‘Cruising is for old people’. That is what I always thought up until June 2023 when my sister started working for MSC and gave us a discount. We booked a one week Mediterranean cruise with low expectations.

I didn’t know anyone my age that went on cruises and to be honest I was kind of embarrassed to tell anyone. I felt like I was cheating, that I am young and I should be going backpacking or going to all inclusive.

Looking back, I realise it was silly to feel this way and I am so glad I went!

My Initial concerns:

• The Unknown

I didn’t know what to expect, how it all works etc but you soon learn that the staff are incredible and are always there for any questions you have.

• Sea sickness

I get very car sick so I thought this would be an issue. I didn’t feel sick once on our Mediterranean cruise, I couldn’t even feel the motion. Since then I have been on boats with rocky seas and it can make you feel queasy however, MSC provided free sea sickness tablets and to be honest I was lucky and never had an issue. In fact, at night time I quite liked it and found it rocked me to sleep.

• Missing the boat

This one worried me. What will we do if we miss the boat? I soon realised it’s pretty unrealistic.

I make sure to stay in a hotel in the place of departure the night before, it may seem cautious but it puts my mind at rest. Plus you are unlikely to be able to explore that place on the day you board so it gives you a chance to see it beforehand.

At ports as long as you plan your day and leave enough time either side it is very unlikely that you will miss the boat. If you do miss it contact the port agent whose details you can find on the website and they will help you however, again this is very unlikely.

I always ensure to leave at least an hour and a half to get back onto the boat and if I am going somewhere far then I will leave more.

If you are really worried and want to explore somewhere far, book an excursion with the boat, they will not leave an organised excursion behind.

• Not having enough time to explore

On average you will probably have around 6 hours, It’s amazing how much you can see/do with this time.

Make sure to plan, there is nothing worse than feeling like you have wasted the day. I tend to go on TikTok, read blogs, use Get your Guide/ Trip Advisor and look at the company excursions to get an idea.

Don’t get me wrong, you are unlikely to be able to explore a place in depth, but you get an excellent taster and you can decide if you would like to go back or not. There are some places I am dying to go back to and others that I would happily never see again and that’s the beauty of cruising.

• Sea Days

Sea days can sound terrifying and boring. This is not the case at all, most of the time you will be so glad for a sea day to take a break from all the exploring.

The cruise company will make sure to provide a packed schedule with the entertainment team so there will always be something to do whether it’s a quiz, dance lessons, art class, cooking competition, mini games and so much more.

Pros	Cons
Visit many countries on 1 trip without the hassle of packing/unpacking	Limited time at ports, usually only around 5 hours
Safe accommodation	Varied demographic
The incredible views!!!	Hidden Costs – shuttle buses, drink packages, wifi, gratuities
All meals included	Motion Sickness
Endless entertainment	Fixed Schedule
Great way to meet people – we met some of our best friends on a cruise

Top Tips:

• Don’t overpack!! It’s so easy to get carried away but trust me less is more. In 1 week, most cruises will have 1 formal night, there will be themes but most people wear whatever they like
• Bring towel pegs, if you are sunbathing it can be quite windy. Pegs to clip your towel to the sun lounger is a game change!
• Keep on board essentials with you on embarkation day, you may not get your case to your room until late afternoon.
• Arrive a day early and stay the night, this ensures you won’t miss the boat and you can explore the day before!
• Download the cruise app for your boarding passes, excursions, wifi, on board agenda
• Plug adaptors!! MSC use European plugs so we had to bring British adaptors
• Bring your own teabags, coffee sachets and water bottle to refill – MSC have free teabags, juice and water but they aren’t the strongest (especially for us Brits)
• Take tupperware so you can take lunches for when you are exploring
• Use apps like Get Your Guide / Viator for a lot cheaper excursions than the ones the boat provide