More Embarkation Cruise Tips

Embarkation…Getting Off The Ship!

There is so much to do during embarkation, so the staff and crew are extremely busy. Just be prepared to have to wait. There are many other people trying to get through the embarkation process and start their vacation as well. While it can be frustrating at times, there are usually very legitimate reasons that proper procedure should be followed.

One of the most important ways to make your embarkation process

as quick, smooth, and painless as possible, be sure to have any necessary documentation ready and easy to get to quickly when your turn arises to present them. No one wants to feel the stares and hear the sighs of other passengers as they dig through luggage and purses to find the documentation they were supposed to have ready.

Each passenger will be issued a cruise card at boarding. This handy card serves as an embarkation pass, room key, and onboard credit card. Passengers who tend to lose things would be well advised to check with the purser’s office about getting a hole punched in their cruise card so they can wear it on a lanyard around their neck at all times.

Upon arrival in the cabin It is important to check and make sure there are enough life jackets for all occupants and that they are in good working order. Each life jacket should be equipped with a whistle, ties, and an emergency light. If any of the life jackets seem to be in poor condition or are missing any of these items, speak to the cabin steward about getting a replacement.

As you unpack, check over your cabin and make sure it is the type of cabin you booked and that any special requests you made through an agent have been honored. If there has been an omission or oversight, take the problem to the head of the department where the problem occurred.

Bring such issues to the staff’s attention early in the cruise so they have time to correct the oversight; do not wait until the end of the cruise to demand a refund or spend the entire trip badmouthing the cruise line to every other passenger you meet. When presenting your complaint, be reasonable and be patient. Information sometimes gets lost in transit between a cruise agent’s office and the ship. Other times, an inexperienced agent may promise their customer an amenity the cruise line is simply unable to provide. If the latter is the case, give the department head the opportunity to offer you a mutually agreeable alternative.

In the event of a problem with your cabin, such as faulty plumbing or loud generators, it is reasonable to ask the hotel manager to be moved to another cabin. If this is not possible due to full capacity, ask that the problem be documented in writing so that you may present the problem to the cruise agent and ask for a partial refund.