When it comes to cruising, where travelers stay on a ship can actually matter a whole lot—especially if they’re prone to seasickness.
Travelers hoping to avoid motion sickness should consider opting for a cabin in the middle of the ship, according to Jaye, a cruise director for four years. “Don’t be at the forward, don’t be in the aft—that’s the front and the back—you want to be right there in the middle because the water doesn’t affect you so much,” Jaye said during an episode of Travel + Leisure’s YouTube series “Travel, Unfiltered.”
Besides cabin location, Jaye recommended travelers pack a medicine bag to keep things like seasickness pills handy. Travelers who experience claustrophobia may also want to splurge on a cabin with a balcony. “That way you can get some fresh air,” Jaye said. “You can look at the world around you, you can look at the open seas. And you don’t feel so enclosed.”
The balcony may be a nice add-on, but travelers on a tight budget (and who don’t suffer from claustrophobia) may be better served with an inside cabin, said fellow cruise employee Gaby, who spent five years as a singer on ships. “Sitting out on the balcony in the morning or in the evening, watching the sail aways, it’s really epic. However, if that’s not in your budget, it’s totally fine,” she said.
“You can hop up to the pool deck, or there are a lot of different open decks where you can enjoy the view,” Gaby added. “You can sit down [and] read your book without having to pay for the full balcony experience.”
Add that to the free activities and perks passengers find on board, and your next vacation might feel like it’s practically free. “When you’re on that ship, there’s so many shows, there’s so many free activities like where you can get some free booze,” said Lexi, who has been working as a cruise ship performer for about a year.
Ty, who has been performing on cruise ships for two years, told T+L he thinks shows are one of the most underrated things on a ship. “We had a Broadway theater where we were doing Broadway-caliber production shows, Olympic ice skaters doing full-on, beautiful ice dance shows, a show where like an airplane flies out over the audience,” Ty said. “Go see the shows.”
Jake, a cruise ship singer for four years, recommended trying classes, wine tastings, and other exciting activities on offer, especially if they’re already included in the cruise fare. “Take advantage of that ‘cause you’re not getting it for free on land,” he said.
Jaye echoed the recommendation. “We have so much live entertainment on board,” she said. “You can dance. There’s karaoke. You can sing. You can drink. You can gamble. You could really do whatever you want.”