Ways Navigate Your Cruise Ship Quickly

When we embarked on our first cruise ship, we were overwhelmed, to say the least. Without the helpful staff on every corner and stairwell, we would have found it very difficult to navigate our cruise ship and find our way to our cabin. The first day, when masses embark, there is an abundance of help to get you on your way, but what happens day two, and the rest of your cruise? These ships (even the small ones) are very large and one wrong turn can mean a lot more walking. How then can you best navigate your cruise ship quickly? Luckily, there are some built in tricks to finding your way.

As new cruisers, we had no idea about how ships are organized. For example, did you know that traditionally most ships have their show lounges at the front of the ship (forward)? Also, the dining rooms are in the back (aft), and the pool is on the upper deck? We sure didn’t. Although this may be common — it’s not always the case.

What we learned was that there are some “built-in” helpful hints along the way to help you navigate your way around the cruise ship quickly.

Use Interactive Direction Screens

Our first cruise on the Enchanted Princess had awesome interactive screens on every level to help us find our way. We inevitably were halfway to dinner and couldn’t remember which deck the restaurant we were trying to eat at was on. These little screens helped us avoid extra steps (or stairs!) and quickly find our dining room or other destination. We were directionally challenged, so it took us most of the cruise before we knew how to get to our destination on our own. These handy devices definitely saved our feet and helped us navigate our way around the ship more quickly.

As a bonus, Princess also recognized you by your medallion and could show your schedule as well.

I tried to create a digital friend. A turtle that was supposed to follow me around the ship when I was near these screens, but it never quite worked for me 😉

Use the App

Okay, this one may be obvious as most of the cruise lines have an app you need to check in with and manage your cruise. These apps have a built-in map of the decks and locations. Admittedly, it was pretty handy to locate the bathrooms when we were out and about on the ship. 🤭

Another convenient function from the app was the ability to locate people you are travelling with or want to meet up with (with their permission, of course) anywhere on the ship. It also allowed the staff to locate you anywhere to deliver your drink or food order. Of course, the app functions will differ among cruise lines, but they all will have deck plans to help you navigate your way around the ship quickly. They are also GPS based so they will show you how to get there from your current location.

Elevator and Stairwell Signage

There is always detailed signage at all elevators and stairwells, showing what is on that particular deck. You can see venue names and cabin number lists for the deck you are on. It may not be the quickest way to navigate the ship compared to the other options above. If you check the floor plan before leaving the stairwell or elevator area, you’ll at least know if you are on the right deck. It could save you valuable steps searching deck 5 for the restaurant that’s really on deck 4!

If all else fails, Go Old School

You can always bring along the ship’s deck plan from the printed brochure your travel agent gave you. This old school method is fool-proof and technology proof! The hard-copy cruise brochure is accurate and to scale. It’s also perfect for those who prefer paper, a more analog route. Studying it before your cruise will help you orient yourself before you get onboard. (Maybe)

Hint: circle your cabin on the deck plan and any restaurants where you have reservations or want to go, so you can plan out the best route to get there.

Watch For Subtle Cues

One of the biggest challenges cruisers face is knowing which way is forward and aft, especially when leaving their cabin or coming out of an elevator. It also took me a while to remember “aft” is the back of the ship :D. Some cruise lines have incorporated creative ways to help you navigate your way around. On many Norwegian cruise ships, you’ll find schools of swimming fish woven into the carpets in the cabin hallways. If you note the direction, they are always swimming towards the front of the ship!

We are going on our first Norwegian cruise next year!

I’m hoping for fish carpeting! 🐟

Other cruise ships may have ship models or diagrams in the hallways, with the bow (yup, the front of the ship!) always pointing forward. When at sea, you can always look out a window or from your balcony if you have one, and look at which direction your ship is traveling. That will always point you forward!

Are there any others that I’ve missed? How do you navigate around your cruise ship quickly?