After seven days sailing past some of the prettiest coastlines I’d ever seen, I was completely hooked. Between testing out Princess’ new specialty restaurants—from Catch by Rudi to Love by Britto—and experiencing the mind-bending Spellbound by Magic Castle evening, I finally understood why cruising has such a massive, fiercely loyal fanbase. The ability to wake up in a new country every morning, experience world-class dining and completely hand over your stress to an all-inclusive tab makes it an incredible value. For busy working parents in the sandwich generation, it's practically the perfect vacation.
As I get ready to board my second Mediterranean voyage, here are the major cruise pitfalls I am actively fixing:
View this post on InstagramWhen I set sail the first time, I was completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choices. I’d never been to Naples, the Amalfi Coast, Turkey or Greece, and I was desperate to maximize every single second on shore. I fell face-first into cruise newbie mistake number one: booking an all-day, marathon excursion for every single stop.
While ship-sponsored excursions are an easy, seamless option, I wish I had spent some time researching traveler groups on social media to figure out the true crowd-favorites. This time, I'm keeping it chill. I want the freedom to simply wander through the gorgeous, pedestrian streets of Málaga or slow down for a long lunch in Cinque Terre. Excursions in every port are expensive, unnecessary and generate a ton of time anxiety—which is the absolute last thing you want on vacation.
Treating Ship Excursions as the Only Option
The answer is that it really depends on the destination. On my first trip, a few seasoned travel creators on board bypassed the ship's menu and booked a private, third-party horseback riding tour along the coast of Crete, returning with incredible stories of swimming in the sea with the horses. They knew exactly what they were doing, kept the timeline short and right in the middle of our off-shore window, and made it back with hours to spare.
For this upcoming trip, I’m doing the homework ahead of time so I can confidently explore the local neighborhoods on foot, while keeping a strict eye on the clock.
Luckily, I had an experienced team helping me map out my first sailing, but on subsequent trips when I’ve been left to my own devices, I made the mistake of trying to "wing it" when it came to specialty dining and marquee shows. Any veteran cruiser reading this right now is probably shaking their head.
Related: Orient Express Debuts Its First-Ever Cruise Ship And It’s a Dreamy, 54-Cabin Ode to European Glamour
Overpacking the Wardrobe
Instead, I ended up dragging a massive, overweight checked bag across the ancient cobblestones of Rome and hauling it through crowded customs lines. It was a total headache, and I spent the week watching smart, stylish passengers breeze past me with a single, sleek carry-on.
Related: How I Pack for a 7-Day Cruise With a Single Carry-On
Forgetting to Protect the Spontaneous Downtime
It’s the hidden, adults-only infinity pool at the aft of the ship that feels like your own private deck because nobody else stumbled upon it. It's sitting at the dueling piano bar on Legend late at night, or sharing a great conversation over the best espresso martini of your life in a quiet lounge. It's watching an impromptu ABBA tribute set that somehow gets everyone from teenagers to grandmothers up and dancing together like no one is watching.
Related: Why Everyone Is Swapping the Mediterranean for a 'Coolcation' Cruise This Summer
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