Cruise - Things to Know Before You Go

Things to Know Before You Go Ok, so you've probably thought about which bathing suit you'll bring, and who you'll get to water your plants while you're gone. But, there are some other things to consider before setting sail. Here's a run down of what you need to do before you cruise.
Passports & Visas \| The Deal with the Dough \| Packing it Up \| The Extras

The Paperwork: Passports & Visas	return to top

Well, this of course depends on where you're going. The easiest thing to do is to check out this official government site: http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html. It lists every country under the sun and whether or not U.S. citizens need passports and/or visas. In the least, you will need some ID to board the ship. Acceptable forms are a drivers' license and an original birth certificate. Visas are not generally required for American, Canadian and European citizens for the Caribbean and Bahamian islands in addition to ports in Mexico. Passports aren't generally required to visit these locales either, although it's a good idea to have one. A passport speeds your way through Customs and Immigration, and you never know when entry requirements can change. Each particular port of embarkation has it's own ritual. On smaller ships, you may be asked to turn over your ID (for instance, your passport) and airline tickets to cruise line officials at the start of the cruise. They'll facilitate the procedures for group or individual port clearances and immigration formalities throughout the cruise and return your stuff to you at the end of the cruise. Most larger ships do not keep your documents, but they do have a look at them when you first check in at the cruise terminal. At that time, you may be asked to fill out short tourist forms for some of the ports the cruise will visit. It's all pretty painless. All non-US. and non-Canadian citizens must have valid passports, alien registration cards, and the requisite visas when boarding any cruise ship or aircraft departing from and/or returning to American soil. Non-citizens also need to present an ongoing or return ticket for an airline or cruise ship as proof that you intend to remain on local shores only for a brief stay.
The Deal with the Dough	return to top

On a cruise you can pretend you're some high-roller in a James Bond movie, signing for this and signing for that. Cruise ships operate as cashless societies, which means you keep a running tab the whole time. Cool! When you check in on the first day, you give the purser an imprint of your credit card and he or she then gives you an ID card (except on the smallest, casual ships where there isn't any of this highfalutin ID stuff) that generally acts as your room key and general ship ID. Now, you're free to sign for virtually everything you want to buy throughout the whole cruise, from drinks at the bar, to shore excursions, spa services, and whatever doodads you may pick up in the gift shop. You pay up at the end of the cruise with a credit card or with cash. Now beware, while very, very convenient and fun, you don't want to be penniless by the time you get back home. Try to keep in mind a vague idea of what you're spending, cause the bill at the end of the cruise is always bigger than you'll expect (believe me, I've been shocked more than once at the size of a bar bill). If you disagree with any charge when you take a gander at the mile-long bill at cruise-end, no fear. Just head on over to the ship's cashier or purser's office (along with about a hundred other people) to discuss any discrepancies. Now remember, the cashless system works just fine on board, but you'll likely need some dough in port, depending on what you're up for doing. You can put any shore excursions you sign up for on your room tab, and credit cards, of course, are accepted at most shops around the world (as are traveler's checks). I do recommend having some good 'ole green backs on you, though, ideally in small denominations, for any taxi rides, tips to tour leaders or purchases you make from craft markets and street side hawkers. When it comes to exchanging currency, it's like any land-based trip. Certain places, like the Caribbean and Canada, almost always accept U.S. dollars, while countries in Europe and Asia might not. You may want to exchange some dough before you leave the U.S., or you can do so in port and sometimes on board the ship.
Packing It Up	return to top

In case you haven't noticed, the days of steamer trunks (and cabins big enough to contain them) are over. Like any trip, don't over pack, you'll just have more to stuff into those (sometimes tiny) cabin dressers. All but the teeniest sailing ships have floor-to-ceiling closets to hang dresses and suits as well as a couple of sets of drawers. The suitcase itself gets tossed under the bed. Now, one of the things that makes a cruise so great, is that the ports of call come to you, so you only need to unpack once even though you'll most likely be visiting several different countries on a typical cruise. So what exactly do you need to pack? Well daahhling, unless you're booked on one of the ultra-luxury lines like Silversea, Seabourn or Crystal, you don't need to haul out the crown jewels and top hat. Just as Corporate America and the dotcom world is going casual, so is cruising. No doubt about it, dress codes are becoming more relaxed. In fact, Norwegian Cruise Line, for example, has completely done away with any semblance of a formal dress code; only on the once-weekly captain's cocktail party evening is one dining room (out of five) designated formal. Generally, though, on all but the Adventure-category ships, there are two formal nights per cruise, where people dress to the nines. But of course, one person's version of formal is worlds away from another's. You'll never get an entire ship load of people to all dress alike. On all other nights of a cruise, casual is king, although most lines ask that shorts, T-shirts and hats are not worn in the main dining rooms at the evening meal. Still, don't be surprised to see some that insist on it anyway (some people just isn't got no couth!). If you despise the idea of dressing up, even just two nights a week, take heart: Since most of the Mainstream lines, and many of the others, have casual alternative restaurants, you can dine there every night and avoid ever having to get all gussied up! Here's a recap: Formal nights: Most ships still have two formal nights a week, with the ultra-luxury lines like Silversea, Seabourn and Crystal going to the most extreme lengths. For men, a tux or dark suit is the appropriate attire, and for women a cocktail dress, sequin number, gown or fancy pant suit works fine. I must add, I personally find getting dressed up for dinner a few nights a week to be part of the fun; formal nights are great times to do some good old fashioned people-watching. The hair, the beads, the bridesmaids dresses --- you won't want to miss it! Semi-formal nights: There are fewer and fewer of these in-between nights, with many ships going for the combo of only formal and casual nights. For those that do have them, this is what it means: Slacks and a sport coat for men, and skirts, dresses or pants for women. Casual nights: These are everyone's favorites. If you're cruising on one of the adventure lines, like Bergen Line or Windjammer, every night is casual night; on most other lines it's two to five nights per a week-long cruise. Either way, casual means Dockers, jeans, T-shirts, polo shirts, and no-fuss dresses, skirts and/or pants for the gals. You get the picture. The Adventure lines are the most casual (shorts and flip-flops are fine morning, noon and night), and the ultra-luxury the most formal (some men will always wear a jacket to dinner, for example). By day: All ships are casual by day. If you're cruising in warm-weather waters, shorts, sarongs and bathing suits are fine. In cooler climes, jeans and sweaters are the garb of choice. Of course dress codes also depend on where you're cruising. The Caribbean/Bahamas, Mexico, and Central and South America are hot all year round, typically in the 70s to 90s. Pack accordingly. Now, in Alaska, you'll need layers, as daytime temps range between the 40s and 70s, and rain is common. Bring a raincoat, hat, a couple of sweaters, long pants, and socks; but don't forget a bathing suit, the big ships have hot tubs and often heated pools. Cruising in the Far East spells warm weather, generally 75 degrees plus, while cruising the Med will vary depending when you go. Low season --- April, May, Sept and October --- can be chilly, like in the 50s, while the summer months can get quite warm, into the 80s on up.
The Extras	return to top

As we all know, there are high maintenance people and low maintenance people, and you all know which you are! But, before you push the entire contents of your bathroom into your suitcase, read on. Think hotels. Many ships (especially the newest and the high-end ones) come equipped with hair dryers (ok, most are the really low-voltage kind better equipped to dry knuckle hair than the average mane of a woman). Most also supply bathroom amenities like shampoo, conditioner, lotion and soap (although you might still want to bring your own products, many on the Mainstream and Budget lines seem pretty watered down; although those on the ultra-luxury are top shelf). Some lines, like Carnival and Royal Caribbean, do skimp, and don't provide hair dryers (except Carnival's Destiny, Triumph and Victory, and Royal Caribbean's Voyager and Explorer of the Seas). Most budget lines don't have hair dryers either, often because the ships are old and there's not enough juice to fire them up. If you do bring your curling iron, hair dryer or laptop, you might want to bring an adapter, although the vast majority of ships run on 110v. No need to pack a beach towel; they're almost always supplied on board, with the exception of Adventure lines like Windjammer. Bird-watchers will want their binoculars and manuals, golfers their clubs (although they can always be rented), and snorkelers their gear (which can also be rented, but why pay $20 for a set of battered equipment and another $5 for Aqua Socks). If you do forget to pack a personal effect or two, don't panic. Even the smallest, no-frills ships have at least one small shop on board, selling stuff like razor blades, toothbrushes, sunscreen, film and other things you may need. Mind you, though, they're making a big ole profit off of you forgetful types; expect to pay at least double for these items in the ship shops than you would back home. For the dirtier among you, most ships do have a laundry service on board and some have dry-cleaning too, with generally about a 24-hour turnaround time. Look for a price list in your cabin, with eye-popping rates like $1.50 to have one pair of socks washed and $3 for a t-shirt; dry-cleaning a suit will run about $9. Some ships, like Carnival, Crystal, Princess and Holland America, have self-service laundry rooms on board so you can wash, dry, and iron your own clothes for a few bucks. If you like reading but don't want to lug a couple of fat novels on board, don't. Most ships have libraries stocked with books and magazines. Some are more extensive than others, of course; the QE2's is huge, for example. You're also likely to find paperback bestsellers for sale in the ship shops.
Written by Heidi Sarna. Heidi Sarna, a veteran travel writer who's been on nearly 100 cruises in the past 10 years, is the author of Frommer's Caribbean Cruises and Ports of Call, and contributes articles on cruising to many national magazines and newspapers.