You can almost smell the fresh ocean air and taste the delectable offerings of the buffet dinners as you prepare for your cruise. Once the packing is finally done, you might be under the impression that your stress is over and your vacation is going to whisk you away to calm sailing. But wait! There is still embarkation day to get through, which many cruise-goers find stressful. Follow these tips to start off your cruise with no stress:
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Leave wiggle room. If you are embarking at 5:00 pm, for example, don’t plan on flying into your destination city at noon. This is cutting it too close, and you will be at the mercy of the airline, other passengers, other drivers on the road, and even the weather if you are going to get to your port on time. Instead, fly in the day before if at all possible. This will allow you a good night’s sleep, and you’ll have plenty of time to eat a relaxing breakfast and take your time getting to your port. Leave plenty of time to navigate traffic and to find your destination; if you’re in an unfamiliar city, the last thing you want is to have your heart pounding as you try to figure out one-way streets or find the entrance to the docking location.
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Be prepared to keep yourself (and your children) fed and entertained while in line. You will need to wait in line at various points during the check-in and embarkation process. Pack snacks and bottled water to prevent a case of the munchies from turning into a huge inconvenience. Also, if you have little ones along, bring some simple toys that they can play with. (Choose quiet toys that don’t have wheels to avoid annoying other passengers.)
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Keep your official documents on your person. When you’re within several feet of the embarkation station, you won’t want to discover that you don’t know where your passport is and that your cruise tickets are in a jacket at the bottom of your luggage. Gather up your party’s documents that will be needed at check-in and have them at the ready.
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Know your stateroom number. Not knowing where you’ll be staying is a great way to hold up the line and become irritated. It’s not going to be printed on your cruise card for the same reason that your hotel room is not listed on your key-card, so this is something to keep in mind. Make sure that your children also know the stateroom number (and that they also know not to give it out!)
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Pack what you need in your carry-on bag. Your main luggage might not arrive to your stateroom for hours, so just as you do when flying, make sure that your medications, toiletries and a change of clothing are in your carry-on. Also keep in mind that you are likely to be standing in line for a while, so don’t carry anything that you don’t need in your small bag; the heavier it is, the more stress you’ll feel when standing around!
- Get to know the ship. Once you board don’t rush to your room. There is always a buffet lunch on the pool deck, and time to walk around and get to know the main areas of the ship. If you are traveling with children it is a great time to go and visit the kids club to get an activity schedule.
In a perfect world, embarkation day will be as calm and stress-free as the rest of your cruise. If you find yourself getting frustrated, though, just remember that you will be enjoying the sun and ocean on your relaxing cruise very soon!
