Day One - What do you do?

[undertheradar]

Skip the photo op and head straight to the concierge lounge. Enjoy sparkling bubbly until room is ready. Enjoy a relaxed lunch and then prepare to unpack.

 

[ahain]

Give them my name and cry like a dork when announced. In Feb, Darrell thought I was sad and jumped out of his place in the applaud line to hug me and say "It's ok!! It'll be ok!!" I had to convince him they were happy tears. Must work on not crying that much from now on - tearing up is ok, full-out crying gets people thinking something's wrong...at least with me.

I hear ya!

 

[Dug720]

I surprised myself by how much I blubbered when we crossed that bridge heading for the doorway. I didn't realize how much sailing meant to me and finally being on a ship. Plus the Wonder was so classy looking and regal it felt even more special and I imagined how cruising was in the old days.

But then again, I cried like a baby in 1984 when my husband finally took me to WDW and we entered Magic Kingdom -- but those tears were because it was my Dad's dream to take me there and he got sick before he could. No matter how old I get, I'm never going to let myself be embarrassed because an event or a place brings me to tears -- that's part of the joy of travel when it means that much

And oh yeah to the bolded comment -- that motion is a huge "amenity" to us -- we love that comfort feeling of being rocked by the ship. I know I could easily live on a ship (I LOVE the ocean).

I think part of all the emotion was I was finally able to do something for my parents to thank them for everything they have done for me. Also, really realizing they are getting older...

I guess we will see when I board the Wonder in February. Grand Slam completed at that moment!

 

[ahain]

I hear ya!

Last year, I took my mom and sister with me on the EB Panama Canal Cruise. Embarkation day, we wandered across the street from our hotel first thing in the morning to see the Wonder, which had just recently docked. As we stood there looking at the Wonder in the morning light, I started to cry. My mom was alarmed, kicked into "mom mode" and said "honey, what's wrong? Don't you feel well?..." etc. Through my tears and sniffling, I responded "I'm fine....I'm just so happy that we're here and that I'm able to do this....I'm so blessed...so lucky..." The emotion just overwhelmed me.

 

[Tulles]

I'm loving this thread.

We're taking ouresponsibility first cruise in November and I know own I'm going to sob. I'm getting choked up just reading about you guys getting emotional.

 

[RedSox68]

BTW, OP, great idea for a thread.

I know a lot of threads have been posted that talk about the embarkation lunch and the chaotic scene it can be (especially with carry-ons). To me, it adds to the thrill and excitement of that first day. Even after 10 cruises on Disney, we have only skipped Cabanas twice. But then again, any other cruise line we've been on the buffet is just as nuts -- everyone with their carry-ons and a hard time finding seats, etc. I love watching all the excitement of the families. The only cruise line that had a great option was NCL Pride of America -- when you boarded they gave you the opportunity to check your carry-ons in the theater and then go to the lunch. What a difference! But then again, their rooms weren't ready until after 3 p.m. anyway.

 

[SteveMP]

1. Go to cruise terminal, board ship
2. Take a bunch of pictures, post on social media to make friends jealous
3. ???
4. Profit

 

[Dug720]

1. Go to cruise terminal, board ship
2. Take a bunch of pictures, post on social media to make friends jealous
3. ???
4. Profit

I don't get number 4...?

 

[Dug720]

Sorry. Stupid subway access.

 

[Chirple]

1. Go to cruise terminal, board ship
2. Take a bunch of pictures, post on social media to make friends jealous
3. ???
4. Profit

I don't get number 4...?

Or #3.

 

[NS8VN]

Kids these days don't even know about the Underpants Gnomes. What is the world coming to?

 

[Dug720]

Not a kid, but I still don't know it.

 

[Chirple]

And I was around when dinosaurs roamed the earth and don't know what that is. Please enlighten us.

 

[hanscarlet]

We usually like to get one of the first buses at MCO and get there around 10, soak up the ambiance like OP and wait to board... then after boarding, go to the kids club and get the wrist band and then go to lunch and then maybe check out the pools before muster drill.... for our NYC cruise not sure how it will go as it is our first time doing NYC so hoping the lines are not awful around the noon hour.... oh and this past cruise was the first cruise we missed the sail away party because it was the second leg of our B2B and I was surprised at how enjoyable it was to watch from the verandah what it was like to sail out of PC and wave goodbye to everyone, that was really fun

 

[soniam]

Like a lot of others, I get a bit teary on the first day. I actually get pretty teary in traffic when I hear the DCL horns at the start of the DCL Blog Podcast

Kids these days don't even know about the Underpants Gnomes. What is the world coming to?

You just justified our parenting. DS11 knows who the underpants gnomes areAlthough, he did have to forbade him from even mentioning most of everything else in the show at school

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

We always spend at least one night at a WDW resort before our DCL vacation. And we are odd ducks; in that we don't care if we get to the terminal early so we just take our time in the morning at the resort, meet in the designated area at the designated time for DCL transfer and get to the terminal when we get to the terminal. And as others have stated; I too love it when the bus crosses over the bridge and you get that first look at the DCL ship, we have done eight cruises and it never gets old for us.

We get ourselves checked in and by the time we get on the ship the staterooms are ready, except one time. We were about 10 minutes too early but went up to the deck we were located on, walked up to the tape across the door to the hallway to the staterooms and were looking straight across to our stateroom. SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR AWAY!!!

When we get into our stateroom we dump our carry-on luggage, go for the DCL welcome gifts waiting for us on the bed, grab the Navigator and look it over, take lots of; we're finally here pictures, head out onto the verandah and take it all in, and finally hit the rest room before heading out to grab a small bite to eat.

We wander the ship until Muster Station time, get that out of the way and wander some more until it's time for dinner (usually main seating). We don't bother with the Sail Away Party any more. After dinner we wing it; sometimes we go to Walt Disney Theater for the show sometimes we just blow it off to hit a movie that we want to see, hit the bar scene, relax on a lounge chair and people watch, go to Quiet Cove Cafe for some quiet time, grab a drink and sit at the adult only pool and just appreciate how lucky we are.

 

[disneycruisegal]

After a night of way to little sleep, we usually catch DCL transportation from MCO in the morning. Although this time we will be sailing out of Miami but flying into Fort Lauderdale the night before. So we will be taking a hotel shuttle to the port.
We are sailing concierge this time so we plan to check in and hang out in the terminal before being one of the first ones on the ship.
-we always take the boarding photo, I always look so happy to be boarding, they are some great photos.
-head to the concierge lounge to check in with hosts and have some snacks and a cocktail. We haven't been on the Magic since they added the concierge lounge and sun deck so I'm sure will hang out here and take some photos.
- with drinks in hand we will then head to our rooms, they are usually ready by this time.
- drop off day bags meet our room hosts and chill.
- check out the adults only area and then head over to our muster station.
- sail away party.
Back to room to freshen up. The lounge for more cocktails. Then to the show at 6:30.
- check out the shops after the show
- back to the lounge to pick up a wine to bring to diner.
- I'm usually so tired this first day that after diner we just crash. I'm always envious of people who can go out and enjoy the clubs after diner.

 

[Dug720]

The only boarding pic I've taken! It was too cute not to get.

 

[cmwade77]

For me the sail away party is usually too loud and crowded, so I find somewhere else to be.....this next cruise we have a veranda, so we will probably hang out there

 

[RedSox68]

The only boarding pic I've taken! It was too cute not to get.

Very cute picture! I have never missed an opportunity to take that boarding pic (on all cruise lines) -- to me it's a great souvenir of that first few minutes when you cross from the port to the ship and the start of your trip. Like I said previously, I also like all the detail they now border around the photos.