Questions on the differences between lines, ships and other cruising quirks

Hello.

I am thinking about buying my first cruise. Not technically first, but the only time I cruised was when I was 9 years old with my parents on a converted ocean liner for 3 days; things seems to be lightyears from there now.

I've been doing research into what to choose, but I still have many questions as for some reason the full info seems to be hard to find (maybe because I have no experience here).

1.Is there any place online I could find detailed information about amenities in particular ship? What I find usually consists just of a few highlights, but I'd want to know what exactly is offered to make my choice (i.e. lists of restaurants, theaters, spas, pools, information on what is price-included and what is not and, if not included, how much does it cost additionally - in the same way you would get info about hotels, for example).

2.Is there any place online I could find a good comparison between cruise lines, that is, a kind of table of the differences in their typical offers (e.g. what is included in price where and what is not in each line; what is permitted to be taken on board (e.g. soft drinks) and what is not in each line (and is that enforced); how seriously is the dress code enforced in each line; and other key differences)?

3.How long is the typical embarkation/disembarkation procedure at ports of call? That is, if a cruise ship stays 10 hours in the port, how much of that time I can expect to "usefully" spend ashore (excluding time for embarkation, disembarkation, security cheks if there are any, passport checks, etc.)? Does this vary among cruise lines / ports of call?

4.My friend had a first cruise last year and was somewhat disappointed that the ship was late to arrive to Puerto Rico and he had just 2 hours there instead of 6. A question for regular cruisers: how often do such things happen? Does this vary among cruise lines / ports of call?

5.Cruise Critic article for cruisers gives a suggestion to rent a car at ports of call. How feasible is that, given the short times of staying ashore? I would assume things like taking a car and returning would be additional time-consuming hassle (as everybody would want to hire and return cars at the same time), or am I wrong here?

6.Cruise Critic article on "secret fares" claims that in addition to gratuity and paid things, additionally there are various taxes, port charges, etc. that could almost double the cruise price. How could one know what fees are these?

P.S. My traditional travelling style is rather intensive and independent. I have visited 86 countries, so I am quite used to general things about travelling and being in a foreign country, however cruising is a new world to me. Generally I am looking into port-heavy Caribbean cruises for my first journey in a big good ship with many activities.

I love to experience new things (rather than repeating same things) so I'd like to spend my time ashore in exploring (and experiencing) the countries and spend my time in ship trying out various things and activities the ship has to offer.

1. The website for each cruise line typically has pretty detailed info as to what each ship offers.

2. Too many variables here. I doubt there is a comprehensive chart for all this. Some comparison charts. Google search is your friend.

3. For all cruise lines, the timelines are very similar. If docked, you will be able to get off withing 30 minutes of tying up. If tendering, things are more complicated. Getting off in less than an hour is usually done, but we always plan for an hour or more. Yes, some ports can be more complicated...typically those that require face to face meeting with people. St Petersburg, Russia, for example.

4. Late arrivals happen...but I would suspect far less than 5% of the time. Why were they late? Mechanical reasons? Weather reasons? Other reasons?

5. Renting cars in ports varies by ports, but it is usually easy. Public transit is usually always an option as well, and cheaper to use, particularly when parking is an issue.

6. There are no "secret fares". All fees and taxes must be disclosed at booking. I have never heard of fees and taxes coming anywhere close to doubling a cruise fare....but I suppose, if you got a super cheap fare. Fees and taxes are not based on the fare you paid, they are based on a per person basis. Everyone on the ship, no matter what cabin, typically pays the same fees and taxes.

Some reading around Cruise Critic will get you a lot of this info, and so much more.

Most of the answers are spot on, just like to comment on number 6.

As stated all costs are required or noted, however what is not readily explained is that you must provide a credit card to cover any expenses, such as that lovely T-Shirt, the numerous photos, the cocktails with your new friends, or the room stewards tip..etc. Those can and will add up so be careful how and when you use your room card.

(Note: many items, room stewards tip, drinks etc can be prepaid to the cruise line up front so you won't have a large expense at the end of your trip, check out the cruise line website or with your travel agent to find out more)

I would never rent a car on the islands as I've found that drivers can be a little crazy and with lots of ships in port the roads are insanely crowded, the roads aren't always good, there seems to be a lot of fender bender accidents and if you're from the US, some ports drive on the opposite side of the road---if you're not used to that, it could be a problem.

With so many questions, I highly recommend that you find a good travel agent who could answer all your questions. You're not obligated to book with the agent, but at least they can point you in the right direction.

Where are you thinking about cruising? that will make a difference to some answers.

We are full time travelers (family of 6) and just recently discovered cruising.

Ill be glad to share my experiences with you.

1. The best way to find out about the ships is to go to the cruiselines websites. Certainly start there. They usually have good information specific for each ship. But - We have learned to start with the itinerary first and then choose between the ships that serve the itineraries that you like. Unless you really just want to experience a specific ship (like a giant oasis class ship) we find itinerary drives what ship we end up on. Once we figure out which couple of ships to choose from we will search through and ask questions about that specific ship here on CC.

2. Same as above. Look for an itinerary you like, find a ship that serves it and then look at the details of the cruiseline. Most experiences from each of the mainstream cruiselines are pretty darn close. I think you will find that your experience will vary more dependant on itinerary, time of year and class of ship sailed than the actual difference in cruiselines. I'd compare it to chain restaurants like TGI Fridays or PF Changs. I've had completely different experiences in the same restaurant in different cities . Menu items and decor were similar but service and food quality was based on the locale and time of day.

3. Disembark right after tie up. We find that most times we are in port slightly earlier than the posted time. Back on ship 1/2 hour before set sail time. When you have to tender usually we are on the ground within an hour of tying off. Back in tender line 1hr to 30 min before set sail time. All the rest depends on the itinerary and specific port. We have never had a trip where we needed our passport to get on/off the ship.

4. Anything can happen at any time. You could be in a storm, you could have engine problems, you could end up loosing all power and float in the ocean for days on end, you could sink. Anythings possible but the percentage of something not going as planned is miniscule. Cruise ships have a better record than airlines at arriving and departing on time.

5. We rented a car in St. Martin. Best excursion we ever did. Covered a lot of ground and saw more and did more than we could have done any other way. There were 7 of us. I reccomend finding out if others have gone before you before deciding to rent. I could see where some ports might be difficult to rent a car in and traffic could always pose a problem in certain cities. Renting and bringing the car back in St Martin was a breeze.

6. Cruise Fare + Port Taxes and Fees + Gratuities = The big 3. That is all you have to pay for any cruise. The only exception to this is if you get "free" beverages and or specialty dining with your cruise and you have to prepay the gratuities for those packages but other than that you will know the exact cost of your cruise with those 3 items. Everything after that is optional.

We also are independent and love hiking and adventuring in port. Cruising is a lot of fun. Have met wonderful people and it allows us to see lots of things in a short time. The only thing we wish was different would be to spend more time in each port. It would be great if you could get dropped off for 3 days and leave on the next ship that comes through. That would be fun.

Have a great time and feel free to post any questions. There's lots of info to be found on these boards.

-Sean

Never been on a cruise before..... interested in all perspectives...

I would be interested in learning from folks who have been on an Alaskan cruise with Princess. With the weather, rain, trips to glaciers, formal nights - how rugged or warm do I need to pack? Footwear? I'm going this August 2016.

Also - does Princess still have an app so that people in your group can find one another? I heard about Princess@sea app that was free and used the ship intranet - but was it cancelled? Wifi is very expensive so I'm looking for a free option

Never been on a cruise before..... interested in all perspectives...

 

I would be interested in learning from folks who have been on an Alaskan cruise with Princess. With the weather, rain, trips to glaciers, formal nights - how rugged or warm do I need to pack? Footwear? I'm going this August 2016.

 

Also - does Princess still have an app so that people in your group can find one another? I heard about Princess@sea app that was free and used the ship intranet - but was it cancelled? Wifi is very expensive so I'm looking for a free option

Alaska packing is all about layers. Alaska weather changes often. Layers are the best prep for that.

If you look on the portion of Cruise Critic devoted to Princess, located here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=197

you will find many threads on Princess@Sea. FYI, many people find you don't need to be in contact with everyone 24/7.

Alaska packing is all about layers. Alaska weather changes often. Layers are the best prep for that.

 

If you look on the portion of Cruise Critic devoted to Princess, located here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=197

 

you will find many threads on Princess@Sea. FYI, many people find you don't need to be in contact with everyone 24/7.

I'm a big fan of layers on any cruise.

You never know when you might hit cold weather.

I'm a big fan of layers on any cruise.

 

You never know when you might hit cold weather.

Very true...it is our motto as well. Alaska is just a little more complicated.

Most lines are very similar...decor will vary from ship to ship...and accommodations (cabin types) can vary, as well.

Carnival has the largest "standard" cabins....NCL has the best "suite" perks!

You really don't need car rental on the Caribbean Islands...most have decent to great public transportation...a guidebook from your public library can really help you determine which ports you'd like to visit, and what there is in each place that might interest you! You will need to be ON the ship 30 mins prior to sail away at ports of call.

None of the mainstream cruise lines have much of a "dress code" anymore...they have gotten more "casual" as the airlines have restricted what you can carry on a plane! Luggage limits have been the downfall of the "fancy" cruises! All line offer "formal" or "elegant" nights in some form or fashion, so if you WANT to dress up...you certainly can!

As far as port changes go...if you read the "fine print" on your cruise contract, it clearly states that they can change, substitute, rearrange or cancel any port, at any time, for any reason. They don't do that frequently, but it does happen! Do not cruise specifically for any one port, or you risk being disappointed!

Hello.

 

I am thinking about buying my first cruise. Not technically first, but the only time I cruised was when I was 9 years old with my parents on a converted ocean liner for 3 days; things seems to be lightyears from there now.

 

I've been doing research into what to choose, but I still have many questions as for some reason the full info seems to be hard to find (maybe because I have no experience here).

 

1.Is there any place online I could find detailed information about amenities in particular ship? What I find usually consists just of a few highlights, but I'd want to know what exactly is offered to make my choice (i.e. lists of restaurants, theaters, spas, pools, information on what is price-included and what is not and, if not included, how much does it cost additionally - in the same way you would get info about hotels, for example).

 

2.Is there any place online I could find a good comparison between cruise lines, that is, a kind of table of the differences in their typical offers (e.g. what is included in price where and what is not in each line; what is permitted to be taken on board (e.g. soft drinks) and what is not in each line (and is that enforced); how seriously is the dress code enforced in each line; and other key differences)?

 

3.How long is the typical embarkation/disembarkation procedure at ports of call? That is, if a cruise ship stays 10 hours in the port, how much of that time I can expect to "usefully" spend ashore (excluding time for embarkation, disembarkation, security cheks if there are any, passport checks, etc.)? Does this vary among cruise lines / ports of call?

 

4.My friend had a first cruise last year and was somewhat disappointed that the ship was late to arrive to Puerto Rico and he had just 2 hours there instead of 6. A question for regular cruisers: how often do such things happen? Does this vary among cruise lines / ports of call?

 

5.Cruise Critic article for cruisers gives a suggestion to rent a car at ports of call. How feasible is that, given the short times of staying ashore? I would assume things like taking a car and returning would be additional time-consuming hassle (as everybody would want to hire and return cars at the same time), or am I wrong here?

 

6.Cruise Critic article on "secret fares" claims that in addition to gratuity and paid things, additionally there are various taxes, port charges, etc. that could almost double the cruise price. How could one know what fees are these?

 

P.S. My traditional travelling style is rather intensive and independent. I have visited 86 countries, so I am quite used to general things about travelling and being in a foreign country, however cruising is a new world to me. Generally I am looking into port-heavy Caribbean cruises for my first journey in a big good ship with many activities.

 

I love to experience new things (rather than repeating same things) so I'd like to spend my time ashore in exploring (and experiencing) the countries and spend my time in ship trying out various things and activities the ship has to offer.

There are guide books for cruise ships. Here are a couple of good ones you might want to look at (of course you'll want the current addition) ...

 

1.Is there any place online I could find detailed information about amenities in particular ship? What I find usually consists just of a few highlights, but I'd want to know what exactly is offered to make my choice (i.e. lists of restaurants, theaters, spas, pools, information on what is price-included and what is not and, if not included, how much does it cost additionally - in the same way you would get info about hotels, for example). every cruise line website has detailed breakdowns of each ship class, and each ship within that class. I personally like using the browse by deck plan feature that offers a deck by deck map.

 

2.Is there any place online I could find a good comparison between cruise lines, that is, a kind of table of the differences in their typical offers (e.g. what is included in price where and what is not in each line; what is permitted to be taken on board (e.g. soft drinks) and what is not in each line (and is that enforced); how seriously is the dress code enforced in each line; and other key differences)? Cruise critic has a bazillion articles alone on this subject

 

3.How long is the typical embarkation/disembarkation procedure at ports of call? That is, if a cruise ship stays 10 hours in the port, how much of that time I can expect to "usefully" spend ashore (excluding time for embarkation, disembarkation, security cheks if there are any, passport checks, etc.)? Does this vary among cruise lines / ports of call? generally speaking.. 30-45 minutes after pulling in you can get off, and you must be on board a minimum of 30-60 minutes before scheduled departure. there are ALWAYS variations, especially between ship classes( number of other people wanting off at the same time), and in the case of tender ports, that capacity plus your status and any priority you may be entitled to

 

4.My friend had a first cruise last year and was somewhat disappointed that the ship was late to arrive to Puerto Rico and he had just 2 hours there instead of 6. A question for regular cruisers: how often do such things happen? Does this vary among cruise lines / ports of call? it happens. to some people it happens a lot, to others never. for me personally, we have been late pulling in a couple of times and missed a couple of ports altogether. at ANY time aport call can be skipped, rescheduled or otherwise not as originally marketed. you need to learn to go with the flow and if you cruise for one specific port, prepare for disappointment.( one bride missed her own wedding at a destination island because the ship could not pull in that day due to water and she had refused to fly with the rest of the wedding arty, including the groom)

 

5.Cruise Critic article for cruisers gives a suggestion to rent a car at ports of call. How feasible is that, given the short times of staying ashore? I would assume things like taking a car and returning would be additional time-consuming hassle (as everybody would want to hire and return cars at the same time), or am I wrong here? some ports it was be the very definition of insanity. in others, the smartest choice around. again, due diligence on YOUR part is required. grab those travel highlight books forma he library.

 

6.Cruise Critic article on "secret fares" claims that in addition to gratuity and paid things, additionally there are various taxes, port charges, etc. that could almost double the cruise price. How could one know what fees are these? your breakdown is very clearly marked before you pull th trigger.

 

get yourself a good Travel agent that specializes in cruises.

There are two other books Stern's cruise guide and Fodor's which will give you the info you want.

Never been on a cruise before..... interested in all perspectives...

 

I would be interested in learning from folks who have been on an Alaskan cruise with Princess. With the weather, rain, trips to glaciers, formal nights - how rugged or warm do I need to pack? Footwear? I'm going this August 2016.

 

Also - does Princess still have an app so that people in your group can find one another? I heard about Princess@sea app that was free and used the ship intranet - but was it cancelled? Wifi is very expensive so I'm looking for a free option

Since you have different questions, you may want to go to the board that will answer your questions -- many "cruising vets' may not see your specific questions when piggybacking on an entirely different set of questions.

We went on Princess for our Alaskan cruise 12 years ago in mid August, 2004. Layers, layers, layers. Because you may end up with cold weather or wet weather, or rather nice weather. The week before we went, some people told us they wore shorts all week (when we got to Seattle a few days before our cruise, the city was having a rare heat wave). The weather changed when we were on the Sapphire Princess and got a lot of rain and it was in the 50s/60s.

If you're planning to do some adventurous excursions, consider that when packing.

As for onboard apps, I believe there is one right now. You can ask that on the Princess board but say which ship you're considering. My family has stuck with leaving notes for each other. You'll get a Patter newsletter every night for the next day...talk over with your family/party and tell each other what you plan to do. If you have traditional dining, you don't have to plan dinner (a major reason we prefer it), but if doing anytime, just decide ahead of time if you want to dine together.

The ship won't that big you can't find each other. And you don't need to be joined at the hip all the time.

Hello.

 

I am thinking about buying my first cruise. Not technically first, but the only time I cruised was when I was 9 years old with my parents on a converted ocean liner for 3 days; things seems to be lightyears from there now.

 

I've been doing research into what to choose, but I still have many questions as for some reason the full info seems to be hard to find (maybe because I have no experience here).

 

1.Is there any place online I could find detailed information about amenities in particular ship? What I find usually consists just of a few highlights, but I'd want to know what exactly is offered to make my choice (i.e. lists of restaurants, theaters, spas, pools, information on what is price-included and what is not and, if not included, how much does it cost additionally - in the same way you would get info about hotels, for example).

 

2.Is there any place online I could find a good comparison between cruise lines, that is, a kind of table of the differences in their typical offers (e.g. what is included in price where and what is not in each line; what is permitted to be taken on board (e.g. soft drinks) and what is not in each line (and is that enforced); how seriously is the dress code enforced in each line; and other key differences)?

 

3.How long is the typical embarkation/disembarkation procedure at ports of call? That is, if a cruise ship stays 10 hours in the port, how much of that time I can expect to "usefully" spend ashore (excluding time for embarkation, disembarkation, security cheks if there are any, passport checks, etc.)? Does this vary among cruise lines / ports of call?

 

4.My friend had a first cruise last year and was somewhat disappointed that the ship was late to arrive to Puerto Rico and he had just 2 hours there instead of 6. A question for regular cruisers: how often do such things happen? Does this vary among cruise lines / ports of call?

 

5.Cruise Critic article for cruisers gives a suggestion to rent a car at ports of call. How feasible is that, given the short times of staying ashore? I would assume things like taking a car and returning would be additional time-consuming hassle (as everybody would want to hire and return cars at the same time), or am I wrong here?

 

6.Cruise Critic article on "secret fares" claims that in addition to gratuity and paid things, additionally there are various taxes, port charges, etc. that could almost double the cruise price. How could one know what fees are these?

 

P.S. My traditional travelling style is rather intensive and independent. I have visited 86 countries, so I am quite used to general things about travelling and being in a foreign country, however cruising is a new world to me. Generally I am looking into port-heavy Caribbean cruises for my first journey in a big good ship with many activities.

 

I love to experience new things (rather than repeating same things) so I'd like to spend my time ashore in exploring (and experiencing) the countries and spend my time in ship trying out various things and activities the ship has to offer.

So you're more experienced than I am but :) I think I can answer some of your questions as I came back from my first cruise :D

1- You can narrow down to several and start going to their websites ... but I personally called the cruise line and asked them the questions (ie- is there a sushi restaurant?)

2- Cruise critic is a great resource

3- We usually arrived at the ports at around 7am and got out of the ship at around 8ish after b.fast and coffee, but many times I've been told I was the first passenger getting out! Getting back to the ship took about 20 seconds. Most of the time except one port our departure was at 5pm, and we've been told to be back latest at 430pm. But we got there earlier just to be able to enjoy the ship, go to the million dollar view gym, etc ...

4- Ugghhh .. bad luck, but if it can happen at the airports, I think it can happen with the ships

5- I wouldn't be bothered, there are cabs everywhere :)

6- When you book, they give you the rates item by item (tax, port fee, gratuity, etc etc), and for us it was only a couple of hundred dollars not double the cruise fare ...

PS - I never thought we'd like cruising this much ... we went on purely because of the itinerary, and we can do the exact same trip without even thinking twice ... I also mentioned that in my review, we really wanted to extend it by another week, but it looked like it was already sold out!

Go, explore, enjoy, and have tons of fun!