The newbee's head is spinning

[Newsdude]

I am taking my first cruise 8/13 on Sensation – just me, my 16-year-old daughter and her best friend.

God help me.

I’ve been reading and reading and reading, and I still have lots of questions.

Food: What’s included and what costs extra? I understand the beverage part, but is room service included? The pizzeria? The bar and grill? What’s a supper club?

Beverage card: Does it include bottled water? Or are we better off just refilling bottles for free?

Fitness/spa: Is there a charge to use the fitness equipment?

Golf: Does Sensation have a golf academy onboard?

Sign and Sale: Is it possible to limit my daughter’s card? Or should I just threaten her?

More importantly: Is it possible to lock her minibar?

Phones: I think I’ll try to avoid $7-per-minute phone calls from Daughter to Boyfriend. Does anyone know whether you can get a Verizon signal onboard or in the Bahamas? Verizon can’t tell me for sure, but they say the roaming charge would be 69 cents a minute if I can. Also, is there a charge to call from room to room on the ship?

Finally – for now anyway - there’s the whole excursion issue. I’ll save that for the other board, except for one question: Are there teen excursions, and are they safe? Where can I find info?

Thank you to anyone who can help. I’ve only got a month to figure this all out.

Of course, that’s part of the fun.

[LKYGSR]

OK here we go...

 

All food and room service (extra tip, about $1-2 each order) is included, expcept the supper club which is a pay for meal dinner. We have always been so satisfied with the food offered we never use the supper club.

 

Beverage card does not include bottled water, you can bring your own bottled water along and keep it in the mini bar fridge.

 

Fitness: free to use, other spa services, like massage/facial are extra

 

Golf: Sorry, I don't know

 

Sign and sale card, yes, you can limit daughters card, talk to purser. Never hurts to explain your explanations up front though, in a non threating manner.

 

Lock minibar, yes, you can have steward lock or empty the mini bar, we prefer to empty it so we can use the fridge for water, sodas, etc, that we bring on board.

 

Cell phones on board at sea is something they are talking about offering at an expensive prive. Possibility at port you can get signal with hefty per minute international fees. I suggest a phone card purchased state side bewfore you leave. Make sure to read the fine print or call the card provider for details on international calling. Then she can use the pay phone in port...much more cost effective.

 

Teen excursions may be offered through the camp carnival program on board, check with them when you arrive to the ship. Yes, with Carnival staff they are safe.

 

Happy sailing!

[Cotton]

 

Food: What’s included and what costs extra? I understand the beverage part, but is room service included? The pizzeria? The bar and grill? What’s a supper club?

All your meals in the dining room and Lido buffet area are included in the cost of your cruise, as well as all food delivered via room service. Also salad bars, sushi (on some ships), Pizzeria, grill, and deli, soft serve ice cream and frozen yogurt - all included. (You should tip your room service delivery person $1-2 each time he brings an order to your cabin.)

Supper Club is only on some of the ships. It's an "extra-cost" restaurant, approx. $30 per person. Not necessary to me, as there is so much food all over the ship,and I am always very pleased with the dining room selections.

 

Beverage card: Does it include bottled water? Or are we better off just refilling bottles for free?

I've never bought a soda card. I take my own soft drinks on board, which is allowed. You can also purchase them in ports and bring back onto the ship. I've always taken ONE bottle of water on board with me and refilled it from the ship's water...which tastes just fine.

 

Fitness/spa: Is there a charge to use the fitness equipment?

No charge to use the equipment in the gym.

 

 

Golf: Does Sensation have a golf academy onboard?

I don't recall.

 

 

Sign and Sale: Is it possible to limit my daughter’s card? Or should I just threaten her?

:D If your daughter's account is under your name, (she'll have her own SAIL & SIGN card, but you can BLOCK any purchases.

 

More importantly: Is it possible to lock her minibar?

Mini-bar? I had an OV cabin on Sensation, and there was no fridge.

 

Also, is there a charge to call from room to room on the ship?

No charge.

 

[texas greeneyes]

Be sure the girls go to the first night at the teen camp. They will have a chance to meet others in their age group and could make some new friends.

[jenjens1023]

Check the ports of call board for info on internet cafes. Or ask a crew person, they sometimes know because they want to contact people when they are on shore. Locals will be able to direct you to one also. We found one in St Maarten and I think it was $4 for 30 minutes, so my DD could IM her BF for awhile. That made her happy, and when DD's happy, everybody can be happy:D

[TeacherJenn]

My husband and I went last August and he took a golf lesson and had a great time.

[goodml]

Check the ports of call board for info on internet cafes. Or ask a crew person, they sometimes know because they want to contact people when they are on shore. Locals will be able to direct you to one also. We found one in St Maarten and I think it was $4 for 30 minutes, so my DD could IM her BF for awhile. That made her happy, and when DD's happy, everybody can be happy:D

 

We do the same thing when we're in ports. There's almost always an internet cafe within a block or two of the pier and they're dirt cheap. I don't want my kids spending their ship time on the internet so we don't pay for any internet time on board other than on RCCL where we usually each get 10 mins free from the past guest coupon book.

 

They love being able to send emails to their friends (in our day it was postcards:D ) from each different port and they can check up on what's going on at home. It usually takes about 20 mins out of our day and like jenjens said, usually $3 or so. Of course we don't bother if we've got big plans for a port but a lot of the time we do it. In December my husband and I did a short cruise without the kids and it was great because in Nassau about a block from the ship we found a cafe and were able to call home to Canada for 50 cents a minute. Calls to the US were even cheaper. Whole lot better than those cruise ship prices!:D

[voyagerfl]

It's......Sail and Sign ! :)

[voyagerfl]

We always take a case of water in a 'carry-on' size suitcase.

and OMG.....keep the daugher away from the dang phone...hopefullly she understands how quickly $9.99 a minute could turn into thousands of dollars Mom would have to pay...

 

Wow.....your first cruise......You are gonna have such a great time...:)

Just relax and enjoy :)

[Sue L]

IMO the supper clubs are so worth the pp$, it is 5 star service and absolutely amazing food.