Do's and Don'ts on the first day of your cruise

So the day of your cruise has arrived, you are excited and anxious to get on-board. If it's not your first cruise then you will probably have your usual ritual that you do. If, however, you have never cruised before it can all be very daunting! You wont really know the protocol and what the best things for you to do are on your first day on-board. this is where I am here to help. Here are some top tips on the Do's and Don'ts on your first day:

DO's 

• Tour the Ship. You need to do this to get your bearings as ships can be a minefield to navigate around when you have never been on one before! Start at the top and work your way down, this way you wont get lost or miss anything out. You also can walk down the stairs then and won't tire yourself out!
• Make your Specialty Dining reservations as they tend to get booked up quite early. Especially if you have a special occasion you are celebrating one evening, you wont want to be disappointed.  
• Book your Spa treatments. Again, this is one of the things that gets booked up quickly, especially for days at sea! Top tip, book your treatment on a port day  (if you have been somewhere already) the Spa tends to offer big discounts on treatments on port days. 
• Buy your Alcohol or Soda packages if you haven't already pre booked. Royal Caribbean and MSC do some fantastic value ones that will save you a small fortune on your spending money. 
• Take lost of photo's whilst the ship is fairly empty and in order as once the activities begin and everyone is on-board it will be hard to get a clear picture of the ships fabulous features.
• Visit your cabin and freshen up, maybe even change your clothes to something a little more comfortable and holiday like.
• Finally, head up deck for the sailaway. It will really get you in the mood and set you off on an exciting foot for your cruise ahead.

DON'Ts

• Head straight to the Buffet - I know you will be staving by now as breakfast would seem a lifetime ago but  everyone tends to head here first and it can be very hectic and hard to find a table! Maybe pack a snack for whilst you are embarking and then visit once the crowds have died down. Often other venues are open for lunch so maybe explore these instead.
• Take the lift if you don't have to! It will be packed and will take you ages just to get anywhere. Use the stairs where possible. 
• Presume your cabin will be immaculate and in working order. It should be, but on occasion things can be missed by the cabin steward so make sure you are happy with it and the condition it is in when you arrive. 
• Skip the muster drill. It is tempting as you will be off exploring no doubt but this is a vital part of the cruise and you MUST attend! Even for those who have cruised 100 times before.

Follow these simple rules and it should get you off to a cracking start to your cruise! :) Oh and DO make sure you have a cocktail or 2! Enjoy....