Boarding a Cruise Ship

SaLoGo

I've booked my first cruise next year - 11 nights around Spain and the Canaries with Royal Caribbean sailing from Southampton. I'm quite an anxious and 'need to know everything' traveller.

I've found pretty much all the information I want except boarding the ship... is it much like airports? Check in, drop bags, security, board? Are the queues long? Will I need to carry my iPad separate like at the airport? Can I take a (soft) drink with me or will I have to discard it before boarding?

Are there any cruisers out there with any tips for a first timer?

Caz3121

there is a great site called cruisecritic.co.uk. You will find a Royal Caribbean board and if you register you will likely find a specific thread just for people going on your particular cruise. Great place to discuss what you plan to do in ports etc and cover any questions

[Deleted User]

From what I remember...

You will label all your luggage, and you hand it all over to people before you get into the terminal in Southampton

Go into the terminal, you queue up to a desk, where they check all your details, look at your passports ect. They then give you a coloured ticket, for you to wait to be call for - for hand luggage security. They will take your photo and create your room key card.

Yes, the queues can be long. Get use to queuing on a cruise ship, as you'll be doing it all the time. If you've got a child in a buggy, you do get fast-track through the check-in process.

You get called, go through to the security area, queue up to go through X-ray machines.. your hand luggage too. It's not as strict as flying but I do think you need to put your electronics separately. I wouldn't take drinks in with you into the security area.

PRO TIP - there are free newspapers near the entrance to the security area. There's a lot of seating also, and water vending machines.

You then wander onto the ship, where people will try to take your photo.

You may be able to take some alcohol on board, but not much. Depends on the rules of the cruise line. We always take some cans of coke, and when we stop at ports, we'll bring more on with us, as well as bottled water.

There are tonnes of tips online for newbie cruisers.

daveyjp

Slightly different. Your bags will be taken from you when you arrive at port and taken to your cabin. If you are using ABP parking someone will take the bags from the car.

You then check in, have a photo taken and your cabin key given to you. You will need this as ID to get on and off ship in ports.

Queue may be long, it depends when you arrive at port, but there's usually a period of 4-5 hours when you can check in, there are dozens of check in desks, go later you may walk straight up. Go when all the coaches arrive and you may have a wait.

Go through security scanner and walk onto ship.

You can take electrical items, drinks etc.

We found RCI\Celebrity far slicker than P&O and Princess.

SaLoGo

Thank you all. Have checked out the Cruise Critic, lots of info on there! We're staying in Southampton the night before ad will be parking in the APB car park. There's 4 of us travelling, but 2 have priority boarding and have joked about laughing at us from their balcony!

I'm not a fan of the unknown, but am really excited too!!

[Deleted User]

If you've not booked it, we used these people for parking and they were great - http://www.parking4cruises.co.uk/

You can usually find a £5 voucher if you search on twitter/facebook

pelirocco

The getting on is quicker then getting off at the end , that can be a faff. It depends on the size of the boat as well . We found RCI the worse ( in oh so many ways lol ) Celebrity and PO were very easy to board .

Best tip I can offer is once you board , explore the ship straight away , the quicker you can find your bearings the more you will enjoy it

Marktheshark

Pack vomiting sickness bug medicine.

gettingtheresometime

Ringo is right -your suitcase is taken off you at the terminal building and you don't see it again until its in your cabin.

From my experience with P&O you are asked before you check in as to whether anyone has been ill in the last 7 days and then asked to sign that the info is correct.

On checking in, you have to register a debit/credit card that the on board purchases will be charged to and your photo is taken and registered against your cruise card - which acts as your key card to your cabin / charge card / passport (ie you won't get off or on the boat without it)

Only once have we had to wait to be called to go through security

We have taken a large bottle of brandy with mixers but we found the drinks to be relatively reasonable.

w211

If you're doing a formal night/s, and you have a suit in a suit carrier, it's best to carry it on with you, to prevent it from being creased/thrown around. They should allow you to do this.

If you drink coffee/soft drinks, you may be able to buy a "package" of 10/15/20 or so in one go, where you'll be given a card, which you get stamped each time you have a drink. It may be a worthwhile saving than buying individually (this was with P&O).

Kynthia

Do they still take your luggage from your room on your last night? The first time I went on a cruise I didn't know thus and didn't have an overnight bag to put my pyjamas, previous day's outfit and toiletries in.