What do you do when you first board?

[Jo and Rob]

I have also posted this question on the RCI website but am interested to see what fellow families do. (Heading for the bar seemed a common response!)

Many thanks

[Essiesmom]

Well, usually head for the Lido for lunch, then explore the ship. EM

[timh111]

Eat my friend...EAT!!! If you want to ward off any chance of sea-sickness.....EAT FIRST!!! Trust me...you'll have MORE than enough time to run up your bar bill!!!! AND, take the time to walk the ship to see what's where and how to get there.

[chipmaster]

1) Drop our carry on in the cabin

2) Get a bite to eat

3) Explore the ship

[cb at sea]

We head straight to the pool. We eat a late breakfast, so we don't have to head to the buffet for the feeding frenzy!

[tigger917]

Enjoy any kind of 'welcome aboard' eating! Then head to the spa to reserve your massage, they book up fast!

[Jo and Rob]

Does Royal Caribbean offer a free sample massage on the first day?

[tigger917]

Does Royal Caribbean offer a free sample massage on the first day?

 

No, I don't think they did. They offered some cool (but pricey) packages on the first day, though!

[jtm22372]

we went and sat on the lido got some food . kinda hard to explore with a kid 3 carryons and a dod in hand .

[cantw8togo]

Depending on the time that we board, we check to see if our cabin is ready. It often is. Barring that, we meet with the Dining Room Manager to discuss food allergies, get something to eat, get the muster station bracelets for the kids and chat with the kid's club staff about activities, (they had a table set up near the entrance to the ship). Check out the sports deck if that is of interest to you or your kids. It was virtually empty with no lineups, although I can't remember if they were letting people on the flowrider or rock wall that early. You can always use that time to sign the waiver forms so that you are ready to go. Remember to pack your bathing suit and socks (for the rock wall) in your carry on in case your luggage is late in arriving. Revel in the fact that you are finally and actually on the ship and that your whole vacation lies before you. Aahhhh!

[sandytoes03]

Does Royal Caribbean offer a free sample massage on the first day?

 

Not that I'm aware of, but you can get a tour of the spa, and sign up for a slot if you know already when you want the massage.

[lolakat]

We usually will do some house keeping stuff like buy our soda package or wine package. On NCL we will take care of making our reservations for dinner for the week. Then we get some lunch which may or may not include a drink of the day. :) I guess on our next cruise we will also take care of registering at the kids center now that DD is old enough to use it.

[helenb]

We drop off our bags in our room (if it's ready) and then set out to explore the ship. We like to board as early as possible, so usually there aren't that many passengers around, and we can explore quickly. We check out the Kids' Club and the spa and the buffet, and grab lunch. Then we usually go to the pool.

 

On lines where your room is not ready from the moment you board, have your kids wear their bathing suits under their clothes. Then they can swim around while you're waiting. This is especially important on Disney, because just about every other kid will be in the pool, and yours may be wondering why they can't go as well.

[jlondon]

1) Check to see if cabin is ready (if so drop carry on luggage)

2) Make dinner reservations where necessary

3) Eat in MDR

4) Tour Ship

[betty215]

We hung out by the pool. We had a late breakfast so no one in our group was hungry. We made sure to have a change of clothes so that we could go straight to the pool. One thing we did forget was to put sunscreen in our carryons. We got a little sun burned the first day.

[NJfoodie]

We usually drop off carry-ons if we can, and explore the ship. We'll do lunch in the MDR once it's open. This being our first trip w/ a baby, we'll probably be walking around to see how to navigate the halls w/ a stroller, easiest routes to wherever we want to get to from our room, and we'll head to the MDR to discuss food allergies w/ the restaurant manager.

[Jo and Rob]

We usually drop off carry-ons if we can, and explore the ship. We'll do lunch in the MDR once it's open. This being our first trip w/ a baby, we'll probably be walking around to see how to navigate the halls w/ a stroller, easiest routes to wherever we want to get to from our room, and we'll head to the MDR to discuss food allergies w/ the restaurant manager.

 

Does this mean the MDR is open for lunch on the first day?

[crusinmama06]

Does this mean the MDR is open for lunch on the first day?

 

No, the Maitre D is there to take dining request (change dining requests), but the MDR is not open for lunch on the first day.

 

To answer your original question, this is what we do...

--head straight to the pursers desk and throw cash down on the account (no lines) and I like cash on my account

--then head to the WJ for lunch, get the soda package (if we haven't done it online already for the hubby)

--once 1:00-1:30 hits, time to head to the cabin and put the carry-on bags down. RCI doesn't allow you into your cabin on Indy until that time. Say "HI" to the cabin attendant and introduce ourselves. This is the time that you can state any needs (extra pillows, ice every morning and night, etc)

--kids get their swim suits on (always make sure to keep them IN THE CARRY-ON) and we head to the H20 zone -- its always dead on the first day :D

--Keep an eye on the time, we get the kids dried off and head back to the cabin to prepare for the Muster Drill and sailaway.

 

**Anyone who wants in cabin sitting or spa appts, use these first few hours to get these reservations -- they fill up fast!

[Name Of The Game]

Michele, don't your kids give you a hard time about leaving the water zone so soon the first day to go to muster? Or do they know the 'drill'? :D

[CanadianTwosome]

We check to see if we can get to our cabins and drop off our carry ons, then we head to whichever main dining room is open for lunch - we sail NCL and one is always open. After a nice leisurely lunch, if we haven't been able to drop off our carry ons prior, we generally can after, and then we head to Kid's Crew to check it out, meet the counsellors, and sign in. Somewhere along the route I stop and get a soda package also.

[crusinmama06]

Michele, don't your kids give you a hard time about leaving the water zone so soon the first day to go to muster? Or do they know the 'drill'? :D

 

Heck by now they could run the drill. ;):D lol

 

No, they are good kids. They usually don't give us much trouble when it comes to running from one thing to the next. They are pretty flexible.

[Name Of The Game]

I think my cousin's wife is leaving for the Grandeur tomorrow. :)

[crusinmama06]

I think my cousin's wife is leaving for the Grandeur tomorrow. :)

 

I hope she has a great time! :D

[azbaby8062]

1) Drop our carry on in the cabin

2) Get a bite to eat

3) Explore the ship

 

That is what we do too,

[Havingfun2010]

I have also posted this question on the RCI website but am interested to see what fellow families do. (Heading for the bar seemed a common response!)

Many thanks

 

1. Head to my stateroom

2. Grab a drink on the way lol:D

3. Drop my carry on bag

4. Go EAT.

 

Sometimes the stateroom isn't yet available if you arrive early, so my carry on is small, so I skip step 3 until after 4. Unfortunitely, if I need to skip 3, than eat, than go back to the stateroom, I will need another drink :rolleyes: since I can't be seen walking around without one.

 

5. Explore the ship, check out the kid's area, sign up etc in the kid's club.