Travel - Cruise 101 - What to Do before your Cruise and Enjoy a Smooth Embarkation Day

As a first-time cruiser, I had tons of questions and confusion on what I needed to do before I arrived at the Port for embarkation day. My travel agent and the cruise line didn't provide very much information. Google searches returned limited info. So I hope I can give you some tips that will help you based on my own experiences!

Some people make fancy binders where all their documents are saved. I used a big brown mailing envelope with the brad closure thing so my documents wouldn't fall out. Nothing too fancy and it fit in my backpack.

Your cruise line may have you "check in" ahead of time which will decrease a lot of your anxiety.

First, print all your documents and tickets. The internet can be slow and wonky. Having your boarding passes in an envelope will give you reassurance.

Second, if you bought additional insurance, bring the information in your envelope. My vendor gave me a phone number and confirmation number which I took with me. Don't rely on being able to get to your email even if you pay for the wifi package.

If you used a travel agency, bring their information (names, phone numbers) in case you can't reach your emails.

Third, bring all your vital documents (insurance cards, driver's licenses/ID, passports, birth certificates, etc.). Security will need to verify each passenger (even babies) and that you have the ability to travel outside the country.

Not required, but having plastic luggage tags is very helpful. I printed my luggage tags off then stuffed them into these plastic tags and attached to each of my checked-in bags. You don't need it for carry-on bags. Take photos of them in case you need the numbers, etc. Otherwise, you have to tape your tags onto your bags risking them getting lost. Also keep the info inside the bag just in case the tags DO get lost.

These are the Luggage Tags (plus 4 ID badge holders) that I ordered and used.

Badge holders are recommended because they give you a room key card to swipe to open your room, to swipe to get on/off ship, and to pay for different things. Not all your outfits will have pockets. Or for times when you don't want to carry your purse or bag around. Some cruise lines have wristbands or app-based "cards". The Carnival ship at this time still had swipe cards.

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