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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? (Travel check list)
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 as $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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