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So you booked a cruise and now you’re on board…. Now what? Below are some helpful tips for what you need to know while on board.

Cruise Jargon

I’m on a boat!

No, actually cruisers do not call it a boat; you are indeed on a ship. Be sure to say this correctly or you will look like a newbie.

Cruise Director

Each cruise ship has a Cruise Director who is essentially in charge of ensuring everyone has fun and relaying information to all cruisers. You will probably see him/her at a lot of the events and hear him/her from the intercom.

Intercom, what’s that?

Lets reminisce remember, when you were in school and Johnny was getting picked up early and the front office called your room… that’s an intercom. There is an intercom throughout the ship where the Cruise Director and Captain can make special announcements for the entire ship to hear. Either one may announce when the ship is docked and you can get off or when the upcoming show is about to start.

Cabin

You will hear your room called the Cabin.

Lido

The Lido deck is the level with the buffets, the pools, and all the fun!

Forward/Aft/Middle

Dictates the location on the ship. The forward is the front of the ship, the aft is the back, and the middle is.. the middle; silly!

Tender

Sometimes ports cannot dock as close as they want, so you have to get on a tender (small boat) to get over to the island. This does not happen in every port, but it does happen occasionally or if there are too many ships in port that day.

Muster Station

No we are not talking about the station with all the mustard bottles! Hehe! Instead we are referring to a mandatory safety drill that must be completed prior to the ship setting sail on the first day. Everyone must do this as there are no exceptions. It’s very easy to do this!

Sail & Sign Card

All cruisers receive a Sail & Sign Card when they get onboard. These are used for A LOT of things and you need to have it with you at all times:

• To get inside your cabin,
• To purchase items onboard,
• To buy food and beverage,
• Lists your dining room location & Muster Station,
• Is scanned when you attend the Muster Station,
• To get on & off the ship

Food & Beverage

Where’s the food?

Lido Deck. The breakfast, lunch, and diner buffet is on the Lido deck. On MOST ships that’s on level 9 BUT every ship is different so be sure to look at the picture by the elevator to determine the correct level. Speaking of being confused… If you are EVER confused, feel free to ask a staff member or another cruiser; everyone is usually very nice and they might be confused also! When in the Lido buffet, feel free to grab your food, drink, and utensils and then just grab a table. First come, first serve! Then when you are finished, leave all of your dirty dishes there, and poof magically a server will pick it up (no need to wait around for this magic).

I had to choose a dining time, what is that for?

Dining Room. There is also a dining room. Your dining room location is located on your room key. There is dinner there each evening and most days breakfast is also held there. So you have two options for breakfast and dinner – either the buffet or the dining room – OR for those not watching your weight; BOTH! When in the dining room for dinner, you will get the same server each evening, which is really nice. You will notice the server will start to remember your name, your drink order, your dessert order, etc. Speaking of ordering food – you can order as much or as little as you want. You want to try both the steak and the pasta – go for it! You want three appetizers – no one will stop you! This is the time to try all of those items you never had the opportunity to try! With all this fancy food talk, its important to note the dining room does have standards for what to wear and what not to wear – be sure you don’t wear your bathing suit, but then you don’t need to wear a tux – somewhere in the middle will do! 

I’m so thirsty, where can I get a soda?

Well, my friend, sodas are NOT included free. If you cannot go a week without soda, you can purchase a soda package. Speaking of also what’s NOT included – those drinks that make you feel funny… yes; sadly alcohol is not included. However; if you like that fuzzy feeling, you can also purchase an alcohol package. If you want to purchase either, you can go to a bar OR purchase before you arrive via the cruise line website.

So then, what drinks are included?

All you care to drink water (out of the fountain), coffee, tea, lemonade, and hot chocolate. These can all be found at the Lido buffet. I would suggest bringing your own reusable water bottle so that you can refill your water less often then if you use the small glasses provided by the cruise line.

Activities

All this fun talk, what am I going to do with my kids?

Well, Karen, you probably shouldn’t have brought your kids on a booze cruise… oh wait, it’s just a cruise… you can choose booze if you want.  Totally kidding, there is actually a lot for kids to do AND if you want to indulge in a childfree period of time, there is a daycare on board. We don’t have any kids, so can’t get into the details or provide a review for that but given I haven’t seen a lot of kids of cruises, I think a lot of adults send their children to the daycare.

All this time on the water, what’s there *really* to do?

Relax by the pool or hot tub, go swimming, gamble in the casino, shop onboard tax and duty free, enjoy some of the adventurous games (some ships have putt-putt golf, basketball hoops, shuffleboard, ping pong, etc.), watch a Broadway or comedy show, watch a movie outdoor on the big screen, go explore the ship, etc. etc. Need I explain more?

Plan on Using the Pool?

If you plan to go swimming, lay by the pool, or watch the activities on the Lido deck – you will need to arrive early and “claim” your spot. The lounge area on the Lido deck ALWAYS gets busy early! If you plan on laying out, you should purchase some towel clips! These will make it so you are not laying on someone else’s sweat and you can “claim” your chair while you are in the pool or going to get a snack.

How do I know when to do what?

There is an app that you can download on your phone (does not require WIFI) that lists all of the activities for that day. You can even make reservations (if required). Be sure to search for the app and download it prior to getting on board.

Cabin/Room

How do I get in my room?

Usually after 1:00PM the day you depart, the Cruise Director will make an announcement on the intercom announcing rooms are ready. This means there will be a flood of fellow cruisers racing to get to their room to see if their luggage is there, use the restroom, and check out their room. Usually your room key is located outside your door in a little mailbox. BTW – you use this key to get inside your room and to purchase anything on board – yes, that’s right; you do not need cash while onboard.

All this activity, man my clothes are starting to smell!

Well, Johnny, for a fee there are laundromats on board equipped with washing machines, dryers, and even irons OR if you are bougie, you can ask your room attendant to wash and dry your clothes.

The below laundry detergent strips are AH-MAZING! I 1000% recommend buying these! They do not take up any space in your suitcase and they are very small and efficient!

What’s a room attendant?

Well, Johnny, all rooms get a room attendant to come in to your room once a day and tidy up, replenish toliet paper, towels, soap, and shampoo and make your bed. **Ah, a nice clean bed is always nice!*

Misc.

Oh darn, I forgot something!

That’s okay! Chances are, some items may be purchased at the stores onboard or by visiting Customer Service near the bottom of the boat.

Uniform

If you see individuals wearing white suits – these are the individuals in charge of the ship.

Pictures

There will be a lot of photographers taking pictures throughout the cruise. Do not feel obligated to take them, but also, do not shy away from it as the pictures are free to be taken, and you have an option to buy if you like. So with this said, strike a pose and smile, because the pictures have no obligations!

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