11 Things You Should Never Do on Embarkation Day
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- Опубліковано 25 лис 2024
- Embarkation day is one of the most highly anticipated days on any cruise vacation. Not only does it mark the first time that you'll see the ship in person, but it signifies the true start to your vacation. Hours after stepping foot onboard, you'll be sailing away and watching the coastline disappear.
Amidst all the excitement, however, there are some common embarkation day mistakes that you should avoid making. Though not all will ruin your vacation, you certainly don't want to start off on the wrong foot.
Here, we break down 11 things you should never, ever do on embarkation day.
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Great video - I'm sure this will help so many people! One thing I always say when choosing an embarkation time is - think about where you're waking up! For me, when cruising from Miami, I want to relax, and maybe even go for a walk along the beach (I don't live near a beach!) before heading to the ship, so a later slot works better for me more often than early does!
Again, excellent video!
On our last 2 cruises, the muster station drill took maybe 2 minutes. Like Nike says, "Just Do It!"
Check to see if any country you are going to visit bans the wearing of camouflage patterned clothing. A lot of them are in the Caribbean.
My last few cruises we had access to our cabin immediately after boarding. At least to drop off our handbags. We usually do meet our stewards at this time. My next first thing is watching the safety drill and going to our muster station. THEN my vacation can begin.
Q
We did too, watched some of the muster drill in our cabin and then had to get checked off at our muster station.
Expert cruiser here, been doing it for 14 years, and your video was spot on. I will say, your shots of the "sail away party" put me off just a tad. With mobs like that, I'll stay home, thank you very much! The day early arrival is your best point, it can't be stressed enough. We live in Atlanta, and have sailed from Miami on two occasions where we flew the same day. Motive? Saving money, of course. We left early, figuring if anything happened or got cancelled, we still had 2 or 3 flights to get us there on time. Nothing happened, but the nerve wracking anxiety was NOT worth the hotel fare. Internationally, we leave several days early and enjoy the arrival city. Domestically, 1 day is more than enough. That said, the biggest thing I've learned about cruising, you don't see much of the port city on your itinerary. You might get a taste, a museum here or restaurant there, but that is all. The vacation is going to be the ship, NOT the itinerary. So choose very wisely. Pick a horrible cruiseline with a fantastic itinerary, you're going to have a terrible time. Find an itinerary that has a great starting point, spend a few days there, and finishes at another point of interest. THAT is going to make for a great cruise!
I always fly in the day before. It makes getting to the terminal a waltz.
If you choose an afternoon arrival time, your cabin will be ready, you'll be able to find a snack or drink to relax before sail away, and you can decompress. Take a nap?
The steward becomes your best friend. Know their name, ask where they're from, and don't demand lots of things on arrival. If you have requests, write them down with your name and cabin number and tell them "when they have a moment - it's not immediately necessary." They'll appreciate your consideration.
Meeting the cabin steward can be random, but it will surely happen without looking for him. Sailaway "party" isn't for everyone, but you can be your own party of one as the ship pulls out.
First we cicle around the pool deck and just say hi to others. Last cruise we ran jnto a couple my husband knew from work. We always find a cozy bar and drink to ourselves while I privately pray for a safe and fun cruise.
Great vidro for newbies. We dont do thesail away party. We use our balcony, or go to forward observation decks . Occasionally eating with a view .
I also show up whenever i get there . ADA assistance. The port of Galveston has the worst bag people . They govto whoever waves the biggest bill. We have had to have help with our luggage . They also pass up people with scooters .
Our last cruise in April 2024 it was raining on embarkation day. The bags were left out in the rain, but thought nothing of it. We get our bags and cloths were soaked even though we had Hard Shell luggage. Guess it came through zipper area. Cruise line should have placed luggage under some type of tent to help keep dry. Lucky we have a high status with the cruise line and always book a suite where laundry is free. Stewards took our cloths and had them dried and returned to us later on that night. Lucky cloths for dressy night were in plastic wrap and were not affected. I have scotch guarded zipper area on luggage to reduce this happening again for our upcoming Alaska trip at end of Aug. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for the heads up. I have hard shell luggage too. Enjoy your Alaska trip.
Have to say that you have the best and most succinct cruise blog. Thanks for all of your tips!
I'm flying into Miami the night before. I reserved a room at my hotel. The hotel has a company that has a bus to take us to the cruise port. From the bus to the room our luggage is taken care of. I usually tip the person at the port. We take a small carry on and enjoy the ship once on. I have cruised out of Orlando and we got a hotel in Orlando the night before. It was convenient because the Hotel was surrounded by Restaurants that are 3-5 min walk. Orlando has a company called GoPort and if you book with them them pick you up at the Hotel to the port and will pick you up after the cruise and take you to the Airport. Very nice and stress free
@@freddylawson5211 that’s the way I’d want to do out of city cruising I’m legally blind and a cane user snd when sailing from my home port of Brisbane cruise terminal employees have always been super helpful during my last cruise in 2018 I was ascorted through the entire check in/customs process so I ended up in the correct lines the first time etc. I arrived at least 30 min early and was allowed straight on the ship . I’ve decided if I end up cruising out of an out of home state port I’ll travel early AM 48 h before departure; my insurance provider is far likely to help me if things go wrong if I’ve shorn I’ve made every effort to arrive with loads of riggle room built in to my schedule. Another insure tip if things have not gone to plan even if you think you’ll miss your cruise “ you must “ show your insurer you’ve made every effort to get to the cruise port when u get there even if it’s too late line up anyhow to get the official yes or no and with enough of a papperwork trail you’ve a far better chance of your Claim being approved. ( make sure you ring your 24/7 contact number at the first singe of trouble so there’s proof you sought advice and advised of problems - they should be able to guide you though the papperwork you’ll need as proof when u put In your claim. They may also hsve options youve not thought of to get u where u need to be faster.
David Young 39 Brisbane Australia.
Usually like to get on board as soon as possible. Like to do the muster drill first. Only like to have a glass of wine with a meal. Like to miss the sail away party. They are boring. Most times bags arrive close to dinner time. Watch the safety video early then check in at muster station.
Sail away parties are just childish
My biggest complaint about embarkation is the long line of folks already at Guest Services who believe they are entitled to a cabin upgrade, and raise cane when they can't get one. Perhaps their travel agents told them, "All you have to do is ask."
@@geofschwer1625 good point- if the ship is full ( as most sailings are in 2024 as much as they may want you to upgrade - as they’ll charge you fir the privilege if the ships full its full no amounting of convincing can change that simple fact
So glad to not have to pile up on the ship decks anymore for muster drills!
Very informative video 🛳️
Don't take a nap, because you'll miss everything 😂😂😂
Go to your cabin early and leave your carryon bag they will allow you to put it in the room .
I love ❤️ the “Union Scam” at the port drop off. So, you tip the shuttle driver, Uber driver, taxi driver and they hand the bags to the “Porter” who you are to tip as well, for putting your luggage from the ground to a large cart. Then…..the cruise 🚢 line brings your bag to your stateroom. Why can’t this be like an airport?
Why would you tip a driver that gets paid plenty to get you there? And nobody says you have to tip the porters, it's just a decent thing to do considering they take your bags where they need to go to get onboard. They aren't allowed on the ship and the ship crew have plenty enough to do that they can't come off to get your bags.
That sounds exactly like an airport.
We fly from the UK to Miami for our cruises so we always fly in at least the day before
Having taken 17 cruises on four different cruise lines I want to point out a couple of things. Number one, not only do you not want to pack your passport with your luggage, you also want to make sure in the case of princess cruises that you don’t pack your medallion! Make sure that’s in your backpack. It will slow you down and require a long time at the counter. Should you inadvertently pack it in your suitcase rather than have it on your person. It’s not as quick as re-issuing a new medallion. They have to give you a special boarding card and it takes about a 20 to 30 minutes extra.
Number two Cruise lines don’t always pay attention to the arrival time, I have walked right in regardless of the time of arrival with no issue whatsoever. However, I should qualify that, I don’t cruise on mega cruise ships with 4, 5, or 7000 passengers, hell no. I prefer cruise ships that are smaller more intimate and offer better one to one service.
Number three, more than one occasion it’s been difficult for me to know who my steward was, they don’t always come out and greet you. one time, it wasn’t until the second day that I actually got to meet my Steward because he was always in another room and never took time to greet me.
Lastly, the Sailaway pictured in your video is my idea of hell, that’s why the mega ships are no fun. There’s absolutely no room at the pool for an open lounge and their lines everywhere. Staying away from a mega ship will save you a lot of frustration and grief. Be advised also, when you’re on a cruise And it’s a tender port, you have to get there early with your entire group to get a number to get off in sequence. That will tie you up greatly should you arrive late. I’ve had to wait as long as 2 1/2 hours to get off the ship at atender port. I can only imagine if I was on a mega ship like royal Caribbean. It might easily be three hours plus.
About what size ship(# passengers) do you usually go on?
Ty for the advice!
@@flickrennels my preference for ship size is under 3000 passengers. Please let me qualify, I’m 63 and my two children are grown in their mid-20s, and I don’t have grandkids. The best cruise, my wife and I have ever had was aboard the former Pacific princess, now owned by Azamara & called the Onward. The Cruise to the Baltic, which included two overnights and St. Petersburg Russia, felt like a private yacht. They were no lines, there was no crowds, it was very peaceful and relaxing. The other thing about small small ships on the high-end cruise lines, including silver sea, as Azamara, Seaborn, etc. is they can get right up front and close in cities such as Barcelona, and Stockholm Sweden. if you’re younger and you’ve got children and you’re staying in the Caribbean, I suppose at Disney ship, or a Royal Caribbean ship, or a Norwegian cruise line ship is what you’re looking for. What you sacrifice on the smaller upscale lines is the fancy production shows you see on lines like carnival, celebrity, and royal Caribbean. It depends on your goals with cruising. My goals are to travel comfortably, to see as many ports as possible, and stay in port as long as possible. Happy cruising 😀
"... the Sailaway pictured in your video is my idea of hell ..." - 💯
@@jeffstanley6013 I don’t have any videos of a Sailaway you must have me confused with somebody else.
@@Retiredtraveler1961 Just replying to and agreeing with a comment you left on this video a few weeks ago.
Adding to your comment alcohol consumption is the issue of travel insurance. If you injure yourself when intoxicated and the insurer discovers you had too much to drink then they will deny coverage. Ask your insurer before you purchase coverage. PS: They will find out😉
Good tips. Going to my stateroom was the first thing i did all of my cruises, but for the next one i'll follow one of your tip, and i wont get to the cabin at first, i'll explore the ship a bit before. Thx for advice and video.
I remember my first cruise many years ago now and I had heard from another passenger that a lady - who just so happened to be part of a company group onboard ie. she was likely there to do a conference etc. with her employer got so much into the embarkation day spirit that her cruise card was cut up and handed back to her - clearly I’m guessing she’s had too much to drink now I’ve no idea weather this was just for the rest of thst day or the remainder of the 3 day cruise; regardless I would not want to be in her shoes when her other colleagues and manager found out not good. My policy for work drinks events has always been 1 drink if I’m due in tomorrow morning no more then 2 if I’m not regardless if your wanting g more have the restraint to leave that for a venue away from your work event- you do not want a reputation for drinking like a fish so to speak just because it’s a relaxed event out of the office it’s still a work event and if you screw up there will be consequences for your actions.
David Young 39 Brisbane Australia
Great tips!!
Glad it was helpful!
One thing not to do on embarkation day is to eat in the buffet, as it can be like a zoo. It is better to eat in the MDR or another restaurant, where it will be more relaxing and enjoyable.
This is great info for new cruisers. I put you in my community page I hope it’s ok? Very well done video on do’s and donut’s
Thanks for sharing this
Cruise lines like to schedule my arrival times any time after 2 pm I’ve actually had them as late as 4:00 pm and I’m am not doing that. I board as soon as possible.
On a cruise, it's better to be an hour early than a minute late. If you're way early, then just hang about the area and find a way to stay occupied without going too far away.
I love sailing!! What a incredible experience! What camera are you using?
Good Practical Advice!👍🏽🇺🇸
On #8, I usually miss most of it because i want to see the shores as I leave and wave to those there or on smaller boats
Rule #2 was repeatedly broken by passengers. In NOLA, we had a 11:30am boarding time, we got there 5 minutes before time and there was a sea of people. I was able to see people holding their boarding passes with 12:30pm, 1:00pm, 1:30pm boarding times, etc. We waited 2 HOURS before being able to start up the gangway. The boarding pass had to be stamped with a star on it before you could get on and in front of us we had 5 ladies in a group without that stamp and they would not let them on and they all decided to throw a hissy fit, further delaying us. If people would have gotten there when they were supposed to, it would have been so much easier.
this is a bit like the people that bring too large and/or >1 carry ons in the airplane cabin (BTW this should be checked by flight crew but often does NOT happen!). And then the overhead 'suddenly' are to full.
RE:CARRY ONS. I see passengers attempting to get on the plane with way too big a carry on. Sometimes more than one. Then they try to stuff them into the overhead bins, often taking more than their allotted space. Usually there is a 98 pound 20 something girl hoping to hoist a ( choose one or more) backpack, canvas roll on, oversized hard sided suitcase into the overhead bin. Or they try to roll a big case down the aisle, hitting fellow passengers on their legs. All because they don’t want to check their luggage. Or avoid extra baggage fees. Then reverse this process when we land. WTF? To these people I ask, think about your fellow passengers! Just an observation from our flight yesterday.
Something to note about Royal Caribbean. You cannot do early check-in on-line. You have to download their app on your phone. I will not do this. So will have to stand in line at the terminal, with no pre-selected arrival time. As a Platinum Member, my experience with this will determine my next cruise choice.
My daughter had problems with her app and was able to do early check in online.
Normally we arrive a day ahead of our departure date but in a couple months we are doing a 10 day Canada/NE cruise and the cruise line is doing our flights and transportation to the pier. So we will see how that goes!
Depending in the cruiseline, you might be able to fly in a day early. You can call to see.
I get there early to check out the talent😅.
It’s look so different as you see in love boat
Great video
Most cruise lines allow you to drop off your carry-ons in your cabin immediately.
Always treat your room stewards with the utmost respect!
We always enjoy sail away from our quiet balcony. Sail away "parties" on top levels are boring.
Don't like the sail away parties. My wife didn't like them either.
My wife knew nothing about cruising. We had a 1:30 check in. She just decided that we should go in at 12. We went right in.
Yes, it seems that check in time is arbitrary. My mom & I had different boarding times (130 & 230). We arrived at 1230 and got right on without even a mention of our actual time
is there any halal food option on any cruise ship? the more expensive suite perhaps offer customised food?
🛳🛳🛳 Yes, Hala meals are available all day and evenings
You can offer your own prayer to the killed pigs and cows, if you feel inclined to do so. Halal is only in your mind!
@@Hanuboru read a book, you're disgusting...
@@HanuboruIt would have taken less effort to not post that comment.
Thanks for asking, I can’t eat pork for medical reasons so always rely on Halal or Kosher to be safe!
Sure are a lot of rules to follow.
On the last cruise I was on sailaway was so cringe. The high point was the staff doing the friggin Macarena to Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini.
Hi. Regarding arriving on the same day as embarkation. Can you PLEASE assist MSC HAMBURG with this problem🥺🥺🥺🥺 I had to cancel my cruise and book another one which started from Rotterdam because I were not allowed to book a schuttle from Hamburg airport to the cruising terminal. I did try all other ways to get to the terminal, but would be much more expensive. MSC Hamburg require your flight schedule when booking your schuttle. When your arrival date at Hamburg airport differs from embarkation date, they refuse booking a schuttle. I explained that i am taking a 17 hour flight prior to embarkation and will arrive a day before. I did have proof of b&b everything, and they denied a booking😮😮😮😮 Please try and explaine this to them.
That’s crazy. Maybe the person at the b&b can give you a ride or suggest a taxi service. I’m not sure if they have Uber or Lyft over there.
Never been on MSC, but I have been on several other cruise lines. And I can safely say that the majority of them (if not all of them) only offer shuttle service between the airport and the boat and only on the day of departure. If you're coming in the day before (which I heartily recommend), you are responsible for your own transportation to the boat. That being said, many port cities will have hotels near the cruise terminal that may offer their own free shuttle service to the boat if you're staying with them the night before departure, and some hotels may even be within walking distance of the cruise terminal.
Room Attendant not cabin steward
Wait until day 2 to get blackout drunk?
Can you bring a small blender on a cruise
If it’s battery operated or reachable like the blendjet kind then it shouldn’t be a problem
It could vary by cruise line so you are better off reaching out to that particular cruise line and asking an agent
Not usually- you would need to check with your CL for permission. Everything electrical except curling irons are usually not allowed. You don’t want to take it then have it confiscated while you are on board. They don’t even allow fans without permission.
@@bcarol2484I have taken a small fan that has an USB adapter. It's small but helps so much.
Ah, the baggage porter...last Feb, out porter told us you need to tip well to ensure your bags make it all the way... Guy was rude and not deserving of the NCL employmente
LOL. I am a rebel apparently.
25+ cruises and have never gone to the sail away party.
Do not get drunk on the first day.
Cruise ships are becoming like airlines. It was once a pleasant and civilized experience to travel by plane. But now it is a Greyhound Bus with wings. The cruise lines destroy the civility of a cruise by appealing to miscreants.
5 cruises never a sail away party. WHY? Nothing in it for us.
you can enjoy the sailing away part without having to watch the crew dance. boring.
Absolutely. These cruises are so hokey that I go on smaller, more educational cruises with like-minded people.
The first thing you should not do on embarkation day is cruise with carnival. You're welcome.
I’m not cruising with them . They just had another fight . And I will not tolerate that .
@heathermichael3987 switched over to virgin. We love it. Never going bacj
I’ve been told by a few friends that Carnival is the Walmart of cruising. I took their advice and have stayed far away.
Cry a river build a bridge and get over it
@@davekemo9683 did you take my personal opinion and advice as a "complaint"? I just want to make sure that's what you actually got out of that🤣
Have been on 33 cruises. On all of them I managed to smuggle alcohol on board. Always got drunk on the first day.
Never regretted it.
Please speak for yourself.
Have you ever gotten the norovirus on those cruises? I have that fear. I want to go on a cruise
Carnival....The ghetto cruise ship 🚢
why does anyone find this foolishness enjoyable?
Not everyone can fly in the day before. Stop your nonsense.
Not nonsense. If you plan to fly in on the day of departure and your flight experiences any kind of significant delay, you could easily miss your boat. Planning to fly in the day before gives a nice buffer against that kind of possibility.
Not nonsense at all. It is great advice for those that can.
Then take your chances…..
8 minutes of stating the obvious, wow