How do you spend the First Day on the Ship? (What do you do?)

[sirclean]

I have Elite Status, so I m not a cruise new-be by any means.  Usually, I try to get my luggage to the room (if I can), meet the steward and then find lunch.  I used to hit the buffet, but recently someone suggested the sit down lunch was better.

 

Of course, I make sure that I get my safety checks done.

 

In the Olden Days, (Before COVID), there was a 'scavenger hunt' to help you learn the ship and enter a drawing.  I would do that.  I dont see that as an option anymore.  Fortunately, we dont have to muster anymore either. I dont really miss sitting (Or Standing!) in the evacuation station to learn to wear a life preserver. 

 

What do YOU do on your first day on the ship?  (What advice do you have?  What should I consider doing in the Post COVID Cruising Days?)

[rdsqrl]

I like to hang on the promenade deck and supervise the stores being loaded onto the ship.  Often, there's a dog to watch, sniffing the various pallets.  It's simple fun but it entertains me.  Plus, it avoids the crowds and first-day madhouse of the interior of the ship. 

[trbarton]

I’m like you, going to my stateroom if available, & then going to a nice relaxed sit down lunch. I can’t remember if I ever went to the buffet when boarding. 
 

Tom😀

[Kellyansapansa]

We like to check out our stateroom first. We've been fortunate that on every cruise so far it has been ready for us straight away. We'll do the muster, then visit the buffet. We'll go for a walk and check out the entire ship to orient ourselves and head for the Sanctuary to make a booking or two. We'll also check out the schedule of events and work out what we're doing on each day. Then we'll find a good viewing spot for sail away, either on our balcony if it's facing the right direction, or on one of the decks. 🍹⛴️

[jhannah]

We like to go to our stateroom and unpack our carry-ons. Then it's off to grab a bite. After that, it's back to the cabin to avoid the boarding day hall traffic and watch the goings-on down on the pier (if we're on that side.) If we go out again before sailaway, we stroll around the ship and try to get a lay of the land. Most of all, we're just grateful to be on a ship and able to take advantage of its many ways to relax!

[J13C85]

On our last 2 Princess Cruises we were fortunate enough to have a suite and as a result we were on the ships quite early. 

 

The first thing we like to do is take a seat somewhere near the atrium, order a cocktail (it's 5 somewhere) and just take it all in for a few moments and appreciate the fact we are on a cruise.

 

Quite early we get the safety drill done, pop over to Sabatinis and sign up for Chef's table.  Somewhere around noon we will hit the Club Class dining room for lunch and after lunch it is off to our cabin (as luggage arrives we unpack as we like to have that done ASAP and we send a batch of laundry for the stuff we wore pre cruise) . One of the highlights when we arrive our cabin is I order roses ahead of the cruise and DW is always surprised (and quite happy) to see them. With everything going on pre cruise the flowers are never on her mind when we enter the cabin.

 

Between unpacking and sailaway we explore the ship and check out anything from the patter that might pique our interest. We like to do sailaway from our balcony and we do speciality dining on Embarkation night.  

 

For advice, if the ship is new to you, we suggest a "photo safari" early in the day. Also, we have had friends prepare a scavenger hunt for the first day and that was always fun.

 

Embarkation day is our favorite day of the cruise

[brisalta]

48 minutes ago, rdsqrl said:

I like to hang on the promenade deck and supervise the stores being loaded onto the ship.  Often, there's a dog to watch, sniffing the various pallets.  It's simple fun but it entertains me.  Plus, it avoids the crowds and first-day madhouse of the interior of the ship. 

 

Is that your way of hiding from the dangerous grysqrl ? 😉

Edited April 10, 2023 by brisalta

[suekel]

I am usually on board by 11.  I go to Crooners and meet the bartenders.  Then head to the MDR for lunch.  By then my cabin is ready so I head there.  After my luggage arrives, I head up to the Sailaway party.  Drink a Dirty Banana.  Then go get cleaned up for dinner.  Then I head to the casino for a bit.  

[brisalta]

If the ship has an Alfredo's head there for lunch. Other wise we go to the MDR for lunch. Then we go to the stateroom to leave our carry on luggage and unpack. Then we wander around the ship.

[startedwithamouse]

Pool day and lots of 🍸 🍹 

[avonlady6390]

Drop off carry on put valuables in safe then go have lunch in mdr I usually order the same thing since the menu is usually the same on all ships.  Then go up to the lido deck for a cocktail do muster then back to room to unpack as soon as my luggage comes to get out of way.

[Guardsy]

Much the same here.

 

Check cabin first to drop valuables and carry-on.  Change if needed (traveling clothes from the Pacific NW into shorts/t-shirts for the tropics).  If luggage is there, turn on the safety video and let it run while unpacking everything and squaring the cabin away.

 

First cocktail and lunch somewhere.

 

Check out areas of interest to us on the ship.

 

Spend as much time as possible in the sun with a cocktail!

[Incognito1]

First thing, I wipe the room down with Lysol wipes.   Then unpack while I watch the required safety video.  Have lunch in the MDR.  Wave goodbye as we sail away.

[FrankieJayIII]

1 hour ago, rdsqrl said:

supervise the stores being loaded onto the ship.  

Thank you for your service!

[FrankieJayIII]

1 hour ago, J13C85 said:

One of the highlights when we arrive our cabin is I order roses ahead of the cruise and DW is always surprised (and quite happy) to see them.

where/how do you order roses for the cabin? I would like to make this happen

 

[J13C85]

19 minutes ago, FrankieJayIII said:

where/how do you order roses for the cabin? I would like to make this happen

 

Pre Covid you could do it from the Princess website.  Last year, I called Princess and did it over the phone.  BtW, I got her half a dozen yellow roses and it was in the neighborhood of $35.  Best part is a week is just about perfect.

[Colorado Coasty]

We first try to see how many crew members tell us the dining doom isn't open (the record is 7) and then we avoid the buffet at all costs.

 

[SiliconCruiser]

3 hours ago, sirclean said:

I have Elite Status, so I m not a cruise new-be by any means.  Usually, I try to get my luggage to the room (if I can), meet the steward and then find lunch.  I used to hit the buffet, but recently someone suggested the sit down lunch was better.

 

I don't know why it took a while for you to find out that the luncheon in the MDR was preferable.  We did that on our very first (blue card) cruise because we were told that by some people who had gold cards.  We've never eaten anywhere but the MDR on turnaround day.  We almost fell for the crew's misleading instructions on one cruise but when we checked out the 6th fl. midship dining room we figured out that the crew members are instructed to tell everyone that the MDR was not open and that they would have to go to the buffet.  Realistically, there are always B2B pax that will reboard.  The 6th fl. midship MDR is open every day for breakfast and lunch, including on turnaround day.  We will generally have a leisurely breakfast if we are disembarking, and maybe even lunch if we do not get off the ship on turnaround day.

[cr8tiv1]

I am an early arriver.  My vacation begins as soon as I step onboard.

 

Check in with muster station before watching the video (more often than not, it is nearby and uncrowded).  Make suite specialty dinner reservations since my muster station is usually the Crown Grill.

 

Alcohol spray/wipe anything that is touchable (I know, you don't have to tell me...).  Set up safe (put away passport and valuables).

 

Time for lunch in the MDR.  Most ships have the 6th floor MDR open for lunch (and breakfasts),  Except for the Diamond Princess...it was Deck 6 aft...for both, unless you were in club class (deck 6, starboard).

 

Unpack carry on, set up CPAP, Kick back.  Hopefully the rest of my luggage arrives before sale away.

 

Time for sail away (from Promenade Deck or Aft bar).  

 

And it's dinner time again.  It's been so long since I've attended a PES cocktail hour.  Got to find a travel mate who prefers to eat later than 4:45/5.

 

I miss the entertainment sampler they used to have on the first night.  Usually skip the comedian they showcase.  REALLY miss the crew talent show on the last night.  I'd pick that over any guest entertainer.  

 

Crawl into bed and dread the thought that my cruise is now one day shorter.  

 

Fun thread.  Thanks for starting this one.

 

Edited April 10, 2023 by cr8tiv1

[nwnittany]

Get on the ship as soon as we can (nicer than the hotels we usually stay in...lol) and head to the room.  Of course, it's too early and we are usually shoo'd away...but we can at least drop off our carry-on and change into shorts, etc. 

Then head to Alfredo's....it's usually crowded, but we say we don't care and wait for a table.  That pizza is just a great tradition to start the vacation. 

If we're in a suite, I usually try to talk the family into going up to the suite lounge (I usually get dirty looks and have to go solo) to meet the folks up there. 

After that, it's time to head to the pool decks and enjoy the sights from the port.... there's usually alot of interesting (to me) activities....the stuff being loaded onto the ship, other ships and boats...we usually see a few yachts and start searching to see who they belong to, etc.  We all get antsy at some point and have to head to the track to take a few laps. 

Intermingled in all of this is some sampling of beverages (we typically get Plus). 

At some point, the luggage arrives and we unpack and discover all the things we left behind and argue over who gets the ports on the usb charger. 

Sail away happens somewhere in all of this, which is fun to be on deck and waiving like fools at the people watching us sail away.  At some point, I'll catch a glance from DW and we'll look at each other and acknowledge that we are in for a great 7-10 days. 

After dinner we'll head to the casino where we'll try to find the cheapest, simplest machine that exists and plan our strategy to make our $50 last the longest (it never really works out). 

We'll finish the night by trying to find the live entertainment that is closest to rock/pop and we'll people-watch for a couple of hours.  Then we'll head back to the room, complain about the wifi for a bit, and hopefully get 90 minutes of rem and deep sleep and think about how lucky we are. 

 

Damn, just thinking about this makes me want to book a few more...lol.

 

[cr8tiv1]

37 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

sale

 

sail away....

[travelin.sisters]

board as early as possible...go to guest services to get medallions set to all open both cabin doors & get all room accounts on my CC so I can check everyone's for strange charges throughout the cruise...drop carryon in cabin...MDR lunch...muster station check in (all in some order depending on lines/time we get onboard)...look at the Patter to see if there is anything I want to do this first day

 

after lunch back to cabin to drop off my people to rest while I explore ship...especially on a ship I haven't sailed before but even if I have...start at the top & go from one end to the other of the public areas...I see things I may never see again on the cruise & get myself oriented

 

in the room, unpack, decorate, put up door signs, watch safety video, hangout on the balcony

 

meet the cabin steward, ask for daily ice but only for one room, start my stash of cookies from the International Cafe 

 

...in some order I try to have all those things done by dinner time

 

 

 

[david63]

6 hours ago, sirclean said:

I try to get my luggage to the room

Is it not delivered?

[voljeep]

someone above posted about going to Crooners to meet the bartenders ... we go to Vines to do the same as it is our pre-dinner (at least) go to, and usually take a roadie (double if possible) to dinner.

[MissP22]

We always check out the buffet as often they have a favorite of my husbands and he would be disappointed to miss it.

It's never crowded if you make it a point to get on the ship early.

Unpacking comes next- we carry all our luggage on with us. No use to leave things folded in the suitcase any longer than necessary.