What’s a tradition you do after you board?

[karmamule]

Our first Carnival cruise is coming up this October on the Mardi Gras. Under 60 days to go! In the past our ritual has been:

 

• drop off luggage as soon as room is available
• get muster out of the way as soon as possible
• find a place to eat lunch (on Mardi Gras will be Guys or Big Chicken depending on our whims and line length)
• get that first drink!!!  Typically for me it's a frozen mudslide, but his thread taught me about the Funship Special so that's going to be my first drink on the Mardi Gras. Thanks everyone!
• if it's a brand new ship to us, take a very inefficient and very fun random walk around it.
• scope out the casino to see what slot faves are there. The more faves, the worse for our budget  😄

[rrraydon]

Booze…booze before anything!

 

Before the internet, where you can now get all cruise info, when I first walked on the ship and was wowed by the glorious atrium, I was handed a drink off of the tray of one of the waiters. You immediately think, “wow how awesome is this!”..drink after drink, not knowing they’re not free!  😂 

[Crismess669]

I apologize for not responding to any of these as life got hectic yesterday.

 

We actually got late boarding last time and liked it so much (no lines) that we may do it again. Is this why we didn’t see a Funship Special? It was after 1 when we got onboard and we watched Sail Away from our balcony. 

[Crismess669]

46 minutes ago, karmamule said:

Our first Carnival cruise is coming up this October on the Mardi Gras. Under 60 days to go! In the past our ritual has been:

 

• get that first drink!!!  Typically for me it's a frozen mudslide, but his thread taught me about the Funship Special so that's going to be my first drink on the Mardi Gras. Thanks everyone!

I’ve never had a mudslide and now I really want one when we go.

[Crismess669]

1 hour ago, ultrafighter said:

A fun ship special and Mongolian Wok.

Ooh I didn’t know that was open on Day 1. Good to know!

[wemjam]

1 hour ago, ShakyBeef said:

Upon boarding, pick up cocktail and take it straight to my cabin for bedbug check, followed by some cleaning and sanitizing of my cabin.  Do I know how to have FUN or what?😎

Don't worry, I forgot to add that, but I do the same thing.  Always have even before Covid.  Bed Bug check, and sanitize the @*&@! out of every touch surface in the place 😁

[pe4all]

Go straight to muster, drop off backpack in room and pick up s and s card, go to guest services and put some cash on account.  Then off to buffet for lunch.

[dmet0225]

Much like most of the others - drop of luggage in the room, head straight to Guy's, have a Funship then head to muster. 

 

I could not be happier with the new muster drill since the pandemic.  Standing in the oppressive heat in the middle of the summer in Texas with all of my closest friends during the muster was miserable - at best.

[sgttami]

Old tradition  was to go directly to casino bar and smoke and drink until muster and meet new people.  Always a fun time.

 

Now that there's no smoking at casino bars and muster has changed, the next cruise will be different and since I quit smoking and don't really care about drinking, it's time for a new tradition.

 

Embrace change!

 

Next cruise is Jan . 2023. 

 

 

[cyntil8ing]

3 hours ago, sgttami said:

Old tradition  was to go directly to casino bar and smoke and drink until muster and meet new people.  Always a fun time.

 

Now that there's no smoking at casino bars and muster has changed, the next cruise will be different and since I quit smoking and don't really care about drinking, it's time for a new tradition.

 

Embrace change!

 

Next cruise is Jan . 2023. 

 

 

Congratulations on quitting!
 

Our cruise earlier this month was the first time I have ever spent any time at the Casino Bar. The streets on the Pride rolled up at midnight, so we went there every night for a nightcap. 

 

I quit smoking in 2001, but it took my husband a little longer. He celebrated one year smoke-free while we were onboard.

 

I don’t think we really have a routine, but I did enjoy a Funship Special for the first time. 

[momof3cruisers]

I always check our main bags so only have a backpack. Easy to carry until rooms are ready. Muster first to get it done. 
 

Get lunch at either Guy’s or Blue Iguana and a drink and then if alone or just adults, head to Serenity and settle into a clam shell. With kids, find somewhere shady on Lido to hang out while kids swim. (Their suits are in their backpacks.) Once rooms are ready, if we have a balcony we head there to watch sail away. Otherwise, stay right where we are.

[BoozinCroozin]

Get Muster out of the way, cellphones on Airplane mode, and then get a cocktail.

Edited August 30, 2022 by BoozinCroozin

[Hoosierpop]

A couple of things:

 

1) we tell the boys that the first person to run and press every floor button on each elevator and run back gets an extra $20 for the arcade.

2) we put as many towels on the loungers nearest the lido pool as we have in our cabin. I hate that location, but apparently, it’s popular.

3) we find out where our MDR table is, then spend an hour with the Matre D finding a new location because we are platinum, damnit.

Edited August 30, 2022 by Hoosierpop

[Joebucks]

16 hours ago, dmet0225 said:

I could not be happier with the new muster drill since the pandemic.  Standing in the oppressive heat in the middle of the summer in Texas with all of my closest friends during the muster was miserable - at best.

 

This can't be overstated enough. Often, we forget the good "cutbacks." 

[Drew B 58]

“What’s a tradition you do after you board?”

Immediately after I board?  I traditionally take a few steps so the person behind me can board as well.  😉

[Cruzlover7]

On 8/28/2022 at 2:46 PM, Crismess669 said:

We’re on our second Carnival cruise in December, and I realize my cruising partner and I need a tradition for after we dump our stuff off at our room. We were gonna make it Happy Hour at Red Frog, but Horizon doesn’t have Red Frog (which is ridiculous). 

 

What’s the first thing you always do (aside from dropping stuff off at the room)?

We go straight to bar and get a pina’ colada. Then snap a quick pick with drink in hand and send it to people we work with.  Lol. The we go to muster station and check in.  

[Susan in Maine]

What is a Funship Special? I feel kinda stupid asking.

[Joe817]

34 minutes ago, Susan in Maine said:

What is a Funship Special? I feel kinda stupid asking.

It's kind of like a rum punch. Very fruity and somewhat sweet.  It's a tradition when sailing Carnival to get a Funship Special. They are very good.

[ninjacat123]

38 minutes ago, Susan in Maine said:

What is a Funship Special? I feel kinda stupid asking.

• 1 shot Amaretto
• 1 shot Brandy, apricot
• 1 shot Rum, mango
• 1 shot Rum, white
• 1 shot Grenadine
• Fill with Orange Juice
• Fill with Pineapple Juice

[ninjacat123]

Just now, ninjacat123 said:

• 1 shot Amaretto
• 1 shot Brandy, apricot
• 1 shot Rum, mango
• 1 shot Rum, white
• 1 shot Grenadine
• Fill with Orange Juice
• Fill with Pineapple Juice

Don't feel stupid asking. It's fun to find out! 😁

[gopackgo21]

Husband and I always go to Cucina! We have been early and late boarding and have never had to wait. It’s the perfect place to get a nice free bowl of pasta, sit down without a crowd and wait until the rooms open!

[lennythenose]

Here is the Funship recipe I found several year ago. 
 

Funship Cocktail

1/2 oz. amaretto 

3/4 oz. 151 rum

3/4 oz. vodka

1/2 oz. apricot brandy

4 oz. fruit punch 

 

 

Fruit Punch

2 oz orange juice

1 oz pineapple juice

1 oz sweet and sour

1/4 oz grenadine

.125 oz bitters 

 

My boys always got the Bubbles package mainly to order the fruit punch. It is really good (hubby and I like it too)!

[CruisingAgain]

My first lunch is always shrimp burrito and a beer (XX). 

[katiel53]

On 8/28/2022 at 8:06 PM, LoungingMcCoy said:

Lunch first.  Hang out in our room/nap until muster.  If we know where the trivia and group games are held we may go check that out.  Muster.  Hang out on our balcony and watch sail away.

 

I never thought of it as a tradition, but I guess it is since we do it every cruise.  lol 

It sounds like you haven't cruised since there was a change to the muster drill.  It is no longer held just before boarding with a zillion passengers stuffed together on the decks dying of the heat.  You can do it yourself as soon as you board.  It's so much better than the old way.

 

[katiel53]

On 8/28/2022 at 8:06 PM, LoungingMcCoy said:

Lunch first.  Hang out in our room/nap until muster.  If we know where the trivia and group games are held we may go check that out.  Muster.  Hang out on our balcony and watch sail away.

 

I never thought of it as a tradition, but I guess it is since we do it every cruise.  lol 

It sounds like you haven't cruised since there was a change to the muster drill.  It is no longer held just before boarding with a zillion passengers stuffed together on the decks dying of the heat.  You can do it yourself as soon as you board.  It's so much better than the old way.