Cruise ships embarkation · Embarkation in Cruise ships
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Embarkation in Cruise ships
Embarkation in Cruise ships
This all starts as you reach your ship's terminal. The walking distance from ground transport to on-board ship can vary from 100-300 meters or so depending on terminal design and ship size. If anyone in your party has mobility challenges, request help in-advance.
If you are to board a large ship, examine the cruise line's instructions on when to arrive. Consider that:
A large group will eagerly reach the terminal as early as they can...perhaps forgetting that the same staff (ship's, terminal and Customs) that processes them will first have to help nearly all on-board passengers disembark. If you are also that early, you'll likely spend considerable time idle in line waiting to be processed, with no guarantee of seating or shelter from the weather.
Many other embarking passengers will precisely follow the cruise line advice and arrive at the designated time. That can create another line.
Once all staff are ready to embark passengers, only very frequent customers of that line, or those who've booked suites, will receive any preferential processing.
If you have a choice, consider reaching the terminal 30-60 minutes after the time mentioned by the cruise line. If you're traveling with a personal group (e.g., family), don't begin embarkation processing without all members present. In any event, reach the cruise terminal at least two hours before the ship is scheduled to sail. As above, if your agent or cruise line has arranged a flight that could cause you to reach the port later, seriously question its wisdom well in-advance.
At the cruise terminal, give your large baggage (virtually no limit on numbers), with cruise tags attached, to porters for mandatory, separate security screening, then loading on the ship. (As above, if you have no tags to attach, the porters will help using details on your boarding pass.) They deserve a modest tip. You won't see those large bags until they arrive at your cabin door...2-3 hours later, perhaps more. If you've paid the cruise line for airport-to-terminal transfers, and you have no intermediate customs processing, you may not see your checked luggage after initial airport check-in until it reaches the terminal, perhaps even at your cabin. But learn the full process and your responsibilities.
As you start in-processing at the ship's terminal, officials will examine your boarding passes and passports. Then:
You and your hand-carried items will be scanned, much as at an airport...but without limits on numbers or non-alcoholic liquids.
You'll often be asked to fill-out and sign a current health statement...one for each person in your group. If anyone reports or exhibits symptoms of something that might be communicable, he/she may be interviewed. At worst, he/she may be denied boarding, at no liability to the cruise line. Law requires them to minimize health risks to all the (perhaps) thousands of passengers and crew on-board. This is another problem usually covered by good trip insurance.
You'll be shown to a processing counter to provide identification, set up a shipboard charge account and be issued a cabin key card for each person in your group. (See "Ashore" and "Buy" below)
From there, you'll begin boarding. On the way, you'll each have an electronic identification photo taken...computer-linked to your cabin key/card. After that, you are free to walk about on-board. Later, as you disembark and re-board, you'll have to use your card, and the photos will electronically pop-up on a monitor used by ship's security staff.
- On the way, you'll often encounter a ship's commercial photographer. All pictures they take...throughout the cruise...have no cost unless you choose to buy one as you find it later in the ship's photo gallery. They tend to be rather pricey.
Once on-board, the buffet and casual food counters await...usually on upper decks. You'll usually be instructed not to go to your cabin until 2 PM or so (your cabin steward is completely cleaning, sanitizing, and changing all linens and towels in your cabin and many others). So, after food if any, it's a good time to walk about the ship to get oriented.
Top-side you'll probably see a swimming pool or more, other sports and exercise facilities, bars, perhaps the spa and a forward lounge.
Likely on lower, public decks, you'll find the Pursor's Desk (aka Customer Service), often a concierge, shore tour ticket office, future cruise sales desk, and perhaps shops (not open) and an Internet cafe nearby.
Before sailing, there will be a safety at sea briefing that everyone must attend. Cruise lines and captains take this maritime law requirement seriously. You'll find instructions in your cabin, and papers and announcements will tell where and when to go. It includes learning the location of your emergency "muster station", ways to get there, emergency signals and procedures, and how to wear your life vest. You may or may not need to take or don your life-vest...stored in your cabin. All ship's services will be closed during this time. Truants may be called to a separate briefing at staff's convenience. If anyone in your group has mobility problems, this is a good time to tell the staff for your muster station so they can pre-arrange special help for emergencies.
If time permits after the briefing and before sailing, go top-side for departure...always interesting, often scenic (take your camera if light will be adequate), with a bon voyage party likely.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Cruise ships
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Cruise ships - updated May 2024
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Cruise ships Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.