First ever cruise HELP!!!! DID I MAKE A BIG MISTAKE

[molsonschooner]

You have not made a mistake!!. Aboard you can see a Broadway show (free), a great ice skating show (free), a wonderful aqua show (free) play trivia everyday (lots of fun), go to a "quest" game (won"t tell you about that, but you'll have great fun!!!) and too much else to mention.

 

Some of the tours are rather pricy, but we have usually taken private tours which are cheaper. If you check on Cruise Critic site you can find some that are considered reliable. On several cruises we have merely hired a taxi to take us around the Island.

 

As previous poster said, you put anything you buy on a credit card. On the last morning they will give you a listing of charges you will be paying when you get home. If you are concerned about your bill you can check the amount any day at the Customer Service desk.

 

Good luck and I feel sure you will get home and want to book another cruise.

you can keep tabs on your spending on the tv in your cabin. You can do this many times every day if you like. Doing this daily, you won't get a big surprise on you last day.

[xxHadleyxx]

I notice no one has really listed out what IS included for you, so I will try :)

 

FOOD: A large number of dining venues. One full service sit down place which is open for breakfast and dinner and lunch on seas days (the MDR). Also, several different buffet areas spread around the ship and several places to get a lighter snack (including a pizza place, donut shop, soup and salad place, etc). Room service is also included (though there is a late night delivery charge which i think goes from midnight to 5:00 a.m.). There is food available at no extra charge 24 hours a day.

 

DRINKS: Juice (at breakfast only, not fresh squeezed), tap water (it's good, well filtered by the ship--honestly probably cleaner than bottled water), basic coffee, basic teas, hot chocolate (from a powdered mix), milk, flavoured waters, fruit punch (on some ships--not sure about allure) and lemonade (this might be called lemon squash or crodial where you are from--it is NOT the fizzy drink sold as sprite or 7-up).

Additionally, you may bring two bottles of wine per stateroom on-board with you (at the embarkation port only) to have to drink in your room, etc. (note, if you try to bring other liquor on it will be confiscated; this is different than a land vacation so I wanted to point it out).

 

SPORTS: use of the flow riders, ice staking, pools, gym, rock walls, zip line, basketball court, etc all at no charge.

 

SHOWS: Ice Shows, Water/dive shows, Broadway style shows (including a production of Chicago), comedy show, and various guest entertainers, etc. I think you'll have more shows to choose from than you could possibly see in the week.

 

OTHER: parades, trivia games, hosted gameshow type events (Love and Marragie, Quest--don't miss it, etc), discos, jazz clubs, etc.

 

I agree with others who say you can have a truly great vacation without spending a dime over what the tips cost. We have done that many times.

 

I also agree that if you are only expecting to drink 1-2 drinks per evening, buying them individually will be much better than buying packages. I hope you have a great cruise.

[BekkaW]

LazeyBear,

While I know that full board means all meals when at a hotel, I have never seen that term offered as an option when I book a cruise. Did you book this cruise through a travel agent who used that term, or did you book your cruise through the RCCL website?

 

I wondered about this too. Perhaps it means gratuities are included - I hope the OP comes back to clarify.

[Bernall]

Sounds exactly like us. We booked our first cruise ever, the Allure, same route and same cabin as you have booked . It was the best vacation we've ever taken. Within a week of being home, we booked our second cruise, same ship, different route. You will have a blast! Enjoy!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[trev71]

You have not made a mistake do not worry.. You will enjoy the cruise... If you only have a few drinks a day then the package is not worth it for you. Since you need to have 6 or more per person to make it worth your while.

DW and I get about 12 each, each cruise which it is still cheaper for us to buy ours without the package, I dont want to me tipsy the whole cruise. .. Just research it on here and make your decision. You will get lots of advice

Edited November 18, 2013 by trev71

[rock the boat]

Since this is your first cruise, there is one other thing you should know regarding charges to your room. Make sure you use a credit card for your charges, not a debit card. The cruise line will put a hold on your account for double the amount of your charges using a debit card.

[voyager89]

Ahhhh i see !! I know we will have at least one mad night we are Irish after all :D Can you tell me how much a drink package might be how to arrange it whats included? And thank you so much for the speedy reply

 

If you buy the package online, they will make you buy it for both. If you wait and purchase it on board they will sell you just one. That way if your boyfriend drinks a llot he could use it, an dyou can pay by drink. Or you can have him get you drinks if you are a rebel :cool: LOL I know that is "not right" and a lot of members will flame, but well I wouldnt care less if I did it.

 

BTW we also did the Oasis as our first cruise ever. Do not regret it AT ALL

 

Maybeif we had done it in a smaller ship with not as many things to do we wouldnt be as hooked on cruising as we are.

 

Enjoy!!!

 

Hiram

Edited November 18, 2013 by voyager89

[lillotis]

We like to drink and did not do drink package. We had drinks by pool during day, drink after dinner, wine w dinner and still it did not come to the price of the drink package. I think our bill was around $650 for week and that included one special dinner and two tickets to Red Stripe Beach. It would have been. It would have been more for drink package for two of us plus wine. We drink top shelf and my husband often orders doubles. Drinks were under $10 each so even if you just have a few each at night, it is significantly less than package.

[socratesxxx]

As someone pointed out earlier. If you don't plan on having 7 or 8 drinks per day you are throwing your money away buying the premium drink package.

[xpcdoojk]

A common misconception of first time cruisers is that Cruises are AI. Most of them are not!

 

However you can easily manage to spend nothing at all extra up to spending hundreds or thousands extra. It´s all about what you chose to do.

 

Tips

Tips are expected and unless not already prepaid with your cruisefare or given as an incentive by your TA you should probably calculate for them ( I know this might end in a debate between those being in favour of tipping and those not, so here´s the Disclaimer I said tips are expected I didn´t say mandatory).

 

Food

Unless you Chose to dine in the pay for venues you can be fed 24/7 onboard without paying extra for anything

 

Drinks

Non alcoholic Drinks, there´s some included some not. Included are things like tap water, flavoured waters, lemonade, ice tea, coffee, tea, milk (could be more I didn´t think of)

Stuff like Sodas, Juice etc. is not free. (Included Juice at breakfast - fresh squeezed Orange Juice is at a cost)

You can purchase Soda packages which entitle you to unlimited fountain Soda, Juice packes and bottled water packages

Alcohol is never included. There´s packages available, but all can be purchased on a pay as you go Basis as well (including the Soda and Juice stuff of course)

 

Excursions

You can buy from the cruise line, go with Independent Operators or just do your own Thing

 

Other extras like pics, souveniers, jewlery, etc. of course are available.

 

I´ve managed to end up with high bills and Zero bills. Though some of this depends on what is prepaid and what not.

 

Good post.

 

jc