Cruise Tips
Included in the cost of your cruise is your cabin, all meals and entertainment and steward service. Not included items include port charges, airfare, alcoholic and carbonated beverages, gambling, laundry, shore excursions, phone calls, some activities and tips for your steward, waiter and busboy. CABIN SELECTION: Interior, Ocean View, Verandah or Suite will be your choices. Interior cabins are the least expensive and will not have a port hole or window. From these cabins you will not be able to see weather conditions or watch as you arrive or leave a port. You will have to go outside to do that. Ocean View cabins will have a port hole or picture window. Usually both Interior cabins and Ocean View cabins are the same size. Your third choice would be a Verandah cabin, which, as the name implies, will have a private verandah with sliding glass doors. Also be aware of "obstructed view" cabins where the view might be the life boats! On some cruises you will want to consider the view you will have and which direction the ship is traveling to see the most scenery. Finally, there are different kinds of suites available which will vary in size and amenities depending on the ship you’re cruising on. These are the most expensive accommodations. Your selection of cabins will be smaller if you are putting a third or fourth person in one cabin. Most ships only allot a certain number of cabins that will accommodate more than two passengers. LOCATION OF CABIN: The center of a ship has the least amount of motion. This is less important if you are sailing on a very large ship in calmer waters, but gains importance in open seas and rougher waters. If you can get a cabin half way between the bow and stern and one of the decks close to the water line you will have the least amount of motion. DINING: When you book your cruise, make sure you advise your dining preferences. You will usually have a choice of Early (6:00pm or 6:30pm) or Late (8:00pm or 8:30pm) dining and the size table you would like to sit at, usually tables for 2 to 8. On many ships you will have this same table with the same companions throughout the cruise. If you take the early dining you will then be able to make the early show entertainment and get to bed at a decent hour. With the late seating you will be able to spend longer in port. The choice is yours. If the cruise line cannot accommodate your choice, have them put you on a waitlist and check with the maitre d’ as soon as possible when you board the ship. Shorter cruises will usually have a formal attire dining night and longer cruises will have 2 or more. If you choose not to participate in the formal nights, there will be other places on board or in port to dine. More cruise lines are offering a choice of dining that allows you to eat when, where and with whom you wish. Check the dining options before you book your cruise. SHORE EXCURSIONS: The cruise lines sell their own port tours onboard. You can purchase these prior to departure online on many cruises. They generally run from $20 to $100+ and can last a couple of hours to all day. You can often get less expensive tours from online companies, such as www.shoretrips.com cruise tips. They also will often have smaller groups and more offerings. Be sure and read up on all the offerings prior to departure and book early so they don’t get sold out. TIPPING: On some cruise lines you can prepay your tipping. Here are the guidelines for what to tip: Cabin Steward $3.50 per person/day; Waiter $3.50 per person/day; Busboy $2.00 per person/day. If you choose, you may tip bartenders/waiters as you go. Make sure the tips aren't automatically added to your bill! Here are some additional cruise tips and places you need to go to make the best decision about your cruise:
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