Your First Day: Part I
Finally, the date of departure has arrived! After all your careful planning, you’re ready to sail. But, if you’re a first time cruiser, you may be experiencing a little bit of anxiety, uncertain about what will happen and what to do.
Relax, the cruise lines have seen it all before and are ready to make your trip easy and enjoyable.
When you arrive at the terminal, for most voyages there will be a crowd. So, just as you would for a busy flight, a popular movie or any other social activity, allow lots of time.
Knowing you have plenty of time to get done what’s needed always decreases the stress level dramatically.
You’ll be eager to get your carefully packed luggage on board. Don’t worry. The porters are almost always very experienced and do a great job of making sure that everything is taken care of. They’ll put your suitcases in a bin that will be loaded onto the ship.
Airlines only occasionally lose luggage, and most of that happens because of confusion from connecting flights. No chance of that here, so relax. They’ll deliver your bags to your cabin as soon as possible, but be realistic.
They typically have thousands of bags to sort and deliver and that takes a little time. A moderate tip can’t hurt, though. Some recommend $1 per bag, but a minimum of $5 is reasonable these days.
When you get inside the terminal building, you’ll (of course) have to wait in line (except on vary rare occasions).
You’ll walk through the security facilities - X-ray, metal detector and whatever else they come up with next. If you’ve had any experience with airport security, you’ll usually find this much less stressful.
Just exercise common sense and don’t make any foolish jokes, and don’t try to take any liquor on board. That’s not so much a security risk as it is the cruise lines wanting to encourage you to buy what they offer. Some find it annoying, but others just see it as part of cruising.
Save yourself some money and hassle and read the fine print before you leave, then follow its suggestions.
You’ll be provided with a number or letter and invited to wait in the Embarkation Lounge until you’re called to board the ship.
That’s a good opportunity to take a deep breath and maybe even strike up a few interesting conversations with more experienced passengers. Most people about to leave for a cruise are in a good mood and are happy to answer questions.
If you were running late, you may just be asked to get right on board. Don’t worry, though. Enjoy being treated like a movie star when the ship’s photographers snap your picture. Just smile and act like you do it every day.
Now you have a chance to walk around the ship, find your cabin or explore some of the amenities offered. If you get lost, again don’t worry.
Just ask one of the dozens of friendly cruise line employees. Most are very practiced at helping out and, despite always being tremendously busy, are happy to direct you when they can.
Most of all, enjoy!