What do you do when???

What do you do when you first board the ship? In between the time you board and set sail?

Eat, take pictures of the ship while its still empty, find out where our table is in the dining room and then unpack and get my drink for sail away.

What do you do when you first board the ship? In between the time you board and set sail?

I like to go to my cabin if it is ready and then grab some lunch. I also use this time to get to know my way around the ship.

I know it seems like it would be ages from the tiem you board and the time you sail, but it all goes by very fast.

The windjammer will be open and serving food, and you can also explore the ship.

Have some lunch and make my way to the pool and find a deck chair and order a Foo Foo drink!

I save my unpacking for later in the evening so as not to waste a minute of the sunshine!

Once am over my initial freak out period - you know the one.....when you realize you are FINALLY onboard after so many months of planning ;) I head to the Windjammer area to get my soda card for the week, then into the restaurant for lunch - I am usually too excited to eat, so I get out of there quick and go see if my cabin is ready.......if it isn't, I head to the pool deck and whip out the camera to start taking pics. If it's hot and sunny - I take advantage of the pool area ( it is generally quiet just after boarding starts) and enjoy an hour or so of sunshine and umbrella drinks :D

We eat lunch first in the Windjammer......then we check out our table for dinner. If that is satisfactory (it always is), we then order a wine package and make reservations for Chops and Portofinos. By then our cabin will be ready, so we drop off our carry-ons and look over the cabin. Next we explore the ship, have a drink, unpack, do the "mustard" ;) drill, and get ready for sail away. Time passes quickly and by then we are totally exhausted from having so much fun!!!

Go up top, look around, order a foo-foo drink, check to see if cabin is ready, drop off carry on, find what time "must turd" drill is , take photos, check dining room table, order our next foo-foo drink, try not to forget "must turd" drill, unpack, etc., etc. etc.

Shoot some video, then change into swimming gear from my carry on and head for the pool (if it's filled, ofcourse!). :)

First we go see our room, Then we go out on the deck to see the view while the waiters are walking around with "Pina Coladas" saying "Its sippen time" We grab one:p then its off to windjammer for lunch.

Voyager W. Caribbean 12/16/06 "Our First AFT 1688"

Voyager E. Caribbean 11/05

S.S. Azure Seas Baja 11/90

Eat, have a cocktail, dump carry on in cabin, go find table for dinner, go back for another drink, or 3, look for friends, have another drink, go to Muster drill, head back to bar, have another drink, sweat from the heat and humidity, laugh with friends, watch the ship sail away FINALLY, go unpack, take shower, oh wait that is past sail away.. so from time I board, till sailaway, drink, pretty much that is all.

Head to cabin- drop off carry on bags, then head to the WJ for lunch, check table location in dining room, spend the rest of the afternoon at the Pool or Sky bar

This time is different. My DD is getting married on board. So we intend to grab a bite to eat then do the cermony then pics and party that go meet some Cruise critic people if possible then do the lifeboat drill. Then RELAX.

We usually board before noon, so we wander around a bit and when the WJ opens we get a bit of lunch. We like to eat out on the aft section that is open air. After we sit there for a while we sometimes have a meeting set up with some of our CC friends.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned here are the "expos" that they have on the ships the first afternoon. Or at least all the RCL ships we've been on. There will be tables from all the shops and venues on board and they give out raffle tickets and later in the afternoon they have a drawing, usually for dinner in one of the specialty restaurants. The liquor shop had rum tasting on one ship we were on and another time there were HUGE punchbowls of Bahama Mamas, with and without alcohol, and they were giving out samples. This whole expo takes place on maybe two decks all around the centrum.

These expos have been on all three of the Radiance class ships we have been on. I don't know if they have them on the other classes of ships.

We drop our things off in our cabin and go to lunch. Afterwards, we walk around the ship to find our way around and if something catches our eye, take pictures.

eat!:)

This time is different. My DD is getting married on board. So we intend to grab a bite to eat then do the cermony then pics and party that go meet some Cruise critic people if possible then do the lifeboat drill. Then RELAX.

You plan to do all of this BEFORE the muster drill? What time does the ceremony start? That sounds pretty aggressive !

As soon as I step off of the gang plank I salute the Security Officer and security staff and request for permission to board.

Am always received with a very welcomed aboard response, smiles and thanks from all the security staff. Usually a Ship Officer, if present, will return my salute with a big smile and a warm handshake and a very sincere welcome aboard response. They seem to enjoy my unexpected response to them as I step off of the gang plank.

One thing to add to all the other fun things that others have already mentioned; once our room is ready, I take a few minutes (that's all it takes) to whip out my Clorox or Lysol wipes and give our cabin a quick wipe-down---door handles, remote control, phone, faucets, etc. That few minutes sets my mind at ease for the rest of the cruise.

We usually board the ship among the first ones.

First I check if I can put my backpack to the cabin. Put all my flight tickets, money etc to the safety box.

Then it's time for lunch at the Windjammer.

After Windjammer time to take those photos while the ship is quite empty. Little bit touring the ship and while you are in the aft it's good time to check your table at the dining room. After this it's time for the first beer or drink up at the pool deck. Then you continue with the exploring of the ship, taking more photos. Then to the cabin for a little while. If the suitcases come before muster drill you unpack the suitcases. Buy some shore excusions, go for another drink. Then it's time for the muster drill....

Something like this.

First thing we do if we board before 1pm when the rooms are open, is go to the spa and make spa appointments and then, if we plan on eating at the specialty restaurants, make those reservations. We then get our first drink of the cruise and head to the Windjammer for some food. And hopefully by then our room is ready, if not we wait in a lounge drinking a foo-foo drink.

If boarding after 1pm, we drop our bags off in our room first, but then do everything else the same way.

Sorry!

Walk around pinching ourselves to make sure that we are really onboard and not dreaming!:p I also like to walk along the deck and see everybody on the shore looking at the ship. I remember the first time I saw a cruise ship up close, and how much I wished to be one of the lucky ones on board!!! It reminds me how fortunate we are to be able to be on the cruise! Then, we eat, walk, eat, get a drink, eat...you get the point!:rolleyes:

Being that I just cruised last week, this is an easy question..lol..we were one of the first to board and our rooms were not ready so we headed up to eat at the Windjammer. After that our room was ready so we dropped things off then found our dinner table, checked out AO, walked around, sat by the pool, took pictures while there weren't a lot of people on board and then before you knew it our luggage was in our room-about 2pm!!!

if we get on the ship prior to the 1pm time when the cabins are ready we will go to Windjammer and then just lounge around...right after 1pm we'll usually go drop whatever items we have...grab a drink or 2 and wait for set sail