First time cruising, some random questions

[ksca]

Hello everyone,

 

We're booked on a cruise on the Celebrity Summit in a few months. I haven't been on one before, so I had a few questions.

 

Our ship is docked at the various ports every day from 8-5:30. Does it take much time to get off the boat, and back on? What time do we need to be back to board the ship?

 

None of the excursions on the Celebrity site list a start time. When do they start? How do you find this info out?

 

How do you find out how many cruise ships are at the port on any given day?

 

I understand we can bring two bottles of wine per stateroom, but no hard alcohol. Is port/sherry considered wine? My grocery store treats them as such but I'm not sure about the boat. I'd love to bring these on board, since they stretch a little farther than a bottle of wine and would make for a nice night cap to dip on the balcony.

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Northern Aurora]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

I'll just answer your first question and let others respond to the remaining.

 

When the ship actually docks (as opposed to tendering) and local authorities have cleared the ship an announcement will be made over the ship's PA system (which will broadcast in the public areas of the ship but not the staterooms) indicating that passengers are free to go ashore. This announcement will also indicate the location of the gangway and there will be signs in the lower stairwells as to where the gangway is located. This announcement will remind that you will need your sea pass card and possibly photo identification. It is not unusual that the ship will actually dock and be ready for passengers to depart prior to the "official" time.

 

Upon leaving the ship you need to present your sea pass card to security so it can be scanned. You will also need to present your sea pass card to security when returning onboard. Also passengers will walk through a security scanner and bags will also be scanned by security.

 

Signs will be posted as to when passengers need to be back onboard. Generally passengers are asked to be back onboard thirty minutes prior to scheduled departure, but many try to be back onboard earlier.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise on the Summit. I've always enjoyed those M-class ships.

[Adidas4fun]

The above post is a great start.

 

Time for getting off, non tender port the greatest delay is getting the lift down.

 

Ships excursions start times will be on the tickets you receive on boarding if you book them. If you can find out that start times by other means I wouldnt believe them anyway.

 

How many cruise ships in port on a particular day Geeze, you really want the nitty gritty dont you. Each port does have a schedule available on line (well maybe not every port). You will have to locate and determine this for yourself.

 

Wine = wine. Not sherry. Not port. Not beer. Not cider.

[illiniwahoo]

If your ship is in port 8am -5:30 pm, you will have to be on board at 5:15 (or in line to get on board). Sometimes it's a breeze, sometimes it takes 10 minutes or so. Don't be late! They will leave you!

 

Getting off in the morning is easy on a docked port. It never taken me more than 5 mins from getting in line to being on the dock. Keep in mind, however, if you are booking private excursions, that the dock itself can be very long and the port large, so finding your tour guide may take a little while.

Tender ports are a totally different story. I have been off in half an hour, or three hours. If you are Taking a ship excursion, it's easy. Follow the directions on the ticket. If you are not, look in the daily news paper for what time they are handing out tender tickets, then show up BEFORE the time listed to get in line if you want to be off early.

 

Times for celebrity excursions can be seen if you try to book them. Select the excursion, choose the number of people, then choose the time. Sometimes there will be choices, sometimes only one time. When you get on the ship, you will be given paper tickets with directions for time a meeting location printed on them. It can either be on the ship or on the dock. The meeting time is typically 15 mins before the start time, but that can vary.

 

As far as sherry or port, they are both technically wine (fortified wine, but still wine). If you can find one that looks like like a regular wine bottle and says "wine" on the label, it might get through, might not. When I have brought wine they did not make me take it our of my carryon, just xrayed it and moved on. Sorry I can't be of more help there.

 

As far as number of ships, I just Google "xxx port schedule" and count. There is a easy website, but not sure if we can mention it here. If you Google "how many ships in xx on xx" it will proabably come up.

 

Have a great first cruise! I encourage you to look beyond ship tours to private tours or doing it yourself, but everyone's comfort level varies, so pick what's best for you and ignore the rest of us! The port of call boards have very valuable info.

 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Port & sherry are wine and you will be fine taking them onboard.

[Newbury newbie]

Wine = wine. Not sherry. Not port. Not beer. Not cider.

 

Nonsense, you'd be very unlucky to have port or sherry taken off you. Even if you did, you'd get it back at the end of the cruise.

[az_tchr]

Port and sherry are not wine. Have had them taken away and put in the "Naughty room" till the end of the cruise. If you are cruising out of the UK most likely no issue. If in the USA then more likely to have taken away. The key is having a bottle that looks like wine (I understand it is fortified wine) as some port looks like a liquor bottle. Also have them in your carry on stuff, not in your luggage.

 

All of the times are subject to change. Any excursions will have times shown of your excursion ticket and in a brochure you will receive on board.

 

Suggest you register for the Meet and Mingle for your cruise and also go to your Roll call. Am sure lots of information about excursions others are doing and suggestions of what to do in ports.

 

Have a great cruise.

[ksca]

Thanks everyone! This is really helpful. I wish the excursion times were more obvious, it makes it much harder to decide what to do.

[cdnhockeyfan]

If you are looking on line at the Shore Excursions. Select one that you like, number, of people and it will go to your shopping cart. You will then see the start and end times. You can keep it in your cart, pay for it and delete it.

The excursion times are exclusive to the actual cruise you are on. For example, the Reflection cruises will most of the time arrive in Puerto Rico at around 3:30 Most of the excursions will begin between 3:45 and 4. Hope this helps

[Adidas4fun]

Nonsense, you'd be very unlucky to have port or sherry taken off you. Even if you did, you'd get it back at the end of the cruise.

 

And yet straight after your post ....

 

It seems I was right.

[Mr. Click]

Skip the ship's excursions and book your own. Use the ports of call boards here and your cruise's roll call for more information. Most of the ship's excursions are larger groups and it becomes more like troop movements than sightseeing. They are also much more expensive. We have done 4 trips out of San Juan including one on the Summit and we only booked a ship's excursion once--a ferry ride and walking tour in St John US VI while we were docked in St. Thomas. It was just a convenience on that one but all of the other places we found lots and lots of great options off the ship.