Cruise passengers urged to do three things as soon as they get on board | Cruise | Travel

With many offering multiple restaurants, swimming pools, theatres, and other attractions, cruise ships can be a rather overwhelming experience, particularly for passengers who have just embarked on their holiday.

However, before they kick back and relax on the pool deck, it is important that tourists boarding a cruise ship do three things that can make the rest of their trip an enjoyable experience.

In a blog post, Carnival recommended that tourists embarking on a cruise holiday should always start by giving themselves plenty of time to avoid missing the departure.

They advised: “Give yourself extra time to navigate an unfamiliar departure city and account for unexpected traffic jams so that you arrive promptly at your scheduled time.

“This will reduce the amount of time you spend in line and keep you from getting stressed. It will also ensure that you can check your bags and explore the ship at your leisure.”

Typically, tourists will be given a check-in time for embarkation day, which is the time of day they should be able to board the ship from. However, it is generally a good idea to make sure they are at the cruise terminal a short while beforehand.

This is to eliminate the risk of unforeseen circumstances such as traffic jams, breakdowns, or flight delays from causing passengers to arrive several hours late.

Whilst cruise lines pride themselves in being particularly accommodating to passengers, they very rarely remain in port for all guests to board, with those who miss the ship needing to travel to the next port.

Carnival also recommended that guests check the layout of the ship they are joining in order to know where to visit first, particularly given that their cabin may not be ready for several hours.

They continued: “Many first-time cruisers don’t realize that they won’t be able to go directly to their staterooms upon boarding.

“Pass the time while you wait for your room to be ready and for the ship to set sail by enjoying lunch on the Lido Deck of the ship. This is a great way to make sure you aren’t starving by dinner time!”

Finally, the popular cruise line also recommended that passengers who have just boarded a cruise ship make sure they do the muster drill as soon as possible to avoid complications.

Whilst cruising is often seen as a time to relax on the open seas, all passengers must know exactly what to do in the event of an emergency breaking out on board before the vessel leaves the port.

Previously, all passengers on a cruise ship would need to visit their allocated muster station on the ship at the same time. However, in recent years, training is typically done in each cabin via the TV, or by travelling to the muster station at a convenient time within each guest’s first few hours on the ship.