Quick question... We have a 12:00 boarding time for a 4:00 departure out of SFO next month. How long does it typically take to onboard and will we find restaurants open?

Obviously a great deal will depend on your cruise line/ship. Without specific, I can only be general. If you are worried (as in diabetic and needing specific meals at specific times) contact the cruise line directly.

Let's break your question down:

1. Checkin. Most checkins have standard lines for normal travelers. Some will further break this down into Decks 3-6 and 7-9 (for example). Watch the signs. Time will vary. You are showing your paperwork, passport and Credit Card for on-board charges. Avoid getting behind 'groups' as they normally confuse the staff on who belongs with whom on the charges.

THEN many cruise lines will have 'special' lines for their repeat passengers (cruise club ABC or what ever the line calls it). If you fall into this group, it is normally a much shorter line.

THEN if you are in a Suite many lines will have a further special checkin for you. Obviously this would be the shorter line, but only if you are in a suite!

Watch the signs for your applicable condition.

2. Embarkation. This will vary somewhat by cruise line. Some lines (after the security checkin and the wonderful 'welcome on board photo op') will greet you at the gangway with Champagne and assign a staff member to walk you to your cabin. Other lines will say 'Hello' and point you in the right direction to find your way yourself. Upscale lines will be more personal.

Be aware that on the 'find your own way' and even with the personal guide, you may be asked to walk up or down a few decks instead of taking the lift/elevator. The elevators on many ships are controlled for the use of baggage delivery. OR there may be the central elevators used for passengers and not the rest. Your guide will KNOW what is happening.. tho may take you the 'walking route'. On your own, you may need to ask (or they may station people at the lifts saying 'no' or 'use the forward/aft lifts only').

3. Dining. Most ships on turn-a-rounds WILL have some level of dining available. A lot will depend on the ship and the destinations. For example, Princess in San Juan had open seating with limited menu in the main dining room from noon to 2:30pm. It was quite simple food (no courses) but very nice. (this was not a turn-a-round as it was a continuation cruise for 20% of the passengers so they really had a port day) Then most ships have the buffet dining room open MOST all afternoon. There may be a lunch then a snack version .. then more of a 'tea' towards sailing time. The pizza and burger and other small venues will most likely NOT be open in port.

Ask your steward when you board, or read the newspaper in your cabin. It will tell you whats open when. Normally in a US port, all bars are closed however. THEN shortly before sailing there will be the Emergency Drill ... at which point all food service ceases and probably closes down.

BUT not to worry if you are on the preferred Second Seating .. once the ship sails the buffet normally opens up.. or they serve tea .. or some ships have a sushi bar that opens at 5pm (appetizer for the 6pm crowd and tide-over for the 8:30pm crowd).

Normally room/suite service is NOT open until after departure. Some lines will provide Suite guests with hors dourves at sailing.

Hope this helps... each line is a bit different. Was on one line (nameless) who served NOTHING until your dinner time but that was several years ago.

On all the cruises I've been on, there's been lunch onboard. At least in the buffet restaurant, and often in one of the sit-down waiter service restaurants as well.

You won't go hungry. Federal law prohibits it on cruise ships.

Thanks for the detailed replies on what to expect.

I think I'll try to eat a light snack before boarding and look for something more substantial onboard.

Other option would be a wonderful room service breakfast in the hotel before you leave ... getting ready for the cruise!

Since you state 'sunny California' and are leaving from SFO .. I wonder if you are leaving from home .. in that case .. yup .. eat the last of the toast or stop for fast food on the way!

Yes, we're leaving from home and flying back. It is our first cruise so we're taking a short one to see if we like it. Two nights and a day at sea. SFO-YVR.

PLEASE understand that as your first cruise .. a SHORT 2 nights one day cruise is going to be VERY non-typical.

Let me try and warn you things you will find.

1. Boarding. Yes will take some time. You luggage will be delivered to the cabin (unless you have only small carryon). THAT takes time. Mine tends to arrive AFTER sailing. So when it comes, you want to unpack and get organized.

2. Getting to know the ship. With a short cruise you will be lost for the first day or two (and by then you will be getting off!). Take the deck plans with you at all times. Port and starboard are hard to figure out at times! Plan to use the stairs as the evelvators tend to get very busy. Walk DOWN and Lift UP if you have to.

3. You will want to experience every place on board. The lounges (there will be many), the library, the main theater, the other places. You won't have time .. so accept this!

4. Dining. On longer cruises the waiter, assistant waiter and wine steward/cocktail waitress will get to KNOW you. With two dinners they wont. And you wont get to know your table companions.

The first night there will be some sort of welcome aboard show .. GO! It probably will not be a big production number .. but fun.

5. Non dinner dining. You board, and have dinner. Then the next morning you have breakfast. GO TO THE Dining Room (not the buffet). It will probably be open seating so you will meet new people. The buffet is toooo rushed unless you need to (as in shore excursion). Lunch .. again will be open seating. You might be tempted this time to try the buffet (just to say you have done it) and this will be a good option JUST to try it.

Second dinner .. again will normally be assigned tables and times (tho not sure on a 2 day cruise). Trouble with a short cruise is that this second day might be suit/tie for men and dress for women. On longer cruises the first full sea day is followed by a gala evening with Tuxes for men and gowns for women.. and a Captains reception. I kind of doubt this will be the case on a 2 nighter! But check it out.. if it is formal ..dress to the NINES! (first night dinner is always casual except on luxury liners).

Second night. Will probably be the bigger production show .. and may be fun. Again there are normally bands and singers in other lounges (lounge entertainment will vary to age bracket).

Oh . but by a certain time (11pm) that second night you will have to have your luggage outside the cabin to be taken off for the next morning. So you have to plan ahead the clothes and makeup... all this after you just unpacked.

6. Disembarkation morning. No cabin service. Buffet should be open .. along with the main dining room. But it will be on a SCHEDULE based on when the ship docks and when they start getting people ashore. So plan this morning (your second morning) on getting up at 6am to see the ship come into port (WAY FUN) .. then eat. Then by 8-9am you will have to be out of your cabin and in a main theater/lounge waiting to be called to leave the ship. Sometimes this gets very complicated .. some ships run this smoothly while others don't.

Pick up your luggage (or schlep it off yourself) and go to the bus if you have a transfer to the airport. By noon you'll be at the airport.

My point... the boarding and debarkation process take TIME and energy. You won't get into the cruise spirit until the ship leaves (and your luggage arrives and you are unpacked and all). Then the last night is a bit crazy with packing and preparing to live. You have this all jammed into two nights and one day (ok part of a day on departure and a few hours on arrival).

You will not get to know the ship.
You will not get to know the waiter and their staff (who normally anticipate your needs).
You will not get to know your cabin steward (again they KNOW your needs).
You will be rushed the first night .. wanting to take everything in .. and then fall alseep.
Morning 1 you will want to be up early and enjoy the full day.
You won't have time to be pampered at the spa
You won't have (maybe) the experience of a luxurious formal night at sea .. meeting ships crew. (these formal days the hair salon is always jammed)
You won't have time for more than one art auction(most ships have them)
You won't have time for more than one or two bingo games
You will only have one day at the pool to watch the games there (different ships different games)
You won't see all the shows and singers and dancers and comedians of longer trips
You will only begin to experience the food onboard. If the ship is newer and has 'alternative restaurants' such as Southwestern or Italian or Japanese or . .. you really won't have time for that.
SHOPPING .. yea here are plenty of shops on board and they tend to run daily specials based on the cruise (the day of formal night they run specials on gowns and such).
You won't be able to attend a lot of classes - the chef will normally do cooking shows and such .. or even napkin folding .. or even computer classes
You will then immediately be packing up to leave

PLEASE understand this 'short I want to experience a cruise' is not a full experience.

I have done about eight 7 night cruises .. and LOVE them.
Some cruises were an-island-a-day .. and those were too hectic.
Some cruises were like 3 islands and 4 sea days . and those were PERFECT.
I have done one two week cruise ... and did not want to get off the ship!
My folks did a back-to-back for a month onboard (LA to SanJuan to Rio) and were very very happy with the life!
I did one four day cruise .. and found it toooo short. I did not have enough time to experience everything they offered.
I'm booked on QM transatlantic this summer .. all at sea! Cannot wait!

PLEASE understand this 'experience' is only a taste. Think of it only as an appetizer .. and a main course would be a week-long cruise. DONT think ALL cruises will be like this one .. they are all different.

In any case ENJOY! BonVoyage!

Oh. My.


And that is including my planned half-day sitting on the balcony watching the seas roll by?


I have spent a week (spread over time) on the Queen Mary, if that helps.

But seriously, thank you very much for the suggestions and commentary. It does give me a baseline understanding of what I might expect to encounter that I did not previously have. I think our little trial may be like drinking from a firehose.

I accept that I won't get to taste everything aboard, nor even see everything of interest. ms. birdstrike and I are eclectic travellers so I think a "meta-cruise" (with the cruise, but not of the cruise, if you will) will suit us quite well.

Alas, I have limited vacation time, so spending 8 days on a cruise is simply not an option for us at this time. We're spending 2 weeks in Botswana later this year. If at the end of the day we know if we want, or don't want, to take a longer cruise our investment will have been worthwhile.

In any event, we shall certainly enjoy! ^

Will you be on one of those large mega ships? If so, I would love to read about your experience. People keep trying to get me to go on cruises so it would be interesting to read about your experiences on your first cruise.

What cruise line are you on? A lot of your responses seem to pertain to huge liners & have not been my experience with small luxury lines.

Analisa, brendamc;

We are sailing aboard the Dawn Princess - certainly a megaliner. It's kind of a lark really, something to do on a long weekend. Definitely an atypical approach to cruising, but I'm looking forward to it.

I shall certainly do a writeup!