Shore leave, credit cards & Co.: a cruise employee reveals what passengers keep doing wrong
Created: 11/14/2022, 09:00
By: Franziska Kaindl
After booking a trip, the joy is great.
However, if you have never taken a cruise before, you should do some research beforehand.
Waking up in a different place every day, a wide range of activities and little planning stress: a cruise sounds very tempting when it comes to seeing and doing as much as possible in the shortest possible time.
However, such a large company should still be well planned, as long-time cruise employee Sharon Waugh found in an article on the English-language online portal
Insider
.
Too many guests would make the same mistakes over and over again.
Cruise employee warns: Passengers do not familiarize themselves with the ship
Sharon Waugh says if you don't familiarize yourself with the cruise ship and what it has to offer at first, you can end up missing a lot.
There's plenty to explore on board, maybe even a karaoke bar or jacuzzis in unexpected places - so it makes sense not to wait until the last day to find out about these things.
Guests should also read the ship's activity schedule carefully in order not to miss any exciting events and attractions.
There is a lot to do on board a cruise ship.
© Imago
Top it off on the very first day of the cruise
Some cruise fares include unlimited alcoholic beverages, while others offer beverage packages for an additional fee.
What sounds tempting can quickly backfire: "In any case, I've seen a lot of people embarrassingly drunk, urinating in public, and driving around on motorcycles before the port of embarkation was even in sight," he said the cruise employee.
The next day, the passengers were so hung over that the fun was over for the time being.
As such, travelers are advised to take it easy.
Bank not informed about stay abroad before departure
Credit institutions sometimes block a card for security reasons if it is suddenly used in another country.
This is unlikely to happen to you in Europe, but it is possible in countries far away - this is to protect cardholders from fraudsters.
But suddenly being left without a payment option on a cruise trip can be uncomfortable.
"If the credit card associated with your onboard account gets blocked, chances are you'll get a call from guest services," says Waugh.
"You can avoid this mistake by making sure beforehand that your bank knows where you're going."
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Read excursion tickets correctly
Excursions ashore are one of the most exciting activities for many cruise travelers - but the fun quickly ends if you don't read your tickets properly.
It says, for example, the time and place of the meeting point.
"It's often assumed that the meeting point on the first port day is the same as the subsequent port days, but that's not always the case," says Waugh.
Therefore, those who do not want to miss their tour must go through the instructions carefully.
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Coming back late from shore leave
The departure times of a cruise ship should not only be understood as guidelines: Passengers have often been left behind at the port if they set off on their own and did not return in time.
"And booking flights and hotels to catch the ship at the next port can be expensive and stressful," warns the cruise employee.
However, if travelers have joined a shore excursion organized by the cruise line and are subsequently returned late by the bus, the ship will wait for the guests.
