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 Choosing your first cruise is generally the most difficult. Once you have the
hang of it, the choices get much easier. The variables that you will need to deal with are the length of the cruise,
your budget for the cruise, the itinerary and the cruise line. When you have made some decisions on itinerary,
cruise line and ship, there are a few tips that will help to make your cruise experience an enjoyable and memorable
one.
Cabin Location
Inside or outside? An
outside cabin will always demand a premium price when compared to an inside one. Outside cabins will have windows
or portholes--the size of which can vary from extremely small portholes up to large picture windows, depending
on the ship and the deck location. The most obvious drawback of an inside cabin is the lack of natural light, plus
you will have to leave the cabin to check weather conditions or to watch as the ship sails into port.
Bow, stern or in between? Even with the almost universal use
of stabilizers (fins that help to maintain a ship's smooth attitude in the water) a cruise ship on the open sea
will usually experience some movement. This can be either pitch (up and down motion) or roll (side to side motion).
The area of the ship with the least amount of perceptible motion is at the center (which is why you usually will
pay more for a cabin located midship).
Higher or lower?
On almost all cruises, the higher the deck where the cabin is located, the higher the price. The further up you
get from the water line, the less chance you will be affected by any engine noise or vibration. In addition, the
higher decks are often closer to the "amenity" decks--dining, showrooms, the casino, etc. Larger cabins
and suites will almost always be located on the uppermost passenger decks.
Suites and balconies. As
more and more newer ships come online, there are many more opportunities for either suites (either with or without
balconies) and cabins with balconies. Expect to pay a rather steep premium for either.
Dining
You will find a wide variety of dining experiences on board a modern
cruise liner, both in menu and preparation. You will also find that there will be a good bit of variation in quality
and menu choices among the different lines. You may want to discuss the dining issue with your booking agent prior
to the cruise, or you might want to ask people who have cruised with a particular line about their experiences.
One thing that we have found is that people often expect too much when it comes to cruise dining. The quantity
of the food will probably be everything you expect (and more) but sometimes the quality and the preparation will
not live up to expectations that were just too high in the first place. Expect an experience equal to dining at
a good restaurant, but not at the finest and most exclusive bistro in town.
Larger ships will generally have 2 seatings for dinner (around 6 or 6:30 and around 8 or 8:30). You will need to
make your dining time choice at the time you make your cruise booking. An advantage of choosing the early seating
is the fact that you can finish dinner, attend an evening show or visit the casino, and still retire at a decent
hour. An advantage of late seating is that you will be able to spend a longer time in port, participating in an
afternoon activity, or just simply relaxing.
3 and 4 day cruises will generally have a single formal night (evening wear and tuxedos or dark suits) and 7 day
or longer cruises will usually have at least 2 formal nights. More and more newer cruise ships--and a few older
ones--are offering alternative dining choices so that it isn't necessary to dine every evening in the main dining
room.
Whats included and what's not
Included in your cruise price:
Ship transportation, cabin accomodations, all of your meals, a variety of entertainment choices, steward service
for your cabin.
Not included:
Air fare (unless part of an air/sea package), alcoholic beverages, often soft drinks not consumed with a meal,
casino gambling, port charges (unless specifically designated as being included), laundry, off-ship phone calls,
some activities (for example bingo and wine-tastings) and tips to the cabin steward, dining room waiter and busboy.
Port excursions
For many cruise passengers, the ports of call on a ship's itinerary will
be one of the primary reasons for choosing one cruise over another. In virtually every port you will sail to, there
will be the opportunity to take a port excursion (at extra cost--they are rarely included in the cruise price).
Taking the excursions offered by the cruise line will often give you the opportunity to get an "overview"
of the port. They can vary in length from a couple of hours to 8 or more hours, and in cost from $20 or so to well
over $100.
You will usually be given an opportunity to get more information about the port excursions early in the cruise
so that you can make decisions (and book) the various tours that will be offered. Some will fill up quickly, so
it helps to have a good idea what you are looking for in a particular port. If you have specific things you want
to see you may want to do a self-guided tour, but be sure to take common sense safety into consideration.
Tipping
On most ships, tipping is an added cost that must be figured into your
cruise budget. Some "normal" guidelines (this will vary a bit from cruise line to cruise line) for tipping
are:
- Cabin steward: $3 - 3.50 per person per day.
- Dining room waiter: $3 - 3.50 per person per day.
- Dining room busboy: $1.50 - $2.00 per person per day.
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