10 Things You Should Know Before Your First Cruise Ship Experience

Cruises are pretty interesting. With other forms of transport, the aim is usually to get to your destination as quickly as possible, without any delays. You try to make the time go by quicker by playing games on your phone, watching shows, or simply going to sleep.

With cruises, however, the point is to travel slowly, in as much comfort and luxury as possible, and to enjoy every step of the journey.

Based on my recent experience on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas that sailed for four nights to Penang and Phuket, here are 10 things you should know before your cruise to make the most of your journey.

1. The ship is very stable, but you will feel vibrations from the engine as it sails

As someone prone to motion sickness, one of my biggest concerns was that I would start to feel seasick, and that I would spend my days at sea feeling miserable.

Thankfully, due to the size of the cruise ship, it never felt unstable throughout the journey. When the ship is docked at the port of call, walking around the ship feels just like walking around a shopping mall. Once the engine starts and you begin sailing, you’ll feel the mild but constant vibrations from the engine on the floor, even if you’re lying on your bed in the room.

If you feel uncomfortable, take a walk on the upper decks and breathe in some fresh air, and avoid looking at the waves. Prior to the trip, you can also pack some motion sickness pills just in case.

2. Your SeaPass card will be your one-stop card for everything, so take good care of it

Before boarding the ship, you’ll be asked if you want to pay for your purchases with cash or credit card, because on board the ship, all transactions will simply be charged to your SeaPass card (personalized room key) in USD. If you choose to pay with credit card, it will be registered to your SeaPass card. If you choose cash, you’ll need to settle all payments before the journey ends – look out for the announcement.

As your passport will have to be surrendered to the ship throughout the cruise, the SeaPass card is also your identification document that will be scanned each time you leave and get back on the ship at the ports. Simply put, your SeaPass card is your one-stop card for everything, so guard it well!

3. Many things require a top-up payment, so be sure to double-check what’s free and what’s not included

Many food and beverage options require you to top-up money. For example, if you’re looking for a mocha or latte instead of the standard brewed coffee and tea on tap (which was extremely diluted), you’ll need to top up, or purchase a drink package.

One thing that I didn’t like was that there would often be sales promoters pushing us to make an additional purchase, which was frankly quite annoying. We were approached multiple times as we were having our lunch on the first day to ask if we would like to top-up an amount to eat at the speciality restaurants instead. So just be prepared, and perhaps make a decision beforehand about whether you’d want to upgrade anything or not.

4. To avoid long queues and waiting times, go at off-peak times

With more than three thousand people on the same ship, long waits and large crowds are inevitable, especially at peak periods such as meal times and show times. To avoid large crowds at meal times, you can consider going at odd times, such as having an early breakfast at 7am and arriving for lunch after most people have finished eating.

At the ports of call, the clearance of the ship can also take a longer time than expected, so don’t schedule any plans too close. If you’re not in a rush, you can probably disembark an hour or so after the ship has been cleared to reduce your waiting time. When the ship docked at Penang, we were told that the ship was expected to clear immigration by 3pm, so most people had already gathered at the lower decks to wait, causing massive human jams as the announcement that the ship was still undergoing clearance kept playing at intervals to everyone’s dismay.

With hindsight, we could have probably just waited comfortably in our rooms instead. Perhaps due to a combination of unforeseen delays and the massive queue to leave, by the time we got off the ship, it was almost 4.30pm, so we didn’t get to see as much as we wanted to.

5. To save time, take the stairs if you’re able to

Here’s another time-saving tip: if you’re physically able to, take the stairs if possible to avoid long waits, especially if it’s just one or two flights of stairs. This will not only make it easier for the elderly and less able to get around, but it’ll also help you to digest your food faster! At peak times, it can be difficult to get into lifts because there are only so many lifts and more than three thousand passengers.

6. There are plenty of activities to keep you entertained onboard even if you don’t get off at the ports of call

If you don’t feel like getting off at the ports, there’s still plenty for you to do on board the cruise. You can go swimming, or simply get a tan and watch a movie at the pool with a free ice cream in hand. You can check out the various live performances around the ship, or hit the gym and sweat it out in the steam room.

You can play a game of basketball, mini golf, or table tennis at any time you want. You might even be able to try your hand at rock climbing or the FlowRider – provided that it’s open.

After our rushed experience in Penang, we decided to take it slow and stay on board when the cruise ship docked at Phuket the next day.

7. Always study the Cruise Compass every night to keep track of the activity timings

With so many things to do, and activities with different timings that change daily, it is essential to study the Cruise Compass delivered to your room every night. Some of the activities or show times might clash with each other, so you’ll need to decide which one to head to.

To my disappointment, some of the activities that I was most excited about, like the FlowRider and rock climbing, were not open all day – only for a few hours each day, and these timings change every day. So if there’s an activity you’re interested in, don’t procrastinate, as there may be other things that might catch your interest the next day.

8. Mass events and headliner shows can get extremely loud, so there’s no harm in sitting further back

One of the most exciting things about being on a cruise ship is that there’s a different headliner show to look forward to every night, and at least one mass event for everyone to take part in per day. For the four nights that we were on board, we watched an ice-skating show (at Studio B), an electric violin concert, a vocal group act, and an acrobatic duo’s performance. There’s definitely something to cater to different tastes, but I personally only really enjoyed the ice-skating show and the acrobatic duo’s performance.

Although we weren’t seated close to the stage, we still found that the music at La Scala theatre was extremely loud, to the extent that we caught a few people in the front rows leaving halfway through the shows with their hands over their ears.

Mass events like the K-Pop Dance Party were usually held at the Royal Promenade to cater to large crowds, and of course, the music was also extremely loud. I was torn between joining in the fun and running back to my room in search of some respite from the constant noise and crowds. So just be prepared for this, and if large, sweaty crowds and booming music isn’t your kind of thing, you might not want to head down to the Royal Promenade during these mass events.

9. You’ll never go hungry. Seriously

There are three main (and importantly, free) food places to choose from. The buffet-style Windjammer Café at Deck 11 has a huge spread of International and Asian cuisine, with a whole section for Indian food. As the Windjammer Café is on one of the higher decks, you can also get a clear and unblocked view of the sea during breakfast and lunch.

The Sapphire Dining Room, also known as the main dining room, spans Deck 3 to 5 and is a serviced multi-course ‘fine dining’ option, which means that you choose your dishes from the daily menu, and each table has designated waiters to bring the nicely plated food to you.

Do note that the opening hours for the Sapphire Dining Room are more limited than Windjammer Café’s, and they’re stricter than Windjammer. For example, if you’ve made your reservation for 5.30pm (the first dining slot), you should be seated by 5.45pm, as the doors will close then. For Windjammer, you can just walk in at anytime during the opening hours. You might also be asked to share a table with other guests. Do check the Cruise Compass for more details.

The third option is Café Promenade on Deck 5, which serves snacks like muffins and hot pizza slices. It’s also the only place you can go to if you’re still craving something to munch on after Windjammer Café and the Sapphire Dining Room close, as it’s open round the clock. However, it’s a pity that it only occupies a very small area, considering the number of people on the ship, and it’s almost always packed. If only the Windjammer could be open 24/7…!

With so much food to check out, try not to overeat or you’ll be too full to take part in the activities after your meals!

10.  There’s no free WiFi on the ship

Yup, there’s no free WiFi on the cruise! If you need to access the Internet, you’ll either need to purchase their WiFi package at $19.99 per device per day, or try to find a café with free WiFi when the ship visits the ports of call. So be sure to settle any urgent work matters before leaving for the cruise.

Hopefully, this has given you a better idea of what to expect on board the Royal Caribbean cruise, especially if it’s your first time sailing! There’s so much to do that you’ll really need to plan your time carefully if you’re looking to make the most of it. The huge variety of food was an eye-opener for me, and the impeccable service of the staff at every touch point made my first time on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas a pleasant one.

Have any more cruise tips to share with others that I’ve missed out? Let us know in the comments!