Your first cruise — what nobody tells you in advance

Boarding is spread over hours (roughly 11:00–15:00) by a window you get at online check-in — pick an early one if you want the first day. Your checked bags are taken at the entrance and delivered to the cabin within a few hours, so put in your carry-on: medication, a swimsuit, a charger, and documents. The cabin is usually ready only after 13:00–14:00, but the ship is open — go eat, the buffet is running.

Before the ship sails you must complete a safety drill. On most modern lines it's done via the app or the in-cabin TV plus a brief visit to your muster station — 10 minutes, not the old assembly. It must be completed before departure or they'll page you by name.

Included: the cabin, meals in the main dining rooms and the buffet, the shows, the pools, the gym, the kids' clubs. Not included: daily gratuities (~$16–23 per person per day), any drink beyond water/coffee/tea, specialty restaurants, shore excursions, wifi, spa. Plan these ahead — they're the gap between the advertised price and the final one. See the full guide.

• Booking a return flight too early on debark day — disembarkation runs to ~10:00 and can slip. Aim for a flight after 12:00, and after 13:00 at a European port.
• Not flying in the day before — a delayed flight on sailing day means you missed the ship, and the line isn't responsible unless you booked through them.
• Buying the drinks package on impulse on day one — work out how much you'll actually drink. When it pays off.
• A balcony in the Mediterranean — a port a day, you're barely in the cabin. Which cabin.