My family of 5 went on our first cruise. We had fun, but there are 4 things I wish we’d known before getting on the ship.

• To celebrate my kids’ graduations, my family and I went on our first cruise.
• Although we had a great time, I wish we had known a few things before getting on board.
• For example, turning our phones on airplane mode would’ve saved us a lot of money.

2024 was a big year in our household. All three kids were graduating — our oldest from high school and our twins from junior high.

When it came time to celebrate these achievements, we gave them an option. We could throw a party or use the money for an awesome family vacation instead.

So, before our oldest left for college, we came together one last time for a seven-day trip to Alaska on our first-ever cruise.

We were all excited about the idea, and honestly, everyone had a fantastic time. However, I don’t think any of us were completely prepared our first cruising experience.

Here are four things I wish we had known before boarding the Celebrity cruise ship.

Turning our phones on airplane mode would’ve saved us a lot of money

Our phones are such an important part of our lives that it’s almost unheard of to go without them for minutes, let alone days. However, we purposely didn’t purchase the ship’s WiFi package because we wanted a chance to disconnect and enjoy Alaska’s beauty.

What we were unaware of, however, is that once we got away from land, we should have put our phones on airplane mode. Since we didn’t, they switched to a service called Cellular at Sea, which uses satellites to keep the phones connected. However, this can be expensive.

Luckily, after racking up $100 in charges within hours of setting sail, AT&T cut my device off until I contacted them. However, this was a costly lesson.

Next time, we’ll be sure to turn on airplane mode and call our cellular provider to talk about cruise packages.

I wish we would’ve known about the formal night

We’re typically a jeans and T-shirt family. It’s not that we don’t clean up well; it’s just that we don’t do it often, so a formal night wasn’t even on our radar.

We knew we needed nicer clothing for our dinner reservations on the ship, but we didn’t know that one night, everyone would go all out.

We skipped dinner that night and hit the buffet instead (which, honestly, we did more often than not anyway), and we certainly weren’t the only ones not dressed up.

However, I wish we had known about this in advance, as it would have been exciting to join in on the fun.

Excursions through the cruise line can be expensive

It’s no secret that cruising can be expensive. So, when it came time to book excursions, we knew they would be pricey. However, we still weren’t prepared for just how pricey they would be.

Luckily, almost every port we stopped at had third-party companies who would pick passengers up at the dock and take them to do fun and exciting things.

For example, being in Alaska, we wanted to learn about and visit a dog-sled team. Although the cruise line offered this experience, we saved more than 50% by booking with an outside party.

However, it’s important to know your schedule and check to make sure the third party will guarantee you’ll be back on time — because if you’re not, the ship won’t wait for you.

Getting a good space on the deck on cruising days can be hard

On the days the ship doesn’t stop at a port, finding space to call your own on the boat can be a battle. Tables at breakfast, couches by the windows, and lounge chairs by the pool all become valuable real estate.

Instead of waking up early to claim a space near the pool, we chose to sleep in instead. However, because of this, we should’ve been prepared to settle for a less-than-prime space to sit and relax.

Instead of a view of the ocean and the mountains, we got stuck in the middle of the ship near the bathrooms.

Even with these small missteps, none of it was enough to put even the slightest damper on what was a fabulous time aboard our first cruise. The next time we take to the seas, though, we’ll be better prepared for what’s to come.

This story was originally published on January 31, 2025, and most recently updated on September 29, 2025.

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