What's the first thing you do when you board?

[1 HappyCruiser]

so they dont search carry on bags?

so i can sneak in a bottle of Jack Daniels and/or Vodka?

 

Although they will be scanned, no one cares if you're carrying a bottle of liquor unlike some other cruise lines. ;)

[DeepWaterMariner]

After dropping our carry on bags in the cabin we head to the library to get an early crack at the paperback exchange selection. Then we have a lite lunch at the International Cafe if there is one on the ship.

[loliola]

take our bags to our stateroom...stand and grin foolishly at one another...possibly do a small happy dance...gaze lovingly upon our balcony...and pour a cold one to toast and take out there!

[rdsqrl]

1. Unpack the carry-on

2. Scoop up the Patter and my camera and head for lunch

3. Eat lunch, read Patter

4. Tour ship from top down, taking photographs before public rooms are overrun with passengers

5. Check outside cabin door for luggage

6. Obsessively repeat #5 until luggage does appear; unpack

7. Stop by IC to pick up mocha to take along to muster drill

8. Muster

9. Up to Lido for sailaway Ultimate Mai Tai

[Terre]

First thing is take in a long deep breath to inhale that ship scent, then find our cabin and throw our carry-ons on the bed, change into shorts and tank tops, rush to the buffet, and then check out the ship.:D

 

Man, I can smell that scent now....;)...wish I was on a ship going anywhere.

[Princess Cruiser27]

Head to the BAR. :D :p

[SKOOKUM]

We go straight to the lido deck for pizza and then a marg.

[Luxurious]

..usually go to the bathroom!:D

[remydiva]

I order my celebratory Bon Voyage Pina Colada and sigh 'I have arrived'....that and phone the steward to 'order' my 2 wine glasses, ice bucket, egg crate mattress topper and 2 robes....

[debjo]

This is a great thread...glad to see there are other cruisers out there like we are!

 

Debjo

[debjo]

1. Unpack the carry-on

2. Scoop up the Patter and my camera and head for lunch

3. Eat lunch, read Patter

4. Tour ship from top down, taking photographs before public rooms are overrun with passengers

5. Check outside cabin door for luggage

6. Obsessively repeat #5 until luggage does appear; unpack

7. Stop by IC to pick up mocha to take along to muster drill

8. Muster

9. Up to Lido for sailaway Ultimate Mai Tai

 

When my husband saw this one, he thought I was now "writing" under an assumed name...guess you are I are a lot alike! ;-)

 

Debjo

[bosun1]

We normally go to the room and drop our bags off and then head to the pool area and find us a table in the smoking section; order a cocktail and get a bit to eat from the grill by the pool. On our upcoming cruise, our routine may change a little since it will be our first balcony cabin. We will probably have to step out on the balcony. We will have already paid for the UBD, so I will sometime have to schedule the day for it. I already know which night we want to do the UBD but I have no idea where I schedule that at.

What's a UBD?

[gerryl12]

so they dont search carry on bags?

so i can sneak in a bottle of Jack Daniels and/or Vodka?

 

The bags do through the x-ray machine, so unless it looks like a bottle of wine they may check. princess is not too sticky as they do not have a lot of problems and most people do support the liquor trade on board. We bring on some wine but also fully support the bars especially the Platinum happy hour every afternoon in skywalkers.

[JWJs]

I love walking up the gangway to board the ship on embarkation day, I stop to take a quick picture of DH. Each time, it's just one of the happiest days ever.

Then, since we are on Princess, we head for our cabin to drop off our carry-ons and then on to the Horizon for a quick lunch.

After lunch, we walk around for a bit, take pictures and videos and then head back to our cabin to relax and get ready to enjoy sail away on our balcony. :)

[champagne lover]

After reading all this I think when we board in a few weeks time I'm going to spend the first half hour going round in a spin trying to work out what to do first - I want to do it all first!!!!

[paul929207]

What's a UBD?

UBD = Ultimate Balcony Dinner

[BosoxI]

I look to see if any of my shipmates resemble in any way the people shown in the Princess advertisements. Once assured that they don't, I know I'm in the right place and I proceed accordingly. :)

[lovevacadays]

Take my carry on luggage to my room. Make sure the egg-crate and top sheet that I asked for pre-cruise are on my bed, go to the Horizon Court and get lunch and even, sometimes, get my first cruise drink, set out back by the aft pool and eat my lunch. If I want a specific night for the Specialty Restaurants I will call the dine line and make them.

[lovevacadays]

1. Unpack the carry-on

2. Scoop up the Patter and my camera and head for lunch

3. Eat lunch, read Patter

4. Tour ship from top down, taking photographs before public rooms are overrun with passengers

5. Check outside cabin door for luggage

6. Obsessively repeat #5 until luggage does appear; unpack

7. Stop by IC to pick up mocha to take along to muster drill

8. Muster

9. Up to Lido for sailaway Ultimate Mai Tai

 

I obsessively repeat #5 as well. And, it seems like almost everytime I cruise the person I'm traveling with gets their luggage within 30 minutes of us boarding and mine always seems to come a couple of hours later. That's a problem for an obsessive person like me:D:D

 

But, that Mucho Mango (or two) I always get at sailaway seems to really help with my obsessive nature.:)

[shofer]

We try to arrive a little later to let the crowds board ahead of us so by 2 PM, we are ready for some lunch. Check out the room, then head to the buffet. After that, a tour of the ship to get our bearings and walk around with silly grins that we are actually there. My sailaway drink is always a BBC. (Bailey's Banana Colada). So rich I only have one!

[PescadoAmarillo]

I look to see if any of my shipmates resemble in any way the people shown in the Princess advertisements. Once assured that they don't, I know I'm in the right place and I proceed accordingly. :)

This is so funny (and true). We once talked with a bartender about the models used in the brochures. He said that they come on the ship for a regular sailing, and that they stick out like sore thumbs even without the photographers trailing along.

[BosoxI]

This is so funny (and true). We once talked with a bartender about the models used in the brochures. He said that they come on the ship for a regular sailing, and that they stick out like sore thumbs even without the photographers trailing along.

 

I don't mean to sound mean spirited, but truly, Princess is becoming the Walmart of the Seas (or has RCCL co-opted that name?:D). However, on the 8/22 cruise on the Star, I saw a middle aged couple who really did look like they belonged in the brochure, tall and extremely good looking. No photographers following them, but they sure did stand out.

[luvtravel88]

We go to the room and drop off our bags, and while there, I wipe all surfaces with some clorox wipes, we call to get on the Chef's table list, stop at the service desk to get on the Ultimate Ship's Tour list and then head to lunch.

[Twinkstarr]

I look to see if any of my shipmates resemble in any way the people shown in the Princess advertisements. Once assured that they don't, I know I'm in the right place and I proceed accordingly. :)

 

:D funny.

[Pam in CA]

I go to my cabin, read the Patter and any other notices, invites, etc. If my shore excursion tickets are there, I check them against my list to make sure they're all there. I unpack my carry-on and head to lunch. I used to stop first at the library but now with my Kindle, I don't. After lunch, I go back to my cabin, relax on my balcony, read and check for my luggage every now and then. I pack almost everything in cubes so when my luggage comes, I just take out the cubes and put them on the shelves. Anything that needs hanging is hung up. It takes me maybe 15 minutes to complete the unpacking. Then, I'm really ready for my cruise. :)