Try to arrive the day before your cruise departs, especially if your embarkation port is overseas. Flight delays could cause you to miss the ship if you fly in on day of departure.
Join CruiseCritic which is full of help and information from seasoned cruisers about cruising in general and cruise lines and ships in particular. Also look for a roll call for your cruise. You can plan sharing of private shore excursions with fellow cruisers, letting you travel in a smaller group at a better price than ship excursions might be. A great way to make new friends.
If you do book shore excursions through the ship, don't wait too long to sign up or the excursions you want may be filled up.
If you are going on a destination intensive cruise, do some research on the ports so you know where you can DIY and where an excursion is the best option. For some ports you can find great walking tour information online.
Check with your cruise to see if you need to pre-book any activities or dining. Some cruise lines let you book reservations for specialty dining restaurants and may have a time frame for doing so, sometimes based on your booked stateroom class.
If you plan to charge up multiple electronic devices don't pack a power strip with a surge protector built in to it - they can't be used on cruise ships.
Pack anything you want to have with you in a carryon or tote that you will keep with you when boarding (meds, swimsuit, etc.) or you may be waiting for some time for your luggage to arrive at your stateroom.
Bring magnetic hooks which usually will work on the walls. Bring a hanging collapsible shoe bag (the kind that has pockets) or something similar - this works great for holding things like sunscreen, insect repellent, etc. and keeps that stuff off the shelves where you might have limited space.
Want to travel light or carry on only? Bring a collapsible water bottle. And a collapsible backpack that folds into its own pouch. Lightweight rain jackets that fold into their own pocket pouch. Packable puffer jackets for colder weather that also pack into their own pocket pouch. A foldup shopping tote as well.
Color coordinate your clothes to pack fewer items. Women can accessorize with jewelry (leave the expensive stuff home) to change up their looks.
Traveling with a spouse who has large feet? Ladies, you may be able to slip your sandals inside their shoes (I have actually done this!).
If you can wear clothes that have some spandex/poly in them, you can find lots of clothes that can be literally rolled up and will unroll without wrinkles. I have been able to pack a half dozen tops/skirts/slacks to wear to dinner in a small packing cube.
Get some inflatable hangers (I have a set my mom gave me back in 1970!!!). These are great for hand wash and gym clothes. If you hang a wet shirt on them, the inflation keeps the front and back from sticking together so they dry faster. (these work great for any kind of travel, not just cruising).
If your ship has self service laundry, bring a cloth laundry bag and a collapsible laundry basket - this will make carrying your dirty laundry and clean folded laundry a breeze.
Use a packing list - there are lots out there, many specifically for cruisers - which will help you make sure that you don't forget something you need. And after your cruise, look at what you did and didn't use on your cruise - that will help you with packing for the next one.
Consider travel insurance very carefully and seriously. Friends have broken bones while on excursions, and I have seen people disembarked with medical issues mid-cruise. Personally, I have broken a bone tripping onboard a ship once. I also developed a severe respiratory infection bordering on pneumonia that required medical attention onboard and payment upfront, but travel insurance reimbursed the very substantial bill (over $2K - lots more than what I would be billed at home). While it is not cheap, it can be invaluable if you require medical attention. AARP members can also take advantage of the discount for Medjet Assist medical evacuation insurance (not the same as travel insurance).
If you are traveling to foreign countries, research the currency needed and plan for how you will get it. Even in the Caribbean, some ports like Martinique use the Euro- some shops won't accept dollars and small vendors don't always take credit cards.
Go with an open mind and heart and enjoy yourself!
