Some questions from a first time cruiser

[SISer]

I will be on a Celebrity cruise later this year. I've never been on a cruise before, I have some questions and I apologize if many of you think that these are stupid questions.

 

What if supplied on board by means of toiletteries, soap/shampoo, etc. or, should I bring my own.

 

How do I tip the crew, is there a mandatory gratuity added to my account, or do I need to have envelopes and cash handy to tip the staff that have been seeing to me.

 

How old would most passengers be? This is a cruise to the Medittereanan.

 

I am travelling by myself, what would there be to do on a sea day?

 

Is it possible to wash clothes onboard, do I need to have change to insert into the washing machines/dryers?

 

What should I make sure I take onboard at the first port to have handy during the cruise. I will be taking bottled water, I can't think of anything else I should buy to take onboard at this time.

 

Any tips/advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

[dkjretired]

I will be on a Celebrity cruise later this year. I've never been on a cruise before, I have some questions and I apologize if many of you think that these are stupid questions.

 

What if supplied on board by means of toiletteries, soap/shampoo, etc. or, should I bring my own. Most toiletries you get in a hotel are supplied such as you mention.

 

How do I tip the crew, is there a mandatory gratuity added to my account, or do I need to have envelopes and cash handy to tip the staff that have been seeing to me. On Celebrity tipping can be handle two ways, you may do cash at the end of the cruise with envelopes. You may also put them are your account....

 

How old would most passengers be? This is a cruise to the Medittereanan.

 

Hard to tell, if you give info as to date and length of cruise it might be easier to give advice.

 

I am travelling by myself, what would there be to do on a sea day?

 

Usually, lots to do on sea days, check your daily...

 

Is it possible to wash clothes onboard, do I need to have change to insert into the washing machines/dryers?

 

Celebrity does not have self-service laundries on any of their ships.

 

What should I make sure I take onboard at the first port to have handy during the cruise. I will be taking bottled water, I can't think of anything else I should buy to take onboard at this time.

 

Just make sure you are comfortable when off the ship...

 

Any tips/advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Hope that helps

[Gonzo70]

A couple things to add:

 

Although you can't do your own laundry; you can have your laundry done for you (for a fee).

 

Some examples of things to do during sea days: Gamble at casino, trivia contest, drinks at a bar/lounge, evening shows in the theater, movies, work out at gym, hang out by pool, borrow book from library, spa treatment, shuffleboard tournament, etc. There will be several different activities listed per day run by activitiy staff as well as things to do on your own.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

The water on the ship is safe to drink, so no need for bottled water unless you want it for shore excursions.

 

Some sort of a power strip is a must, in my opinion. You have many things that need to be charged or plugged in and only one outlet in the main cabin. That is the best tip I ever got from Cruise Critic. Can't imagine cruising without one. I've just returned from a 2.5 week land trip and after searching hotel rooms for places to plug everything in, I'm going to add that to my packing list for all trips.

 

Another wonderful thing to do on a sea day--just sit and look at the ocean! Endlessly fascinating.

 

Celebrity's laundry service is very good and reasonably priced in my opinion. Check with your cabin steward to use it.

 

Enjoy your cruise--the Mediterranean is a wonderful destination.

[j!m]

your stateroom will hav soap, towels shampoo etc and we find it to be quite acceptable

 

gratuities will be added to your shipboars account and if you wish you can of course tip extra in cash, envelopes can be obtained at the front desk

 

there is lots to do on sea days and the laundry service is really quite good

 

best advice i could give is pack everything you think you might need then take half of it outa the bag and leave it at home

 

you will undoubtedly pack too many clothes most people do

 

hava great cruise

[capegranny]

Do NOT lug much water on board. You might want some kind of a water bottle that you cna refill, but your cabin attendant will provide fresh water a couple of times a day and it's perfectly fine to use for filling up a bottle to take ashore. Also, most ships or excursions will be selling bottled water, which also is easy to obtain anywhere on shore.

 

Some confusion in the answers you've received about tipping. The first reply was correct: You have a choice and will be able to have tips calculated automatically and added to your account OR you can ask that they NOT be put on your account and you can give cash to everyone. We typically go the automatic route with a little extra to anyone who has given us exceptional service.

[med2cruise]

I have just returned from a 2 week Medeterian cruise aboard the Summit and agree with everything here.

 

The hair dryers were not wonderful - I prefer my own since it is a higher power.

 

The power strip was extremely helpful especially with phones, laptops, hair dryers and cameras.

 

We were also concerned about having plenty of water bottles and granola bars. There were always plenty of water bottles to be had about $2.50 each, or the water was refilled several times a day in our cabin.

 

Laundry service was excellent. I left it out one night around 8 and it was in our cabin the next morning around 10.

 

Plenty to do on the sea days. My husband is not one to sit still and was worried about being on a ship so long but he enjoyed it and was always busy.

 

The age group seemed to be older. We are in early 40's and most were older than us. The good thing was there were very few kids on board.

 

Relax and enjoy because it goes by so fast! I miss it already and am trying to figure out how and when I can return to my favorite places.

 

And oh - this was our first cruise and it was amazing!

 

Karen:)

[TN Vol Fan]

While there is soap and shampoo in the cabins, I'd bring my own hair conditioner as their shampoo is usable, but not as gentle as what I like. Bring your own sun tan lotion (it's fairly expensive on board).

If you like coffee, bring your own travel coffee mug. Usually the cafe cups are way too small and awkward to carry on deck.

All the other suggestions are good starters.

Enjoy your first time.

[cavkc]

I will be on a Celebrity cruise later this year. I've never been on a cruise before, I have some questions and I apologize if many of you think that these are stupid questions.

 

What if supplied on board by means of toiletteries, soap/shampoo, etc. or, should I bring my own.

 

How do I tip the crew, is there a mandatory gratuity added to my account, or do I need to have envelopes and cash handy to tip the staff that have been seeing to me.

 

How old would most passengers be? This is a cruise to the Medittereanan.

 

I am travelling by myself, what would there be to do on a sea day?

 

Is it possible to wash clothes onboard, do I need to have change to insert into the washing machines/dryers?

 

What should I make sure I take onboard at the first port to have handy during the cruise. I will be taking bottled water, I can't think of anything else I should buy to take onboard at this time.

 

Any tips/advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

1. I always take my own shampoo and conditioner along as I find the ships one to strong. Whilst most other toiletries are available onboard, they are expensive, so bring what you know you need from home.

 

2. Gratuities - you cal pay in advance, ask for the amount to be added to your onboard account, or pay the individuals in cash. Suggested gratuities can be found here http://www.celebritycruises.com/beforeyourcruise/heroSingleTxtSub.do;jsessionid=0000GjpZ1gRyvJDUyfniZvnBfuJ:12h3rnd1c?pagename=payment_and_gratuities&cS=SIDENAV

 

3. If you are travelling outside of school vacation time, the majority of passengers will probably be in their 40's plus, with many a lot older.

 

4. There will be lots to do on sea days, you wont be able to decide what to do first

 

5. We use the laundry facilities which we find very reasonable. Celebrity do not however have self-service laundry

 

6. I have never taken onboard water etc. Do though take a change of clothes and any essential medication in your carry on bag, it can be several hours before your luggage is delivered.

 

Most importantly, Enjoy your cruise, it will be wonderful