18 Reasons You Might Be Disappointed On Your Cruise and How To Avoid Them

Taking a cruise is supposed to be fun, right? Sometimes, though, you might be disappointed on your cruise. Let’s go over the reasons why that might happen so you won’t make that mistake.

Taking many cruises, we’ve made a lot of mistakes, especially in the beginning. Over time, though, we’ve learned the best way to prepare for an upcoming cruise to reduce the possibility of disappointment. Here are the mistakes to avoid, many of which we’ve made:

1 | You Chose The Wrong Cruise Line Or Ship

There are big differences between cruise lines—in their pricing, amenities included, and ambiance. For example, if you want an inexpensive fun cruise for the family, you might choose Carnival, and if you’re willing to pay a little more and want more things included, you might choose Norwegian. If you want a laidback cruise on the luxury side but aren’t independently wealthy, you might choose Celebrity.

Once you’ve chosen your cruise line, you choose your ship. Do you want a large ship with all the big attractions, or do you want a smaller, more intimate ship where you don’t have to walk a mile to get to dinner?

These choices play a huge part in whether you’re happy with your cruise.

2 | You Didn’t Choose The Best Time Of Year For Your Itinerary

One reason why the time of year is important is weather. For instance, if you go to Alaska in the shoulder season (May or September/October), it will be colder and you will probably need to bundle up somewhat. If that isn’t what you’d want, be sure to book your cruise in the middle of the summer.

Another reason to choose your time of year carefully is because of school vacations. If you want a quieter cruise with fewer children onboard, book your cruise during times when school is generally in session.

And for goodness’ sake, don’t book a cruise in Europe in August for three reasons. One, it’s incredibly hot. Two, it’s the time that Europeans like to take their family vacations, so there might not be as much to do because of shutdowns. And three, if you’re leaving out of Europe, your ship will be full of European families with children. Lots of children. We once took a Greek Isles cruise round-trip from Rome, and 25% of the ship’s passengers were under 18. It was a madhouse onboard, not at all the type of trip we were expecting.

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3 | You Didn’t Buy Cruise Insurance

I can’t emphasize enough how important cruise insurance is, not only for your peace of mind but also potentially for your wallet. And it’s not just important for seniors—you or your child could have an accident onboard or on an excursion that would need medical treatment. 

Medical treatment onboard and abroad can be expensive, and the cost of medical evacuation is astronomical. Every cruise we’re on there’s at least one medical evacuation. Every time I see it, I pray the person has good cruise insurance.

Yes, cruise insurance can be expensive, but if you cruise more than twice a year, an annual travel plan is more economical. We buy an annual policy each year from Allianz but thankfully haven’t had to use it yet. Regardless, the peace of mind has been worth the cost.

4 | You Didn’t Use A Travel Agent For Your First Cruise

I always recommend that you use a travel agent for your first cruise because there are so many decisions to make and details to take care of, more than you’re aware of when you’re new to cruising.

Your travel agent can help you choose the right cruise line for you, the right ship, and the right cabin, and they can arrange for your air travel as well. They’ll often include special benefits like extra onboard credit that you wouldn’t otherwise get. And if you have a problem or question about your trip, your travel agent is the person to call.

Overall, having a good travel agent who’s experienced with your cruise line can help you avoid many of the issues mentioned in this post.

5 | You Didn’t Know What Was Included In Your Fare

Another reason why you might be disappointed on your cruise is that you didn’t know what was included in your fare. Unless you’re sailing on a luxury cruise line with everything included in your fare, there are going to be things that you’ll need to pay extra for during your cruise. Some cruise lines like Celebrity and Norwegian have fares that include a beverage package, wifi, onboard credit, and other benefits, but they don’t cover absolutely everything. 

Some of the extras that might not be included in your fare are things like shore excursions, premium activities like go-karts, spa services, specialty restaurants, some beverages like sodas or bottled water or premium cocktails, and transportation to and from your port. Be prepared to pay for some extras after you’ve paid your cruise fare or while you’re onboard.

6 | You Didn’t Pack The Right Clothing

Take a little time to research both your cruise and your excursions to see if there are certain clothes you might need to bring, and check the weather for the ports you’ll be visiting before you pack. Also, check out your cruise line’s dress code. Celebrity’s dress code and Norwegian’s are somewhat different.

For instance, many cruise lines expect men to wear long pants and closed-toe shoes at main dining rooms and specialty restaurants. And for that whale-watching excursion in Alaska, you might need a warm waterproof jacket, or you’ll need a bathing suit and maybe water shoes for a snorkeling excursion or beach day. You don’t want to be caught short and miss out on the fun.

For example, we took a trip to Alaska, thinking we knew what to expect, but an unanticipated heat wave meant our long-sleeve shirts and long pants were sweltering in the heat. Had we thought ahead and checked the weather forecast, we would have brought some shorts and short-sleeved shirts, just in case.

If you need some help with packing ideas, check out our cruise capsule wardrobes and packing tips.

7 | You Forgot Your Passport

It’s a good idea to take your passport on all cruises, even if you don’t anticipate going ashore in foreign lands. We’ve been asked for our passports on every cruise we’ve taken.

Also, be sure that your passport is valid for at least six months from the time you return from the cruise. Otherwise, it might not be acceptable.

8 | The Weather Was Bad

Okay, this one you can’t do anything about. You may have a week of nothing but rain, which puts a damper on your excursions, or your ship may encounter high winds and rough seas. Although the ships have stabilizers and the captain will do their best to avoid bad weather, there’s only so much they can do.

My best advice? Be prepared with seasickness medications in case of rough seas, and take a rain jacket in case of rain. Roll with it (sorry for the pun), and make the best of it.

9 | You Didn’t Make Reservations In Advance

Advance reservations are needed or suggested for some onboard activities (like theater shows), specialty restaurants, and spa treatments. Check with your travel agent or cruise line to see which of these on your cruise might need to be arranged ahead of time.

We always make our specialty dining reservations in advance, as well as some spa treatments. It’s nice going aboard knowing you have these fun things to look forward to, already scheduled.

10 | You Picked The Wrong Cabin

Not all cruise ship cabins are optimal. Some have obstructed views, are right next to noisy elevators or hallway junctions, too far away from the elevator for you, or are above or below a bass-thumping nightclub or the buffet or pool deck, which will have lots of screeching chairs in the early hours. Some cabins are on higher decks and in the extreme front or back of the ship, which makes them more susceptible to rocking in bad weather.

Your travel agent can help you find a more optimal cabin for you ahead of time. Or you can do the research yourself before you book by looking at the ship’s deck plans and choosing a few cabins you might like ahead of time, being aware of what’s above and below the cabins you’re choosing.

We made this mistake on a cruise last year on Norwegian, where we booked a spa balcony room thinking it was larger and had a spacious spa shower like the club balcony cabin we’d booked before. Because I didn’t do my research, we ended up with a typical balcony cabin that was merely near the spa, not at all what we’d expected. I was disappointed the whole trip that we’d paid extra for this cabin.

Don’t let things like this be the reason why you might be disappointed on your cruise.

11 | You Didn’t Fly To Your Cruise Port A Day or Two In Advance

Airline snafus are common, causing flight cancellations and delays. Don’t let these make you miss your cruise! Leave for your cruise port at least a day in advance, two if you’re flying across several time zones to meet your ship. Check out our cautionary tale of what happened to us on a recent trip.

12 | You Made Your Return Flight Home Too Early

Rule of thumb: Make your return flight home for the afternoon of disembarkation day, or if you’re traveling westward over several time zones, for the morning of the day after embarkation day. 

Even though your cruise is scheduled to arrive in port at 7:00 a.m., for instance, it won’t be cleared by the port authority for disembarkation for about an hour after that. Plus, it takes a while to get off the ship and go through customs, sometimes longer than expected, and you might encounter heavy traffic on the way to the airport.

We’ve seen many travelers panicking during a lengthy disembarkation when they realized they were going to miss their flights home.

13 | You Didn’t Research The Ports Of Call In Advance

So many fun activities are available at cruise ports! Be sure to check out all the excursions offered by the cruise line in each port and make your selections well ahead of time. Popular excursions sell out weeks or months in advance.

If you’re a do-it-yourself kind of tourist, not wanting to do formal excursions, you’ll also want to know which ports are within easy walking distance to town, and which require you to take a bus or taxi. You’ll also need to be aware of the time that passengers need to be onboard and don’t be late. If you’re not on a ship-sponsored excursion, the ship probably won’t wait for you. 

Also, if you’re not a fan of small boats and don’t want to take a tender boat ashore, check your itinerary to see which will be tender ports for your cruise. 

I often use What’s In Port as a starting point for my port research.

14 | You Only Ate At The Buffet

As wonderful and convenient as the buffet is, there are other dining options onboard, some complimentary and some you’ll pay extra for. Be sure to try the main dining rooms, and not just for dinner; you can have a wonderful sit-down breakfast there. On Celebrity, other free options are the Spa Café, the Mast Grill, and on Edge-class ships, the Eden Café. On Norwegian, another option is The Local or O’Sheehan’s, which is open 24 hours.

The specialty restaurants are wonderful. Our favorite on Celebrity is Eden, and on Norwegian is Cagney’s. Advance dining packages can be purchased before the cruise that offer discounts, so check into those.

15 | You Didn’t Participate In Any Of The Activities

If someone says they’re bored on a cruise, that tells me they didn’t participate in any of the activities. Some are silly, granted, but those can be the most fun! 

On board our cruises, we’ve driven go-karts, played mini golf, participated in archery competitions, played in game shows, participated in trivia contests, played charades in a small group, enjoyed a cooking class, played bingo, done wine tastings, taken a behind-the-scenes ship tour, taken a hot glass class, and more.

There’s so much to do on the ships, both on sea days and port days. You just have to check out your daily newsletter.

16 | You Didn’t Take Any/Enough Pictures Or Video

I usually go overboard with taking photos and videos during my cruises, even before I started this website. But on one or two cruises, I decided to just sit back and enjoy the moment without taking pictures, and I ended up regretting that. 

Also, be sure to ask another cruiser to take your camera and take pictures of you and your significant other, or your group. Often, the photographer in the family gets left out of so many vacation pictures…unless they take selfies.

17 | You Didn’t Bring Local Cash

Some vendors in foreign ports take credit cards or American cash. In the Caribbean and Mexico, American dollars are usually welcomed. In Europe, however, if they don’t take credit cards, then they’ll expect you to pay in euros.

We had lunch at a nice waterside restaurant in Marseilles, France, expecting to pay with our credit card. The owner demanded cash, though, and we were lucky we had enough euros with us. Otherwise, the situation could have gotten ugly.

18 | You Didn’t Expect The Crowds

Cruise ships by definition mean packing a lot of people in a small space to go on a voyage together. Of course, there are going to be crowds. 

The pool deck will be crowded, and you might have trouble finding a chair. You might have to wait for an elevator because the first one that arrived was full. You might have to wait in line to be seated for dinner or to get a drink at the bar. It’s all part of cruising.

My advice? Mentally count to ten, and take the opportunity to chat with the people around you while you wait. You might start a friendship that will last long after your cruise ends. My Facebook friends list is slowly growing with wonderful people I’ve met onboard and want to stay in touch with.

Final Thoughts On Why You Might Be Disappointed With Your Cruise

Prior planning is the key to ensuring your cruise is as wonderful as possible. With a little time and effort—or using a good travel agent—you can have the best possible time on your vacation. Don’t be disappointed on your cruise…plan ahead and make the best of it.

Happy cruising!