Cruising can be a wonderful and relaxing way to see the world, but if you’ve never sailed before, there are some things about the experience that might be different from your “typical” vacation – and may even be surprising to you! Let’s take a look 5 things you may not know about cruising.
Your Room Location – Unlike booking a hotel room on land, guests can usually choose their exact stateroom in advance. Once you book, you can choose your stateroom, and – as they say – it’s all about location. For quieter locations, it’s best to avoid staterooms located above or underneath popular venues like the pool deck, night clubs, or kids’ clubs. For those looking to avoid the feeling of motion on the ship, it’s often a bit more stable mid-ship than aft or forward. There are also other things to consider, like if you want to be close to (or far from) the nearest elevator, to the nearest laundry, to the kids’ club, and so on.
Visiting Ports – Many folks who are new to cruising are surprised to learn that ships don’t necessarily dock at every port. At most ports, your ship will dock, and guests can easily walk down a gangway to tour. But, in some ports, ships are unable to dock, and so guests need to take a boat (called a tender) to shore instead. This can take longer than simply exiting the ship via the gangway, and so can require extra time and planning. And if you or anyone in your party has mobility issues, this is a consideration as well. Your ship’s itinerary will show whether the ship is docking or tendering at each port so that you can be prepared and plan accordingly.
What to Know About Tipping – Gratuities are generally automatic on cruises. Each day of your cruise, a gratuity amount per person will be charged to your stateroom account, and this will be distributed among your servers and stateroom attendants at the end of the cruise. While gratuity amounts vary by cruise line, passengers will also be notified prior to their cruise what those amounts will be, so there are no surprises. If you would like to adjust your gratuity amount, you can visit your cruise ship’s guest services, and they can take care of it for you (just be sure to do so prior to your last night on the ship). Alternatively, envelopes are often provided to your stateroom on the last day of your cruise, to allow you to leave an additional gratuity if you wish.
Often, cruises lines offer the ability to pre-pay your gratuities before your cruise, and this can be a great option if you prefer to have as much as possible paid in advance. Tipping and pre-paid gratuity policies and amounts may vary depending on the cruise line, but your travel agent can provide specific details.
Dining Basics – Most cruise lines have a traditional dining set-up for dinner, meaning that guests are assigned a dining time and assigned seats in the ship’s main dining room. There are usually two seatings, one around 6 pm and one around 8 pm. Not all cruise lines utilize this process though – some offer flexible dining options where guests can reserve a different time each day if they like, or simply arrive for dinner whenever they’re ready.
It’s important to note that while your meals are included as part of your cruise fare, some items may not be included, such as alcoholic drinks, and for some cruise lines, soft drinks. Dining at specialty restaurants is also often an extra cost, however many cruise lines offer special packages for guests to purchase that include alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, or specialty restaurants.
Cruising Attire – Despite what you may think, most cruise lines don’t require tuxes and evening gowns every night. While the main dining rooms and specialty restaurants will all have dress codes, these vary by cruise line – and by evening. And even for nights that are designated as “formal nights”, the definition of “formal” truly varies by cruise line. One thing to note though is that designated formal nights are also usually when the most photographers are available for guests to have professional-quality photos taken, so that is a good night to wear your finest – whatever that may be.
Generally speaking, the dining rooms do not allow tank tops, shorts, T-shirts, or swimsuits. But no worries, if that is your cruise attire of choice, there will be casual dining options available for breakfast, lunch, as well as dinner.
If you’re ready to unpack once and see the world, it’s time to plan a cruise! Talk to your favorite travel agent to find the cruise that is perfect for you. Bon Voyage!
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