30 River Cruise Do's & Don'ts for Your First Day (Former Director Warns)

Your first day on a river cruise starts long before you find your cabin, and in a busy port you may have to cross another ship's lobby just to reach yours. I spent 22 seasons as a river cruise director. Here are 30 do's and don'ts for your first day, in the order it happens: passport dates and the EU's new Entry-Exit System, ETIAS, boarding times, ships docked side by side, cabin outlets and hair tools, Wi-Fi, tipping, euros and your room account, what to wear to the welcome dinner, excursions and audio headsets, low water, and low bridges. At the end are six questions to ask your own cruise line before you sail, because the answers change from line to line. Facts were checked in September 2026 from the cruise lines' own pages and official government sites. Lines change their policies, so confirm with yours before you rely on anything here. This channel is independent and not sponsored by any cruise line.