10 Questions to Ask Your Cruise Line Before You Book | ShermansTravel (2023)

FAQs

What are the top 10 cruise questions first time cruisers are shy to ask? ›

Common interview questions might include 'Can you tell us a bit about yourself? ' or 'Why do you want this job? ' Meanwhile, job-specific questions could include: 'What skills can you bring to this cruise line?

Cruise lines are very upfront about their tipping policies. Unless you are on an all-inclusive ship that covers gratuities in the cruise fare, such as luxury cruise lines Azamara, Seabourn, Silversea, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Virgin Voyages, it is recommended that you tip the crew.

Some men opt for suits or tuxes. For women, pantsuits and dressy pants outfits are a great choice, as are party dresses or even ball gowns. Jeans are not allowed in the main dining rooms on formal nights, and cut-off shorts, baseball caps and flip-flops are banned at all times during dinner in the main dining rooms.

One tip for first-time cruise anxiety: don't go alone. It may be a good idea to vacation with a friend or loved one. If you are looking forward to some peace and quiet but don't want to look awkward and lonely, consider pre-booking shore excursions and tours.

What's the best stateroom location to avoid motion sickness on a cruise? To reduce motion sickness, choose a stateroom in the middle of the ship on a lower deck. You will feel any sway of the ship less in this section.

What's the best time to take a cruise? ›

If you want to avoid crowds, cruise in early May or late August. April, September, and early January. Some lines offer longer repositioning cruises in May and September; if you can spare the time, these are the best per diem deals anywhere. December through February offers warm temperatures and the least rain.

What's the ideal cruise length for a first-timer? A week or so is the sweet spot for most first-time cruisers, which will offer three to six ports. Three-day sampler itineraries won't allow you to explore more than one or two destinations, and you can't decompress as thoroughly, either.

Bottom Line: As a rough guide, for a 7-night cruise you will need to bring enough clothing for at least 4 formal or semi-formal nights, a couple of casual evenings, pool and loungewear, and practical clothing for excursions on dry land.

As a general rule, plan to have $50 to $100 each day in the local currency. Also, you may want to bring an extra $20 a day for tipping crew members. Make sure to include smaller bills for tips. Fifty to a hundred dollars a day should be enough to cover small purchases, tips and snacks at each port.

If your cruise ship still has dedicated bar staff in the main dining room, we recommend tipping that individual a bit extra too. If your assistant waiter is in charge of grabbing drinks from the bar, we recommend adding this extra gratuity to his/her tip.

There aren't any hard-and-fast guidelines for this type of tip since it's contingent on your experience, but $25 to $40 on behalf of a couple roughly works out to an extra $2 to $3 per person, per day, for a seven-night cruise.

For bartenders and housekeepers, you may also want to offer a generous tip at the beginning of the cruise (again, $20 or more, depending on your needs) to ensure great service while on board. As for daily housekeeping gratuity, $2 to $5 per person per day is a good rule of thumb.

Suites: If you're looking for luxury on your cruise, suites offer the most space and best room locations, often with separate living and sleeping areas. They generally feature large balconies, and extra amenities and perks. In other words, a suite can be considered the best cabin on any cruise ship.

starboard side of the ship is best to stay on. Your decision will depend on a variety of factors, from your stateroom type to your cruise itinerary.

Can you wear jeans to dinner on a cruise? ›

On formal nights, proper attire includes tuxedos, suits or slacks (jackets required) for men and evening gowns, cocktail dresses or dressy pantsuits for women. Jeans are welcome in all dining venues during the day, but they're not appropriate in any public venues for dinner or cocktail hour.

You can grab a deck chair or a hammock and soak up the cruise environment. Many Serenity Decks also have their own hot tubs and bar area. You can cruise peacefully with a frosty beverage in hand or spend some “me” time in the hot tub. In our opinion, the ultimate way to relax on a cruise ship is with a nap!

Different from aquaphobia, which is the fear of any type or amount of water, thalassophobia is an irrational fear of deep, dark bodies of water and what may lurk beneath the vast surface. This fear can cause someone to become scared of sea travel and being far away from land.

Thalassophobia, or a fear of the ocean, is a specific phobia that can negatively affect your quality of life. If you need help overcoming your fear of the sea, a mental health professional can help.

The higher the deck, the better and, often, more panoramic the view. Cabins on top decks aren't always the best on the ship, but many suites and specialty cabin categories are typically located on upper decks.

Rear-facing balcony cabins are among the best balcony cabins on any ship. Often, their balconies are bigger than balconies on side-facing cabins and they also feel quiet. There are far fewer balcony cabins at the back of a ship than on the sides of a ship, so you don't hear a lot of noise from your neighbors.

Balcony cabins are great for giving you that much needed bit of personal space when you're both in the room. If he wants to nap but you're wide awake, a balcony offers you a place to hang out without worrying if you're making too much noise or using too bright lights.

What are the 13 most common interview questions and answers? ›

These three C's that we will examine are: Credibility; Competence; and Confidence. They are inextricably connected. I'm an introvert by personality type, but can interview with the best of them because of the successful implementation of these three C's.

So my three Ps of interview preparation are, past, people and personal, but more on these shortly. The next thing to think about is what your preparation looks like.

Yes, there will food provided for lunch once you get onboard the ship. Depending on which ship you are boarding, the options can vary, but in general the Windjammer buffet will be your go-to spot for an embarkation day lunch. What is this?

Yes, you can make calls, text, and even video chat from a cruise ship. In port, you can connect to local roaming networks. At sea, you can either make calls via a satellite connection or pay for the ship's Wi-Fi (also via satellite) and make Wi-Fi calls, text or video chat via the internet.

Storms in August and October have a moderate risk of developing into hurricanes while September has the highest risk of all. For these reasons, September is the worst month of the year to take a cruise.

What months are not good to cruise? ›

When is hurricane season for cruises? Hurricane season in the Caribbean runs from June 1 to November 30. The peak of hurricane season occurs between mid-August and early November.

November through April is the dry season, and these months are marked by unbelievably clear days when almost any plans you make are safe from the weather's interruption. For this reason, the dry season is one of the best times to go on a cruise to the idyllic Caribbean islands.

Absolutely not. Your cruise is your own. If you don't want to dress up for the evening, then you certainly don't have to do so. Many people choose to keep it casual.

And while the traditional seven-day cruise is popular, shorter trips — some as short as three days — have become favorites of many cruise passengers. Truth is, there are a number of things to like about shorter cruises. But at the same time, there are many ways that longer trips are more preferable.

Avoid arriving at peak boarding time

We recommend getting to the terminal either early, before the rush, or late (after 2 p.m.), when most people are already onboard. You might still have a little wait, but it won't be anything compared to peak boarding time.

Generally speaking, mainstream, U.S.-based cruise lines automatically add gratuities of about $14 to $15 per person, per day, to your onboard bill. These tips are divided among the dining staff (waiters, assistant waiters and head waiters) and housekeeping staff (such as cabin attendants).

1. Drop your bags in your cabin. Depending on your cruise line, you may be able to access your cabin as soon as you board, at least to drop off your bags. By dropping off your cruise carry-on bag and other items, you can explore the ship and have some lunch, without the hassle of carrying your luggage with you.

Some people refer to cruises as an all-inclusive vacation, and that's not entirely true. Your cruise fare includes lodging, food, transportation, and entertainment, but you'll find extra-fee exceptions in many of those categories.

What happens if you don't tip on a cruise? Most cruise lines work on the basis that the crew members' pay structure is based on receiving tips. If you choose not to tip, for whatever reason, you are impacting the salaries of the crew who have served you so well during your cruise.