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 Your first cruise? Here is what you need to know about a typical initial embarkation process Testing the waters by taking your first cruise??Make sure you have your passport and any visas required (in some countries – such as the People’s Republic of China, or Russia – you might go ashore on organized excursions under a group visa). Pack any medication you may need (in original, labeled containers) in your carry-on hand luggage, and advise family members and friends where you are going. You already have been sent your cruise tickets and documents by the cruise line or your travel agent. Increasingly, e-documents are provided. A typical document package might include:
Assume that you’ve arrived at the airport closest to your ship’s embarkation point, and retrieved your luggage. It is likely that there will be a representative from the cruise line waiting, holding aloft the company’s name. You will be asked to place your luggage in a cluster together with those of other passengers. The next time you see your luggage should be aboard your ship, where it will be delivered to your cabin. You’ll find numerous desks will be set up in the passenger terminal. Go to the desk that displays the first letter of your surname, wait in line (having filled out all embarkation, registration, and immigration documents, unless these have been done online), and then check in. If your accommodation is designated as a “suite,” there should be a separate check-in facility. If you are cruising from a US port and you are a non-US citizen or “Resident Alien,” you will go to a separate desk to check in (Note: Do not buy duty-free liquor to take on board – it will not be allowed by the cruise line and will be confiscated until the last day of the cruise). You will be asked for your passport, which you deposit with the check-in personnel. Be sure to ask for a receipt – it is, after all, a valuable document, and preferably have a photocopy of the main pages to keep with you. If you are cruising from any other port in the world that is not a US port, be advised that each country has its own check-in requirements, setups, and procedures. You will then proceed through a security-screening device, for both your body and hand luggage, as at airports. Next, you’ll walk a few paces towards the gangway. This may be a covered, airport-type gangway, or an open one (hopefully with a net underneath it in case you drop something over the side). The gangway could be flat, or you may have to walk up (or down) an incline, depending on the location of the gangway, the tide, or other local conditions. As you approach the gangway you will probably be greeted by the ship’s photographers, a snap-happy team ready to take your photograph, bedraggled as you may appear after having traveled for hours. If you do not want your photograph taken, say “no” firmly, and proceed. At the ship end of the gangway, you will find a decorated (hopefully) entrance and the comfortable feel of air-conditioning if the weather is hot. The ship’s cruise staff will welcome you aboard. Give them your cabin number, and a steward should appear to take your carry-on luggage from you and take you directly to your cabin. Things to check Make sure there is ice in the ice container. Check the bathroom, bathtub (if there is one), or shower. Make sure there are towels and soap. If all is clean and shipshape, fine. If there are problems, bring them to the attention of your cabin steward immediately. Or call the purser’s office (reception desk), and explain the problem, then quietly, but firmly request that someone in a supervisory position see you to resolve it. The housekeeping aboard cruise ships is generally very good, but sometimes when “turnaround” time is tight, when passengers disembark in the morning and new passengers embark in the afternoon, little things get overlooked – just as they sometimes do in a hotel on land. One thing you also should do immediately is to remember the telephone number for the ship’s hospital, doctor, or for medical emergencies, just so you know how to call for help should any medical emergency arise. Your luggage probably will not have arrived yet (if it is a ship carrying more than 1,000 passengers) so don’t sit in the cabin waiting for it. Put your hand luggage away somewhere, and, deck plan in hand, take a walk. If you’re hungry, you may want to head to the self-serve buffet – but, be warned that aboard the large resort ships, it’ll probably be a bit of a free-for-all, with lots of lining up for food, then trying to find a place to sit and eat. Control that thirst On deck, you are greeted by a smilingwaiter offering you a colorful, cool drink. But, put your fingers on the glass as he hands it to you and he’ll also ask for your cruise card. Bang, you’ve just paid $6.95 for a drink full of ice worth 5 cents. Be careful with the drinks. They soon add up. Note that aboard ships operated by Europe-based companies, mixers such as tonic for gin usually are charged separately. The safety drill Time to unpack CRUISE LINES BY MARKET CLASSIFICATION Although there are three fairly distinctive divisions of cruise lines and their ships, some blurring between these divisions has occurred as companies have responded to more demanding passenger tastes and to the market conditions created by the threat of international terrorism and a harsher economic climate. LUXURY PREMIUM STANDARD NICHE MARKET OPERATORS ** Some of this company’s ships have features that straddle the line between Luxury and Premium. * This company operates ships that straddle *** Europa only
Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2010 |
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