what to complete before cruise

[realtreebar]

i am a first timer and i have passport,sent for wife and daughter can someone tell me what papers i have to fill out. ie: {Sea Pass's all printed out along with our Bahamas immigration cards}what are these? if you can help me out that would be great we have a lot of time before our cruise.do not know how or what we should do after booking until cruise date. thanks in advance.

[Sue L]

The bahama immigration papers are just a formality so that you can visit the bahamas.

 

As far as what to do to kill the time until your cruise.

 

1 Research on the RCCL website the excursions for each port and book what you want

2. Hang out on cruise critic

3 Research private excursions on the ports of call board.

4 hang out on your roll call thread,sign up if you haven't for the meet and mingle.

5. Plan all the things you would like to do

6. Hang out with all the other obsessive cruise people on cruise critic.

7. Start a roll call thread if there isn't one

8 hang out on cruise critic

[PhoenixCruiser]

This recent thread might help:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=495983

 

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[Sue L]

Forgot to ask, how did you print the setsail pass already? Did you pay in full already? I didn't think you could do it either this far ahead or until final payment?

[Coralc]

340 DAYS! Pre cruise?:D

[CruznTom]

This is not pertinent to forms, but if it is possible - plan to get out of Minnesota at least a day early. Regardless of what Gore says, snow happens in January. A buffer of one day can mean the difference between catching and missing the sailing. Also, it is great to be rested after spending a night in a hotel in the port city. It makes the first day on board so much more enjoyable.

I know MSP seldom has delays, as they are prepared, But you still have to get there to make your flight.

I know - I was born on Da Range,:eek:

[CruznTom]

Ya gotta love these boards for double posts.

[realtreebar]

cruzn tom thanks but we are ariving mco on saturday and our ship pulls out monday at 5pm i have all that stuff ready rental car, hotel, i just need to know what to do now that i've booked! so we can just about walk right on the ship? any suggestions would be great as this i said is our first cruise .

[H2OH!]

i am a first timer and i have passport,sent for wife and daughter can someone tell me what papers i have to fill out. ie: {Sea Pass's all printed out along with our Bahamas immigration cards}what are these? if you can help me out that would be great we have a lot of time before our cruise.do not know how or what we should do after booking until cruise date. thanks in advance.

 

I tend to be quite organized so I begin putting a book together which comes in handy during our trip. I have different sections...

 

Front of binder I have my one month to sail list of To Do's

One Month Out (3 weeks or so)

* Pull out suitcases-check on what needs to be dry cleaned etc, begin to pack-buy travel sized stuff etc

* Check have passports etc and place with suitcases/book

* Print out all cruise info-Set Sail Pass, Hotel confirmation info, flight info etc. I do most of my booking online.

* Place copies in the book-see below

* Make Door sign-helps to locate cabin!

 

Section 1: Sail Away To Do's

* Printed copy Meet and Mingle list of attendees

* Sail Away To Do list. Here is our standard list:

1) Grab Cruise Compass as soon as onboard and see which night we want to go to Chops/Portofino-usually Caribbean night

2) Make reservations in speciality restaurants-I note onthe To Do List which deck we need to head

3) Check out dining room table assignment-on Sea Pass card

4) Check on muster drill time

5) Find cabin, ask attendant for egg crate (hope won't need to do that anymore!) Place door sign on door.

6) Roam ship, take pictures and get acquainted with layout

7) Attend M & M-I list the time and place of M & M and bring list of names

 

Section 2

The layout of the ship. I print the deckplans off RCCL website

 

Sections 3-6

The next few sections (usually 3-6) are for each port of call...

I print out the cruise port info of what to see and do from my research. I like Southwest airlines crusie web site, RCCL web site and from Cruise Critic boards. Of course is highlighted with what want to do.

 

I also print out the cruise ship calendar from cruisecal.com so I know how many ships are in port that day.

 

Also print our information about pre-planned and pre-paid excursions so I have the receipt and description handy.

 

Section 7

Flight info and receipt

Hotel online receipt

 

Section 8

Travel insurance info

Norovirus info from CDC

 

During the cruise, the book stays in the room as a reference tool. Each day we add our Cruise Compasses to the book and review the next port.

 

Once we get home, after the cruise, it is a great momento of our trip and is housed with our travel pictures! Our friends and family have loved thumbing though our books.

 

Have fun!!

[JanineM]

Wow --- H2O!, you are WAY too organized for me!

 

I don't print out the information until we are closer to the date (like within a month). My desk is such a mess that I would definitely lose any printed materials! I do send a copy of my e-mail confirmations to my work e-mail, just in case something happens to my home e-mail.

 

Once I start printing things, I just throw my confirmations, set-sail info, COMPLETED Bahamas Immigration Card, copies of our insurance and our passports (plus photocopies) in a big envelope. That's what I carry to the ship.