We had an overwhelming response about our Cruise Through Your Honeymoon article. You want to know more about how to cruise like professional!

We reached out to our cruise expert, Leslie Hockett of Holland America, and she told us eight ways to get the most out of a honeymoon cruise:

Tip #1: First and most important-Use a Travel Agent. 
"This is an important event in your life and you need an expert to make the arrangements.  Find an agent that specializes in cruises and you will get the very best advice on how to make this trip exactly what you are looking for.   Find an agent you connect with and trust.  If that is not the first one you talk to, keep looking.  A good, experienced travel agent may be hard to come by, but they are worth their weight in gold!"

Tip #2: Pay attention to where your ship departs from. 
"Some ports are quite a distance from the airport and require a lengthy and expensive transfer.  For instance, Port Canaveral is the port for Orland.  But the airport is a good hour and a half from the ship.  Ports such as Ft. Lauderdale and San Diego are minutes from the airports and save you time and money."

Tip #3: Keep in mind that in some ports you must travel a good distance. 
"Some ports require quite a drive to get to the points of interest.  If you choose to stay close to the ship, you won’t see the beauty of the destination.  Also, dock areas in most parts of the world are not very desirable; this is true for cruise ship ports as well.  Plan on getting away from the dock area to really see your destination—you’ll be glad you did!"

Tip #4: Book shore excursions. 
"The ship will offer shore excursions, but I suggest you check out Shoretrips.com.  You can explore their options and book online.  They’re dependable, professional and always offer much smaller groups and often lower prices."

Tip #5: Fill out your “Pre-Cruise Registration” and book your shore excursions online prior to your departure. 
"All cruise lines require the Pre-Cruise Registration to be completed before you arrive at the ship.  Some have a cut-off date of a week or so before your cruise.  Having your shore excursions booked early will save you from standing in line when you could be having a margarita on deck. "

Tip #6: Consider splurging for a balcony stateroom. 
"Sometimes the extra expense is very little and you will no doubt enjoy having that breakfast or glass of wine on your private balcony.  Plus, there is nothing like hearing and smelling the ocean when you first wake up in the morning.  Ask your agent to check into any group rates or special promotions that may be offered if you upgrade to a balcony."

Tip #7: Choose your room location on the ship carefully. 
"There's a good reason some stateroom categories are less expensive.  The least expensive, an inside stateroom, is generally very small.  By upgrading just a few categories you can often get a room almost twice the size.  Let’s face it, you do want to stay married during the honeymoon and the extra space will come in handy.  Also, select a cabin away from any elevators or self service laundry areas.  These areas are often noisy.  It’s always a good idea to see what is above and below the stateroom you are considering.  Stay away from rooms above or below the casino, show lounge, disco, gym or kitchen.  All of these areas can be noisy at different times of the day. "

Tip #8: If something isn’t quite right on your cruise, tell someone immediately. 
"Everyone on the ship is there to make sure your honeymoon is the best that it can be.  But if they don’t know something is wrong, they can’t fix it.  Don’t suffer in silence over something that can most likely be taken care of in no time.  Just like in life, things happen; but on a ship, everyone wants to fix it fast!"