Guest safety briefing

[Newcruiser2024]

We're taking our first cruise ever in March. We have an 11:30 embarkation time. On our calendar it says we have a guest safety briefing at 10:45, lasting 4 hours and 45 minutes. What does this consist of? So, as soon as we get on the ship we should go directly to our room, drop off our carry on luggage, and then I'd like to have lunch. Can the safety briefing be done after that? Also, what time should we arrive to the terminal?

[cruisestitch]

Well, that is a bizarre thought. No, it takes about two minutes. But you can do it anytime in that four hour 45 minute window.

 

on embarkation day, open up the app and answer two or three short health question, and view the safety video.

 
your 11:30 appointment is your arrival time.  You will actually board when the ship is cleared and ready for you

 

when you board, the rooms will be open and you can drop your carry-on there.  They may not be 100% ready but you can leave your carry-on while you go to lunch, go to your muster station, explore the ship, etc..

 

So sometime in that window,, go to your muster station and check in there. That’s all there is to it.

Edited January 31 by cruisestitch

[SeaWatch12]

4 minutes ago, Newcruiser2024 said:

We're taking our first cruise ever in March. We have an 11:30 embarkation time. On our calendar it says we have a guest safety briefing at 10:45, lasting 4 hours and 45 minutes. What does this consist of? So, as soon as we get on the ship we should go directly to our room, drop off our carry on luggage, and then I'd like to have lunch. Can the safety briefing be done after that? Also, what time should we arrive to the terminal?

The total you will spend on the safety is about drill is 5-10 minutes. I think they show 4 hours and 45 minutes as that is the time span from first guest allowed on till they no longer let guests on the ship.
 

I'm sure someone can explain the process more specifically. 

[Newcruiser2024]

Thank you for the information. What time should we be at the terminal for an embarkation of 11:30?

[cruisestitch]

There is a difference between the arrival time and the embarkation. If your arrival time is 1130, that’s when you should come to the terminal. Your embark time will depend on how quickly the ship clears and how many other passengers there are. You may embark quickly or you may be waiting in the terminal for some period of time. 

[Jim_Iain]

1 hour ago, Newcruiser2024 said:

Thank you for the information. What time should we be at the terminal for an embarkation of 11:30?

At about 45 days prior to the cruise you can select an arrival time using either the app or website.   They have staggered scheduled arrival times to avoid over crowding at the pier.   This is the scheduled arrival time at the terminal and may be different from actual boarding time.   Once General boarding begins guests are called to board in an orderly fashion. 

[mayleeman]

@cruisestitch I have been unable to get into check-in on the app on my phone (Samsung S23+) after the time selection at the 45 day point. 

 

We board Saturday. I have tried every combination of deleting and reinstalling the app, purging the cache & cookies, and restarting. But clicking check-in on the app only takes me to a full page X on white background that gets nowhere. (I can't access the app using incognito mode because it is an app, not a website. Thought it might be a solution.) Using the Celeb main menu on mybphone just routes me to the app, and to the white X screen.

 

I haven't tried putting the app on my wife's phone, but our phones are identical and I will try using it to get into the app check-in link, but I am not hopeful. 

 

We do have screenshots of our Express Passes, so that's good.

 

I am supposed to do 3 things on the app, as I understand it, before or during embarking: 

 

--update our credit card from the one I put in 90 days ago because it got replaced;

 

--health questionnaire (I know this can be done in-person);

 

--watch the muster 2.0 video that morning. This is the one that has me stumped because if it is something the check-in link activates on the app, I can't get it. I have read that you can watch the video in the room but if it isn't ready except to drop off luggage what do we do?

 

You seem well versed in this. Can we do all 3 at the terminal without the app?  Any other suggestions? 

 

I appreciate any help you, or anyone else, can provide!  Thanks!

 

[cruisestitch]

You can do all three either at the terminal or onboard.  The app is not required.

[Andrewgary]

Don't forget the most important requirement: Have a great time!

[SevenSeas1492]

When I checked in for our cruise, I used the check in on Celebrity’s website.  It went flawlessly.  You might want to try that.

[kathynorth]

6 hours ago, mayleeman said:

@cruisestitch I have been unable to get into check-in on the app on my phone (Samsung S23+) after the time selection at the 45 day point. 

 

We board Saturday. I have tried every combination of deleting and reinstalling the app, purging the cache & cookies, and restarting. But clicking check-in on the app only takes me to a full page X on white background that gets nowhere. (I can't access the app using incognito mode because it is an app, not a website. Thought it might be a solution.) Using the Celeb main menu on mybphone just routes me to the app, and to the white X screen.

 

I haven't tried putting the app on my wife's phone, but our phones are identical and I will try using it to get into the app check-in link, but I am not hopeful. 

 

We do have screenshots of our Express Passes, so that's good.

 

I am supposed to do 3 things on the app, as I understand it, before or during embarking: 

 

--update our credit card from the one I put in 90 days ago because it got replaced;

 

--health questionnaire (I know this can be done in-person);

 

--watch the muster 2.0 video that morning. This is the one that has me stumped because if it is something the check-in link activates on the app, I can't get it. I have read that you can watch the video in the room but if it isn't ready except to drop off luggage what do we do?

 

You seem well versed in this. Can we do all 3 at the terminal without the app?  Any other suggestions? 

 

I appreciate any help you, or anyone else, can provide!  Thanks!

 

They have iPads at the muster station that passengers can use if you haven’t watched the video yet when you go to check in.

[mayleeman]

18 hours ago, kathynorth said:

They have iPads at the muster station that passengers can use if you haven’t watched the video yet when you go to check in.

Good information!  That makes it seem a lot  easier than waiting for the room tv to 🤞🏼

[Z'Loth]

About 24 hours before my last cruise (January, 2024), I was able to view the safety videos and fill out the health questionnaire. When I boarded the ship, the first stop I made was at the muster station... which was also where I could get Internet assistance... for the minor issue of getting my account number to log into the ship basic WiFi. 

[Jim_Iain]

On 1/31/2024 at 3:05 PM, kathynorth said:

They have iPads at the muster station that passengers can use if you haven’t watched the video yet when you go to check in.

The safety videos are also available on all stateroom TV's or if you go to the muster they will give you a quick one in person.

[mayleeman]

Update: We did the health questionnaire on my wife's phone. On mine, it kept telling me about it but never connected...just the same damnable white screen that required rebooting the app. (On hers, it kept sending reminders saying we hadn't done it yet even tho it was showing completed when we went to other screens. No problems at terminal.)

 

The videos invitation was sent directly to both of us and we watched them on our respective phones. Apparently, that process is not connected to the infinite white screen of death appearing when hitting check in on the app.

 

There were many people complaining when we boarded about their app freezing like mine did. (I don't know if it is an Android issue or if iPhone people also had it happen.) 

 

We had a noon boarding time but got to the terminal 90 mins early. We were expecting to just wait along with some other early birds, but a grizzled senior looking employee rounded us all up and told us to go on in even after one guy said they were very early. On board 5 mins after it opened at 11:00. 

 

That was Saturday getting on Reflection. Everything is great! Thanks to everyone who provided advice. Best part of Cruise Critic!!!