10 Cruise Mistakes that Waste Your Vacation Time

The last thing you want to do on a cruise is spend your vacation waiting in line, searching for your family, or walking back to your cabin for something you forgot.

After more than 25 cruises, I’ve learned that a little planning can save a surprising amount of time. You don’t need to schedule every minute of your trip.

A few simple changes can help you spend more time enjoying the ship and less time figuring things out.

Here are 10 cruise mistakes that waste precious vacation time and what I do instead.

1. Showing Up Too Early to Board

It’s tempting to arrive at the cruise terminal as early as possible. You’re excited, you’ve checked out of your hotel, and you just want to get on the ship.

But arriving early doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll board early. You could end up waiting outside or sitting in the terminal while passengers from the previous cruise are still getting off.

When you complete your online check-in, pay attention to your assigned arrival window. Plan to arrive during that window, keeping in mind that it doesn’t guarantee you’ll step onto the ship immediately.

If you arrive before your allotted time, you could be asked to wait. I’d rather plan my morning around my arrival window than rush to the port just to sit around.

2. Packing Your First-Day Essentials in Your Checked Luggage

Once you hand your suitcase to the porters, it could be several hours before it reaches your cabin.

That’s why I keep my first day essentials in my carry-on bag. If my kids and I are planning to swim, we bring bathing suits. I also keep my medication, phone charger, and anything else I’ll need that afternoon with me.

Otherwise, you could spend your first afternoon checking the hallway over and over, hoping your suitcase has arrived. Meanwhile, everyone else is out enjoying the ship.

Before packing your carry-on, think about what you want to do after boarding. Having the right things with you means your vacation can start even if your suitcase hasn’t made it to your room yet.

3. Waiting for an Elevator for Every Short Trip

When I was new to cruising, I took the elevator everywhere. Even if I was only going up or down one deck, I’d stand there waiting.

Now, I take the stairs for short trips when I can.

Cruise elevators can get especially busy after a show, when passengers return from port, and on embarkation day when everyone is moving around with their bags.

You know how it goes. The elevator arrives, it’s full, and you wait for the next one. Then that one is full, too. By the time you finally get in, you could have already reached your destination using the stairs.

If you need an elevator and the nearest bank is crowded, check another bank nearby. I’ll sometimes walk to a different set of elevators, especially when a crowd has gathered outside a theater or another busy venue.

4. Going to the Buffet at the Busiest Time

One of the most frustrating things on a cruise is walking around a crowded buffet trying to find an empty table. It’s even more stressful when you have hungry kids with you.

Once you find somewhere to sit, you still have to deal with the food lines and the crowd at the drink station.

Embarkation day can be especially busy because so many passengers head straight to the buffet after boarding. Before joining them, I check which other complimentary lunch venues are open.

Depending on the ship, there might be a main dining room or a casual restaurant where you can sit down for lunch.

When I do eat at the buffet, I try to go a little earlier or later than the busiest times. You can ask the buffet staff when it usually gets crowded. On one of my MSC cruises, they even provided information about the busiest buffet times.

Sometimes, shifting your meal by just a little can save you a lot of waiting and searching for a table.

5. Waiting Too Long to Make Reservations

If there’s a show, restaurant, or activity you really want to try, find out whether it requires a reservation before you’re ready to go.

You don’t want to walk across the ship, arrive at the venue, and discover there’s no availability. Then you’re spending time looking for another option or trying to rearrange your plans.

Before the cruise, I check what I can reserve through the cruise line’s app or website. If something can only be booked on board, I try to take care of it early in the trip.

I also check that my reservations don’t overlap and leave enough time between them. You don’t want to book dinner at the same time as the show you’ve been looking forward to.

A few minutes of planning can save you a lot of running around later.

6. Getting Off the Ship Without a Port Plan

You don’t need to book a cruise line shore excursion at every port, but it helps to have some idea of what you’re doing before you step off the ship.

Otherwise, you could spend the first hour outside the terminal trying to decide where to go and how to get there.

Before the cruise, I make a rough plan for each port. Maybe we’re going to the beach, exploring town, or visiting one particular attraction. I check how far it is from the cruise terminal and what transportation we’ll need.

Just as importantly, I figure out how we’re getting back. If we’re taking a ferry or other scheduled transportation, I check the return times and allow plenty of time to get back before the ship’s all-aboard deadline.

I also save screenshots of important details so I can find them without internet access.

You don’t need to schedule every minute. Having a starting point lets you spend more of your port day enjoying the destination instead of figuring out the logistics.

7. Having No Meeting Plan for Your Group

“We’ll find each other later” sounds easy until you’re on a big cruise ship and nobody knows where anyone went.

One person is at the pool. Another went back to the cabin. Someone else thinks you’re meeting at the buffet. Now you’re spending your vacation searching for your own family.

Before splitting up, agree on a specific meeting place and time. Be clear about the location, too. “Near the pool” isn’t very helpful when there are several pools and hundreds of people around them.

Also, check how you’ll communicate on board. Don’t assume the cruise app includes free messaging between passengers. That was something that surprised me on my Norwegian Aqua cruise.

A simple meeting plan saves you from wandering around the ship hoping to bump into each other.

8. Going to Guest Services for Every Question

Before joining the guest services line, check whether you can find the answer in the cruise app, daily schedule, or information in your cabin.

You don’t need to stand in line to find out what time a restaurant opens or where an activity is happening. Those details are often in the daily planner.

For a restaurant question, ask the restaurant staff. For a shore excursion question, try the shore excursion desk. Depending on the ship, you may also be able to check your onboard account through the app or your cabin TV.

If you do need guest services for something that isn’t urgent, check its hours and return when the line is shorter. I’ve often found it much quieter later in the evening.

There’s no reason to spend your afternoon waiting if your question can easily be answered elsewhere or handled later.

9. Waking Up Earlier Than Necessary on Disembarkation Day

When I was new to cruising, I thought I needed to wake up very early on the last morning. I’d get ready, leave my cabin, and spend a lot of time sitting in a public area waiting for my luggage group to be called.

Now, I plan my morning around the cruise line’s instructions and our departure arrangements.

The cruise line will tell you when you need to vacate your cabin so the cabin steward can prepare it for the next passengers. If we need to leave by 8 a.m., for example, I aim to be ready and out by then.

If the main dining room is open and the timing works with our departure group, I’ll head there for breakfast. I try to avoid the buffet that morning because it can be crowded.

On cruises where this timing has worked, our luggage group has often been called by the time we finish breakfast. We can then make our way off the ship without spending the morning sitting around.

If you have an early flight or transfer, plan around that first. The goal is to avoid unnecessary waiting while still leaving enough time for your departure.

10. Constantly Going Back to Your Cabin

Cruise ships are big, and a quick trip back to your cabin isn’t always that quick.

You get settled in a lounge chair and realize you forgot your book. Later, your phone battery is running low, so you go back for your charger. Then you need your sunglasses.

All those trips add up, especially if your cabin is at the opposite end of the ship.

Before leaving my cabin, I think about what I’m planning to do and pack a tote bag with anything I might need. That might include my book, portable power bank, water bottle, sunscreen, and sunglasses.

It only takes a minute to gather those things, and it saves me from constantly walking back to my cabin when I could be relaxing.