The first cruise is usually confusing for one simple reason: nobody explains the order of operations. You may spend months choosing the ship, cabin, excursions and dining, but embarkation day has its own rhythm. There are things worth doing before you leave home, a handful of jobs to take care of once you board, and a few habits that make the rest of the cruise much easier. 

None of it is particularly complicated once you know how the system works.

Before you sail, get the boring stuff out of the way

There are several things I would take care of before arriving at the terminal because embarkation day is not when I want to be troubleshooting an app, digging through emails or trying to figure out what the cruise line allows onboard. 

Download the cruise line’s app and log into it while you are still at home. Most major cruise lines now use the app for boarding information, daily schedules, restaurant reservations, shore excursions, your onboard account, deck plans, safety information and communication. If you rely on a screen reader or other accessibility features, this is also the time to make sure the parts of the app you need actually work for you.

Keep an eye on the email address attached to the reservation too. Cruise lines frequently send pre-cruise offers for Wi-Fi, beverage packages, specialty dining and excursions. The prices can change, and if you already know you want one of those things, buying it before sailing is often less expensive and certainly easier than waiting until you are onboard.

That does not mean every email is a bargain. Compare the price against what you actually intend to use. If there is a restaurant or activity that matters for a birthday, anniversary or another special occasion, I would reserve it ahead of time if the cruise line allows it. If not, make it one of the first things you handle after boarding.

Then print your luggage tags. Most cruise lines include them with the cruise documents, and while folding and stapling them around the luggage handle works, inexpensive reusable plastic tag holders are a nice upgrade. Just make sure you buy the correct style because the sizes vary by cruise line.

This is also the time to check the prohibited-items and beverage rules for the cruise line you are actually sailing. Policies around wine, champagne, hard alcohol, power strips, steamers and other items are not identical from line to line, and what worked on someone else’s cruise may not work on yours.

Pack your carry-on for the first afternoon

When you arrive at the terminal, you will normally hand your larger suitcase to a porter and may not see it again for several hours. I pack my carry-on with that in mind. Mine has medications, sunscreen, swimsuits, snacks, chargers, travel documents, valuables and anything else I expect to need before dinner. If there is something that would cause a real problem if I did not have it for the next few hours, it stays with me instead of going into the checked suitcase.

And yes, do not forget the flip-flops.

If the weather is good and you want to head to the pool after boarding, there is nothing worse than realizing your swimsuit, sunscreen and shoes are somewhere inside several thousand pieces of luggage still being distributed around the ship. The carry-on is not just the bag you drag through security. It is your first-afternoon bag.

Once onboard, slow down and learn the ship

Embarkation day has a frantic energy. People board and immediately start trying to find the buffet, make reservations, buy packages, take pictures, locate their cabins and figure out where everything is. I prefer to use those first hours to get oriented. Walk around a little, find a few important places and get a basic sense of how the decks connect. I like to locate my cabin area, Guest Services, the main theater, main dining room, buffet and the elevator or stairwell nearest my room. Once those anchor points make sense, the rest of the ship becomes easier to piece together. Then I usually grab lunch. I often choose the main dining room when it is open because the embarkation-day buffet can be crowded, though availability varies by ship, cruise line and sometimes fare or loyalty level. Lunch is also a good time to open the app, look through the schedule, see when the cabin is expected to be ready and decide whether there is anything you actually need to accomplish that afternoon. If you somehow did not download the app before sailing, do it now because you are going to use it constantly.

Get the muster drill out of the way

The safety drill is mandatory, and the exact process varies by cruise line. On some ships you watch most of the safety information in the app or on your cabin television and then physically check in at the muster station. On others there may be more of an in-person component. Either way, find your station and complete the process early. The location will normally be listed in the app, on your room card or elsewhere in your cruise information. If you cannot find it, ask a crew member. Embarkation day is full of staff helping people find their way around, and this is one of the questions they answer all afternoon. I would rather handle it early and move on with the vacation than spend the day hearing reminders that I still have not checked in.

When the cabin is ready, get settled

Your cabin may become available before your suitcase arrives, so do not worry if the hallway outside your room is still empty. Once I get inside, I like to get the room organized. I bring disinfectant wipes and clean the remote, switches, handles and other frequently touched areas. That is simply part of my travel routine in hotels and cruise cabins. If the cabin steward introduces themselves, this is when I make the few requests I know I will want for the trip. I usually ask for extra towels and a mattress topper. In a warm climate, I also ask whether a fan is available because ships often have a limited number and they can disappear quickly. This is a good time to figure out the thermostat, lights, safe, outlets and whatever system the ship uses to tell the steward whether you want the room serviced or do not want to be disturbed. A few minutes learning how the cabin works on day one saves a lot of fumbling around later.

Keep track of your room card or wristband

Your onboard card is much more than a room key. Depending on the cruise line, it may be called a SeaPass card, Sail & Sign card, Norwegian key card, Princess Medallion or something similar. It opens the cabin, identifies you when leaving and returning to the ship and lets you charge purchases to your onboard account. Once the cruise starts, I rarely need to carry a wallet around the ship. If you lose the card or wearable, go to Guest Services and have it replaced. There is no reason to panic, but it is worth taking care of quickly because it is effectively your room key and onboard charge card rolled into one.

The app has mostly replaced the old daily planner

Years ago, you could count on finding a printed daily schedule in the cabin every evening. Those days are disappearing. The cruise-line app now carries most of that information: show times, trivia, live music, dining hours, port information, restaurant reservations and whatever else is happening that day. Some ships still provide a paper planner, and on others you can often request one from the cabin steward or Guest Services if you prefer it. I check the schedule at least once a day, but I do not try to do everything listed. Cruise ships offer far more activities than anyone can reasonably attend. Pick the things you care about and let the rest go. It is your vacation. Sitting somewhere quiet and doing nothing for an hour still counts.

Learn what dining is included and what costs extra

Not every restaurant onboard is included in the fare. The main dining room, buffet and several casual venues are usually included, while specialty restaurants and some premium menu items cost extra. The app generally makes the distinction clear and is also where you will usually find dining times and reservation options. If there is a special meal you want on a particular night and you have not already reserved it, handle that early. Popular restaurants and popular time slots can fill quickly.

Pay attention to announcements, even when you cannot hear them clearly

The captain’s daily announcements often include useful information about weather, sea conditions, arrival times, ports and schedule changes. The problem is that routine announcements are not always broadcast directly into the cabin. Sometimes you hear a voice in the hallway and only catch every fourth word. If that happens, open the cabin door for a moment or check the television. Many ships carry the announcement through one of the TV channels or provide the same information elsewhere in the app. 

The cabin television is more useful than it looks. Depending on the ship, you may also be able to check your onboard account, review the itinerary, see the ship’s current position, watch safety information and find restaurant or port details there.

Your onboard account works like a hotel account

During online check-in, you will usually attach a credit or debit card to the reservation. Once onboard, purchases are charged through your room card or wearable rather than requiring you to pull out a credit card every time. Like a hotel, the cruise line may place temporary authorization holds on that card, which is something to keep in mind if you are using a debit card and do not want funds tied up unexpectedly.

I check the onboard account every couple of days in the app or on the cabin TV. That keeps me from getting surprised by the final bill and gives me time to fix an incorrect charge before disembarkation morning, when everyone else suddenly decides they need Guest Services too.

Decide whether you really need Wi-Fi

Cruise Wi-Fi can be expensive, and I do not automatically buy it. If you need email, social media, work access, video calling or regular contact with people ashore, then you may want a package. If your main concern is communicating with people traveling with you, check what the cruise-line app provides first. Many lines offer some form of onboard messaging, though the details and cost vary.

If I know I need internet, I usually buy it before sailing because pre-cruise pricing is often better. Once onboard, I put the phone in airplane mode and turn Wi-Fi back on so it does not quietly connect to maritime cellular service. You can also wait until port to check in with people back home. Restaurants, cafes and businesses around cruise terminals often have Wi-Fi, but I treat those networks like any other public Wi-Fi. I use a VPN and avoid doing anything especially sensitive unless I need to.

Know where you are getting off on port days

The gangway location can change from port to port. You may have boarded the ship on Deck 5 and discover that the next morning everyone is getting off on Deck 2. Listen to the announcements and check the app or daily information before heading downstairs. More importantly, know the all-aboard time before leaving the ship. If you booked an excursion through the cruise line and the excursion runs late, the cruise line has procedures for dealing with that group. If you go ashore independently or book through a third party, getting back on time is your responsibility and the ship may leave without you. I build a healthy cushion into my return. I would much rather be sitting near the port an hour early than sprinting down the pier while someone on Deck 10 records me for YouTube.

Stay on ship time

This is one of the easiest ways for a first-time cruiser to create a very bad afternoon. Ship time controls onboard schedules and the time you are expected back from port. Sometimes the ship changes clocks as it moves through time zones, and sometimes it does not. Do not assume the clock on your phone is correct simply because it connected to a local cellular network. Before leaving the ship, confirm ship time in the app or on the cabin television and make sure everyone traveling with you is using the same time. 

Missing trivia because you got the time wrong is mildly annoying. Missing the ship is something else entirely.

Disembarkation starts the night before

The last morning moves quickly. Near the end of the sailing, you will receive instructions explaining when and how to leave the ship. Follow them. There are usually two basic luggage choices. You can put your larger suitcase outside the cabin the night before so the crew can move it into the terminal, or you can carry everything off yourself using self-assist or express departure. If you send your suitcase out, remember that you will not see it again until after you leave the ship. Keep your morning clothes, medication, toiletries, documents and anything else you need in a smaller bag. Pack the night before and be ready when your group is called. The crew has only a few hours to get one entire shipload of passengers off and prepare the vessel for the next group. Trying to leave much earlier than your assigned time or hanging around long after it does not make the morning easier for anyone.

Before you leave home

I would have these things handled before heading to the terminal:

• Complete online check-in and verify your documents.
• Download the cruise-line app and make sure you can sign in.
• Watch email for pre-cruise pricing on Wi-Fi, beverages, dining and excursions.
• Reserve any dining or activities that are particularly important.
• Print and attach luggage tags.
• Check current alcohol and prohibited-items rules.
• Pack a carry-on with medications, sunscreen, swimsuit, flip-flops, chargers, snacks, documents and valuables.
• Confirm any accessibility, dietary or medical requests.
• Decide whether you really need an internet package.
• Know your terminal arrival time and transportation plan.

Once those pieces are handled, the first day becomes much less about solving problems and much more about getting onboard, learning the ship and starting the vacation. You do not need to know every restaurant, every deck and every cruise trick someone posted online before you sail. Most of it will make sense surprisingly quickly once you are there. The goal is simply to take care of the things that are much harder to fix after the ship starts moving.

Do you have a tip or trick for a first time cruiser? drop me a message and let me know. Passing along this kind of inromation making things go smoother for everyone. 

See you at the gate

-Ted and Fauna