Bahamas Reminders and Checklist Pre-Departure Be sure to read & review the trip itinerary and overview so you know what will take place during the course of TBGO RCCL Bahamas cruise trip. There s a lot of helpful information in the packet but it only helps if you actually read it! By now everyone should be registered on-line with RCCL. Make sure you have printed out your SetSail Pass (this is like your boarding pass for the cruise) and have it in your possession. You should also have ordered and received your RCCL luggage tags during online check-in. Be sure to bring those to Orlando with you. As the weather has been adjusting around to upper 70 s to low and mid 80 s be sure to have your sunglasses, sun screen/sun tan lotion, lip balm and hat for sun protection. If you plan on snorkeling, it s a good idea to pack a T-shirt that you wear while in the water. Your back will spend a LOT of time exposed to the sun! If you are taking medications, be sure to have them in your carry-on luggage. Prescription drugs need to be in the original container with prescription details printed on container. You should be free to book shore excursions now and or do your own sightseeing by 1100 am on our day in Nassau, Bahamas (February 29) after our performance. Band performance checklist: o Uniform TBGO purple collared polo shirt, black slacks (no denim, no dark grey), black shoes and socks, black belt, TBGO hat. o Music list and music o Instrument, lyre, flip folder, neck strap (and whatever accoutrements you need to play your instrument) Checklist for other travel items: o U.S. Passport (you can also use this for airline check-in) o RCCL SetSail Pass o Credit card o Cash, especially smaller bills for tipping o Travel packet o Sunscreen o Swimsuit o Other hat to keep the sun off your head o Medication, including any seasick avoidance meds if you re concerned o Snorkel, mask, and/or fins if you prefer to bring your own instead of renting Departing from Your Home City Arrive at the airport in plenty of time to check in yourself and your baggage. Remember, it will take longer than usual to check in because there will be plenty of baggage and you re bringing your own crowd! <grin> Keep your US Passport WITH YOU (not in your checked baggage) upon leaving PDX or your hometown. Use your Passport for easy airline check-in. You may want to put a PHOTOCOPY of your passport in your luggage to help in case your passport is lost or stolen. Attach the TBGO Bahamas Trip plastic baggage tags to your baggage before leaving PDX or your city of departure. Do NOT attach the RCCL baggage tags yet.
T B G O B a h a m a s C h e c k l i s t P a g e 2 At the Orlando Hotels After you arrive at the Orlando hotel, attach your RCCL baggage tags to your baggage BEFORE we depart on our charter bus the next morning for the RCCL pier in Port Canaveral. Make sure you have your bus driver and porter tips ready for the next day (see section on Tipping Guidelines below). IF YOU ARE STAYING AT THE STAYBRIDGE SUITES OR RAMADA SUITES: We will begin loading the motor coach at 10:45 AM and depart by 11 AM. IF YOU ARE NOT STAYING AT THE BAND HOTELS BUT ARE TRAVELING ON THE MOTOR COACH: Be sure to arrive at Staybridge Suites (7450 Augusta National Dr) NO LATER THAN 10:15 AM. At the Pier There are THREE THINGS you need to have ready in your hand at check-in: o U.S. Passport o Credit card o The RCCL SetSail pass that you printed during on-line check-in Have tips ready for the porters who will take your luggage to the ship. (Your luggage should be marked with your personalized RCCL luggage tags to expedite delivery to your cabin.) At check-in with RCCL you will receive your plastic Key Card for your cabin. This same card is used to sign for goods/services aboard the ship. You will then go thru TSA Security with your carry-on luggage before boarding. Aboard Ship Muster Drill: Shortly after we board Monarch of the Seas there will be an announced muster drill. The muster drill is a mandatory exercise for all guests and crew to familiarize you with the location (muster station) where you are to assemble in the unlikely event of an emergency. Generally, you are expected to have the lifejackets from your cabin when you assemble, so make sure you know where they are and how to put them on. Make sure that you know the number and location of your muster station in advance of the drill, and then make sure you assemble at the correct muster station. Crew members will call role at each muster station during the drill, they will look for anyone who is missing, and they will hold other passengers at the drill until the missing person is found. We don t want any dirty looks from the crew or other passengers, so let s make our organization look classy! Monarch of the Seas is a cashless environment. All purchases (bar, dining room, spa, salon, tours, shopping, etc.) are made by showing your plastic shipboard Key Card that you received at check-in. Your shipboard account will be settled to your charge card at departure. Our entire group is assigned to the 8:30 PM dinner seating in the fine dining restaurants Vincent s and Claude s on Decks 3 & 4. We are seated as a group and tables have already been assigned (they ll let you know where to sit at dinner on the first night). If you re feeling puckish before dinner time arrives there are PLENTY of options throughout the ship (including Windjammer s Café) that can provide a snack or an early meal. For breakfast and lunch, you have the option of a full meal in the dining rooms (tables are not generally assigned), or grabbing anything from a light snack to a full meal in the Windjammer Café, ice cream parlor, sushi bar, pizzeria, numerous bars and lounges, etc. Experiment!!! Specialty restaurants may be available on board by reservation and at additional charge. RCCL will deliver a Daily Calendar to your stateroom each evening with a full listing of the next day s events. Be sure to check it out for a wide range of special events including shows, shopping, and much more! Getting on/off the ship each time requires your RCCL Key Card. Please don t be late on port departures as the ship will leave without you!!!
T B G O B a h a m a s C h e c k l i s t P a g e 3 Review the tipping guidelines for shipboard staff (see section on Tipping Guidelines below) and prepare your tipping envelopes for the last night of the cruise. TBGO Performances Uniform is the same for both performances: TBGO collared purple polo shirt, TBGO hat, black slacks (not jean material or dark gray), black shoes/socks, black belt. Feel free to decorate as the spirit moves you (within the bounds of taste, of course!) this ain t the Inauguration! Play Lists are enclosed at the end of this note for reference. PLEASE BE PROMPT AND ALLOW PLENTY OF TIME in leaving the ship on the day of our Nassau performance. There will be plenty of other people wishing to go through the check-out procedure and leave the ship at the same time, so plan for delays. Nassau Leap Day Performance Wednesday February 29 C.R. Walker Senior High School Time What s Happening 6:30 AM Grab buffet breakfast at the Windjammer Café 7:30 AM Make your way to the departure area of the ship. Bring your RCCL PLASTIC KEY CARD (needed to depart the ship) and your PASSPORT (in case we need it when clearing Customs). Depart the ship onto Prince George Wharf and head toward Festival Place. Be in uniform, have your instrument out of its case and ready to play, bring your music. (Tubas, drums, and flags may bring cases if they wish.) 7:45 AM Meet our Bahamas Tourism escorts at Festival Place on Prince George Wharf. DON T BE LATE, WE CAN T WAIT!!! When it s time to leave for the school, we ll leave whether or not you are there and you won t want to miss this one! 8:00 AM Leave Festival Place to clear Customs and board our taxi vans. 8:30 8:45 AM Arrive at C.R. Walker School via taxi vans. Get our act together, warm up, and tune. 9:00 AM SHOWTIME!!! 9:30 AM Show ends. I think we ll have an opportunity to stick around for a little while and talk to students if we like. 9:45 AM 10:15 AM Taxi vans pick us up for return to ship. 10:15 AM Get back to ship. (Could be later if you hang around at the school for a bit.) ~11:00 AM Free for the rest of the day. Have fun!!! Shipboard Performance Thursday March 1 Time What s Happening 8:30 AM Rehearsal begins in the Circuit Lounge on Deck 8. Bring instruments and music. Dress is casual. We ll use this time to adapt the show to our performance space, work with ship personnel on sound, etc. Also gives us a chance to work out any rough spots we discover the previous day. 9:30 AM Rehearsal ends. 9:30 AM 3:45 PM Free time. 3:45 PM Meet in Circuit Lounge for show. Be in uniform, ready to perform. This gives us time for last-minute adjustments plus warm-up and tuning. 4:30 PM SHOWTIME!!! 5:30 PM Show ends. Remainder of day is free time.
T B G O B a h a m a s C h e c k l i s t P a g e 4 Tipping Guidelines Be aware that in the cases we list here, tipping is really an expectation, not an option. For many of these folks, tips are anywhere from a major part of their pay to ALL of their pay; it s important for us to realize that and behave accordingly. Motor coach driver: Plan to tip $2.00 per person each way to and from the cruise ship pier. Porters at the RCCL Pier: Unlike the airport where your use of porters is discretionary, you will need to use the resident porters at the RCCL pier to move your luggage to and from the ship. Recommended tip is at least $2.00 per bag at the pier, both embarking and disembarking. Shipboard Staff: Tipping for shipboard staff is customary on all cruise lines and cruise ships that I know about; RCCL s guidelines are pretty typical. Please make sure you take care of the folks who are taking care of us during the week! RCCL suggests that you provide tips in person in an envelope on the last night of the cruise (they usually have envelopes available for this purpose). Cash or check both work just fine. On many cruises we ve been on, the cruise line will give you an option to simply add your tips to your shipboard bill, which you then pay via credit card at departure. Tipping guidelines are per person per day, so with two in a cabin you double these amounts per day. This is a four-day cruise. Tipping guidelines for the RCCL Bahamas cruise are as follows: DINING ROOM STAFF Per Person Per Day One Person for All 4 Days Two Persons for All 4 Days Waiter $3.75 $15.00 $30.00 Assistant Waiter $2.15 $8.60 $17.20 Head Waiter $0.75 $3.00 $6.00 TOTAL DINING TIPS $6.65 $26.60 $53.20 CABIN STAFF Per Person Per Day One Person for All 4 Days Two Persons for All 4 Days Stateroom Attendant $5.00 $20.00 $40.00 (Non-Suites) Stateroom Attendant $7.25 $29.00 $58.00 (All Suites Including Junior Suites) TOTAL TIPS $11.65 $46.60 $93.20 (Dining + Non-Suite) TOTAL TIPS (Dining + Suite) $13.90 $55.60 $111.20
T B G O B a h a m a s C h e c k l i s t P a g e 5 Play Lists NASSAU SHOW: Word Up [extended edition with opening solos; ONE VERSE ONLY (no repeat)] Long Train Runnin' [twirler feature] Desperado Hey! Baby [color guard solo] Don't Stop Thriller [dance feature] Fins Hot Stuff Poker Face Louie Louie Encore tunes if needed: Last Night, Wooly Bully SHIPBOARD SHOW: Word Up [extended edition with opening solos; ONE VERSE ONLY (no repeat)] Sing a Song Long Train Runnin' [twirler feature] Desperado Hey! Baby Birdland Don't Stop Bend Me, Shape Me Fins Hot Stuff Thriller [dance feature] Last Night Brick House In Heaven Over the Rainbow Beer Barrel Polka Poker Face Louie Louie Encore tune if needed: Wooly Bully