First Time Cruisers

First Time Cruisers

Is this your first time cruising? If so, I am sure you are full of questions. Well, I am here to help. When planning and taking a cruise for the first time many people are not aware of what is included and what they have to pay extra for. Many are also not aware of certain requirements. Let me break it down for you.

What is required for me to cruise?

A passport (In some cases, just a birth certificate & a photo ID. However, I always recommend a passport in case you have a medical emergency you will need a passport to fly home).

A Photo ID

Your Boarding Pass & Luggage Tags

COVID Vaccination Card-You must have your first two COVID vaccines with the last one at least 14 days prior to your sail date. For a complete list -->https://drive.google.com/.../1uckDhXrE.../view...
and then click on the cruise line you are requiring about.

A negative covid test 48-72 hours prior to sailing this varies by company. You may view the requirements --> https://drive.google.com/.../1uckDhXrE.../view....

What is included when booking my cruise?

When you book your cruise you are normally just paying for the room, taxes & fees for however many nights you are going, gratuities (these are optional but, I recommend you go ahead and pay them because you will still have to pay them before you get off the ship). It also includes Vacation Insurance (this is optional as well you can buy it through the cruise company itself or through an outside travel insurance. It is completely optional and not required to be purchased. However, by purchasing Vacation Insurance it helps to ensure you get your money back if you are not able to sail and covers a large range of reasons. This cost also covers all meals as long as you are eating in the main dining room or lido deck; anything that costs extra will usually say specialty dining or specify if there is an additional charge. You can also ask the staff and they will be happy to tell you. It also includes many activities & entertainment on board. There is so much that it covers that you really need to buy extra stuff unless you just want to. But, if you want to save money or use the least money you can get by with just this. However, you still have to consider travel costs such as driving or flying as it is not included and you would need to pay extra if you wanted to fly, and then for gas if you plan to drive.

What do I have to pay extra for?

When you are completing your online check in (for Carnival I know for sure) you have to put a card in or opt to load with cash. Either way it is $200 Hold on your card or $200.00 cash this is needed to activate your sign & sail card. It allows you to purchase items up to that amount and protects the company to ensure they will get it. In the event you do not use it it will be refunded. Please keep in mind as this happened to us on Carnival, that you can go over and owe money. We took a cruise once and my husband went over in the casino using our sign & sail card. We had cash and OBC (On Board Credit) on ours. Anyways at some point it does stop letting you charge but we went over $150.00 and we had to ensure it was paid in full before getting off the boat. You can keep track of what is spent through the app for each cruise line. I would keep a close look and if anything looks off speak with Guest Services before getting off.

Port Parking- If you drive to the port and plan to park at the port you have to pay for your car to remain in the parking deck while on your cruise. At the port it ranges from $17- $30 a day depending on the port. You also can look at cruise parking companies (such as Go Port) or Hotels that allow you to park there at a cheaper rate per day while on your cruise.

Transportation- If you are driving gas of course. If you are flying plane tickets and taxi, uber, etc. to get around.
Hotel-If you plan on arriving early or staying over once you get on or off the ship. I suggest you always arrive a day early even if you drive or fly to ensure you don’t miss your time to board the ship. It also helps if your flight gets delayed.

Internet/Wi-Fi- If you want to use Wi-Fi while on board you will need to order an internet package.

Photos- If you want photos that you did not take yourself you will need to purchase a photo package. If you order them in advance before your trip they are cheaper. Once on board, some ships like Carnival do not offer the packages and you can only buy the pictures per picture and it varies between $18-35 a picture (at least for Carnival). Honestly, if you have a good quality camera you can use the backdrops when the photographer is on break and take your own (at least we did).

Drinks- If you want to enjoy alcohol on board you will need to pay for it by the drink or by purchasing a drink package in advance. Many cruise lines (Like Carnival for sure) charge for coffee, soda, and a few other drinks. You can also purchase just a non-alcoholic package through them that covers these items as well which is cheaper. However, if you do order the alcoholic package this is included in it already. You can get water, Teas, and juices out of the machine (on the lido deck dining room) all for free and when dining in the restaurant.

Spa- You will need to pay for any spa treatments as well as gratuity as they will charge additional when getting your spa treatment.
Shore Excursion- You will need to pay for an excursion you wish to do while in port. These can be purchased through the cruise line, through a travel agent, or various legit places online or even from vendors once in port. However, if you like to go to the beach or just walk around you can. There are many free public beaches in various ports.

Shopping, etc.- Of course you need money to shop, eat (If you do not return to ship to eat in one of the free eating places), etc. If you plan on exploring the port on your own you will need to pay for a taxi if you plan on getting around the port or if you have a destination in mind. Keep in mind you can shop on the ship too and that costs of course.

Casino- You will need money of course if you gamble. The mount is up to you.

Tip Money (optional, but highly recommended)- Even though you prepay your gratuities when booking it is still nice to bring a little money to tip your room steward and MDR (Main Dining room staff). While the gratuities you pay when booking are divided between all staff you see these staff members the most and they are taking care of you everyday. Here’s an example of how we tip: When we drop off our bags we tip the person taking our bags as they are the one who ensures that our bags make it aboard the ship and then to our room. We usually tip them $10. Once on board, We give our room steward $20.00 usually when they introduce themselves and then $5.00 each day on the table with a nice thank you note so that when they clean our room while we are out. Every morning we eat in the MDR for breakfast. We leave a tip between $3-5 a day and at night when we eat in the MDR the same $3-5 a night. Now you can tip however you want or not at all that is entirely up to you.

Can I bring my own drinks?

Carnival I know for sure allows you to take one 12 packs can of coke per person (No bottles allowed). You are also allowed to carry on your own bottle of wine in your carry-on unopened of course.

I believe I have hit on all the main costs both optional and required. I hope this helps. Please feel free to let me know if you have any more questions and I will be happy to help you.

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