The cruise lines want you to be as comfortable as possible while aboard their ships; after all, this is YOUR vacation and for most of us its an opportunity to "kick-back" and relax. However, our most often asked question is "what do we wear aboard the ship?". Our answer will always include the term: "resort casual".
RESORT CASUAL. So what does that mean? Think of the clothing you might take with you on a trip to Las Vegas or Hawaii. For tropical itineraries (Caribbean/Mexican Riviera/Hawaiian) shorts/sandals/bright & colorful tops are appropriate for daytime aboard the ship. You'll typically need swim wear, a cover-up, and sandals for pool and beach. Going ashore you'll want to have a comfortable pair of walking shoes and a wide-brimmed hat to protect you from the tropical sun! Tee shirts or polo-style shirts work well while exploring ashore. In the evening you will want to switch into pants or a casual dress for dinner and the evenings activities. For Alaskan itineraries you'll want to add slightly heavier clothes to include a medium weight jacket and sweater/nice sweat shirt and a hat or ball-cap. Also, its not uncommon to encounter occasional rain showers on any sailing...so a small umbrella or poncho is suggested
RESORT INFORMAL This applies to European itineraries where you will feel "out-of-place" when ashore in an aloha shirt, flip flops and shorts. Casual day-time dress in southern France and Italy leans more towards "stylish" and less of the "Caribbean/Aloha" look! Casual pants, solid color shirts with comfortable walking shoes is recommended for most European itineraries when ashore. Keep in mind that much of the touring in that part of the world will involve churches/cathedrals/basilicas where your shoulders/upper arms and knees must be covered.
EVENING CASUAL does not mean shorts. For men it's Dockers-type slacks and nice polo or sport shirts. Ladies' outfits will be sporty dresses, skirts and tops, or pants outfits. By sticking to two colors and a few accessories, you can mix up tops and bottoms for a different look every night.
EVENING ELEGANT. Carnival has changed their Formal nights to "Evening Elegant". This has essentially widened the choice for what to wear. Smart cocktail dresses or pant suits work well. Many ladies will prefer more elaborate outfits, perhaps with sequin tops. Some men enjoy wearing a tuxedo, but it is not necessary. In fact, under Carnival's latest guidelines, a tie is suggested, but no longer mandatory. Most men will wear a sport coat and dress shirt at a minimum.
FORMAL WEAR. Expect one formal evening on a 3 or 4 day cruise, 2 formal evenings on the 7 day cruises and 3 on 10+ day cruises. The Formal Evening is part of the cruise experience on most ships and provides the opportunity to escape the "shorts/flip-flops and tank-top" mode of dress for several evenings. Smart cocktail dresses or pant suits work well. Many ladies will prefer more elaborate gowns and outfits with sequin tops. A good number of the men will wear a tuxedo, however most will be in a dark suit (a sport coat and tie is acceptable). However, it is by no means a requirement that you participate in these formal nights. Although they will request formal attire for the main dining rooms at dinner, there are other options for dining and on every cruise there will be a few folks who choose not to "dress-up"!
hint: On designated formal evenings, the ship's photographer will be happy to take your "formal" portrait... and, if you like the results you can purchase the portrait for significantly less then what your local portrait photographer will charge! !

OK, so you had 2 entrees at dinner last night along with 3 desserts and still found time (and room) for the midnight buffet! Now its time to work-off those pounds and calories!. All ships today have fully equipped exercise centers with a full array of state-of-the-art equipment including free weights, treadmills, stair-steppers, exercise bikes, nautilus gear, etc. There is never a charge to use the exercise facilities! In addition you'll find complimentary aerobics classes and even jogging areas! All ships have swimming pools; some include lap pools! Qualified fitness instructors offer a comprehensive selection of classes from aerobics to aquacise, ensuring that your fitness needs are met. And, of course, one of the best ways to get in a little exercise is to spend 45 minutes walking the "Promenade Deck".
Or, if you're like Vivian from the Special Event Cruises staff, you'll simply be content to "boogie-the-night-away" in the ship's disco!

With a greater emphasis on family reunions, summer vacation cruises, grandparents travelling with their grandchildren, etc,, there is a major effort on the part of most cruise lines to provide supervised activities for the kids. Most cruise lines offer cribs, kids menus and baby-sitting services (there is a charge for baby-sitting, usually between $7 - $15 per hour depending on the time of day and number of children).
Carnival Cruise Lines. amp Carnival is featured year round on all ships and itineraries. The kids are divided into different sections based on age: (toddlers 2-5), (juniors 6-8), (intermediate 9-12), (teens 13-15).
Celebrity Cruise Lines. similar to Carnivals program with the kids being separated according to age beginning at age 3. Baby sitting available. (shipmates 3-6), (cadets 7-9), (ensigns 10-12), (admirals 13-15 and 16-17). Highlights of Celebrity's youth program include Summer Stock Theater ands a program which introduces kids to vessel navigation and operations.
Holland America Cruise Lines. HAL categorizes the kids into three groups: children, pre-teens and teens.
NCL. Norwegian Cruise Lines groups the kids into four sections (2-5), (6-8), (9-12) and (13-17).
Princess Cruise Lines. Princess has two groups, pre-teens and teens (3-17). If you are a teen then one of the newer Princess ships is for you! The Sun, Dawn, Sea, Ocean, Grand, Golden and Star all have "Teen Discos" featuring disco, karoke and lip sync shows and are "off-limits" for anyone not between the ages of 13-17 (including Mom & Dad!).
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. RCCL's "Adventure Ocean" program splits the kids into 5 different categories (3-5, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, and 15-17). One unique feature is that the kids can opt to dine with their counselors in an alternative youth dining venue. The newer ships have a teen nightclub/food outlet serving "mocktails".
For complete details on any of the above programs please call us at 1-800-326-0373

BABYSITTING: Most cruise lines offer individual or group babysitting services. Expect to pay $6-8 per hour for the first child and $4-$6 for each additional.

All the cruise lines try very hard to provide memorable, good quality, well presented meals to their passengers...after all, this is "a cruise" were talking here! And considering that the kitchen staff is preparing as many as 3000 meals for dinner, the results can be pretty impressive.
Lets discuss the options: Every cruise ship will have at least one major dining room which serves "sit-down, order-from-a-menu" service for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is never a food or cover charge in the main dining room(s), although you will pay for alcoholic beverages and sodas (coffee, tea, milk, fruit juices are always included). Some people are happy to eat all their meals in the main dining room. The ambiance is a bit more formal (although not "stuffy") and the service is what you'd expect in any fine restaurant. Each ship will have a buffet that, at a minimum, serves breakfast and lunch. The buffet is always located in an area away from the main dining room and will be consistent with the high-class brunch you've seen at nicer hotels and restaurants. On the larger ships the buffet will serve dinner, and some of them (Princess Cruise Lines newer ships) offer a 24/7 buffet line.
You can use room service to have meals delivered to your room 24 hours a day (although the room service menu will not be near as comprehensive as those found in the actual dining areas. There is never a charge for room service.).
On most newer ships you will always find an outdoor grill (usually near a pool) serving hamburgers/hot dogs/pizza. Most ships will have ice-creme bars (standard-issue ice creme which is complimentary), and some ships are in partnership with premium brand ice-creme labels (i.e. Hagen-Daz & Princess) in which case there is a charge at the ice-creme bar!
And don't forget the Midnight Buffet, a definite cruise ship tradition. Top honors go to NCL for their 100% Chocoholic Midnight Buffet..a magnificent, eye-popping extravazanza of chocolate delights. Celebrity gets high marks for their extraordinary complex and high attention-to-detail midnight buffets which is open a few minutes early exclusively for passengers who want to record the gastronomic event on film or video.
There is a trend towards "alternative-style" dining venues on most ships which offers something completely different (i.e. Sushi Bars, Tex-Mex food, Steak Houses as well as high end "french bistros" , "Italian Trattorias" and "pacific-rim-fusion" cafes to name a few). Some of these will assess a cover charge ($8.00-$20.00) depending on the ship and type restaurant. The newer NCL ships have as many as 12 different restaurants, 4 of which involve a cover charge! Check with us (1-800-326-0373) for specifics and recommendations prior to your sailing.
Table Assignments. In the past most cruise lines would give you the option of the 1st seating for dinner (usually around 6:00 - 6:30 PM) or the 2nd (closer to 8:00 - 8:30 PM). You would pick one and stick with it every night of your cruise. The advantage is that you sit at the same table every night with the same people ( a terrific way to meet new friends). You have the same waiter and busboy each evening with the advantage that they determine your likes/dislikes early on and are therefore better equipped to provide top-notch, personalized table service. And, of course, there is never a wait for your table. The disadvantage is that you are locked into that certain time for dinner each evening.
Several years ago a trend was started by Norwegian Cruise Lines (called "Freestyle Cruising") that eliminated the 1st/2nd seating by going to an"open seating" arrangement. The main dining rooms open at 5:30 PM and stay open till 10:30 PM. You go in at any time you wish. The advantage is that you have total control over when you eat and with whom you eat with; the disadvantage is that you lose the advantages addressed above. In addition to NCL, Princess Cruise Lines ("Personal Choice Dining") offers the open seating arrangement in one or two of their main dining rooms, however they do reserve one dining room for those passengers who prefer assigned 1st/2nd seating. On several recent sailings aboard NCL and Princess ships, we have noticed that lines tend to form outside the "open-seating" dining rooms in the 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM time frames. You can call ahead and make a reservation for a specific size table and time (recommended).

Whether you're looking for non-stop activity or quiet relaxation, you'll discover that cruise ships are the perfect place for both. The seemingly endless array of entertainment options include exciting Broadway-style revues, state-of-the-art theaters, and a variety of live music performances - just to name a few. Most ships also boast unparalleled entertainment facilities with up to three main showrooms, nightclubs, numerous bars and lounges -- more nightlife than virtually any land-based resort hotel.
Nighttime? That's show time. The time when your ship really shines, dazzling you with great, big beautiful shows. Real Las Vegas- and Broadway-style productions in dazzling, state-of-the-art show lounges featuring professional dancers decked out in gorgeous costumes. The production teams behind many of these shows have more Emmy, Grammy, Tony, and Oscar awards than anyone outside of Hollywood..
You'll see at least 3 different production shows on a typical 7 day cruise. In addition, there is always a terrific secondary show which may include an unbelievably talented illusionist, a vocalist, or comedian.
And, of course, the various lounges will have music for your dancing pleasure; everything from disco to country & western.

For many of us, a cruise is the perfect way to celebrate something special: a birthday, an anniversary or even a job promotion. And, of course, don't forget: honeymoon! Any ship is an ideal setting for a honeymoon and many will even offer a wedding package which includes a wedding ceremony aboard the ship (several newer ships have private wedding chapels on-board!). We can help make the occasion all the more special by arranging for special recognition while you are on-board. Just let us know the basic details...we'll take care of the rest!

Every cruise ship has a fully equipped infirmary with at least one licensed medical doctor. Obviously, they won't be equipped to handle major medical problems,;however, for routine medical care they can be quite good (compare them to any "emergency medical care" facility) you might find in your home town. Medical services are not included in the price of your cruise.

In each foreign port visited by any cruise ship making a Caribbean, Alaska or Mexican Riviera cruise, your US dollars are welcome (no need to change money). For any other cruise you will probably want to arrange to have some money in local currency. Most purchases (aside from the usual small, miscellaneous things) can be made with traveler's checks or credit card. The advantage of using a credit card is that you usually are guaranteed a favorable rate of exchange; the disadvantage, in some cases, is that your credit card company may charge a 1-3% surcharge on foreign purchases. Check with your credit card company prior to leaving for their individual policy. Also, you should always advise your credit card company in advance that you may be using the card in a foreign country. If you don't do this then the credit card company may suspect "unauthorized use" and temporarilly suspend the account.
Aboard ship you will find a "cash less" society (exception being the "casino"). You will establish a charge account at the time of check-in by using a major credit card or cash deposit. Then, during the course of the cruise, any purchases you make aboard ship are charged to your account.
Some ships will have ATM machines available (but be prepared to pay a service fee for their use). Others will give you a cash advance with an American Express card. Some will provide a cash advance against your on-board account in the casino, although a service fee may apply depending on the cruise line. Its always a good idea to have some amount of cash or travelers checks to cover miscellaneous expenses. All Celebrity ships will cash up to $200 on your personal checking account and will also allow you a cash advance in the casino which is billed without fee to your on-board account. Most other cruise lines are not so generous.
EUROPE. For most Mediterraean itineraries you will need Euros when shopping ashore. Its probably a good idea to exchange some dollars into euros before you depart the US. This can be done at your departure airport prior to boarding your flight. This way you won't get side-tracked trying to get local currency when you arrive and you'll be prepared for the immediacies of local tranportation, etc. We have found that your best exchange rates will be found at ATM machines that seem to be everywhere in the more popular European locations. The ATM machines in Europe work exactly like they do here; enter your card, your PIN number and amount of money you want. Its probably a good idea to check with your ATM provider just to make sure that your card will work overseas. Its also a good idea to notify your bank before hand that you will be in Europe so that they don't get alarmed when they see activity on your card in a foreign land!!!! Use your credit card for major purchases; the exchange rate is automatically calculated by your bank and is usually better then you'll get at a currency exchange facility.

Massages. Loofah treatments. Hairstyling, Sauna, Steam, Pedicures. Soothing masks. Even microfacelifts. Or get really exotic with a Coconut Body Polish, a Javanese honey steam wrap, or a Bali-press massage! Shipboard spa's offer similar levels of services found at any upscale land-resort facility. Virtually all will offer a complete choice of health and beauty treatments for men and women. You don't have to lift a finger - except for your manicure.
Services provided by the licensed Spa staff, although a wonderful luxury, are not complimentary. However, you will find that the fees charged for the various treatments are very reasonably priced.

You will have 2 methods in which to communicate with the folks back on dry land.
Cell Phone.Many cruise ships have installed technologies aboard that allow you to use your cell phone while the ship is at sea. International Roaming fees will be assesed by your provider (check with them before leaving home as these fees can be as much as $5 per minute.) Also, in many cases you must notify yourcellular provider to ensure that your International Roaming feature is turned on. You'll certainly want to think twice before answering that ring while at sea! Don't have a cell phone? You can use the ship's MARSAT service that charges approximately $8 per minute...this can be done from the phone located in your cabin.
Once you have booked your cruise with us we will provide the ship MARSET phone number for you to leave at home should the need arise for someone to contact you.
FAX. You can send/receive FAX's (however, the MARSAT rates would apply in most cases).