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Are cruises worth it?

Travel Info
I'm looking at going on a cruise for our belated honeymoon, has anyone been on one and would they recomend going on one? I was just wondering how much you have to spend on board usually and is all your food on board payed for? I really don't have a clue! Any help would be great!

Travel Tips

I have been on many cruises, including one for our honeymoon. Here's what to expect. The standard cabin that most people get (inside/outside/balcony) are generally between 175 and 200 Square feet, about the size of a 9 by 12 ft home bedroom (balconies are about 45 to 55 sq ft). Suites and penthouses can be between 350 and 1300 square feet. Each cabin has a two beds which can be made into a queen, a bathroom with a shower stall, a closet and some drawer space, a TV and telephone, a safe for valuables, and a life jacket for each passenger.

Cruises are one of THE best vacations you can take. Once you are on ship the staff caters to you, its whatever you want. There is something to do all day every day. When you arrive at the port to check in you (each passenger) will receive a key card which will serve as your room key, charge card for anything you buy on ship (i.e.,drinks, souvenir) and its also your pass to get on and off ship in each port. When you first board the ship the security personnel will have you insert your key card into a scanner and then will take a photo of you that is included in the magnetic strip on the card. Each time you get off ship you will need this key card and many times also a photo ID (passport or driver's license).

Each day of your cruise you will receive in your cabin a "newsletter" listing the time, place and particulars of everything happening for you on ship. There are generally activities like demonstrations of ice carvings, napkin folding and towel folding, and cooking demonstrations. Some ships may offer a galley (kitchen) tour or a tour of the bridge. There may be organized games and other activities around the pools. In the evenings there are generally shows, one show for those with an early dinner seating and another (same show) for those who eat late. There is always food available. Usually there is a place in ship where you can go get something. Or, you can always just pick up the phone in your cabin and order from the room service menu (food is free). If you want, you can order breakfast room service.

All ships, except Disney, have a casino with slots and table games. Ships have movie theaters, generally small but nice, and you can also see movies in your room. They have ATM鈥檚 and a purser鈥檚 desk where you can cash a check or exchange currency if you need to. There is a tour and activities desk so you can schedule land tours and activities.

Ships have free morning exercise programs, stretching and walking, etc, and on some you can pay for other things like Spinning. All cruise ships have gyms so you can go workout, usually any time from 6:00 AM to late at night. There is usually a walking/running track on one of the decks also. Some ships leave the gym open all night. They call the gyms Spa because they do promote getting pampered with things like wraps and massages with aroma therapy. They will also generally have a beauty salon to do hair and nails.

There are always pools. Some ships have more than one and the newer ships generally have an indoor pool as well as outdoor ones and all of these have hot tubs. There is generally a basketball court on the top deck, a place for scuffle board, and a mini-golf course. The newer Royal Caribbean ships have a rock climbing wall and the newest one has a pool for water surfing.

There are places on ships to play cards and board games, and the cards and games are provided. If you want to just sit and read, there鈥檚 a library where you can bring your books or select one from the shelf. Ships have internet cafes and some offer WIFI if you bring your prefer to use your computer in your cabin (some ships offer notebooks for rent). There are cocktail lounges that feature a variety of music. Some have a piano bar with jazz. There is usually a disco that starts after 10:00 PM each night and last until everyone leave. On certain days ships will have special activities like a chocolate lovers buffet, or a midnight deck party .

Some people worry about getting sea sick, but the ships being used these days have automated stabilizers which minimize the rocking. The larger ships cut through the water so easy that you don鈥檛 even feel like you are moving. When there is bad weather the cruise lines will steer around and away from it, sometimes changing the order of port stops. Also, the ships generally move overnight and dock in the mornings so you don鈥檛 feel much movement. Consequently, your chances of getting sea sick are minimal. There is generally less motion than on an airplane.

Most 7-day cruises have two formal nights when you can wear your best stuff and get pictures taken, and maybe meet the ship鈥檚 Captain. The formal nights are REQUESTED not required attire. But most people do dress up in a tux for men and a long dress (any color) for women. Some men just wear a suit and tie and some women wear a nice dress but not a gown. You will not be denied access to the dining room or anything else if you choose not to dress up. (we usually take off the formal stuff after dinner and pictures anyway).

Regardless of where you are going the dress on cruises is casual,,i.e. shorts, slacks, "T" shirts, sandals, sneakers, during the day and "Sports Casual" (i.e., what you would expect to see worn in a business office) after 6:00 PM. If you are going to the Caribbean you can wear your swim wear at/in the pool area, but a wrap while headed there. The sports casual dress is required in public areas like the dining rooms, casino, show rooms, disco, bars. You don't have to dress up for dinner unless you want to; sports casual is fine.

Your cruise will include food and coffee, tea, juice, milk, but not soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. There will be plenty of free food in various places on ship and/or you call always call (some ships let you do it on the TV) for free room service. We regularly order the free breakfast room service and eat on our balcony. Most ships have one or more places on ship where you DO HAVE TO PAY to eat. The ships call it a gratuity or service charge and that can be $5, $10 or $20 per person per day each time you go to these places. Norwegian cruise line has many of these and if you use their alternative restaurants you will run up a big food tab.

The hidden costs on a cruise are your tab after the cruise for drinks (alcoholic and sodas), tours, and gratuities. Many ships now add the recommended gratuity to your on-board tab. The gratuity is about $10 to $12 per day per person. You can give more if you want. Tours can add hundreds to your final bill, depending upon how many stop the ship makes and what you want to do. Study the tours carefully; some places you may want to just go on your own.

For a great cruise I recommend Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, or Norwegian in that order. Source(s): Experienced cruiser.
Other Travel Tips

go on a cruise around the Greek islands ( especially around Cyclades)
u will be stunned!!
u can find the prices and stuff on the net easily
@
Absolutely yes. I've been two major cruise holidays. One transatlantic and another Caribbean and South America. You can also get good discounts if you book at the last minute.

Just bear in mind though that you may have to share your dinner table with other people (something you might not want to do on a honeymoon).
Ive been on a few and they are worth every penny. I went with P&O cruises, they are fantastic, like five star floating hotels. You dont need to spend a lot of money on board, its just drinks, photos, and the shops that you spend on. All your food, tea and coffee etc anytime are also free. You leave a tip for your waiter and whoever cleans your room. Overall it really isnt expensive for what you get. Im sure you will enjoy it.
It is definitely worth it. You will travel in style and comfort. All meals are included and there is free live entertainment on board: dancing, musical shows, comedians, etc. There is also a casino but you have to pay to play, of course. Alcoholic drinks and soft drinks are not included. I highly recommend Holland America and Royal Caribbean cruise lines. Once you take a cruise, you won't want to travel any other way.
Cruise are well worth the money in my opinion. On board spending depends on what you like to do i suppose. you need to budget for drinks, photographs if you wish to buy them and any pampering you treat yourself to. All food is included and boy can you eat on those ships.
i would recommend a med cruise for your 1st time.
give it a go you'll love it