My family has only ever cruised in North America, so the opportunity to go on a European cruise was too good to pass up.
I went on an 8-night Northern European cruise on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas, which began in Southampton, UK.
When I boarded the ship, I met a lot of cruisers who also flew from the United States for this voyage and many lamented how tired they were because they came in just before the cruise began.
Immediately, I realized they had made a mistake I avoided in planning out their trip.
Flying to Europe for a cruise means not only more travel logistics, but adjusting the local time as well as the general travel fatigue it comes with.
Not only would I never think to extend my Caribbean cruise in such a manner, I think adding time on either end of the cruise to see more of the continent is a must-do.
Easier to adjust
You should fly at least two days before your cruise departs when traveling overseas, but I'd recommend coming in even earlier than that.
Jet lag can ruin your trip, and it should be your first goal when traveling to ensure you don't start off over tired.
Put yourself on local time immediately upon arrival, and don't sleep until a reasonable bed time in the new time zone you're in. It's not foolproof, but I've found it the best strategy for reducing the chance of being jet lagged.
While avoiding jet lag is important, the real mistake is not allocating enough time to enjoy what Europe has to offer.
Port stops on your cruise will be short, so to really feel like you had time in Europe, I'd add more days before or after the cruise.
I flew in a week before my cruise departed, and we visited both Disneyland Paris and London.
Not only did we get to enjoy what each place had to offer, but I was able to catch up on the lost sleep in the flight over and prepare my body so I'd be ready for the cruise.
The people who flew in a day before the cruise seemed to be overly tired for the first couple days of the cruise, and I think I was able to enjoy the start of the cruise more.
You see more too
I think the overarching goal for many on any European cruise is to see as much as they can.
The first question you'll get from friends or family is what you saw and did. While you don't have to impress anyone, I think it feels like a goal to work in more highlights.
Travel is as much about a humble brag as it is enjoying where you're going.
I was glad we spent so many extra days before the cruise so it truly felt like it wasn't one of those "it was over much too quickly" kind of vacations.
Extra days extend the value of your flights
There's a good chance the airfare for a European cruise could be one of your top expenses. Coming in early means more return on that price.
While you might see added costs of hotel, food, and entertainment arriving to Europe earlier, squeezing more value from your flights is just as important.
Long-haul flights are taxing. Flying can cause dehydration, and even under the best conditions it's a lot of added stress.
Given how pricey flights are, I think it makes sense to ensure the uncomfortableness of flying and the tiredness it induces be more worthwhile from the trip.
More time in Europe seems to me to make the long, difficult flight more worthwhile.
You can add days after the cruise too
Don't overlook adding days at the end of your cruise as a way to maximize your travel time.
I think most people look to front load their vacation with bonus days in Europe prior to the cruise, but you could easily add more time at the end too.
Spending a few extra days after the cruise is over makes the last day of your cruise so much easier. You don't have to rush to catch a flight, and you can linger on the ship longer to enjoy a final breakfast.
I'm actually doing both this trip, spending an extra week in Europe at the conclusion of my cruise.
