6 things I wish I knew before setting foot on a cruise ship that all first-timers should keep in mind

Before booking, I should have researched how a cabin’s location can affect how much motion you feel while the ship is moving.

My ocean-view cabin was at the front of the ship, and I felt more movement than I expected. As a first-time cruiser, I found it uncomfortably rocky. Shaky nights made it tough to sleep.

Several seasoned cruisers on the voyage told me that the front of the ship was one of the worst places to feel motion. Higher decks in the middle of the ship felt calmer and more stable.

If you are as prone to motion sickness as I am, I suggest choosing a room in the middle of the ship.

One of the most distinctive things about cruising is that most meals, snacks, and drinks are included in the cruise rate.

However, on Wonder of the Seas and many other mega-ships, more than a dozen restaurants with specialty offerings, such as sushi, are not included and incur additional charges, either as a one-time fee or per dish. I paid $40 to $60 for each specialty meal. 

I reserved all specialty restaurants before my trip, but I found myself wishing I hadn’t booked so many once I realized the included restaurants offered a wide range of delicious food.

There were multiple buffets, and the main dining room served a three-course meal with changing menu items each night.

These included options that satisfied every craving. One of the best meals I had was in the main dining room.

Since I booked so many specialty restaurants, I didn’t have time to try all the buffets or eat in the main dining room more than once. If I had known they’d be so satisfying, I would’ve saved money and eaten more of the included meals instead.

I have an aversion to dressing up, but I knew my cruise included formal nights, so I brought one nice dress. After the first formal night, however, I learned that the dress code wasn’t strictly enforced. I noticed people wore a variety of outfits, from suits and evening gowns to T-shirts and track pants.

I was happy to relax my look on the other two formal nights, but the dress felt like a waste of the limited space in my carry-on suitcase. If I had known it wasn’t necessary, I would’ve left it at home and brought multiple other articles in its place.

My favorite times to be on the top decks of the ship were early in the morning and late at night, when there weren’t as many crowds. These were also the coldest, windiest parts of the day.

Instead of my shiny, poofy, formal dress, I should’ve brought another pair of pants and another sweater to keep me warm. Since I didn’t, I ended up wearing the same pants and sweater nearly every morning and evening.

Since I brought only a carry-on luggage, I hoped to get some laundry done on board, but then I saw the pricing sheet.

Living in New York City, most of the apartments I’ve rented haven’t had in-unit laundry, so I’m used to paying to have my clothes washed. But rather than pricing by weight, as local New York laundromats do, Royal Caribbean charged for each article of clothing. Each shirt was $4, and a dress cost $9. Most surprisingly, washing just one pair of underwear would have cost $2.

I thought this would add up fast, so I didn’t do any laundry on my trip. In hindsight, I should have brought a bar of laundry soap to hand-wash a few things. 

To ensure I stayed hydrated throughout my trip, I opted for the water bottle package while booking trip extras like restaurant reservations and excursions. For $16, Royal Caribbean delivered a case of 24 water bottles to my cabin. It seemed expensive for a pack of water, but I thought this was just part of the price of cruising.

When I was boarding the ship, though, I noticed people carrying their own cases of water. That’s when I realized Royal Caribbean allows guests to bring their own nonalcoholic beverages.

If I had known this, I would’ve brought my own water and saved a few bucks.

While I enjoyed parts of my cruise, some of this knowledge could’ve made my trip much more comfortable.

On my next cruise, I’ll remember what I learned about cabin locations, formal nights, and cool, windy mornings sailing in the Caribbean Sea.