First Day On Board - Must Do's and Should Do's

[WannaCruise]

9 minutes ago, CruisingNewb said:

Yes. Northstar definitely.  Same with the other activities.  Do you have to reserve time slots for Bumper Cars? I did not know that.

Yes.  Bumper cars needed reservations as well when we went in March.  Don't think it was required before covid.

[Johnstewarth]

Frozen mojito with a Kracken floater on the sun deck!

[FionaMG]

On 4/28/2022 at 5:22 PM, smokeybandit said:

Get a virgin daquiri or mudslide. Gotta celebrate!

Right, so I googled these and they look amazing. But they're not on any of the bar menus on the app and, for obvious reasons, I'm not familiar with the bars on board. So... are there any particular bars where I might have a good chance of finding someone that knows how to do the non-alcoholic versions? 

[smokeybandit]

6 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

Right, so I googled these and they look amazing. But they're not on any of the bar menus on the app and, for obvious reasons, I'm not familiar with the bars on board. So... are there any particular bars where I might have a good chance of finding someone that knows how to do the non-alcoholic versions? 

Any bar that would make frozen alcoholic drinks (probably just about any) can make non alcoholic versions of them

[BnB93]

Drink, eat, sleep... Repeat

 

[CruisingNewb]

18 minutes ago, BnB93 said:

Drink, eat, sleep... Repeat

 

If we did those things in that order without having done some of the other stuff, we would probably miss out on specialty dining reservations, shows, etc.  Can't do that first. 

We can however make reservations while eating, tour the ship while drinking, and probably sleep during the adventure ocean orientation/open house/registration. 

[LovetoCruise87]

Relax and realize that you are finally on vacation......then EAT!!!

[Moby Dick]

On 4/28/2022 at 11:11 AM, smokeybandit said:

This should be #1 for everyone (including getting an NA drink for those who don't drink alcohol)

My boarding time is 11:00 AM on Ovation on the 13th of May.  I hope to have a serious buzz on by 11:15 AM.  If not, I'm doing something wrong.  All times local and estimated! 

[parkyy2k]

Strawberry daiquiri in a hot tub!

[AlmondFarmer]

46 minutes ago, 1st Mate said:

My boarding time is 11:00 AM on Ovation on the 13th of May.  I hope to have a serious buzz on by 11:15 AM.  If not, I'm doing something wrong.  All times local and estimated! 

Pre party in the parking lot! One need not wait to be on the ship.

[Moby Dick]

9 minutes ago, AlmondFarmer said:

Pre party in the parking lot! One need not wait to be on the ship.

yesssssssssssss

 

[AshleyDillo]

1 hour ago, AlmondFarmer said:

Pre party in the parking lot! One need not wait to be on the ship.

The parking lot attendant takes the DX package?

[GatorCruiser]

4 hours ago, 10-42 said:

My boarding time is 11:00 AM on Ovation on the 13th of May.  I hope to have a serious buzz on by 11:15 AM.  If not, I'm doing something wrong.  All times local and estimated! 

I like this guy !!

[GatorCruiser]

4 hours ago, AlmondFarmer said:

Pre party in the parking lot! One need not wait to be on the ship.

I like this guy too !

[GatorCruiser]

Me, @AlmondFarmer and @10-42 need to do a mini group cruise. Sounds like we could turn up that ship !!

[AlmondFarmer]

10 minutes ago, GatorCruiser said:

Me, @AlmondFarmer and @10-42 need to do a mini group cruise. Sounds like we could turn up that ship !!

The mini group cruise needed to happen 10 years ago. I have three too many kids and a rusty liver now. 
 

But back in the day……..

[GatorCruiser]

35 minutes ago, AlmondFarmer said:

The mini group cruise needed to happen 10 years ago. I have three too many kids and a rusty liver now. 
 

But back in the day……..

I feel ya , I got two young ones of my own but I still get after it from time to time. #deluxebeveragepackage

[rxdr2013]

We like to eat a specialty restaurant for lunch so we aren't trying to find a seat in windjammer when a lot of people have their carry ons and stuff before rooms open. So much more relaxing than having a full try trying to look for a table. 

[Moby Dick]

50 minutes ago, AlmondFarmer said:

The mini group cruise needed to happen 10 years ago. I have three too many kids and a rusty liver now. 
 

But back in the day……..

 

20 minutes ago, GatorCruiser said:

I feel ya , I got two young ones of my own but I still get after it from time to time. #deluxebeveragepackage

I'm 70yoa and feeling like I'm 69.9 yao.  So, ya, I'm ready to party, just as soon as you get me up from my afternoon nap.  

[Moby Dick]

This is what a cruise port parking lot should look like before embarkation times:

 

[GatorCruiser]

21 minutes ago, 10-42 said:

This is what a cruise port parking lot should look like before embarkation times:

 

See you old dog, you still got some gas left in the tank 

[HeWhoWaits]

17 hours ago, AlmondFarmer said:

Pre party in the parking lot! One need not wait to be on the ship.

Bloody Marys and Mimosas at breakfast also work.

[RWDW1204]

5 hours ago, HeWhoWaits said:

Bloody Marys and Mimosas at breakfast also work.

Mimosas. We just did it every morning in Windjammer on Vision 18-29 April. 

[JC Pats]

1) Get a Drink

2) Book Specialty Restaurant/Show Reservations (with another drink)

3) Windjammer Lunch (with another drink)

(there's a pattern here..)

 

[Psycho and Barb]

The first thing we do as soon as we get onboard is head to the dining room to find our table.  If there is something we don't like, we have found it very easy to get fixed by immediately talking to the Maitre'd...It's might not get fixed when you show up for dinner the first night.

[Chris Fish]

Quick lunch at the WIndjammer then to the Flowrider

[Carlos A.]

On 4/28/2022 at 9:36 PM, Clover18 said:

If you are in a suite or even a junior suite go directly to Coastal Kitchen and book your dinners for the week. We were in. Jr. On odyssey and ate thee every night because we booked as soon as we boarded. 

If you are on a JS on Odyssey you have to make your reservations for CK every day or you can do all of them in the first day?

[Ampurp85]

2 hours ago, Carlos A. said:

If you are on a JS on Odyssey you have to make your reservations for CK every day or you can do all of them in the first day?

YMMV, with lower capacity they were allowing JS pax to book nightly dinners for the week on some ships. I would say that now that they are sailing closer to capacity it will be a daily thing. 

[Jess4214]

Reserve your show times, make dining reservations, waterslides/flowrider/rock climbing less crowded on day 1, get a drink and hit the pool deck for sailaway!

[AFVet1982]

My wife and I cruised Mariner of the Seas 9-14 Dec 2021 out of Port Canaveral (first saltwater cruise and first cruise on a "real" cruise line).  I watched Matt's video about the things you should do on sailaway day and we did a few of the suggestions (drink in the tiki lounge, helipad for castoff/line handling, and a couple of others), they were all pretty good.  One thing I'd suggest is worth considering is watching the harbor pilot transfer from the ship to the harbor pilot boat once you clear the harbor.  I thought it was pretty neat to watch the little boat maneuvering into formation with Mariner, then pulling right alongside so the harbor pilot can catch a ride back for his/her next "gig."

 

Sure, there are other more exciting things to do (we checked out the Flowrider and did the walking tour of the ship as well), but this might be worth considering, especially in a small harbor like Port Canaveral where you are in the open ocean within 10-15 minutes of leaving the pier.  Next time we cruise with RCL, I'll have to actually try the Flowrider and probably the water slide, too!

 

Philip

[GatorCruiser]

start wearing out your UDP!!