Cruise tips, tricks and hacks from an expert cruiser

Sometimes even experienced cruisers learn something that makes their cruises better. It can be something small.

On a recent sailing, for example, I learned that on a Celebrity Cruises ship that I have booked multiple times, an area over the bed is storage. It appeared decorative but I opened it, and had I been sailing with a roommate, it would have been a useful additional storage space.

Related: Come Cruise With Me: All your cruise questions answered

Small things make a big difference when you're cruising. Those can be tips that make your cruise easier, hacks that help you do something on board, or just the little things that experienced cruisers pick up.

Not every tip, trick and hack applies to every cruiser. I generally travel alone, so space-saving hacks generally don't matter to me. (I'll of course share them if I see them.) 

I also don't much use a balcony, even though I often have one since I like being around people. Aside from a picture or two, I rarely use my balcony. 

Here are some ideas, not meant to be game-changers but small things I've found that make your cruise a little better, a little easier, or a little more fun.

If you don't like your drink, say something (but gently)

Royal Caribbean's Schooner Bar has a Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned that's garnished with three toasted mini-marshmallows. I was excited to try it when it first appeared on menus, but I found it much too sweet.

The bartender asked me what I thought, and I was honest. I told him I liked the idea, but the execution was a little too sweet for my palate. He immediately whisked my drink away and made me a less-sweet version. He also told me to order it with "less syrup" in the event I wanted one when he wasn't working or was on another ship.

Tip early and often

I usually know that I'm going to spend a lot of my time in a few places. Generally, these will include the bar closest to or next to the adult pool area, the coffee shop, the casino bar, and a nighttime music venue.

When I find a bar or other venue where I know I'm going to be fairly often, I tip at least $5 on my first drink. At the bar near the adult pool, I usually tip $20 on the first day before I have put my wallet in my room. That's because that's the bar where I'm least likely to have cash on me going forward (although you can request a slip so you can tip when you don't have your wallet). 

You don't need to tip. Drink packages or individual-drink sales all come with an 18% prepaid gratuity, but tipping will turn good service into excellent service. 

Bartenders and waiters on cruise ships are almost always excellent and deserve added recognition, and when you give it, they will go above and beyond for you.

On a recent Celebrity sailing, for example, I was watching an NBA playoff game at the casino bar because that's the only place it was showing. A bartender from the Ensemble Lounge, the bar I normally frequent to watch live music, saw me and brought me a glass of the bourbon I had been drinking there because the casino bar did not stock it.    

That wasn't necessary, but I appreciated the gesture. It's fairly typical for how well you get treated when you tip liberally.

You can't do everything on a cruise; don't try

Unless you cruise for multiple weeks on a ship, sailing the same itinerary, it's impossible to do everything. And if you try, you will stress yourself. Instead of trying to fit everything in, plan to do the things you're most excited about before your trip.

It's okay to miss things. That's why people cruise again. You will have more fun doing the things that really matter to you, rather than trying to experience everything.

Have a tip you'd like to share? Send it to [email protected].