With that thought in mind I've put together a little guide for you on what I think are ten great ways to avoid queueing on a cruise holiday.
1. Just because check-in opens at 12:00 doesn't mean you have to arrive at 12:00. Yes you might get on the ship slightly earlier but you’ll also have to stand in a long queue. If you turn up slightly later most times you can go straight to check-in and be on the ship five minutes later.
2. If you’re just looking to relax and enjoy the ship pick an itinerary with some popular destinations, (like Florence or Rome). As everyone else gets off the ship you can have the spas, pools or bars to yourself.
3. For a bit of extra exercise and to avoid the queues get into the habit of using the stairs rather than the lifts, especially for just a couple of decks. Did you know many cruise lines put art work in their stair wells? This is a great chance to enjoy it!
4. Pre-book your shore excursions online. If you can’t do this ask your travel agent to do it for you. Not only will this mean you can avoid the long queues for booking shore excursions onboard you also won’t miss out on the popular ones if they’re sold out by the time you get to the front of the queue.
5. Check in online before your cruise. This one won’t actually let you avoid the queues but will reduce the amount of time you spend at the check in desk when you do finally get to the front of the queue!
6. If you’re on late dining avoid getting ready/leaving your cabin until first dining has started. This will mean the bars will be half empty and you can get your pick of table and not have to wait for a waiter to take your order.
7. Freedom dinning is a great option for many people but with early dining normally being at 6:00-6:30 and late dining being 8:00-8:30 most people on Freedom dining will turn up to eat about 7:30. Avoid long queues for dinner by avoiding this time if you’re in the Freedom choice.
8. Have you booked an early shore excursion and you don’t want to have to deal with the crowds at breakfast? Is there a show you really want to see that evening but you’re worried about getting out of the dining room on time? Avoid all the queues by just ordering room service to your cabin.
9. If you’re going ashore on your own have a bit of a lie in. The ships organised shore excursions tend to leave very early and there’s always a long queue to get off the ship. Turn up after everyone else has disembarked and you should just be able to stroll off the ship.
10. Manage your onboard account carefully. Many cruise lines these days let you keep a track of your onboard account via the TV in your cabin. NCL even have an app for your phone called I-Concierge which lets you see your onboard account instantly. If you keep an eye on it daily you won’t have to face the long queues on the morning of disembarkation trying to sort out any discrepancies at the guest relations desk.
Happy cruising
Best way to avoid queues is to book an MSC Yacht Club cruise, and jump any queue there is and even have a butler clear the path for you should you actually encounter one.
ReplyDeleteBRILLIANT!!!
Pete, Caerphilly