Doing research ahead of a cruise vacation is always a good idea, and it paid off for me in a few ways on my recent cruise to Europe.
I sailed on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas for a 7-night cruise to France and Spain, and I enjoyed the cruise so much more than I anticipated.
The ports my ship visited were far better than I anticipated, especially my stops in Bilbao and La Coruna, Spain.
In looking back at my cruise, I think there are a few "big brain" moves I made that really paid off because it enhanced my trip much more.
If you're thinking about what makes a great vacation, I think it's a cumulative effort of big and small wins that stack up.
Here are 5 smartest things I did on my European cruise that I will do on every single future cruise I take.
Walked instead of a single tour
While it wasn't my overarching plan to start with, I ended up exploring each port of call I visited on foot rather than take an organized tour or visit a single site and I think that worked out well.
When you're in a port for only a few hours, there's a limited choice of what you can do. I opted to take in each city by simply walking around and not committing myself to a museum, historical site, or activity.
While I don't think someone who did any of those things made a mistake, I believe taking walking tours of each city gave me a better sense of what each place has to offer, and prepared me to focus on any future visits.
Unlike the Caribbean, European cities have so much to see and do. It can feel overwhelming when you're trying to plot a course, but I'd rather have too many choices than not enough.
I relished the adventure of walking the city streets to see what was around the next corner. I reveled in stumbling across a Gothic church, incredible food stand, or a scenic vista.
I think if you're considering what to do in a European city, don't overlook walking around on your own. It's quite manageable, and it adds a sense of adventure to the experience.
Buy eSim card
There's no doubt the best €39.99 I spent on this trip was to get a European eSim card for my phone so I could use my phone like normal.
I purchased the Travel Orange eSim card before my cruise, and then activated as soon as I landed in London. This link contains an affiliate link, which costs you nothing extra to use.
Once activated, I had a second line on my phone that could place calls, use the internet, and text. Not only could I stay in contact with family at home, but it made exploring Europe so much easier.
I was able to quickly use Google Maps to find the closest boulangerie, metro station, cultural site, and more.
Earlier I wrote about how much I loved exploring each city on foot, and it was really only possible with the fact I could easily get walking directions. Moreover, having an internet connection in London made it super simple to know which train to take.
While some American cell phone carriers have international roaming plans, I found the eSim card plan simple since all I had to do was scan a QR code and it just worked in every country I visited.
Use Mobile Passport Control app on my return
I forgot where I learned this trick, but prior to my cruise I installed the Mobile Passport Control (MPC) app on my phone and it saved me so much time returning to the United States.
This is an app by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and basically it's a digital version of that blue form you usually fill out by hand.
I filled the app out while on my flight home, and then once we landed, I filed it. When you do this, you then have 4 hours to go through customs.
I don't have Global Entry or anything like that because I don't travel internationally by air nearly enough to warrant it.
When I go to the line for customs, I told the agent I had the MPC app and he directed me to a different line that had perhaps 4 people in it ahead of me.
I was able to breeze through customs in a matter of minutes rather than wait in line with everyone else.
Wore my new shoes before my trip
I knew I needed to buy new shoes for my European cruise because what I wear everyday doesn't have enough cushion for a lot of walking. However, I learned a valuable lesson about comfort.
I bought the shoes, and then heard from Sheri from Cruise Tips TV that her that she emphasized greatly, "if there is just ONE piece of advice you take away from this Mediterranean Cruise Packing List – it is to pack worn-in shoes ONLY."
I immediately took my new sneakers out of the box, put them on and wore them in the days leading up to the trip to run errands. I wore them to the airport and on the airplane too.
As a result, my feet never bothered me during my trip and I easily logged 10,000 steps every day while in port.
Tried out a free shore excursion
When a reader suggested I try a free walking tour in La Coruna, I was leery, but it turned out to be a great choice.
GuroWalk offers free tours where there is no cost, but you are expected to tip at the end what you think is appropriate for the quality of the experience.
Our guide met myself and four other people for a great walking tour of the city, where he took us to the major historical spots around the city. We visited all sorts of sites and our guide provided context every step of the way.
Sometimes when planning a cruise, you run across a port where none of the popular activities jump out at you as the obvious choice and you find yourself at a loss of what to do. A free tour like this ended up being a wonderful choice given the circumstances.
