What's your first..? Tell about your rituals

[CruiserByHeart]

While I've been in a number of cruises I don't yet feel experienced enough to have a boarding day ritual... but what's yours?

 

What's your first drink? First item at the buffet? Usual place to enjoy sail away? Or any other firsts?

[chemmo]

Where possible we start our rituals the day before by booking into a port hotel where we will set the alarm for the time the ship comes into port (yes, very early)....We will track it on MarineTraffic...

 

We always board asap, drink in Michael's, small lunch in Luminae (don't have the burger, it will fill you until the next morning!).

 

Love to be all unpacked and sorted before muster...only then do I really feel on a cruise!

[portcbob]

We always board then go to the top of the ship and have a drink around the pool. When our room is ready, we go and unpack our bags then just have a walk around the ship until the drill.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We board around 11:30 and head to Michaels Club for proper champagne & to meet the Michaels Club Concierge. Off to Luminae, where my DH usually has the burger but I stick with sea food. Hope to get into our suite and have most cases unpacked before the muster drill.

[Saturngrl]

We arrive at the port early and board as soon as they allow. We then head to lunch and then to a bar to relax until the staterooms are ready. It's then off to the stateroom. First, we wipe everything down with antibiotic wipes, then unpack our carry-ons. We review the daily schedule, head to the spa for their specials and then explore the ship until Muster. Early to Muster, then back to our balcony with a drink in hand for sailaway!

[Tiggertastic]

For a few years we've headed to the sunset bar, grabbed a great seat and toasted the holiday with a cocktail. Last 2 years we've opened the martini bar, being the first served on the cruise and then try to be the last served early hours of disembarkation day.

 

 

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[CruiserByHeart]

For a few years we've headed to the sunset bar, grabbed a great seat and toasted the holiday with a cocktail. Last 2 years we've opened the martini bar, being the first served on the cruise and then try to be the last served early hours of disembarkation day.

What a great idea! I'll drink to that 🥂

 

Where possible we start our rituals the day before by booking into a port hotel where we will set the alarm for the time the ship comes into port (yes, very early)....We will track it on MarineTraffic...

While I'll never be an early riser I really like your idea and usually am so excited that on embakation morning getting up to see the ship is no problem 😉

[neverbeenhere]

1) I carry my baggage up and down the hall making sure I run into every door

 

2) I always buy two or three of the drinks of the day.

 

3) for the first hour, I put on my Life Jacket and walk around with my ship map asking every person I see "Where is the laundromat."

 

4) Then I go to the pool, light my pipe, block out five or six lounges, strip down to my thong, turn on my boombox and proceed to relax. - It is MY cruise.

[north29]

We arrive at the port early and board as soon as they allow. We then head to lunch and then to a bar to relax until the staterooms are ready. It's then off to the stateroom. First, we wipe everything down with antibiotic wipes, then unpack our carry-ons. We review the daily schedule, head to the spa for their specials and then explore the ship until Muster. Early to Muster, then back to our balcony with a drink in hand for sailaway!

 

X2 only we go to the Buffet and have a couple of glasses of wine with lunch and give our seats up when it fills up and people are looking for a table to have lunch.

[CruiserByHeart]

1) I carry my baggage up and down the hall making sure I run into every door

 

2) I always buy two or three of the drinks of the day.

 

3) for the first hour, I put on my Life Jacket and walk around with my ship map asking every person I see "Where is the laundromat."

 

4) Then I go to the pool, light my pipe, block out five or six lounges, strip down to my thong, turn on my boombox and proceed to relax. - It is MY cruise.

Right on!!! 😉😃🤣

[CaroleSS]

We travel with my sister, so we go to her house the day before and spend the night with her and her family.

 

The day of, we cook begniets for breakfast! What a great way to start our vacation! Yum!

[shipshape sam]

We check out dining arrangements and then head to, buffet. I hate the buffet. Need to check out other options, if any on our next ship, Silhouette.

 

We go up top and enjoy a drink viewing the port. When allowed into cabin, we go drop off our stuff go have another drink. Then there is the muster and then, sail away and then dinner. Then I start my donations at the casino to the profits of Celebrity. :)

[Champagne Cruiser]

If the Oceanview Cafe is not yet open we sometimes head for Cafe al Bacio. After lunch we sit by the pool with a drink waiting for our rooms to open. After unpacking our carryons we head back to the Pool Bar and then Muster Drill and of course we join our CC Roll Call for Sail Away at the Sunset Bar!

[herbanrenewal]

We take advantage of the day in a resort area - counting the embarking port as a regular port to tour for the day. We usually board 2 hours before last boarding time, go straight to our room and unpack, go to muster drill, enjoy sail-away, then relax at early dinner.

I am always amazed at people who are so anxious to get that first lunch on board. Do you rush back at lunchtime in other ports so you don't miss a meal? or do you try out the local food scene?

Maybe its because I've not done a Florida/Caribbean cruise in years.

I really enjoy the day in my first port of call - the embarkation port.

[jelayne]

We fly in the night before. Sleep in and then have a relaxed breakfast at the hotel. We try to get to the ship when the cabins are ready, board and unpack our carry-ons. Then head to a bar to upgrade our beverage pkg if we don't have the Premium pkg- have a top-shelf margarita and go back to unpack luggage before muster.

 

Sail away at the Sunset, Oceanview or Sky Lounge.

[39august]

I have found that the gym is deserted on embarkation day. Great day to get that work out in ASAP. As soon as the cabin is open I change to my gym clothes, which are in my carry-on, and hit the gym. Then back to the cabin and hope to unpack, clean up for muster. Then hit the drinks. Tho' my first Celebrity cruise is on Silly in Dec., I plan to keep with this routine. Have many days to check out the ship.

[bottomfeeder]

1) I carry my baggage up and down the hall making sure I run into every door

 

2) I always buy two or three of the drinks of the day.

 

3) for the first hour, I put on my Life Jacket and walk around with my ship map asking every person I see "Where is the laundromat."

 

4) Then I go to the pool, light my pipe, block out five or six lounges, strip down to my thong, turn on my boombox and proceed to relax. - It is MY cruise.

 

But you don't go to the buffet and pick up a lot of different food items with your hands, take a bite, and put them back? Maybe you save that for the 2nd day. :D

[dadraftsman]

Pool bar for a Pina Colada, snap a pic of me drinking it to post on social media to make everyone at home jealous, and then air plane mode and into the safe the phone goes. ;) One of the things I love about cruising is getting to go off-grid for a week and not having to take phone calls/emails/texts, it's a nice electronic "detox"!

[tbmrt]

We usually drive 3 hrs. the day before our cruise and relax, have dinner with cousins and stay in Naples hotel. The next morning we get up early, have a quick breakfast and drive the remaining approximate 2 hrs. to Ft. Lauderdale or Miami. Usually in the waiting area to board around 11 AM. Love the early morning pizazz seeing excited cruisers.

 

Tour the ship, stop to sign up for fitness classes, to check out our table if doing assigned dining (usually not), pick up library books and get our lanyard punched if not done at check-in. Depending on the weather and time, we head to the Mast Grill for a burger or the buffet with our first beer or glass of wine to toast to our cruise.

 

Go to our cabin when ready, hopefully unpack luggage before muster, if not there, do so afterward. Head to Sailaway on the top deck and stop by the Sunset Bar to hopefully meet some of our CC friends. Return to cabin to get ready for martini bar/dinner.

[sykimball1498]

We usually arrive the night before the cruise and get up, have breakfast. Take taxi to port (or shuttle from hotel to port) and wait to get on the ship.

 

Once onboard, we lug our carry-ons to Mast Bar and Grill area, grab some lunch and a cocktail. Then, once rooms are ready, we drop our carry-ons in the room and unpack them. Then we explore all public areas and probably grab another cocktail while doing so.

 

By the time we are done exploring, it is usually time for muster drill. After that, we head to sunset bar to meet all of our new CC friends from the roll call and have another cocktail while we enjoy sail away.

 

We then go back and hope our checked luggage has arrived, if it has, we unpack and then get ready for dinner. After a relaxed dinner, we sometimes head to see the sunset (if it hasn't already set, that is).

 

After sunset or dinner, we walk around the ship and see what's going on and if they have a show, we stop by and see that. Usually by the time the show is over, we are getting tired. We grab a nightcap and enjoy it on our balcony before retiring for the night.

[Duanerice1]

We usually go straight to the Aqua Spa café. So not crowded if you get on before noon. Once the cabins are open I'll go to the gym and workout for a while, shower then drill.

 

Usually we spend most of the day on the balcony enjoying sail away. Quiet and comfortable.

 

Now all this is if we've been on the ship before which we have for Celebrity. If it is a new ship we'd go out exploring.

[GordonJasmine]

We spend night before in a hotel and get to port next day as early as possible. First stop is Aqua Spa cafe for lunch. Then leave carryons in room and explore. Our traditional sail away is on lounge chairs on deck above pools with a pina colada in hand. What bliss!! Early dinner in Blu and then more exploring. Can't believe we are finally on our cruise!

[Husky61]

We have no rituals either before or after we board the ship.:)

[INSIDERS CABIN]

Love the responses....have to update our embarkation protocol! Thank you neverbeenhere for suggestions!!

We always get an embarkation photo.....so we remember the ship and trip! Then, upon return, I update the photo in frame at home to keep the good memories in mind ( has worked for many years!) as we prepare for next cruise.

 

 

 

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[jacen]

1) I carry my baggage up and down the hall making sure I run into every door

 

 

 

2) I always buy two or three of the drinks of the day.

 

 

 

3) for the first hour, I put on my Life Jacket and walk around with my ship map asking every person I see "Where is the laundromat."

 

 

 

4) Then I go to the pool, light my pipe, block out five or six lounges, strip down to my thong, turn on my boombox and proceed to relax. - It is MY cruise.

 

 

 

I myself,go hungry the day before & am so ready to scoff up all that great food in the grill,l usually take up a full table,grab extra chairs,& tell all that my friends are coming,then on lower decks,I open fire doors & tell the newbys the rooms are really ready,such fun,Many more things to do,I can hardly wait to board,see you all,bye.

 

 

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