Over the past 10 years, I've spent 253 days at sea. First-time cruisers need to do these 6 things as soon as they board
The rooms on board can be small, so it's a good idea to unpack your belongings.
It can be tempting to run out and enjoy everything the ship has to offer, but I always unpack as soon as my luggage has arrived.
Unless I splurged on a larger room, it's likely the cabin won't be big enough to leave all my bags piled around.
Plus, I never want to have to come back tired to find my bed covered with stuff.
I also recommend meeting your room steward.
On typical cruises, each cabin gets a room steward or attendant who's assigned to keep the room clean, grab extra towels and toiletries, and arrange to have anything that's broken fixed.
When cruising, mine usually becomes my best friend. If they don't come to the room to introduce themselves, I like to keep an eye out for them in the hall.
Knowing my steward has come in handy in the past, especially after I've locked myself out of my room, and my kind attendant helped me get back in.
Figure out how to get important information on board.
During your sailing, you'll likely receive announcements about onboard activities, special offers, and safety alerts.
Depending on the cruise line, this information may come in the form of a daily newsletter, loudspeaker announcements, a mobile app, or some combination of the three. Information about how to stay in the loop will likely be in your room when you arrive.
Schedules change, things happen, and you don't want to miss out on new opportunities, especially if the ship has to cancel a port.
