After more than 55 cruises, I still learn something new almost every time I sail. Some lessons make my cruise vacations so much better, and others are mistakes I hope to never repeat again.
Today I’m sharing six cruise do’s and don’ts that I think don’t get talked about enough. A few of these have genuinely upgraded my cruise travel, and one is a mistake I only recently learned the hard way. Let’s get into it.
Before You Set Sail: Do Arrive Early to Your Embarkation Port
My number one cruise travel rule is to always fly in at least one day before your cruise departs. If you’ve never been to that particular cruise port city before, I actually recommend giving yourself two or even three days.
Most embarkation cities are destinations in their own right. Think Amsterdam, Rome, Athens, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Vancouver or Seattle, places people would happily spend a few days exploring on any regular vacation. It’s easy to focus all your planning on the cruise itself, your ports of call and your excursions, and forget that your embarkation city deserves some attention too.
Yes, you can always explore that city after your cruise instead. In my experience though, by the end of a cruise you’re usually a little tired and ready to get home, so I always prefer to build in time before rather than after. If you’re weighing your options, arriving a day or two early also gives you a buffer in case of flight delays, which is reason enough on its own.
Do Shop Smart in Your Cruise Ports
This next one genuinely makes my cruise travels better, and it’s something people ask me about all the time. My tip is to shop when you’re in port, especially for items that are actually made in that country or region.
I get asked constantly where I found a particular dress, purse or pair of earrings. Plenty comes from Amazon or my local mall, but many of my favorite pieces, including a ruffled purse I wear all the time, actually came from the ports we’ve visited. A little research ahead of time on local brands can help you find items that cost noticeably less than what you’d pay for the same brand back home.
For example, an Italian bag bought in Italy or a Spanish brand bought in Spain will usually be cheaper than buying it in the US or Canada. If you’re cruising in Europe, you can also claim back the VAT, a tax that typically runs around 12%. There’s a form to fill out, and I recommend visiting a refund kiosk in person at your last European airport rather than doing it electronically, just to make sure everything is filled in correctly.
It really can add up. We’ve gotten hundreds of dollars back on past trips, and depending on how much you purchase, it could even be more.
This applies to smaller souvenir purchases too, not just big-ticket items, so it’s worth doing even if you’re only picking up a swimsuit cover-up or a dress. Beyond the savings, you come home with a real memory attached to each piece, and that’s what makes it special.
Don’t Chase the TikTok Famous Restaurants
Here’s a mistake I’ve made more than once, and it feels especially relevant right now. We need to stop chasing TikTok famous restaurants when we travel.
A few years ago, those recommendations were often pretty solid. These days there’s so much hype around certain spots that the lines have gotten long and the quality doesn’t always match the reputation.
We experienced this in Rome, standing in line for a recent TikTok famous pizza place. The pizza was good, but honestly, I don’t think it was worth the wait.
My family and I actually snuck off for an Aperol spritz and some prosciutto while we waited in that line, then took turns so everyone got a break. We did find some incredible gelato in Rome too, so it’s not that hyped spots are always bad. More often than not though, we found ourselves standing in a tourist trap rather than somewhere truly special.
My advice is to ask a local for a recommendation instead. Ask your concierge, or if you pass a place that looks busy with locals, ask them what they think of it. This goes for any port, whether you’re in Europe or somewhere like Mexico, where a single spot might be all over social media for its tacos.
One quick clarification here too. I’ve mentioned in the past that restaurants making pasta right in the window can be a sign to be cautious, and I don’t mean that homemade pasta itself is a bad thing.
You’ll find genuinely homemade pasta at plenty of wonderful restaurants throughout Italy. What I mean is the overhyped spots where the pasta making has become more of a show for tourists than a sign of quality.
Don’t Fall for These Common Port Scams
Before we get to my final do, it’s worth talking about a few scams to watch for in port, including a couple that might surprise you. None of these are new, but they’re worth knowing so you don’t get caught off guard.
The Fake Street Singer Scam
One scam that doesn’t get talked about much is what I’ll call the fake singer scam. It involves someone standing with a speaker, appearing to sing beautifully along with background music.
I always assumed this had to be some kind of trick, and on a recent stop in New Orleans, I finally saw it confirmed when the speaker glitched and the singer’s actual voice came through, sounding nothing like what we’d been hearing. It seems the speaker or a device is enhancing or replacing the voice entirely.
If it doesn’t bother you to leave a tip either way, that’s completely your call, but it’s good to know what’s actually happening.
The Fake Waiter Scam
We nearly got caught up in this one ourselves. A man wearing an apron was standing outside a restaurant in New Orleans, and we assumed he worked there and started chatting with him, before realizing he was actually asking for money and didn’t work there at all.
We later saw him doing the same thing to other people down the street. It’s a good reminder to be a little cautious with anyone who approaches you looking official but isn’t clearly tied to an actual business.
Aggressive Vendors and the Photo Scam
Watch out too for anyone handing you flowers, offering a free item, or asking for a photo together. These situations often end with a request for payment, and unfortunately there are cases where cruisers thought they were handing over five or ten dollars only to have vendors demand much more, sometimes as much as fifty.
If you’d rather avoid the whole interaction, a polite decline and keeping your distance goes a long way. You can find more detail on these and other tourist scams cruisers should know about, including some newer scams making the rounds.
Don’t Take Your Time Onboard for Granted
Don’t skip your cruise ship entirely just because you’re docked in a port of call. You should absolutely get out and explore when there’s a destination you’re excited about, but you don’t need to feel guilty about spending part of a port day onboard too.
On a recent cruise, we visited our port in the morning and came back to the ship in the early afternoon. That’s when it really hit me how much we take those onboard views for granted. From up on deck, you get a view of the destination that would cost a fortune at a resort, looking out over the water at the whole port of call spread in front of you.
Since then, I’ve made a point of appreciating that view more, whether we’re in Alaska, Bermuda or the Mediterranean. I still get out and explore most of the time, but I’ve come to really value those moments of staying onboard and enjoying a quieter ship while everyone else is off exploring.
Do Consider a Private Transfer
My last do is one I only tried for the first time on my most recent cruise, and I’d absolutely do it again. It made the whole travel day so much more comfortable.
We sailed out of Civitavecchia, which is about an hour and fifteen minutes from Rome. There are a few ways to make that trip, including a train or a cruise line transfer that drops you in central Rome, where you’d then need a taxi or rideshare to reach your actual hotel. Once we added up all those separate legs, a private transfer straight from our hotel actually worked out to be about the same cost, sometimes even less, especially since there were four of us traveling together.
If you’re traveling as a couple, the math might tip slightly the other way, but once you factor in that extra taxi ride, it often ends up close to even anyway. I’ll definitely be looking into private transfer options again on any future cruise where the port is a longer drive from our hotel.
Final Thoughts
These are just a handful of the cruise do’s and don’ts that have shaped how I travel after more than 55 cruises, and I’m sure the list will keep growing. Arriving early, shopping thoughtfully in port, skipping the overhyped restaurants, staying alert to scams, appreciating your time onboard and considering a private transfer are all small adjustments that can make a real difference.
I’d love to hear which of these resonate with you, and whether you have a cruise do or don’t of your own to add to the list.
Happy cruising!
Ilana