Cruise ships pamper you. Everyone is treated like kings and queens. Transitioning back into your everyday life can be challenging. This is easier if you fly home after a cruise because the “romance of air travel” has become “the romance of bus travel.” If you live in your homeport, the transition can be abrupt your first day back when no one unfolds and drops a napkin into your lap at breakfast!
I recall it was Celebrity Cruises that ran a great ad years ago. It featured a sad guy at the office water cooler saying “In a previous life I had a butler. He knew how I like my coffee and brought it every morning…” Transitioning back to normal life can be hard.
Here are eleven things to do after your cruise.
- Get the laundry and dry cleaning sorted. Put it all someplace it will get the attention it needs.
- Stow your suitcases away. Nothing lets you know your vacation is over like luggage in the middle of the room. Out of sight means out of mind.
- Give your travel agent feedback. You are still on your vacation high. You want to tell someone all about it! Your travel agent is the obvious person! The feedback will be useful and they will be thrilled they have a happy client.
- Start planning your next trip. You might have already booked another cruise onboard (that should be credited to your travel agent). I have found the future voyages office is always busy. If not, start shopping around. Easing back into day to day life is easier when you have a future trip booked.
- Consolidate your photos. You took hundreds. You will want to show your friends. Build an album on your iPad or tablet. I have found the top number is 35 photos. Your friends can manage to stay alert as you swipe through them. Years ago, friends returned from vacation having taken 700 photos. We expressed an interest in seeing them. They showed them all!
- Cement your connections. You met interesting people. You exchanged contact information and promised to stay in touch. Connect on LinkedIn or another social media channel. Let them know you got home safely and really mean you want to stay connected.
- Sort through the mail and phone messages. You have been away. Life goes on. Bills have arrived. People called. It is easy to forget or put this off. Get it done in case something needs attention.
- Let friends know you are home. They want to know, especially if they have been watching your house. Years ago, we had a friend who told people her vacation was a day longer than it really was because she wanted a day to catch up before she got back into the rhythm of regular life.
- Spend time with your pets. They will be upset you went away. Years ago, I heard if your cat does not see you for a few days, it assumes you were killed by predators. Let them know this is not the case. Attention and treats usually solve the problem.
- Is your sleep cycle OK? If you have been flying, this can be an issue. You might wake up at 4:00 AM. If you sailed and returned to your homeport, you might have been sleeping in, staying up late and napping in the afternoon. It will take a while to get readjusted. Give it time.
- Store your passport and foreign currency. You might have a safe or special drawer where your travel documents live. You want to know when the opportunity arises, you do not need to frantically hunt for this stuff.
We travel a lot. These steps all need to be followed. We find it takes a full week to transition from the vacation mindset back to regular life.
Editor’s Notes:
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cover photo: Rotterdam Private Cabanas lunch, Bryce Sanders
