Total Newbie questions

[Moondoggy51]

My wife and I have never cruised before so we are total newbies and we are hoping that someone can give us some pointers.

 

We have been looking at a cruise on the Oasis of the Seas and when they say that a cruise leaves on say...July 17th for a 7 day cruise, what time of day do you board and what time of day do you get off the ship? I'm assuming that the boarding time would be later in the day and that upon return you would get off in the morning but I have no idea about times. Can anyone explain how this works?

 

Royal Caribbean does not show our local airport on their web site but our local airlines does fly into Ft Lauderdale so we'll have to make our own flight arrangements. We don't want to miss the boat but don't want to spend any more on extra nights in local hotels than we have to. What is the general rule for making flight plans down and back to avoid any problems?

 

Assuming that we will fly right into Ft Lauderdale airport does Royal Caribbean have their own hotels and airport shuttles or do you need to rely on local hotels and airport shuttles?

 

Assuming that you would need to get down to Ft Lauderdale the day before your cruise, what kind of plans do you need to make to get from a hotel to the dock? Assuming that one would stay in a local hotel, do the hotels run shuttles from their site to/from the dock? Basically I'm totally ignorant about what it takes to get from their airport to a hotel and then from the hotel to the dock and then back to the hotel or to the airport from the dock. Can someone clue me in on how this works?

 

As a newbie, what other things should I know about to make the cruise memberable and problem/hassle free?

 

Let me know.

[janetz]

Boarding can begin as early as 11:30. We like to get to port early, be one of the first groups on and have a good part of the day to explore the ship.

Getting of the ship, without any gliches, starts between 8-8:30.

You really need to fly down the day before. The airlines are so unreliable and the ship will not wait for you. We never book air thru the cruiseline and go down the day before. We stay at the following hotel that offers transportation from the airport and to the port for your cruise. We have them call us a taxi as we dislike shuttles.

 

http://www.valuetrips.com/AMS/FL/F17.htm

 

There are many hotels near port to choose from. As far as getting to the airport there are tons of taxi's waiting. When you disbark the cruiseship and go into the luggage terminal, grab a porter and he will get your luggage and a taxi in no time. We always book our air for around 11:30 and have always been to the airport before 9:30. ;) There is a wealth of information on these boards. Have fun!

[CanuckMO4]

Ok here goes ,you will love the Oasis ,It arrives in port between 5 and 6 am ,after clearing customes people can start getting off,usually around 7 for express walk off i think and around 8 am otherwise,Your tickets will tell you you can board at 2pm but it usually starts between 11 and 1130 get on as early as you can.Rooms wont be ready until 1pm but you can have lunch and start looking around or go for a swim .I always go down at least 1 day prior 2 the big event and in winter 2 days prior too. The airport is only about 15 min drive to the port and should cost about 15 bucks much cheaper than RCCL tranfers.I always make my own air arrangments aswell, RCCL will sting you hard for air and hotel. Hotels in Fort Lauderdale are expensive but you can pick up something resonable depending on date of travel/A lot of hotels offer air port pick up and transfer free to cruise port too.Watch for those,.If you see a hotel you like check these things out saves a lot of money and a lot offer breakfast too.If your hotel dosnt have shuttle take a cab.I havnt used it myself as we always travel in a very large group but a lot of people on this board use priceline I beleive it is they can tell you more about that but what I know is you can reserve a hotel with your credit card and cancel up to 48 hrs with no penalty,on price line once your bid for a hotel is accepted you have to pay it and cant get out.People do get great pricing though.Ask on the board .If you are going to fly down the day off get a early early flight down and I would think for peace of mind your flight home should not be any earlier than 12 or 1230 just in case. Have a great cruise I hope this info helps.

[househunter]

It is almost always better and cheaper to make your own plane reservations. I would make sure to go a least a day early and spend the night. Some hotels have shuttles to the port but most people just take a cab.

 

You can usually board at about 11am and you disembark before 9am on the day you return.

[amybeth4]

While people on CC highly recommend you fly down the day before, you DON'T "really need to." I never heard of flying down the day before until I joined CC. Since then, I've flown down early three times for nine cruises and never had a problem. Just make sure (ESP. in the winter) that you have a VERY early flight out, preferably with no connections. Travel insurance is a good idea, esp. when flying down that morning.

 

I always get to the pier by 11am and am usually onboard within 15 minutes. It's that fast.

 

Take a taxi to the pier, whether it's from a hotel (unless you find one with a free shuttle) or the airport. Cheaper than RCCL's transfers. I always book my own air and, if I'm flying down the day before, I book my own hotel.

 

Once you make your final payment, you'll be able to check in online, through RCI's website. That's HIGHLY recommended. You'll then print out your setsail pass. You don't need to bring ANYTHING with you except this piece of paper, your passport and your credit card.

 

DO NOT OVERPACK, which you'll do anyway, since you've never cruised before. You won't need at least half the clothes you bring. :)

 

Everything is SO well-explained to you once you're on board, you'll be amazed at how easy it all is.

[Triciabrownbear]

So true about the overpacking! I usually get everything organized and cut it in half! I have never underpacked. :-)

[oldguysandgalls]

Ship Ahoy Moondoggy51!

Welcome to the world of cruising, if you are like most of us you'll be hooked forever. Now on to your questions:

 

1) Always leave the day before,

2) Find a reasonable priced hotel, have dinner and relax and relax

3) Next morning take a local taxi to the pier or hotel shuttle if available

4) Don't show up to too early at the pier, waiting is not much fun

5) Don't over pack, you are on a floating resort, relax and take it easy

6) You don't need a tuxedo or a gown for the formal dining nights

7) Because RCL has a fantastic buffet selection and it casual wear, relax

8) Tip in CASH at the end of your cruise your cabin steward

9) Same applies for your dining room steward(s)

10) DO NOT tip the maitre d'hotel ( for what? )

11) Watch your on board ship bill, keep all receipts for verification

12) Shore Excursions CAN are expensive, explore on your own if you can

13) Always, always, book late afternoon return flights, always

14) WHY? because ships can be late in returning to port.

14) Don't fret over little things, enjoy, enjoy and enjoy.

15) BON VOYAGE !

From the Oldguysandgalls

PS. :D bringing your own liquor on board is not allowed, don't try it

 

 

 

My wife and I have never cruised before so we are total newbies and we are hoping that someone can give us some pointers.

 

We have been looking at a cruise on the Oasis of the Seas and when they say that a cruise leaves on say...July 17th for a 7 day cruise, what time of day do you board and what time of day do you get off the ship? I'm assuming that the boarding time would be later in the day and that upon return you would get off in the morning but I have no idea about times. Can anyone explain how this works?

 

Royal Caribbean does not show our local airport on their web site but our local airlines does fly into Ft Lauderdale so we'll have to make our own flight arrangements. We don't want to miss the boat but don't want to spend any more on extra nights in local hotels than we have to. What is the general rule for making flight plans down and back to avoid any problems?

 

Assuming that we will fly right into Ft Lauderdale airport does Royal Caribbean have their own hotels and airport shuttles or do you need to rely on local hotels and airport shuttles?

 

Assuming that you would need to get down to Ft Lauderdale the day before your cruise, what kind of plans do you need to make to get from a hotel to the dock? Assuming that one would stay in a local hotel, do the hotels run shuttles from their site to/from the dock? Basically I'm totally ignorant about what it takes to get from their airport to a hotel and then from the hotel to the dock and then back to the hotel or to the airport from the dock. Can someone clue me in on how this works?

 

As a newbie, what other things should I know about to make the cruise memberable and problem/hassle free?

 

Let me know.

[OhioCruiserDude]

So true about the overpacking! I usually get everything organized and cut it in half! I have never underpacked. :-)

 

Ive underpacked once on our last one. We woke up an hour late. Tossed the bags in the back of the car got all the way to the airport which is almost an hour for us when we relized we forgot on of my bag. Thank god my suit was in my dads bag, me and dad are close to the same size so we had to share all week. Used onboard lundry ALOT!

 

Have a great trip. And remember a bad day on a cruise is better than a good day at work. But is it possible to have a bad day on a cruise???

[NicoLee]

You can fly the day of, but it gets stressful. You will be much more relaxed if you fly the day before.

 

Book your evening shows on RCCL website before you cruise.

 

Tipping is important as the waiter/room stewart's salary is very little, I always give a little on the first day just to get things started on the right foot. Your bar drinks include tip.

 

Bring a bottle of your own booze in your checked bag, as the worst thing that will happen is they take it from you and give it back on the last night.

Cruise vacations can be very busy. be prepaired to do alot of walking.

 

Unless you have suite your cabin will be small, but don't worry you won't be in there much.

 

Use this CC board/website for info. It has the answer to any question you could think of.

 

Waring this site can be addictive!!!

 

Have Fun.

[Triciabrownbear]

Great advice! I especially agree about finding information on this site. I have cruised 10 + times and have only been on CC a few weeks. Can't believe I didn't find it before. There is always something new to learn and isn't it wonderful to have the "inside" information before you get on the ship. Thanks to all that chat and contribute to CC. :D

[TNT]

My husand and I always fly down early. Once a year I take a "all girls" cruise with people I work with. They don't want to go early. Our last cruise was CLOSE!!! We had an early flight out, but our plane was stuck by lightning on the way in to get us. They had to scramble to change planes, etc. We were bumped back several hours and reached the ship with not much time to lose. You just never know...:(

[Hobiecat01]

My wife and I have never cruised before so we are total newbies and we are hoping that someone can give us some pointers.

 

We have been looking at a cruise on the Oasis of the Seas and when they say that a cruise leaves on say...July 17th for a 7 day cruise, what time of day do you board and what time of day do you get off the ship? I'm assuming that the boarding time would be later in the day and that upon return you would get off in the morning but I have no idea about times. Can anyone explain how this works?

 

Royal Caribbean does not show our local airport on their web site but our local airlines does fly into Ft Lauderdale so we'll have to make our own flight arrangements. We don't want to miss the boat but don't want to spend any more on extra nights in local hotels than we have to. What is the general rule for making flight plans down and back to avoid any problems?

 

Assuming that we will fly right into Ft Lauderdale airport does Royal Caribbean have their own hotels and airport shuttles or do you need to rely on local hotels and airport shuttles?

 

Assuming that you would need to get down to Ft Lauderdale the day before your cruise, what kind of plans do you need to make to get from a hotel to the dock? Assuming that one would stay in a local hotel, do the hotels run shuttles from their site to/from the dock? Basically I'm totally ignorant about what it takes to get from their airport to a hotel and then from the hotel to the dock and then back to the hotel or to the airport from the dock. Can someone clue me in on how this works?

 

As a newbie, what other things should I know about to make the cruise memberable and problem/hassle free?

 

Let me know.

 

Everyone has given you great advice but I want to reiterate flying down at least the night before (we always fly out of Atlanta by noon the day before and enjoy the afternoon in our port city).

 

You do not say (nor your profile) where you are, but flight delays can be deadly. Especially with connecting flights, weather or other flight delays (never heard of a plane on the ground getting struck by lightning, but I have been on a plane where a wheel fell off - I swear!! - thankfully on the taxiway).

 

It used to be that one could show up just as the gangway was being pulled and still get aboard (yes, I have litterally seen this happen years ago). Not any more. You MUST be aboard at least 1 hour before sailing for security reasons... NO exceptions. No one wants to be standing at the dock watching your cruise sail away because you didn't make the boarding deadline.

 

But one thing is for certain... YOU WILL LOVE YOUR CRUISE!!!!

Oh, and then you will be like all of us... addicted to cruising!:D

---------------------

Sea ya!

Ron and Lee

Canton, Ga

Proud RCCL Platinum Member

"In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom,

in water there is bacteria." – Ben Franklin

We are proud Oasis Camel Cruiser – April 17, 2010

The Oasis Camels Website

Previous Cruises – 59 Days at Sea!

Carnival Mardis Gras - 3 Day Bahamas - April 1982

Carnival Destiny - 7 Days Western Carib. - April 1998

Princess Grand Princess - 7 Days Eastern Carib. - April 1999

Princess Sea Princess - 7 Days Western Carib. - March 2000

Princess Grand Princess - 7 Days Western Carib. - March 2002

RCCL Navigator of the Seas - 7 Days Western Carib. - March 2003

RCCL Mariner of the Seas - 7 Days Western Carib. - April 2005

RCCL Freedom of the Seas - 7 Days Western Carib. - 6/18 - 6/25/2006

RCCL Liberty of the Seas - 7 Days Eastern Carib. - 7/19 - 7/26/08

Planned Cruises

RCCL Oasis of the Seas – Our Friends Cruise - April 17, 2010

RCCL Allure of the Seas – Our Neighborhood Cruise - 2011

The BIG One - Southeast Asia 14 day – 2012?

Princess Cruises - The Med – 14 day – 2013?

[Triciabrownbear]

So very true Hobiecat! We are flying from Texas to Fort Lauderdale for our 4/10 cruise. (We will be visiting family in Texas before heading on to Florida.) We could have gotten a flight out Saturday morning and saved the cost of the hotel one night. I just kept thinking about how excited we will be to be sailing on the Oasis and I don't want one negative thought to intrude on that. So... we are flying in early Friday afternoon, hopefully with plenty of time... just in case! ;)

[JeffersonSea]

I would second the motion about (almost) never buying a shore excursion through the ship. They're almost always more expensive (some by a lot) for nothing more than a little convenience.

 

Do some online research and you can find the exact same tours and activities online for cheaper. Or, as we've done in some stops, just walk off the boat and you can't help but run into tons of companies offering you the same excursions for cheaper. (just be careful and ask questions, and if you feel uneasy about someone/something, move along)

 

For instance...in Cozumel once, we walked to the end of the pier, found a company offereing snorkeling trips for $30 !! less than the ship's excursion. We went on a snorkel trip and it was just the two of us along with a very nice family of four. 7 people total if you include our guide (who was awesome!! and knew exactly the good spots to go to see the really cool stuff)

 

While we were snorkeling, we saw the cruise excursion group. There must have been 50 people all snorkeling together, bumping into each other, and were so happy we did what we did. We had a great trip, and were back on the ship by about 11:30 and enjoyed the nice quiet pool the rest of the day. Wonderful.

[CanuckMO4]

Is this newbe still out there they havnt responded to anything!

[TNT]

Especially with connecting flights, weather or other flight delays (never heard of a plane on the ground getting struck by lightning, but I have been on a plane where a wheel fell off - I swear!! - thankfully on the taxiway).

 

First, I'm not trying to be smart about your post. I didn't know if it was referring to my post or not.

Our last cruise was CLOSE!!! We had an early flight out, but our plane was stuck by lightning on the way in to get us. The plane was not on the ground, but in route to our destination. We were on the second leg. With that being said, I'd rather have been in my shoes than yours. I would have freaked at losing a wheel. I'm a 10mg Valium flyer on a good day! ;)