I thought I would share some of the most frequently asked questions I get from friends, family and co-workers as they plan their cruises. Let’s jump right in.
Is it really worth it to book cruise line transportation on arrival and departure?
I usually recommend booking the ship’s transportation to and/or from the airport, hotel and ship if you are AT ALL nervous about getting back and forth in a strange place or being on time. I’m probably in the minority on this, but for me, when I’m traveling with children or alone in a foreign country, every piece cannot be about saving money. The cruise line transportation is not the cheapest option – far from it – but when I’m traveling with the kids it’s the best option for my peace of mind. They will make sure you get exactly where you need to be, on time. Comfy motor coach buses cart you and your luggage straight from the airport (if you fly in the same day as your cruise) or from specific hotels to the ship. After a cruise, it can be hectic finding and getting into your car service outside the port with thousands of other people. Cruise line transportation eliminates this and the feeling that you won’t make it to the airport on time.
When cruising without children I have definitely booked and used outside transportation, so if you don’t take the cruise line transportation that’s fine too. Make sure you’ve researched your transportation company well and be prepared. Have a fully charged cell phone and your driver’s contact information. Confirm pickups the day before. Relax and give yourself plenty of time if you choose this route and you should be fine barring any mishaps.
Dining room versus buffet?
I always tell people to go in with a plan to do some of both. Book a dining room time when you’re making plans, but know that nothing is set in stone. Often your day’s activities on board will dictate whether you do a sit down dinner or a casual buffet and the cruise staff is well aware of this.
A benefit of main dining room over buffet is that if you choose, you can have the same table at the same time, with the same waiter every night who will learn your preferences. This allows you get to know your wait staff and any dining guests you may be seated with. You may even be a little sad to say goodbye to them at the end of the cruise. For those that don’t want quite as much structure, dining room service can also be a little less planned – you can vary the times that you go with the understanding that you’ll be seated wherever there is availability like at restaurants at home. Disney Cruise Line is unique in that it does a rotating venue service. Each night you and your wait staff rotate to one of the 3 main dining room venues so you can experience the fun atmosphere in each one. Full service in the dining rooms will generally take at least an hour and a half. Feel free to skip a night in the main dining room if you choose and not feel bad about it. Your seats will be there every night regardless. Don’t be shy about requesting a change in table if either the location or who you may be seated with is not to your liking. I can only speak to Royal Caribbean on this point – but in the dining room you can get things cooked to your liking, enjoy multiple servings if you ask and they will try to help with any dietary restrictions. My point, just ask for what you need. It’s what they do best. (I’m not saying other lines won’t or don’t. So far, I’ve only asked on RC.) Be prepared for a mild dress code in the dining room on some cruise lines (like no shorts at dinner) and some do a formal night so take one dressier outfit.
The short take on buffet: It is exactly what a buffet is at home but with a much wider selection of foods. Although the options are there each meal, it’s pretty much the same things each day. There is no reserved seating so you will spend a moment finding yourself a table. Some ships have some outdoor seating for the buffet area which you won’t have in the dining room and can be nice. Casual attire is OK no matter what time of day and there are no set times – pop in anytime they’re open. Service is faster since it’s pretty much all self-serve if you’re in a hurry or just don’t want to wait for a full sit down meal. It can be the answer to those that don’t like a structured meal time. Buffet can bring quick satisfaction to those traveling with children who need more random, casual meal times or a quick snack.
Should we bring beach/pool towels?
Nope. Provided. You check them out on the ship. Return them to the pool decks and get fresh ones as needed. Take your towels from the ship onshore to any beaches. Just remember to bring them back or you’ll likely be charged for them.
Is there laundry on the ship?
A few cruise lines have self-serve laundry. Most offer laundry and dry cleaning service like in a nice hotel. You can send it out for a fee. It’s not cheap. But it’s not horrible either. I’ve sent kids clothes out on Royal Caribbean cruises before and everything has come back just fine. Look for a special midweek where an entire bag is a flat rate. If you choose to you can of course hand wash in your bathroom sink. Bring little travel packets of detergent and hang up to dry. Some ships have clotheslines in the bathrooms. Most have plenty of hooks for hanging swimsuits each day. Tip…the humidity out to sea makes drying things in the bathroom slooowww.
What is the final disembarkation process?
This will vary slightly on different lines. Look for specific info on your cruise, but in general: The last night of your cruise you will need to pack luggage and place outside your stateroom for collection by 10pm-ish. You leave out something to wear for the morning and any toiletries you may need. You will be reunited with your luggage once you hit customs as you get off the ship. Tip: There you can stuff things back into the suitcase before heading to the airport like the pj’s you wore to bed and toiletries you can’t carry on an airplane. You will be asked a few days before what time you’d like to get off (not a specific time, but more like early or late time frames) You’ll make your choice based on your flight time if flying. If you are using the ship’s transportation to take you to the airport you’ll be assigned a time based on their transport times. You’ll be issued luggage tags to place on your bags before placing in the hall and a group number or color based on those times. If you are in a suite you will receive priority disembarkation. NOW… 98% of the time, they call your group, you go down, get in line and you move through in a decent amount of time. 20 to 30 minutes from your room to the exit. That other 2% of the time…perhaps our dear friends at US Customs don’t clear the ship early enough or for other reasons (weather, etc.) things get delayed. This has happened to us twice – on two different cruise lines. If that happens, it’s a waiting game. It’s also reason #250 not to schedule a flight too close to the listed arrival time back in port. Once you get called to leave, you get in line, they simply scan your ID/room key card, you walk off the ship into customs and claim your luggage. The only thing left is getting to your transportation. I’ve had disembarkation take 15 minutes once our group/color was called on time and I’ve had it take 1 hour past our scheduled time with delays. Some lines offer different options like early walk off. You leave in the earliest group and carry all of your own luggage off – no night before luggage transfer. Some offer baggage check service where you check your bags directly with the cruise line for your flight. You don’t deal with any luggage until baggage claim when your flight lands. Each line will give you full options and directions once you’re on board.
The drink packages just keep growing…Are any of the packages worth it? What’s included to drink already?
You’ll need to check each line specifically, but in general the complimentary beverages on most cruise lines will include:
• Tea – hot & iced
• Coffee (regular old coffee…no premium coffees, lattés, etc.)
• Hot Chocolate packets
• Milk
• Water (Not bottled)
• Lemonade
• Juices from concentrate at breakfast (like apple, orange, cranberry)
Many of these items will be out and for your consumption all day long in some area or another. You’ll find many self-serve stations in the complimentary eatery areas. They are also available to order in the dining rooms at meal times. Over multiple cruises, I figured out that if you consume more than 5 or 6 paid beverages of any kind in a day, then you may benefit from one of the drink plans. We always get a soda plan of some sort based on how much we drink per day in the heat. But that is just what works for our family.
We’ve done it on many ships, but Royal Caribbean specifically does a fantastic job of making their soda plans worth it by offering Coke Freestyle Machines. With over 50 options from the Minute Maid/Seagrams/Coke brands, these machines are a gold mine. You’re issued a special refillable souvenir drink cup that has a chip in it that operates the machines. Unlimited use. Big bang for your buck as you can go fill your cup anytime day or night with MANY more kinds of beverages. I’m all about more bang for your buck. Disney Cruise Lines is unique in that their sodas are already included in your cruise fare so they’re also high on my bang for the buck list. We don’t need a drink plan on their ships.
How successful will I be sailing with my babies?
Guess what? This can be done – quite successfully – if you do your homework before booking. Several cruise lines offer many baby friendly add-ons you can take advantage of. Royal Caribbean has Royal Babies and Tots programs on certain ships while Disney Cruise Line offers It’s A Small World Nurseries on some of it’s ships as well. Babies and toddlers (older than 6 mths) can spend time in the nursery during the day to afford parents the time to relax a little bit. Toddlers can be dropped off to burn off some energy with playmates giving you a moment to take in the ship’s activities or even just to catch an adult dinner or a movie on board. Some ships offer you the chance to order pack n plays, diapers, wipes or baby food to be delivered directly to your stateroom – eliminating the need to pack all of those extras that we know can add an entire suitcase to the plans. Dining rooms are family friendly and having strollers at the table or needing a toddler friendly meal are no problem. Look to book on family centered lines where amenities and customer service are top notch in these areas.
Is there anything we should avoid doing?
I have yet to find anything on a ship that I’d say flat out steer clear of. Well, maybe avoid getting sucked into all the shop sales on-board and drinking/eating anything in the minibar in your stateroom if you have one. I say try everything else at least once! In terms of planning, I’d have to repeat the one thing I mention often – avoid booking your return flight too close to your ship’s scheduled arrival time back in port. It’s tempting to cut down on your airport wait times…but delays getting into port or off the ship once into port can and do happen. In the end, you will either be sprinting nervously to or miss your flight completely, ending a lovely vacation on a sour note.
edit. your. life. 