What is the first thing you do when you board the ship?

[shaycat11]

Hello Everyone,

 

I am boarding IOTS in the next couple of weeks at Southampton and thought it would be fun to ask everyone if you have any tips on what you do first as soon as you board the ship...?

 

I usually head to the spa and get myself a raffle ticket, then go find my dining table for the cruise....finally I find a quiet corner and study the cruise compass with a cold drink :cool:

 

Do you have any tips on making the most of them 'first few hours' before you get given your room key...?

 

Looking forward to reading your replies

 

Lisa xx

Edited August 10, 2014 by shaycat11
Grammer

[Kamloops50]

We check out our cabin location and then have lunch.

[39august]

We get our Seapass "key" upon check in, so no waiting. Do you have to wait for this after boarding in the UK? Since we board before noon we get lunch first now. When we first started cruising, we were so wowed, we checked out the ship first thing.That is still what I would do if boarding a ship we had not previously sailed...but at this point, all our upcoming cruises are on ships we are familiar with. So, lunch will continue to be the first thing we do!

[Funbobby68]

Get my first of many mojitos

 

 

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[WeatherFx]

One of the first things we do is find our MDR table. Grab a bite to eat, then explore the ship if it's a new ship for us.

 

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[shaycat11]

Oops! I have phrased that one wrong...I mean before you get access to your room (get the key on check in) sorry for the mix up :)

 

I find lunch very busy as soon as we board so was seeing if anyone had any tips for alternative places to go or insider secrets ;)

 

Lisa xx

[39august]

There are both the Cafe Promenade and Sorrento's as alternatives to the Windjammer on Indy. We often just get a light lunch there on embarkation day, if we are not among the very first to board the ship. Those are great places to people watch while waiting for access to your cabin.

[rylcrwnlft]

Lunch at the windjammer usually.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Oops! I have phrased that one wrong...I mean before you get access to your room (get the key on check in) sorry for the mix up :)

 

I find lunch very busy as soon as we board so was seeing if anyone had any tips for alternative places to go or insider secrets ;)

 

Lisa xx

 

Thanks for clarifying! I was trying to figure out a) how on earth they would handle finding everyone on board to give them their cards and b) why on earth no one else had protested having to wait in SUCH A LONG LINE to get their cards! :p

[bigbny1]

cocktails..............:cool:

[molsonschooner]

On the bigger ships that have a Royal Promenade we head to the pub so the DW can have her first beer. On the smaller ships we go to the Schooner bar, again so DW can get her beer. Can you detect a pattern here?

[jules815]

We usually board early and grab a bite to eat, then we go exploring the ship and check out our MDR table assignment and make any specialty reservations.

[Wilda]

Pool bar and a bite to eat from Park Cafe!

[ERIE 13]

Bring our small carry on bags to our room when its ready, then check our dinning room table for its location, then get a little lunch. Then I'll go around the ship and take some pictures before too many people get on board. Being this will be our eighth time on the Explorer picture taking will be held to a mimuim. I say that on every Explorer cruise but still come back with to many pictures.

[dulcimergirl]

I've always gone to my cabin and dumped my stuff and head out to find lunch.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

I've only sailed Disney Dream (x2) and HAL's Westerdam so far (well, the SS Emerald Seas back when I was in 6th Grade, but I think we pretty much went straight to the cabin then as we definitely went to the pier from the airport - my parents still talk about the hellacious cab ride in Miami and say they are very glad my sister and I were in the rear-facing back seat of the station wagon cab). Disney's embarkation pattern seems closest to Royal's with cabins not being ready until 1 or 1:30, so... On Disney I board, I go to guest services to sign up for anything I need to and leave a deposit for my account, then go up to Cabanas, pretty much their version of the Windjammer from what I can tell for lunch and have never had a problem with crowds as I'm usually in one of the first couple of boarding groups and everyone else is all SWIM SWIM SWIM. Then I'll explore the ship for a little and then head to my cabin.

 

I anticipate doing something similar next summer when I'm on the Radiance. I'll be with a group where we'll rotate tables among those assigned to the group, and won't know those numbers until we have our welcome reception, so there's no point to going and finding out my table. (On Disney, the table placement will be different in each main dining room, so even knowing the number someone will guide you at least the first night in that dining room.)

[bighairtexan]

I find a table, usually at the Promenade Cafe and have a light bite and wait for my cabin to be open. ANYTHING but the Windjammer and the madhouse there.

[dacsmom]

I find the drink of the day

[homeschoolmama]

We wear our bathing suits under our clothes and head straight to the pool. Once it starts to get crowded we drop our carry ons in the cabin, get all our mail and brochures and head to cafe promenade for a light bite and reading through everything. If we still need to make a reservation we get to the applicable place after the pool, but before our first cabin visit, to again avoid crowds. Usually this is done online before leaving though. After our lunch and reading time we go back to our cabin. If luggage has arrived we unpack before the lifeboat drill, otherwise we just sit and take in the sights from the balcony until the drill. After the drill we dress and head to dining room. Let the fun begin!!!!

 

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[shaycat11]

Thank you for all your replies, i really like the suggestion of getting photos in before the ship gets busier...

 

I just hate wasting opportunities on the first day...has anyone gone to a speciality restaurant for dinner on the first day? Xx

[maggieq]

See where our dinner table is

Book specialty restaurants

Lunch

Drink

[lovelife]

Check out our dining table and then explore taking photos.

[ace1zoe2]

I am another one who gets on early, usually in the first wave of people. I like to start at the top and go from top to bottom of the ship taking pictures while there is basically no one else in the area. I prefer my pictures without random people.

 

Once that's out of the way I no longer have to carry my camera around the ship with me. I then rely on my point & shoot or iPhone.

 

Next we usually go to the Promenade Cafe or Park Cafe for lunch and avoid the WJ altogether. Once the rooms are open we unpack and then start enjoying our aft balcony until time for muster.

 

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[Clarea]

Long Island Iced Tea.

[dacsmom]

Thank you for all your replies, i really like the suggestion of getting photos in before the ship gets busier...

 

I just hate wasting opportunities on the first day...has anyone gone to a speciality restaurant for dinner on the first day? Xx

 

 

Sure, we are eating at Chops the first night on the Allure.