Cruise guest shares reason they board ship ‘last’

A cruise ship will usually open for passengers quite a few hours before it sets sail. But while many passengers like to get on board early, a few have said they prefer to be last to board.

A guest wrote on Reddit: “I give opposite advice to other cruisers. Everyone is usually in a rush to get on the ship. I take my time.

“My voyages usually have a 4pm departing time. I waltz in at about 1pm-1:30pm. We wake up, leave our luggage with the hotel and go out for a nice late breakfast/brunch.

“Come back and collect our stuff, catch an Uber and we’re usually breezing through a steadily moving light line around 1pm.”

While it could be a good idea to skip the queues and board later in the day, guests should make sure their flight arrives a long time before the scheduled departure.

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The ship won’t wait for late passengers so guests should aim to fly in the day before or in the early morning.

If guests do fly in the night before, they could leave their luggage at the hotel as the cruise passenger suggested.

Many guests will try to board the ship as soon as it opens so a later arrival could mean passengers beat the queues.

Another guest added: “Extra bonus for us since we’ve started doing this, staterooms are ready (or almost ready) when you get onboard.

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Guests could find a restaurant close to the port and enjoy a relaxed brunch before boarding the ship.

As long as they give themselves enough time to get on board, they could have a much more relaxed experience.

However, another passenger disagreed saying: “Why delay getting on board when you can get settled in and start your vacation ASAP?

“Grab some lunch when you get onboard along with a tasty beverage, and take in the scene.”

Even if guests board the ship straight away, some of the restaurants and bars are likely to be open.