Boarding and activities

[dreslercarie]

We have never cruised before and I have no clue how this works. Sorry if these are stupid questions.  I've seen where some say they have been on board the boat by 12pm. The ship leaves port at 5pm. What all do you do durning this time? 

[Slugsta]

2 minutes ago, dreslercarie said:

We have never cruised before and I have no clue how this works. Sorry if these are stupid questions.  I've seen where some say they have been on board the boat by 12pm. The ship leaves port at 5pm. What all do you do durning this time? 

 

 

Have something to eat/drink.;

Use the pool if weather allows (we cruise from UK);

Checkout the cabin and start to unpack if luggage has arrived;

Attend muster drill. . .

 

[Elaine5715]

Sunbathe, tour the ship...

The ship offers tours and activities

[beachbum53]

Go to the buffet, which is on the Lido Deck (Deck 9 or 10, depending on the ship) and have lunch. Before or after you've eaten, look to see what else is in that area. The pizza counter, the Deli, soft serve ice cream machines, etc. Once your cabin is ready for occupation (usually by 1:00) go drop off your carry on items  and explore the ship. Find out where things are on the ship. The shops, as well as the casino, will be on Deck 5 (Promenade Deck). The Guest Services Desk and the Excursions Desk will be on Deck 3 in the Atrium. Remember, this will be your home away from home for the next several days. Even if you don't need or make use of everything on the ship, it's still good to know where things. 

[PhillyFan33579]

5 minutes ago, beachbum53 said:

Go to the buffet, which is on the Lido Deck (Deck 9 or 10, depending on the ship) and have lunch. Before or after you've eaten, look to see what else is in that area. The pizza counter, the Deli, soft serve ice cream machines, etc. Once your cabin is ready for occupation (usually by 1:00) go drop off your carry on items  and explore the ship. Find out where things are on the ship. The shops, as well as the casino, will be on Deck 5 (Promenade Deck). The Guest Services Desk and the Excursions Desk will be on Deck 3 in the Atrium. Remember, this will be your home away from home for the next several days. Even if you don't need or make use of everything on the ship, it's still good to know where things. 

 

Just an update to your comment. On roughly half of Carnival’s ships the shops and casino (Promenade) are not on deck 5 and the Guest Services and Excursions Desks are not on deck 3. 

[Garth2]

17 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

Just an update to your comment. On roughly half of Carnival’s ships the shops and casino (Promenade) are not on deck 5 and the Guest Services and Excursions Desks are not on deck 3. 

 

And the shops and the casino are never open will the ship is in port.

[ABQrobin]

1 hour ago, dreslercarie said:

We have never cruised before and I have no clue how this works. Sorry if these are stupid questions.  I've seen where some say they have been on board the boat by 12pm. The ship leaves port at 5pm. What all do you do durning this time? 

 

1.  Go directly to Lido to have lunch.  

2.  Walk around ship, take photos.  Grabs drinks.

3.  Go to room, usually available at 1:30pm.  Drop our carryon bags and go back out.  

4.  Walk around ship, get a feel for things.  Go by dining room and see the menu for dinner.

5.  Muster drill is usually around 4:15pm.

6.  Sail away party on Lido deck.  Gotta attend and watch all people dancing.  

7.  Go back to room to see if luggage arrived yet.  If it has, start unpacking.

8.  Dinner time.

[LuckyStar]

Spend some time exploring the ship.  Learn the shortest routes to get places.  This will help you a lot.  My first cruise I had no idea how large the ships could be and that there isn't always a direct way to get to other areas.  Have fun!

[CoolOne56]

ABQrobin said it best!

 

If you still have time after #4, find a place to "people watch" (with a drink) until the Muster Drill.

 

Happy Sails!

[MommytoAsquared]

Eat

Drop off your stuff when you can

Unpack

Grab a chair by the pool and people watch until the sail away party

[Nic6318]

Hi

 

Depending how the day has gone, I will often take a shower and a nap. This helps me feel refreshed and ready for the evening. I do this at home too. The main thing is, you are now on your vacation, settle in, and find things to enjoy yourself.

 

Once you get to your cabin you will find the "Fun Times" sheet, it's a daily printout of all activities happening onboard with times of events, as well as a list of all food and beverage facilities with their operating schedule. This sheet is given to you daily (in the evening, so you can plan for your next day). It is also available through the Carnival "Hub app". Many people who have cruised before have their favorite things to do, but if this is your first cruise, this would be a good place to understanding what is happening. 

 

Welcome to cruise critic.

 

have a great cruise

[imridingdolphins]

Word of warning on the going to have lunch on Lido as soon as you board.  It will be crazy crowded during that time because that area will have the only food options open.  Enjoy!

[Anyislandwilldo]

We like to get on the ship as soon as possible.  This feels more like the start of our cruise vacation then.  We are platinum so we are one of the first ones to board.  We drop off our back pack in our room and head to the lido deck for lunch.  then back to the room to check on luggage and unpack.  A quick look at the fun times to see whats happening.  Next down to the main dining room to check out our table assignment.  After that we do a general walk around to see what is different on that ship compared to other ships we've been on.  You will be surprised at how fast that time goes after you board the ship until sail away.  You will be in awe walking around checking out everything.

 

Happy Sailing!!  Enjoy your cruise!!

[noblewoman]

1. you don't always have to eat at buffet try guys, blue or look and see what is open 
2.  

[beachbum53]

6 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

Just an update to your comment. On roughly half of Carnival’s ships the shops and casino (Promenade) are not on deck 5 and the Guest Services and Excursions Desks are not on deck 3. 

 

Thanks for sharing that. We haven't been on every ship in the fleet, so I wasn't aware that the location of certain things aren't the same on every ship.

[beachbum53]

6 hours ago, Garth2 said:

 

And the shops and the casino are never open will the ship is in port.

 

Never said they were. I was just mentioning some things to look for that might be of interest to the OP once everything opens for business.

[CoolOne56]

Remember, eating in the Main Dining room is free. ☺️

[Joebucks]

For me, the ship is usually chaos at this point. It's hard to explain because it's a combination of wanting everything to settle / muster to be over and excitement that you're there!

 

As much as I love to procrastinate in life, I'm very good at unpacking before muster. I want everything setup for the week, and my travel there is DONE. I will likely grab food before the muster too. For as much as everyone complains about the food, I am beyond excited to grab my first meal. I'm usually torn. Do I want the chicken tacos or bacon cheeseburger?

 

Then we usually relax and/or will explore the ship. Once muster ends, it's an amazing feeling!

[Roscoe13]

Christen the balcony! 

[RWolver672]

Most if not all of the ships have miniature golf, basketball courts, giant chess sets, some have ping pong tables, water slides, etc.  There's all kinds of things to do to keep you occupied.

[StolidCruiser]

Apparently, “people watching” is a popular pasttime (one I’ve never participated in).

 

On my next cruise I’ll have to pay attention to those fixated on watching me. Hopefully I won’t have a hanger in the house and the barn door won’t be open.

[Mysticalbama]

We try to just get a feel of the ship by walking around and seeing where everything is. I print off a page of every floor so i know where to go if i want to go to a certain area. We usually get a bite to eat and then partake in a drink. Get to know your bartenders and they will treat you good. Then walk around to see if your room is ready and get ready for the Muenster Drill. (Hate that part). Especially when rude people take their time to get to their stations and we have to wait and wait and wait. Once that is over, go to Lido deck and watch the fun as we sail out of port. We are in our 50's and you will see me dancing like i am a kid. LOL  Just let go and enjoy your vacation.

[bbtbear]

A good idea I've read and will be trying out in a few weeks is if you have a set dining time, go to your dining room and find out your table assignment from the Maitre D. Make any changes if you are not happy. This way when dinner rolls around you can skip the long lines on the first night and go right to your table.

[sc4125]

As a first-timer, don't let the massively crowded Lido area scare you.  My brother-in-law on his first cruise with us freaked out at the crowds that first day (mind you he freaks out pretty easily). 

 

It can be very chaotic on embarkation day starting around 12:30 or so (thankfully I'm platinum & get on before it gets too crazy) - Also, if you don't have access to your cabin (normally 1:00 or 1:30) you will have to keep your carryon bags with you.  So with the number of people and all that luggage, it's a little crazy.  Just remember, this is the only time it will be this bad. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Catocop]

Take a tour of the spa and exercise room and enter the raffle for a free massage or other spa service.