How soon can we go to our cabin once we board?

[Auntie D Cruiser]

We are sailing on the RC Explorer (1st time cruisers). Someone told us to take nothing but our papers and meds as carryon because we will have to carry it all over the ship while we explore it. What do you all suggest? Do we get to go to our rooms sooner or later? Thanks!:)

[ineedacruise]

I would suggest you bring along what you need for dinner that night, your meds and docs. True you dont want to walk around the ship with a lot of bags, but luggage has been known to take a long time to arrive. You can usually board by 11:30 to 12:00 but can't get to your cabins until about 1:00.

[suziehmkr]

It really does depend on the ship and what cabin you are in. We were able to get into our cabin as soon as we boarded at 11:30-12:00. Our luggage arrived just before dinner, but many on the upper floors were still being delivered after dinner.

 

I would suggest necessities, anything you need for dinner and perhaps even some pool clothes if the weather is right.

[Auntie D Cruiser]

Thanks, "I Need A Cruise"! That is what I think would be the best bet. I was thinking of purchasing one of the garment bags with wheels for our formal wear but thought we could also throw in the stuff for that evening too. What do you think?

 

Also, we will be celebrating my parents 50th wedding anniversary. They would like to bring kahlua and Absolut on board with them for their room. Should we pack it in the luggage? As is? Or transfer it to plastic water bottles? Will they confiscate it if they find it in their luggage? Also, I read about gifts being sent to them on the cruise. Can we send the liquor to their rooms? Who or where would I contact for something like that?

[Sheffie]

I have taken wine on-board in my luggage for quite a few cruises. I wouldn't worry about moving your liquor into plastic bottles. (and I think plastic changes the flavor of things anyway)

 

I have never heard of anyone getting their packed liquor confiscated.

 

Re. stuff for that evening: you can change into something else, or you can wear what you wear onboard. We bring our roll-on carry-on with us when we board and keep what we want to wear that night in it. I have heard people say there is somewhere that you can check it till your room opens at 1 (sometimes earlier).

 

You are in for such a great vacation. What a wonderful way to celebrate your parents' 50th!

 

Michelle

[Auntie D Cruiser]

Sorry Suzie. Did not see your reply. Enjoyed reading about your trip to the Mexican Riviera. Looking forward to the cruise so much but feel so overwhelmed at this point. So today (being 5 weeks from our cruise) I decided to start getting things organized. Maybe I will feel less stressed! My husband thinks I am nuts and thinks I am making too big a deal out of all this! But he will probably be happy when he finds everything there when he gets on the boat!

 

Any suggestions on what to do for my parents 50th anniversary? Did you see anything done by other people that you can suggest? Thanks!

[Auntie D Cruiser]

Sheffie...I agree...I love to drink wine in a glass rather than plastic..but if I have no choice..oh well, plastic it is..lol I am hoping to spread the bottles out...meaning that my Mom bring the Absolut, Dad bring the Kahlua etc.

 

I noticed you have taken previous cruises in April. Any to the Eastern Caribbean? How was the weather? We live in Florida so the weather during this time of the year is usually cooler with a mix of warmer and cooler days. We were told to pack shorts and summer clothes...(for us these clothes are never packed away! ha ha) but on the cruise, would we need jackets or sweats? Pants?

[WillyNilly]

Just thought I'd pipe up that even though your room may not be ready, you can put stuff in it. Just that if it's not ready, the door will remain open, so your stuff wouldn't be uhm....as secure.

 

I had to change rooms during a back to back cruise and we hauled our luggage (sorry....couldn't want for stateroom attendant to do it all) to our new room. Just stacked it up on the couch and out of plain sight so our new attendant could vacuum.

 

Feel free to stash stuff in the closet, drawers, etc, but keep the door open until the room is ready.

 

I was fortunate to get my luggage by dinner. Not-so-fortunate that one suitcase was completely trashed (and had to be replaced by rccl, and lost a sony headphone extension that was severed in the trashing process), so unless the hooch goes on as carry-on, I highly suggest plastic bottles.

[Sheffie]

Auntie D, The Eastern is wonderful in April. The water has warmed up to such a nice temperature. All of our days were warm ones. We did encounter one brief shower last year in St. Thomas, but that was the only precipitation we had on all of the cruises.

 

I have heard people say that they get cold in some of the areas on the ship, but you shouldn't need anything other than summer clothes in your ports.

 

Regarding your liquor, I would leave it in its original bottles myself. One less thing to have to do before the cruise!

 

Are you going this April?

[Auntie D Cruiser]

Yes, in only a few weeks...actually about 36 days away! There will be 6 of us. My brother and I are taking my parents on this cruise. We have never been able to really afford any of the bigger parties that some kids have for their parents for different milestone events so we figured for their 50th wedding anniversary we would do it. True that we never know when any of us are celebrating our "last days" but with them getting older, who knows whether we will have other trips with them or not.

[Auntie D Cruiser]

Sorry to hear about the trashed luggage..that is not a great way to start the cruise WillyNilly! I would prefer to carry the bottles on with us but fear that they will not let us at customs? It is customs who will be going through our stuff right? Not RCC personnel?

[Sheffie]

Oh, what wonderful memories you will be creating!

 

We went with my folks on our first cruise, which was to the Western Caribbean. My mother passed away 7 years ago, and with the planning of this cruise, to the Western again, I sometimes catch myself just sitting and smiling. Oh, the great memories I have. I can still picture my mother sitting on deck with the nicest most contented smile; I can see her swimming SO fast back to the beach in Cozumel when she realized how deep she was snorkeling; oh, and the Sting Ray City time together. Oh, well, so many memories.

 

You will have such a marvelous time.

 

Michelle

[Auntie D Cruiser]

Michelle sorry to hear about your Mom. I am sure you miss her, and it seems to cement the decision my brother and I made by taking them on this cruise and the great time we will all have together will be something to be remembered by us for a long time to come!

[JerseyGirl23]

Yes, in only a few weeks...actually about 36 days away! There will be 6 of us. My brother and I are taking my parents on this cruise. We have never been able to really afford any of the bigger parties that some kids have for their parents for different milestone events so we figured for their 50th wedding anniversary we would do it. True that we never know when any of us are celebrating our "last days" but with them getting older, who knows whether we will have other trips with them or not.

 

 

How sweet... have a wonderful time and let us know how your trip was!

[njoyndride]

Auntie - First you're going to have a wonderful cruise with wonderful memories for sure. We sailed for my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary and this is what we did. I made a door decoration which was a flat gold bell and glued an 8x10 wedding picture to it. All their neighbors continually congratulated them and they could find their cabin easily. We did a little party on the day of embarkation just prior to sailing. I left an invitation in their cabin, thanks cabin steward, with instructions to meet us in the Viking Crown lounge where we had arranged a cake. The bar is open and there are waiters so you can get anything you would like to drink. My sister-in-law decorated two champagne glasses that looked lovely beside the cake. One of my favorite pictures is of the two of them at sailaway with decorated glasses in hand standing just outside the Viking Crown doors. It was such a great day.

 

We'll be on Navigator doing the Eastern route in April also!!!

[MrsPete]

Here's what you have to understand: Someone was staying in your cabin, and that person just left at 8:00 or 9:00 AM. While those last cruisers are leaving the ship, the next group is already assembling in the terminal, waiting to board! The ship's cleaning crew has only a few hours to get those rooms ready for you to board at 12:00. Just think of the linens, the vaccuming, the bathrooms . . . and it has to be perfect for you, the next customer.

 

I have no idea how they turn it around that fast. In a hotel, the check-outs are staggered -- you check out on Friday, someone else leaves on Saturday, I don't check in until Sunday -- there's turn-around time. On a ship, EVERYONE leaves at the same time!

 

Keeping that in mind, there are two factors in how fast you can get to your room:

 

1. What time do you plan to board? If you're going to be waiting in line at 11:00 to be amongst the first people onboard, you have little chance of your room being ready. On the other hand, if you plan to fly in at 1:00 and board around 3:00, you probably can walk straight to your room.

 

2. On which end of the hallway did the cleaning crew begin working? If luck has it that they started with room 1000, and you're in room 1500, you're not going to get into your room early! Obviously, you have no control over this factor.

 

My advice: Board the ship wearing something nice enough for dinner the first night, or carry a tote bag with one outift. My familiy likes to wear swimsuits underneath so we can go straight to the pool before it's crowded. Of course, you should carry your camera, jewelry, identification, and money with you as you board. A tote bag should hold everything you need, and it won't weigh you down if you're stuck with it for several hours.

[elleluv]

Keep in mind also that whatever you carryon the ship needs to meet the same size criteria that the airlines have. It all goes through the same type of screening machines as they have at the airports. I think you'd have to check in your garment bag on wheels. They do work great for your formal wear though.

 

It sounds like you are going to have a great time!

[newmexicoNita]

If I understood your question, you asked when you would be in your cabin? This depends on how early you get to the pier and on the ship. We usually get to the pier about 11am, on the ship by noon and in our cabins shortly after. What others have said is worth remembering. Take, in your carry on what you want to wear to dinner that night. Normally your luggage will arrive way before dinner, but just in case, it's doesn't hurt to be safe. We either carry on what would be acceptable for dinner and wear shorts on the ship or visa versa. The first night is very casual for dinner. Capris or slacks for gals and docker type pants plus polo shirts for guys would be just fine. NMNita

[Pumbaamd]

Hi Nita,

Want to go to Panama with us in January?

Deirdra and Rick

[Host Kewlguy]

We were in our cabins at 12 pm, even though we were told that they would be available at 1 pm.

[CJHouston]

You will have such a great time. Almost my entire family went on a cruise to celebrate my parent's 50th anniversary. My Dad secretly (from my mother) arranged to renew their vows on board. This was such a surpirse to us all; he is not romantic, not overly affectionate, and ordinarily not over sentinmental. They were 75 and 83 and the time. We had the best time planning it with him, and keeping it a secret from my Mom. He had my SIL take him shopping before the trip and he bought her an anniversary ring. We brought the somehting old, new and blue. Another SIL made her a beautiful blue photo album and brought it on board. My niece brought the prayer book my mother had gven her that she had used in the 1930's. We brought her a special dress onboard. We were secrelty planning and wrapping gifts when my Mom knocked and just entered and we hid most things and stopped talking, and she got mad at us for having secrets! Thought she was being left out of something! Anyway, we arranged to have her visit the salon (they told her she won the services, because she never would have agreed to pay the charges or have anyone else pay it).

 

Anyway, on the first formal night, we all showed up with presents and my Mom was very confused. We starting giving her the presents one by one, and then my Dad took out the ring, shaking like a leaf, and proposed to her all over again. They did not have a wedding originally, and this was so special. The next day the cruisline held a special ceremony, for them and 2 other couples, and made a really big to do for all. Cake, champagne, pictures. It was amazing!

[JerseyGirl23]

The story is so sweeet! Thanks for the smile! :)

[familycruzer]

I am not sure if anyone mentioned this either but the first night is usually casual. No need to carry your formal wear on board.

[stanjj111]

Check your room when you board. Even if it is not clean you may be able to leave your carry-on luggage there.

[parrothead60450]

On my last sailing, it specifically said in the compass, that your travel wear is acceptable for the first night in the dining room. First night only. I usually see plenty of people in the dining room with shorts and whatever that first night and it does not bother me whatsoever. Some people get on the ship and do not get their luggage until after dinner.

 

That being said. I never check my carryon to be taken up to the room as my valuables are in there. Camera, jewelry, etc. and do not want them dissappearing at all. Plus as others have said, make sure you have your swimsuit in there if you plan on swimming before dinner. Take a change for dinner if you want to be dressier, but it is not required for the first night.