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Thinking about my first cruise next year... have lots of questions!


AustinCarr
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Hi all

 

Never been on a cruise before, but thinking about going on a Baltic one next year.

 

I have several questions, if you can please help.

 

Which UK ports do Baltic cruises depart from?

 

Broadly speaking, how much would I be looking to pay per person for 10 or 14 nights in either June or September? Is there a 'best' time to try and book for the cheapest price?

 

What would be the tipping/gratuities procedure for this type of cruise?

 

Is all food and non-alcoholic drinks included in the price? Do you pay extra for all types of alcohol on board?

 

Recommendations for the best pills to combat sea sickness?

 

Roughly, how much would you expect to pay for access to the Internet on board? And is the quality solid or variable?

 

On port days, what times do you generally get off and back on the ship?

 

Thank you in advance for any help you may be able to provide!

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Most cruise lines nowadays add the suggested tip/gratuity to your bill....you don't need to worry about tipping individuals...the cruise line disburses the money to those who serve you at the end of the cruise. In standard cabins, daily tips run about $14-17 per person....depends on the cruise line. Suites generally pay about $3 more pp per day. Some feel they are a good bargain...others don't partake of enough specialty food or alcohol to make financial sense.

 

Most food is included (dining room and buffet and some smaller snack venues)...and ice water, coffee, tea (iced or hot) lemonade, milk and juice at breakfast is included. Sodas (pop) and booze are extra. Most lines have drink and dining packages available.....they are not required to obtain drinks or food...but many feel not having to worry about paying for each drink is worth it. The dining packages are for "specialty" restaurants, where there is an extra cost for the ambiance and food.

 

Dramamine/Bonine/Meclazine, etc...are all tried and true motion sickness remedies. Many folks never need medications...some need it if they simply LOOK at the ocean!

 

Port days....you can get off around the time listed on your itinerary, and you will need to be ON the ship 30 mins. prior to the posted "sail away" time. You can come and go as often as you like...you needn't stay ashore the entire day! If you have any "tendered" ports, it can take a bit longer to get to and from the ship, as you are "ferried" to land. Most tenders are quite large and carry about 150-200 people!

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Hi all

 

Never been on a cruise before, but thinking about going on a Baltic one next year.

 

I have several questions, if you can please help.

 

Which UK ports do Baltic cruises depart from?

Several cruise lines - including P&O, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Cunard, Norwegian, Oceania and Fred Olsen - from Southampton. Fred Olsen, Princess & probably one or two others from Dover. Cruise & Maritime from Tilbury, Dundee and Bristol. Thomson (Marella) and Fred Olsen from Newcastle, Fred Olsen from Liverpool.

Plus a wider range of cruise lines if you fly to embarkation in places like Amsterdam & Oslo.

 

Broadly speaking, how much would I be looking to pay per person for 10 or 14 nights in either June or September? Is there a 'best' time to try and book for the cheapest price?

I'd guess a minimum of £1000 per person for 14 days for 2 in an inside cabin. Go up the cruise line scale & you go up in price. Go for an outside (called "ocean view") cabin and you go up in price, but for the Baltic our experience has been that a balcony cabin doesn't cost much more than an ocean-view cabin.

For a good experience in a decent cabin on a decent ship, expect to pay somewhere around £1300 pp.

 

There are deals to be done when brochures come out - normally in the way of free cabin up-grade, free drinks package, free port parking, etc.

But cheapest by far is a late booking - about 6 to 8 weeks out. Only good if you can be flexible on date & cruise line / ship - if a cruise sells-out or prices go up because sales are ahead of target you simply try a different cruise line & different date. A late, late booking can save you 40% (not a typo, forty percent) off brochure price. Or it can leave you stuck with nowhere to go because you're committed to holiday dates.

Late booking also means limited cabin choice and mebbe no choice on which dinner sitting. Not relevant to you, but the cruise fare savings with a late cruise booking can be blown by an expensive late-booked long-haul flight

 

What would be the tipping/gratuities procedure for this type of cruise?

On US ships a daily "gratuity" (ignore the dictionary meaning :rolleyes:) of $12 to $15 per passenger per night is added to your on-board account for your cabin steward & waiting staff, and 15% is added to your drinks bill for bar staff. On UK ships (P&O, C&M, Fred) the daily charge is lower at around £4 to £5 pppn and there's no charge added to your drinks bills. Thomson (Marella) is the only mainstream cruise line in which all tips are included in the fare, though most folk put their hands in their pockets for their hard-working steward & waiters.

 

Is all food and non-alcoholic drinks included in the price? Do you pay extra for all types of alcohol on board?

All the food you need - all meals and snacks (choice of venue & fayre - is included in your fare, and varies from very acceptable to very good. There are premium-pay restaurants on most ships, but no need to use them unless mebbe for a birthday treat or somesuch.

Mainstream cruise lines don't include alcoholic or soft drinks except sometimes as a come-on to encourage cruise bookings, but you can buy all-you-can-drink packages or buy as-you-go.

 

Recommendations for the best pills to combat sea sickness?

Sorry, I have no idea.

 

Roughly, how much would you expect to pay for access to the Internet on board? And is the quality solid or variable?

Used to be very expensive - and even more expensive because it was awfully slow. Things have improved dramatically, on most ships you can get packages of an hour or two without breaking the bank, but doubtless on some ships its still slow. We get some free wifi as a regular client perk, and use freebie wifi at cafes & bars in ports.

 

On port days, what times do you generally get off and back on the ship?

Mainly something like 8am to 5pm, but it's too varied to be precise. Check out itinerary times in port, & knock off at least half an hour at both ends.

 

Thank you in advance for any help you may be able to provide!

 

When you've chosen a cruise, dig deeper into drinks prices, gratuities, wifi and all the other stuff.

For the time being, accept that on-board costs on US ships are mebbe 20% higher than on UK ships - mainly matched by better facilities and more glitz.

One thing you haven't asked about is excursions. Dig deeper later, but I can tell you that at most Baltic ports you can do your own thing without over-priced excursions. The exception is St Petersburg, where you have to either pre-arrange an expensive & complicated visa or - for cruisers - book an excursion, either through the ship or with one of the accredited local tour operators. I've put that I bold type because cruise lines try to con you that the choices are a visa or a ship's tour. And I very strongly advise you to book a cruise that has at least two days in St Petersburg (most do), and book with a local tour operator like Alla, SPB, TJ Travel, Best Guides or one of the many other excellent operators.

Another bit of advice - book a cruise that sails into Stockholm (Stadsgarden or Frihamnen), not Nyneshamn. Nynashamn is on the coast, an hour's travel from Stockholm - more importantly you miss the sail-in through the archipelago of islands, one of the world's best sail-ins.

Can I suggest you phone (that's phone, not internet) a couple of cruise specialist travel agents. We can't name them on Cruise Critic, but google "cruise agents UK". You'll find their depth of knowledge invaluable.

 

And get onto e-mailing lists / frequently check the 'net for late deals this year. That'll give you an idea of potential late-booked savings next year.

Happy hunting

 

JB :)

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Baltic cruises go from Southampton and Newcastle, although there will be the occasional one froml ports such as Hull, Dundee or Dover.

The larger, newer ships go from Southampton; the smaller, older ones from Newcastle. which is nearer to the Baltic regions.

If you reckon on around £100 per night for a balcony cabin; less for an inside; less outside school holidays (and more inside school holidays)

Tipping- it depends whether you're on a USA ship or a UK managed one... USA is more expensive, as are bar sales, and some lines take an automatic tip on top.

UK managed have lesser rates, but cruise prices might be slightly more expensive. P&O ask for £7 per person per day; Fred Olsen for £5; I think it's about £7 for C&M, and Thomson, now called Marella, has no tipping at all. UK ships charge pub prices for alcohol.

Ask your pharmacist about sea sickness pills... Stugeron and Avomin are popular. Sea sickness is much rarer than most people imagine, and you can buy pills at reception, or even buy a jab from the doctor on board!

Internet prices are expensive, but you'll be off the ship a lot, so follow the crew who know all the free spots...

Oh- some PO ships, all C&M ones, and some of Fred O's cruises are adult only, if you were thinking of a family cruise.

Edit: Posted at the same time as J B, who probably knows more about this than me...but we usually agree more than disagree! :D ;)

Edited by jocap
SNAP!
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All this information is incredibly helpful, and just what I was looking for.

 

 

Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to reply, I appreciate it!

Cannot help you but I saw your screen name and just wondered if it is homage to the great basketball player ?

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Hi all

 

Never been on a cruise before, but thinking about going on a Baltic one next year.

 

I have several questions, if you can please help.

 

Which UK ports do Baltic cruises depart from?

 

Broadly speaking, how much would I be looking to pay per person for 10 or 14 nights in either June or September? Is there a 'best' time to try and book for the cheapest price?

We went in September last year and the weather was excellent and crowds in most ports were minimal. Costs vary significantly by cruise line and are dependent on what is provided. The mainstream mega ships appear cheaper, but they nickle and dime you on a daily basis. The more up market/luxury lines may even be all-inclusive, but have a higher daily rate. Some lines even include tips, drinks and a tour in each port, so when comparing prices, check carefully what is included.

 

What would be the tipping/gratuities procedure for this type of cruise?

Most have a discretionary service charge added to the final bill on departure. You can remove or reduce the DSC, as you see fit. Some lines have no DSC/gratuities.

 

Is all food and non-alcoholic drinks included in the price? Do you pay extra for all types of alcohol on board?

The mainstream mega ships provide meals in the restaurant/buffet, which includes tea/coffee and tap water. The buffet also has some juices. Specialty teas, coffees, bottled water, pop, etc all cost extra. However, on up market/luxury lines these are all included.

 

Recommendations for the best pills to combat sea sickness?

DW uses Scopolamine patches, which I believe in UK is by prescription.

 

Roughly, how much would you expect to pay for access to the Internet on board? And is the quality solid or variable?

Wifi again depends on the company. Mainstream mega ships charge for internet access, which is slow. More up market/luxury lines include wifi, but it is still slow. Probably same as the old dial up access.

 

On port days, what times do you generally get off and back on the ship?

Too many variables. We research each port making a list of attractions that are interesting. We then research potential tours - both ship & private.Next is a risk assessment - security issues, distance traveled from the port, return time v's ship departure time. If risks are high we will opt for a ship tour, otherwise we are happy to book a private tour. We disembark based on our tour schedule.

 

Thank you in advance for any help you may be able to provide!

 

See responses in red. Also in the Baltic, Alla Tours who we used in St Petersburg, also provided tours in each of the other ports. Prices were much cheaper than the ship and tours were also much smaller - up to 10 pax.

 

Provided you use a accredited tour company in St Petersburg and return to the ship in the evening, NO Russian Visa is required.

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Out of interest, I have just searched for a Baltic cruise from Southampton in June 2019 and the basic price, for an inside cabin, is just over £18000pp.

 

You need to dig deeper, Slugsta ;)

 

June '19 from Southampton P&O £1078 & £1372, Princess £1485, more up-market Celebrity 1479 & 1579.

 

Or widen your horizons to other UK ports & other months, there's..........

 

Fred from Dover £869 or Newcastle £1076

P&O from Southampton £1089 (£1336 balcony cabin).

Cunard from Southampton £1539 (oceanview)

C&M from Tilbury £1080 (£1399 (oceanview) or Portsmouth £1370 (oceanview)

Thomson from Newcastle £1445 (£1539 oceanview)

 

That's as advertised, probably better prices / freebies can be negotiated with some of them.

And there's doubtless others I missed with this brief scan of the web.

 

JB :)

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I've thought of another couple of questions, which hopefully someone will be able to help me with.

 

In terms of looking for a cruise, is there a particular website(s) that people like to use to find prices? Or is it more a case of regularly checking the individual cruise line sites?

 

For our situation, we can be very flexible on dates, and checking to see what is available 6-8 weeks out would not be much of an issue.

 

In terms of the lines that operate the Baltic cruises, is there a pecking order of sorts I should be aware of? I'm not necessarily looking for a top 5 in order sort of thing, but is there a clear top dog, and also bottom of the barrel?

Edited by AustinCarr
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You can check out cruises at an online Travel Agent. Can't name any, but you can easily Google them.

 

The top 5 cruise lines vary by pax expectations, we prefer premium/luxury cruises lines, so our top 5 will differ significantly from pax looking for a mainstream mega ship. Are you looking for bigger or smaller ship, families or adult only, lots of nightlife & parties or a more cultural experience, traditional dinning or anytime, etc.

 

If you mention a few preferences, we can suggest some Lines that may meet your expectations.

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Instead of checking each individual cruise line, "cruise specialist agents" (google it) are an easier way to see what's available and to compare offers, and getting on their e-mailing lists will keep you advised of price changes etc. One that comes up on a google search sounds like it should be based in the Arctic ;) and its website is easiest to dial in cruise listings by region (eg Baltic) and date together with prices and itineraries, though it's not necessarily the cheapest. Kinda like using www.booking.com as a starting point for hotels. Once you see a likely cruise use your phone, not your keyboard, to check out the prices from other cruise agents.

You'll soon find one or two that are more helpful than others - then get the best deals from wherever, and ask the agent who seems most friendly & helpful to match it. As a newbie you really do need an agent who's on your side.

 

Different folk have different cruise line pecking-orders depending on their preferences. You should get a decent idea from pricing. And

For a first cruise you might want to give preference a UK ship rather than a US one, even though not all are up to US standards. There's a lot to learn about cruising so more of what you're used to is probably easier

- Brit ships will be geared more to Brit tastes

- you're less likely to get expensive surprises,

- ship's currency is sterling (you don't use cash on-board, everything goes onto your on-board account & is settled by your credit card, but with sterling it's much easier to figure prices and no currency exchange fees from your card supplier).

- Oh, and the bacon won't be burnt to a frazzle :D.

P&O is probably the safest bet, its ships are more modern & up to US standards although mebbe a bit more bland/sedate and without the toys like climbing wall, zipline, waverider, ice-rink that you get on some US ships. Crew are more reserved than I prefer, on US ships they're more "in your face" than I prefer. All a matter of taste.

Fred Olsen caters mainly for recently-retireds, Cruise & Maritime and P&O's adults-only ships attract an even older bunch, Thomson (now re-named Marella) attract a wider cross-section of ages & incomes though on a 2-week Baltic cruise many of those differences will be a little more blurred.

 

But that's all just my opinion, and Heidi has hit the nail on the head - it's as much about you as it is about the cruise line or ship.

 

JB :)

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If you can sail on relatively short notice, I suggest you go to the websites of all of the likely cruise lines, and maybe some that aren't...and sign up for their email specials. Heck, even sign up for snail mail. You never know what tasty temptation will drop into your mailbox. EM

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When we were on a Mediterranean cruise with a lot of experienced cruisers, we asked everyone we met their favorite cruise and they ALL said the Baltic so you picked a good one!

 

We’re doing it next year on Princess and it’s my dream cruise.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks JB! We hope to do the Baltics for a second time at some stage in the future so I will then research in earnest. For us, it has to be a Southampton departure, but the OP might have different requirements.

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