For many people, taking a cruise to enjoy a vacation is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, even a dream that seems difficult to fulfill. If you have the opportunity to vacation on a cruise, you will definitely have expectations and be prepared, hoping not to be disappointed. In this regard, some experts have shared some tips or suggestions that may help you save costs or better enjoy your holiday.
According to a report from the UK’s “Daily Express,” there are many different activities on cruise ships, such as bars, gyms, theater performances, circus shows, cocktail parties, and passengers on cruises often have the opportunity to enjoy drinks that are rare in daily life.
Travel expert Sue Bryant, in her “Celebrity Cruises” blog, provides several tips on how to enjoy a vacation on a cruise, including how to save on beverage costs.
Bryant reminds passengers to be mindful when drinking on a cruise to avoid overspending. Many people think that drinks on cruises are free, but that is not the case.
She said that many cruise companies’ ticket prices only include water, tea, and coffee as complimentary beverages, meaning passengers do not have to pay extra for these drinks. However, if you want to have alcoholic beverages or soda, you need to check if your booked ticket type includes the cost of these drinks. If not, she recommends purchasing a beverage package, which allows for unlimited drinks for a set price.
Beverage packages are usually more cost-effective. If you buy drinks separately, in addition to the beverage cost, you will also need to tip each time.
Bryant mentioned that beverage packages not only offer alcoholic drinks, some also include non-alcoholic drinks suitable for children, while others only cover sodas or mineral water.
Other complimentary beverages provided by most mainstream cruise companies include flavored water, milk, lemonade, and hot chocolate.
As for tipping, Phil Evans, the general manager of the UK cruise travel company Cruise Nation, stated that many people are confused about this practice on cruises, unsure if they need to pay tips for everything.
Evans said the answer to this question is no. Most cruise companies automatically include tips in your ticket price, so you do not need to pay anything extra.
He explained that these tips cover your purchases at bars, spas, restaurants, and also include special services from staff, so you don’t need to take out your wallet to tip. Of course, if the service provided by the staff is exceptional, you can still give additional tips.
When dining in a mall or buffet restaurant on land, you typically clear your own plates after the meal. However, the situation is different on a cruise.
Cruise expert Ilana Schattauer said that after dining at the buffet on the cruise, you should leave your plates and cups on the table for the staff to handle.
This is because the staff have a specific system for handling food waste, and almost all cruise companies are very meticulous about leftovers and other forms of trash. Many cruises use biodigesters to decompose food to reduce carbon emissions.
If everyone cleans up their own plates, it would actually make it more difficult for the staff to sort out the trash.
When the cruise ship docks at a port for passengers to go ashore and explore, Schattauer advises passengers not to make three mistakes.
Schattauer said the first mistake is wearing a lanyard with a name tag around your neck. While it may be convenient for passengers to wear such name tags on the ship, wearing them on land exposes you to a higher risk of being targeted by scammers.
Therefore, when leaving the cruise to travel on land, it is best to store the lanyard in a safe place, such as a zippered pocket or bag.
Similarly, passengers should leave valuables such as jewelry in the safe in their cruise cabins, especially when visiting areas with a high crime rate.
Schattauer said, “Leave your sparkling jewelry on the cruise ship. Nowadays, all cabins have a safe. To be honest, these items are safe and reliable to use.”
Lastly, the cruise expert recommends that you make sure you know the cruise ship’s emergency contact phone number before going ashore, just in case.
Schattauer said that sometimes this phone number is printed on the back of the key card given by the cruise company, or on the daily itinerary or map. When you disembark from the cruise, you can also find this phone number on the small screen. Just take a photo with your phone so you can have it handy if needed.