Suggestion Please: Looking to send my (Indian) parents on a Baltic cruise

[shivamsharma]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm looking to send my retired parents on a 12 night Baltic cruise, this will be their first Euro trip, sadly I won't be able to accompany them therefore choosing a cruise just so their meals, travel between cities etc are a breeze. Now, the reason I've started this thread is to ask the following questions:

 

1. Is Royal Caribbean a good cruise to send Indian parents on? In terms of how they take care of guests on board etc.
   
2. I can't find on their website if they serve Indian food. Parents are strictly vegetarian, and my dad specifically likes to stick to Indian food.
   
3. Lame question, are all meals and alcohol covered in the cruise ticket?
   
4. Is Ocean View Balcony room a good option? I want this trip to be really comfortable for them.
   
5. Another lame question – Once the ship anchors in a new city, do they provide bus / transfer to take guests around the city, like a guided tour?
   
6. Any other tips? Shall I drop a note to Royal Caribbean to take extra care of them or get them a view with a good room? Usually works when I email hotels prior to check-in.
   

 

Sorry for the long list of questions. I've never been on a cruise myself, thought it would be worthwhile checking here. :)

 

 

Thanks!

[capriccio]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm looking to send my retired parents on a 12 night Baltic cruise, this will be their first Euro trip, sadly I won't be able to accompany them therefore choosing a cruise just so their meals, travel between cities etc are a breeze. Now, the reason I've started this thread is to ask the following questions:

 

 

 

 

 

1. Is Royal Caribbean a good cruise to send Indian parents on? In terms of how they take care of guests on board etc.
   
2. I can't find on their website if they serve Indian food. Parents are strictly vegetarian, and my dad specifically likes to stick to Indian food. There will be a number of food venues (main dining rooms, buffet, specialty - additional cost - restaurants, etc.) The Main Dining Rooms will have a selection of appetizers, salads, main courses and desserts that vary each night where you might occasionally - but not daily - find an Indian dish. You might have more luck in the buffet. Vegetarian dishes are marked on the menus in the dining rooms; your parents will have to confirm with buffet staff that a dish is vegetarian if the sign isn't marked.
   
3. Lame question, are all meals and alcohol covered in the cruise ticket? Alcohol is not included on main line (like Royal Caribbean) cruises. Included meals are available for every meal plus there will be specialty restaurants that charge a surcharge. Those will be well marked as such.
   
4. Is Ocean View Balcony room a good option? I want this trip to be really comfortable for them. Look at Royal's website for the deck plans and cabin descriptions since you know your parents better than anyone replying.
   
5. Another lame question – Once the ship anchors in a new city, do they provide bus / transfer to take guests around the city, like a guided tour? In ever city there will be ship excursions that you can buy in advance or on the ship. In general they are not cheap but your parents would be looked after from leaving the ship to returning. It is recommended to buy them in advance because the popular ones sell out. Take a look at Royal's website for info on the excursions offered this season.
   

 

• Any other tips? Shall I drop a note to Royal Caribbean to take extra care of them or get them a view with a good room? Usually works when I email hotels prior to check-in. When reserving the cruise you usually pick out your cabin (unless most are sold and then you can only chose a 'guaranteed' cabin class and the cruise line will assign the actual cabin). Ships carry thousands of passengers and, in general, take hospitality very seriously.
  

 

Sorry for the long list of questions. I've never been on a cruise myself, thought it would be worthwhile checking here. :)

 

 

Thanks!

 

Welcome to cruise critic! What a nice thing to do for your parents! I have no experience on Royal Caribbean but most of the large cruise lines operate similarly (and I'm sure some Royal Caribbean past passengers will chime in). I think it would be very helpful to find a Travel Agent with cruise experience. Unfortunately cruise critic rules prohibit us from making recommendations. Also, post your questions on the Royal Caribbean forum where you will get specific answers about that cruise line: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=83

[Essiesmom]

I have never sailed Royal Caribbean, but I can answer a few of your questions, as they apply to most cruise lines.

2. Many lines will have an Indian option on the menu every night. If not, ask the head waiter or maitre 'd as many of the cooks onboard are from India, and there is generally Indian food served in the crew dining areas.

3. There are included meals in several venues onboard the ship, especially the Main Dining Room (MDR). There will also be several dining venues that cost extra. Alcohol always costs extra, as well as soft drinks. Water, coffee, tea (hot and iced) and often lemonade are availble free in the buffet area.

5. The ship will provide the option to book excursions in the ports of call. they will not be free.

6. You either book the cruise online on the cruise line website, of by phone with the cruise line. If you want more personal service, use a travel agency/agent. You book a specific cabin - forget the email bit. Not at all the same. The other option is to book a guarantee cabin (gty) in a specific category, such as balcony. But I would not do that for first time cruisers.

 

For more info and advice about Royal Caribbean, visit the board here for Royal, under Cruise Lines P-Z. EM

[mom says]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm looking to send my retired parents on a 12 night Baltic cruise, this will be their first Euro trip, sadly I won't be able to accompany them therefore choosing a cruise just so their meals, travel between cities etc are a breeze. Now, the reason I've started this thread is to ask the following questions:

 

1. Is Royal Caribbean a good cruise to send Indian parents on? In terms of how they take care of guests on board etc. All of the cruise lines take pride in their customer service on board.
   
2. I can't find on their website if they serve Indian food. Parents are strictly vegetarian, and my dad specifically likes to stick to Indian food. Vegetarian options should not be difficult to find. As mentioned, vegetarian options will be indicated on the MDR menus. They should also be labelled in the buffet, but if there is any question, a chef or line server should be able to answer. There is usually a limited number of Indian dishes offered in the buffet. It's less likely to be on every menu in the MDR, but your parents might be able to discuss this with their head waiter on the first night to see if a special accommodation could be made for off menu items.
   
3. Lame question, are all meals and alcohol covered in the cruise ticket? All meals are included in the MDR and buffet. Specialty restaurants are not included, but can be enjoyed for an extra fee. Alcohol is not included, nor are soft drinks or bottled water.
   
4. Is Ocean View Balcony room a good option? I want this trip to be really comfortable for them. A balcony cabin is always a good option.
   
5. Another lame question – Once the ship anchors in a new city, do they provide bus / transfer to take guests around the city, like a guided tour? On mass market cruise lines, shore excursions are never included in the cruise price, but may be purchased. The different excursion options can be viewed on the website.
   
6. Any other tips? Shall I drop a note to Royal Caribbean to take extra care of them or get them a view with a good room? Usually works when I email hotels prior to check-in. Dropping a note will do no good. If you want a room with a view, then look at the deck plans and book the cabin you want. I don't know what you mean by taking extra care of them. It's important to know that crew members cannot provide physical care of guests. They must be self sufficient in that respect, or bring their own caregiver with them.
   

Sorry for the long list of questions. I've never been on a cruise myself, thought it would be worthwhile checking here. :)

 

 

Thanks!

 

Since neither you nor your parents have cruised before, I think it's important that you use the services of a local Travel Agent with cruise experience. He or she can help you find all the information you need and guide you through all of your options. Much better than a bunch of strangers on the Internet. And they can also help point you in the right directions for obtaining all if the various visas you will need.

[spookwife]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm looking to send my retired parents on a 12 night Baltic cruise, this will be their first Euro trip, sadly I won't be able to accompany them therefore choosing a cruise just so their meals, travel between cities etc are a breeze. Now, the reason I've started this thread is to ask the following questions:

 

1. Is Royal Caribbean a good cruise to send Indian parents on? In terms of how they take care of guests on board etc. your nationality is irrelevant. everyone's treated the same
   
2. I can't find on their website if they serve Indian food. Parents are strictly vegetarian, and my dad specifically likes to stick to Indian food. plenty of vegetarian options. as for Indian specific, depends on the cruise line itself. some always have at least one curry dish in the buffet, others you will find a harder time having listed menu options but can request some things for the next night's meal
   
3. Lame question, are all meals and alcohol covered in the cruise ticket? nope. mass market crusielines pretty much do not include alcohol at all unless the drink package is an included perk. there will always be some restaurants that incur additional fees and there are always items or bvenues that have extra fees ( some lines charge for room service )
   
4. Is Ocean View Balcony room a good option? I want this trip to be really comfortable for them. it can be. we love balcony rooms and won't sail in anything less
   
5. Another lame question – Once the ship anchors in a new city, do they provide bus / transfer to take guests around the city, like a guided tour? only if they book/pay for a ship sponsored tour. otherwise, no. best you can hope for is maybe a shuttle form he p[ier to the main drag
   
6. Any other tips? Shall I drop a note to Royal Caribbean to take extra care of them or get them a view with a good room? Usually works when I email hotels prior to check-in. your parents are not special. if you want them waited on hand and foot, you need to book a Star t Class suite that comes with a genie. it will probably cost about $20K or more.
   

Sorry for the long list of questions. I've never been on a cruise myself, thought it would be worthwhile checking here. :)

 

 

Thanks!

 

unless you have been on one, you really should;tbe sending them on one

[Arzeena]

unless you have been on one, you really should;tbe sending them on one

 

Rubbish!

[Arzeena]

Since neither you nor your parents have cruised before, I think it's important that you use the services of a local Travel Agent with cruise experience. He or she can help you find all the information you need and guide you through all of your options. Much better than a bunch of strangers on the Internet. And they can also help point you in the right directions for obtaining all if the various visas you will need.

 

I strongly agree with the suggestion of using a local travel agent.

[Velvetwater]

Maybe someone else can clarify the same experience but the only lines we have been on that serve varied curries every day were X and Norwegian and this was the buffer. Royal didn't serve any curry apart from the odd here and there. We are huge curry fans (Brits :)) and loved the offerings we had and the 3 cruises I am discussing were all in Europe and 12/13 day voyages.

 

NCL:

Vegetarian and meat curries each day in the evening buffet along with daal sides,rice and raita yoghurts and breads etc. Sometimes the curries would be themed more to thai tastes but they were there. Curries were on the milder side. No Indian food for lunch buffet and the odd Indian dish in the dining room.

 

Celebrity

To our surprise, this line even had Indian food for breakfast (Puri , congee, veg and daal curry, rice and raita). They also had a mix of curries from different parts of Asia for the evening buffet but not the lunch. The odd Indian dish in the dining room.

 

 

Cruise lines in general are great at providing for vegetarians so your parents will have no problem there however if they are pure vegetarian/do not eat eggs and fish will need to check with servers. Indian food is not a popular option on ships due to US cruisers not being big on it.

[Kartgv]

It sounds like you are being very generous and thoughtful to think about a trip like this for your parents. I would, however, ask a few questions since neither you or they have cruised before. I don't mean to discourage you, just make sure you're on the right track before you make a reservation.

 

Have they done other traveling so that they are comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings? Have you checked with them on whether they are even interested in cruising? Some people are either afraid of it or have no interest. Are they comfortable with flying to get to their cruise origination point? Are there any health issues? - if so, communicate with the cruise lines Special Needs department before sailing to see that everything they need can be accommodated.

 

The suggestions to find a travel agent to talk to is a good one. The balcony cabin would be very nice - I'd try to get one as close to the center of the ship as possible and on a lower deck to minimize discomfort from ship movement. Tell them to take some sea sickness remedies just in case. The cruise lines mentioned by others would all be pretty comparable in terms of price and amenities, so any of them would work. We've also seen plenty of Indian food on Princess, so that's another one to consider. Good luck with your plans!

[jocap]

I'm not sure where the cruise is beginning, but if it's the UK, I think you should look at P&O cruises. The line has a long association with India, and many of the crew are from there; you'll find people working on board who can tell you that their parents and grandfathers worked for the line. There's a special weekly Indian night in the buffet, which is cooked and served with pride by Indian chefs. On the larger ships there will also be an Eastern restaurant.

We've met several passengers from India, or whose relatives live in India, on these ships.

[shivamsharma]

It sounds like you are being very generous and thoughtful to think about a trip like this for your parents. I would, however, ask a few questions since neither you or they have cruised before. I don't mean to discourage you, just make sure you're on the right track before you make a reservation.

 

Have they done other traveling so that they are comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings? Have you checked with them on whether they are even interested in cruising? Some people are either afraid of it or have no interest. Are they comfortable with flying to get to their cruise origination point? Are there any health issues? - if so, communicate with the cruise lines Special Needs department before sailing to see that everything they need can be accommodated.

 

The suggestions to find a travel agent to talk to is a good one. The balcony cabin would be very nice - I'd try to get one as close to the center of the ship as possible and on a lower deck to minimize discomfort from ship movement. Tell them to take some sea sickness remedies just in case. The cruise lines mentioned by others would all be pretty comparable in terms of price and amenities, so any of them would work. We've also seen plenty of Indian food on Princess, so that's another one to consider. Good luck with your plans!

 

 

Hi Kartgv, thanks for the tips on the room location, really helpful! I'll probably go through a travel agent, after reading all the suggestions.

 

They've done a bunch of countries before but I was accompanying them for most parts. Language isn't a concern for them, both are fluent in English. As for cruise, yes, they are super keen on travelling on it! :)

[shivamsharma]

Hi everyone, thank you so much for the prompt and detailed responses. Truly appreciate it! Seems like going through a travel agent seems like the best choice :)

 

Thanks again!

[john watson]

I'm not sure where the cruise is beginning, but if it's the UK, I think you should look at P&O cruises. The line has a long association with India, and many of the crew are from there; you'll find people working on board who can tell you that their parents and grandfathers worked for the line. There's a special weekly Indian night in the buffet, which is cooked and served with pride by Indian chefs. On the larger ships there will also be an Eastern restaurant.

We've met several passengers from India, or whose relatives live in India, on these ships.

 

P&O are now doing a series of Dubai Fly-Cruises with a limited number extending to three India ports which look very attractive to me. Flight inclusive prices ex-UK. If you are travelling ex US thereis a special booking facility. Probably need a week in London or UK beforehand.

 

www.poamericas.com

 

Regards John

[John Bull]

I expect you are aware that your parents will have to get a Schengen visa in advance to cover them for all the ports in the European Shhengen area.

But because St Petersburg is outside he Schengen area and is in the middle of Baltic cruises it is important that they get multi-visit visas, not single -entry visas - they leave the Schengen area when they visit St P., and re-enter the Schengen area after St P.

 

They won't need a Russian visa if they pre-book a St P tour with the ship or with one of the approved local tour agents like Alla Tours, SPB tours or TJ Travel - see the many threads on the subject in the Baltic Ports foru m on Cruise Critic.

 

I think they'll need UK visas if they sail from the Uk.

 

JB :)

[janert]

I was recently on a Princess cruise and some of our table mates were from India. They had 2-3 Indian dishes every night. The assistant maître came to our table every night and conferred with them about meals for the next evening. The chef also visited our table to see if the meals were OK. The usually ate at the buffet for lunch. They say everyone was great accommodating their desire for vegetarian Indian meals. They had their travel agent inform Princess in advance about their dietary needs.

[FredT]

The last two RCCL cruises we did had Indian chefs... (I know as one of our family is of Indian heritage). Once they found out about our guys background we got "crew meals" added to our table almost every evening. GREAT Indian food........

[No Sea Legs!]

I strongly agree with the suggestion of using a local travel agent.

 

I agree, as they can sort everything out for you in advance and they have cruise experience and can advise you on the best options.