21 Things to Do the Last Week Before your Cruise

There's a lot to do to get ready for a cruise, especially in the last 7 days! Be prepared for your upcoming cruise with this cruise countdown checklist of things to do the last week before your cruise.

From online check in to last minute packing, this pre-cruise checklist will help you to stay organized for your cruise, & ensure that you don't forget a thing.

If you're going on a cruise for the first time, this is a must-watch. Here is what first time cruisers should do before every cruise. There have been changes in some embarkation day procedures, & this video is full of helpful cruise tips for new cruisers, as well as seasoned cruisers.

Things to do before a cruise for Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises, Virgin Voyages.

RESOURCES I RECOMMEND

🛳 THE ULTIMATE CRUISE PLANNER 🛳

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CRUISE ESSENTIALS

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FTC LEGAL DISCLOSURE - Some links found in the description box of my videos are affiliate links, meaning that I will make a commission on purchases you make through my links, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and services that I personally like and trust.
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Please note that I am unable to give personal cruise and travel advice. If you leave a comment I try my best to answer.

ABOUT ME
Hi! I'm Ilana! I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband Frank. We can often be found dreaming about and planning future cruises, ideally to hot and sunny destinations! I believe in having fun, being kind and that you are never too old, or too young, to live the life of your dreams!

Please note that I do not sell cruises on Life Well Cruised. This and all other videos are for entertainment purposes only. I share my own opinions, personal experiences and information with other cruise travellers, which I hope can be helpful. Please contact your travel agent or the cruise line directly for advice and any information specific to your booking.

Some of the B-Roll footage used in this video courtesy of RCCL and HAL
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Music Credit: Surf Time by Lux-InspiraMusicMusic

[peter_bazinet]

We took our first cruise last September. It was for 11 days. EVERYTHING Ilana suggested helped us so much. Especially the hooks. DON'T FORGET THE HOOKS. The foldable clothes hamper came in so handy. Her suggestions to take the time to determine if upgrades would suit your purpose and budget was invaluable. We upgraded everything and it made all the difference in terms of our restaurant and cocktail enjoyment. Ilana's video on an aft balcony is what made us decide on it and it made all the difference in our relaxation. We didn't discover Ilana until after we had booked our trip, but luckily it was almost a year prior to leaving so that we had that entire time to watch her videos, take notes, download the Ultimate Cruise Planner, etc. On our embarkation day, we were completely ready and confident. This is the BEST cruise channel on You Tube. Thank you Ilana.

[clanzil]

I have 27 days until my next cruise and literally every waking hour is spent obsessing about my cruise!! 😊🎉😂

[kevinboblitt]

My wife and I are going on our 2nd cruise ever...first without kids next month. We are celebrating 25 years of marriage. I am a cancer survivor so this is an extra huge deal. Your videos are so helpful. Thank you for sharing!

[chezniki]

This is fantastic! I would just add that you should contact your bank and/ or credit card and let them know you will be traveling. My card actually had an online form. You want to let them know you will be traveling so that your vacation charges will not be flagged as fraud and your card doesnt get shut off mid-trip.

[marysimmons]

Cruising to Alaska in 26 days! My first solo cruise after my husband's death - will be bittersweet. Celebrating a "BIG" birthday and I thought it needed a big event. We cruised ALOT together and he was the one who got all organized. Your videos have been so helpful! Thank you🙏

[writergirlbaltimore]

One other "before you leave" item: Check on your auto-ship deliveries like Chewy, Misfits, Hungry Root, Hello Fresh...you don't want a box on the porch to attract undue attention, and the contents will spoil.

[ladonnasklodowski]

Only 122 more days till we sail away. One thing we do before we leave the house is shut off the main water supply in case a toilet springs a leak

[danmbogosian]

It's also a good idea to pack extra reading glasses so you can at least read the menus if something happens to them.

[ShelleyFick]

Great advice. A coupe of things: Before packing and leaving on your trip, research to make sure what clothing and over-the counter medications are prohibited by the country you are traveling to on the cruise and if staying before or after. Some clothing, like camouflage, are prohibited by many places, including things like hats and backpacks. Also, in different countries (like Mexico and Japan) things as simple as Claritin D or Sudafed are illegal because it contains pseudoephedrine. Better to be safe and do your research before your cruise than sorry later.

[jenbrooks]

As always, great advice. We even put our luggage in the car the night before so in the morning, we get ready, grab just my purse, a coffee, and go! I get very excited and tend to pack early. We even keep a carry-on packed with cruise essentials year round. Lol. Things like magnet hooks, thank you cards for crew, dry erase boards, highlighters, cheap sunglasses (from the dollar store lol If I lose them or break them, no big deal) etc. I check the bag about month before sailing and recheck it a week before to make sure all my goodies have been replenished. (Like reef friendly sunscreen, waterproof phone lanyards, a fanny pack, waterproof back packs, tide sticks, downy wrinkle, and lint brushes! Lol, the list goes on and on.) There are so many little things we bring and keeping them in one place year round has kept me from forgetting them. Then we keep an additional carry-on sized bag for snorkeling gear, towels, and waters shoes. Things we use in Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Caribbean. Our next cruise is in Feb. (Carribean) so we will need both of our already ready already bags next trip. 🎉

[elisegomori]

45 days for our Wonder of the Seas cruise, we have been prepared with our paperwork for months! Our last cruise was 13 years ago and my excitement is over the top😊

[jenniferyoung]

We cruise in 8 days but leave in 6 days. All of these items are such a huge help!

[CruisingEngineer]

I take photos of not only the passports but driver's licenses and credit cards just in case we lose them and have to notify the CC company - and that number is on the back of the credit card! Also, I take a photo of everything before we pack in case the luggage is lost and have to file a claim. Definitely, print out everything. Nothing worse than standing behind someone who is scrolling through 10, 000 photos to find the check-in documents (We were behind such a person!). Great show as always, Ilana.

[mayLibertyprevaila]

One important tip: Unless you are a frequent world traveler, let your bank/credit card company know that you will be traveling--at least generally when and where. A lot of times when they see unusual activity on your card, they may try to contact you, or even (if they can't reach you) possibly put a freeze on your account if they believe your card was stolen. It also makes sense to use the same card (if possible) for all your travel needs, so they can recognize the pattern in your travel spending, and so you won't have to inform several different companies about your trip.

[wasmorton]

Notify your credit card company you’ll be traveling.

[anitaclue]

As always, great advise! A packing cube holds all our ‘cruise essentials’, ready for the next trip without having to find our stuff. :)

[elnamayberry]

I don't know about other countries, but Canadians can register their travel plans online with the government so if there is any trouble, they know that a Canadian is there.

[johnf]

I've been watching so many of your videos the past 6 months as I have been getting ready for my first cruise, and the timing of this video is perfect. The cruise leaves on November 27, so I am less than 2 weeks away and have already started doing some of these.

[raxterwot]

I always make digital copies of all documents (passports, reservations, boarding passes, luggage tags, final cruise invoice, etc) and put them in a folder on my phone. A good back-up for any lost documentation....

[penny]

Must haves: magnetic hooks, water shoes, cheap sunshades/readers, European outlet adapter, rain poncho, portable fan!