Below is a
list of Frequently Asked Questions by future cruise travelers.
Are there
activities for children on a cruise?
Most cruise lines offer programs for children. Many offer
special teen and pre-teen scheduled activities. The larger ships
almost always include a video arcade, kids disco or other
designated "kids area".
Cruises are a great way for families to
travel and see a variety of countries and ports.
Some ships also offer babysitting
services and daycare centers.
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Will
I get seasick?
It is unlikely that you will notice any motion on a large cruise
ship, even if you are sensitive to motion in automobiles or
airplanes. All ships today have stabilizers to smooth the ride.
Some cruises sail calmer waters than others. Caribbean and
Alaska cruises enjoy smoother sailings than say Bermuda. If seas
do get rough, there are many preventative medications available
on board.
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Do I have to
participate in scheduled activities or can I just relax?
There are dozens of activities going on all over the ship every
day. One the best ones can be "doing nothing at all". Relaxation
is what attracts many people to cruise travel. Every ship has
one or more pools that you can lay around with a good book, most
have a library and several lounges where you can sit and relax
by yourself or with friends.
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Do I have to tip? If
so, how much?
Tipping is up to you. Generally speaking, $7.00 to $9.00 per
day/per person should take care of your waiter, bus boy and
cabin steward. Other ship personnel can be tipped at your
discretion. There are a few cruise lines that have a "no
tipping" policy.
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Will I need a passport?
All U.S. and Canadian citizens must travel with proof of
citizenship, which is a valid passport, or birth certificate
(complete with raised seal, not a photocopy) with a picture
identification, or a certified naturalization certificate with
picture identification. Any state government issued drivers
license or other form of picture identification should be
acceptable.
Non-U.S. citizens who are residing in
the United States are required to travel with their Alien
Registration Card (Green Card) and valid passports. All others
must have valid passports and necessary visas at embarkation.
You should consult with your travel agent for more information
if necessary.
Can I call
home from the ship?
Many of the newer or recently refurbished ships provide Ship to
Shore telephone service. On some ships you can call from your
stateroom. Ship to Shore rates apply so you may want to limit
your conversations.
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Are medical
services available?
Virtually every major cruise ship will have a staffed medical
facility to handle emergencies. If you suffer from a medical
condition, check with your travel agent before booking to make
sure the ship on which you are cruising can handle your needs.
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Will I
get bored?
That is very unlikely! However, if you are concerned about
having enough to do, choose one of the larger ships (40,000 tons
and above), they will typically have more activities due to the
sheer numbers of people on board.
Most ships have dozens of planned and
spontaneous activities going from sunrise to way past midnight.
Pool activities, sports, bingo, casino, wine tasting, dance
lessons, dancing, karaoke, live entertainment, movies,
television, fitness centers, shore excursions, talent contests,
masquerade parties, Captain's party, country western night, just
to name a few!
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What
should I pack?
Generally speaking, cruise travel is very casual during the day
and casual to formal in the evenings. This can vary depending on
the itinerary. Caribbean, Hawaiian, Alaskan cruises are more
informal while Transatlantic, Mediterranean and European cruises
tend to be a little more formal. This can also vary from cruise
line to cruise line and ship to ship.
Princess Cruise Line would probably lean
toward formal whereas Carnival will tend to be more informal and
casual. There is no real hard and fast rule, however, here's a
try.
Men should always pack one dark suit
which will usually suffice even on "formal night." You can take
a tuxedo, but we recommend that you rent one on board the ship
(most ships offer this service) unless you own one and just want
the extra baggage. Tuxedos are generally not "required".
Ladies can take cocktail dresses or a
full length formal.
There are usually 1 to 2 formal nights
on a 7 night cruise, only 1 on 3 & 4 night cruises. The rest of
the time is typically very casual. Even on "non-formal" nights,
men should wear a collared shirt to dinner and slacks or skirts
for the ladies.
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How much will it cost?
One of the most attractive features of a cruise vacation
is the price. Even more expensive cruises are a good value for
the money. You can spend anywhere from $400 for a 3-night
Bahamas cruise to $30,000 for a suite on a 30-day cruise to
Africa!
No matter how much you spend, you pay
one price that covers virtually everything: meals,
accommodations, taxes, on-board entertainment and in some cases,
airfare! The only extras are shore excursions, liquor, tips and
incidentals (photos, etc.).
Undoubtedly, a cruise is the most
affordable way to travel. Compare a 7-night cruise to the
Caribbean at around $1300 pp (including airfare) with a 7-night
trip to Hawaii. In Hawaii, a hotel comparable to your cabin on
the ship will be at least $150 per night (that's $1,000 right
there!), your airfare from most cities will be at least $600,
and meals in Hawaii to rival that of the cruise ship will easily
be $100 per day per person (another $700!). That is $2,300 per
person compared to $1,300 and we haven't even talked about
entertainment!
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What is
included in the price of the cruise?
Just about everything! All your meals are included (and there
are usually about 7 or 8 per day from which to choose), all
accommodations, all shipboard entertainment, all taxes and in
some cases your airfare and ground transportation to and from
the port is included.
You must pay for extras such as liquor,
shore excursions, gratuities, photos, incidentals, gambling,
etc.
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What about sightseeing when in port?
Your ship will typically arrive in port early in the morning at
which time you are free to go ashore. In most cases, you will be
back on board the ship by 5:00pm to 7:00pm. This gives you more
than enough time to enjoy one of the cruise lines' shore
excursions, or, go off on your own to do some shopping,
sightseeing, swimming, scuba diving, etc.
We highly recommend the cruise ship
sponsored tours and excursions. In some ports, when you debark
from the ship, local sightseeing companies (in some cases a
local with a van) will be waiting to temp you with their own
tour. Take our word for it, while these tours may be safe and in
some cases quite good, it is always a safe bet to stick with
your cruise ship's recommendation.
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Can I get/send
e-mail while onboard the ship?
Many of the newer ships do have a business center complete with
computers connected to the Internet. Some charge as little at
$16 an hour for computer time and you can get your e-mail using
Microsoft HotMail or Yahoo Mail. Check with your cruise line for
availability of these services.
If you have a laptop onboard, you can
make a ship-to-shore call to dial into your Internet provider,
but at $8 to $10 per minute it can get very expensive.
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