If you have never been on a cruise before and you have decided that you would love to travel in style by joining one of the many cruise lines available, although you will find it an incredible journey you may also be overwhelmed by all that there is to do and see while on a cruise. For first time adventurers the tips below may be able to help you enjoy the cruise like anyone who has traveled by ship many times.

If you have to travel to a different state to board your ship it’s always a good idea that you get to the port of call a couple of days ahead of your departure date. This not only ensure you will not miss the departure time but it will also give you some time to get some rest before leaving. If you want you can even make one of the days part of your vacation and explore the city you are in. By arriving early will also alleviate any last minute stresses you might experience if you arrive the same day as the departure.

It is important that you arrive early the day you will be boarding and make sure that you have everything ready that you need when you get on. When you go through the security gate, a porter will come and take your bags for you. Don’t worry, a short time after you have boarded the ship they will deliver your bags to the stateroom you will be staying in. After you have passed through the check in point you will be escorted to a waiting area, take advantage of this time to talk with other passengers and get to know more about the ship especially if they are veterans at cruising.

After you board the ship the first thing you need to do is to find the stateroom you’ve been assigned. You should take some time to settle in and immediately learn how the safe that is provided works. This is where you will be putting all of your valuables when you are not using them. You will probably find a list of activities that the ship offers in your room so make sure to go over it and figure out what you might like to get involved with.

After you have settled in, it’s time to go and explore the ship. Find out where you will be eating, have some lunch and just relax. If you are on a cruise that allows you to sit where you want then you will not have much to worry about, however; if you are on a cruise that assigns seating you should make the necessary arrangements for when you will be eating during the day.

While on the ship you will discover that they offer a lot of different tours at the various ports of calls you will be visiting. A lot of these are very good but they keep you pretty busy and you may not have any time to go to attractions you are more interested in or you may not have time for shopping. So you may just want to skip the tours and go on your own. If you do go on your own go straight to the visitor center for that city and pick up maps and brochures you will need to explore. When you are on your own though you will need to keep track of the time closely. You must return to the ship no less than 30 minutes before it is set to sail.

Before you even go on your first cruise, remember it’s really important if you talk to other people who have traveled often on cruises. They can give you ideas on the best cruise lines and even help you decide on great destination cruises. You should also talk with travel agents get travel guides you can study before making your final decision.