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On Your Cruise |
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 You've
made your comparisons, found a cruise line and itinerary that has you excited and booked your cruise. Now, just
what can you expect when you actually board the ship and take your cruise?Embarkation The process of getting aboard a cruise ship is known as "embarkation." Your cruise package will let you know what time the ship will be available for you to board. You will give the bulk of your luggage (your carry-on should remain with you) to a porter (along with a small gratuity). The next time you see your luggage will be sometime later in the day, most likely outside your cabin. Some cruise lines allow passengers to complete most or all of their documents prior to arriving at the port (immigration forms, setting up a credit card for your onboard account, emergency contacts and the like), saving a good deal of time. You will be given your "sea pass" which you will use as a charge card onboard the ship (on some ships it will also act as your room key). A photograph of you will be taken and most likely encoded on your sea pass as a security measure. Your sea pass will be "swiped" (like a credit card) each time you leave and come back on the ship. The cabin Depending on the time you have arrived, your cabin may or may not be ready. Imagine the work it takes to "turn around" a 2000-3000 passenger cruise ship, all in the space of a few hours. If your stateroom is ready, you can place your carryons there and perhaps meet your cabin steward (the man or woman who will be maintaining your stateroom twice daily during your cruise). If you are like most cruisers, you'll then head up to the lunch buffet, your first meal of the cruise! Getting your bearings After lunch, it probably is a good idea to get your bearings by walking around the ship a bit. We usually start with the dining room and peek in to see if we can find where our table is situated. We then find our way to the lounges, the fitness center and the pool area. If we are sailing in a warm time of the year, we usually will change into more comfortable clothes to make our rounds. Big ships can take a good bit of time to get around, which is helpful for burning off the lunch you just ate! Making plans If you are thinking about shore excursions, spa appointments or reservations at a specialty restaurant, this may be the time to handle those arrangements. Popular shore excursions often sell out and reservations at specialty restaurants are sometimes difficult to secure later in the cruise. Shipboard life It probably will not take you to long to acclimate yourself to live aboard a cruise ship. Contrary to myth, you most likely will not be bored, nor feel trapped, nor need to look to far for available activities. Each cruise ship will publish a daily "newspaper" which generally is delivered to your stateroom in the evening and will detail all of the activities on tap for the following day. It is generally a good idea to carry this with you rather than needing to return to your stateroom to see "what's up next." We refer to the daily guide as our "Julie sheet," named for Cruise Director Julie McCoy on TV's The Love Boat. Dining One area that no one seems to have any problems with on a cruise. You will have virtually unlimited opportunities for everything from hot dogs and hamburgers to Sushi to complete sit-down dinners in the formal restaurant. See the section devoted to dining and dress codes. Shore excursions Since what is available is usually so varied, you'll probably want to spend some time discussing which shore excursions interest you. Shore excursions can be something as sedate as a leisurely carriage ride up to helicopter adventures and just about anything in between. See the discussion on shore excursions. Disembarkation Unfortunately, this is the mirror opposite of "embarkation." This is when you will be getting off the ship at the end of your cruise, whether you want to or not! Usually two days prior to the end of the cruise the Cruise Director will host a "disembarkation talk" which will detail everything you will need to know regarding customs and duty regulations, when you will need to have your luggage outside your door the last night of the cruise so it can be taken off, settling accounts and more. It is generally recommended that at least one person from each family or group attend this session, since procedures do vary from cruise line to cruise line. Onboard booking Had fun? Many cruise lines offer the ability to book a future cruise right onboard. Often there will be incentives, whether cabin credits (you will have an amount credited to your onboard account on the cruise you book), reduced deposits or both. |
