A Few Questions Please!

I cannot believe it, but a week from Sunday I am leaving for my first cruise. It is myself (29) and my sister (25) sailing out of Miami on RCL Navigator of the Seas 4 night to Coco Cay and Nassau. This our first cruise, and I am getting extremely nervous. (I don't try new things very often) I just have a few questions below, which I know I can find otherwise online, but this forum has been so helpful I thought I would take advantage. Please see below and let me know if you have thoughts:

1. We have purchased the internet plan and both have the App on our smart phones. How do we access the internet once on board? Through the App?

2. Getting off at Coco Cay and Nassau, how does that work? We'll have passports and ID ready of course, but do we line up an hour early to get off? Basically we want to take full advantage of stops.

3. Harder question. We have a 6:35 flight back out of Ft. Lauderdale, and I am not sure what to do during that day. They appears to be some cool state park/ and nature center things by the airport (Ann Kolb Nature Center/ Johnson State Park). Any of you been there before? Any place you might recommend. I just don't wanna sit in the airport all day.

Also, if there is anything you feel I should really know, please feel free to share. We are flying in the day before and basically staying across the street from the marina, and are just looking for casual and relaxing fun.

1. The voom information will be in your stateroom. Open a browser (safari, chrome, whatever) and you'll be asked to enter that information.

If you purchased one plan you can use multiple devices on that plan, albeit one at a time.

2. Don't know about lining up for Coco Cay. It's a private island, so I don't think there is much FOMO here.

Nassau depends on when you're docking. If you dock early nothing will be open. It's a nice stroll, but not great for window shopping. When I was there last we leisurely ate breakfast, so by the time we got off there want much of a queue and shops were juuuuuust opening.

3. Not really sure as the latest I've ever flown out was 2pm, which is a little too in between to do anything.

It's your first time, so I'd get to the terminal around 10:30-11. This should give you time to have a relaxing buffet lunch at Windjammer and to leisurely explore the ship.

"Cruise speed" is definitely a thing. You can't do everything on a cruise, and you shouldn't expect to. Take things slow, and you'll find it easy to relax.

Check cruisecritic for meet and mingles and to find people going on he same cruises. Someone is likely to have set up a fb page, and hey may do some activities like pub crawls, karaoke etc.

2. The ship docks at Coco Cay so as soon as they open the gangway (9am on my cruise) you are free to leave the ship. They ask that you don’t line up until they open the gangway.They will announce when it opens
On Coco Cay all you need is your room key card to get off and on the ship.
In Nassau you will need your key card and a Government issued photo ID (drivers license or passport)

Leave your passport on board. You only need an ID (with picture) and your SeaPass card to get off and get back on the ship.

I appreciate everyones help! It all seems very easy and casual.

Spencer Wright said:

2. Getting off at Coco Cay and Nassau, how does that work? We'll have passports and ID ready of course, but do we line up an hour early to get off? Basically we want to take full advantage of stops.

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One thing we found is that they aren't always on time. If it says you're in port 9am-5pm (for example), by the time they dock and are cleared, the gangway might not open til 9:30. Sometimes they're early, sometimes they're late. I would listen for announcements or keep an eye out to see the line begin forming. It never took us that long to get off the ship, and we usually exited right after we arrived.

nkereina said:

One thing we found is that they aren't always on time. If it says you're in port 9am-5pm (for example), by the time they dock and are cleared, the gangway might not open til 9:30. Sometimes they're early, sometimes they're late. I would listen for announcements or keep an eye out to see the line begin forming. It never took us that long to get off the ship, and we usually exited right after we arrived.

I know there is an excursion with an air boat ride in the Everglades which always sounded fun to me. I believe for some departure day excursions, they will allow you to store or send your luggage ahead so you don't have to deal with it while you're off the ship. We've not taken advantage of this, but remember reading this option when we were looking into it.​

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I appreciate it! I really just need to change my WDW mindset where everything is typically so rigid. I talked to people on here and otherwise who indicated things on a cruise are more flexible (as you indicated).