2026-10-27
Image: kees torn / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Before a first cruise, the questions pile up: what do they ask for at boarding, when should you check in, what is included in the fare, and what costs extra? This guide is built on the public FAQ pages of one cruise line, Celebrity Cruises. It is an example, not a universal rule: conditions differ by line, ship and itinerary (Celebrity itself notes that features vary by ship). If your booking differs, your own booking confirmation and your cruise line's website always take precedence.
1. Identification: what is checked at boarding?
According to Celebrity, everyone must present an accepted form of identification to board. The line strongly recommends a passport, and for some guests a passport is required. The passport must be valid for six months after the day the cruise ends, and the name on it should match the reservation. The line states that guests who do not bring the required documents may be denied boarding.
Besides the passport itself, the line gives two practical reasons: boarding and disembarking through customs is usually faster with a passport, and if you run into a problem in a foreign port (such as missing the ship), you should have your passport with you. We do not cover the separate rules for cruises departing from the United States (for example, accepting a birth certificate).
2. Name, visas, minors
- If the name on your document differs from the one on the reservation (for example after a name change), Celebrity says you either update the document or bring an official supporting document, such as a marriage licence, divorce decree, government-issued name-change document or adoption papers. • According to the line, obtaining visas is the guest's responsibility. It advises contacting the embassy (consular services) of each country on the itinerary for the requirements for your nationality. • When a minor aged 17 or under travels without their legal guardian, the accompanying adult must present a notarised form signed by the guardian. If a child has a different last name from yours, an official supporting document explaining the difference is required, as an original or notarised copy.
As a Hungarian traveller, always check entry rules for every destination with reliable sources: the information of the Hungarian Consular Service and the authorities of the country concerned. On a cruise this applies to every port on the route.
3. Online check-in saves the most time
According to Celebrity, online check-in opens 45 days before the cruise and remains available on the website until 3 days before sailing. In the app you can check in until the morning of departure. After a successful check-in you receive a digital boarding pass (Xpress Boarding Pass), so there is no need to print anything. If you are outside the online window, you can still check in at the terminal on sailing day.
One guest on a reservation can check in everyone travelling together, but everyone's passport and travel documents must be at hand. Check-in includes a photo: you can upload it in advance, otherwise it is taken at the port before boarding. The photo is used for your SeaPass account and for security. Without travel documents your check-in cannot be completed, and you must finish it at the terminal.
The line says a credit card for the onboard account is mandatory during check-in. If your phone battery dies at the pier, the check-in counter staff at the terminal can look up your reservation. The app also handles the digital boarding pass, starting the mandatory safety briefing (Muster) and a health questionnaire.
4. What is included, and what costs extra?
According to Celebrity's first-time cruiser guide, the fare includes, among other things, the stateroom, meals in the main restaurants and other complimentary dining spots, live shows and activities, the fitness centre, the pools, and for children the complimentary Camp at Sea (ages 3–12) and the Teen Club. The line stresses that features vary by ship.
It lists drinks packages, Wi-Fi, photo packages, specialty dining reservations, spa services and shore excursions among the items you buy separately. The booking invoice lists what your own reservation contains: packages, amenities and stateroom type. Fare options exist too: one is the lowest fare to which you add drinks and Wi-Fi later, another already includes a drinks package and basic Wi-Fi.
Onboard purchases are paid with the SeaPass card: Celebrity says it is both the stateroom key and the card for the onboard account. The credit card tied to your booking may be authorised for large amounts while you are onboard, and it is charged at the end of the cruise.
5. Gratuities
Celebrity states that gratuities are optional and that guests may adjust or remove them entirely at their own discretion. If you do not prepay them at booking, a daily amount is applied automatically to your SeaPass account; the amount is published on the line's website (and depends on your booking). Gratuities are shared among dining, bar and culinary staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams working behind the scenes.
6. Dress code and seasickness
According to Celebrity, smart casual attire is required in the main dining room, the specialty restaurants and the theatre: a dress, skirt, long trousers or jeans and a stylish top. Shorts and flip-flops do not count as smart casual. Each itinerary has one or two more formal evenings (“Evening Chic”) when more elegant clothing is expected.
If the ship's motion bothers you, Celebrity says Bonine (meclizine) is provided at no charge on all its ships, 24 hours a day, at the medical facility or the Guest Relations desk. Still, discuss medicines and your individual needs with your doctor beforehand.
7. Checklist before you leave
- A passport or another document accepted by the cruise line, valid for at least six months after the end of the cruise (Celebrity's rule), matching the name on the booking. • Visas and entry requirements for every country on the route, per the Hungarian Consular Service and the country's authorities. • Online check-in within the time window the line states, with the digital boarding pass and a photo. • A credit card for the onboard account, and a check of what is and is not included in your fare. • For a minor travelling without a guardian, the required notarised statement and supporting documents. • Smart casual clothing for dinners, and your own medicines.
What is written here is based on the public FAQ pages of Celebrity Cruises checked on 27 October 2026, and serves as an example. Your cruise line's conditions may differ, so always check your own confirmation and the line's current pages before booking and departure.
