Still some questions.

[Traumajunky]

I've been reading for a few hours and still have some questions.

 

1) How do you check your set and sail card balance? Can you check this in your room?

 

2) When boarding ship and you supply your CC, do they hold funds or just the CC# until the end for charges?

 

3) If you cruise on a ship that requires dressing nicer, does that only apply after 5 / 6pm or all the time? I assume only the later hours.

 

4) Someone mentioned something about meetings or a class or something where there were giveaways. I love contests and freebies, are there lots of these and what are they about? I also saw mention of a giveaway for internet cafe minutes. Is this mentioned in the daily newsletter or do you just have to be lucky to find out?

 

5) Is duty charged on anything you buy at port by the ship or do you only pay what you are charged when you make the purchase?

 

6) Anyone have reviews of kid activities / kid's clubs? It will be me and my 9 year old daughter and I plan on taking her off the ship with me at port but unclear if they are safe? Open every day? etc.

 

7) I understand that rooms toward the rear of the ship (aft?) possibly have larger balconies? What is a good level to be on with a balcony - higher up or lower? I want as quiet as possible during sleeping hours.

 

8) Someone mentioned having an RX from your doc for antibiotics. Is there a way to have something filled on the ship or do you have to bring anything you might need?

 

9) Are there menus for all the restaurants in your room? Can you eat in the MDR every night if you want?

 

10) What about in room internet? How much does this typically cost?

 

Thank you so much for your answers, I really do have fewer than when I started reading! :)

[firefly333]

I've been reading for a few hours and still have some questions.

 

1) How do you check your set and sail card balance? Can you check this in your room? Depends on the ship, newer ships have interactive TVs.

 

2) When boarding ship and you supply your CC, do they hold funds or just the CC# until the end for charges? They might hold funds on a debit card, never had it happen on a credit card. They will charge you for tips and the rest at the end of your cruise.

 

3) If you cruise on a ship that requires dressing nicer, does that only apply after 5 / 6pm or all the time? I assume only the later hours. I only wear a dress to dinner and then take it off before the show. its only for dinner. Some wear them later and have pictures taken if you are into that.

4) Someone mentioned something about meetings or a class or something where there were giveaways. I love contests and freebies, are there lots of these and what are they about? I also saw mention of a giveaway for internet cafe minutes. Is this mentioned in the daily newsletter or do you just have to be lucky to find out? Iv been on lots of cruises, and almost have won nothing. Unless you count a fake auction on a bracelet that I knew was fake because I was on the 2nd leg of a B2B. The free minutes, Iv only seen are if you buy more minutes and they aint cheap.

 

5) Is duty charged on anything you buy at port by the ship or do you only pay what you are charged when you make the purchase? Generally anything you buy on the ship is not charged tax or duty, unless you go over the allowances, but they generally overlook this. also, cruises to nowhere are charges taxes on purchses.

 

6) Anyone have reviews of kid activities / kid's clubs? It will be me and my 9 year old daughter and I plan on taking her off the ship with me at port but unclear if they are safe? Open every day? etc. There is a family section and lots of info there.

 

7) I understand that rooms toward the rear of the ship (aft?) possibly have larger balconies? What is a good level to be on with a balcony - higher up or lower? I want as quiet as possible during sleeping hours. aft facing might be extended, not just aft. But you may have vibration, so its not all that great to me. If you want quiet look above and below you, you dont want to be over a lounge.

 

8) Someone mentioned having an RX from your doc for antibiotics. Is there a way to have something filled on the ship or do you have to bring anything you might need? Nothing will be filled on the ship. If there is a emergency, you will have to fill it in the next port (we had this happen during a hurricane that hit Galeston where I left from, so its a good thing I had the original bottles with proof of the prescription. You dont need the actual RX. Some prescriptions can be over the counter in Mexico and other ports.

 

9) Are there menus for all the restaurants in your room? Can you eat in the MDR every night if you want? Yes, you can eat in the MDR every night. No menus in the room unless you have a interactive tv, then it will be on the tv.

 

10) What about in room internet? How much does this typically cost? Prices start at 75 cents a minute .. I use internet cafes in port which can run about $2 a hour. If you bring your own laptop, minutes cost the same plus a set up fee.

 

Thank you so much for your answers, I really do have fewer than when I started reading! :)

 

If you mentioned which cruiseline and which ship, people could give you a specific answer on some of the above. When you figure out these specifics .. the family board might have kids capers and can give you more answers on the children stuff too.

[uppitycats]

I've been reading for a few hours and still have some questions.

It would help if you told us which cruise line you're going on. Some answers will be different depending on the line.

 

1) How do you check your set and sail card balance? Can you check this in your room? With some cruise ships you can check your balance in your room through the television, where there will be a separate channel for this, much like in some hotels. With other cruise ships, you'll have to go to the customer service desk (called the pursers desk on most ships) and ask. You can do this any time during the day, and into the evening.

 

2) When boarding ship and you supply your CC, do they hold funds or just the CC# until the end for charges? If you're talking about a credit card, then the charges will show up at the end. If you're using it as a debit card then usually around $300 is held, and if that is used, then they'll debit your account with another $300. If your credit card has a rather low limit, though, you may find that if you try to charge something expensive on shore, your charge will be denied, because the ship ..and hotels on land, for that matter...are able to set aside a limit until you are no longer their "guest".

 

3) If you cruise on a ship that requires dressing nicer, does that only apply after 5 / 6pm or all the time? I assume only the later hours. All the cruise lines have a dress code that generally applies for dinners, and then only dinners in the main dining rooms. Usually shorts, t shirts, ultra casual wear is not suggested. Some cruise lines expect you to be quite dressed up for at least 2 formal nights; others are more casual than that, but still would llike you to not wear beach wear, for example. During the day you can wear pretty much whatever you want.

 

4) Someone mentioned something about meetings or a class or something where there were giveaways. I love contests and freebies, are there lots of these and what are they about? I also saw mention of a giveaway for internet cafe minutes. Is this mentioned in the daily newsletter or do you just have to be lucky to find out? I've not ever seen "contests and freebies", with the exception of bingo - which you have to pay to play, and then you might win something. Same with the internet cafe minutes. Certainly you should read your daily newsletter as there will be all sorts of important information in there, including anything that might be given away...but don't expect much of that!

 

5) Is duty charged on anything you buy at port by the ship or do you only pay what you are charged when you make the purchase? The ship isn't the source of duty charges -- the various governments charge duty. Think of "duty" as a form of taxation. So when you make a purchase in a port you'll pay taxes, and then have to list the items you purchased (and perhaps show their receipts, so hang on to them) when you come back into the US. But no, the ship won't charge you anything extra.

 

6) Anyone have reviews of kid activities / kid's clubs? It will be me and my 9 year old daughter and I plan on taking her off the ship with me at port but unclear if they are safe? Open every day? etc. Childrens programs are one of those things that vary considerably from cruise line to cruise line. There are generally pretty good programs for kids your daughters age, but many of them don't function when the ship is in port, as most folks take their kids with them. But you'd have to tell us which cruise line you're going on before someone can be more specific with an answer. And yes, they're safe.

7) I understand that rooms toward the rear of the ship (aft?) possibly have larger balconies? What is a good level to be on with a balcony - higher up or lower? I want as quiet as possible during sleeping hours. Again, what ship?

 

8) Someone mentioned having an RX from your doc for antibiotics. Is there a way to have something filled on the ship or do you have to bring anything you might need? While there is a clinic and doctor on board, it is very expensive, and not always reimburseable by your health insurance. I don't know why you'd need a prescription for an antibiotic unless you or your child have some chronic health condition? Sometimes parents of infants or very small children who are prone to ear infections will do this, but generally nobody comes with a prescription "just in case".

While there are stores on the ship for things you might have forgotten, again they're pretty expensive on board. It's best if you bring what you think you'll need, within reason, and do without if it isn't all that important.

 

9) Are there menus for all the restaurants in your room? Can you eat in the MDR every night if you want? Some cruise lines offer menus in your room. Most all of them will have the menus posted near the dining rooms so you can read them during the day. This is true for the main dining rooms and any specialty restaurants. You can always ask at the door for a menu before you enter.

Again, depending on which cruise line you're going on, if your cruise line has specialty restaurants you need to know which ones will have extra charges to eat there, before you go in.

But everyone can eat in the main dining room -- all three meals, if you want to -- every day. That is part of your cruise fare.

 

10) What about in room internet? How much does this typically cost? Internet service on cruise ships is very expensive and very slow. I don't think many ships have in-room internet at all, and even those that do, charge a lot for it. If you really want internet access you should probably wait until your on shore and look for an internet cafe.

Same with cell service. Calling from the ship is VERY expensive, and cell service on shore is not always dependable.

 

Thank you so much for your answers, I really do have fewer than when I started reading! :)

 

Tell us what line you're on, and maybe we can be more helpful.

[GORDONCHICK]

Many of your questions are cruise line specific, so it's hard to give accurate info without that.

[kitty9]

5. Depends what you mean by duty. Whenever you travel to a foreign country and purchase anything, if those purchases add up to over your personal exemption, you will have to pay US Customs duty at the end of your trip. Since we don't know what ship you're on, or the itinerary, we cannot tell you what your personal exemption will be, because it varies. For example, if your cruise stops in St Thomas, you exemption is $1600. But if you don't stop there, your exemption is only $800.

[Peery5]

As for freebies, contests etc., I have won a "free" facial in the spa. This was of course free if you purchased another spa service. Also won a "ship on a stick" in a trivia contest. Thats about it.

[scarolinagrl23]

1. I can tell you the RCCL you can check your sail card at the service desk

2. I think they charge at the end. We got a bill our last morning onboard and it was already showing up on my CC statement.

3. Depends on the cruise line, but you have the option of going to the dining room in semi dressy attire(cocktail dresses, khakis, etc) though I saw many wearing jeans and t-shirts, or you can just go to the buffet where you can wear casual attire. Formal nights you definitely want to dress your best! Specialty restaurants usually require a classy dressy attire. I wore a little black dress and cardigan to one while my hubby wore dress pants and a dress shirt.

4. Freebies onboard usually have some type of clause attached to them. For instance, they always hold the shopping classes onboard where you will receive a free necklace. trust me, the necklace is not worth the time! My hubby played a good bit of poolside games and received cheesy medals for it while we played a game together and received a small zipper pouch. Some received t-shirts. However, that is about as far as it got.

5. It's duty free when you get out to sea. The taxes actually change once you leave the US as well on drinks and purchases.

6. Didn't take any kids, but we never saw the kids in their programs. Actually we didn't see many kids at all until the night they put on a show in the dining room. Looked like they were have a blast!

7. Again, we stayed in an interior room, but I would think it would be best to stay higher for balconies.

8. Take everything that you will think you need with you. The medical treatment on board is very expensive and if you tell them any type of issues, there is a possibility they might quarantine you! I would not reccommend buying much on board, it can be expensive. If you really need something, try to wait until you port and find a store.

9. RCCL you could eat in the MDR if you wanted to every night(we didn't) or you can try out some of the restaurants(make your reservation ahead of time!), eat the buffet, or just order room service. Our room service offered a good bit and it was nice to order it during our day at sea. The best thing was ordering a bunch of sweets after a long night out! Just be aware, some cruise ships charge a fee, though small, after a certain time(like 1-2am) for room service. I think ours was like $1.50 total.

10. Internet I think is charged by minutes and you probably won't even think about it on the ship unless you are a junkie! DO NOT use your cell phone on the ship or in an foreign port or you might have a surprise bill when you get back!