First Time Cruiser

Cruising is the fastest growing & largest holiday option of choice in the world. There are many reasons for this & hopefully the points detailed below will help you understand why and give you a different perspective for your next holiday.

While you are absorbing this information, take a moment to compare the “value for money” a standard land-based holiday offers you… You will generally pay for your flights, transfers & accommodation before you leave New Zealand but don’t forget all those extras like meals, transport & entertainment that you pay for while you are at your destination.

Also don’t forget the reason you take a well deserved holiday – to relax & be pampered!

Too Expensive?

Cruising has never been so affordable! In fact it is quite astounding how cruise lines can offer such great value fares. Check out our iCruise i-deals.

Transportation:

Obviously the ship is your transport but bear in mind that your cruise doesn’t solely consist of days at sea. Generally on a 7-12 night cruise you will have 2 days cruising at sea. The other days will be spent in ports of call where you will have a full day to explore the region you are visiting. iCruise can offer you your full holiday arrangements including flights, accommodation, touring & land arrangements in addition to your cruise holiday.

Accommodation:

On board one of today’s modern ships (floating resorts) you can expect every comfort imaginable.

Cabins – consist of twin beds that can convert into double, some cabins have “Pullman beds” 1 or 2 single beds that pull out of the wall or ceiling to accommodate 4 people in a cabin.

Private Facilities – shower and/or bathtub, toilet, basin, mirror, hairdryer and plenty of storage space, towels, face-cloths, soap, shampoo & conditioner.

Cabin Facilities – You will find a TV, with movie channel, information & shore excursion channel, satellite telephone (some of the new ships even have internet connections) plenty of drawers & hanging space in the wardrobe, an in-cabin safe, small sitting area, mini bar (limited), and a cruise compendium. In fact there’s everything you would find in a resort or land based accommodation room. 24 hour room service is even included on most ships.

Cabin Attendant – A cabin attendant is on hand throughout the day, every day, to service your cabin with fresh clean sheets, towels & amenities. To minimise any disruption, your cabin will be cleaned while you are out enjoying yourself. Your attendant will even turn down your bed and prepare your cabin while you are at dinner or a show, ready for your return. Ask them for anything you may require, they will be more than happy to assist you and make your holiday a relaxing one.

Cabin Types – Depending on your desire & budget, there is a selection of cabin types you can reserve:

Meals:

On a recent survey, the first and foremost reason why people return to a cruise holiday is: “Pleasurable Dining Experience”

A perception is that you have pre-paid for three main meals a day and those meals will all be buffet style. Not quite – on most ships today you can dine in the main restaurant, the café, or even alfresco out on deck. Your cruise fare includes more than just your three main meals – in fact you can often eat non-stop 24 hours a day!
Some meal options may differ depending on which cruise line you choose to sail with. More and more often now you will also find alternative restaurants available onboard to dine in, these may require a small surcharge, are smaller & more intimate for that special occasion.

Entertainment:

Every ship has a show lounge or theatre where you can enjoy a full Broadway style production or guest entertainer. Every night there is something different and it is included in your fare.

The evening show is generally scheduled for after dinner, and in the many lounges & bars onboard you may enjoy the delights of a piano player or jazz duo, maybe a Caribbean band playing by the pool.

Throughout the day there are various entertainment options provided for you to enjoy.

To see a similar show on a land-based holiday could cost you into the hundreds of dollars. A cruise line’s evening show is a highlight for passengers, and the productions are continuously being reviewed & upgraded.

Note: Should you not wish to go to the evening show or fancy an alternative atmosphere in a particular lounge, you are free to go and do as you please. With the generous amount of entertainment options available, you shouldn’t have a problem finding something to your liking.

Alternative entertainment options are also available:
Casino, New Release Movies, card games (i.e. Bridge), Game Shows with passenger participation and the famous Passenger & Crew Talent Competitions.

Activities

The onboard activities are often designed around the make up of the passengers for that particular cruise, so there is something for everyone to enjoy.
The many activities are provided for your enjoyment, there is no pressure to use or participate. You can simply relax by the pool, read a book and do your own thing.

Following is a list of what activities you could expect to find on board a cruise ship:

Fully equipped gym, exercise classes, indoor and/or outdoor swimming pools, spa pools, exercise track, board games, table tennis, card games, ship library, computer room/internet café, shuffle board, golf driving rage, cooking lessons, cocktail making classes, line or ballroom dancing classes, trivia (with prizes), ship board Olympics, health & spa facilities, shopping arcade, duty free shops and much much more!

Many of the pre-organised activities are available on “at sea” days and are a good way to meet other passengers and make new friends. Some activities may incur a charge.

Childrens Facilities

“ Kids Club” are available on most cruise ships today and are included in your fare.
The kids clubs are well organised and have qualified youth councilors employed to look after the children on board.

Most clubs are broken up into 4-5 different age brackets:
3-5 yrs / 6-8 yrs / 9-11 yrs / 12-14 yrs / 15-17 yrs
so everyone gets to enjoy themselves and mingle with children of similar ages.
The youth programme is included in your cruise fare, the only expense perhaps being a drinks package where you can pre-purchase your child’s soft drinks for the entire cruise.

There are so many activities organised for the children on board which are both educational & fun. They even have their own meal times.

Ships today are built to accommodate children. They have their own activity and play areas, night club/disco, swimming pools & water slides, even a computer room. Some ships even have an ice-skating rink & rock climbing walls!
Note: Facilities will differ depending on the cruise line you choose.

For evenings, a minder or babysitting service is also available at a minimal charge.

The youth programmes are not compulsory however do give the children on board the opportunity of enjoying their holiday with other kids and also give the parents a well deserved break.

Choosing the right Destination:

Motion Sickness can put people off a cruise holiday. If you suffer from motion sickness choose a destination that is known for its calmer waters, (i.e. Alaska, Caribbean, Mediterranean)

Today’s ships are large, well stabilised and have the latest satellite navigation equipment so they can steer clear of untoward weather conditions.

There are also many preventative options available; motion sickness tablets (including herbal), medicated patches, pressure bands or prescription options. If in doubt, see your doctor for the best option for you.

Formalities

Too formal is a common perception that prevents some people from choosing a cruise holiday.

On a standard 7-12 night cruise you may find there are two formal nights, one being the Captain’s Welcome Cocktail Party and the other being the Captain’s Farewell Cocktail Party.

But even then, formal is only the “suggested dress”. Please don’t feel you have to get dressed in a tuxedo or evening dress. For men – a jacket & tie will suffice, for the ladies a cocktail dress.

Should you not wish to attend either of the planned formal evenings you can opt to dine in an alternative restaurant or even order room service from your cabin.

On non-formal nights, men usually wear a shirt & trousers and women a tidy dress, skirt or dressy trousers & blouse. Many ships today operate a more casual dress code to limit the amount of dressing up – after all you are on holiday.

Shore Excursions:

Shore excursions are pre-organised tours & sightseeing options that you purchase onboard for when your ship is in a port of call.

Every ship has a “Shore Ex” desk with qualified staff who can advise you of different excursions available, what’s best to do and generally help you with information on the particular region your itinerary is visiting.

Shore excursions can only be booked onboard your ship however some cruise lines allow you to pre-book & pay for excursions online.

Shore excursions are not compulsory, you are free to go ashore and return to the ship as many times as you like, however please take note:
- You must take your cruise I.D. card (ticket) as proof for re-embarking
- The city or town you are visiting may not be close to the port where the ship is docked, cruise lines normally   organise shuttle buses (at a minimal charge) throughout the day to & from the city centre.
- You must return to the ship at the stipulated time as the ship WILL NOT wait for late passengers.

Onboard Purchases:

The majority of ships operate a “cashless society” onboard. This means you don’t have to carry your wallet around and worry about cash issues.

When you embark at the beginning of your cruise holiday, the purser will take an imprint of your credit card and all purchases where ever they may be onboard will be put against your cabin account. The night before you disembark you will receive a statement of your purchases. Should you disagree with the total, simply make your way to the purser’s desk to settle your account.

Should you not have a credit card, you are able to put traveller’s cheques or cash against your cabin account. When/if this runs out, the purser will contact you to top it up.

Note: Some ships require funds to be put against your cabin on embarkation, rather than offer a credit billing system.

Onboard purchases could be:
Beverages (excluding filter coffee, tea & water), Casino, Health & Spa Facilities, Duty Free & onboard shops, Photographer, Visits to the ship’s doctor, some alternative restaurants, Shore excursions.

Medical Facilities:

By law every ship must have a qualified doctor & nurses onboard. Ships today take passengers safety & health very seriously. There are extensive medical facilities onboard however with obvious limitations. Ships have been known to deviate from course to disembark passengers who may require additional medical attention.

IMPORTANT: There is a cost to visit the doctor onboard, we strongly recommend that you take travel insurance before you depart on your holiday.

Gratuities (Tipping):

It depends on which cruise line you book as to how the gratuity system works.

Some cruise lines ask that passengers wait until the end of the cruise & discreetly leave an envelope in your cabin in which to place the appropriate amount.

Some cruise lines state that the fare you have paid includes gratuities.

Some cruise lines ask that you pre-pay the gratuities with your cruise fare prior to your holiday departure.

Tipping is an issue for Australasians as we are not accustom to this procedure of service reward. Please bear in mind…outside of Australasia, the remuneration for personnel in the service industry is quite low, hence to keep up a high standard, employees have the incentive of earning additional income via the tips they get rewarded.

Look at tipping as part of the travelling experience and use your own discretion & judgment as to what you consider a fitting reward for service should be. Remember in most cases the amount you tip is discretionary, even on those cruise lines that show an automatic gratuity amount on your account, this can be altered (up or down).

The gratuities you pay go to the following onboard personnel:
Your cabin steward
Your waiter (at dinner)
Your assistant waiter (at dinner)
Your wine steward (at dinner)