11 Things You Should Never Do on Embarkation Day

My last few cruises we had access to our cabin immediately after boarding. At least to drop off our handbags. We usually do meet our stewards at this time. My next first thing is watching the safety drill and going to our muster station. THEN my vacation can begin.

Meeting the cabin steward can be random, but it will surely happen without looking for him. Sailaway "party" isn't for everyone, but you can be your own party of one as the ship pulls out.

I always fly in the day before. It makes getting to the terminal a waltz. If you choose an afternoon arrival time, your cabin will be ready, you'll be able to find a snack or drink to relax before sail away, and you can decompress. Take a nap? The steward becomes your best friend. Know their name, ask where they're from, and don't demand lots of things on arrival. If you have requests, write them down with your name and cabin number and tell them "when they have a moment - it's not immediately necessary." They'll appreciate your consideration.

Great video - I'm sure this will help so many people! One thing I always say when choosing an embarkation time is - think about where you're waking up! For me, when cruising from Miami, I want to relax, and maybe even go for a walk along the beach (I don't live near a beach!) before heading to the ship, so a later slot works better for me more often than early does! Again, excellent video!

Rule #2 was repeatedly broken by passengers. In NOLA, we had a 11:30am boarding time, we got there 5 minutes before time and there was a sea of people. I was able to see people holding their boarding passes with 12:30pm, 1:00pm, 1:30pm boarding times, etc. We waited 2 HOURS before being able to start up the gangway. The boarding pass had to be stamped with a star on it before you could get on and in front of us we had 5 ladies in a group without that stamp and they would not let them on and they all decided to throw a hissy fit, further delaying us. If people would have gotten there when they were supposed to, it would have been so much easier.

My wife knew nothing about cruising. We had a 1:30 check in. She just decided that we should go in at 12. We went right in.

Great vidro for newbies. We dont do thesail away party. We use our balcony, or go to forward observation decks . Occasionally eating with a view . I also show up whenever i get there . ADA assistance. The port of Galveston has the worst bag people . They govto whoever waves the biggest bill. We have had to have help with our luggage . They also pass up people with scooters .

On a cruise, it's better to be an hour early than a minute late. If you're way early, then just hang about the area and find a way to stay occupied without going too far away.

Usually like to get on board as soon as possible. Like to do the muster drill first. Only like to have a glass of wine with a meal. Like to miss the sail away party. They are boring. Most times bags arrive close to dinner time. Watch the safety video early then check in at muster station.

Very informative video 🛳️

Great tips!!

Good tips. Going to my stateroom was the first thing i did all of my cruises, but for the next one i'll follow one of your tip, and i wont get to the cabin at first, i'll explore the ship a bit before. Thx for advice and video.

Good Practical Advice!👍🏽🇺🇸

Normally we arrive a day ahead of our departure date but in a couple months we are doing a 10 day Canada/NE cruise and the cruise line is doing our flights and transportation to the pier. So we will see how that goes!

Having taken 17 cruises on four different cruise lines I want to point out a couple of things. Number one, not only do you not want to pack your passport with your luggage, you also want to make sure in the case of princess cruises that you don’t pack your medallion! Make sure that’s in your backpack. It will slow you down and require a long time at the counter. Should you inadvertently pack it in your suitcase rather than have it on your person. It’s not as quick as re-issuing a new medallion. They have to give you a special boarding card and it takes about a 20 to 30 minutes extra. Number two Cruise lines don’t always pay attention to the arrival time, I have walked right in regardless of the time of arrival with no issue whatsoever. However, I should qualify that, I don’t cruise on mega cruise ships with 4, 5, or 7000 passengers, hell no. I prefer cruise ships that are smaller more intimate and offer better one to one service. Number three, more than one occasion it’s been difficult for me to know who my steward was, they don’t always come out and greet you. one time, it wasn’t until the second day that I actually got to meet my Steward because he was always in another room and never took time to greet me. Lastly, the Sailaway pictured in your video is my idea of hell, that’s why the mega ships are no fun. There’s absolutely no room at the pool for an open lounge and their lines everywhere. Staying away from a mega ship will save you a lot of frustration and grief. Be advised also, when you’re on a cruise And it’s a tender port, you have to get there early with your entire group to get a number to get off in sequence. That will tie you up greatly should you arrive late. I’ve had to wait as long as 2 1/2 hours to get off the ship at atender port. I can only imagine if I was on a mega ship like royal Caribbean. It might easily be three hours plus.

On #8, I usually miss most of it because i want to see the shores as I leave and wave to those there or on smaller boats

Cruise lines like to schedule my arrival times any time after 2 pm I’ve actually had them as late as 4:00 pm and I’m am not doing that. I board as soon as possible.

Something to note about Royal Caribbean. You cannot do early check-in on-line. You have to download their app on your phone. I will not do this. So will have to stand in line at the terminal, with no pre-selected arrival time. As a Platinum Member, my experience with this will determine my next cruise choice.

Adding to your comment alcohol consumption is the issue of travel insurance. If you injure yourself when intoxicated and the insurer discovers you had too much to drink then they will deny coverage. Ask your insurer before you purchase coverage. PS: They will find out😉

Most cruise lines allow you to drop off your carry-ons in your cabin immediately. Always treat your room stewards with the utmost respect! We always enjoy sail away from our quiet balcony. Sail away "parties" on top levels are boring.