When you turn up for your cruise, departure day can go very smoothly, or it can be very stressful. It all comes down to careful planning on your part. Make sure your departure day goes as smoothly as possible by following some simple tips, and get your dream cruise off to the best possible start.

Know the Boarding Procedure

All cruise lines will have a slightly different boarding procedure. You should try to find out a bit about this when you book your cruise using an online comparison site so that you know what to expect.

In general, when you arrive at the terminal, you will go through the check-in and security, during which your luggage will be scanned. You will then leave your luggage with the baggage handlers who will take it away and deliver it to your cabin. You will also have to hand over all of your documents so your identity can be checked, and you may then have your photograph taken for security. You may also have to complete a medical questionnaire.

You will normally be given an ID card, which you will use to get on and off the ship and to pay for items on board, and it will sometimes also be the key to your cabin.

Once you have completed check-in, you will go to a waiting area. The suite customers will often board first, followed by groups and wedding parties. However, this depends on the cruise line. When your turn comes, you will go on board and your ID will be checked again. Personnel will greet you when you get on board, and sometimes you will be led to your cabin. However, you may be have to find your cabin yourself with the help of a map.

Prepare Your Documents in Advance

Make sure you have everything you need before you leave home. Check and double check that you have your passport, ticket, insurance, and any receipts for excursions you have booked. Keep them together in one place and don’t leave home without them.

Take a Small Day Pack

Your suitcases will be taken to your cabin, but this process may take a few hours, so it is a good idea to take a small day pack with you that you do not mind carrying around. Use this to pack the essentials such as your medications, something to do while waiting in the queue, and maybe even a change of clothes.

Don’t Be Late

Don’t make the boarding process more stressful by having to rush from the airport. The best idea is to arrive the day before boarding, but if you arrive on the same day, arrange your transfer in advance. Have a plan written out so you know exactly where to go and what time the boarding starts, and this will help you to avoid rushing.

You could aim to get there just after boarding in order to miss the queues, but be careful if you do this because you do not want to arrive too late.

Enjoy a Great Start to Your Cruise

Don’t start off your cruise badly by failing to plan properly for departure day. Familiarise yourself with the boarding procedure, pack appropriately, don’t make it into mad rush, and carry everything you need for the first day. Then you can ensure a smooth, stress-free process so that you can enjoy the best start possible to your dream cruise.

Ryan Posa founded Cruise Republic in 2008 after being the District Sales Manager for Carnival Australia. Passionate about the travel experiences and opportunities offered aboard a ship, he often blogs about his favourite cruise destinations and tips for a successful modern cruise vacation. See Ryan’s Tweets here.

Passionate about travel? Here is the list of lively cities, which are highly popular across the globe for their iconic monuments, natural beauty, museums and breathtaking architecture –with that little something extra that makes them the most compelling and interesting destinations for travel enthusiasts.

Berlin

A passionate city, Berlin enthrals everyone with its intricate architecture, vibrant culture, sumptuous food and profound history. Owing to its unparalleled aura, Berlin city attracts people from far and beyond. Boasting rich culture and history, including the fall of the Berlin Wall, even today the legacy of this city continues in places like Checkpoint Charlie, the East Side Gallery and the Gedenkstätte Berliner Mauer.

If you plan to visit this city, do not miss to explore a group of treasure houses and Berlin’s ‘Louvre, which are the highlights of the city’s museum landscape. Berlin’s ‘Louvre has been declared as the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. The interesting thing is that it showcases the art and cultural history from the Stone Age to the 19th century.

Paris

Paris is a picturesque 19th-century cityscape, famous for its dynamic culture, fashion and cuisine. Also known as a romantic city, Paris is full of grand restaurants, glamorous boulevards, manicured gardens and enchanting architectural icons. You can spot couples enjoying a walk down the serene Canal St-Martin or simply getting close and personal in restaurants and wine bars over a candle-lit dinner.

Eat in as many cafes, bistros and brasseries and shop in some high-end boutiques to experience the true taste of Parisian culture. Apart from Eiffel tower, some of the popular sights to explore and various things to do in Montmartre, The Louvre, Notre Dame and The Musée d’Orsay’s.

Barcelona

Popular for its quirky art and architecture, Barcelona offers diverse variety of things to do. The small alleys in Barri Gòtic, countless tapas restaurants, nightclubs on beachside, old cathedrals, and vibrant street life defines the cosmopolitan city of Spain-Barcelona. The city is one of the famous tourist destinations amongst young couples and families alike.

Tour and explore some breathtaking Spanish architect including the world famous Sagrada Família and mouth-watering Spanish cuisine, which is influenced by regional delicacies while the cooking methods are influenced by the geography and climate of this area.

Sited between the sea and the mountains, it offers the best of both worlds.

Miami

A vibrant city, Miami is all about dazzling sandy and sunny beaches. Nestled on the Atlantic coast at Florida’s south-eastern tip, Miami city offers multiple enticements for everyone. Popular place to explore here is the South Beach and the nearby area-popular for impressive art deco buildings. The city is famed for its white sand, colourful buildings and fancy nightclubs and its pleasing winter climate, which makes it a highly popular holiday destination.

Miami is a famous destination for a slow cruise and some excellent structures like the Beacon Hotel, the Colony Hotel and Waldorf Towers. Overall, the city is a great holiday destination for those who are looking for some hottest spots and beautiful locations to explore.

Choose any of the destinations, pack your bagpack and take on the tour to create lifelong memories. Before heading to any of these destinations, make sure to book your accommodation prior to the visit, so that you know where to go while you are in a completely new city. If you are looking for homely stay, it is good to book a serviced apartment to make your trip comfortable and hassle-free.

At least once a year I love to indulge in a bit of luxury, travel with concerning myself with money and enjoy some of the finer things in a particular city or country. This year I went with a friend to Paris and we did exactly that, it was really refreshing as we’d visited a few years before and there were so many things that I waned to do that we had to say no to due to the money it cost. If you plan on heading to Paris this year and what to indulge in any kind of luxury, large or small, then here were my favourite 5 things that added a touch of class to proceedings.

Go Boutique

It can be tempting to think that the big chain hotels offer you the best in luxury but this is not always the case in and Paris you will find some of the luxurious and stylishly designed boutique hotels that you’ve ever visited. These hotels are themed and independently ran and as a result of this the eye for detail and the dedication to giving you a pleasant stay is far higher.

Champagne on The Seine

Many people take a tour down the River Seine to meander through the city with an in-ear tour guide telling them about the delights of the city, sadly these are often on plastic seats on open-air boats where you could be a victim to the weather. A far more preferable option is to take one of the glass-topped comfort boats that serve champagne and oysters for you as you sit in comfort watching and learning about the Parisienne skyline.

Transfer in style

It’s worth starting your trip off in the right way and what better way than to get a chauffeur driven car for your airport transfer. We used a company called Blacklane who were excellent, we received a text as we got off the plane to let us know that our driver was there and we were greeted by his cheery face as we walked through arrivals. We were driven in a sleek black Mercedes and taken to our hotel, no waiting, no hassle, just good service. The company also offers a business van airport transfer so if you are going with your company then they look after that as well.

Moulin Rouge

The Moulin Rouge is the World-famous cabaret and burlesque show that attracts thousands of people each year who come to be wowed and entertained. The best way to visit the Moulin Rouge is by opting for the VIP package which comes with a 3 course meal, skip-the-queue access, coat checking and your very own personal balcony to watch the show from. If something is worth doing then it’s worth doing right… right?

Shop, Shop, Shop

Shopping in Paris is the real deal, for em it’s like going on a night out, full of excitement and I love to to get dressed up to the nines before I go. Each arrondissement in Paris offers something different, from the large fashion houses around the Champs-Elysées to the chic Golden Triangle in the 8th arrondissement. Even if you just intend to window shop around these stunning department stores and boutique shops I would still recommend going, it’s such a thrill to around this level of high fashion.