You’ve Booked a Cruise on the Celebrity Apex. Now What?

If you’re like me, after booking, you hang on every word from the cruise line. You’ve invested a lot of money. It’s your vacation. You want to get it right. To make sure you get it right, download Celebrity’s app and keep an eye on your emails. If you’re headed for the Caribbean on the Apex, here’s what you can expect from Celebrity in the months, weeks and days before you cruise: 

Months before 

Promotional emails – Once you book, be prepared to be bombarded by Celebrity’s emails on beverage packages, wifi, excursions, specialty dining and the like. If you’re buying one or more of these, it’s best to do it now because the prices will go up once you’re onboard. 

45 days before

Online check in – This opens up about 45 days before the cruise via Celebrity’s mobile app. You'll also get an email that announces, "It's TIme to Check In." We received it on March 11 for an April 18 sailing. 

Refer to Celebrity’s website, https://www.celebritycruises.com/faqs, for details on what forms of citizenship and identification you’ll need. Once this is done, your boarding pass (“Xpress Pass”) will show up on the app. Note that online check in must be completed at least four days before the cruise. 

About one month before 

Luggage tags – You can find these in the last pages of the cruise document (“Guest Ticket Booklet”) that comes via email about a month before your trip. The luggage tags are in color; if you don’t have a color printer, you can get them printed easily from your local UPS or FedEx store. Or, you can print them in black and white. 

About 10 days before 

Reminder email – This includes last-minute details on what to bring to embarkation, as well as a reminder to check in and select an arrival time, if you haven’t done so already. 

About a week before 

Get excited – Around now, daily activities for the cruise start showing up in the app. (The evening shows, though, don’t show up until you actually board.) 

Two days before

Health questions – Each person on your trip will be required to answer two quick health questions on their app before embarkation. 

One day before 

Helpful tips – An email will tell you how to redeem your purchases of excursions or spa treatments; or drink, dining, wifi or photo packages. 

Breezing through embarkation in Port Canaveral

While I can’t guarantee you’ll have the same experience we did, Celebrity’s embarkation at Port Canaveral was the easiest we’ve had in 31 cruises. They usually dock at Terminal 1, which is easy to get to. Confirm the pier at portcanaveral.com, where you can also get directions and maps. 

There is ample outside parking (the garage fills up with Royal Caribbean cruisers) and a free shuttle van (note: tips are welcome). We parked the car at noon, hopped on the shuttle and were swiftly deposited at the terminal. To our shock, there were no lines anywhere and in mere minutes, we were in our stateroom, clinking glasses in delight! 

Musing’s Top Tip: At disembarkation, ask a port staff member where to pick up the shuttle to get back to your car. It’s not well marked (just a small sign on the ground outside) and hard to find.

Setting Off in Calm Seas

It may be counterintuitive, but going on vacation is stressful. There’s so much to remember, so much to do. And if it’s your first cruise, not knowing what to expect can ratchet this up a notch. But here are a few tips to ensure smooth sailing before your ship leaves the pier.

See when you need to show up at the port. This will vary by cruise line and port; check your cruise documents or the cruise line’s website. Usually, you have to be at the ship at least 60 minutes before departure.

Research the port and pier. You might want to see where in the port your ship will be and if anything’s going on there you should know about. For example, Ft. Lauderdale’s Port Everglades has been undergoing major construction for quite a while, and some of Princess and Celebrity’s ships are at the far end of the port. Which can mean a very slow trip and you’ll need to build in extra time. Here are links to the major Florida ports: PortMiami, Port Tampa Bay, Port Canaveral.

Plot out your path. The best way to avoid panic to the port is planning: where to stay the night before, how long you need to get to the port and where you’re going to park. Check out forums like the one on cruisecritic.com for ideas on where to stay. And know the route to the port in advance. Our first trip, we put the port street into the GPS and ended up on a road with the right name--but in the wrong town. By the time we discovered what went wrong and made it to the port, we were one of the last on the ship.

Bring seasickness medicine. That’s the surest way to not need it. 

Pack the right stuff in your carryon. When you get to the port, you’ll have to relinquish your

luggage, except your carryon. So, you should keep anything you’ll need for the next few hours in your carryon (the luggage may not show up in your cabin for hours—sometimes as late as 6 p.m.). Keep in mind, though, that if you’re planning on getting onboard before about 1 p.m. (when the cabins are usually ready to receive you), you’ll be stuck carrying around that carryon while you’re going to lunch or checking out the ship. You might consider one with wheels.

Don’t leave home without it. Before you leave your home, make sure you have your passport and driver’s license with you. Then check again. Have both, as well as the boarding passes you printed up after online check-in within easy reach because you’ll need it when you get to the port.

Securely fasten luggage tags on each of your bags. You need to print these up at home, and staple or tape them closed around luggage handles. (We bring a small stapler with us and do it just before leaving for the port. Or, you can always ask to borrow one from the hotel front desk.)

If you’re taking Celebrity and do the online check-in enough in advance, you can order luggage tags on their website. Color-coded stickers will come in the mail, and you can easily fasten them with their own adhesive.

Don’t bother eating on your way to the port; lunch is waiting. Enjoy the hunger—it’s the last time you’ll feel it. Then when you get onboard, you can enjoy a leisurely first meal in the buffet. Some ships have the dining room and other restaurants open, too.

Set aside some ones for the luggage guys. Tipping the guys at the port who take your luggage is not just customary—it’s essential. If you don’t, you should have a back-up plan for your luggage, like prayer.

Breathe deeply and relax. You’re on vacation!

Musing’s Tip: They won’t provide info, but they’re fun just the same—follow these webcam links to live feeds from the ports: Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, PortMiami