Cruising - Embarkation Day

 

To a new cruiser, Embarkation Day can be quite confusing.  On my first cruise following the pandemic shutdown, I had to provide proof of vaccination, be Covid tested 3 days before the cruise, and be tested again at the cruise terminal before I could even finish the check-in process for my cruise.  Luckily, things have mostly returned to a more comfortable “normal” and most Covid protocols that would interfere with the cruise experience have been lifted.

Before one departs for the cruise terminal (but after the flight to the cruise terminal’s city), one should apply luggage tags for each bag to be checked with porters at the cruise terminal.  These tags should have the cruiser’s name, cell phone number, ship name and cabin number.  This will help the porters deliver checked luggage to the proper cabin in a timely manner.  I have bought special Cruise Luggage Tag Holders (with steel loops) from Amazon for this purpose, as they help ensure that my tags will not get separated from my luggage until it is delivered to my cabin.

At the cruise terminal, there will often be a line of people waiting to check in, as well as porters waiting to take your checked luggage to the ship.  Hand all luggage except your carry-on bags and medical equipment to the porters, and proceed to ship check-in.

Each cruise line will implement its own embarkation procedures. In all cases, your identification papers and cruise ticket will need to be displayed before going through security.  You and your carry-on bags will be scanned for contraband before you are directed to the check-in desks.   Once at the check-in desk, your paperwork will be inspected, and you will be given a cruise card.  This card will serve as your room key and a charge card, and as part of the identification you will need to get on and off the ship for shore excursions.  (Not all ships use traditional cruise cards.  For example, Princess Cruises uses a wearable medallion for this purpose.)

Once you have your cruise card, it will be time to get on the ship.  Often, you will be directed past a photo station where you will be given the opportunity to have cheesy pictures taken of you.  From there, you will board the ship, and then be able to head to your cabin when it is ready to be occupied.

Once in your cabin, you may be directed to view a safety video and then check in at a muster station.  On some ships, you may be directed to report to the muster station for a safety demonstration.  In both cases, you are required to view the safety presentation and check in at the muster station, as maritime law requires that all passengers must attend the safety drill in whatever form it is given.

At this point, all major tasks may be complete.  However, there are other tasks that should be taken care of at this time, such as making dining and entertainment reservations (if this has not been done before the cruise) and purchasing shore excursions which may not have been available for purchase before the cruise.  If you are having trouble with the cruise line’s app, the ship’s internet services desk should be able to resolve any problems you may be having, so that the rest of the cruise may be enjoyed without technology glitches.

When I took my Hawaii cruise, I had two specialty restaurant reservations to make, as well as supplying information needed for me to take one of my six scheduled shore excursions.  If one of the excursions had been cancelled (as was the case for some other passengers), this was the best time to reserve another excursion to replace the one that had been cancelled.

Assuming conditions permit, one should be now be able to change into a swimsuit and take a dip in the ship’s pool or hot tubs while waiting for luggage to be delivered to the cabin.  Embarkation day is the one day that I have found that few people make it to the ship’s pool, as they are trying to find their way around the ship. 

Please note that many people rush to the buffet on Embarkation Day.  If possible, one may find that dining in the main dining room is a better choice on this first day of cruising, as it may not be as crowded as the buffet.

 

 

Cruising - Preparing for the cruise

There are many things one must do in preparing for a cruise, that are common to most forms of travel.  Some of these things are:

• Determining whether one needs to arrive in the cruise terminal’s city the day of the cruise, or a day or two before the cruise.
• Arranging transportation to/from cruise terminal, airport, or train station.
• Making sure all of one’s documentation is in order. (e.g.: Passports & Visas)
  
• Setting up Hold Mail service with the Post Office.
• Vaccinations needed for destination(s).
• Itinerary information to be packed in each bag, in case it is not delivered to the correct destination on time.  (This will aid in the recovery of lost bags and in the delivery of those bags to the cruiser.)
• Backup copies of all identification and credit cards being carried on the cruise.  (One never knows when one may need to call a credit card company about a lost or misplaced card.)
• Cruise Documents, such as Boarding Passes and Luggage Tags.
• Luggage Locator Tags (Apple Tags, Tile Tags, etc.)
• Confirming cruise terminal check-in time with the cruise line.
  
  
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Passports, Visas, Entry Permits, and Proofs of Vaccination.

One should take care of these items as early as possible before the cruise, as many people forget one or more of them, and have been unable to go on their cruises.

Passports are a requirement for most cruises.  However, many round-trip cruises from US ports do not require passports, as they only require a birth certificate for proof of US citizenship. This is not recommended, as a person’s cruise may end suddenly due to ship malfunction or individual illness.  Affected cruisers would then need to get a emergency passport from the nearest US consulate or embassy, something which can be a major hassle in an already stressful time. 

Assuming one is using a passport for international travel, one should make sure that it will not expire before 6 months after travel has ended.  Many nations require this for entry, and one can be kept off a cruise for this reason.  However, this might not be all that a traveler needs to cruise to/from many ports, as individual countries/regions may require visas or entry permits to enter.  For example, the US and EU already require entry permits for all non-citizens, separate from any visa requirements that may exist.  The UK is implementing its own entry permit system.  This may create a logistical nightmare for US citizens flying from New York to London for a round-trip cruise from Southhampton to the Norwegian Fjords. It is not just the US, UK, and EU that has visitor rules like this.  An acquaintance of mine had to apply for 3 separate permits for her trip to visit Antarctica.  So, one must be careful to secure all required permits and visas well ahead of the cruise.

Some countries (or regions) require vaccination proofs before entry.  For example, even though Australia lifted most Covid era vaccination requirements, one of its states still required proofs of vaccination.  As a result, several people were denied boarding their cruises, even though Australia (as a nation) allowed them to be on Australian soil.

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Dining Reservations:

As soon as you are able, make your dining reservations for any specialty restaurants in which you plan to dine.  Often, many preferred dining times get closed out before the cruise, and one must settle for second and third best choices. For example, I had 4 specialty meals included with my Hawaii cruise (2 from NCL’s “free at sea” package, and 2 from my loyalty status).  I was only able to book 2 of these meals before my cruise, and had to settle for 2 meals in restaurants which I would not have chosen had my desired choices had still been available.

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Shore Excursions:

Like dining reservations, shore excursions should be purchased as early as possible.  On several cruises, I was locked out of shore excursions because they were sold out before the cruise started.  Cancelling an excursion is not much of a problem, as most excursions can be canceled with 48 hours’ prior notice.

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Packing for the cruise.

I have found that a checklist is very useful when I prepare for a cruise.  One of the ones I have found useful can be found at:

https://www.smartertravel.com/the-ultimate-packing-list/

In addition, I always pack a printed sheet of paper containing my contact information and my travel itinerary, so that if my bag is misplaced and opened, it can be forwarded to me by the airline, cruise line, or other personnel that may mishandle my luggage.  This helped me on one return to New York, as I left some luggage in the trunk of the cab, and was able to retrieve the luggage with minimal difficulty.

Assuming that the weather is warm and the ship has a pool, one might want to consider packing a swimsuit in one’s carry-on bag.  This way, on Embarkation Day, one has the option of changing into the swimsuit and going for a soak before checked luggage is delivered to one’s cabin.

However, there are items that must be packed, as they will not be permitted on the ship.  Many are prohibited because cruise ships use a different electrical system than found on land. Some of these items are:

• Hair Dryers
• Power strips with surge protection.
  (There are special power strips available on Amazon that can be used.)
• Electric Blankets
• Bottles of Alcoholic Beverages.  (Applies to many ships, but not all.)

I would read the cruise line’s list of prohibited items before packing.  Please be aware that all cruise lines currently prohibit bringing cannabis on board, as they follow both US Federal Government law, the laws of the country whose flag the ship flies, as well as those laws of each port on the cruise’s route.  In a case reported by a Vlogger, a cruiser was banned for life because ship personnel found cannabis in the cabin.

Cruisers will usually not have problems with most prescription drugs. One should keep them in a carry-on or personal bag, as it may take some time for your larger suitcase to make it from the porter to your cabin door.  Although I have never needed to do so, one may need to keep their drugs in their original containers to avoid problems in some countries. When in doubt, check with appropriate authorities in each country the ship will visit to make sure that each medication is allowed.  In some cases, your physician may need to substitute medications to comply with the laws of foreign nations.

Not all medications are in pill form.  Some are liquids that may need refrigeration. You may need to keep your medication cold on the way to a cruise ship.  However, once in your cabin, you can request that your attendant remove all purchasable items from the cabin refrigerator, so that you can access your medications at any time.

Regarding medical equipment, most major “American” cruise lines have at least one North American Standard 110v/60hz power outlet. This may not be enough for many cruisers, as couples may have equipment such as “his and hers” CPAP units. Because of this, I always travel with a cruise ready power strip and an extension cord to allow me to set up my CPAP unit next to my bed.  In the case of CPAP units, I have never had a major problem requesting distilled water from my room attendant.  In the one case where I had a problem, he had to ask for help in translating “distilled water” so that he could fetch it from the ship’s stores.

One trick many people have found to access additional power outlets is to bring a travel adapter, so that they can use the European Standard 220v/50hz power outlet with North American equipment.  Although I have not needed to do this, it is something to consider when one just needs that one extra power outlet.

If you have not done so, load the cruise line’s app onto your cell phone before going on the cruise.  This is the ideal time to set it up and become familiar with it, because you may need it to do many things on the ship.  On two of the cruise lines that I have sailed on, their app allows the cruiser to reserve meal times at the onboard restaurants, reserve seats for the ship’s onboard entertainment, order drinks and much, much more.   Knowledge of how to use the app can make a cruise more pleasant than if one cannot use a cell phone as an information utility.