6 Things To Do To Prepare For Embarkation Day
Sunset from deck of cruise ship (Bill Duffield)
Embarkation day is one of the most exciting parts of a cruise vacation. There is no better feeling than walking up the gangway and onto the cruise ship. It’s something people have looked forward to for months, even years. However, if you are not ready, it can become very overwhelming. Preparation is key to embarkation day. Here are six things that you can do before your cruise to prepare for this special day. This blog post is part 1 of my embarkation day series.
Complete Online Check-In: Most cruise lines require you to check in online. Online check-in allows you to enter personal information, upload important travel documents, set up your onboard spending account, and choose the time you want to arrive at port. Completing the online check-in early will help speed up the check-in process on embarkation day.
Attach luggage tags: Most cruise lines make you print out and attach tags to your luggage. The easiest place to do this is when you are at home. Use clear packing tape or cruise specific luggage tag holders from Amazon to help prevent the luggage tags from getting scratched. The last thing you want is to be scrambling at the hotel or at the port to attach these.
Make plans to arrive at your departure city at least one day early: Whether you are flying in, taking a train, or driving, never arrive at your departure city on the morning of your cruise. Too many things can happen. Flights and trains can get delayed, you could get stuck in traffic. It is better to play it safe and arrive a day early. It will give you peace of mind knowing that you are there, time to make final preparations, and time to relax before your cruise adventure starts.
Print out and organize your cruise documents: Even though you completed the check-in process online you should still have backup copies of all your travel documents in case something were to happen. This includes your boarding pass, passport or government-issued ID, as well as flight and hotel information. Get a cheap dollar store folder to put all of your physical copies in. Keep them in your carry-on. Organize your digital copies into a folder on your phone, Google Drive, or Dropbox.
Pack your carry-on bag: A well-packed carry-on bag is very important. That is because once you drop your luggage off with the porter you probably won't see it until several hours later. It should include everything you will need until your luggage is delivered to your room. Include things such as your cruise documents, important medication, sunscreen, a change of clothes, and a battery pack to charge your phone.
Download the cruise line app before getting on the ship: Download and log into the cruise line app before you get on the ship. Each cruise line app is different. Some are better than others. However, on most of them you can view the daily activities, your account balance, deck plans, options to make dining reservations and more. Do this before you get to the port because some of them might have spotty mobile and internet service.