Boarding the Ship

I've booked my first cruise next year - 11 nights around Spain and the Canaries with Royal Caribbean sailing from Southampton. I'm quite an anxious and 'need to know everything' traveller.

I've found pretty much all the information I want except boarding the ship... is it much like airports? Check in, drop bags, security, board? Are the queues long? Will I need to carry my iPad separate like at the airport? Can I take a (soft) drink with me or will I have to discard it before boarding?

Any tips for a first timer?

It's more like checking into a hotel....you will go thru security before you get to the check in desks...walk thru a metal detector, and your carry-ons are scanned...then, it's the same as a hotel!

I don't think you'll be able to take opened containers on...but if you have a can of soda or a bottle of water unopened, that's not a problem.

The lines....depends when you get there relative to when others get there! It moves right along!

Your rooms will be ready at 1 PM, so if you have carry ons, you won't be able to put them in your room and unpack those until they announce rooms are ready, which again is around 1 PM. If you wish to check into the cruise Terminal around 12:30 then you should be on board and go directly to your room within that 30 minutes. I recommend any electonics, cameras things you wish to keep with you at boarding, not be checked in with your luggage. In most cases your checked bags will be at your room by 3 sometimes later so if your plan on changing before dinner, pack extra clothes in your carry on or back pack. I personally carry a 3/4 day supply of clothes in my carry on in case a bag goes astray.

Sounds like a great 1st cruise. Enjoy!

My experience:

It starts out rather more like a hotel. There are fellows at the curb who take your bags, rather similar to a hotel except they gather everyone's before sorting them all to the rooms. Best advice I can give you is print your luggage tags, fold them as directed, and then use some sort of wide, clear packing tape lengthwise to strengthen. If you are flying, don't put them on your bags yet. I've always just borrowed a stapler at the hotel desk to apply them to each bag's handle.

Then it gets rather more like an airport. Everyone lines up with their boarding pass and ID handy. You wait in line a bit, then after some validation you get your sea pass. After that you go through security. They put everyone through a metal detector and scan their bags. After that it is pretty smooth. You'll find you are on the ship almost before you know it!

Welcome to CC!

We have found that the ports are different just as the people that work at the ports are different. One guard gave me lots of stuff about taking on caffeine free sodas....he claimed he had to confiscate them. We argued and he finally gave in...at another port..no one bothered to ask if we had bottles of soda!

We like to arrive early at the pier. Drop our check in luggage, check in, and then board the ship. If it is warm weather, we head to an outside table and take a seat, order a drink and toast our cruise. Then, one of us will go and get some lunch while the other sips and guards the carry on stuff.

Around 1pm, the staterooms become available and we head out and put our "valuable" stuff in the safe and unpack our carry on. We then take off and tour the ship. If you have not made reservations for dinner...this is a great time to get that done. Many times the specialty restaurants will offer "special" deals in terms of a discount if you book that day. You do not have to dine that day...just book your reservation.

Before we know it...it is time for the muster drill and then sail away! Most CC groups arrange a sailaway party at one of the bars or locations on ship. Then....it is just sit back, relax and enjoy your cruise!

Enjoy your cruise!