Friendofbillbob Posted March 18, 2018 #1 Share Posted March 18, 2018 We are on Serenade on 3/30 (can't wait)!! what do you more experienced folks do when first boarding, before and after muster, etc ....Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ONECRUISER Posted March 18, 2018 #2 Share Posted March 18, 2018 We are on Serenade on 3/30 (can't wait)!! what do you more experienced folks do when first boarding, before and after muster, etc ....Thanks Eat, Unpack, Explore, Eat again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39august Posted March 18, 2018 #3 Share Posted March 18, 2018 Between unpacking, exploring the ship and muster, you will be busy. However, if you are a gym person, first day is a great day to use the gym. Hardly anyone uses it that day. I always wear my gym shoes and bring my gym clothes in my carry on. The good news is that if the luggage arrives while I am at the gym, my husband will unpack! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pasodancer Posted March 18, 2018 #4 Share Posted March 18, 2018 Also, if eating in the MDR - check to see where your dining room table is located after unpacking. It will make it that much easier to find it at dinner that 1st night. And then, eat, explore, eat.............so much to take in just wandering around the ship - check out all the decks not just the main ones! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AAA75 Posted March 18, 2018 #5 Share Posted March 18, 2018 Wrong order, Eat, explore, (if bags are there, if not skip),unpack, muster drill, unpack(if skipped from before), rest, explore, dinner, explore and sleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiseguy1016 Posted March 18, 2018 #6 Share Posted March 18, 2018 We're usually on the ship early so the first thing we do is grab some lunch. After that we find a bar stool and have our first drink. Then DW will usually find a lounger to soak up the sun and I'll start exploring. I always find our table in the dining room. Once the rooms are open, we'll head to our stateroom and start to unpack. Once that is done, we'll head back to the pool or a bar and relax until it's time for muster drill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare pasodancer Posted March 18, 2018 #7 Share Posted March 18, 2018 wait a minute - if you drink - 1st DRINK and toast the beginning of a fabulous vacation then begin to eat, explore, unpack, etc..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taglovestocruise Posted March 18, 2018 #8 Share Posted March 18, 2018 First stop is MDR to locate our table, easy to get a new table assignment early on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarea Posted March 18, 2018 #9 Share Posted March 18, 2018 We are on Serenade on 3/30 (can't wait)!! what do you more experienced folks do when first boarding, before and after muster, etc ....Thanks Unpack. Find our dining table if we have traditional dining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex_drew Posted March 19, 2018 #10 Share Posted March 19, 2018 We go to the quietest bar we can find, get drinks and settle in at a table, breathe deeply and enjoy being on vacation. Then, I leave my husband there with his book/kindle and go to the spa to book any treatments that I may want during the week, as spa appointments fill up quickly. Then I go back to the bar, order another glass of wine and wait for the rooms to open at 1 pm. Then we drop our luggage in the room and THEN go to the Windjammer for lunch as most passengers have now vacated and there are plenty of tables and no lines for food. Works for us. :):) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flips7 Posted March 19, 2018 #11 Share Posted March 19, 2018 The first thing we do is get a drink and then find our lounge chair by the pool that will be our spot for the week, then grab some lunch and another drink. We do not drink at home but on vacation we make up for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenquixote66 Posted March 19, 2018 #12 Share Posted March 19, 2018 Eat, Unpack, Explore, Eat again... The best way to enjoy a cruise is not to overeat . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaspercat Posted March 19, 2018 #13 Share Posted March 19, 2018 LOL, I must be the only one -- yes, one of the first things I do is check the table assignment/placement in MDR (if doing traditional dining - which is usually the case) and make note of when someone will be there if I need to have it changed. But I don't bother unpacking until after muster drill (usually have late seating) - or even later, as will have what I want to wear in my backpack in case of missed luggage, or if thing I want to change my mind will have something packed close to the top of the suitcase. Since I'm usually on board well before the 1pm timeframe for cabins to open, I'm roaming around and getting pictures before the masses start arriving, getting my bearings on what stairs to use (as usually avoid waiting or the elevators), scouting out bars, walking around the ship. And grabbing my first Wildberry LavaFlow at the pool bar, grabbing a lounge chair and taking a deep breath -- oh yeah, I'm on vacation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olemissreb Posted March 19, 2018 #14 Share Posted March 19, 2018 My mom and I will be on Serenade in Sept. 2019. Right now we're planning on having lunch in Boston before heading to the ship and hopefully avoiding the crowds. Once on board, we'll head to our room and drop our carry-ons before heading to a bar to get a drink and toast to our vacation. Mom will be 82 next year, so we have to toast our vacation time together every chance we get - even if it's as simple as a week in Hilton Head, got to toast to spending quality time together. After that, we might explore the ship to find the quiet areas where we can sip a cocktail and read our books on sea days. Or we might go back and unpack. Really - after that first (and/or second) drink, we just let the Spirit move us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miamimere Posted March 19, 2018 #15 Share Posted March 19, 2018 Head to the windjammer and get the kids and hubby settled with food. Then, I head to the dreaded Adventure Ocean registration for my kids for the week (seriously, WHY WHY WHY can't we do this online ahead of time??). Try and get there right at 1pm and get that out of the way, as I finally feel like I can relax and be on vacation after that ;) haha! Then, room to unpack, muster, and pool/sail away party. We have early dining on this next trip (5:30) and I am a bit concerned about how rushed we are going to be. Will be interesting!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lbjen Posted March 19, 2018 #16 Share Posted March 19, 2018 Lunch at WJ, then roam around a little until cabins open, find our bag on the way, one parent heads to kids club registration while other parent unpacks. Then it’s ship exploring time until muster, sail away and then dinner! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yuvraj Posted March 19, 2018 #17 Share Posted March 19, 2018 Interesting to read what everyone else does. Here is my routine : Meal in WJ. Leave in hand luggage in cabin as soon as they are available. Take care of all on board admin tasks - book excursions, speciality restaurants, MDR bookings or adjustments. Explore ship and get to muster station ahead of time. Return to cabin and unpack. Get ready for pre-dinner drinks. I tend to only relax after muster drill and when the suitcases arrive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimeToGetNauti Posted March 19, 2018 #18 Share Posted March 19, 2018 Normally in the past I have gone exploring the ship. Grab a drink somewhere along the way. And grab some lunch in there too. I am hoping on my cruise next month to head straight to the pool deck and plop my butt in a chair and relax with a drink until around 3 to 4. The next 2 days are sea days and I will have plenty of time to explore then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalliekae Posted March 19, 2018 #19 Share Posted March 19, 2018 We've only sailed on Oasis class so we usually board around 1pm so we can go directly to the cabin and drop our carry on luggage. Then we head to Central Park and have lunch under the trees and just enjoy the ambiance. If the luggage has arrived, we'll unpack before muster drill. Then we go explore our favorite parts of the ship before going back to our balcony and watch the ship leave port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted March 19, 2018 #20 Share Posted March 19, 2018 We eat a late breakfast before heading to port, so we don't have to do the "feeding frenzy"! I wear my swimsuit under my clothes, so I don't have to find a place to change prior to cabins being ready. I head to the pool, and get a drink! Once cabins are ready, if luggage is there, we unpack. Rarely have we felt the need to scurry about making reservations or other plans! We're on vacation, after all...no need to rush! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theSHAH Posted March 19, 2018 #21 Share Posted March 19, 2018 Start drinking immediately to get the most of your package Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
golden6911 Posted March 19, 2018 #22 Share Posted March 19, 2018 This will be the first trip with my kids, but when it is just me and my husband, we usually board on the early side, grab some lunch before the crowds, then start to explore. Once the cabins open up, we drop off our stuff, relax for an hour or two, then head back out for a snack or an early activity. I don’t expect this will change much with the kids, except that we might take them up to the pool deck or seaplex if they are bored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelleigh229 Posted March 19, 2018 #23 Share Posted March 19, 2018 Explore, sign up for Adventure Ocean, get some food, explore some more, find a spot at the pool (we'll have our bathing suits on), have our first vacation cocktail, wait for rooms to be ready, muster, unpack ASAP, then have dinner. Try not to feel rushed, but we'll be so excited, we'll be everywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Familygoboston Posted March 19, 2018 #24 Share Posted March 19, 2018 Coincidentally, I just wrote a post on my blog about this today! It’s general to most cruises, but it fits for Royal Caribbean Cruises! http://www.goseeittravel.com/travel-blog/2018/3/19/crushing-boarding-day-on-an-ocean-cruise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy59 Posted March 19, 2018 #25 Share Posted March 19, 2018 The first thing we do is get a drink and then find our lounge chair by the pool that will be our spot for the week, then grab some lunch and another drink. We do not drink at home but on vacation we make up for it. How do you ensure the lounge chairs will be your spot for the week? :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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