If you are not a seasoned cruiser, you may not know what to expect on boarding day. Luckily, it seems to us that over the last few years and through navigating COVID guidelines, cruise lines have made the security and check in process more efficient and less stressful for cruise vacationers.
You may still be asking yourself - What should I bring for the first day of my cruise? We wanted to share boarding day from our perspective and captured our top list of cruise packing essentials you'll need to have a smooth experience on the first day of your cruise!
Before arriving to port, be sure to secure a check-in time with the cruise line. Arriving to the port during your designated check-in time will be helpful for all cruisers and crew on boarding day!
Arriving to Port --
Whether you plan to arrive to the port with your own car and park, through a ride-sharing app, or through a shuttle service, you are going to end up waiting outside for a few short minutes to drop off your checked luggage with the port staff.
#1. Tip for the Luggage staff -- Make sure to bring cash and have a tip ready for the luggage staff at the port. The luggage staff is essential - they are handling your checked luggage and making sure it makes it through security safely. Once your checked luggage is rolled away, you will not see it again until you are onboard. Depending on when your luggage arrives, the number of guests on board, you may not see your luggage until later in the evening - this is why it is essential to have all your day 1 necessities in your carry on luggage.
Tip: I always have our tip ready in hand or have it in a quick access pocket - the port will be busy, you do not want to be rummaging through your bags or purse - be ready!
#2. Luggage Tags - In your cruise documents, the cruise line will provide luggage tags ahead of time. Tags are usually available at the port as well, but do yourself a favor and print your specific luggage tags out ahead of time and have them already secured to your luggage. The luggage tags provided via email ahead of time are marked with the specific area of the ship your stateroom is located. Chances are, your luggage will arrive more timely with these tags.
Tip: Invest a few dollars in plastic luggage tag protectors. They can be used on every cruise and conveniently keep your luggage looking well put together. Luggage tags can be found in our Cruise Packing Essentials list on our Amazon storefront.
Check-In --
The check-in process seems like a daunting task, but never fear! I feel like each time we've been on a cruise lately, we always say the check-in process is getting easier and easier. The best thing you can do in preparation for cruise day is to be prepared!
Dalton has assumed the role of baggage carrier - he is always the one carrying all of our carry-on luggage onboard. I usually board carrying a tote bag and keep my hands free to have all of our travel documents prepared and ready to go. There are usually a few checkpoints throughout the check-in and security process - it's best to have everything in hand and to be as efficient as possible.
Be ready for your boarding photo op! We always make light and fun of the photo packages offered onboard. During the check-in process, you will be offered your first photo, usually with a backdrop of the ship or another design.
#3. Purchase a Cruise Vacation T-Shirt ahead of time for boarding day! This is the best way to capture even more excitement on the first day of your cruise! Here are a few of our favorite cruise vacation t-shirts:
Once Onboard! --
Once you are onboard your cruise ship, your cruise vacation has officially begun! Whether your first stop is the lido deck to check out the views, the buffet to start your cruise vacation food coma, or a bar to begin your day-drinking vacation days, you are free to mingle throughout all of the common areas of the ship however you'd like!
Your stateroom will usually be ready for you by mid-day, around 1-2 PM. One of our first stops after boarding a cruise ship is touring the ship and also finding our stateroom to get familiarized with our room location. Once we find our room, we stamp our personality on our room door so we can easily find our room later on!
#4. Purchase of make-your-own cruise ship magnets for your stateroom door! This not only adds personality to your stateroom, but it also makes it a lot easier to find your stateroom throughout your cruise vacation! A few of our favorite cruise ship magnets can be found on our Cruise Packing Essentials List. Here are some of our favorites!
Heavy duty hooks - We've used these to create our own Nice Afts sign for our door!
We also enjoy laying out on the Lido deck enjoying our first cruise vacation cocktail. If you plan on sunbathing or enjoying the pools and hot tubs on the first day of your cruise vacation, be sure to pack all your necessities in your carry on luggage!
#5. Your bathing suit, sunblock, sunglasses, book/kindle -- anything you will need for sun bathing! If you would like to take advantage of sun bathing and pool time on the first day of you cruise, be sure to pack all these necessities in your carry on luggage.
Sailaway --
Before the ship is scheduled to leave port, we always like to scope out the perfect spot to watch the sailaway. The schedule will depend on the port you are departing from, but you can expect the sailaway to take place around dinner time. Our favorite spots on board to watch the sailaway are the lido deck, aft of the ship, OR if the cruise ship you are sailing on provides guest access to the bow, that makes the perfect spot to watch from.
For the sailaway, you do not need to bring any cruise essentials except your travel companion! Enjoy the moment! The first day of a cruise is always the longest day unfortunately. The following days get progressively shorter FAST.
Unpacking --
Staterooms are considerably small spaces compared to an average hotel room. When you unpack your belongings on the first day, have a strategy on where you and your travel companions plan to store all your items! We will usually tour our cabin first to find all creative places to store our clothes and items.
#6. Pack strategically to expand your stateroom as much as possible.
-Travel with packing cubes to keep all of your outfits and certain clothes together. Many staterooms have large cabinets - you can keep your items organized by keeping them in the originally packing cubes you used for your initial packing. Our favorite packing cubes can be found on Amazon in our storefront.
-Pack a laundry bag or keep a designated space for used and dirty clothes. As our cruise vacation progresses, as we wear clothes, we always pack the clothes back into our bags immediately. This clears up space in your stateroom and also makes the dreaded packing night a little easier. We use laundry bags packed in our luggage to keep everything neat and tidy.
-Travel with an over the door organizer. This is a common cruise hack that maximizes space in a stateroom dramatically. Using the heavy duty hook magnets described above, you can easily hang an over the door organizer in your stateroom. These organizers are great for storing shoes, beauty products, and baby essentials if you're traveling as a family.
Unwind --
Once all your unpacking is complete - enjoy your cruise! Always remember that the first day of your cruise is always the longest. When you're at sea, you're guaranteed to have an amazing vacation. Enjoy every minute!
Looking for more tips on Day 1 cruise essentials? Check out our Amazon storefront to review all of the cruise essentials we've found extremely helpful throughout our experiences.
Let us know your thoughts below! We want to hear from you on what you consider cruise day essentials!
コメント