It's our first cruise.....so, we get on the vessel a little at noon.  And the boat leaves at 4pm (from Jacksonville, FL on Fascination).

What can or should we do during these hours?

Thanks

Hilltopper 

The beauty of it all is you can do anything you want!  It's vacation!!!  We typically swing by our room to check it out and sometimes leave our carry on luggage.  Then we go straight up to the Lido deck and grab some lunch.  It will be ready and waiting for you when you get there!  After that you grab a drink, meet some people on deck and just explore the ship!  It's also pretty cool to watch them cast off the ship and get underway.  I guarantee you won't be bored!  The moment you walk on that ship all worries and plans are left behind.  If you have kids, it's a good time to check out their club and get things in order there.  Before you know it dinner will be ready and it's time to unpack suitcases and get ready for the dinning room.  Have fun on your first cruise!  This will be my fifth cruise and the sixth one is already booked for January!

Hi Hilltopper,

Once you get on your ship you can do anything you want. Make sure you take a swim suit in a carry on bag because you may want to go swimming and you will not see your large luggage for several hours. You can also get lunch that is being served on the lido deck. You can walk around the ship to get use to where everything is. Don't worry it will take several days to get use to everything and it's location. You can also just sit in a lounge chair at the pool and do nothing at all but relax. Once on ship you can use your sail and sign card and buy one of those drinks of the day in a fancy cup with an umbrella. Just make sure what ever you do just listen for the directions when the muster drill starts. Every cruise you have to do the muster/lifejacket drill before you sail and it takes approx 30-40 minutes. Have a blast on your first cruise.

Eat, Drink, Relax and then repeat!!

Hey there, Do anything you want.....

On our 1st cruise on this ship we went to our stateroom to check out our Cat. 11 Balcony Suite we booked.  We were excited to see what the suite was like and my husband wanted to wait for our luggage.  A 1st cruise is really exciting so you do anything you want to...and since we just cruised on this ship on the 9th of Sept. for the 2nd time we were in no hurry and actually the time frame we had was about the same as you are talking about.  Our suite was probably ready when we boarded but this time we went to the Lido Deck 1st and had lunch, relaxed, and enjoyed visiting with others.  We just got off her on the 12th of September. 

(Good choice in ships )

My schedule of events is as follows:

1. Get a glass of wine at the atrium bar while the wife gets her "fountain fun card" and a hurricane
2. Determine if we are at the proper dinner seating
3. Familiarize myself with the layout of the various Lido buffet lines, making particular note of the deli, since that will be where most of our lunches will come from
4. Find something to eat and eat it
5. I'll be out of wine by now
6. Dutifully follow the wife to the spa and try to chat up some of the British spa workers while my wife takes the tour where she learns absolutely nothing new because she's been on a similar tour five times so far and they're all essentially the same
7. By this time, the main dining room will be open in case we need to change to the late seating
8. Also by this time, the passenger halls will be open so we can drop the carry-on in the cabin; change clothes
9. Also by this time I may be out of wine again
10. Wander the ship looking for the art auction people and get as many of the raffle tickets as possible
11. Find the sushi bar for future reference
12. I may be out of wine yet again
13. Scope out the laundry rooms
14. Grab a nosh
15. Try [and fail] to convince my wife to make a reservation at the supper club
16. Reserve my deck chairs for each day
17. Get some more art auction raffle tickets
18. Why do I never seem to have a full glass of wine?

Feel free to use this itinerary as your own...

Here's what we do after we board.  Sail away is 4:00 pm on the Pride.

1. Go to our stateroom to see if it is ready & drop off our carry ons if it is.  Unpack any luggage that has been delivered.
2. Go to the dining room to see where our table is & drop off our wine for chilling.
3. Go to the Lido deck to get our sail away Pina Colada and dive into the buffet.
4. Go back to our cabin for a quick nap if we had too much Pina Colada.  Unpack any luggage that has been delivered.
5. Muster drill.
6. Wander around the ship for a while cause we are glad to be on the Pride again.
7. Go to dinner in the main dining room.
8. Walk around, spend a little time in the casino, then walk through the shops.
9. After dinner drink in one of the bars.
10. Turn in for the night so we can recharge for the eating binge the next day.

Does it cost to reserve deck chairs??

crystal:

Does it cost to reserve deck chairs??

No, its first come, first served.

 They will have plenty of activity going on. Food and drinks will be being served. Its also a good time to walk around the ship and familiarize yourselves with the ship. Alot of people will get some deck chair and soak up some sun. Don't worry you'll have fun. The worst part of the whole cruise will be the life boat drill (US Coastguard mandatory). But if everyone would just do what they say it would be over real quick and the fun would begin.

crystal:

Does it cost to reserve deck chairs??

I was joking.

You aren't supposed to reserve deck chairs at all, let alone for the week...  But that said, I lick one and get my germs all over it.

.

.

[I'm joking again]

Haha! I'm a dork...I have actually been on 2 carnival cruises.  I guess I thought that they were doing something different cuz I havent been in almost 2 years...haha

Good call on licking yours tho!  haha

you also have a life boat drill after the ship leaves port.

 Your on vacation why are you carring on a lot of stuff.  All you need is a swim suit, some money and maybe your pills and cosmetics until your stuff arrives.  Don't be cheap and tip the porters and let them handle your bags