Mostate_Momma

I live in Tampa, The Barrymore is nice, but towards the end of the Tampa Riverwalk. you are within walking distance to a lot of restaurants. I would recommend Ulele for a nice dinner the night before your cruise. Take a walk on the riverwalk also, its 2+ miles long with great views.

Awesome! Thanks!

We stayed at Barrymore a couple week ago. Reasonable price and free shuttle to the pier.

I'm booked at The Barrymore next week before our cruise. How were the rooms/amenities? Not that it has to be great-we're only going to sleep there. Also, were there restaurants/shops nearby (walking distance)?

Thanks!

Great review and thanks for the pics! I'm on the Empress next week-same itinerary! Getting really excited!

Following as I sail on the 25th!

30 days! Woohooo!

Don't worry about printing them at all....The luggage handler's at the terminal will have the airline type...you only need to write your cabin # on these...this is what works out best for us.

I already printed and will attach them, but this is good info to have in case we lose or damage them! Thanks!

Printing the luggage tags in "color" helps the crew to put your luggage in the correct area on the ship when it is loaded. I also laminate my luggage tags so they don't fall off.

I wondered if laminating was ok! Great-thanks!

You only need one copy as long as you check in together. B & W tags are OK.

Thanks!

Ok, having received my passport in the mail, I've done the online check-in. Printed the set sail pass, which has both my name and my daughter's on it. My question is: should we both have a copy of this? Or is one sufficient?

Also, it "suggests" printing the luggage tags in color, but black and white's ok, right? I'm doing it at work and that's my only option. I can do it at home in color if I really "need" to but if B/W is fine then I'll go with that.

30 days til embarkation! Getting excited!

Also the tags at the end of all the documents are sample tags.

 

Once your online checkin is complete there will be a "print luggage tags" tab show up on the online checkin page. This will have your deck and cabin number already printed on them.

 

It may take a little while once you complete your checkin for the tab to show up.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!!!

Ah! Thanks! Yet another thing I didn't know!

Thanks everyone! Looks like you all immediately knew which step I missed! :-)

As part of you providing your information (address, credit card to charge account charges to etc.) there would have been a button with Set Sail Pass. That's the document that you need to print out and bring with you to the pier (one for yourself and one for your daughter). It acts like your boarding pass. The other cruise documents as you've noticed is just required "stuff". All you need from that is the luggage tags - one for each bag that you want to leave at the pier to be delivered to your cabin (if you're just taking carry on luggage then you won't need luggage tags).

Great! Thanks! I had missed that step!

Have you done your Online Check-In ? After you do that there is a form you print out (Set Sail Pass) that you need upon boarding.

Ah I see! I haven't done that yet, but will later today! I KNEW there had to be something I was missing! Thank you!

My daughter and I are going on our first cruise at the end of May. Last week our cruise documents were ready but I just looked at and printed them today.

I guess I thought they sounded so important that this must be what I would bring to board the ship. But it seems like just informational stuff. And then 2 luggage tags.

So I guess I have a few questions. A) Is there ANY of this that I actually need to bring with me? Aside from the luggage tags of course? And B) What, then, is my "boarding pass"? Or isn't there one? Do I just show up with my passport?

This board has been so valuable to me--if I didn't know the things I've learned here, I know I'd be a frazzled mess the whole cruise!

Just got off the Empress on Saturday and let me tell you, you are in for a treat. The entertainment was awesome. We saw a comedian, a ventriloquist and a juggler and everyone was fabulous. We just went to the shows a little bit early (20 mins or so) and were always able to get good seats. The piano player was also fantastic in the Schooner Bar, but I think I heard that he was getting off of the ship when we were unfortunately. I hope you have a blast! We sure did!!:cool:

Thanks! I've been enjoying your review thread!

Following. Sailing on Empress next month!

hiya , you dnt have to but they do recomend you do , kinda defeats the purpise i think ! but u cant do it till you gt on the ship , i have enquired for ourselfs for this year ,dawn

I have My Time Dining for our cruise on Empress in May and have already made reservations online

I'm going on my first cruise at the end of May and I debated whether to get a passport or not also. I'm from a non-compliant state and have already had issues (entering a military post) and carrying your birth certificate around isn't convenient or terribly safe, for reasons already mentioned. I didn't want to spend the money for the passport, but I sucked it up and just did it. My parents aren't in good shape and I'll have 2 kids and a husband back home and I'd want to be able to fly to them if necessary. Plus, what if there were some malfunction of the ship and they were forced to fly everyone home? I feel safer having it, just my 2 cents.

Thank you, if you don't mind me asking, where you cruising too

 

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We're doing a 4-night to Cozumel. :)

We're cruising in May from Tampa and have booked at The Barrymore Hotel, which provides a free shuttle both from the airport and to the cruise port. I can't vouch for it yet but I'll come back and give it a review. We're coming in the day before the cruise and it's on the riverwalk so we figured there'd be plenty to do to entertain ourselves. Very reasonable-about $125 with all taxes and fees

This is my favorite type of review! Lots of detail--loving it! You have a vibrant and fun writer's "voice"! Can't wait for more!

Thanks to both responders! That's reassuring!

We're very excited to see all of the shows on Empress when we sail in May. I wanted to reserve for a good table but don't see them listed on the "plan your cruise" tab. I thought I remembered reading somewhere on here that it's first come, first served on certain ships. Is Empress one of them?

If so, do you have to get in line super early to get a decent seat? Anybody not get in for a show you stood in line for? Just don't want to spend my vacation standing in lines. Thanks in advance for the help!

70! (Do you think I can lose 50 pounds in 70 days?)

Thank you so much for the great pics! My daughter and I are sailing on the Empress in May and a lot of the things I've read make it sound like a floating ghetto. Lol. We don't have high expectations anyway since we have nothing to compare it to, but your pics are very reassuring!