First Cruise: Day One.
You’ve pulled the trigger, you booked the cruise, you made your final payment, and you are about to go on your first sailing adventure. Maybe this is your first real vacation away from home or maybe you are an experienced traveler trying an ocean cruise for the first time... Either way, as the countdown to your departure ticks down, a little bit of anxiety might be creeping in.
How does boarding work? Will I get lost? What do I do with my bags?
It’s completely normal to feel a little overwhelmed by the sheer scale of a modern cruise ship. But once you know how things generally work, you’ll realize it is one of the most streamlined processes in travel.
Here is your step-by-step guide to exactly what happens from the moment you arrive at the port to the moment the ship sails away.
Arriving at the Terminal & The Luggage Drop
When you arrive at the cruise terminal, the first thing you’ll notice is the energy. It’s busy, but it’s sort of an organized chaos.
The Porters: Before you even walk into the building, you will be met by airport-style luggage porters. You will hand over your large suitcases to them (make sure you’ve attached the printed luggage tags provided by the cruise line!). They will load your bags onto carts, and you won't see them again until they magically appear outside your stateroom door later that afternoon. (Before we even get to this stage, it’s important to remember you wont see these bags until the afternoon. DO NOT pack any travel documents in your checked bags. If you have medications, or anything you may need before the mid-afternoon, make sure you pack them in your carry-on. Much like you can’t access a checked bag on a flight, the staff cannot get to these bags until delivery).
The Tipping Etiquette: It is customary to tip these porters a few dollars per bag. It’s well worth it to not have to haul heavy luggage through the security lines.
Your Carry-On: Keep a small backpack or carry-on bag with you. Put your passport, boarding documents, medications, and maybe a swimsuit or a change of clothes in here. (More on why in a second!)
Clearing Security and Check-In
Once your big bags are gone, you’ll head inside the terminal. Think of this like a much friendlier, faster version of airport security. It’s very similar to the process at an airport, courthouse, or other secure facility, but generally you’re not removing shoes and belts, leaving laptops and electronics in your bag, and you don’t have to worry about the size of your shampoo bottle.
You’ll put your carry-on bags through an X-ray machine and walk through a metal detector. Next, you’ll head to the check-in counters (or an automated kiosk if you used the cruise line’s mobile app ahead of time).
The agent will check your passport, take your photo for ship security, and link a credit card to your account for onboard purchases. Depending on the cruise line, they will then likely hand you your Cruise Card (or a wearable tech band). This card is your golden ticket, it is your room key, your shipboard credit card, and your ID to get on and off the ship at every port. Some cruises may not issue your card at this point, but instead it will be waiting for you at your room door once the rooms are opened. You will have your room number and can use that for purchases on board prior to receiving your card.
Your checked bags will also go through screening behind the scenes. If you packed anything on your cruise line’s prohibited list, you can expect either to be called down to the “naughty room” where they will remove the item in front of you, or your bag may arrive at your cabin with a letter inserted, notifying you of the removal. Generally, most removed items can be picked up at the end of the cruise, except for smuggled alcohol.
Boarding The Vessel
Once you clear check-in, you may be invited to board, or directed to a lobby to wait. In order to keep lines down, cruise lines typically have a tiered boarding system where they offer different boarding times such as 11:00am, Noon, 1:00pm, etc… The idea is to not have all 3,000+ cruisers showing up at the same time and overwhelming the check-in process. Now, some cruise lines are more strict than others about these time slots. Some may not allow for check-in until your time has actually come, others use these times as more of a guideline than a hard and fast rule.
While you’re waiting to board, the cruise ship staff will be working on turning over the ship from the last sailing. As the passengers depart the ship, staff are working hard on cleaning, restocking, and prepping the ship for your sailing. Before you board, they will have all the common areas ready for you to enjoy, but the cabins take time to turn over.
Whether you were invited straight in, or your group number was called in the lobby, you will board the ship typically in a similar fashion that you would board a flight at a gate, through a ramp. Once you get onboard, your vacation sets in! The bars will be open (well, generally they will be open… some ports are in alcohol restricted states such as Texas and drinks will be limited until you hit international waters), restaurants will be open, and activities will be happening.
Here are some things to take care of while aboard:
Check in with the Main Dining Room: This is where you’ll likely have most of your meals. They will show you your assigned table and you can request changes at this time.
Explore the Ship: The majority of the common areas will be open to you upon boarding. Check out the pool, the dining room, the theater, the bars & restaurants, the promenade area, etc. This is a great time to get your bearings so things will be easier to get to later.
Test your WiFi: So personally, when I cruise, I go unplugged… you’ll hear from me when I get back. But if you bought an internet package, this is a great time to test the WiFi and ensure that you’re able to get connected.
Here are some things you can’t do immediately:
Visit your cabin: While most of the ship will be open, cabins don’t generally open until 1 or 2 in the afternoon. The cabin crews are working hard in the hallways and it is best to stay out of their way. Once the rooms are ready, an announcement will be made over the ship’s loudspeakers.
Access your checked luggage: I know I touched on this one earlier, but it’s really important. Your bags will be delivered to your cabin. They might be there when your room is ready, but they might not. On cruise, we didn’t have our bags delivered until almost 5pm. If you wan’t a pro-cruiser move, pack your swimwear in your carry-on. While most people’s swimwear is waiting to be distributed in their checked luggage, you can hit the pool nice and early by changing in a restroom.
Play at the Casino: Due to gaming regulations, while the ship is in port, the ship falls under the host country/state’s gaming laws. Instead of registering and getting licensed as a casino, the ship will simply keep the casino closed until they have entered international waters.
Food & Drinks
For a lot of people, the best start to vacation is an ice cold drink or a tasty meal. Once you get on the ship there will be multiple options to eat or drink.
Dining options will vary a lot from cruise line-to-cruise line and even ship-to-ship. The newer, larger cruise ships will typically have more offerings than some of the older or smaller ships, but here are the options you will generally find on most ships at sea:
The Buffet: Easily the most popular spot for dining when you first board the cruise. The buffet is typically open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and often has hours in between. The buffet works like any buffet on land, it is included in your fare, make as many trips up as you want to try as many options as you’d like. On embarkation day, expect the buffet to be extremely busy, it may be difficult to find. spot to sit when you first arrive.
The Main Dining Room: The main dining room (or MDR for short) is where most cruisers will get their dinner. It may be open for other meals as well depending on the cruise and if it is a port day or sea day. For dinner, the MDR will generally have a couple seating times and you’ll be expected to be on time. For instance, seatings may be at 5pm and 7pm. Some cruise lines have an “anytime” option which allows you to show up as you please, but these seats are limited. The MDR will have a daily menu typically with multiple options as an appetizer, main course, and dessert. The MDR is also included in your fare and most cruise lines allow you to order as many dishes as you’d like to try, though they may be limited to only bringing a new dish once you have finished the previous one. Some cruise lines enforce a dress code at the MDR, but usually “smart casual” is enough, it is generally no longer the button-up shirt and slacks requirements it used to be.
Specialty Dining: Most cruise ships will have specialty dining which may or may not come with an extra charge. For instance, on Royal Caribbean, you can enjoy an upper end steak dinner at Chops Grille for an additional cost, or you can enjoy unlimited tacos and nachos at the El Loco Fresh walk-up taco bar, at no additional cost.
Room Service: Most cruise lines offer room service, but it may or may not be completely complimentary depending on the cruise line. For instance Disney Cruise Line offers free room service 24/7, while Royal Caribbean Cruise Line offers only continental breakfast for free, and charges around $8.00 otherwise. For that $8.00, you can order as much or as little as you like, it is essentially a cost for making the trip.
Dining Packages: One thing to consider is a “dining package.” This is a pre-paid package that allows you to visit specialty dining for the cost of the package or at discounted rates. I don’t recommend these to first time cruisers generally, unless you know you will want to frequent the speciality restaurants. There are many free eats on board such as the buffet and MDR.
Drinks also vary but here are some things to know:
Not all drinks are Included: Typically you will have free access to: tap water, pre-mixed juices, lemonade, tea, black coffee, and milk at breakfast. Other drinks such as alcohol, speciality coffees, fresh squeezed juices, soda, and bottled water will come at a cost. You can freely order drinks and have them charged to your room and you will be billed at the end of the cruise.
Some Cruise Lines allow some outside drinks: Depending on your cruise line, you may be able to bring on a limited amount of bottled water or soda; check with your cruise line on what is allowed and prohibited. Most cruise lines also have a wine allotment; for instance a cruise line may allow for one bottle of wine per cabin. Generally, beer and liquor are never allowed and will be confiscated if found.
Drink Packages: Same thing with dining, there are typically drink packages offered. They can include soda packages, coffee packages, all non-alcoholic drink packages, and full-menu packages that include alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages up to a certain dollar amount. It is really on you to decide how much you plan to drink to decide whether these packages are worth the value. As an example: if the drink package is $75.00 per person per day, you would have to drink $75.00 worth of drinks to get your value. It’s also important to remember: for alcohol packages, generally every person in the cabin over 21-years old has to purchase the package, even if they don’t drink alcohol; sometimes the cruise lines will make exceptions for pregnancy and medical waivers, but not always. Also, sharing your package is always prohibited. If you are caught getting drinks for someone who does not have a package, it can be revoked with no refund.
Your Cabin or StateRoom
Room, cabin, stateroom… it is called many things, but ultimately this is your room on the ship. It is much like a hotel room where you will have a bed, a bathroom with shower, and closet-space; however, the rooms are generally much smaller in square footage than a standard hotel room. Your room will generally fall under one of four categories:
Interior Cabin: These rooms are on the interior of the ship and typically do not have a window or balcony. Some cruisers prefer these types of rooms because when you shut the lights off, it is 100% completely pitch-black dark. As ships are getting bigger, some of these cabins have seen changes such as offering a window to the promenade, or even a virtual window or balcony, which is a large screen that has a camera image of the outside, mimicking a window or balcony.
Window Cabin: These cabins fall between the interior cabin and the balcony cabin. They offer a sea-facing window, which can be a nice way to watch the ocean go by and bring in some natural sunlight. Generally, you cannot open these windows to let in air, they are sealed tight for your safety.
Balcony Cabin: This is pretty much what it says it is. A cabin with a balcony that you can step out onto. These cabins are what come to mind when a lot of people think of cruising. You typically get a full cabin with a large glass door that leads out onto a small balcony. Your balcony will typically have a small table with a couple seats. A great place to enjoy a sunrise breakfast, a sunset glass of wine, or just an afternoon lounging about. A few things to know about balconies: They are no smoking zones, you should not hang clothes on the railing, and you should keep the balcony door closed (leaving it open typically disables your air conditioning, and it can create a significant wind tunnel if your cabin door is opened at the same time).
Suites: These come in many forms so I’m just grouping them here. Suites can range from a larger version of a balcony room all the way up to a multi-floored extravagant cabin that can rival a fancy big-city condo. Sometimes booking these suites can come with extra perks on the ship such as having a personal concierge.
Most cabins come with a bed which can be adjusted into a single bed or two twin beds, you simply let your cabin attendant know how you prefer the beds. There will also be a wardrobe/closet to keep your clothes, and suitcases can be stored under the bed. Your emergency life jackets are typically stored in the wardrobe. Cabins also typically come with an electric cooler. This is often referred to as a “mini-fridge” as it resembles an actual mini-fridge you might have in an office, but understand that these simply keep things cool, not cold. If you have medication or baby formula that needs to be refrigerated, please talk to the cruise line or your travel agent prior to your sail date.
The Muster Drill
Okay… so this is the part pretty much everyone hates, but it is an international maritime law requirement and is enforced here by the United StatesCoast Guard. Essentially this is a mandatory safety drill that every passenger must attend; the way cruise lines handle this has evolved and may differ. Some cruise lines still do this the “old-school” way where every passenger must wear their life jacket from their cabin and stand at their assigned emergency muster station. There, the crew goes over safety information such as proper wear of the life jacket, what the emergency signals on board are, and how the lifeboats work. It may not sound like much, but standing in a humid Florida coast 94-degrees in a life jacket for a half-hour is not how most people picture their vacation. Fortunately, some cruise lines are now making the majority of these drills app-based where you simply watch a safety video, then check in at your muster station.
That’s about it
I hope you enjoyed all the information here, and moreover, I hope it makes you more comfortable for your upcoming first cruise. I know for me, I can relax when I am better informed about what is going on around me and I hope this article does the same for you.
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