Scarlet Lady Embarkation Day

Think back to your days in school.   You had a big test the next day and you couldn't sleep.   That's what it's like when you are cruising on Virgin Voyages Scarlet Lady in the midst of this pandemic.   The difference is that you can't study for this test and it's either pass or fail.   Currently an antigen test is administered at the pier.  You must test negative for Covid-19 to board the ship.  No other test results can be used.

Note:   At the time of this writing, Virgin Voyages Terminal V has not been completed.  It will be ready soon, and your experience will differ from ours.

We arrived at the terminal and proceeded to check in.  You show the agent your app on your phone and they scan each passenger's boarding pass.   Prior to arrival, you need to complete several steps using the app including health questions which can only be done on embarkation day.   You've uploaded your vaccination card, passport information, and a photo already.

Our Sailor bands had been mailed to our house, so they just needed to scan them to activate them.  Next we were onto the next station to go through security.   After security, it's time for the all important test.   A few swirls of the swab and we were done for now.   

Tip: Make sure you have your phone, because you'll be checking for an email with your results.   Within 15 minutes you should receive an email with a PDF file attached.  Download the file, hold your breath, and if you pass, go on to show your results and head towards the waiting room.

The picture above means we passed our test and were heading towards the waiting room.   It was around noon when we arrived at the terminal and now it was about 12:30 PM.   We were handed a group number (#3) and directed to the seating area.   We met some of our friends, who had already had their results, and were in the group ahead of us.   

Jacob was one of the greeters who kept us amused in the 1.5 hour wait.  They don't let anyone on the ship until around 2 PM.    Every now and then there would be a cork pop and he'd be celebrating a birthday or other event for a passenger.    There was a constant parade to the vending machines to get some food or drink.  We've been told there will be food and drink in the new facilities when they open.

Once onboard we headed to our cabin to drop off our luggage and then off for some lunch.   There were plenty of crew around to direct you to your cabin and help you get around the ship.   The story continues in our next post.   Welcome aboard Scarlet Lady!

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Celebrity Apex Embarkation Day

Welcome to Port Everglades

Celebrity Apex sails from Port Everglades Terminal 25.  When we first arrived, our shuttle bus driver first went to where Celebrity Reflection was docked.  Everyone on the bus started yelling this is the wrong terminal.

We gathered our hand luggage and checked our bag with a porter.  If you download the Celebrity app, like we did, the embarkation process will be quick and efficient.  Here are highlights from embarkation day.

Prior to arriving at the pier we used the Celebrity app to complete the check-in documents. There are a series of health questions to answer as well as uploading a copy of your vaccination record. 

During the check-in process on the app an embarkation time is generated.  This allows for less congestion making social distancing possible.   Since our group was having a general session with the CEO of Celebrity at 2 PM, we were given priority boarding which superseded the generated times.

Upon arrival at the pier we showed our passports, vaccination cards, negative Covid-19 test results, and the express check-in on the app. After going thru security, we had to show our passports and express check-in on our app a couple more times and then we were on the ship. 

Once we were onboard the ship, we put our masks away as they were not required onboard unless passengers wanted to wear them. The crew wore masks the whole time. On land, masks were recommended.

The embarkation process went very smoothly for the most part.  Celebrity representatives ask you to have all the necessary documents ready to be checked, but there are always a few people that aren't as organized.  That was the only delay as they fumbled around trying to find all their documentation.

After boarding we headed to our cabin and dropped off our carryon baggage.  We then went up to Oceanview Café for some lunch.  We'll dedicate another post to the café.

Not a Fan of Muster Drill?

It's not our favorite thing to do on a cruise either, but safety is the number one priority of the cruise line and crew.  However, thanks to Covid-19, the muster drill has changed.

We watched the required video on our Celebrity app and then could go to our assigned muster station (which can be found on your cabin card) at your convenience.  They simply scan your card and you are all set.

If you have any questions, they will answer them there.

Thanks to the new protocols, embarkation is a smooth process giving you more time to enjoy the ship while maintaining a safe environment for guests.

#2021TogetherConference

Mini-Series

Click on the image on the right to continue our mini-series on Celebrity Apex and our national conference cruise.   Our ship was only 65% full but the crew was at 100% staffing.   This is a great time to be cruising.

Cruising has always been the best vacation value and it still remains so.  Also, it is one of the safest things you can do right now.   The cruise line controls the  environment and with new protocols in place they have been providing safe vacations for thousands of guests for several months now.

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I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

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Anatomy of a River Cruise

​So you want to go on your first river cruise and you don't know what to expect.  We'll walk you through the cruise from start to finish.

If you've been on ocean cruises before, and not on a river cruise, you'd notice several differences upon arrival at the embarkation port. You'll probably first notice it's a much smaller ship with not as many people. Perhaps one of the most dramatic, and welcome differences, will be how easy the embarkation process is.

Pre-Cruise Option

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We will assume a European river cruise for the purposes of this post.   Since most passengers are traveling from overseas, the cruise line offers a pre-cruise package.  Selecting this option takes all the extra planning out of the equation and offers the most seamless experience.

You arrive at your destination one or two days before the cruise departure and are either met at the airport or you can arrange your own transportation to the pre--cruise hotel.  Let's assume you have the first day to explore on your own.  Most hotels have mid-afternoon check-in times, but they can store your baggage so that you aren't held hostage to your bags until then.  You can then explore the city until later in the day.

The day of your cruise there are two choices:  a pre-cruise excursion (usually at an extra cost ) or transportation to the pier.  In either case, when you arrive at the ship, you'll drop off your baggage and meet in the lounge on the ship.   The crew will take care of your checked bags.

Embarkation will take place in the ship's lounge.  Someone from the crew will come around and check you in and then the staff will give a short briefing about the evening's events.   After a champagne toast and introduction of the crew, it's time to head to your cabin to freshen up before dinner.

Welcome Aboard Briefing

Each evening you'll gather in the lounge for a briefing about the next day's tour options.   On most cruise lines, there will be included excursions and there may be optional excursions available for additional cost.   Most tours will have different groups so that you can participate at your own pace.  Walking tours for example will have slow pace and fast pace at a minimum.  

Besides the briefing, there usually is a cocktail hour before dinner.   Most lines have open seating for dinner so you can meet different people throughout the cruise or stay with your own group.

To Be Continued ...

You've had an enjoyable day at the pre-cruise excursion.  You've already made some new friends during the past two days, and you are planning to meet them for dinner.  It's time to relax a bit before the evening festivities. 

 

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Greetings From Stanley Bear

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Welcome Aboard 

Majestic Princess 

Our home for the next week was Cabin A241, a balcony cabin on Aloha deck (deck 12) starboard side. 

This mid-forward cabin is in a great location with just a short distance to the elevator lobby. After dropping off our hand luggage, we took a few pictures of the cabin, before it would become "lived in", and then headed to get some lunch.

Here is the view of Melbourne, Australia from our balcony and a few pictures from our buffet lunch.  Since this was our second time on Majestic Princess, we already knew our way around the ship.  Normally we would explore the ship after lunch, but this time we could just relax.

For more images of our embarkation day, see our Welcome Aboard Lunch photo album.

We'll talk more about our first day in Melbourne in another post.  For more images, see our Shutterfly Photo Page.
Hopefully, you've followed us live on our social media channels as well.  Don't worry if you didn't, as our anchor post will tie everything together for you.  Just click the image (left) to our diary post.

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Each week we post images from our trips and participate in several travel chats on Twitter.

Take advantage of these resources to assist in you in planning your dream vacations.  Of course, we are always available to answer any questions you might have about travel and the industry.