Anyone have tips for the day of embarkition?

Anyone have tips for the day of embarkition? We're sailing July 22 on NCL Escape.

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Tips for what, specifically? Where are you departing from?

Tips for what, specifically? Where are you departing from?

Tips for anything. We've never been a cruise before. We're departing from Miami.

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You will find all the NCL tips and info you will ever need if you read on the portion of Cruise Critic devoted to NCL, located here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=107

When it is a new ship for us............

We like to eat first. If we have pre-booked any specialty restaurants, we go and make certain that they are in place. If luggage hasn't arrived at the cabin, we walk around the ship and get to know the layout of where everything is. Naturally we try to unpack before lifeboat drill - thus we spend a few minutes reading the daily program to know when that will happen. If we have pre-booked excursions, we check over the shore excursion tickets that have been sent to the cabin.

Since it's your first cruise, you likely won't know that the drink you are offered as you board, or around the ship for sail-away, etc, are not free. They will be charged to your account. My advice is to familiarize yourself with the ship in advance - look at the floor plans online so you can identify some of them when you board. Once you are on the ship, spend some time figuring out where your dining room is, your muster station, the Lido, the Spa, etc. Have a wonderful cruise, but be aware - they can be addicting!

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

Checking in is like checking into a hotel....when you arrive, hand your checked bags to the porters, and keep your carry-on with anything valuable. Go thru basic security (it's not as all-encompassing as the airport)...then get in line to check in. Your cabin may not be ready when you board, so try and keep your carryon stuff to a minimum, as you will lug it around with you for a while.

After that, make any bookings that you didn't do in advance...restaurants, shows, or excursion. Then..get a drink...relax..you're on VACATION! That's all a cruise is...a vacation. No "right or wrong" way to do it!

Frequent cruisers have their own ideas about embarkation day. Many will get on as early as possible, go to the Lido (buffet) for lunch, and then wander around the ship checking out all the public spaces. Once you are allowed to get into your cabin (this varies from the time your board until as late as 1:30 depending on the cruise line) you can drop your carry-on stuff. Keep in mind that it could be many hours until your checked luggage will arrive at your cabin. So if you are thinking you might want to relax on deck, go swimming, soak in a hot tub....you want to bring some swim wear in your carry-on. You will have a muster drill sometime before leaving the port (usually about 4pm) so we usually like to go to our cabin a half hour (or longer) before the drill and unpack (if our luggage has arrived). Otherwise, the unpacking will have to wait until late afternoon. Since we prefer to dine late (8 or later) we have plenty of time to enjoy the sail away, down a few drinks, unpack, shower, etc. For those that prefer to have dinner at tea time (just a joke) the time element gets a bit compressed that first day. Those folks may have to go to dinner with what they wore at embarkation (or what they have in their carry ones) since it is possible they will not have their luggage before they head off to dinner. While most luggage is delivered by around 4pm...there are plenty of times when luggage may not show-up until 5 (or even a bit later).

Hank

We just took our very first cruise on the Escape last month! This may have more detail than you wanted, but I know I couldn't get enough info before we left, so I kind of figure better to provide too much detail. :)

We chose an early check-in time because we wanted to maximize our time on the ship. I think we got there around 10:15, there are porters waiting outside to take your luggage. Your suitcases will be delivered to your room later in the day, so if there's anything you want with you, carry it on. Conversely, if you have something you don't want to deal with, put it in your suitcase. My kids had taken pillows with them, and we thought to put one of them in a suitcase, but my younger son had his Perry the Platypus Pillowpet with him that we did not think to pack away, so we were carrying that thing around until we made it to our room! Kind of a pain, lol! Anyway, we each kept our carry-on backpack from the plane with us, and we had put swimsuits and sunscreen for all four of us in my husband's backpack.

From there, you enter the port/terminal building and place your carry on bags on an x-ray and go through a metal detector, kind of like the airport but at a much lower level. Oh, you can't take any beverages in with you. From there, you're handed a medical questionnaire and then get in line to actually check-in. This didn't take too long for us. This is where you show your passports, have your picture taken, get your key cards. Next it's on to the waiting area. You're given a card with a boarding group number on it for your party. The waiting area is pretty large with lots of seating, and there is coffee, juice, and water provided. They started calling the boarding groups a little after 11:00. The first two groups went singly and then they started calling multiple groups together. We had boarding group 6, and I think it was around 11:15 when they called us?

Once on the ship, my husband made a beeline for guest relations to see about getting us Vibe passes, but they were sold out already. Meanwhile my kids and I leisurely walked there, enjoying seeing the ship. After we found my husband we stopped at the closest bar and each grabbed a cocktail for walking around. We went up to see the pool, explored that deck a little, then we went down to the kids club to get our boys registered. It was a pretty quick process, and we checked out that area (not sure if you have kids, but the first day when you register them is the only time parents are allowed anywhere other than the lobby), the boys got wristbands that identified them with their age groups.

From there we were pretty hungry, so we went to the pub for lunch. Everything I had read said to avoid the buffet for lunch because that's where everyone goes. The pub wasn't crowded at all. The service took a little while, but I think that was more us taking our time deciding what drink to get next, what to order, etc.

They had said that rooms would be ready around 1:00, so after lunch we headed to our room to see if we could get in. We could, so we FINALLY could get rid of stupid Perry the Platypus, lol! We changed into swimsuits and went back up to the pool area. My husband and I did a tour of the spa once we got our kids settled at the waterslides and they knew where our spot was going to be. It wasn't really worth it...lots of attempts at upsales for expensive spa treatments. It was cool to see some of the areas, but I don't know if I'd do the tour again.

Something important to note...all the bars close down an hour before the muster drill starts! We were disappointed to find out we couldn't get another drink once the spa tour was done. Eventually they closed the pools, so we just went to wait at our muster station. Going forward on future cruises, I think I'd go hang out in the room or explore or something instead of sit there longer and instead time our arrival for that closer to when it starts. Ours was in the theater which was nice because we were sitting, but it was still annoying to just be there doing nothing.

Sailaway was pretty soon after the muster drill ended. Oh! The bars were all crazy packed after the muster drill, and some were only serving one type of drink to make it easier/faster for the bartenders. There was a sailaway party on the pool deck, but we opted to watch it from our balcony. My birthday had been the day before, so my husband had arranged for our room to be decorated for that, and there was a birthday cake, so we had our own sailaway party on our balcony with the cake. By that time, our bags had arrived at our room, so once sailaway was done, my husband took the boys up to the pool, and I stayed behind to get everything unpacked because having it all sitting out was just going to stress me out. :)

I hope that helps!! We had such a great time on our cruise. I figured we'd enjoy it and have a great vacation, but I don't think I've ever wanted to cry when leaving a vacation before, lol!

ETA: we weren't doing any specialty dining while on board, so we didn't need to make reservations for any restaurants, and we had booked show reservations on the website beforehand. But if you're doing either of those and need reservations, the first day is probably the best to do it. Although you can make the reservations from the TV in your room or on touch screens throughout the ship.

Thank you so much for that detailed answer. I love responses like that. I'm very excited , and counting down the days!

Claireruth, thank you for that awesome detailed response! Our 1st cruise is in June and I've been reading everything I can find. That was a super helpful post! I hope we enjoy our vacation as much as you did!

Lots of good tips; one thing not mentioned was to get to the port the day before embarkation - unless you live less than two hours (TOTAL travel time) away. Not only do you not want to accept risk of missing the ship, you do not want to have your first day ruined by being worn out by travel. This is especially important if you are thinking about following those "get to the terminal by 10:30 AM" suggestions.

Be patient. Miami is a busy port.

Complete your on line preregistration at home at least a week before your cruise.

Fly in a day before if you can.

Affix your luggage tags to your bags after you retrieve them from your airline.

When you get to the port, give your bags to the stevedores. They expect a tip ($5 per bag more if it's heavy). Like the airlines do not give away your carry on -- meds, electronics etc. Pack a swim suit & sunscreen in your carry on so you can go to the pool if you want before the rest of your luggage arrives in your cabin. They have be delaying when you can get to the cabins presumably to allow the luggage to be delivered without passengers in the way.

First in line you will fill out a health questionnaire. Then you will go through metal detectors / screening.

If you try to bring wine aboard you will go to a table to pay the corkage.

Then you get on another line to set up your on board account. It's like checking into a hotel. They will take your credit card info (Do not open an account with a debit card) They will take your picture & give you a plastic card which is your room key & charge card on board. You also need it to get on & off the ship.

You will then be herded to the photographers for an embarkation photo. You can skip this if you want

Board the ship. You will be sprayed with hand cleaner (this will happen all the time). Read the on board news later Freestyle Daily so you know what activities there are. Have fun.

Embarkation can get pretty hectic and seemingly chaotic. The tips above are great, and I agree with most everything. (Surprised to hear the bars closing a full hour before muster. I've never experienced that earlier than 30 minutes before. It's interesting, the ship suddenly becomes very "unfun" because all the crew members have serious jobs to do. And when it's over, it takes about 3 minutes for the party to start!).

My advice. Get your hands on the Freestyle Daily as early as you can and start reading it. If you can, find a quite corner where you can concentrate. Start noting activities you want to do. The ship starts with fun stuff right away...so don't miss out. After than, you will get a new Daily each evening, with the schedule for the next day. It's lots of fun to read through.

I second the idea of getting to town the day before. Then you won't be stressed about missing flights or other complications. You can also go early so you can board as soon as possible to maximize time on the ship.

Some lines won't get your bags delivered for a few hours, so carry on anything you need for the first few hours (there aren't serious carry-on restrictions, like on a plane). Some people like to include their swimsuit so you can swim right away. Of course, take any medication, your identification and other documents, and something to read or do while you wait for embarkation.

I also like exploring the ship that first afternoon.

Most importantly, have fun! You'll love it.

Here are my tips.

1. Relax. Embarkation day can be chaotic. Depending on the port, you might be stuck waiting a while to get on the ship. Some people say show up early, others say show up later. I've done both and have had good and bad experiences with both. Relax. Once on the ship, the main dining room will be a zoo. Keep in mind this IS NOT the way it will always be. Once you get through the muster drill, things will quickly return to normal. Too often people expect things to run smoother than they do at embarkation and get frustrated. Dont expect your relaxing cruise to begin before dinner.

2. To help combat #1, Check to see what time you will be able to get to your room. Many cruise lines will not open your rooms until 1:00 or so. This is important because any bags you carry on will need to stay with you until your room opens up. So carry on as little as possible (carry on the important stuff, i.e. medications, passports, and some clothes for dinner, and anything you think you might need until after dinner, etc.). Dont try to drag a huge suitcase on...especially if you cant get to your room right away. They take up alot of room in the (already jam packed) dining room!

3. Your bags will get to your room, but they may take a while. It is not uncommon for the ship to leave port before your bags arrive in your room. This is annoying, and even experienced cruisers get nervous about this. Relax. Once your bags show up, spend some time unpacking and put the suitcases under the bed (they will fit, we didn't learn this until our 2nd cruise)

Oh, you can't take any beverages in with you.

Just to clarify, on Carnival each person in your cabin can carry on a 12pk of soda with you.

 

First in line you will fill out a health questionnaire. Then you will go through metal detectors / screening.

 

If you try to bring wine aboard you will go to a table to pay the corkage.

 

Then you get on another line to set up your on board account. It's like checking into a hotel. They will take your credit card info (Do not open an account with a debit card)

 

Again, with Carnival you do all of this online before you even go to the terminal.

I know OP is referring to NCL I just wanted to clarify this for anyone who may be reading these tips and sailing on other lines.

My top tips for a stress free embarkation process are here: http://cruisingisntjustforoldpeople.co.uk/2016/10/13/cruise-ship-embarkation-day-what-to-expect/

I decided to write all of that down because I like to know exactly what is going to happen before it does. Bit of a control freak really... hope that helps! :)

Miami is an amazing city and the sail out is incredible. Make sure you take a seat and watch the sail away! :-)

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For embarkation day lunch, avoid the buffet and go to the MDR or if one isn't open, go to a specialty restaurant.

This is something that I do before the cruise, if I am getting on a new ship. I don't like getting lost on board, looking for a lounge or a dinning room etc. So, what I do is I get a copy of the ship's deck plan and go over it, so I have a idea where everything is.

This also so builds up the excitement of the up coming cruise. And it saves me time from getting lost while on board.

Be patient. Miami is a busy port.

 

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When you get to the port, give your bags to the stevedores. They expect a tip ($5 per bag more if it's heavy). Like the airlines do not give away your carry on -- meds, electronics etc. Pack a swim suit & sunscreen in your carry on so you can go to the pool if you want before the rest of your luggage arrives in your cabin. They have be delaying when you can get to the cabins presumably to allow the luggage to be delivered without passengers in the way.

 

 

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We do disagree :). What you call "stevadores" (an old term) are actually members of the Longshoreman Union. Their starting pay is over $20 an hour and many make over $100,000 a year! When you give them your luggage they move them less then a few feet as they simply toss them into large bins (that are moved by fork trunks driven by other Longshoreman). The reality is that those "stevedores" are making a lot more money then many who give them tips. Yes, we are Americans so we do tip. We usually give those guys a Five (so they don't toss our luggage in the drink) but $5 a bag? NOT! For that , we would even carry your bags....not just move them a few feet to a bin.

 

Hank

$5 a bag tipped? Holy cow! I might tip $5 for my family of 4s luggage, totaling 4 bags total.

Be patient. Miami is a busy port.

 

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When you get to the port, give your bags to the stevedores. They expect a tip ($5 per bag more if it's heavy). Like the airlines do not give away your carry on -- meds, electronics etc. Pack a swim suit & sunscreen in your carry on so you can go to the pool if you want before the rest of your luggage arrives in your cabin. They have be delaying when you can get to the cabins presumably to allow the luggage to be delivered without passengers in the way.

 

 

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We do disagree :). What you call "stevadores" (an old term) are actually members of the Longshoreman Union. Their starting pay is over $20 an hour and many make over $100,000 a year! When you give them your luggage they move them less then a few feet as they simply toss them into large bins (that are moved by fork trunks driven by other Longshoreman). The reality is that those "stevedores" are making a lot more money then many who give them tips. Yes, we are Americans so we do tip. We usually give those guys a Five (so they don't toss our luggage in the drink) but $5 a bag? NOT! For that , we would even carry your bags....not just move them a few feet to a bin.

 

Hank

The cost of living in Miami is fairly high and what might sound like a high wage in corn country (I'm was born and raised in corn country, so I can say that), isn't really that high in S. FL. Besides, how do you know how much they make?

 

If you can't afford to tip properly, perhaps you shouldn't be cruising.

Wow, now that is a good tip in more ways than one.:eek:

If you board early enough, the MDR should be open for lunch. In my experience, they try to direct everyone to the buffet, which is a zoo and a half. We always skip that madhouse and head to the MDR or O'Sheehans, which are relatively empty, and enjoy a quiet sitdown meal.