Newbie Questions

Hi

I’m new to cruising and will be going on the IOS August 23rd for 14 days mediterranean Cruise. I’ve been reading on here daily trying to get my head around everything. There seems to be a lot of very experienced cruisers on here so I’m hoping some may be able to answer the folowing questions for me.

Thanks in advance 😄

1. When do you get your cruise compass

2. What size are the beds in an interior cabin (king or queen I’ve read conflicting reports)

3. Any free exercise classes or do you pay for them all

4. Is there a quiet area with loungers to sunbath & read

5. Approx tempature in the med at sea (warm enough to sunbath?)

6. Can you change your my time dining time on a daily basis

7. How casual is the main dining room for breakfast & lunch

8. Where can I find out what evening shows will be on my cruise

9. Port days in your experience is it better to book with RC or arrange your own excursions

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Can hep with some questions.

The first day's Cruise Compass will be in your stateroom when you arrive. Each evening the stateroom attendant will deliver the next day's Compass to your stateroom. If you want another copy, they are available near Guest Services.

I believe at least one exercise class per day is free, and that is usually an early one.

The Solarium is usually quieter than other places. Deck 12 has some areas that are also quiet.

You can change your MTD time daily. You can also show up when you want, without a reservation.

The MDR is very casual at breakfast and lunch. Shorts are permitted at breakfast and lunch.

Hi

I’m new to cruising and will be going on the IOS August 23rd for 14 days mediterranean Cruise. I’ve been reading on here daily trying to get my head around everything. There seems to be a lot of very experienced cruisers on here so I’m hoping some may be able to answer the folowing questions for me.

Thanks in advance

 

1. When do you get your cruise compass

2. What size are the beds in an interior cabin (king or queen I’ve read conflicting reports)

3. Any free exercise classes or do you pay for them all

4. Is there a quiet area with loungers to sunbath & read

5. Approx tempature in the med at sea (warm enough to sunbath?)

6. Can you change your my time dining time on a daily basis

7. How casual is the main dining room for breakfast & lunch

8. Where can I find out what evening shows will be on my cruise

9. Port days in your experience is it better to book with RC or arrange your own excursions

 

 

 

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Some more answers:

2. The cabin will have two twin beds which can be left separate or made up together as a queen. RC's site is now calling it a king, but it's not.

3. Fewer and fewer classes are free. There may or may not be any free ones on your cruise.

8. This information is in your daily Cruise Compass.

9. It depends on how confident you feel in your ability to negotiate the language and the places that you are visiting. I usually "do my own thing" in port, but on my one European cruise, we did use Royal Caribbean excursions in some of the ports.

Hi

I’m new to cruising and will be going on the IOS August 23rd for 14 days mediterranean Cruise. I’ve been reading on here daily trying to get my head around everything. There seems to be a lot of very experienced cruisers on here so I’m hoping some may be able to answer the folowing questions for me.

Thanks in advance 😄

 

1. When do you get your cruise compass

 

It is in your stateroom day one and placed there each night for the next day by your stateroom attendant.

 

2. What size are the beds in an interior cabin (king or queen I’ve read conflicting reports)

Two twins that when placed together measure 72.5" wide by 82" long.

 

3. Any free exercise classes or do you pay for them all

4. Is there a quiet area with loungers to sunbath & read

 

Yes - the Solarium would be the best but there are several deck areas around the ship will provide this.

 

5. Approx tempature in the med at sea (warm enough to sunbath?)

6. Can you change your my time dining time on a daily basis

 

Yes

 

7. How casual is the main dining room for breakfast & lunch

 

Casual. Shorts, etc. OK.

 

8. Where can I find out what evening shows will be on my cruise

 

On the daily Cruise Compass

 

9. Port days in your experience is it better to book with RC or arrange your own excursions

 

Personal choice. Probably best in the Med to do something organized.

 

 

 

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See my answers in red to some of your questions.

7. No tanks tops for men - we were turned away for lunch because my husband had one on. Needless to say it was embarrising to be turned away in front of everyone.

7. No tanks tops for men - we were turned away for lunch because my husband had one on. Needless to say it was embarrising to be turned away in front of everyone.

Good to know

Note to self: bring a t-shirt in my day bag.

Our 1st cruise was on IOS around the Med. We did a couple of RCI excursions but also sorted a few out our selves. If it's the same ports at Villefranche you tender of the ship into a tiny village. About 10 mins walk away is the local train station, you can either visit Nice, or opposite direction Monaco/Monti Carlo. We also wanted to visit Pisa. So rather than pay around €40 each ( there were 4 of us ) we got of the ship, right in front were Taxis they were very friendly so we quickly negotiated a total price think it was around €50. It was around a 40 min journey. The driver was very knowledgeable about the surrounding area. When we got to The Tower we spent around an hour looking around which was plenty of time. He then took us back to the ship, still talking all the way and we were able to sunbath around an empty pool most of the day. We had excellent weather for 12 out of the 14 nights. Bit rough at the Bay of Biscay.

Have a wonderful 1st cruise, you will be hooked. We are on our 3rd this summer around Alaska.

Gaynor.

1. When do you get your cruise compass

2. What size are the beds in an interior cabin (king or queen I’ve read conflicting reports)

3. Any free exercise classes or do you pay for them all

4. Is there a quiet area with loungers to sunbath & read

5. Approx tempature in the med at sea (warm enough to sunbath?)

6. Can you change your my time dining time on a daily basis

7. How casual is the main dining room for breakfast & lunch

8. Where can I find out what evening shows will be on my cruise

9. Port days in your experience is it better to book with RC or arrange your own excursions

A lot of this will be repetition, but here goes:

1. It will be waiting for you in your cabin on the first day of the cruise and then a new one for the next day each evening after turn-down. You can also request more copies from Guest Services. The information on the compass will also be accessible from the digital wayfinders around the ship.
   
2. The cabins have two twin beds that combine to make what appears to be a US Queen, although RCI claims it is a king and the dimensions given on the website would match a UK Super King, but it doesn't feel that big.
   
3. Most exercise classes are for a fee. Your cruise compass will denote any included classes, but they will most likely just be introductory ones. It also wouldn't hurt to stop by the fitness center on embarkation day to ask for a schedule of any/all free classes.
   
4. The are sundecks on the upper decks as well as an adults-only area called the Solarium where you can sunbathe. The Solarium is generally less noisy than the main pool deck, but depending on the time of day, it's still not necessarily "quiet".
   
5. Not sure of the exact temperatures, but in August, you should be comfortable if its not too cloudy out.
   
6. You can have a different reservation time each day, but if you change it the same day (not in advance) you may get locked out of the exact time you want. It really depends on the sailing as some have stories of being unable to reserve any time from 6:30-8pm and other saying they were able to just show up every night with no reservation at all and be seated within 5 minutes.
   
7. For breakfast and lunch it is fairly casual. The only requirements are no flip-flops (but other sandals are ok), no bathing suits, and no tank tops for men. Tee shirts and shorts are fine, though.
   
8. The evening shows will be printed in your cruise compass, announced by the Cruise Director or a member of the CD staff on the PA system, listed on the digital wayfinders throughout the ship, and, I believe also listed on one of the menus of the TV system in your cabin.
   
9. This one really depends on the port and what the cruise line is offering. In some areas the best tour companies have signed into exclusive contracts with the cruiselines and you can now only book through the lines to use them. This is more the case in the Caribbean than in Europe, but I suggest checking out the port of call boards for your ports and see what people most recommend there.
   

Here's a pic of an inside with the beds pushed together.....

You can have them centred or pushed to one side..... here is a pic of the same room with the beds separated.....

Thank you so much for your replies it's been very helpful.

Great to see the pictures there seems to be so little information about the interior rooms it's hard to imagine them

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Have you checked your roll call? There are usually people organizing private tours that you might want to join. Pricing is better and much less crowded than the cruise line's big busload tours

A lot of good information. I have two follow-up questions, if I may.

Wayfinder? I'm imagining ships map, is that right?

Flip-flops in the MDR? What is considered flip-flops? I have a pair that have a piece of leather separating my big toe from the other 4 toes, but they are nice made of leather. Is no flip-flops a hard and fast rule? Or do the mean plastic/foamy soled shoes?

A lot of good information. I have two follow-up questions, if I may.

 

Wayfinder? I'm imagining ships map, is that right?

 

Flip-flops in the MDR? What is considered flip-flops? I have a pair that have a piece of leather separating my big toe from the other 4 toes, but they are nice made of leather. Is no flip-flops a hard and fast rule? Or do the mean plastic/foamy soled shoes?

I eagerly await the answer to this last question. I have a ton of what could best be described as dressy flipflops.

jayblue RCCL cruiser

Another couple of questions if anybody can can answer it would be great.

1.How does boarding work do they board the highest cabins first or is it on a first come basis?

2. Is it true no hair straighteners are allowed!

3. The cinema around the pool do they play movies day & night or just daytime?

4. On a 14 day cruise do you have more than one laundry bag special?and how big is the bag?

Many thanks

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Never had a problem taking straighteners.

Another couple of questions if anybody can can answer it would be great.

 

1.How does boarding work do they board the highest cabins first or is it on a first come basis?

2. Is it true no hair straighteners are allowed!

3. The cinema around the pool do they play movies day & night or just daytime?

4. On a 14 day cruise do you have more than one laundry bag special?and how big is the bag?

Many thanks

 

Boarding is suites, followed by higher C&A members, followed by everyone else in first come order.

Movies are usually at night only.

The laundry bag is usually offered more than once. I've been able to get a bag from our stateroom attendant whenever we've needed it.

I eagerly await the answer to this last question. I have a ton of what could best be described as dressy flipflops.

 

jayblue RCCL cruiser

I would say dressy flip flops are fine most people now a days even where jeans no one is going to say anything.

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If you want to get an idea of the shows and excercise groups that are free, click on the link below for the Compass. It is from a Caribbean sailing, so it will not be exact. However, the shows do not change (except which night they are, and there is an another Ice show -Freeze Frame). Hope this helps.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2013731

I would say dressy flip flops are fine most people now a days even where jeans no one is going to say anything.

 

 

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Dressy flip flops are fine. I can't imagine them excluding a pair of $75 Yellow Box "sandals". I think the prohibition is against dollar store rubber, flat ones.

As for jeans, make sure they are in good condition and neat. Even though ripped up jeans can cost a fortune, they really don't belong in the MDR at dinner time.

A nice pair of dark indigo, black or white jeans with a pretty top are always acceptable. White jeans always look good, but wear nude colored panties underneath if they are the least bit transparent.

The concept is that you should not come into the MDR in the same kind of outfit you'd wear to wash the car. :D