Cruise Guide 101: Need to Know if you're traveling by cruise for the first time

For the first time, the ‘Biyahe ni Drew (BND)’ squad flew to Singapore and boarded a 19-storey cruise ship. In this four-day cruise experience, the ship docked in Singapore and made stops at the ports of Penang and Melaka, Malaysia for day tour shore excursions, before returning to Singapore for disembarkation.

If you’re also a first-time cruise voyager, here are some tips, hacks, and a glimpse into BND’s expedition.

Prepare your passports

Just like boarding a plane, a passport is an essential document when cruising. Before embarkation, guests undergo immigration checks where passports are required.

To ensure proper headcount onboard and during disembarkation, passports are typically surrendered to the ship’s crew upon boarding and are returned to guests upon disembarkation.

Take care of your cruise card

Similar to hotel check-ins, guests are issued a cruise card displaying their name and room number. This also serves as your ID for accessing dining halls and restaurants included in your package, as well as for purchasing food and items onboard.

Make sure to settle all bills before disembarkation so you can retrieve your passport smoothly.

Know the AFT, MID and FORWARD Sections of the ship

Cruise ships are divided into three main sections: Forward (FWD), Middle (MID), and Aft (AFT), indicating whether you are at the front, center, or back of the ship.

These labels can be found on your cruise card, elevators, and deck signage, alongside floor numbers.

Join shore excursions if you have extra budget

One of the highlights of cruising is the chance to disembark at nearby ports. During the four-day Biyahe ni Drew cruise, the team joined shore excursions in Penang and Melaka, Malaysia.

These guided day tours allow guests to explore destinations in the morning and return to the ship by the designated call time in the late afternoon. Shore excursion guests are accompanied by coordinators throughout the trip.

Fortunately, Filipino coordinators were also onboard during the Biyahe ni Drew cruise, helping the team explore the beautiful streets of Melaka and Penang.

Enjoy the cruise amenities and night performances

If you choose not to join shore excursions, there are still plenty of activities onboard.

Guests can enjoy a water park with a DJ at night, as well as facilities like zip lines, rope courses, arcades, bowling alleys, tennis courts, and jogging tracks.

At night, live performances featuring artists with different nationalities are held onboard. Don’t forget to cheer for Filipino performers!

One of the biggest highlights of cruise life is the wide variety of cuisines available, including halal options.

Singapore and Malaysia remain visa-free for Filipino passport holders.

Ready to tick that dream cruise off your bucket list? Visit the website of Executive Resources, Inc., the official travel partner of Biyahe ni Drew for this trip. — ACC