No vacation is more ambitious than a cruise around the world. Cruises that travel around the world offer a one-of-a-kind experience that will leave you breathless and excited about your destinations. As you might surmise, around the world cruises are significantly different than weekend cruises. If you’re planning on taking to the seas, here are 7 essential tips for around the world cruises.
1. Plan your trip
This one seems pretty obvious, but there are actually a number of cruises that travel around the world. Despite their name, these cruises can’t go to every country across the globe, so each cruise has pretty specific destinations they’ll take you. Look at the various locations, packages and dates before you make your final decision.
2. Get your important documents in order
Make sure you have your proper identification, passport, driver’s license, visa, cash, credit cards, tickets and other necessary documents. Also make sure that everything is up to date and your passport won’t expire while you’re on the trip.
3. Make arrangements for your off-the-boat business
Cruise times vary between 74 and 116 nights, so it’s vital to make arrangements for your daily affairs while you’re away from home. Put bills and credit cards on an automatic payment system, take your pet to a kennel and have friends stop by your home to check on it. Make sure all your affairs are taken care of and that people who may contact you know you’re away.
4. Pack clothes for every season
Your cruise will provide pretty specific information on what types of clothes to bring, so you should follow their recommendation closely. However, be prepared to pack clothes for every season of the year. Not only will you be on the ship for a few months, but you’ll also travel to different parts of the world that will be experiencing different temperatures.
5. Pack smart
It might be tempting to pack as much as possible because you’ll be gone for so long, but you should remember to pack smart. You want to pack appropriate clothing, but you should also aim to pack moderately. Use the power of mixing and matching to minimize the number of outfits you have to bring.
6. Get to know the ship
For the next few months, the ship will be your home, which is why it’s important to explore the ship and get to know its intricacies. Before embarking, identify emergency, medical and evacuation locations. Also, go to the seminars on how to work the lifeboats in emergency situations. Along these same lines, the more you explore on the ship, the more at home you will feel.
7. Have fun
This final point will be achieved once you complete each of the above tasks because you’ll be relaxed and focused on having a great time. An around the world cruise is a once in a lifetime experience that should be enjoyed to its fullest. Have the time of your life by doing and seeing as much as possible.
I’ve been on two world cruises. Unfortunately, the first one ended early on an Egyptian reef. My ebook, “Going All The Way” tells the good, the bad and the weird of both. at 99 cents I make no money, but do want to share the experience. Check it out!