✓ Port and time taken from “My itinerary”.
Choose a port and a date and your plan for the day appears here.
Your day by the minute
Leaving, terminal, cut-off and departure — with reminders.
Port guide: terminal, getting there, where to stay →Your embarkation day bag
You won't get your suitcases until evening. Keep everything you need until then with you.
In short
Check-in for a cruise usually opens 3–4 hours before departure and closes about 1.5–2 hours before. You hand in your suitcases at the terminal entrance and they reach your cabin towards evening — so keep documents, medicines and everything you need for the day in a bag with you. If your boarding pass shows a check-in time, enter it and the plan adjusts.
Updated: October 2026
Your first hours on board
- Find your muster stationIts number is on your cruise card or your cabin door. Walk there early and the safety drill takes just a couple of minutes.
- Check your cruise cardIt is your cabin key, your way to pay on board and your pass ashore. Make sure your name and cabin number are right.
- Book what goes firstTables in the specialty restaurants, spa slots, shows and excursions in the first ports often fill up on day one — check the app or the desk.
- Sort out your phoneDecide whether you want an internet package. If not, switch to airplane mode before you reach open sea: maritime roaming can get unexpectedly expensive.
- Wait for your suitcasesIf your suitcase still hasn't arrived by dinner, tell guest services: sometimes luggage is held at security.
- Be on deck for sail-awayLeaving the quay is one of the most beautiful moments of the cruise. Grab a spot on the open deck in good time.
Common mistakes
- Flying in on embarkation dayA delayed flight or lost luggage, and the ship leaves without you. It is safer to fly in the day before and stay near the port.
- Packing documents and medicines in the suitcaseYou won't see your suitcase until evening. Passport, boarding documents, medicines and chargers go in the bag you carry.
- Arriving long before your timeIf your boarding pass gives a check-in time, arrive for it: come earlier and you will probably wait outside the terminal.
- Forgetting luggage tagsWithout a tag showing your cabin number, your suitcase reaches you last. Print the tags in advance and attach them at the hotel.
- Bringing banned itemsIrons, extension leads, multi-plug adapters and immersion heaters are usually taken at security and returned only at the end of the cruise. The exact list is in your cruise line's rules.
- Putting off the safety drillIt is required for everyone, and the ship won't sail without it. Do it right after boarding, while there are no queues at the muster stations.
Frequently asked questions
What time should I arrive at the port?
If your boarding pass gives a check-in time, arrive for that. If not, usually 3–4 hours before departure. Check-in normally closes 1.5–2 hours before the ship leaves, and the ship does not wait for latecomers.
When can I get into my cabin?
Cabins usually open in the early afternoon — it is announced over the speakers. Until then you can have lunch, explore the ship and do the safety drill.
When do my suitcases arrive?
Suitcases handed in at the terminal are delivered to your cabin during the day, sometimes not until late evening. So keep everything you need until then in your day bag.
What is the muster drill?
The required safety briefing before sailing: you watch a video in the app or on your cabin TV and check in at your muster station.
Can I fly in on embarkation day?
You can, but it is risky: the ship does not wait for a delayed flight. If you do fly in the same day, choose “Flying in the same day” in the plan — it shows the latest your flight should land.
Where is my data sent?
Nowhere. Your port, times and ticked items are stored only in your browser.
Also useful
The times in this plan are a guide based on usual boarding rules. Exact check-in times, luggage rules and banned-item lists are set by the cruise line: always check your boarding documents.