The Vikings had a large paddle that they attached to the back of their longships which they used to steer. They called it the styrbord, which in English eventually became starboard. Since most people are right-handed, it was on the right side of the ship facing forward.
My wife and I have been on a three cruise’s and your advice Matt with new updates is very helpful to us. We just booked our 4 cruise with our two daughters on their first cruise on the oasis.and my wife’s and mine . We can’t wait! Thank you for your helpful advice Matt.
One mistake made on our last Royal Caribbean cruise was to remove our sea passes from the plastic sleeve. When we arrived in Aruba, I sprayed my husband thoroughly with sunscreen and he placed his sea pass card under his shirt. After finishing our all day excursion, my husband presented his card to the guard at the port. All the information was wiped clean because of the alcohol in the sunscreen. 😮 It took about 45 minutes to get clearance to board the ship. Won’t do that again in June on our next cruise. 😂
few things people dont think about: setting up excursions early. i schedule mine months in advance, because the big ones ALWAYS sell out. little known secret: if you have a drink package, you can go into the spa on board and get fresh squeezed smoothies, and theres almost never a line. If your flying in, spend the money for the air 2 sea transport. It guarantees you a ride ON TIME to and from the port, as well as complimentary baggage transport to your room. For most cell phone services, its cheaper to enable the over seas data feature than it is to use roaming. For ATT, its $10 a day i think , every time the phone is detected in a foreign country. IMO its worth it to be able to use GPS to keep yourself from being lost
Appreciate the content. Going on my first cruise in the beginning of March with RC. These videos are super helpful in easing my vacation worries. Thank you!
We are going on our first cruise ever on Adventures of The Sea late February, I was just pointing out that I find it frustrating and concerning that when looking at a map of the ship, the directional terms are omitted. Honestly, it’s not abundantly clear that the map your looking at is oriented as Forward at the top of the page, etc. Now it CAN be easily determined for most people, but why completely avoid the terms when filling a vessel with thousands of people? Just strange 😅
The wife and I are going on our first cruise April 9th on Allure of the Seas. I’ve watched almost every video Matt has put out lol. I’m addicted to cruise videos now. April needs to hurry up and get here now!!
A couple of clarifications to airplane mode: After you turn on Airplane mode, WiFi and Bluetooth will be disabled. While keeping airplane mode on, turn WiFi and Bluetooth back on. The RCL app needs WiFi on to work. If you paid for on-ship WiFi, go ahead and turn on WiFi Calling. You will be able to make and receive phone calls and text messages without incurring any additional charges.
Great info Matt, thanks. I might add that, if you are flying to a country to board a ship, and need a visa for said country, please present it to the airport staff at the time of check in for said flight. It speeds things up and prevents confusion. Visa information in whatever form is a crucial part of ones travel documents.
The sunburn one is something everyone needs to remember. Every cruise I've been on I've seen people redder on the 1st day then the lobster at Formal Night. One even blistering. The spa does do some sunburn treatment. But it's expensive.
I always hated digging around for my sea pass card. I’ve found that using a stick-on or magnetic wallet that attaches to my phone is so much nicer since it’s much easier to keep up with.
Bring appropriate clothing and pack swimsuit in your carry on luggage. If you want to ice skate, you need long pants. (And no flip flops in the gym). On my last RC cruise, we drove to the port, and my luggage with my swimsuit got sent to the wrong end of the ship. I got my luggage near the evening. Will pack my swimsuit in a carryon.
The biggest mistake I think for people is bringing an iron or especially a portable mini steamer.. ya it sucks that your clothes might get wrinkled but the services on board are priced fairly to press any clothing u have
I have my very first cruise in February and it just so happens to be with royal. I was so excited that I completely forgot about being sunburned, buying sunscreen now, definitely don’t wanna feel that pain starting on day 1 😂
I always found it odd that the “port side” is facing the ocean when you dock and you always get on and off on the starboard side which is facing the land.
What I find ridiculous is that on the app, and the RCCL website, when looking at a map of the ship, there’s NO directional terms, port, starboard, aft, forward, front, back, left, right…. WHY?
I think that on the map of the ship with exception to the very lowest deck (medical centre) and very top deck (mini golf etc) all of the others will have a bow (front) pointed and the stern (back) rounded. HTH.
Hey I’m getting married on the wonder of the seas on embarkation day in June, I couldn’t seem to find anything on your blog or UA-cam page with tips for getting married on a cruise.
Is the seapass card also used for in port excursion, by RCC?. Example Jet skiing is full online, but A cancellation may become available. Will I use my seapass car for this?
Port is a type of red wine, used in aviation and maritime. Port side beacons red, starboard green. Also, forecastle is pronounced “fokesole” for anyone interested.
You should mention in this list....working for a cruise line myself...DO NOT PACK YOUR MEDICINES IN YOUR BAGS YOU CHECK IN..RESAON BEING, IF THERE IS A POROBLEM AND YOU SENT YOUR BAGS ON BOARD, AND FOR SOME REASON, YOU DON'T HAVE THE CORRECT DOCUMENTS AND YOU ARE DENIED BOARDING, YOU MAY NOT GET THOSE BAGS BACK BEFORE THE SHIP SAILS.
The only reason my wife and I well the one of the reasons we booked our cruise on the oasis because there amazing activities on board for our girls. Carnival has nothing and has nothing fun for there first cruise. My wife and I don’t need any water slides or these activities when we plan our Alaska cruise next year
if you are a US citizen and your cruise starts and ends in the US, you only need a DL and BC. But a passport is always recommended and will be all you need if you have that
Royal Caribbean app keeps crashing. I have to keep deleting it & reinstall it, I should not have to keep doing that. So, what is the problem with the app?
Help! i have a question please. if i book a cruise for next year and go visit NextCruise next month on my already scheduled cruise, if NextCruise offers me a better price can they price adjust?
No, NextCruise can't adjust something you have booked. If you had booked refundable fare and it's before final payment date, you could cancel and rebook at nextcruise, but there's a few extra steps there
On my families first cruise, my brother in law has just started dating his now wife of more than 10 years. He called her everyday and they talked for hours each night. His phone bill was close to $1000!
And those aren't decks where the majority of entertainment is; those are levels. The main deck and below are called decks. Walls are bulkheads. And those are ladders, not stairs lol.
THANK YOU FOR THE COMMON SENSE WHICH IS TRUELLY RARE. BE SURE TO BRING AN ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT REPELLENT TO ALLERGIES...I AM ALLERGIC TO .... "STUPID PEOPLE " !!! 🤣 ELIJAH
Wallet... hm... I've gone back and fourth. Lately, I've emptied most of my wallet of non essential shipboard items into the safe, keeping my seapass card and some cash, along with medical insurance card, and leaving debit card, notes about where the car is at the airport, unusable gift cards... in short, everyday detritus from home in the stateroom safe.
Re: Port & Starboard. NOT when FACING the front of the ship!!!! Your explanation was unintentionally misleading. When on the bow and facing forward port is on left.
What is the difference? If I stand on the bow, and face forward or stand anywhere else on the ship and face the front of the ship, to my left is still the same side of the ship.
Yea I told my husband lock your wallet up you don't need it well........He didn't listen lost the wallet and when it was found it was -$300.00. I was ready to throw him over board.
I really don't like how popular cruising is becoming. Cruises are slim pickings now for prime times like summer, and the crowds have become insane, making veteran cruisers hiding in the stateroom a lot. I remember in January 2020 i was at cabbage beach in Nassau, and we basically had the beach to ourselves, went back January 2023, and it was freaking packed. Meagan's bay, same thing. So many noobs on my last cruise, really annoying. Used to be a nice hidden gem of a vacation, now... Idk anymore. The only place we can go to have a good time with out a massive freaking crowd now is the diamond lounge, and now even that is getting packed.
This is not a great way to go about life. A lil selfish in the sense that, I'm sure the veteran cruisers thought the same way about you being new, why would you not what to see other people having an incredible time, the same way that you did, leading you to become a VETERAN in the first place 🤔
I disagree with the wallet tip completely. Yes if you have a money clip, but why buy that when I have a wallet with a built in money clip? I’m not carrying a wad of cash to the casino I’m much more likely to have something happen to that than the cash in my wallet. I keep my room key in my wallet it’s just convenient for me. As a never do, it doesn’t fit the list.
Forget the money clip comment, I don't understand why you'd walk around with your wallet around the ship since almost everything in it is useless on a ship. You'll need your seapass card and some cash, so why not leave the wallet and all its belongings in the safe and then have just the seapass card and whatever cash you need for that day in a pocket? A lot less bulk and less risk of losing your wallet.
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog oh wow we’re going back and forth on this ok. I have a minimalist wallet. When I get on the boat I take all cards and ids out of my wallet and put it in the safe. Then my super thin wallet only has my casino cash and my sea card. I don’t like having things loose in my pockets. Just seems odd that doing this is a mistake on a cruise. The other things were legitimate and this just didn’t fit the list.
Agreed. I made the comment above, but I will empty what I can't use on the ship into the safe. Mainly notes, debit card, unusable gift cards, excessive amounts of cash, etc.) and use my wallet for my seapass card, some cash, and medical insurance information.
@@DEPUTYGETSOME I guess its just a personal preference, at home I don't even have a wallet. I keep all of my cards rubber banded or clipped together and my cash separate in my front pocket. Even when I carry a wallet, the cash stays in my pockets
The Vikings had a large paddle that they attached to the back of their longships which they used to steer. They called it the styrbord, which in English eventually became starboard. Since most people are right-handed, it was on the right side of the ship facing forward.
I didn't know that!
Eric, you can also use: Left (4 letters) Port (4 letters) apologies if you already know this. Cheers.
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog I learned it from a documentary on Vikings.
My trick for Port & Starboard is: "The ship just LEFT the PORT"
This is very smart thanks
Good trick too!
The ship turned RIGHT into PORT lol
My wife and I have been on a three cruise’s and your advice Matt with new updates is very helpful to us. We just booked our 4 cruise with our two daughters on their first cruise on the oasis.and my wife’s and mine . We can’t wait! Thank you for your helpful advice Matt.
One mistake made on our last Royal Caribbean cruise was to remove our sea passes from the plastic sleeve. When we arrived in Aruba, I sprayed my husband thoroughly with sunscreen and he placed his sea pass card under his shirt. After finishing our all day excursion, my husband presented his card to the guard at the port. All the information was wiped clean because of the alcohol in the sunscreen. 😮 It took about 45 minutes to get clearance to board the ship. Won’t do that again in June on our next cruise. 😂
few things people dont think about: setting up excursions early. i schedule mine months in advance, because the big ones ALWAYS sell out. little known secret: if you have a drink package, you can go into the spa on board and get fresh squeezed smoothies, and theres almost never a line. If your flying in, spend the money for the air 2 sea transport. It guarantees you a ride ON TIME to and from the port, as well as complimentary baggage transport to your room. For most cell phone services, its cheaper to enable the over seas data feature than it is to use roaming. For ATT, its $10 a day i think , every time the phone is detected in a foreign country. IMO its worth it to be able to use GPS to keep yourself from being lost
Appreciate the content. Going on my first cruise in the beginning of March with RC. These videos are super helpful in easing my vacation worries. Thank you!
I'm so glad to hear that!
We are going on our first cruise ever on Adventures of The Sea late February, I was just pointing out that I find it frustrating and concerning that when looking at a map of the ship, the directional terms are omitted. Honestly, it’s not abundantly clear that the map your looking at is oriented as Forward at the top of the page, etc. Now it CAN be easily determined for most people, but why completely avoid the terms when filling a vessel with thousands of people? Just strange 😅
The wife and I are going on our first cruise April 9th on Allure of the Seas. I’ve watched almost every video Matt has put out lol. I’m addicted to cruise videos now. April needs to hurry up and get here now!!
Port has four letters like left so that is an easy way to remember.
A couple of clarifications to airplane mode: After you turn on Airplane mode, WiFi and Bluetooth will be disabled. While keeping airplane mode on, turn WiFi and Bluetooth back on. The RCL app needs WiFi on to work. If you paid for on-ship WiFi, go ahead and turn on WiFi Calling. You will be able to make and receive phone calls and text messages without incurring any additional charges.
My favorite way to remember port and starboard is the first letters of each word in alphabetical order… LPRS Left port, right starboard.
Great info Matt, thanks. I might add that, if you are flying to a country to board a ship, and need a visa for said country, please present it to the airport staff at the time of check in for said flight. It speeds things up and prevents confusion. Visa information in whatever form is a crucial part of ones travel documents.
One way I always remembered what port and starboard where was port was left and you never want to get left at port.
The sunburn one is something everyone needs to remember. Every cruise I've been on I've seen people redder on the 1st day then the lobster at Formal Night. One even blistering. The spa does do some sunburn treatment. But it's expensive.
I always hated digging around for my sea pass card. I’ve found that using a stick-on or magnetic wallet that attaches to my phone is so much nicer since it’s much easier to keep up with.
Going on a cruise soon and I worry I won’t remember or do something! Thank you! This helps a lot!! 😊
Glad it was helpful!
Left is four letters. Port is left. It's also how I remember the table settings. Fork (four letters) goes on the left.
The trick about Port vs Starboard... helpful!! Lol been on a few cruised and always forget.
Glad it was helpful!
Bring appropriate clothing and pack swimsuit in your carry on luggage.
If you want to ice skate, you need long pants. (And no flip flops in the gym).
On my last RC cruise, we drove to the port, and my luggage with my swimsuit got sent to the wrong end of the ship. I got my luggage near the evening. Will pack my swimsuit in a carryon.
Port and left have 4 letters. Starboard and right are longer words. The way my basic DI explained it.
There’s a little red port left in the glass. Learned that when we first started sailing sail boats on White Rock Lake in Dallas 😎
The biggest mistake I think for people is bringing an iron or especially a portable mini steamer.. ya it sucks that your clothes might get wrinkled but the services on board are priced fairly to press any clothing u have
Great info! Could you do one, even a Short, on pets and the documentation for PSA and Service animals?
I have my very first cruise in February and it just so happens to be with royal. I was so excited that I completely forgot about being sunburned, buying sunscreen now, definitely don’t wanna feel that pain starting on day 1 😂
Good luck!!
Me too. February with Royal and first time. Lol
Unfortunately you may also hear the term larboard, which also means left.
I always found it odd that the “port side” is facing the ocean when you dock and you always get on and off on the starboard side which is facing the land.
What I find ridiculous is that on the app, and the RCCL website, when looking at a map of the ship, there’s NO directional terms, port, starboard, aft, forward, front, back, left, right…. WHY?
I don't understand your confusion?
I think that on the map of the ship with exception to the very lowest deck (medical centre) and very top deck (mini golf etc) all of the others will have a bow (front) pointed and the stern (back) rounded. HTH.
If you haven't already, it'd be great to see a full video on nautical / cruise ship terms
In the interim: www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2017/09/14/royal-caribbean-cruise-ship-term-glossary
Hey I’m getting married on the wonder of the seas on embarkation day in June, I couldn’t seem to find anything on your blog or UA-cam page with tips for getting married on a cruise.
Royal changed the company they use to handle marriages last year and I haven't got any new info on it yet. Sorry
Left, port and even all have 4 letters so all the muster stations with even numbers are on the left side of the ship (port side)
Is the seapass card also used for in port excursion, by RCC?. Example Jet skiing is full online, but A cancellation may become available. Will I use my seapass car for this?
what documents are required for a quantum ship?
I use the two rr's in starboard so that's right
How do I get a copy of a past oasis of the seas cruise compass?
Honestly those are good tips!
Thank you for these first-time cruisers item!
You bet!
Port is a type of red wine, used in aviation and maritime. Port side beacons red, starboard green. Also, forecastle is pronounced “fokesole” for anyone interested.
A little red port , left in the bottle
What time of day does check-in begin? Like midnight or some other time during the day.
As a US citizen, do I need more than my passport and set sail pass to board the cruise ship?
what a great video, soon we will be filming our videos over there :D
Congrats on your expanded subscriber list! Tony (LaLidoLoca) shared that.
How many hours in advance should you return to the ship when it's time to leave?
Plus the crew will always, always tell you when leaving. They always mention on board time when leaving the ship.
The one about the cell phone bill is crazy I work for billing for a carrier and I've seen bills for 10k from a cruise
great advice,thanks
You should mention in this list....working for a cruise line myself...DO NOT PACK YOUR MEDICINES IN YOUR BAGS YOU CHECK IN..RESAON BEING, IF THERE IS A POROBLEM AND YOU SENT YOUR BAGS ON BOARD, AND FOR SOME REASON, YOU DON'T HAVE THE CORRECT DOCUMENTS AND YOU ARE DENIED BOARDING, YOU MAY NOT GET THOSE BAGS BACK BEFORE THE SHIP SAILS.
The only reason my wife and I well the one of the reasons we booked our cruise on the oasis because there amazing activities on board for our girls. Carnival has nothing and has nothing fun for there first cruise. My wife and I don’t need any water slides or these activities when we plan our Alaska cruise next year
Do you know what the weather is like in the Atlantic during mid April? Im doing a crossing next year.
It can vary wildly.
I accidentally packed my travel docs in the big suitcase so had nothing at US re-entry but they didn't bat an eye. I'm sure it happens a lot.
Your lucky
How do you use the app if you didn't buy a WIFI plan? There was sailor who Left-Port.
Well done Matt
Fire works, gosh, you made me laugh!
Do you need birth certificate, license, passport and more or just a couple?
if you are a US citizen and your cruise starts and ends in the US, you only need a DL and BC. But a passport is always recommended and will be all you need if you have that
@Scott Dalfonso Thank you so much!
I really wasn't wanting to have to worry about all 3.
a cruise i want to take leaves Boston at 5 pm. when do they want me on board?
First, fly the day before the cruise. Second, the check in time is in the app when you do online check in up to 45 days before the cruise
Great video 📹
Thanks!
Royal Caribbean app keeps crashing. I have to keep deleting it & reinstall it, I should not have to keep doing that. So, what is the problem with the app?
Help! i have a question please. if i book a cruise for next year and go visit NextCruise next month on my already scheduled cruise, if NextCruise offers me a better price can they price adjust?
No, NextCruise can't adjust something you have booked.
If you had booked refundable fare and it's before final payment date, you could cancel and rebook at nextcruise, but there's a few extra steps there
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog Thank you Matt. you are so knowledgeable and wise.
No, but you can contact your travel agent if the price drops prior to the final pay date. I have saved a lot of $.
Mistake #10-Expecting edible food at El Loco Fresh on Navigator of the Seas!😊
So I don’t need to carry my ID around? I’m 25 and we’re not buying the drink package but we’re gonna drink some
Nope! They have your age stored in their system
I booked the Internet package but I read somewhere the ship has free WiFi, is this true?
Not really, they have WiFi that allows you to use the RC app onboard, but doesn't work for anything else on your phone.
Airplane mode on my phone cuts off wifi and Bluetooth also
You can turn WiFi and Bluetooth on after enabling airplane mode
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog never knew that thanks
On my families first cruise, my brother in law has just started dating his now wife of more than 10 years. He called her everyday and they talked for hours each night. His phone bill was close to $1000!
Sort
What's the most common strength of the sun blocker to use on Caribbean cruises?
SPF 50
And those aren't decks where the majority of entertainment is; those are levels. The main deck and below are called decks. Walls are bulkheads. And those are ladders, not stairs lol.
THANK YOU FOR THE COMMON SENSE
WHICH IS TRUELLY
RARE.
BE SURE TO BRING AN ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT REPELLENT TO ALLERGIES...I AM ALLERGIC TO ....
"STUPID PEOPLE " !!!
🤣
ELIJAH
Wallet... hm... I've gone back and fourth. Lately, I've emptied most of my wallet of non essential shipboard items into the safe, keeping my seapass card and some cash, along with medical insurance card, and leaving debit card, notes about where the car is at the airport, unusable gift cards... in short, everyday detritus from home in the stateroom safe.
Re: Port & Starboard.
NOT when FACING the front of the ship!!!! Your explanation was unintentionally misleading.
When on the bow and facing forward port is on left.
What is the difference? If I stand on the bow, and face forward or stand anywhere else on the ship and face the front of the ship, to my left is still the same side of the ship.
@@normanw.1652 when facing the front of the ship as described verbatim, Port is on the right. Never mind. I’m sure common sense will prevail.
@@pauldegregorio6432 They said Starboard is on the RIGHT side of the ship. Port Side is on the left side at the ocean
.
Will my Verizon Cell phone plan work in Mexico?
Yes
He wanted some……So what’s in the red bag??
Wepaaaaa
Yea I told my husband lock your wallet up you don't need it well........He didn't listen lost the wallet and when it was found it was -$300.00. I was ready to throw him over board.
One cruise mistake easy to avoid is not subscribing to this channel!
Thank you!
I really don't like how popular cruising is becoming. Cruises are slim pickings now for prime times like summer, and the crowds have become insane, making veteran cruisers hiding in the stateroom a lot. I remember in January 2020 i was at cabbage beach in Nassau, and we basically had the beach to ourselves, went back January 2023, and it was freaking packed. Meagan's bay, same thing. So many noobs on my last cruise, really annoying. Used to be a nice hidden gem of a vacation, now... Idk anymore. The only place we can go to have a good time with out a massive freaking crowd now is the diamond lounge, and now even that is getting packed.
This is not a great way to go about life. A lil selfish in the sense that, I'm sure the veteran cruisers thought the same way about you being new, why would you not what to see other people having an incredible time, the same way that you did, leading you to become a VETERAN in the first place 🤔
And it doesn’t matter if you have a CBD (aka “dope”) prescription from your doctor. Leave that crap at home or kiss it goodbye at the terminal.
I disagree with the wallet tip completely. Yes if you have a money clip, but why buy that when I have a wallet with a built in money clip? I’m not carrying a wad of cash to the casino I’m much more likely to have something happen to that than the cash in my wallet. I keep my room key in my wallet it’s just convenient for me. As a never do, it doesn’t fit the list.
Forget the money clip comment, I don't understand why you'd walk around with your wallet around the ship since almost everything in it is useless on a ship.
You'll need your seapass card and some cash, so why not leave the wallet and all its belongings in the safe and then have just the seapass card and whatever cash you need for that day in a pocket? A lot less bulk and less risk of losing your wallet.
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog oh wow we’re going back and forth on this ok. I have a minimalist wallet. When I get on the boat I take all cards and ids out of my wallet and put it in the safe. Then my super thin wallet only has my casino cash and my sea card. I don’t like having things loose in my pockets. Just seems odd that doing this is a mistake on a cruise. The other things were legitimate and this just didn’t fit the list.
Agreed. I made the comment above, but I will empty what I can't use on the ship into the safe. Mainly notes, debit card, unusable gift cards, excessive amounts of cash, etc.) and use my wallet for my seapass card, some cash, and medical insurance information.
@@DEPUTYGETSOME I guess its just a personal preference, at home I don't even have a wallet. I keep all of my cards rubber banded or clipped together and my cash separate in my front pocket. Even when I carry a wallet, the cash stays in my pockets