First Cruise Questions

Hi,

New to cruising and after some help please:

I'm going on The Explorer of The Seas in August with Royal Caribbean.

Q1. Is it worth booking the shore excursions, I'm assuming the price is over inflated , is it better to just organise yourself ? Is there transport from the ship off port ?

Q2. Is it worth getting the drinks package, we are not massive boozers but like a few glasses of wine in the evening and a few beers in the day. DOES the drinks package include wine with Dinner, its not clear.

Q3. Tips are included which I feel is quite rude, is it expected by the staff that you ALSO tip as you go along ? I've heard you can ask for the tips to be refunded and then pay good service as you go ?

That's probably enough for here, thanks anyone who has taken the time to reply.

You will probably get a better response on the RC boards.

Shore excursions can be done either way. Bear in mind, especially as a first time cruiser who is not familiar with the ports, that there is a degree of safety booking through the ship. If there is a problem/delay the ship will wait for their own excursions. They will not wait for independent excursions. Would be careful if you decide to book a full day excursion on your own.

Only you can decide if a drink package is worth it. Depends what you mean "by a few."

Tips are billed to your account daily, or you may have prepaid, or a TA could have given them as part of a "deal." The only other people you need to tip would be room service or concierge lounge waiters (if you have concierge access). You do not need to tip extra unless you feel someone deserves extra. All drinks that you purchase have an automatic 18% gratuity. Would not suggest asking to have your tips removed. Staff depend on those and you would never be able to cover all the people that serve you. Much easier and simpler to leave in place.

Forgot to answer about transport. Depends on the ports of call. Some you get off the ship and can walk right to where you want to go. Otherwise there are cabs available. Unless you are walking or on a ship's excursion no transport is included.

Many thanks for your reply.

1. "Worth It" is subjective. Yes, it will be more than getting a private tour for a group of people. You may want to check the Cruise Critic Roll Call for your cruise. Often there are people organizing private tours and looking for others to join and share the cost. o do it on your own will take some research. If your cruise is this August (as opposed to next year), the time is running short to do the needed research

2. or some the drink package is a great deal. For others, a waste of money. People on the RCI section of these boards can probably give you prices so you can calculate the cost of buying individual drinks vs. the package. I am not familiar with CI, but in the Princess section there is a spreadsheet people use to estimate their cost. There may be something similar on the RC section.

3. I believe RCI requires pre-paying gratuities if you have their version of Anytime Dining (don't know their name for it). In addition 15% (I think) is added to all beverage purchases. You do not have to give tips for routine service as you go along. If you can get the auto gratuities refunded, you would need to carry money to every meal to tip the staff as well as tipping the cabin steward at the end. Assuming you will be tipping the recommended amount, it is a real hassle.

hi above all else don' try and plan everything. enjoy the cruise as it comes.

a1--on your first cruise, go with a ships excursion. a little more money but they will take good care of you and get you back on time or the ship will wait

for you. no worries--have fun...

a2--most people save money not getting the drink package as they don't drink that much. but it sure is fun too try all the fancy drinks.

a3--tips are a very personal thing. go with the recommended tips, then if there is someone you think deserving give them a private tip on the side.

again just relax and enjoy

Thanks Paul and Waiting to go !

And, welcome to Cruise Critic! I hope your first cruise is a wonderful experience and you'll be booking the second one soon! ;)

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

JMO -- we do not find the drink packages to be worth it as we do not drink a lot. You need to find out exactly what is covered in the packages as this varies by cruise line. And many cruise lines do not allow you to share one package.

Being as you are new cruisers and these will be new ports to you, I feel that you should go with the ship's excursions.

Have you joined your Roll Call?

We book excursions with the ship for our first time in a port- than if we feel comfortable, we do our own the next time.

I agree with the other posters. As this is something brand new to you, I think you'd be much better off going with ship sponsored excursions. On my first cruise I booked an excursion to the summit of Mauna Loa. As luck would have it we were late getting back to the ship. Because this excursion was through the ship, we had a ship to go back to! If this was done on our own, the ship would have been long gone!:(

Hi,

New to cruising and after some help please:

I'm going on The Explorer of The Seas in August with Royal Caribbean.

 

Q1. Is it worth booking the shore excursions, I'm assuming the price is over inflated , is it better to just organise yourself ? Is there transport from the ship off port ?

 

It depends on what you want to do. If you just want to go to a beach in a port, you can just get a taxi and go (some ports the beach may be within walking distance). Just make sure you have the taxi company's phone number (I program a few for each port into my cell as well as have my written notes with these). Some drivers have given us a card to contact them for the ride back. Take the ship's newsletter with you as it will have important info such as the time to be back ON BOARD. Don't get back late. Check a reliable watch (two are better) against the ship's clock. My hubby has a watch with a timer. If your ship isn't going by local time (which could happen) don't go by your cell phone's clock. Pad in a lot of extra time to get back as there could be traffic, etc.

 

Definitely get a guide book for your ports (public libraries have them, and if you find one you really like, buy it off of Amazon, etc. -- I wouldn't take the actual library book on a trip). Google each port. You'll find lots of info that will give you ideas of what to do.

 

Most of the time we just tour on our own (based on my research), but when we book an excursion, it's usually through the ship (I haven't found a major difference of cost for those vs private excusions, but it could be the ones I've selected).

 

I've seen some people plan out every second in port -- personally it sound like a lot of pressure to squeeze in too many activities. Same for on board the ship. We don't plan anything, just see what interests us in the daily newsletter.

 

You can check out how far your stops are from the ship's dock by going on Google Maps.

 

Q2. Is it worth getting the drinks package, we are not massive boozers but like a few glasses of wine in the evening and a few beers in the day. DOES the drinks package include wine with Dinner, its not clear.

 

Really depends on how much you drink. Check on the Royal Caribbean thread for the question about if it includes drinks with dinner.

 

Q3. Tips are included which I feel is quite rude, is it expected by the staff that you ALSO tip as you go along ? I've heard you can ask for the tips to be refunded and then pay good service as you go ?

 

It's not rude. It's a standard practice for most cruise lines (some premium ones include the gratuities in the fare). If there's autogratuities, that means you don't have to carry around $ on board to tip as the cruise progresses. I definitely wouldn't remove the tips as with many cruiselines if you do so, there's the perception that your staff displeased you. And if the tips are pooled, as they are on most lines, the wait staff and the cabin steward will be required to hand over any cash you give them to be placed in the pool. So in reality, anyone you try to reward this way will actually get less.

 

If you do feel there are any problems, go straight to the passenger services desk and get it resolved. Don't go with less service and then use that as an excuse to remove the tips.

 

You can always give extra money at the end to your steward or waitstaff (usually they can keep any extra if you don't remove the autograts). Some cruiselines will also have a "make a difference" type of cards you can fill out to further reward crew members that made your cruise extra special

That's probably enough for here, thanks anyone who has taken the time to reply.

BTW, a great resource for info will be the web site for the line you'e going on.

If you prepay the tips, or have them added to your account, you do NOT need to tip anymore...you're done! They've made it easy for you.

If you book an excursion thru the ship, they will tell you when and where to meet..and they take care of everything. Your meeting place will be on the ship, usually, or just as you get off...no "transportation" is needed to get to the tour.

Many things require NO excursion, so do some research on your ports..and find out what interests you!

Hi,

New to cruising and after some help please:

I'm going on The Explorer of The Seas in August with Royal Caribbean.

 

Q1. Is it worth booking the shore excursions, I'm assuming the price is over inflated , is it better to just organise yourself ? Is there transport from the ship off port ?

 

Q2. Is it worth getting the drinks package, we are not massive boozers but like a few glasses of wine in the evening and a few beers in the day. DOES the drinks package include wine with Dinner, its not clear.

 

Q3. Tips are included which I feel is quite rude, is it expected by the staff that you ALSO tip as you go along ? I've heard you can ask for the tips to be refunded and then pay good service as you go ?

 

That's probably enough for here, thanks anyone who has taken the time to reply.

1. I have done all of 2 excursions/tours since I started cruising they really are not needed unless the place is of interest is quite a distance from port or is an experience like kayaking. Cruise lines and independent tour operators make you feel like you need them and you don't to enjoy a port.

2. If you are not massive drinkers then probably not. Our friends on our last cruise loved cocktails/shots/beer and everything but by day 6 they couldnt order enough drinks and kept passing them to us. You could work out the maths by researching bar prices on your ship. If your wine/beer price per day is the same as a package that offers you that and more go for it.

3. The great Tip debate is a sticky issue on these forums (you can guess which side most are on by looking at their location). Tips are at your discretion but are usually paid at the end of the cruise whether by leaving them on your account or removing them and giving them personally...thats up to you. There is no requirement to tip extra than that computer amount and almost all cruisers I know have never tipped extra. The tips can be removed/adjusted btw if you encounter a problem with someone. I adjusted mine when my room steward lost a clothing item from my cabin.

I think the others have answered your questions so just to say, enjoy, go with the flow, and bet you can't stop at one.

Thank you everyone for your timer, most helpful.

Welcome!

You can book tours thru the ship on your own for usually the same exact tour, for maybe a lot less $$$$. Go to your Roll Call here find out what others on your ship often you can join them.

I don't think the drink package is worth it unless you drink a lot. And you both have to buy it. You can't order a drink with the package and get two drinks, one for each of you. You can only buy one at a time for you only. You get a drink package or a wine package on most ships. I bought a wine package once for 5 bottles but found out I could buy each bottle at home for less. We j now, Packages aren't worth it. Just buy drinks

The tips are well forth it. The crew are paid practically nothing. Your dining room waiter is paid $75-$85 a MONTH! They count on the tips and when you see how hard they work you will see they deserve it. The same with your room steward.

However, you will have 15% added to everything you buy from the bar including sodas. Tips for bartender are not included in the auto tips.

We have given additional tips, in cash, when we have gotten fantastic service from the dining room staff, our room service and bar waiters.

Welcome!

 

You can book tours thru the ship on your own for usually the same exact tour, for maybe a lot less $$$$. Go to your Roll Call here find out what others on your ship often you can join them.

 

I don't think the drink package is worth it unless you drink a lot. And you both have to buy it. You can't order a drink with the package and get two drinks, one for each of you. You can only buy one at a time for you only. You get a drink package or a wine package on most ships. I bought a wine package once for 5 bottles but found out I could buy each bottle at home for less. We j now, Packages aren't worth it. Just buy drinks

 

The tips are well forth it. The crew are paid practically nothing. Your dining room waiter is paid $75-$85 a MONTH! They count on the tips and when you see how hard they work you will see they deserve it. The same with your room steward.

 

However, you will have 15% added to everything you buy from the bar including sodas. Tips for bartender are not included in the auto tips.

 

We have given additional tips, in cash, when we have gotten fantastic service from the dining room staff, our room service and bar waiters.

OP is sailing on RC. Both passengers do not have to buy a drink package - they can purchase different packages, or just one of them can purchase a package (obviously no sharing). Tips on drinks are 18% not 15%.

Haven't sailed on RCCL since last year when they were 15%. They were 15% on Carnival at end of May!

Hi,

New to cruising and after some help please:

I'm going on The Explorer of The Seas in August with Royal Caribbean.

 

 

Q3. Tips are included which I feel is quite rude, is it expected by the staff that you ALSO tip as you go along ? I've heard you can ask for the tips to be refunded and then pay good service as you go ?

 

That's probably enough for here, thanks anyone who has taken the time to reply.

The others have answered the first 2 questions for me. As for tips, it is a highly personal thing. However, let me tell you what happened on our first cruise. My Daughter had told my wife not to use the auto tip and just pay tips to those people you want at the end of the cruise.

However, soon after we left, my wife realized that there were many many many crew people who served us at meals, for drinks during the day as well as our room steward. She realized that there was no way she could tip them all-or even most of them. So she quietly told me to put the auto tips on (which I had done since the beginning). At the end of the cruise there were a few crew that we paid additionally for their outstanding service.

FWIW.

Have fun on your first cruise!

As AKman states, the auto-tip is used to tip people you won't necessarily see but whose job is to help make your cruise go smoothly and ensure any concerns you might have are taken care of.

Please leave them in place.