Boarding a Cruise: Where to Hide in the Chaos
Carnival, like many cruise lines has all but perfected the boarding process. They are more than capable of boarding thousands of people and multiple tons of food and beverages inside a few hours. It is truly a marvel of modern planning. That being said, I say “all but perfected,” because there is a wild card that damages the mix. Passengers.
People are just as often the source of joy on a vacation as they are the source of anguish. During boarding, people are brought onto the ship, then their belongings are brought on, and the whole time, the boat is being resupplied with provisions for the journey. There’s a lot going on and you’re not allowed in your room until later in the evening. This means that EVERY passenger on the ship is in the common areas, just like you.
The most popular places seem to be the pools, the bar, the railings that face the dock, and the sports areas on the top of the ship. The atriums and entertaining venues seem pretty popular too. Some boats have a welcome aboard show for families that happens in one of the large lounges. These are nice because trying to hang on to small children during the chaos of boarding can be terrifying.
Use reverse psychology. If you didn’t know what was going on on the boat, what would you do? Explore, right? But, you, you savvy traveler you, YOU are planning ahead. You are going to dominate your cruise and be the chillest person on the boat. If you see a crowd of people going in one direction, maybe go the other way. Avoid elevators because everyone is using those to explore.
Some ships have a Serenity Deck, which is for 21+ only. You might try checking there first. There is usually a bar and not many people know about the Serenity Deck until a couple of days into the journey. The Casinos on boats usually can’t allow gambling while in port. This means that there’s no reason to be in there. Unless you are not interested in gambling and just want to camp out in a window and watch the water for a bit while you are in port.
It is probably also important to point out that smoking on open air decks while in port is a no-no. If you are a smoker, figure out all of the indoor smoking areas BEFORE you board that way you know where to head first. After all, you will probably need to light up after dealing with the embarkation process.
Remember that you are there to have fun and that is the best part. But, sometimes it can be difficult to escape people on boats. Try exploring for yourself. Grab a drink, grab a chair, and people watch to your heart’s content. Until next time.
Thanks, y’all!
Hey, don’t forget I wrote a book! Filled with all the travel tips and tricks I could think of from over a decade of international travel. Pick it up wherever you get your books or ebooks and enjoy!
