Just for fun. Do you have any cruise traditions?

[Jareds_mommytoo]

Like do you order a certain meal when you get on, a favourite first drink? Do you eat in a certain spot?

[Scrapnana]

I drop my things off in the cabin (after taking pictures), eat in the Lido, and then walk around the ship taking more pictures.  I also have to be out on deck for sail-away.

[sevenseasnomad]

Yes, to being on an upper deck for sail-away, even when we have a balcony.   One of our traditions from our 1st HA sailing is to eat in PG the last night of the cruise.  I just made our reservations for our upcoming Nieuw Statendam Dec. 23rd voyage.  The other comes from our 2nd HA sailing and continues to this day, which is to have lunch in the MDR after embarkation.   

[Hflors]

Yes we do.  We go and ck out our cabin and drop off our carry-ons.  We go the main dining room for lunch and then we head for one of the lounges for our "first cruise drink"!   We usually wander around for a while then head back to our cabin.  Hopefully our luggage is there and the unpacking begins.  We always hope all our luggage arrives before we head out for our muster drill.  For us that is the signal that the vacation has begun!!!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Drop off our carry ons in the cabin, introduce ourselves to the concierges if they have not already met us and escorted us to our cabin, confirm all pre booked specialty dinners, have lunch and a cocktail in the dining room.

[Dr.Dobro]

The ceremonial Dissolving of the Bleach Tablets and Stateroom Wipedown.

 

[Dogstar]

Lounging on the stateroom balcony each morning, peacefully waking up &  watching the day’s sunrise unfold while enjoying fresh juice, coffee & pastries delivered by room service. 

[Mosaic]

Touch the Hull after boarding....

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

30 minutes ago, Mosaic said:

Touch the Hull after boarding....

 

I like that tradition. I always touch the outside of the airplane as I am boarding and I think I will now touch the ship as I enter. I think it brings luck!! Thanks for mentioning that.

[cruisemom42]

It varies based on ship and sail-away port.  In Fort Lauderdale I love to be outside to watch the sail-away and see if I can spot the house my grandparents lived in (one block back from the channel) on the way out.  

 

In the Med I also like to watch sail-aways. One ship I frequently sail has a lovely aft (covered but outside) dining area, and it almost always seems like sail-aways are around 7pm, which is when the area opens for dining. MY usual plan is to be among the first there and find a table with a great view for dinner.

 

On most cruises I also have a 'last night' tradition -- after the bags are packed and out, I like to go take a final walk around most of the ship by way of saying farewell.

 

[Caribbean Chris]

Not exactly a “fun” tradition, but I immediately locate the relief box for my service dog. (Sometimes, it’s a big challenge, but not as much on HAL.)

 

Once, the box was Chihuahua-size, which cracked me up. So we went to the front desk to remind them the new user weighed 70 lbs.

[RuthC]

Ever since the introduction of the Master Chef's dinner with all the hoopla on the last night, I have dined in the Pinnacle Grill to top off another lovely cruise. Even though the singing, dancing, and juggling of vegetables is long gone, the pleasant end to the cruise continues.
It's as if the cruise is wrapped up with a delicious bow.

[CMDE]

We always go to the library as soon as we are on-board and get two books each to read for the cruise. This isn’t quite as important now with ebooks, but we still do it anyway.

 

And I always check out the cafe for my morning espresso, too.

Edited November 15, 2018 by CMDE

[Cruising-along]

On days we have an early excursion, we always get room service breakfast. 

Other days, DH always brings me a latte from Explorations Cafe I can drink while getting dressed for the day.  (what a guy) 😍

[trub]

after a quick check of our stateroom, its off to the dive in for a burger and budweiser / pina colada.

 

we know the holiday has started  then!!!

 

 

[dfish]

Dining room for lunch on embarkation day  and Pinnacle Grill for the last night.  I think I am adding a new tradition of at least one lunch in the Pinnacle Grill.  

 

Other non-food traditions include walking the promenade for exercise and watching sail away from either the aft deck or the promenade.  

[Cruzin with BQ & CQ]

We drop our bags in the room and go get a burger, fries and a Grolsch beer. Being doing that for a long time!

[ellieanne]

The first thing I do is drop my carry-ons somewhere, either in my cabin (if it's ready) or in the Lido with my traveling companions and then go on an explore to get (re-)familiar with the ship, take pictures before the public spaces fill up with people, and see all the exclusive areas before they are cordoned off to my steerage-dwelling self. Then my traveling party reconvenes for lingering lunch in the Lido before we head back to the cabins to prepare for Lifeboat Drill.

 

For sail-aways, I like to be out on the promenade deck to be able to see the lines being loosed and pulled in. The activity on the pier at arrival & departure is one of the best things about cruising to me. My traveling party knows they can always find me at the railing at sail-away, so we usually all meet up there before we head to the fan-deck for the initial sail-away or dinner for others (we almost always have early fixed seating).

[Copper10-8]

As crew, get changed into uniform and attend a myriad of welcome aboard/safety and security meetings. As pax, have lunch in the Lido and, afterwards, check out our mustard station on boat deck. Then get ready for the pax safety drill and a relaxing cruise

[rkacruiser]

Before retiring for the night on the first evening at sea, whether I have a veranda stateroom or not, which then requires me finding an open deck space overlooking the ocean that is as quiet as possible, I offer a thankfull prayer for the ability and health to once again embark on this cruise.  I include my late Mother in my prayer because she is the one who encouraged me to "see the world and keep traveling".  

[kftw]

10 hours ago, Caribbean Chris said:

Not exactly a “fun” tradition, but I immediately locate the relief box for my service dog. (Sometimes, it’s a big challenge, but not as much on HAL.)

 

Once, the box was Chihuahua-size, which cracked me up. So we went to the front desk to remind them the new user weighed 70 lbs.

 

How is Raylene?  We loved our Alaska cruise with her & y'all too!

 

Karen & Craig

Edited November 16, 2018 by kftw

[Bill B]

Go to stateroom; meet Stuart (maybe); unpack carry-on; check out how to get to mustard station; go to aft Lido for a beer and a smoke. 

[DAllenTCY]

Board ship.....tour all decks ASAP....meet stateroom attendant....go to Muster Station early.

 

    1.  Come back later to loose in casino after sailaway.

 

    2.   I try to greet everyone whether guest or crew with a smile and a greeting in the hallway or elevator.

 

Repeat steps one and two.

 

David

P.S.  The very best part of the cruise is unpacking......the worst part is waiting for your number and color to be called.

 

 

[Caribbean Chris]

2 hours ago, kftw said:

 

How is Raylene?  We loved our Alaska cruise with her & y'all too!

 

Karen & Craig

We loved that Alaska cruise with you all, too. What a great group! One of my all-time favorites. Raylene is doing very well, and has been on three more cruises since then, with three coming up in 2019.

[mcrcruiser]

Check in 10:30 to 11:00 AM ,at the cruise terminal .  Board ship & drop off carry on luggage in stateroom ,if available & then go to the MDR for a relaxing lunch 

Try to unpack prior to the muster drill