A few questions for first time cruiser

[Newcruiser2024]

Hello, I have booked a Celebrity Cruise for my hubby and I. I have a few questions regarding our cruise. How early can/should we be at the ship on embarkation day? For example our departure time is 3:30. Just trying to plan the flight. If we want a table for 2 in the dining room when do we request this and who should we ask about this? How far in advance should we book our excursions?

[notscb]

Welcome to CC! There is a celebrity forum which might be a helpful resource to you as you plan.

 

56 minutes ago, Newcruiser2024 said:

How early can/should we be at the ship on embarkation day?

 

Most cruise lines start boarding around 11am. The best generally accepted advice around here is to arrive a day early so you don't have to worry about any delays and potentially missing the ship if you fly in day of. Google flights is your friend for planning this 🙂

 

56 minutes ago, Newcruiser2024 said:

If we want a table for 2 in the dining room when do we request this and who should we ask about this?

 

The dining room has a Maître d' who will be available to you on the first night of dining as well as during the afternoon of embarkation day to take your request. Note that this is only a request and not a guarantee on all ships, but most will do what they can to make you happy.

 

56 minutes ago, Newcruiser2024 said:

How far in advance should we book our excursions?

That's totally up to you. Some lines have great black friday excursion deals right now, others do not. Most have similar prices for shore excursions and some lines add excursions as the date of sailing approaches (i.e. there will be more excursions available at 2 months out v. 6 months or 1 year out). Book when you're content with what you're paying for it and when you find an excursion you're happy about.

 

Again, I'd highly suggest the celebrity forums as an invaluable place for info. Happy planning!

 

 

[Z'Loth]

57 minutes ago, Newcruiser2024 said:

For example our departure time is 3:30. Just trying to plan the flight.

 

Ideally, you should be flying in the day before the cruise instead of the day of and stay the night at a hotel near the port. For a 3:30 PM departure time, you need to be on the ship 90 minutes before, plus the time to go through check-in (30-60 minutes), plus time from the airport to the port. That means you'll be taking a early morning flight around 6-7 AM, which means you'll be getting up at 4 AM. 😮 By the time dinner comes, you'll be tired. 😴

 

1 hour ago, Newcruiser2024 said:

If we want a table for 2 in the dining room when do we request this and who should we ask about this? How far in advance should we book our excursions?

 

For the main dining room, you would make the request through the cruise line or your travel argent  As for excursions, it depends as some excursions can sell out prior to the cruise.

 

When is your cruise booked? 

[Newcruiser2024]

Thank you for your reply. We are booked January 7th, 2024.

[broadwaybaby123]

While you certainly can book flights to arrive on the day of the cruise, experienced cruisers like me tend to book flights for the day before.  Let me tell you what happened the week of my 13th birthday and you'll see why.  Please note that my actual birthday was on Debarkation Day.

 

Day 1- Embarkation Day: we booked flights through the cruise line that had a connection in Atlanta and we would meet the ship in Aruba.  We got up at 4AM to make a 6AM flight to Atlanta and catch a 10AM flight from there to Aruba to catch the ship and sail away by 4PM.  We booked a limo to the airport and they asked if we would mind picking up another party.  We said no, so we picked up the other party.  Rightfully so, they started talking about the fishing trip that they just finished, which is fine....except when you're not a fan of fish and have to hear about it for the next hour while driving to the airport!

 

We get to Atlanta fine, but once there, we get all checked in, only to find out our flight is delayed 3 times, for a total of a 12 HOUR DELAY.  We kept getting food vouchers we couldn't use.  We knew half the people on the ship before we got on it, as everyone else in our gate was heading to the cruise too. 

 

The first flight that came in, the pilot forgot their passport.  The second flight that came through, one of the crew members forgot their passport.  Finally, a third flight came in with everyone having their passports!  The only bad thing was they were coming in from Turkey!

 

All that was well and good, except for a few things:

1.) I had only brought ONE CD from home...got tired of it 6 hours into the delay

2.) They did hold the ship for us but said that they would have to leave no later than 5AM.  We got into Aruba at 4AM.  Since I cannot sleep in tight spaces, at this point, I had been up for 24 hours straight....I was not a happy camper!

 

Day 2:  Finally we get to the cabin, where our steward told us of the issue of having to arrive by 5AM.  Had the ship been forced to sail, we would have had to catch a flight to the next port ON OUR OWN DIME!

 

5 hours later, at 10 AM: "wakey-wakey, eggs and bakey!  Time for the Lifeboat Drill!"  That was the most sleep we got the entire trip.

 

Later that day, my parents reminded the wait staff of my birthday the last night of the cruise.  They continue to do this throughout the entire trip, even in front of me.

 

There's also doggy bags all over the ship since we are now having to rush to make up for lost time.  NOBODY was walking straight that day!

 

Day 4: It's formal night, and I'm watching the show, being sung to.  All of a sudden, in the middle of the song, the lights go out and we lose power IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN!  We lost power and an engine!  This also happens to be the night that I'm in a ballgown, so I head back to my room to call it a night, only to realize I forgot my key IN THE ROOM!  Guess who had to wait for her parents to get back to the cabin to get in!

 

Day 6: It's the last night of the cruise.  We had dinner and everything is going well....until it comes time for the dessert.  The staff were so enthused with 2 twin boys at the next table that they COMPLETELY FORGOT MY BIRTHDAY!  Later that night, the Maitre'd called my room and apologized.  All is good, but I'm still waiting for my cake....22 years later!

 

Day 7: Debarkation Day- we get off the ship and FINALLY get to see Aruba during the daytime while on an excursion!  We get back to the airport to catch our flight, only to find that our flight to Atlanta is delayed AGAIN!  This time, it was only 4 hours, but we were not allowed to go to the shops or restaurants, so a few people who had alcohol decided to have a few drinks.  They started yelling at the flight attendant, to the point where she said "to those of you who have been patient with us AND YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE, thank you for flying with us" just before we got on the plane.

 

We arrive back in Atlanta, only to find that our connection has been delayed too...but only by 15 min.  We make a mad dash through Customs only to waive buh-bye to our luggage once we reach the gate as the plane flies off with it back home!  We called the cruise line, told them what happened and they agreed to hold the luggage at the airport back home, fly us first class back the next day, and put us up in a hotel for the night.

 

So my birthday present from the cruise line that year was a first-class flight!  

 

And I wish I was making that up!

 

As far as the dining arrangements, it depends on the cruise line, but most from what I've seen will let you make those arrangements as soon as you book the cruise.  Just tell them which seating you want.

Edited December 5, 2022 by broadwaybaby123

[mrgabriel]

On 11/27/2022 at 6:28 PM, Newcruiser2024 said:

Hello, I have booked a Celebrity Cruise for my hubby and I. I have a few questions regarding our cruise. How early can/should we be at the ship on embarkation day? For example our departure time is 3:30. Just trying to plan the flight. If we want a table for 2 in the dining room when do we request this and who should we ask about this? How far in advance should we book our excursions?

1. As others have already noted, it's better to arrive the day before if you can. Even when we have had a short flight with little chance of weather delays (flying Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale), we always fly in the day before.

 

When you do your online check-in a couple of weeks before the cruise, you can note what time you plan to arrive at the pier so you might be able to lessen your time standing in line. (Although every still seem to arrive at noon!)

 

2. Table for two - go to the dining desk when you get on the ship. You may not be able to get a table for two the first night, or at all, but you also might have the option to move to Select Dining when you can choose the time you want to dine. 

 

3. Book your excursions the minute you know what you want to do! At the moment, there are fewer excursions operating so they get full and there isn't always another option made available. 

 

We've sailed on Celebrity 20+ times. Great cruise line!

[CruisingWalter]

On 11/27/2022 at 8:28 PM, Newcruiser2024 said:

Hello, I have booked a Celebrity Cruise for my hubby and I. I have a few questions regarding our cruise. How early can/should we be at the ship on embarkation day? For example our departure time is 3:30. Just trying to plan the flight. If we want a table for 2 in the dining room when do we request this and who should we ask about this? How far in advance should we book our excursions?

 

For ship embarkation you will be assigned an arrival time when you check in. Don't show up much more than 30 minutes before that. For the flight you should always fly into your departure port at least one day ahead. If you have any issues with your flight on departure day, the ship will leave without you if you're not there.

 

Start booking the 'must do' excursions as soon as they are available. All excursions can sell out due to limited availability. 

 

If you have any other direct questions about the ship, your travel agent really should be able to help you with questions like these. Have fun! 🙂

[Newcruiser2024]

Thanks everyone for your input. Looks like we'll be flying in the day before embarkation.

[puppycanducruise]

20 hours ago, Newcruiser2024 said:

Thanks everyone for your input. Looks like we'll be flying in the day before embarkation.

Good decision!