. Your travel insurance may cover you, depending on the specifics.

A telephone number for the ship may be printed on your cruise card. If it is not, it is prudent to find it out and save it beforehand. If there is an emergency or anything else that might prevent your return to the ship (either before the "all aboard" time or at all), call it as soon as practicable.

For both convenience and to foster a casual-spending atmosphere, most cruise ships run a "cashless" system in which you use your cruise card (or other similar item, e.g. wristband on Virgin or medallion on Princess) to charge all on-ship expenses to your cabin account. Two or more cabin keys/cards/analogous trinkets can reference one account, e.g., for couples and families. Charges to your account will include costs of drinks, tours, dining in specialty restaurants, merchandise purchases, spa services, and virtually anything else on board the ship.

You can obtain the current balance of your account, with a list of all charges, at any time, sometimes even on your cabin TV - and most commonly now, on a cellphone app. You should review those details at least near the end of the cruise to allow you time to question any charges; lines will frequently leave a printed copy of your cabin account in your room on the last night, or sometimes email you a PDF copy, but either way it is your responsibility to ensure you agree with all transactions.

In terms of practicalities:

As with hotels, it is strongly recommended that you use a credit card rather than a debit card or prepaid card. The reason for this is that any reservation hold the line puts on a debit card may not "drop off" for several weeks after the cruise is over, even after the account itself is fully settled - this can cause complications with access to your money.

If linked to your credit card, your account balance will be automatically charged to it; many lines charge your credit card with other expenses (explained before the cruise, e.g., staff gratuities) during the cruise, or will put a funds reservation on your card for funds spent at the end of each day. At cruise end, the balance is settled automatically —allowing use of your cabin key through the last evening.

The balance of the account will be charged to your card in the ship's currency. If that differs from your credit card's currency, you may incur banking or currency conversion charges - the line can't do anything about this, as the fees are levied by your bank. Many banks offer zero overseas fee cards, which are worth investigating for this among many other reasons.

You can usually, if you wish, not register a credit card and use cash instead, but will be asked to put down a cash deposit on the first day, and may not be able to spend more than this deposit would cover without putting more money into your cabin account. Either way, it will be your responsibility to settle the account before you disembark, and you won't be allowed to unless your account is paid up. Once paid, you may not be able to make any more charges before disembarking.

Virtually all cruise ships are cashless; all spending takes place via your cruise card.

If you require "foreign" currency for a shore excursion, the "excursion" staff may have advice about where to get it ashore. You may also be able to use the ship's purser/customer service desk to exchange your currency for small amounts of local currency, albeit never at particularly competitive rates. While the specifics may differ, it's usually better value to use card payments, or to obtain currency from an onshore ATM or (failing that) prior to embarkation.

Usually the only place where cash is used on a cruise ship is the casino; the currency in use will be the ship's currency. You can often charge cash in the casino's currency to your cruise card, but frequently with a surcharge of between 3-6% (Marella, MSC and P&O are notable exceptions). Any ATMs present are usually to make gambling more convenient, and consequently usually offer only the currency used by the casino - at downright excessive fees compared to banks anywhere else.

You may or may not be able to exchange your home currency (or any other) to the ship's currency while in the casino, but this is best avoided since the exchange rate is usually dreadful.

Casino winnings will usually be paid out in cash. If you do win a substantial amount of money, ask if you can have your earnings given to you in the form of a check, or have them be sent to your bank account. Otherwise, you may have to carry and protect cash - and you might encounter some difficulties if the amount exceeds common customs thresholds. You might be able to have the prize converted to shipboard credits, but on many ships unused credits are not refundable at cruise end: you will lose them, and wisely using a very large amount of credit by cruise end may be no small feat. At the very least, you should at least be able to use some of the cash to settle your cruise account balance, rather than letting this be charged to your credit card at cruise end.

If you want to give cash tips, you would be wise to give them in either the onboard currency or that of the ports the ship plies. Your home currency, if different, is not likely to be much use to a crew member.

For many reasons, your account may receive credits - for example, if paid excursions are cancelled, as compensation for poor service or perhaps granted in advance to frequent cruisers or as a booking perk. Some lines (e.g. Virgin) also allow the purchase of special ringfenced funds that are solely for drinks ("Bar Tab").

All of these credits are redeemed in the same way as any other spending on board; by using your cruise card. Take care that you use all such credits before you disembark - they are truly "use it or lose it". None will be refunded, as cash or charge account credit at cruise end, with the possible exception of tour cancellations by action of the ship's staff.

Tips on board take three forms — surcharges for special drinks, specialty restaurants and some services, "gratuities" for all of the ship's crew with various degrees of optionality, and optional/discretionary cash tips.

In the past, cruise lines suggested "appropriate" optional amounts for tips, however for the most part these "suggested" discretionary tips have been replaced by automatic gratuities of between US$12-25 per day per passenger, usually tiered by cabin type. This method ensures that all staff contributing to your cruise experience (e.g., cooks, cleaning and maintenance workers), not just your waiter and cabin steward, receive some extra income and recognition.

You can opt to decline or adjust this automatic tipping as desired before cruise end. Royal Caribbean and others offer that option in advance, but may not make the option or how to exercise it obvious. Others (e.g. Virgin Voyages) may mandate it, but give you a discount if you pay in advance, or conversely require you to expressly ask to not pay automatic gratuities while on board.

Some lines additionally apply a non-optional percentage gratuity to any drinks purchased outside of a package (e.g. MSC charges 15% on top of the price of a drink) or on specialty dining reservations.

Otherwise, any other tipping in addition to the automatic grautities (if any) is generally at your discretion. That said, many experienced cruisers find that a partial tip to key crew members (e.g. your cabin steward) at cruise start often has good results; but you should generally not feel compelled in any way. Croupiers/dealers in casinos can be tipped if they've given you a fun enough time, usually by passing a chip (usually $5 or less) towards them between bets, but don't expect this to help with your future blackjack hands.

Cruise lines that are not focused on American customers often do not have required tips or gratuities at all, or describe these as "included" or "taken care of" (e.g. P&O, MSC cruises in Europe, Marella). On these lines, you will not be expected to tip, and you should not expect tipping to necessarily grant you better service (and conversely, you will not be treated worse or considered cheap for not tipping), but you can usually do so if you want.

Individual lines, even the "tips included" ones, generally do not interfere with cash tipping; some (like Disney) may encourage it to some extent, while others (like MSC) may warn against it. It's worth noting though that if you truly appreciate a particular crew member's service to you, a positive mention of them specifically in an end-of-cruise survey or other form of feedback may be rewarded by the line with additional privileges or benefits over and above what a small cash tip may be worth to them.

Cruise ships take advantage of their international/at-sea status to offer duty free shopping at decent if not outstanding prices, of the kind similar to what you would find in airports. Large ships usually have boutiques selling brand name clothing, and perhaps offering casual and evening wear - a few even include tux/formal attire rentals. Other shops offer basic sundries, candy and over-the-counter drugs. There will also typically be at least one shop selling cruise line-branded clothing and merchandise, to use as either souvenirs, keepsakes or simply to advertise your love of the line to the world. All will be open only while at sea.

You may see "sidewalk sales", specials on jewelry and watches, and toward the end perhaps a clearance sale on outdated logo clothing and other items.

All bottled liquor purchased on-board will be held until the last full day of your cruise, and then delivered to your cabin; likely boxed, but needing more padding in the box to be ready for carrying or (with further preparation) to go in checked luggage to fly home. It may also be given to you, or need to be collected, as you leave the ship for the final time.

Caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) is good advice anywhere, and applies strongly on board. Cruise passengers are a "captive market", and may get carried away in the easy-spending atmosphere that lines like to foster. In reality, the usual caveats around duty free shopping apply; few items in cruise ship shops will be great bargains, and you will almost certainly forego most consumer protections you might enjoy on land.

Staff working in the spa or gym, or in beauty shops, may tout very expensive lotions and potions, services, tests or treatments with claimed health or other benefits. At best these are going to be decent quality and what they say they are; at worst they may be mildly relaxing woo-woo nonsense, but are unlikely to be actually harmful in any way. Before saying "yes", you should learn the staff members' certified qualifications, and understand the realities about what they offer.

Cruises in some regions (particularly, but not exclusively, those in the American market) have regular auctions and sales, usually run by concessionaires, of what are claimed to be works of art, or other expensive goods like rugs or carpets. There have been past cases where sellers have made unjustified claims of item value, offered counterfeits of famous works, or have influenced bidding in ways that would be illegal ashore in most countries. Fortunately, many of these practices have been greatly reduced as a result of major, successful class-action lawsuits. You should treat any and all claims of value in any on board auction or art sale with extreme scepticism.

Ship's merchandise has no duty or tax prepaid as it's purchased/delivered on board, and so can be subject to duty payable as you return home if all of your trip purchases exceed your duty exemption. If you contemplate purchasing an expensive item such as jewelry, check if it is "customs exempt", e.g. it was made in your home country, was already imported there and then sent to the ship, or really is a one-of-a-kind item such as a unique artwork. If so, with a proper certificate from the ship's store manager, you may not have to count the item against your duty allowance.

The ship may need to tell your home country (or the country you disembark at) of any purchases that might exceed your duty allowance, which could lead you to receive "special" customs attention. A few ships may arrange customs processing on board to save you from this.

The European Union (EU) has begun levying its VAT on all shipboard sales and services (including service fees) on any cruise segment that departs and ends in the EU without visiting a port outside the EU VAT area. Because this can materially degrade on-board sales, many cruise segments are being redesigned to visit "outside" ports, e.g. Gibraltar, Casablanca or, increasingly commonly, the United Kingdom.

Despite being in international waters, goods that are generally illegal on land tend to remain illegal (or at least forbidden) on cruise ships. You shouldn't expect such things to be sold. Any considerations of anything you can buy that might be illegal in your home country are for you to deal with, but bear in mind that generally speaking, importation is considered a far more severe offence than pure possession.

Shopping remains a highly popular activity, with nearly all ports offering at least handicrafts and souvenirs reflecting the destination, but often not made there. A crude rule of thumb for "local" souvenirs is that the farther you venture from the dock area, the lower the prices may be for given types of items.

Certain common cruise destinations may offer "serious shopping": duty-free and/or highly competitive, e.g., Saint Martin and Saint Thomas in the Caribbean, and (perhaps except for "designer stores") Hong Kong and Singapore if you bargain successfully. If inclined to seriously shop somewhere not familiar to you, online research should help you understand what to expect in terms of stores, taxes and any pitfalls you might face.

The ship may have a port shopping adviser who can provide useful information and may recommend (or even tout) certain merchants and brands/items. Those advisers are often employed by merchandising firms that receive large commissions from merchants and brands they recommend. This does not guarantee (or impugn) the reputation of any merchant or brand, nor should it question the worthiness of competitors — although the "adviser" may mention a special guarantee for touted merchants. Their fees may well increase the final prices that "recommended merchants" demand.

If your purchases are eligible for tax/duty refunds, you may be able to obtain them only at certain places as you leave the jurisdiction, and only for each purchase that exceeds a substantial amount. Cruise ports may have no such customs facilities, and getting refunds by mail after you are home can be problematic.

The common cruising term "main dining room" (or "MDR") is something of a misnomer, as some large ships now have multiple dining rooms in different areas. However the principle is the same; these are the main included seated dining venues on the ship, and they are where the line anticipates most people will be eating on a regular basis.

At normal meal times, you'll find seated dining with full waiter service, usually with a multi-course menu featuring variably fancy dishes. At least one dining room will offer seated breakfast and lunch, although you'll rarely have a regularly-assigned table. It will be open for two to three hours around the usual time for any meal.

For breakfast, the menu may not change much each day; for lunch and dinner, the menu will change every day, but there will usually be a section for items that are always available (usually "safe" food items for picky eaters, like plain chicken breast), and one for the evening's "specials".

Food in the main dining room ranges from utterly sumptuous on the premium lines, to "well, it's edible" on the more budget end of the spectrum. Opinions wildly differ from line to line and even from ship to ship; read reviews if this is important to you.

You can expect the cruise line's dress code, if it has one, to be enforced more stringently when eating in the main dining room for dinner, and especially on any formal/"gala" nights. You should ensure that the expected dress code matches what you are comfortable with adhering to consistently well before you book in order to avoid discomfort for you and embarrassment for yourself and others. More details on the variations in dress code between lines are available in the Respect section.

Some lines still adhere to set dining, where you will have to have dinner at the same time each night; there are usually early/main and late sittings, and you will usually be able to express a preference when you book your cruise. The expectation is that you'll be seated at the same table at that time every evening; while this isn't necessarily as flexible as you might like, it does help your waiters learn and anticipate any important needs and preferences you may have. If your table preferences haven't been met (at least indicated on your cruise card), get this resolved as soon as possible after embarkation.

Many other cruise lines have a more "freestyle" approach, when you can simply arrive at the main dining room (or a main dining room) whenever dinner is being served and ask to be seated. Other lines have a hybrid, where most passengers have set dining but higher-status or better cabin class passengers may have access to freestyle.

Some lines (e.g. P&O) will also allow you to put yourself in a virtual queue for a main dining room (or specialty restaurant) using their app, and you will be notified to head to the one you're in queue for as and when you can be seated. This can be helpful if you are not fussy about where specifically you want to eat, with the obvious risk that you essentially have to take what you're given.

To assure well-timed service, you should ideally reach your table within 30 minutes of when the dining room opens for your sitting. Large kitchens must serve several hundred (perhaps thousands of) passengers at each sitting, one course at a time, with expectations of freshness and proper temperatures.

If you normally dine at a fixed sitting but plan to use a specialty restaurant (or the buffet) on any evening, it's usually a good idea to tell your regular waiter the evening before so they know not to expect you.

Table sizes in the main dining room can vary from two to ten people, occasionally more. Round tables for six to eight seem conducive to easy conversation among all. Unless you/your group fully occupies a table, you'll meet other guests as table mates, although this is becoming less common over time as lines recognise that a great number of passengers do not wish to do this and provide more tables for couples to sit alone. However, table-sharing does have its fans, not least for the social experiences that become possible dining with the same people every night.

Exceptions to your usual time and table may occur when the ship is in port and many passengers are eating ashore. The daily newsletter will mention this. If so, you may share a different table with "strangers", even in a different dining room.

If your line is one of the ones that has set dining, and you or your party do not ever want to table share, it is best to make this abundantly clear as early as possible on embarkation day, either to the maitre de or at the general customer service desk. This will give you the best possible chance that "your" table is assigned to a private one for you and your party.

Most ships also offer specialty restaurants, often with specific themes (e.g. fine dining, Indian, Asian fusion) and usually by reservation only. Many such restaurants have surcharges of anywhere from $20 to $100 or equivalent, but in return you'll usually receive exceptional service and dishes, most well-deserved. These can be booked either in advance before boarding, or via the cruise line's app or customer service desk.

If you have no reservation and desperately want to get in to a specialty restaurant, you can try offering to table share, but don't rely on it; most diners who've made reservations there don't expect to share.

Virgin Voyages are an oddity in that they only have specialty restaurants, and no main dining rooms - but they are all included in your fare, bar a few special dishes or upgrades, and work exactly as they do on other lines in all other respects.

The buffet is many a cruiser's first destination when they get on board a new ship, as well as a frequent grazing ground for passengers over the course of their journey.

The buffet is almost always on one of the upper decks, available during all meal times and usually offering something from early morning to late evening - sometimes 24/7. On better ships, buffets can seem almost like pure extravagance; on more budget ones, while the range of food available is still going to be overwhelming, you may find that perhaps a few compromises have been made in terms of quality.

Most buffets do not have any kind of dress code, even on formal nights, which makes them a popular alternative to eating in the main dining room for those who don't feel like dressing up. The food on offer in the evenings will often be quite similar to what is served in the dining rooms, as well as food like burgers and pizza.

For most of the day, you should typically expect to see a counter of fresh fruit, a sweets counter containing various cakes and puddings, bread and cold cuts, as well as a small quantity of hot food. Over breakfast times, you'll typically find typical breakfast items, with perhaps some additional things like a cooked-to-order pancake or omelette station. Over lunchtimes, there might similarly be carved meats or other fresh hot dishes.

Overnight, there may be some small snack items available, but you should expect to find very little in the way of hot food.

The buffet will typically, around the clock, offer hot water, coffee and cold water, and perhaps a soda fountain or juice dispenser (the latter most commonly around breakfast time). Lines that include alcoholic drinks might also offer a small selection of them via the buffet, although this is uncommon and your expectations for quality should be very low (Marella's buffet has self-service wine that could turn people teetotal.)

You will be expected to at least sanitise or potentially even fully wash your hands before entering the buffet, for fairly obvious sanitary reasons that you may discover sadly do not appear all that obvious to other passengers. For these reasons, you may or may not be able to serve food yourself, and may have to ask someone behind a counter to put food on your plate for you.

Virgin Voyages are, again, odd in that they do not have a traditional "buffet" but instead a series of snack bars in a buffet-like layout. For the most part though, this is a distinction without a difference; it functions the same way. River cruise ships invariably do not have a buffet; they're simply too small and have too small a number of passengers for it to make sense.

Included offerings on a ship may also include snack bars - often, but not always, around pools - where you can order a burger, hot dog, shake, pizza or similar hand-held food item, and walk off without paying. On some lines this could also include things like ice cream stands, salad counters or sandwich shops.

"Grab and go" cabinets are also a semi-common feature, being refrigerators that contain things like salads, sandwiches and desserts that you can just pick up and take. Again, these are usually included in your fare.

Some lines may have ice cream stalls, coffee shops or similar where items come with an upcharge; the price will be clearly shown before you order.

Drinks prices vary by line, but may range from being incredibly cheap compared to what you're used to, or somewhat more expensive than on land. Prices listed may or may not include a 15-18 percent service fee (essentially, a mandatory tip).

On most lines, typical staples such as drip coffee, tea/iced tea, lemonade, and juices (at breakfast) are available at no charge. All other drinks are usually not included in the cruise price, even if the cruise's promotional brochure says or implies "all-inclusive".

These costs prompt some people to try to bring their own. But most lines forbid bringing liquor on board, and any found (at embarkation or as you board from later port visits) will be "held for you", and returned on the last full day of the cruise in the same packaging as received. A few lines confiscate contraband liquor. A few others will allow you to initially bring 1-2 bottles of wine per cabin; if opened/decanted outside your cabin, you'll be charged the "corkage fee" as above. Most lines will allow you to bring your own soft drinks. For details, consult the cruise line web site.

A few lines make a sales point of offering sodas as inclusive, or including beer and wine with meals - typically the latter will be house wine and a single choice of lager, and the former will be fountain soda.

Many cruise lines offer drink packages; these, for a fixed fee per week or per night, will give you (functionally) unlimited drinks from a range that depends on the package you buy. They might also exempt you from paying any additional service charges on drinks, but some lines also (somewhat cheekily) levy the service charge on the package itself.

Drinks packages are a controversial point amongst cruisers, as their benefits tend to be very situational. If you enjoy cocktails and anticipate drinking several every day, perhaps with some barista-made coffees in between, they can make sense; if you do not drink alcohol at all, even a non-alcohol drinks packages is unlikely to be a good investment.

By way of example (using figures from a major American cruise line) a non-alcoholic drinks package may run you at $30 per person per day, while a can of cola is $3.50. The package does include various other drinks, but if you don't plan on having any of them, you might as well simply skip the drinks package and pay for the soda yourself. Meanwhile, an alcoholic drinks package at $70 a day includes everything the non-alcoholic one does, while cocktails cost anywhere between $12-20 each.

There are various calculators available online, as well as photos of bar menus and similar to assess "normal" prices, that can help you decide whether a particular package - or any at all - makes sense for you. Bear in mind that any prices you see won't include service charges.

It's worth noting that if you are not cruising solo, you will usually have to purchase the same package for everyone in your cabin/group; this is to prevent the sharing of your "free" drinks with people who have not paid for them. Some lines will also refuse to seat you at the same dinner table as companions who don't have an equivalent drinks package, for the same reason. This can make drinks packages an overall poorer value if one or more of your party do not drink alcohol.

Drinks packages can be purchased before your cruise (and may come with a discount for doing so), or you can buy them on board. Some lines are fairly aggressive about hawking drinks packages at you when on board, particularly on embarkation days (MSC are particularly notorious for this); you can politely say no and they will usually give up without hassle, but be prepared to do so multiple times.

A very small minority of lines (e.g. Marella and TUI Cruises) have a range of drinks including alcohol already included in the fare, with any offered "drinks package" being a top-up (e.g. a more expansive range of drinks, including barista coffees where they aren't already inclusive, or name branded spirits instead of less well-known ones). These packages are usually much cheaper than those on other lines.

Naturally, given the prevalence of drinks packages that offer what feels like unlimited drinks on tap, this can lead to some problems on board.

Responsible cruise lines avoid unbridled drinking by requiring at least one occupant of each cabin to be a minimum age (with some exceptions for legitimate families), by not serving alcohol to anyone under 21, and training and directing wait staffs to control service to those who've had too much. Unfortunately, this is not always enough to prevent people drinking to excess.

Some ships are primarily party vessels, full of young adults taking advantage of bargain duty-free drinks and (perhaps) lower drinking ages in international waters. You may identify them by their extremely uneventful itineraries: straight out to sea, stay there for much of the trip, then back to port. Their advertising is usually also not particularly subtle. If you want one, you'll recognize the signs; if you want to avoid one, likewise. Some lines have also gained (justified or not) a reputation for being "booze cruises"; Carnival is a commonly-cited one.

Drinks packages will invariably cut you off if you try to order too many drinks in a day (typically more than fifteen), but in practice this limit is going to be difficult to reach while remaining conscious. The line may also simply stop serving you long before this if it feels you're a danger to yourself or others.

Ship accommodations can range widely: they are usually determined by cost. Most cruise lines promote their ships as luxurious, and cabin (aka "stateroom") furnishings can range from quite "nice" to "utterly elegant". The less expensive ones tend to be much smaller than ordinary hotel rooms – hopefully you aren't going to spend too much time there. The space is put to good use, though, so you should be able to have easy access to your belongings.

On large ships, you'll find a number of cabin grades or categories within each cabin type. They involve location, size, quality of view, features, etc – all of these will affect cost. Good travel/cruise agents have access to the nuances of features and shortfalls for each. For any cabin type, costs reflected in brochures and on web sites usually apply to the lowest grade, with the cost of more "premium" options being presented throughout the booking flow.

One useful site (among many) for information on ship layouts and features is CruiseDeckPlans. YouTube videos may be useful to do research, as many creators upload "cabin tours" which give a first person overview of what a room includes.

The basic types, in order of price from cheapest to most expensive, include:

Inside cabins are the least expensive and located in the interior of the ship, hence the name. They lack any windows, and ship's air is "piped-in". On some new ships, they may have live video displays "fed" by exterior cameras.

Ocean view have windows that don't open and are slightly more expensive. The least expensive may have partially or substantially obstructed views.

Balcony/veranda cabins come with outside chairs and perhaps a table, to watch sunsets, have a room-service meal or treat, and watch passing ships and land. On older ships, the least expensive may have partially or substantially obstructed views; some newer ones may have additional fun amenities like hammocks or hot tubs, although this also varies depending on price.

Mini-suites and full suites (the latter often multi-room) with private verandas, shower/bathtubs, sitting areas, perhaps hot tubs and other amenities, and at the highest prices.

Ships tend to have vastly more balcony and ocean view cabins than inside and suites. Consequently, suites and the least expensive cabins tend to sell out first.

Some balconies/verandas will have restricted views, where your view will be blocked at least partially by other features of the ship, often the lifeboats; they will also often have metal barriers rather than the more standard railings or glass barriers. These can be substantially cheaper than other balcony cabins, and may be worth the trade-off if your primary concern is having access to fresh air, as opposed to seeing anything spectacular.

A few ships have more exotic types of balcony, such as internal balconies (that look out over internal areas, rather than the sea) or "promenade balconies" (which look out onto a promenade deck). These should be made clear to you during any booking/reservation process, should you wish to pursue (or avoid) one.

Location can affect price somewhat because parts of a ship are more desirable for some passengers, and the line may also segment these in terms of service.

In terms of things that may affect your comfort:

To avoid the effects of ship's rolling or pitching, some opt for a cabin on a lower deck or closer to amidships.

To sunbathe on their balcony, many choose a deck well below any over-hanging upper deck.

Those who need quiet to sleep should choose locations away from lobbies and elevators, and with at least one deck between their cabin and any place with late-night revelers. Being directly underneath the buffet is usually an extremely bad idea also if you value peace and quiet.

Those who really want a quiet time should try to book a cabin that is only vertically between other other cabins. This will minimise the chance of you being disturbed by other passengers or by ship operations.

Being on the lowest decks maximises your chance of being disturbed by engine noise or other operational sounds.

Those with mobility challenges may prefer to be near elevators.

Some cabins may be close to or overlook outdoor smoking areas on-board, which may compromise both your access to fresh air and use of any balcony you have.

If you are not picky about your cabin's location, you may be able to achieve substantial discounts by choosing a "guaranteed" (GTY) cabin - if you do this, you are guaranteed at least a certain grade of cabin (i.e. you may be upgraded to one more expensive than what you paid for!) at the cost of this cabin being assigned a few days before your cruise and having to take what you're given, with no opportunity to refuse - and on a full sailing, the cabins left will usually be the ones that nobody else wanted. You should weigh up the savings against the risk of you receiving a cabin in a terrible location. You will also usually have significantly abridged cancellation or change rights on the booking, and be expected to pay in full at the point of booking.

Virtually all cabins have twin beds, usually joined to create a generous queen, with side tables/drawers or shelves. If you prefer them separated, let the cruise line know. Suites may have king-sized beds. Cabins configured for families may also have a pull-down or wall-mounted bunk-bed, sleeper sofa or settee, or another twin/queen bed.

Small private bathrooms with showers are a minimum, with better cabins offering more space, shower/baths or larger showers. Each type will offer at least minimal toiletries (if you need specific ones, bring them or buy them near the port), small cabinets and shelves for all toiletries, a toilet that operates by power suction, and possibly a portable or installed hairdryer. Operate the toilet exactly as instructed - cruise ship waste systems are extremely sensitive. The bathroom should have at least a low-wattage two pin shaver plug socket.

All cabins will come with a small safe, which is usually in an inconspicuous closet. While on board, you should lock all valuables in it (e.g. fine jewelry, passports, charge cards, cash) and leave them there unless needed, e.g., for a port visit, shopping ashore or dressing for dinner.

Other amenities you can expect to find include:

A large wall-mounted mirror or two; handy for checking your appearance, they also make the cabin seem bigger.

Virtually all will have a TV, some even an attached DVD player. The TV will likely show you local television, and probably a news channel like CNN or the BBC.

A reach-in closet with a hanging rod, some hangars and a shelf, often holding your life-vests. You'll also find storage drawers or shelves elsewhere. Suites may have walk-in wardrobes, with numerous shelves.

Amenities that you may have depending on your line and cabin grade include:

A phone with wake-up call capability (synchronized to the ship's time).

A small refrigerator, holding chilled cans and bottles for sale. If you bring your own drinks, ask the cabin steward to empty it of items for sale, which can be very pricey.

A hairdryer, or at the very least a power socket capable of driving one.

Typical hotel room amenities such as a settee, a desk with a chair, or more.

Tea and coffee making facilities, such as a kettle (most common on cruises that cater to a British clientele) or perhaps a coffee machine.

A water carafe and glasses, depending on how potable your cabin's water is.

Cabin water is usually fully potable unless you are expressly told otherwise - if it is not, the line will offer suggestions on how to get drinking water. Water onboard is usually obtained by reverse-osmosis, and is so efficient that some large ships visiting ports with water shortages may offload potable water. (It does not substantially soften the water.) Older ships may use distillation supplemented by fresh water onloads. All ships carefully treat the water to ensure its safety; the taste of the water may be somewhat bland or have a hint of chemicals. Elsewhere, water often receives additional filtration to assure excellent taste for use in bars, dining rooms, kitchens, and buffet self-serve drink dispensers.

Power outlets in the cabin vary depending on the cruise line, the age of the ship and the locale. A reasonable assumption would be that at least one US style 120V 60Hz power outlet will be available, and one for the cruise line's expected target market, however this is not guaranteed and differs from ship to ship (e.g. cabins on P&O sailings may have only UK plug sockets; Marella's cabins, despite being UK-focused, may have none).

Research the ship in advance to determine what you will need to bring to charge any devices or power anything you need. You can often buy converters at shops on board, at eye-watering prices. Some lines may loan them to you if you ask at the customer service desk when on board. Newer ships' cabins may offer USB sockets for charging phones, albeit at a potentially rather slow rate, and usually only USB-A.

The number of power outlets and their wattage are minimized – this is essential to avoid fire risk. Don't bring your own iron, or use your own hairdryer or anything that heats food or liquid. Cruise lines commonly expressly prohibit these entirely in their policies. If found during embarkation, they are likely to be seized. If used, they may trip a circuit breaker serving other uses and cabins.

You may wish to consider bringing – in addition to things such as USB power adapters - extension cords, night lights, surge protectors and power converters, depending on your specific needs.

On ships built in the late 1990s or later, few passengers will be bothered by pitching and rolling of the ship, as they're built with very effective stabilisers. You are also unlikely to be disturbed by the ship's engines or screws (propellers); they're very quiet. Public announcements also tend to not be piped into cabins outside of safety-critical ones, and can be heard in hallways and public areas or via a designated TV channel.

Cabins designed for the disabled will have many handrails, flat thresholds and wider doors to aid accessibility and safety. Some cruise lines cater to such clientele by offering greater numbers of prepared cabins. Many may have an ADA (American Disabilities Act) certification. A few other cabins and all hallways have handrails for safety during occasional rough weather.

Be aware of your surroundings, especially at night. Don't worry about going about on your own, just be vigilant around bars where late-night, intoxicated passengers are a possibility. Keep an eye on your belongings and don't flaunt nor take them with you everywhere; leaving your phone on a pool chair unattended while you quickly order a drink is just asking for someone to snatch it. Lock expensive items and jewelry in your cabin safe, then use or wear them only when appropriate.

Families traveling with children should be cautious as well. While family-friendly lines like Disney are "age-proofed" for their safety, other lines and older ships may not be and there are many hazards; being left unsupervised on a balcony, falling down the stairs, swimming in a pool without a lifeguard, etc. Older teenagers can be given some freedom about what they'd like to do and where they want to relax during the cruise, but you should always know the whereabouts of younger children. Some ships even offer two-way, on-board "walkie talkies" for rent for your group to stay in touch.

The ship's mobile app may also offer a messaging service when connected to its Wi-Fi, which will let you to communicate with others on your booking without using the internet. If you do have Internet access, you can use standard messaging services to keep in touch with your companions.

Do not ever climb on balcony railings or other similar structures, or allow anyone in your party to do so. They may be slippery, or the ship may move suddenly causing you to lose your footing, in which your best case scenario is landing on a deck below and causing yourself and potentially others serious injury. The worst case scenario is landing in a cold rough sea from ten or twenty metres, with all the obvious mortal danger that presents, as well as disrupting everyone else's holiday and risking the lives of ship's crew as the ship stops to look for you. Crew regularly look out for such idiocy, and if noticed you are likely to be asked to disembark the ship at the next port without refund or compensation (and the ship's captain has the power to imprison you in the meantime). No photo opportunity is worth the risk.

Always report anything suspicious or concerning to a crew member; they will investigate or get someone who can to investigate the matter. Trust your instincts as well; if a situation or activity doesn't feel "right" to you, it may not be - a substantial smell of smoke may be cause to activate the fire alarm.

While you are safest while on-board the ship, this may not be the case ashore. It's useful to learn a bit about each destination you plan to visit beforehand and to act responsibly wherever you are.

When ashore, hold on to your boarding card as though it's your passport – without it you may not be allowed back on board without substantial delay. Indeed, at many destinations, passengers won't need to present or carry their passport at all – the boarding card is enough. However, you should always carry at least a passport photocopy and government-issued photo identification, as well as your cruise card.

Ports can be in secluded places distant from busy town or city centers, and sadly some pickpockets and thieves are known to take advantage of what can easily be perceived as easy pickings. It is generally prudent to avoid marking yourself as a tourist; in particular, avoid wearing cruise line merch (or other cruise or holiday-related clothing) or having your cruise card hanging on a lanyard.

A cruise can place you some distance from proper pre-natal care and birthing facilities, especially advanced medical care, as cruise ship medical centers are not equipped or staffed to handle labor or premature infants. Many cruise lines will not permit you to cruise once you reach a certain point in your pregnancy – often 24 weeks – and may deny you boarding if you are too far along. Birth at sea (or in a foreign port) also has some interesting, but not unsolvable, citizenship complications.

If you have any anticipated complications with your pregnancy, or may enter your third trimester during a cruise, consult your doctor and then inform the line, through your agent if used. A note of fitness for travel from your doctor may assuage the fears of the line and staff as you go through embarkation processing. It is best to make these enquiries with the line well before your booking, if at all possible.

The press often recounts incidents — a few deservedly – but cruise accidents resulting in serious passenger injuries or deaths are extremely rare; hundreds of ships are at sea at any moment. Cruise lines and every ship's captain and their crew regularly train for problems and inspect ship condition and sanitation to thoroughly minimize troubles.

In the very unlikely event that there is an emergency, follow what you learned at the safety-at-sea briefing. In the event of a life-threatening emergency, instructions will be given on where to report, which may not necessarily be your lifeboat or muster station designated in the briefing) and what to bring with you (e.g., adequate clothing, crucial medications, your life vest and cruise card). You'll know what to do if you're distant from your cabin. Remain as orderly as you can and do not panic as you muster or are evacuated; acting out of place will only make matters more complicated and increase chances of injury to yourself or others.

The crew of your ship are trained to calmly and efficiently handle emergencies that may arise. Occasionally, non-trivial problems may be discovered and addressed while going completely unnoticed by passengers. Very minor fires are not rare, especially in the many restaurant kitchens on board, e.g., in fryers. The crew is trained and equipped to deal with them. There is no reason to panic just because you see a crew member with extinguishing equipment.

Piracy incidents are virtually nonexistent in the regions of the world where most cruise lines sail (North and South America, Europe, etc.) It can be a legitimate concern to cruisers sailing some waters, e.g., near a few African countries and a few locations in Asia. However, no ship has ever been boarded by pirates if going more than 17 knots, a speed easily attained by cruise ships. Many ships plying those waters also have non-lethal means to "discourage" pirates.

At sea, on beaches or small boats, bare skin can sunburn very rapidly between mid-morning and mid-afternoon. That ruins cruises for more people than any other cause. Sunburns (and their pain) can last until well after you return home. For a few, they may later induce permanent skin damage, and even cancer. So before you'll be exposed to sun for more than a short time, take effective precautions with clothing, a hat and highly-rated sunblock so that you can fully enjoy whatever recreation you choose.

Some people experience motion sickness on cruise ships. This is very unlikely on large or recently-built vessels, which consistently have highly effective stabilizers. Even so, some people may react strongly to even the imperceptibly slow and gentle rocking of a calm sea. Localized intense storms may make the ocean rough for a day or so – very occasionally, major storms can't be avoided, but full-fledged tropical storms always are.

If you know or worry that seasickness may be a problem for you, pick a cabin location that minimizes movement when the ship rolls and pitches; for instance, amidship, and on a lower deck. Over-the-counter motion sickness medications (e.g., Dramamine, Bonine, Kwells/scopolamine) usually help, but may come with side effects that make them impractical to use over the course of a cruise.

Prescription transdermal scopolomine patches can be very effective, again with the caveat that they may come with unpleasant side effects. Some people find relief with special wristbands that claim to stimulate pressure points that are believed to counteract the nausea of motion sickness; the effectiveness of these has not yet been clinically verified.

If you exercise only occasionally or seldom, you may find the ship's gym tempting. "Exercise" some moderation in the same way you would with sunbathing to ensure it doesn't compromise enjoying your cruise.

Similarly, available tours will demand different levels of physical effort. Whether privately arranged or offered by the ship, understand what each demands and choose wisely. Many lines' excursion listings will outline the "exertion" expected of you as part of each tour.

Stories about the frequency of sickness outbreaks on cruise ships are often very overblown. The same maladies affect all travel and group occasions, and are a result of numerous people sharing the same space for an extended period of time; but only on a cruise does enough time lapse for symptoms to surface after infection.

Actual outbreaks of communicable disease (e.g. the flu, colds, norovirus) only happen very occasionally, due to great effort and care by the ship's staff, and by passengers cooperating with health protections.

Most maladies spread much in the same ways as the common cold. Stifling coughs and sneezes into your sleeve may help. Ships also regularly provide hand sanitizer dispensers at entrances to dining areas; use them, but don't rely completely on them. You can help yourself if you:

wear a high quality face mask;

wash hands frequently and thoroughly;

substitute "elbow bumps" for handshakes with staff and fellow passengers – at the very least, wash up well after shaking someone's hand;

Use sanitizing wipes or solution on key parts of your cabin occasionally – this is no criticism of your cabin steward, whose efforts will also be thorough, but an added protection nonetheless; and

Use your cabin bathroom rather than public restrooms whenever you can.

Any illness should be reported immediately, and ideally by cabin phone.

The medical staff will likely attend to you in your cabin, and may direct you to remain there and cancel any port visits until you recover (usually within a couple days) to avoid spreading the malady. Such direction is often reinforced by law in ports, and it's entirely within the captain's power to confine you to your cabin, the medical centre or anywhere else they see fit.

If the illness is deemed the ship's responsibility (e.g., several other passengers have or have had it), you may not be charged for medical services and may receive reimbursement for pre-paid but missed ship's tours. Some lines will offer complimentary room service to avoid you having to leave your cabin.

Specially-equipped teams of ship's staff will thoroughly clean and sanitize any "accidents" in your cabin - report them promptly, and report any public accidents as well.

Ships that see "possible signs" of an outbreak (even several passengers with seasickness) will set up extensive precautions and health/sanitation protocols to limit spread of any infectious agent. This can include hand sanitizer dispensers at entry to all public areas, barriers to self-help in buffets, nearly constant sanitizing of railings, door handles and public restrooms everywhere. Use and respect those measures.

Staying well can be as simple as eating (and drinking) responsibly. Generous helpings of that beautiful, fresh pineapple for breakfast every morning can cause problems, as can daily three course dinners with buffet pizza before bedtime. Marine biologists know that the calf of a blue whale can gain up to 30 pounds per day. The next fastest weight-gaining mammal may be the cruise passenger - actually known to gain 6-7 pounds per week if he or she "over celebrates".

Although shipboard food and water will be sanitary, usual precautions for overseas travel should be taken when eating and drinking ashore. As always, general research into your destination will pay dividends in working out what is best.

Few ports prohibit bringing bottles of water ashore. You'll see pricey offerings each time you leave the ship. Ask a ship's officer in-advance if sealed bottles are necessary; if not, you could refill your own, with buffet beverage/water dispensers perhaps offering better tasting water than that in your cabin.

Nearly all cruise ships have a medical center with an accredited doctor. Larger ships may also have two or more nurses or even a dentist, although this cannot be relied upon.

Most will offer open hours ("sick call") in the morning and late afternoon for routine ailments, with on-demand response (even in-cabin) for injuries or major illnesses. Most can effectively render first- and second-aid, perhaps more depending on the doctor's experience and on-board facilities, e.g., X-ray. They carry basic medications and supplies typically needed for cruises. No ship has a fully stocked pharmacy however, so you should not expect to be able to replace any medications you use, even with near-equivalents.

If the ship's itinerary is quite repetitive during a season, the doctor may have standing with pharmacies in some ports. They might be able to issue usable scripts for your needs, but the ship's staff must pick up the medications at a fee to you. Again, don't expect the pharmacy on an island to be stocked with the medications you require - in some cases "pharmacy" might only be a shelf in the harbor's convenience store.

Unless your problem appears to have been caused by some condition or event that's the ship's responsibility, expect to be charged a fee for their services. Your regular health insurance may not cover such fees, but good trip insurance usually will.

Some ships have modest dialysis capability. If you need it, learn in advance if it's the type you need and you can reserve time slots. If available and as needed, reserve the service/times through your agent if you used one. Check with your health insurance agent to see if these policies cover any or all of what will be a substantial cost; travel insurance policies unlikely to cover any pre-existing conditions or ongoing care, as they are intended for unforeseen costs.

Though the doctor and staff often wear ship's uniforms, many are concessionaires, not ship or cruise line officers. Nevertheless, for serious conditions, the doctor's decision about continuing your cruise under illness or injury will usually prevail. Medical evacuation can be unbelievably expensive, which is why travel insurance that covers it is strongly recommended.

If you have physical limitations, either contact the line or have your agent do so to arrange needed services in advance, such as wheelchair assistance or assistance with embarking or disembarking at ports.

Tender ports may be inaccessible to you if you are unable to physically climb in and out of the tender boat. This too should be discussed with the line in advance.

Many cruise ships are now equipped with cell phone-to-satellite transponders, which take over automatically at sea to provide wireless phone service throughout the ship. Your cell phone works just like at home, and bills its usage back to your regular cell phone bill.

These "maritime" networks are extortionately expensive, and are universally not included in any kind of roaming plan. While this may sound OK if you don't plan on making any calls, data costs can be on the order of dollars per megabyte, which can lead to nasty bill shock upon returning home. In anticipation of this, some providers (e.g. EE UK) simply decline to offer data roaming while at sea. To avoid this, put your phone in flight mode (or turn off mobile data in your phone's settings) while onboard.

Once the ship docks at a port with available cell service compatible with your phone, and you then turn it on or disable flight mode, your phone will likely use shore signals instead, providing that your cell phone company has a roaming contract with a local cell-service provider. Keep in mind that international calling from island nations' networks can be rather expensive too.

Most ships offer ship-to-shore phone service from your cabin, but again at rather expensive rates. They may also levy heavy tolls on people at home who call you by phone on the ship.

Virtually all lines now offer some form of Wi-Fi service, and on almost all of them it costs extra (or, if included, is borderline unusable). The Internet service is provided via satellite Internet and consequently speeds and latency may be unimpressive relative to even the Internet via your phone.

Wi-Fi packages tend to cost somewhere between US$20–40 per day or equivalent, with cheaper packages having slower speeds, and potentially blocking high-bandwidth sites like YouTube. Those intending to do serious work, or who can't live without streaming video for some reason, will need to pay for a more expensive package; commonly, VPNs are blocked entirely, except perhaps on some very expensive "work from sea" packages that lines may or may not offer. You should generally expect Wi-Fi service while at sea to be suitable for photo uploads, social media, some mild web browsing and not much else.

You are also usually limited to a small number of devices per package, and maybe only one – you may or may not be able to change the devices later from the one you first sign in on.

If offered in your cabin, Wi-Fi signal strength should be decent and dependable, but check it first on your device. Coverage elsewhere may vary wildly, since most of the ship is constructed of steel — an unfriendly material for dependable wireless connections.

Although a given cruise ship will often be convenience-flagged, i.e. registered in a country unrelated to the actual owners and what ports the ship might depart from or call at, in practice you can expect that cultural mores of other passengers on board will be primarily those of the target market of the line. For example, you would expect a P&O cruise departing from Southampton to be primarily catering to those from the United Kingdom, with other passengers mainly being Brits, while a Carnival cruise departing from Miami will almost certainly have a mainly US passenger base. The home country of the company (by whatever definition) is not always relevant; a Virgin or NCL cruise departing from the UK is going to have a lot more Brits on it, despite both being American lines.

As such, if you are not in the typical target market of the line or its expected passenger makeup, it may be an idea to read up on the expected cultural mores of that country to avoid offence; similarly, it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the expectations of you in any country the cruise may call at to avoid embarrassment.

As discussed under Cruise demographics, some lines or itineraries will attract very different passenger demographics; some passengers will be expecting peace and quiet, and have little tolerance for parties or rowdy behaviour, while others will be looking to have fun and want to be around other party-goers. Understanding the "vibe" of the cruise before you book, and calibrating your own behaviour and expectations accordingly is essential to avoid offence or confrontation.

More generally, on board you are going to be in quite close proximity to a large number of different people, and may even be sharing a dinner table with them. You will also, in a very real sense, be stuck with the same people on board the ship and in close proximity, as well as potentially on a shore excursion. Given this, it is best to adhere to standard rules of politeness in mixed company – avoid discussions on contentious subjects (e.g. religion or politics), try to avoid or defuse potential arguments, and generally approach others with an open mind. Fundamentally, everyone on board is on holiday to have a good time just as much as you are!

The expected dress code of each cruise line, and when it does and does not apply, is an important aspect of choosing a cruise line, since in many ways it will define the experience you have. Some thrive on the feeling of glamour and formality that comes with a traditional line, whereas others prefer a more casual environment where anything goes.

For details, each cruise line explains its expected dress code on its website, and you can often find details on the nuances of policies on third-party web sites devoted to cruising; it would be impossible for us to summarise every single line's policies in detail on this page, not least since they are often situational.

Most commonly, however, there's a casual dress code during the day, but dining for most evenings is more restrictive, typically "country club", "resort" or "smart casual": this is generally defined as collared shirt and slacks (or smart dark denim) for men, and either a dress or a blouse with trousers or a skirt for women. There's often one or two "formal" or "gala" nights per week: tuxedo or dark suit and tie for men, evening wear for women.

This policy applies to most cruise lines you could think of, including Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, Marella/TUI, MSC, Norwegian, P&O, Princess and Viking, with the differences between them usually being in terms of strictness – e.g. what P&O might require, MSC might simply "recommend". Similarly, lines in general are loosening up, and may now describe the formal night as merely an "opportunity" to "show off your best", with "your best" being very loosely defined. Scrutinise the line's wording about this carefully.

A very small minority of luxury cruise lines, e.g. Cunard, declare every evening as semi-formal — meaning coat and tie for men, evening wear for women – and may have a more stringent dress code at other times, too. In general, the more upmarket and expensive the line, the more likely you will be expected to adhere to a smarter dress code.

An equally small minority of lines – most prominently Virgin Voyages – have no dress code whatsoever, and you can wear whatever you like at any time within reason. They may have themed nights (e.g. Virgin's "Scarlet Night", where passengers are encouraged to wear red clothing), but these are typically not mandatory to participate in. This kind of dress code is a lot rarer than you'd think, and even "party" lines like Margaritaville at Sea have a policy a lot closer to that of Norwegian than that of Virgin.

You categorically must not book on a super-formal line, or any with a strict dress code, if you are not prepared to do formal dress consistently and when required by the cruise line, as this is partially the experience their passengers book for. If you do, your best case scenario is being refused entry to dining rooms by crew; other passengers may be somewhat less amenable or professional in voicing their objections.

The main contact cruise passengers will have with the dress code on most lines will be the main dining rooms or restaurants on board for evening meals. Where these apply, the same dress standards tend to apply in most speciality restaurants on board, although some may have a more formal dress code every night (e.g. the adults-only restaurants on Disney, the Epicurean on P&O).

Actual enforcement of dress code ranges from non-existent, to being given a quiet warning by your waiter to adhere in future, to being outright denied seating or refused entry to restaurants. You'll find conflicting stories on all sorts of message boards from different passengers, even on the same lines. But long story short, there's a strong chance that you'll just embarrass yourself, your table mates, your waiter and others if you try to go to dinner wearing inadequate dress.

Dress codes tend not to apply for breakfast or lunch where this is served in main dining rooms, but this does vary by line.

Pretty much no line, even if accepting of casual dress otherwise, will let you into a main dining room or restaurant while wearing swimwear (especially wet swimwear, which can damage furnishings), or while barefoot or in flip-flops or similar. (Virgin are a notable exception.)

If you have no interest in dressing up for "seated dining" on formal nights (or any evening), you can use the buffet for dinner instead. Food offerings will be somewhat similar to that in the dining rooms that night, but often lacking items that require complex service. The buffet indirectly offers another benefit: if you must fly to or from port, and may too easily exceed your luggage limits (e.g., must pack for small children or seniors and yourself), consider leaving semiformal and formal wear (and related shoes and accessories) at home. You can reduce packing space and weight otherwise needed by perhaps 20–25 percent. Still make sure that your dress is adequate for what you want to experience or cannot easily avoid.

Regardless of how lax its general dress code is, almost all mainstream cruise lines anywhere will require appropriate dress by some definition outside your cabin. Check what is expected and use common sense. Fancy dress/dress-up costumes are often explicitly prohibited.

Items of clothing with political connotations or explicit messaging (e.g. MAGA hats) will have varying levels of tolerance depending on the line and its dress code, but even if allowed, are at best likely to make a lot of people uncomfortable in your presence. Most people on board are just trying to relax on holiday and hardly want to be reminded of political conflicts by a passing-by fellow passenger.

Wearing items with pineapples on them (including accessories) may attract unwanted attention from other passengers, due to their being a symbol of a particular lifestyle. You would be best advised to leave such items at home.

Cruise ships, without question, are major polluters – they are the most environmentally destructive sector of the travel industry. Cruise ships pollute several times more heavily than the dirtiest long-distance jet aircraft. Pollution from cruise ships includes air, water and noise pollution.

Emissions: Cruise ships emit large volumes of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change and increase the probability of acid rain. In Europe alone, the 200 or so cruise ships that operate in the region emitted four times the pollution from all cars in Europe. Cruise lines are aware that they are major polluters and have begun taking steps to operate more responsibly. Scrubbers and similar technology can help to reduce emissions, but most ships burn heavy fuel oil, commonly called "bunker fuel", which is cheap, relatively unrefined, and contains numerous environmentally harmful components. Some cruise lines blend bunker fuel with diesel oil and some move to diesel, though anyone who has sat in traffic behind a truck knows diesel fumes are hardly a clean replacement. Some cruise operators have made a transition to using natural gas (LNG), but uptake is still slow, and LNG isn't green energy by any means. A few cruise operators try using biofuels, but those also have negative environmental impacts and are more difficult to source reliably, affordably and sustainably.

Sewage: Cruise ships are like small cities, often with similar challenges. Sewage is one of these: a single 3,000-person ship generates about 176,400 gallons of raw black sewage per week and up to 10 times that amount of greywater sewage. A huge ship carrying 8,000 passengers will generate more than 2 million gallons of sewage per week. Moreover, how cruise ships treat their sewage has remained murky because cruise lines don't like to expose their shortfalls. Very few companies actually publish their data, but even though most cruise ships can and do clean and treat the water before it's discharged, heavy metals and anything non-organic will still go out to sea. Cruise lines usually respond to local regulations governing sewage discharge by shifting their dumping to neighboring coastal communities with little or no regulation, or they simply cruise outside a country's territorial waters and dump in international waters. Sometimes the sewage can create algal blooms that deplete oxygen, creating marine dead zones. Once again, this too is particularly detrimental if the cruise ship in question is passing through environmentally sensitive marine areas.

Cruise lines often exploit workers from developing countries, paying low wages and providing poor living conditions. In many cases, the cruise lines strategically hire from countries without legal protections for their citizens. Ships flying "flags of convenience" typically use the labor laws of the flagging country, many of which are very lax compared to the rights enjoyed by citizens of countries who make up most of a ship's clientele. This creates a conundrum where cruises are sold as luxury experiences but the luxury comes at the cost of exploited labor.

Much of the push in the 2010s and 2020s to ban or limit cruise ships, such as Venice, Amsterdam or Barcelona, aren't unfounded and didn't come from nowhere. Cruise ships flood small ports with tourists who contribute little or nothing to the local economy. In many cases, cruise ships have physically damaged a port town's cultural heritage. Restrictions on cruise ships in Venice came about when a cruise ship captain tried to bring his enormous ship into the Grand Canal. Ships have struck coral reef formations near islands. Cruise passengers spend almost no money off the ship. They are considered a burden in places suffering from overtourism and have been nicknamed "ice cream tourists" due to their low spending in the places they visit.

You'll likely receive a questionnaire several days before your cruise (or its current segment) ends, asking what travel arrangements you have made to return home, and any preferences you have as to timings. Your answers will determine your disembarkation group, and therefore time. (Staying aboard may still require some form of immigration processing on or off the ship; if so, that will also be arranged and announced.) There may also be a letter, explaining the disembarkation process in general terms.

Rather than a questionnaire, you may be asked to provide a disembarkation time on the cruise line's app; the same concept applies.

If your group's scheduled disembarkation provides too little time to comfortably reach a necessary place ashore in plenty of time (e.g. your airline's check-in counter), notify the customer service desk immediately. If anyone in your personal group has a physical limitation affecting debarkation, request help in advance; they may be given permission (and baggage tags) to depart at any time to include members of the family.

Some ships offer a "walk off" or "express" disembarkation option where you can leave any time you like, or before all other groups, if you are willing to carry off all your luggage by yourself. If you opt for this, do not miss the call for your group to disembark, or you will be directed to leave in the very last group instead. Everyone in your party should opt for it; otherwise, you'll be processed and outside the terminal perhaps 2-3 hours before the rest reach you.

Typically, people opting for express walk off, those having early flights or cruise-line shore excursions are given the earliest group debarkation times.

You will also be provided with luggage tags, likely on your second-to-last night, indicating your disembarkation group; if you need more, these can be obtained from the purser's desk/customer service desk. Instructions that come with them will indicate the time your group is scheduled to be called to leave the ship.

On the last night, place a tag on a fixed handle of each piece of your luggage and put at least your large, packed luggage outside your cabin door — usually by 10 or 11PM. It will be taken by stewards that night for you to claim ashore in the terminal the next morning.

You can, if you want, put out any carry-on luggage you have, but bear in mind you won't see it again until you are off the ship; don't pack clothes, medications, toiletries or anything else that you'll need the next morning.

Some major ports and ships may offer special luggage handling services for flying home on certain airlines. For a fee, late the last night, they will take specially-tagged luggage to (perhaps through) your airline check-in at the airport. Before you opt for this, understand the process and your responsibilities, e.g. all belongings you have in-hand to go through pier-side customs, the others as designated elsewhere.

On your last morning, you may be instructed to leave your cabin somewhat early, possibly by 8am or even earlier. Do a spot check to ensure you have left nothing behind and that your cabin safe is empty. Do not re-lock the room safe after you take out belongings for the last time. If you do, the next occupants of your cabin will have to ask a very busy technician to open it, often with a considerable wait.

At least one dining room and the buffet will open quite early for breakfast. It is best to take advantage of this; this may be your last chance to have any decent food for the next few hours.

When your time comes, you will typically be asked to proceed to a specific public area on the ship to wait to be called to disembark, or you may simply be told to go to a specific gangway at a particular time. Bear in mind that your waiting area probably won't be on the same deck as for exiting the ship; you may have to negotiate stairs with your belongings because elevators will be very busy - those with mobility challenges will have priority.

When in the waiting area, you'll eventually be called by color/number to disembark, and usually not before the scheduled time. You should not expect this to be done via the public address system, only by staff in your assigned public area. If you're not part of the "express" group that leaves early, and you miss your "regular" group's call, you can usually leave any time later without complications.

You will be asked to scan your cruise card for the final time as you leave the ship; this can usually be kept as a keepsake, as can any wristbands or other analogous items on other lines.

As you walk off the ship into the terminal, you'll arrive in a large area with masses of luggage; considerably less if you disembark in one of the last groups. The luggage will be arranged in some logical fashion, either by disembarkation group or by cabin deck number. You'll need to locate your pieces and proceed to customs and immigration or other processing, if any. Porters will likely be available to help.

After any processing, many options begin; if you have an end-of-cruise tour, cruise extension or prepaid airport transfer arranged, you'll be ushered to a bus or other vehicle to transport you, often with your luggage placed on board. Other transport can take many forms, be it self-arranged taxis or shuttles to paid parking lots or local hotels.

Once you leave the terminal to travel independently, or after any ship's tour or cruise extension, you basically have full responsibility to reach whatever destination or follow-on transport awaits.