first cruise questions

[fire5555]

First cruise going to be on the liberty of the seas

 

Just looking for check list or of maybe the top ten things to take

 

What to do the first day

 

Should I board as early as possible?

 

Thanks

[Clarea]

Why not board as early as possible? You paid for the first day.:)

[LilBlackDress]

First cruise going to be on the liberty of the seas

 

Just looking for check list or of maybe the top ten things to take

 

What to do the first day

 

Should I board as early as possible?

 

Thanks

 

Sunscreen!! the ocean is a huge reflector....

 

Most people go to Windjammer (buffet) 1st thing, others like to walk around the ship and get to know where things are

 

As Bob said, Board as early as you can, you are paying for the first day!

[mad-dog74]

I would encourage boarding as early as possible... as mentioned,d you are paying for it. Might as well enjoy it.

 

As far as things to take, it is so subjective. The must-haves are gonna be different for everyone. I have found myself searching for a notepad and pen before... every now and then we leave a note for each other about where were gonna be, etc. or need to leave the stateroom attendant a request.

 

My wife always takes a small first aid kit with the basics, antibiotic ointment, bandaids, etc.... and safety-pins. She has needed/used safety pins fairly often and has even given them to fellow cruisers who were in a mind for something.

 

Another tip I'd suggest... unless we have a busy day planned at a port, we typically tend to do the opposite of most people.... when they're in line busting to get off he ship, we like to stay on... usually have the pool, etc. to ourselves. Then, later in the morning/afternoon, we get off the ship while the others are coming back on. Of course, that all depends on your time, etc. in port.

Edited October 12, 2016 by mad-dog74

[Merion_Mom]

First cruise going to be on the liberty of the seas

 

Just looking for check list or of maybe the top ten things to take

 

What to do the first day

 

Should I board as early as possible?

 

Thanks

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Every evening you will receive the daily Cruise Compass, which tells you everything going on that day.

 

Take a highlighter marker to note those things that you want to do the next day.

 

:)

 

Relax and go with the flow - you will have a great time!

[Ocean Dancer]

First cruise going to be on the liberty of the seas

 

Just looking for check list or of maybe the top ten things to take

 

What to do the first day

 

Should I board as early as possible?

 

Thanks

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic and your very first post!! :)

 

We try to arrive at the port between 10 am and 11 am.

 

Your first day will be having lunch and waiting for your room to be ready at 1pm. Then you can drop off your carry-ons and breathe. You made it. Ask for ice to chill your wine, you are allowed 2 bottles.

 

Now is the time to explore the ship until the muster drill ( mandatory)

 

After that most go back to their cabins and like magic, your luggage has arrived, or will soon.

 

You may start to unpack or go to the sail a way party.

 

Then pretty up a bit for dinner and a show. The Compass, your daily newspaper will be on your bed every day and will have all the info that you need, as will your TV.

 

Bring basic meds. My feet always swell and I need comfortable sandals and shoes.

 

Bring a positive attitude and a smile or a hello to everyone including crew.

 

I'm sure others will chime in.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!! :):)

[dplusd]

Welcome to cruising! Boarding usually begins around 11:00am. Arrive at the terminal about an hour earlier to drop off your bags and get checked-in. Rooms will not be available until about 1:00pm. Have lunch at the Windjammer buffet and then explore the ship. You're first sail-away is special...I like to enjoy it from the open deck 12, just above the pool deck. Another good spot is the helicopter pad...located forward on deck 5 (access on deck 4 then up the stairs to deck 5). There is a muster-safety drill around 3:30, that last about 1/2 hour.

 

Enjoy!

[GrammyJill]

Getting onboard asap is my philosophy! Don't stress about it though.

Best thing to take is a good attitude. Also. I've read to take 1/2 the clothes you planned & twice the money. 💰

I always take a power strip. Don't forget your chargers.

Aloe Vera, lotion & heavy conditioner. A small container of downy wrinkle release goes on all my trips.

 

Have tons of fun & remember this is your first cruise don't plan every minute.

 

Sent from my LGLS991 using Tapatalk

Edited October 12, 2016 by RBLWMN

[DELTABLUE]

Ditto on the power-strip! You will need one.;) I like to have a battery tea light to leave in the bathroom at night. Hit the $$$ store. They also have magnetic clips that are handy for curtains or hanging things on the metal walls and doors. Bring something to hang on the outside of your cabin door so it looks a little different from all the others on the looooooog hall. If nothing else, you must have an advertising magnet around the house. No? Is it just me?:confused: They seem to breed here.:eek::rolleyes: Or, let your creativity run wild.

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic and have a blast on your first cruise. You've picked a very addictive venture. And, remember, the only thing better than your first cruise, is your next one!:D

[tonyweir]

We were on Liberty the first week of August. You'll love the ship!

 

Ride the Tidal Wave.

 

Go to the bow, on deck 4 walk forward, up the stairs and forward. You'll be on the tip of the bow Titanic style! It's a great place for sail away and later on while underway.

 

The Quest is a blast (PG rated).

 

If you want to ice skate, bring jeans. Long pants are required, everything ele is provided.

 

There are nice comfortable chairs on deck 4 where you can sit in peace and quiet if you are so inclined.

 

The portable bar on the pool deck has some daily drink specials yo can only get at that bar.

 

Saturday Night Fever was an awesome show (PG rated too). The early show is less crowded than the late show. Get there early in either case. The 70s party on the Royal Promenade was a lot of fun.

 

Trivia is available every day, as is Karaoke.

 

Someone mentioned reading the Cruise Compass every night. Read it twice! You will be surprised at the things you missed the first read-through.

 

Room service for breakfast was great, especially if yo have a balcony cabin. The menu assortment was great and they were on time. What a way to start the day. Breakfast on the balcony.

 

We had such a great time, we're going back! Liberty on Feb 5, 2017.

 

Enjoy your cruise!!

[Bobblehat71]

Board early and make the most of your first day.

 

Take some basic medications eg. flu remedies,ibuprofen etc

 

If you want to beat the queues when disembarking at port take the elevator down to decks 1,2,3&4 about an hour before time.Pop you head out and look for a small red and white temporary exit sign. The exit deck could be any of these and by the time they have announced it there is usually a long queue.

 

If you have booked traditional dining and you don't like the company ask to change tables the next day.They will be more than happy to oblige.

 

If you have my time dining there's no real need to book ahead.Gets busy around 8pm but you will not have to wait long. I would also recommend you share a large table as you will meet some great people and have some familiar faces to chat to throughout your cruise.

[fire5555]

WOW

 

Thanks for all the replies

 

Going to make a list

 

My wife does not do stairs well, all the time

 

For muster what deck is that on, so maybe get there early, ?

 

 

 

And they do not get huffy about power strips??

 

 

 

How about the best way to talk person to person, if you are on different areas of the ship??

 

 

Should I even bring my iPhone?? Use att service

[Clarea]

... For muster what deck is that on, so maybe get there early, ?...

The back o fyour stateroom door will show your mister station. Most muster stations on Liberty are outside on deck 4, but there are some indoor muster stations.

[BillOh]

First cruise going to be on the liberty of the seas

 

Just looking for check list or of maybe the top ten things to take

 

What to do the first day

 

Should I board as early as possible?

 

Thanks

 

Congratulations on picking a great ship for your first time. The one thing I always tell first timers is to make sure you relax and have a good time. You don't have to do everything, they let you come back.

[Jenjer]

If your Muster station is in the theater or a restaurant or someplace you can sit down get there early. Late people are stuck standing. some ships still have people stand outside I am unsure if Liberty does. I have not sailed her.

 

Plan on just hanging out after muster for 15 minutes or so to allow for the chaos to dissipate. Its the craziest part of any cruise. Everyone trying to get on a elevator or run up the stairs.

 

If you want to communicate on ship you need to put your phone in airplane mode and turn wifi on. To avoid international roaming charges. Then you both need the Royal app. There is a small charge 4.95 or 7.95 can not remember to allow each of you to text and I think call thru the ships wifi.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

Welcome to Cruise Critic. The Liberty is a great ship. Like others have recommended, attempt to get on the ship as early as you can. One of the first things we do is to go visit the dining room assigned. The maitre'd will be there at their podium to confirm your time & table. And yes, you can go look at your assigned table. If you don't like it, you can request a different spot. We really attempt to avoid the crowds at the Windjammer by eating a hearty breakfast & then grab a quick sandwich at Cafe Promenade. We explore the ship a bit as well. I also recommend that you pack a 'carry on' for the ship. Perhaps a swimsuit and/or anything else that you think you might need until your luggage arrives.

 

As others have suggested, pack your standard meds, Tylenol, Cold/Flu, basically anything that you think you might need. The wife literally packs a small medicine bag! Also, be careful with power strips. They can/will be confiscated. We purchased via amazon a Belkin power supply. It works great.

 

My last suggestion is to do anything & everything you can to avoid Guest Services on day one. It's busy. We also attempt to have all of excursions booked in advance to avoid the lines etc.

 

Enjoy your first cruise!

[sellwingri]

When you board, there's an opportunity to have the photographers take a picture of you. Since this is your first cruise, I would take advantage of this as a memento. We often look back at our pic. (No need to buy this on future cruises.)

 

There's been a lot of posts about power strips being confiscated and having your luggage delayed while it's being searched so because of this, I wouldn't suggest bringing one. We've survived 15 cruises without one👍😀

[39august]

There have been several reports lately of power strips being confiscated at security. We never needed one and have to power an IPad as well as phones. If you want to avoid the crowds at the Windjammer buffet on boarding day, there will be both Sorrento's pizza and Cafe Promenade open for lunch on that day. These are on the promenade deck 5.

[griffy116]

We were on a cruise on Liberty in July. They have you standing on Deck 4 so if your wife can't stand long, keep that in mind. I have a problem with it and I literally got nauseous afterwards because we stood so long.

 

Pack using zip-locks whenever possible. You can pack underwear, swimsuits and cover ups, even shoes. We get the 3gal zip locks at the Dollar store. Makes packing and unpacking a breeze. I can put an entire outfit in a big zip lock (shorts, t-shirt and undies). Toss them in a drawer or shelf and the night before wearing them, hang them up to shake any wrinkles. Put the dirty outfit in the empty zip-lock, toss it into the suitcase (which you should store under the bed) and on final day, you get to enjoy the ship instead of spreading everything out in the cabin to pack. Also great for that damp swimsuit. I mark a BIG X with a marker on the zip-locks with dirty clothes. I always have clean clothes that I don't wear. We also carry a few extras. The gallon size are perfect for slipping a snack into from the Promenade cafe to take back to your cabin to keep it germ free or to put in your fridge to enjoy later.

 

Never cruise w/o some over-the-counter meds like Ibuprofin, Pepto, Tums, Neosporin, band-aids. Nothing worse than needing one of these and you are sailing to the next port and shops are closed. I also carry the gel-caps of cold meds. I got a cold one night and had to wait until we go to a port (shops are closed) and try to spend my time looking for a pharmacy in Dominica. WOW...I learned a valuable lesson.

 

Copy/Scan all your documents and put it in an e-mail to yourself. That way if you get a credit card stolen or lose it, you can contact the company and have the information. Also do the same with your passport and any excursions you book from an outside vendor, your hotel for pre and post-cruise, airline confirmations, etc. Put an 8-1/2 x 11 piece of paper with your itinerary, ship name and number, and your cell phone number in any checked luggage (on top of clothes), in case it gets "separated" from you.

 

When you get to your cabin, put your passport, extra meds, valuables in a zip-lock in your safe. That way if the worst happens and you miss the ship at a port, the ship will leave these with the port authority for you to retrieve. Keep the phone number for the port authority with you when you leave the ship. It will be on the Cruise Compass. Also, when you get ready to pack and disembark, all your valuables in the zip lock (including your car keys) are together and you won't accidentally leave anything valuable in the safe. The interior of the safe if black and it's difficult to look inside and be sure you got everything.

 

Use the cube outlet instead of a power strip. Takes up much less space in your luggage, no fear it will be confiscated.

 

We use a lanyard so that we are hands-free and it doesn't get lost, and no it's not just for newbies. We're Diamond. We take a small round magnet hook for the wall and the lanyard goes on it when we get to the cabin and easy to grab as we leave. We tuck it inside our shirt when we leave the ship. When we are ready to go back onboard the ship, it's handy and no delay for us or the people behind us while we search for our Seapass card.

 

If you carry your two bottles of wine, grab a couple of wine glasses from the nearest bartender to take to your cabin.

[JTBCruiser]

Pace yourself and try not to do everything offered on the ship which is listed on the Daily Compass Bulletin of things to do. Pick and choose those most appealing to you and if like us, you will be hooked on cruising. You can do some of the other things on the next cruise. DW and I like the R&R of a cruise and tend to do less and really enjoy the atmosphere. Hope you have a great time!

[JaniceB]

Welcome to cruise critic. I always enjoy the Welcome aboard show the first night so I can scope out some of the entertainment offered.

[boobydoo]

We are boarding liberty in January most of you guys are saying get on as early as poss to make the most of the first day. Sounds a good plan but we have to make our own way to port from airport. I am in the progress of booking transport but not sure what time to book it for. What time can we get onto ship?

[Clarea]

We are boarding liberty in January most of you guys are saying get on as early as poss to make the most of the first day. Sounds a good plan but we have to make our own way to port from airport. I am in the progress of booking transport but not sure what time to book it for. What time can we get onto ship?

I'd plan to get to the cruise terminal around 10:30am so you can be checked in when they start boarding. Boarding usually starts between 11am and 11:30am.

[reedl]

My biggest bit of advice? Take it easy. Relax.

 

To me a vacation is time to just disconnect and relax. Having to make a schedule and having to do something all day is work.

 

There is something wonderful about sitting on your balcony (if you have one), or on the deck watching the water go by. More people should do that.

[fire5555]

So more questions

 

At night

 

In the middle of the I

Are the stars fantastic??

 

Top three free places to eat on board??