Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

What are some "must do's" for the first couple of hours you are on board?

kath00

By kath00,
in Princess Cruises

Recommended Posts

HomelessBear

HomelessBear

Posted
Posted

Call in at pursers desk to get hole punched in cruise card...attach to lanyard.....go to cabin...unpack any hand luggage....put stuff in safe....camera in hand go and explore and take photos....(get good pics of ship before loads of people on board)...see cabin steward and request bath robes and egg crate....eat....and ...enjoy!! Aaaahhh...finally on holiday.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
gotta cruise again "Live from...." Rare

gotta cruise again

Posted
Posted

You'd have to poke around the Princess site for your ship but you can find out which MDR is serving lunch on the day you board; we've headed straight there with carry-ons when the closing time of the room was close!

 

I like all the ideas about booking Sanctuary/Thermal Suite/etc. before you go to your cabin. The only other odd-ball thing we might do that first day (in addition to those already stated) is to take the few things that need pressing to the laundry room and get that out of the way. My DH actually will iron his own shirts, bless his heart! No one else is ever in there, the room isn't over heated, and it's great to have it out of the way.

 

(1/5/13 Crown from Galveston!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ASeaPrincess1

ASeaPrincess1

Posted
Posted
We are heading on the Sapphire next week and I realized that I am not quite sure if I will need to do anything when I first get on. I would ideally like to check our dining room table size and location (where do I do that?). But otherwise, I dunno if anything else is absolutely necessary. Thinking a spa treatment sometime but I know they often have specials as the days go by. Is there a Chef's table to book, and where would I do that?

 

What do others do when they first board? Other than eat and unpack, of course...

 

Katherine

Ha, what else IS there????

HI, Kath,

If you want to do the Chef's Table (I did it on Golden and it was absolutely amazing!) as another poster stated, call the Dine Line as soon as you get onboard to make a reservation. They only have 10 seats available.

If you want lunch in the dining room instead of Horizon Court, go to the International Dining Room located on Deck 6 aft. At least, that's where they had it the times I was on Sapphire.

Don't let the "guard dogs" steer you away. Tell them you are in transit, or simply say you 'always eat here'.........

Sapphire is the only ship where I have had to assert myself. Maybe they have changed by now, but don't let them turn you away.

Of course, they close at 1:30, so make sure you are there well before that.

 

Then, go to your cabin, drink your glass of champagne, unpack, go to muster, go to the pool deck, have a DOD, enjoy sailaway, and have a fabulous cruise! :D:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
UT-Volsfan

UT-Volsfan

Posted
Posted

  1. Get to the port early and read a book while waiting for the Platinum/Elite area to board first. Depending upon the port, may eat some breakfast (last Thanksgiving we sailed out of LA and they had doughnuts, croissants, pastries, OJ, coffee, and milk in the Platinum/Elite lounge area which they had two people restocking until they let us board the ship).
  2. As soon as we get on board, find a phone and call the DINE line to make any special reservations we might need (Chef's Table or UBD).
  3. Drop our carry-on bags in the cabin.
  4. Call room service and request a tray of wine glasses be delivered and request the mini-bar setup be exchanged for a bottle of wine for dinner that night. Put the red wines we carried on board above the mini-refrigerator and put some white wines in to chill while we have lunch.
  5. Put the wallet and passports in the in-room safe.
  6. Go have lunch in the dining room.
  7. If it's a Princess ship we haven't sailed on before, take a walking tour of the ship.
  8. Go back to the cabin and get our bags unpacked.
  9. If we haven't met him/her before, we'll probably meet our Cabin Steward by now. Let him know any requests we might have (if beds aren't together, etc) and mention any special occasions we are celebrating during the cruise.
  10. If it's near Christmas, hang our Christmas stockings on our cabin door.
  11. Time for Muster Drill.
  12. Go to any Cruise Critic meet and greets.
  13. If we have a balcony, open some wine and enjoy a glass while watching us sail from port. If no balcony, go up on deck and find a spot at the back of the ship to watch sail away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Luv2escape

Luv2escape

Posted
Posted

Once in our cabin :

Do the "Happy Dance"

Put Valuable in safe!

Have Lunch in MDR

Back to cabin - Have drinks on balcony...toast vacation and each other.

Smile Smile Smile

Go to Muster Drill

Back to balcony for sailaway toast and RELAX!!!!!!!!!:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ando

Ando

Posted
Posted

After boarding as early as possible using Elite benefit and going directly to our cabin.....

1. Call DINE line to book Chefs Table

2. Request extra coat hangers and beds made up together

3. Go to MDR for lunch

4. Purchase Drinks Package for DD from MDR staff during lunch

5. Go and reserve several deck chairs for the duration of the cruise by leaving multiple personal items scattered around the pool area

 

Just kidding with the last one.....but I think others must do #5...and maybe before lunch....lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Go-Bucks!

Go-Bucks!

Posted
Posted

Boy, this thread sure makes me antsy to get onboard again!!! And, sadly, I've got 9.5 months to go. But my daughter and son-in-law are on a Caribbean cruise now, so I'm living vicariously through them. :p

 

One of my favorite "firsts" is to see the ship as we arrive in the port. Always get goose bumps. After boarding, we drop off carry on then go get lunch.

 

After lunch, we usually go to the spa to get a free demo and sign up for any specials. Also book the Thermal Suites. Then wander the ship to just enjoy being there. After Muster we go up on deck to enjoy sailaway. Back to room to unpack (suitcases are usually there by then) and go to dinner. This first day is often my most favorite day of the cruise. Ohhh, I love cruising!! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
smilz

smilz

Posted
Posted

LOOOOVE having the cabins ready when we board. That's a major downer with the other lines. Can't get into many of them until 1:30!:( We drop our carryons and then I take THE picture of the cabin before all of our stuff is all over the place. Eat a nice quiet lunch in the DR (also not industry wide!) and change into swimsuits and take a dip. We laze around for a while with a foofoo drink and read the patter and plan the rest of our day and evening. We check out the menu for the MDR that will be posted just outside the door. Life is good:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kath00

kath00

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Awesome suggestions!!

 

2 more work days, 3 more days and we are off!

 

I too get all giddy when I spot the ship as we pull off the Freeway. :D I have been known to shed a few tears of joy too....

 

Can't wait. Katherine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • ANNOUNCEMENT: Set Sail on Sun Princess®
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • Cruise Insurance Q&A w/ Steve Dasseos of Tripinsurancestore.com June 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...