There's a moment I repeat on every single one of my thirteen cruises, no exceptions: standing at the stern, drink in hand, watching the port shrink behind me. I do it every day of the trip, but the first time is always special. That's the moment it really hits you: this has just begun.

But before you get there, there's a whole day ahead of you — and if it's your first cruise, it has more steps than you'd think. Let's go through it point by point, so you know what to expect and, more importantly, so you skip the mistakes I see almost every first-timer make.

First things first: even if you're given a specific boarding time, try to arrive one or two hours early. Terminals tend to get busy, and it's rare that anyone gives you trouble for showing up early. If anything, it means a calmer start, a meal already on board, and more time to explore before everyone else does.

The moment you arrive at the terminal, the first step is dropping off your luggage — before check-in, even. You'll show your travel documents, get a tag for your bag, and the crew takes it from there. One thing to know: they take suitcases, not backpacks or bags with straps or cords hanging off them, since nothing should be able to catch on an elevator or luggage cart. My advice: hand off your bag without worrying, it'll be waiting for you later, and keep whatever you need first (like your swimsuit) in a carry-on with you.

Next comes security, very similar to an airport, and then check-in. Wait times depend on the season and how many people are boarding that day. An agent from the cruise line checks your documents (a national ID or a passport) and takes your photo — that photo becomes your security ID on board and also confirms it's really you using your card whenever you pay for something. After that, you get your cruise card, already printed with your details. Sometimes you get it right there, other times it's waiting in your cabin.

And that's when the trip really starts: you get the classic welcome photo with the ship's wheel in the background. I've never once bought a copy, but it's always a nice keepsake.

Almost everyone boards around the same time, so the first thing you'll run into is the buffet — and you'll also be told, in your language, what time the welcome briefing is.

If it's your first cruise, I recommend going to that briefing. If you've already got experience and know the cruise line well, you can skip it — but for a first-timer it's worth it: they walk you through how the ship works, where everything is, the schedule... and you get to see the other people boarding with you that same day. It helps set the mood.

From there, it's off to the buffet if you haven't eaten yet, with your first drink and that toast of "this has just started." That feeling doesn't change no matter how many cruises you've done — you think about all the days ahead and you just know they're going to be great.

Then it's back to your cabin to check that your luggage has arrived. For me, that's still a fun moment — even cabins in the same category vary a bit from one to the next. I once got one with a double balcony and it was a genuinely great surprise.

Then, swimsuit on, and time to explore the ship. You'll spend nearly the whole week getting to know it fully — I still do — but it's worth walking it end to end from day one: where the pools are, which elevator is closest to your cabin, where your restaurant is, the hot tubs, the best spots to watch the ocean. It reminds me of being a kid arriving in a new city, when my parents would take me to the tourist office to grab a map: "look, this street takes us there." On a cruise, it's exactly the same feeling.

Just like on a plane, there's a mandatory safety drill — and I mean mandatory: skip it, and they can even cancel your drinks package. They walk you through your emergency muster point, and you have to put on a life jacket.

This is the funniest part of the day: everyone wandering the ship in these huge life jackets, a little lost because nobody knows where anything is yet. And of course, the obligatory group photo before you're allowed to take it off.

For me, this is one of the best moments of the entire cruise, not just day one — I like being at the stern every time the ship leaves a port. But the very first departure has something extra. Drink in hand (alcoholic or not, doesn't matter), you watch the port fade into the distance, and it's honestly a feeling that's hard to put into words. You just have to feel it.

Then comes your first dinner at your restaurant. The first night tends to be a bit chaotic — you might need to ask for a table change, for example. Take it easy: you've got a whole week ahead, and the crew wants your experience to be perfect, even if things don't go exactly to plan on the very first try. After that, your first theater show (before or after dinner, depending on your schedule) and the first night's party. You'll end up exhausted, and you'll sleep incredibly well — well enough that people who cruise several times a year end up buying a mattress at home that's similar to the ones on the ship. You genuinely sleep amazingly there.

I'd say two, mainly.

The first: obsessing over whether your suitcase has made it to the cabin yet. I get the worry, but in thirteen cruises it's only happened to me once that a bag didn't arrive on time — and that was because someone else had grabbed it by mistake. It was in the right cabin by the next day. We're talking about odds close to zero. So relax: that's exactly why you keep what you need first (like your swimsuit) in a carry-on, and you've got a whole week ahead anyway.

The second: trying to rush to every info session and briefing on day one. The only mandatory one is the safety drill, and the welcome briefing is worth it if it's your first time. Most of the rest are sales pitches — about the shops, or booking a specialty restaurant. Fine if you're interested, but you don't need them. Everyone's tense on day one trying to do everything, and what they haven't realized yet is that they have a whole week ahead. You don't need to do it all on day one — just enjoy whatever you actually want to, without the pressure.

Two things, no question.

First: don't forget to take photos and video from the very start. It's a special trip, and you'll want something to look back on later (or to share, if that's your thing). Second: at that first dinner, take a moment to say thanks — celebrate with whoever you're with that you're there, that you're on a cruise, that you're enjoying it. And that's it: relax, and understand that this has just started and you're all going to enjoy it a lot.

What surprised you most (or worried you) on your first day of a cruise? Subscribe and get every new post straight to your inbox.