First cruise from Boston: questions and answers

These are the questions people ask before a first cruise from Boston, answered from the cruise lines' and governments' own pages. We lean on five lines because they publish Boston port pages we could read: Norwegian, with 58 sailings on our schedule, Holland America with 29, Celebrity with 10, Princess with 7 and Royal Caribbean with 6.

Where do cruises from Boston leave from?

From the Raymond L. Flynn Black Falcon Cruise Terminal at 1 Black Falcon Avenue, Boston, MA 02210, also called Flynn Cruiseport Boston. Princess, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Holland America and Norwegian all give that address on their Boston pages.

Holland America says there are two terminals at that address, Terminal 1 and the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, so your boarding pass confirms the building. The terminal guide has directions, drop-off and the Silver Line.

What time should I arrive at the cruise terminal?

Arrive in the time or window your line gives you, not before it. Each line runs this its own way:

• Norwegian. Arrive at least 1 hour before the embarkation time on your documents if you finished Online Check-In, or 2 hours if you did not. You must be on board 1 hour before departure.
• Holland America. You get a check-in time about 14 days before sailing, in the Navigator app. Arrive no more than 20 minutes before it.
• Princess. Boston uses Arrival Groups for sailings from 3 September 2026. Pick one in the Princess app from 30 days out, or one is assigned 24 hours before.
• Royal Caribbean. Arrive in the slot you chose in the Royal App. If you did not check in ahead, finish at the pier at least two hours before the published sailing time.
• Celebrity. Choose an arrival time when you check in in the app, from 45 days before the cruise.

Can I board the ship early?

No. Royal Caribbean says guests who arrive early will not be able to begin boarding. Princess lets you drop off luggage early, then asks you to come back at your time before you enter the terminal.

Holland America says boarding officially begins at noon. Its Lido buffet opens at 11:30 am on embarkation day, and cabins are expected to be ready around 1:00 pm, so keep what you need for the afternoon in a carry-on.

What is included in a cruise fare?

Your cabin, meals in the main restaurants and buffet, and basic drinks such as water, coffee and tea are included on Norwegian and Royal Caribbean. Alcohol, sodas, specialty restaurants, shore excursions, Wi-Fi and gratuities cost extra.

• Norwegian. Its list of inclusions covers meals in the complimentary dining venues, regular coffee, tea, iced tea and water, and entertainment except dinner and lunch theater shows. It lists as extra the service charge, specialty restaurants, alcoholic drinks, sodas, spa services, shore excursions, transfers, internet and Wi-Fi, laundry and the medical center.
• Royal Caribbean. The main dining room, the Windjammer and the café are included, with water, coffee, teas, lemonade, milk and juices, and shows in the Royal Theater. Its Wi-Fi was $16.99 to $30.99 per device per day when we checked on 3 November 2026, and room service beyond continental breakfast carried a $7.95 charge plus fees.
• Holland America. Its know-before-you-go page says a 20% service charge is added automatically to drink purchases and bar retail items.

Add parking or a taxi from Logan Airport when you compare fares. The fares on our schedule are per person for the cheapest cabin with two sharing, with taxes and fees included.

How much do you tip on a cruise from Boston?

Mostly you do not tip by hand, because each line adds a daily amount to your onboard account. These were the rates per guest, per day on the lines' pages when we checked on 3 November 2026:

Line	Standard cabins	Higher categories	Suites
Norwegian	$20, Club Balcony Suite and below		$25, The Haven and suites
Holland America	$18		$20
Celebrity	$19.50, Inside, Oceanview and Veranda	$20.50, Concierge and AquaClass	$24.50, The Retreat
Princess	$18	$19, Mini Suites, Cabanas and Reserve Collection	$20
Royal Caribbean	$18.50		$21

For two people in a standard cabin on a 7-night cruise, that comes to $252 at Holland America's rate and $280 at Norwegian's, by our arithmetic. Norwegian charges guests aged 3 and older.

All five lines let you change the amount. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity say you can do it at Guest Relations until the morning you disembark, Princess says before you leave the ship, and Holland America says on board at your discretion. Norwegian says you can adjust it if your concerns are not met.

Do I need a passport for a cruise from Boston?

Not on a round trip from Boston, if you are a U.S. citizen sailing Norwegian, Holland America, Celebrity or Royal Caribbean. A birth certificate with government photo ID is accepted. A one-way cruise that ends in Quebec City or Montreal needs a passport book, and 33 of the 74 Canada and New England sailings on our schedule are one-way.

The documents guide covers Bermuda, children, green cards and the Europe voyages.

What should I pack for a Bermuda cruise compared with a Canada cruise?

For Bermuda, pack for heat and humidity in summer. The Bermuda Tourism Authority describes a subtropical climate, with high humidity and temperatures in the 80s Fahrenheit in summer and the 60s and 70s in winter. It notes that the Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November. Our Bermuda sailings run from 18 April 2027 to 20 August 2028.

For Canada and New England, pack layers. Princess says to expect mild to warm summers and cooler, crisp days in early fall, with coastal breezes and light rain common all year. Our Canada and New England sailings run from 19 June 2027 to 24 October 2028, and the season guide shows the busiest months.

What money do I need in Bermuda and Canada?

In Bermuda, U.S. dollars are fine. The Bermuda Tourism Authority says the Bermuda dollar is pegged 1:1 to the U.S. dollar and that U.S. dollars are accepted interchangeably everywhere on the island. The Bermuda Monetary Authority, which issues the currency, says the Bermuda dollar was fixed at par with the U.S. dollar on 31 July 1972.

Canada uses the Canadian dollar. The Bank of Canada's daily average rate for 2 November 2026 was 1.3978 Canadian dollars to the U.S. dollar. On board, purchases go on your onboard account, the same way the gratuities do.

Will my phone work in Canada and Bermuda?

Ashore, your phone connects to local networks, so what you pay in Canada or Bermuda depends on your carrier's roaming plan. At sea, Norwegian's ships have their own cellular service, which it says activates about six nautical miles from shore and stays on until the ship nears land or docks.

Norwegian's page listed these carrier plans when we checked on 3 November 2026:

• AT&T International Day Pass. $20 a day covering sea and land, with unlimited talk and text and 500MB of data a day, or $12 a day on land only.
• Verizon. The Cruise Daily Pass at $20 a day at sea, and the Travel Pass at $12 a day on land.

Norwegian says to keep airplane mode off to use the service at sea. If you would rather not pay a daily rate, check your carrier's terms before you sail. Wi-Fi on board is extra on Norwegian and Royal Caribbean.

What happens if I miss the ship?

The ship leaves, and catching up is at your cost. Norwegian says it is your responsibility to pay all expenses to rejoin the ship, and that in every port you must be back on board 1 hour before the scheduled departure, by shipboard time. Royal Caribbean tells guests delayed in travel to call its Emergency Travel Team.

If you miss the ship in Halifax or Bermuda with only a birth certificate, you have a second problem. CBP says U.S. citizens need a passport to enter the United States by air from Canada or Bermuda.

Can I leave the cruise early, say in Portland or Halifax?

Not by choice. Norwegian says joining or leaving the ship outside the published embarkation and debarkation ports is not permitted, except in emergencies. It warns that doing so may break the U.S. law it calls the Passenger Vessel Act, with a fine starting at $941 per person on its page when we checked on 3 November 2026.

How do I get to the terminal from Logan Airport or South Station?

A taxi or rideshare is simplest from Logan, at about $40 by Holland America's figure when we checked on 3 November 2026. The free SL1 from the airport and the SL2 from South Station also reach the terminal. The Logan Airport guide compares them.

Where do I park for a Boston cruise?

At the cruise lot entered from 93 Fargo Street, booked online ahead, with a free shuttle. SP+'s Parking.com showed $259.70 for the whole stay on a 14-night sailing when we checked on 3 November 2026. The parking guide has the details and the older garage rates some lines still quote.

Can I leave my bags at the terminal after the cruise?

No. Holland America says there is no luggage storage at the pier, so your bags go with you when you leave the ship.

Where do I start if I have not picked a cruise yet?

Start with the full schedule, which lists 123 sailings on 10 lines. 78 of them are 7-night cruises, the most common length on our schedule. For the lowest fares on our list, see cheap and last-minute cruises.