Information Desk
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 tastings, dance lessons, dancing, karoake, 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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