My first cruise was back in 2013, when Ruben was two years old. To say it was an eye-opening experience would probably be putting it mildly.
I'd travelled before, but cruising was a completely different type of holiday. There were embarkation times, luggage tags, dining arrangements, shore excursions, sea days and a whole ship to figure out. And we were doing it all with a toddler.
Thankfully, I've learned quite a lot since then.
I've cruised with my kids, cruised solo, taken short cruises and long cruises, crossed the Pacific and visited ports where we've booked organised tours as well as plenty where we've simply walked off the ship and explored ourselves.
The biggest thing I've learned is that cruising really isn't complicated once you know how it works. But before that first cruise? There are definitely a few things worth knowing.
This guide covers the basics without trying to plan every minute of your holiday for you.
Choose the right cruise for you
There's no single "best" cruise for a first-time cruiser.
A short three or four-night cruise can be a relatively inexpensive way to find out whether you like cruising. A seven-night cruise gives you more time to settle in and usually a better mix of sea days and ports. And some of us discover that we quite like having lots of sea days and somehow end up crossing the Pacific.
Think about the itinerary as well as the ship.
If you're interested in the destinations, look at how much time you'll actually have in each port and whether the ship docks or uses tenders. If the ship itself is the attraction, facilities, dining, entertainment and activities might matter more.
And if you're travelling with children, have a look at what's available for their particular ages. Don't assume they'll spend the entire cruise in kids club either. Mine certainly haven't.
Your cruise fare doesn't include everything
Cruises can include a lot for the price. Your cabin, transportation between ports, much of your food, entertainment and plenty of onboard activities are generally included.
Exactly what's included varies between cruise lines and fares, though. Specialty restaurants, alcohol, specialty coffees, Wi-Fi, spa treatments, shore excursions, photos and laundry are common extras. Some cruise lines bundle various extras into packages.
This is worth checking before you book because the cheapest cruise fare isn't necessarily what you'll ultimately spend.
You also don't need to buy every package offered to you. Work out what you'll actually use first.
Choose your cabin carefully
Image: Carnival Cruise Line
Interior, ocean view, balcony or suite?
I've stayed in different cabin types over the years and there are pros and cons to each. An interior cabin can save a substantial amount of money, while a balcony gives you your own outdoor space and somewhere quiet to watch the ocean go by.
Location matters too.
Cabins near lifts can be incredibly convenient. Cabins directly underneath busy public areas may come with a bit more noise. If you're concerned about movement, cabin position is worth considering before booking.
Don't assume you need an expensive cabin to enjoy your cruise. On a port-heavy itinerary, you might barely be in it.
Download the cruise line app before you leave
Most major cruise lines now use an app for at least part of the cruise experience.
Depending on the cruise line, you may use it to check in, access your boarding pass, make reservations, view daily activities, check your onboard account and complete parts of the safety briefing. Royal Caribbean, for example, allows passengers to complete much of its mandatory safety briefing through its app before checking in at their muster station.
Download it before leaving home, sign in and make sure your booking appears.
That's much easier than standing in a cruise terminal trying to remember a password you haven't used since you booked the cruise nine months earlier.
Check your travel documents carefully
Image: Voyage Ready RFIT Travel Passport Wallet
Documentation requirements depend on where you're cruising, your citizenship and the itinerary.
You may need a passport, appropriate visas and other documentation. Even Australian cruises can have different identification requirements depending on where they're travelling.
Cruise lines make passengers responsible for having the documents required for the cruise and the countries being visited.
Check the requirements for your actual sailing rather than relying on something somebody said in a Facebook group. Requirements can change.
And keep your passport or identification in your carry-on when you arrive at the terminal. Don't put it in the suitcase you've just handed over.
Pack a carry-on for embarkation day
When you arrive at the cruise terminal, you'll usually hand your larger luggage over before boarding. It will be delivered to your cabin later.
That "later" is the important bit.
Pack anything you might need during your first few hours onboard in a carry-on. That includes medication, travel documents, valuables, chargers and anything else you don't want separated from you.
If you're planning to swim straight away, add swimmers and sunscreen.
Cruise lines specifically recommend keeping essentials and medication with you rather than putting them in checked luggage.
I've learned over the years that the less you have to carry around the ship on embarkation day, the better. You don't need three days' worth of emergency supplies. Just the things you'd genuinely be annoyed to be without until your suitcase arrives.
Embarkation day can feel slightly chaotic
Your boarding documents will generally give you an arrival or check-in time.
At the terminal you'll drop off checked luggage, go through security, complete check-in formalities and eventually board.
Once onboard, thousands of other people are also trying to work out where they're going. Cabins may not be ready immediately and everyone suddenly seems to want lunch at exactly the same time.
Don't panic.
Find somewhere to sit, have something to eat and start getting your bearings. Once cabins open and people spread throughout the ship, things usually calm down considerably.
You'll also need to complete the mandatory safety or muster process. The exact procedure varies by cruise line, but don't put it off. Get it done and then get on with your holiday.
Learn your way around the ship
Cruise ships are big, but they become surprisingly easy to find your way around after a day or two.
One of the first things I work out is where my cabin is in relation to the main areas I'll use.
You'll hear people referring to forward, midship and aft. Forward is towards the front of the ship, aft is towards the back.
Deck plans and the cruise line app help, and many ships have maps near the lifts.
You will still walk confidently in completely the wrong direction occasionally. It happens.
Cruise dining is more than the buffet
The buffet is convenient, but don't assume that's where you're supposed to eat every meal.
Most ships have a main dining room included in the cruise fare, along with other complimentary venues depending on the ship. Specialty restaurants generally cost extra.
Dining arrangements vary between cruise lines. You might have a fixed dining time, flexible dining or the ability to reserve times through the app.
You can usually eat breakfast in more than one place too. I personally have a weakness for breakfast tacos when they're available, but you can generally choose between a quick buffet breakfast and slower sit-down options.
Have a look at what's included before automatically paying for specialty dining. There's often far more included food than you'll manage to try in one cruise.
You don't have to do everything
Every day you'll find a schedule full of trivia, live music, shows, games, classes, competitions and activities.
You don't need to do all of them.
This sounds obvious, but first-time cruisers can fall into the trap of trying to extract maximum value from every waking minute.
Pick the things that sound fun. Ignore the rest.
Some of my favourite cruise days have involved doing very little at all.
Sea days are part of the holiday
Before their first cruise, people sometimes look at sea days as the empty bits between destinations.
They're really not.
Sea days are when you get to enjoy the ship without thinking about getting off somewhere. Sleep in, go to breakfast, use the pool, watch a show, join an activity, sit somewhere quiet with a book or simply watch the ocean.
On longer cruises, I particularly like sea days because there's no pressure to be anywhere.
And if you're travelling with children, don't feel that they need to be entertained every second either.
You don't need a cruise line excursion in every port
Cruise line shore excursions can be excellent, particularly when transport is complicated or the attraction is a long way from port.
But they're not compulsory.
Some ports are incredibly easy to explore independently. We've walked, used public transport, caught taxis and booked independent tours plenty of times.
Before deciding, look at where the ship actually docks, what you want to see, how difficult transport is and how much time you have.
Most importantly, know when you need to be back onboard. Don't confuse local time with ship time, and don't plan to arrive back at the last possible minute.
This is one part of cruising where being excessively relaxed about time can become rather expensive.
Tender ports work a little differently
Not every cruise ship pulls up alongside a wharf.
At some destinations the ship anchors offshore and smaller boats, known as tenders, take passengers between the ship and shore.
Tendering can mean queues, particularly first thing in the morning. Weather can also affect whether tender operations are able to run.
If you're visiting a tender port, check how your cruise line manages the process before making tightly timed independent plans.
Your phone can become very expensive at sea
This one deserves attention.
Being able to see mobile reception bars on your phone doesn't necessarily mean you're connected to a normal land-based network. Ships can have maritime cellular services, and international or maritime roaming charges can become expensive. Princess, for example, specifically tells passengers to check applicable maritime roaming charges with their mobile provider.
I put my phone into airplane mode and then manually turn Wi-Fi back on when I want to use the ship's internet.
Before travelling, check your own provider's roaming arrangements and your cruise line's connectivity options.
Wi-Fi at sea isn't the same as Wi-Fi at home
Cruise ship internet has improved enormously, but you're still connecting from a moving ship in the middle of the ocean.
Packages and speeds vary considerably between cruise lines and ships.
If you just want to check messages occasionally, your needs will be very different from somebody who needs video calls or remote access for work.
I regularly work while travelling, including from cruise ships, so reliable internet matters to me more than it might to someone who quite happily wants to disappear offline for a week.
Check what your particular ship offers before buying a package.
Expect some extra spending
Image: Costa Cruise Line
Most ships operate largely cash-free onboard. Purchases are charged to your onboard account using your cruise card, wearable device or app.
That's convenient. Perhaps a little too convenient.
Drinks, specialty dining, Wi-Fi, excursions, shopping, spa treatments, photos and other extras can add up quickly.
Service charges and gratuities are another area worth checking because arrangements vary by cruise line, fare and departure country. For example, Royal Caribbean says gratuities for crew are included in fares on Australian departures, while discretionary purchases can still attract service charges.
Check your onboard account periodically rather than waiting until the final morning to discover what you've spent.
Pack for the cruise you're actually taking
There are countless cruise packing lists online telling you about things you apparently cannot possibly survive seven days at sea without.
You probably don't need most of them.
Pack for your itinerary, climate and what you actually wear.
Check your cruise line's prohibited-items policy before packing electrical appliances, power boards, alcohol or anything else that may be restricted.
And don't stress too much about formal nights. Dress expectations vary between cruise lines, and you can check the specific guidance for yours before leaving home.
Your plans might change
Cruise itineraries aren't guarantees.
Weather, sea conditions, operational issues and port restrictions can change arrival times, cancel ports or alter an itinerary. Cruise lines may issue itinerary updates before departure or while you're onboard.
It's disappointing when somewhere you've been looking forward to gets cancelled, but it's part of travelling by sea.
This is another reason I avoid packing port days too tightly. A little flexibility makes cruising much easier.
Disembarkation comes around surprisingly quickly
Towards the end of the cruise you'll receive information about leaving the ship, including luggage arrangements and disembarkation times.
If you're putting your suitcase out for collection on the final night, remember to keep clothes, toiletries, medication, travel documents and everything you'll need the following morning with you.
Yes, people have packed the shoes they intended to wear off the ship.
Don't book impossibly tight onward travel either. Getting thousands of passengers off a ship, through immigration or customs where required, and reunited with their luggage takes time.
Your first cruise doesn't need to be perfect
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I went into that first cruise in 2013 with a two-year-old and very little idea of what cruising would actually be like.
More than a decade later, there are things I do completely differently. I pack differently. I plan port days differently. I understand which extras are worth paying for for us and which aren't. And I'm much more comfortable ignoring the things everyone else insists are "must-dos".
That's probably the best first-cruise advice I can give.
Do some planning beforehand, understand the important stuff and then give yourself permission to figure out the rest as you go.
You don't need to know every deck number before you board. You don't need every excursion booked. You certainly don't need every cruise gadget somebody on Facebook tells you is essential.
You'll learn pretty quickly.
And if your first cruise turns out anything like mine, it might not be your last.
