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

[Melissa at Mohair Meadows]

Only 2 weeks and we'll be starting a new ritual.

 

 

 

We arrive 2 days early because we wanted to explore the city (Vancouver). Never been there and it looks fabulous.

 

Day of Cruise: Get to the ship as early as possible. First time as Elite so embarking should be easy (cross fingers). First stop: Cafe al Bacio for one of their wonderfjul coffees. Then time to get organized.

 

Check out our dining arrangements in MDR. Go to purser's desk to see menus for week and decide which

night(s) we want to go to specialty restaurants. (Check out specialty restaurants to see if there are any deals).

 

Concierge lunch in MDR.

 

Check out casino for next day slot pull.

 

Check out spa for any specials (won a free acupuncture session once).

 

When rooms ready, check out room. If luggage arrives, unpack.

 

Muster drill.

 

Sailaway (try out specialty drinks). We're on our way!!!! (2 weeks).

[CruiserByHeart]

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

Actually sounds quite alright ... each cruise is a new adventure ;-)

[Sailingkidswine]

Only 2 weeks and we'll be starting a new ritual.

 

 

 

We arrive 2 days early because we wanted to explore the city (Vancouver). Never been there and it looks fabulous.

 

Day of Cruise: Get to the ship as early as possible. First time as Elite so embarking should be easy (cross fingers). First stop: Cafe al Bacio for one of their wonderfjul coffees. Then time to get organized.

 

Check out our dining arrangements in MDR. Go to purser's desk to see menus for week and decide which

night(s) we want to go to specialty restaurants. (Check out specialty restaurants to see if there are any deals).

 

Concierge lunch in MDR.

 

Check out casino for next day slot pull.

 

Check out spa for any specials (won a free acupuncture session once).

 

When rooms ready, check out room. If luggage arrives, unpack.

 

Muster drill.

 

Sailaway (try out specialty drinks). We're on our way!!!! (2 weeks).

 

Vancouver is one of our favorite port cities. We had several days there pre-cruise last year. I'd go back to Vancouver (and Alaska) in a second.

[ROYALBOY]

When we sail out of our home ports...Ft Laud or Miami, we usually get to check in around 10:30, get on the ship and head up to the Windjammer.

Have a leisurely lunch and drink, enjoy being on a ship again, and people watch... come 1pm we head off to the cabin, unpack and then head out to explore...

 

 

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[crilski]

Promise myself to only use the stairs the entire cruise - then proceed to use the stairs to get to the buffet. Then find a bar and relax until my cabin is available. Hope my bags arrive before muster - unpack/organize - then I am officially on vacation.

[Duanerice1]

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.

 

If not in Florida (we live here) we arrive a few days early so we have plenty of time to explore any areas. I don't count on cruise day as an exploring day, that's cruise day :)

[NordicPrince]

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.

 

I am one of those people that you are amazed at. We fly in early the day before (the first flight out) since we live in the NE USA and DW is always afraid of snow delays.and maximize our first day (pool lunch,dinner) at the port of embarkation. We usually depart from FLL or Miami. We get to the ship by 10:30 A.M. and miss the early chaos at the hotel. We like to start our time on board ASAP. Only had one screw up getting there early and that was the last trip when somebody was smoking in the first floor bathroom and set off the terminal fire alarm so we all had to evacuate. The last thing I want to do is to be toting luggage around "the local food scene". When we get on board since we only travel insides, DW goes up to the Spa to purchase her weekly pass to the Persian Gardens (S=Class ship) We go to the Oceanview to have a lunch from the food as it is first put out. Invariably we make our first friends for the week (often stay cruise long friends). Head to MDR to check our table assignments, Go to cabin and unpack. Always get my life jacket fitting ( I swim like a rock so I take no chances). By that time it's muster drill and we meet the Cruise Critic roll call at the designated place. We like when it's at the Sunset Bar. DW has to have her first Mudslide or the Drink of the day. We always like second seating fixed dining so we go to the opening show and then meet our new friends usually friends to last a lifetime.

 

We never get tired of the excitement of starting a new cruising holiday ( it's our one treat a year).

Call us dull and organized but it works for DW and my job is to keep her happy. Only learned that recently (it took me 37 years to figure that out).

 

Enjoy your cruising days.

[cb at sea]

No "ritual"...but I do wear my bathing suit under my clothes, so I can hit the pool before cabins are ready....no need of a "changing space"....we eat a late breakfast, so eating isn't the 1st thing on our agenda. Get a fruity, frozen drink..call my land-bound friends and gloat a bit, before I turn off the phone...and relax! We don't take many photos, because if you can't remember your good time without photos, maybe it's not such a good time after all!

[Lastdance]

WE love to be one of the first ones on the ship. Since we have flown in the afternoon before and are somewhat rested, we either go to MC or up to the OVC, so my DH can sit with the luggage and just chill(if we have our carryons) while I check on our specialty dining reservations for us and friends or make them. I also make any other reservations that haven't been already made, along with making sure the wifi is working.

 

Before our cabins are ready, about 10 minutes before, both of us go to our deck and closest point of entry to wait for the announcement. Then we both do our little rituals like disinfecting and putting away some things, eagerly waiting for our suitcases to put everything away. We also sit out on our balcony to enjoy the breeze and read all of our special papers and info'. In addition, we put up our calendar of events on the wall with magnets and hopefully meet our butler. If anything is not the way it should be, we request it to be fixed.

 

 

Finally the real fun begins...it is either on to the connections party or somewhere else before we sail off in to the sunset with our friends for a wonderful cruise...Yes, we do attend the muster drill and sit by the exit for a quick escape! Dinner with friends is the highlight of our first evening...everything else is relaxed until we embark, which for our next cruise is training back to Cinque Terre! Europe is our favorite educational and inspiring destination!

Edited August 3, 2017 by Lastdance

[WALKER1313]

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 know this is not what you do.

 

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[luvbluseas]

We are old folks so I am sure that what we do is boring to most but DH and I love to cruise and always have a good time. We always wear our pink polo shirts and white shorts or pants. We eat in the buffet as we enjoy Celebrities cold soups and food selections for lunch. We arrive fairly early and as DH is handicapped we do not rush anywhere. We try to take a relaxed attitude as many pax are VERY reluctant to allow him on "their" elevator! As if he has a choice with only one foot. We enjoy the drink of the day and can't wait to get into our cabin and unpack. I never feel like our cruise has started until we have unpacked and muster drill is over. Muster drill could be a LOT shorter if everyone would show up when they are told and stop THINKING THAT THEY ARE SPECIAL!!! But obviously they enjoy holding up thousands of people and the entire crew of the ship! I think that there should be a fine if you do not show up in the first 10 minutes!

[Bruinboy]

Love all the replies, especially the thong comment and the fines assessed to those who show up ten minutes late to muster!!!

 

As for us ... I like to fly in two or three days early to our embarkation port. Will do that until a cruise ship decides to sail out of Omaha, Nebraska. For our last cruise we met friends in Vancouver and explored that wonderful city for two days prior to boarding.

 

Then, if staying close to the port, I like to get up early and watch our ship arrive. Last time DW joined me for our 5 AM wake up and stroll to the dock. Thankfully, there was a coffee shop open on the way there!!!

 

When we get on the ship, the first thing we like to do, if our cabin not ready is have an adult beverage. If prior to noon, usually a Bloody Mary. If afternoon, the drink of the day.

 

One of my DW's favorite things to do is unpack and organize the cabin. I'm glad one of us like to do that and it's not me. I go out on the balcony to get out of her way and enjoy the sea air.

 

 

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[herbanrenewal]

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"!

 

Per my son who works in web security, just be sure you post to friends only, and ask them not to reply or share until you are back home - you don't want to leave clues that no one is at home.

[dadraftsman]

Per my son who works in web security, just be sure you post to friends only, and ask them not to reply or share until you are back home - you don't want to leave clues that no one is at home.

 

 

 

Definitely good reminders! I'm in a tech field myself, so I keep everything locked down :)

 

 

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[budbo]

Only 2 weeks and we'll be starting a new ritual.

 

 

 

We arrive 2 days early because we wanted to explore the city (Vancouver). Never been there and it looks fabulous.

 

Day of Cruise: Get to the ship as early as possible. First time as Elite so embarking should be easy (cross fingers). First stop: Cafe al Bacio for one of their wonderfjul coffees. Then time to get organized.

 

Check out our dining arrangements in MDR. Go to purser's desk to see menus for week and decide which

night(s) we want to go to specialty restaurants. (Check out specialty restaurants to see if there are any deals).

 

Concierge lunch in MDR.

 

Check out casino for next day slot pull.

 

Check out spa for any specials (won a free acupuncture session once).

 

When rooms ready, check out room. If luggage arrives, unpack.

 

Muster drill.

 

Sailaway (try out specialty drinks). We're on our way!!!! (2 weeks).

 

We sailed out of Vancouver in May and really enjoyed exploring for a couple days before the cruise. The Hop on Hop off Bus gives you a good overview of the city. We really enjoyed the "Fly Over Canada" ride at Canada Place. ....if you decide to do that, buy your tickets ahead of time online to save a bit of money. Have fun!