Tuesday, April 2, 2024

18 Cruise Tips and Mistakes to Avoid, According to a Cruise Director

cruise tip

Additionally, some cruise lines offer prepaid packages that include daily cruise gratuities in the overall cost of your voyage. It’s important to consider which method works best for you and plan accordingly before setting sail on a cruise ship. Most cruise lines allow guests to remove automatic gratuities. You can do so by going to guest services and making the request. If you choose to pay tips in cash, there are usually some envelopes available at the guest service desk.

What is ‘wave season'? Here are 5 tips to save you money on your next cruise vacation - NBC 6 South Florida

What is ‘wave season'? Here are 5 tips to save you money on your next cruise vacation.

Posted: Sun, 25 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Cruise Tipping Etiquette – Should I give more than the recommended or suggested amounts?

A free way to enjoy the port cities and save some money is to simply head to the beach. That said, if you do decide to use your card, be sure call your credit card company first. It may alert their system to fraud to see a card used in three different ports in three days, leading them to put a freeze on your account if they don’t know what’s going on. Yes, credit cards are accepted, especially in the more touristy areas of port cities. It’s still preferable to pay for most things in cash for security purposes. Don’t worry if you don’t have pesos, or any other local currency.

For the best en-suite views, book a room at the back of the ship.

When your cruise concludes, if the port workers aid in getting your bags to your car or a taxi, the same amount would be courteous. I’ve listed 10 common cruise tipping mistakes that are easily avoidable. When it comes to actually paying the gratuity fee, you have a few options.

Oceania Cruises

So you can pay less and get slower or limited service, or pay a little more to get higher speeds and full access to the web. For example, Carnival charges $23 per person one-way to get you from the Miami airport to the Port of Miami — a 10-mile ride. Compare that to a taxi or Uber, which will charge you about $25-30 each way for up to four passengers. Meanwhile, with a taxi or other transportation, you aren’t tied to the cruise shuttle’s schedule. If you know that you’ll be booking something extra like an internet package or a drink package, then do it online ahead of time.

cruise tip

That’s a big savings over what you’ll spend if you wait to buy until you get on the ship. At most lines, you can pay your service charges before sailing (at the same time you pay your cruise fare). Alternatively, you can have the charges added to your room bill on board. For lines that do have them, service and gratuity charges are touted as a convenient alternative to the practice of cash tipping on cruise ships — something that once was common. As previously noted, spa and salon staff members get a portion of the automatic service charge added to your stateroom bill for these treatments.

Even if you don’t show up at your time for dinner, you will still be seated

You haven’t laughed until you’ve stood on the port side of the ship close to departure time in a port of call. Keep a close eye and you’ll almost always see a few people making a mad dash back to the ship. You’ve never seen people run as fast as when they think the ship is about to leave them. On a side note, always return to the ship well before the “all aboard” time.

I have a small "go bag" of over-the-counter medicines that I throw into my suitcase for every cruise that contains everything from cold medicine to seasickness pills. Be sure to pack anything you think you might need for these first hours of your cruise in your carry-on bag. As the head of The Points Guy's cruise content team, I get these sorts of questions all the time. Do not tip the captain or other ship officers -- they are already well compensated, and the gesture would more likely be a source of embarrassment than flattery. Tipping is not necessary in kids' clubs (as kids' counselors are usually considered part of the better-compensated entertainment staff rather than the tip-dependent service staff).

Every cruise line will allow you to make reservations online (or by phone) weeks or months in advance of your cruise. Considering that a non-alcoholic drink can cost $3-4 bucks each on a cruise ship (plus gratuity!) you can save a big chunk of change by bringing your own. Many cruise lines — including Carnival and Royal Caribbean — allow you to bring on non-alcoholic beverages. So if you can’t live without your Diet Coke or want to have some Gatorade for the kids, bring it with you.

Cruise prices are the same on every website

18 Disney Cruise Tips 2024 — Disney Cruise Secrets - Reader's Digest

18 Disney Cruise Tips 2024 — Disney Cruise Secrets.

Posted: Thu, 01 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

When paying for your cruise, the daily gratuity will be added into the overall cost, and you will not owe any gratuities once the cruise begins. Luckily, it’s easy to understand the ins and outs of tipping on a cruise ship. From prepaying gratuities to carrying small bills, here’s what you should and should not do when tipping on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Just like the price of anything else, you should expect over time for these rates to continue to rise slowly but surely. Typical increases are around $1 per person, per day and seem to happen about once a year. When you book your cruise, you’ll be given the opportunity to prepay the gratuities. In this case, you can simply choose to have them lumped in with your cruise fare, paying them all at once.

Doctors bill an hourly rate—often around $100 per hour—plus fees for any services or extra supplies. Cruise-ship medical bills can range from $50 to thousands of dollars if you end up needing to be helicoptered out. However, many medical items are available for free through the customer concierge, so save those medical trips for illnesses or injuries that really require a doctor’s attention. Cash is also a good option if you want to tip some workers extra for service that warrants it.

You have to remember that you are in a small, confined space with lots of people around. Not everyone wants to hear what you do in the privacy of your cabin (especially if it happens late at night). Cruise ships are usually laid out with a center promenade area that includes indoor things like the casino, a center bar, restaurants, and shopping. Then there is the pool deck area that’s located at the top of the ship. These two areas are where passengers spend the most time outside the cabin.

No comments:

Post a Comment

How to stop frizzy hair How to prevent frizzy hair How to tame frizzy hair

Table Of Content Shampoo less Ouai Anti-Frizz Creme Conair InfinitiPRO Performa Series Ionic Ceramic Hair Dryer How to choose the best anti-...