Tag Archives: cruises

Azalea Travel, Cruises

First Time Cruiser Series: What happens when you board the ship?

If you have the first-time jitters about boarding a cruise ship, never fear. I’m going to walk you through it right now.

If you have the good help and advice of a travel agent who is CLIA accredited, and you are sailing soon, then you may have already heard some of this. I’m going to assume that before you leave home, you will have already checked the list of what you can and cannot take on board, and that you have printed your cruise documents and boarding passes.

So, let’s get started! You have arrived at the port, either by your own vehicle, an Uber or taxi, or a bus. What should you do first? If your driver does not direct you one way or another, look for the place to check your suitcases. If you are using transfers purchased from the cruise line, you may not even have to handle your suitcases at this point. Hopefully, you have already attached the luggage tags that were given to you by the cruise line or your travel agent. (A side note: When you pack your carry-on, remember that you don’t want it to be too heavy. Take only what you think you might need for the first couple of hours, a change of clothes, and any essential medications and toiletries.) The next time you see your suitcase, it will be in your stateroom on the ship later the same day. Please remember to tip the baggage handler who takes your suitcases.

The next thing that you will do is enter the cruise terminal and go through security. This is very similar to the security you go through at the airport. You will need to show your boarding passes and ID.

Now, it’s time to check in. There may or may not be a line, but there usually is. Proceed to one of the agents at the desk to check in. You will present your boarding pass, ID, and the health form that you filled out that morning. If there was not a health form in your boarding documents asking you questions about whether you have had a fever over the previous 72 hours, etc., then you will be handed one at that time to fill out. The agent will give you your room key card, band, medallion, or whatever other item that cruise line has for identification and a room key. Usually, it is a room key card that also serves as your boarding pass.

At this time, chances are that you will sit down in the terminal and wait again until your group is called. This is, again, much like boarding an airplane. The first people to be called will be the ones who have cruised many times with this cruise line and have special status, the ones who need special assistance or are handicapped, or the people who are sailing in the suites. If you book with Carnival, there is something called Faster to the Fun that you can purchase with your shore excursions that shortens your wait a bit. You may be able to catch exciting glimpses of your ship while you wait! Not much longer, and you will be sipping that umbrella drink on the Lido Deck.

When your group is called, you can make your way to the door. There may be an opportunity for you to have your photo taken as you board, which may come before you leave the terminal or right after you’ve boarded the ship. Once you are through the door, you will be directed up a gangplank and onto the ship! There are always friendly crew members standing by to direct you where you need to go. Depending on the cruise line, the time of day, or your status based on the kind of room you have, you may be able to go directly to your room and put your things down. However, it is common for the cruise line to start boarding before the rooms are ready. Many times, the crew is still cleaning and preparing your room for you since they will have just arrived in port that morning. Again, with Carnival’s Faster to the Fun, you can go directly to your room and get your suitcases faster.

If you are not able to go to your room, you will be able to go to one of the restaurants, probably the buffet by the pool, and enjoy some lunch. After lunch, you can wander the ship and familiarize yourself with the various public areas. A member of the crew, perhaps the cruise director, will make an announcement and let everyone know when they can go to their rooms.

Soon it will be time to set sail! Bon voyage!

To book your first cruise (or fiftieth) with the help of a CLIA Accredited Cruise Counselor, contact Azalea Travel.

Azalea Travel, Cruises, Stress Relief

Disconnecting feels good.

Vacation seems to be no exception to the new rule that we are all accessible 24 hours per day. Communication seems to have taken over our lives. E-mail, texting, and social media are always in our back pockets (or purses). It’s no longer just a convenience.

Cruise lines, resorts, and phone companies have all gladly built systems to accommodate those workaholics, social mediaholics, and parents with separation anxiety trying to have a romantic getaway who just can’t seem to disconnect. One of the most common questions I get from cruise shoppers is how they can access WiFi on the ship. A few cruise lines will even include the WiFi for free. But what’s the real benefit? Hasn’t this stuff overrun our lives? What happened to the days of “Gone Fishin’?”

I submit that we should backtrack in time to the days before technology took over. When you board the cruise ship, put your phone in airplane mode and leave it there until you return home. There are only a small handful of things that truly need your attention when you’re on vacation. Your family and friends with whom you are traveling are at the top of that list. There are undoubtedly reasons why some folks want to maintain the ability to connect with home, but why not keep it to a minimum? Why not do what you went on vacation to do in the first place? Have a different experience, and get a change of scenery.

I was recently forced (by spotty WiFi) to put the phone down and be present in the moment. This is what I saw:

Oh, look! I’m out on the ocean.

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Oh, HEY, Cuba! (Look closely, and you can see it. But only if you’re paying attention and not looking at your phone.)

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Oooh, another ship.  I wish I had brought binoculars. Note to self for next cruise . . .

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Now Cuba is so close, I can almost touch it. (We were just sailing past it, though.)

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And this view was a great backdrop for my reflections on the way home:

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I spent considerable time on my balcony, just staring at the sea. I had to time to think, pray, and write in my journal. I did some yoga out there, drank some coffee, and contemplated life with the gentle splash from the bow as background music. When I left my stateroom, I ate some meals in peace, without scrolling through my newsfeed or reading Huffpost. Other meals were taken in the company of new friends, who I never would have met with my nose pointed at my phone or tablet. We all toted our phones around, but only to be used as cameras. By the end of the week, I felt reacquainted with myself. There was no noise in my head from the latest political articles on Facebook, because I hadn’t read them. And they didn’t matter to me.

When we returned to the dock in Miami, I hesitantly switched my phone out of airplane mode. When I did, the thing buzzed for a good 60 seconds with notifications, texts, etc. Stuff happened while I was gone, like getting summoned for jury duty, a friend announcing she was moving away, bills coming in, an emergency allergy shot for my son. But guess what? Everyone and everything was okay until I got home. The world did not fall apart because I went away for a week. After my electronics were back on, I found that I had learned not to reach for the blasted things every 10 seconds.

I came home refreshed, rested, and happy. And always ready to go back and do it again! Never again will I have to be forced to unplug. I can’t wait until the next time I get to do it.

So, take my advice, and totally unplug on your next trip.

Be present in the moment.

You won’t regret it.

Azalea Travel, Proud member of ASTA (American Society of Travel Agents)