I am looking to go on a Cruise and know nothing about it?

Question

I am looking to go on cruise with Carnival Paradise going from Long Beach, Ca. I have never gone on a cruise before and know nothing of what it has to offer. What I like to know is, if anybody been on a cruise and how much money I will be expecting to pay. I always hear there are fees and charges for almost everything, Like food or whatever. Please share your insights and what packages include whatever. The distention is to Catalina and Ensenada. I may travel alone or bring a friend.

Answer 1

Since you have never been on a cruise I will give you my full explanation, which will be rather long.

First of all the terms "cabin" and "stateroom" mean the same thing; the cruise industry prefers stateroom. The standard cabin that most people get (inside/outside/balcony) are generally between 175 and 200 square feet, about the size of a 9 by 12 ft home bedroom (balconies are about 45 to 55 sq ft). Each cabin has a two beds which can be made into a queen, a bathroom with a shower stall, a closet and some drawer space, a TV and telephone, a safe for valuables, a mini-refrigerator, and a life jacket for each passenger. Some cabins that are built to accommodate 3 or 4 people will have a pull down bed and/or a sofa bed.

The price of a cruise includes your cabin, all shows and other entertainment on ship, use of all of the ship's facilities (except you have to pay for getting your hair and nails done ,for massages and wraps and other spa treatments), use of the gym, pools and hot tubs, use of the clubs, bars and disco, all meals and snacks all day and night. There are places on ship where you can go to breakfast, lunch and dinner and midnight buffets and all of the food is free. There is generally a room service menu that you can order from 24/7 and that food is free (you should tip the delivery person a couple dollars). There are places where you can get something to eat 24/7.

Not include are soft drinks and alcoholic drinks. The ship will provide unlimited free coffee, tea, milk, juices, and drinks like lemonade and punch for free. BUT, you must pay for soft drinks (usually about $1.50) and all alcoholic beverages including beer and wine.

You can eat in the main dining room and the buffet for free all of the time. But every ship has what they call specialty restaurants, like a French, Tex-Mex, Sushi, or steak house where there is a charge. The charge can be from $5 to $20 per person each time you eat. They call it a gratuity or service charge.

When you arrive at the port to check in you (each passenger) will have an on board charge account set up and receive a key card which will serve as your room key, charge card for anything you buy on ship (i.e.,drinks, souvenir, tours, photos, etc) and its also your pass to get on and off ship in each port. When you first board the ship the security personnel will have you insert your key card into a scanner and then will take a photo of you that is included in the magnetic strip on the card. Each time you get off ship you will need this key card and many times also a photo ID (passport or driver's license). This card allows them to keep an accurate track of all passengers entering and/or leaving the ship.

Each day of your cruise you will receive in your cabin a "newsletter" listing the time, place and particulars of everything happening for you on ship. There are generally activities like demonstrations of ice carvings, napkin folding and towel folding, and cooking demonstrations. There may be organized games and other activities around the pools. In the evenings there are shows, one show for those with an early dinner seating and another (same show) for those who eat late.

The ship will have a casino with slots and table games. Some ships have a movie theater, generally small but nice, and you can also see movies in your room. They have ATM’s and a purser’s desk where you can cash a check or exchange currency if you need to. There is a tour and activities desk so you can schedule land tours and activities.

Ships have free morning exercise programs, stretching and walking, etc, and on some you can pay for other things like Spinning. All cruise ships have gyms so you can go workout, usually any time from 6:00 AM to late at night. There is usually a walking/running track on one of the decks also. Some ships leave the gym open all night. They call the gyms Spa because they do promote getting pampered with things like wraps and massages with aroma therapy. They will also generally have a beauty salon to do hair and nails.

There are always pools. Some ships have more than one and the newer ships generally have an indoor pool as well as outdoor ones and all of these have hot tubs. There is generally a basketball court on the top deck, a place for scuffle board, and a mini-golf course.

There are places on ships to play cards and board games, and the cards and games are provided. If you want to just sit and read, there’s a library where you can bring your books or select one from the shelf. Ships have internet cafes and some offer WIFI if you bring your prefer to use your computer in your cabin (some ships offer notebooks for rent). They charge a hefty fee for internet service on ship. There are cocktail lounges that feature a variety of music. Some have a piano bar with jazz. There is usually a disco that starts after 10:00 PM each night and last until everyone leave. On certain days ships will have special activities like a chocolate lovers buffet, or a midnight deck party .

The dress on ship is casual all day until 6:00PM. So take swim wear, shorts, sandals, beach shoes, your snorkel equipment if you have it, sun glasses and sun screen, lotions, a cap or big hat for the sun, a book if you are a reader, your music player, sneakers and clothes to workout in if you like to use the gym, your camera, and other personal toiletries.

After 6:00 PM they request that you wear "sports casual" attire. That's attire that you would expect a person to wear in a business office, shirt with a collar, slacks, skirt, blouse, etc. You can still wear shorts and swim wear in the pools and spas but not in public areas like dining rooms and restaurants, show rooms, bars, casino, etc.

Most 7-day cruises have two formal nights when you can wear your best stuff and get pictures taken, and maybe meet the ship’s Captain. The formal nights are REQUESTED not required attire. But most people do dress up in a tux for men and a long dress (any color) for women. Some men just wear a suit and tie and some women wear a nice dress but not a gown. You will not be denied access to the dining room or anything else if you choose not to dress up. (we usually take off the formal stuff after dinner and pictures anyway).

Its best to pack using soft-sided luggage because with space limited in your cabin it fits under the beds better if its not hard sided luggage. Take a small carry-on bag for the last night of the cruise. On the last evening you will be required to put your luggage outside your cabin by about 2:00 AM so that they can start taking it down to the lower deck for offloading the next morning. So you will need a small bag for your toiletries and and your clothes that you sleep in.

The hidden costs on a cruise are your tab after the cruise for drinks (alcoholic and sodas), tours, photos, souvenirs you buy on ship, and gratuities. The largest of these are generally for tours and gratuities. Many ships now add the recommended gratuity to your on board tab. The gratuity is about $10 to $12 per day per person. You can give more if you want. Tours can add hundreds to your final bill, depending upon how many stop the ship makes and what you want to do. Study the tours carefully; some places you may want to just go on your own.

Finally, all cruises cabin are sold DOUBLE OCCUPANCY which mean that if you go alone you will pay a double fee (for two people) so get someone to go with you.

Answer 2

I too am in your position, I am taking my b/f on a cruise for his b-day ( Bahamas on Fascination) along with some friends joining.. This is will all of our first cruise. Along with my travel agents (Thru Carnival) information she is providing I have found lots of info and mainly all the questions and info you could possibly have and need on www.cruisecritic.com. I would suggest you to go there and do research it tells you everything from what and how to choose your cabin to how must you should tip. Also I read that for your first cruise you may want to take a small 3-4 days just to see how you like it and tolerate it before exploring into a long cruise far from home.
Also it actually depends on the cruise however food is all inclusive and basically everything except spa's alcohol and carbinated drinks (which you can bring water and sodas on board with you, however you have to check with the cruise line on alcohol).. If you have a entertainment coupon book you can save on the cruise thru carnival we are saving $50 per stateroom and our total price is very reasonable. Also it is cheaper to book 2 per stateroom versus 1 person.

Have Fun

Answer 3

http://www.ytbtravel.com/dtourtravel

I strongly recommend you, this website. They have different options for Cruises. First, they work with 27 Cruises Lines. You can do your own search, with your dates, routes, preferences and others. You can see the Cruise description, cabin, facilities and activities.

They have Cruises groups too, are packages already with the group prices.

You just need to bring money for your destinations or inside the Cruise on the Casino or specific alcohol drinks.

Enjoy! Good Luck!

Answer 4

I actually went on the same cruise with the same destinations!!! I LOVED it. Expect to pay $450-$800 per person for a 4-night cruise.
This includes ALL of your food, water, milk, and juice. This means... at 4 o'clock in the morning if you are starving... order free room service!!!
Not included is any soda, alcohol and any shore excursions you may want to go on... For instance while on Catalina Island... i payed $35 extra to go on a submarine ride to see the fishies.
I STRONGLY recommend that you find a travel agent. Their totally free and they will book your entire trip for you... as well as answer any questions that you might have.
That is it... cruising is plain and simple. After cruising on my honeymoon, I will never vacation any other way.
I hope this helped... let me know if you have anymore questions.

Answer 5

There is no charge for food and there is always food!! Great food!!! They have tea, lemon-aid, punch and water where the buffets are. Soda you pay for or get a drink card for all the soda you want. Alcohol you pay for, but you can take 1 bottle of wine per adult in your luggage. You will get a sign and sail card which is linked to a credit card and that is your money on the ship. You also pay to play in the casino, for the photos they take if you want them, etc

Answer 6

there are 4 day
cruises from Ensenada. What i would do is go to cruisecritic.com and look at the message board. There s lots of great information. also look at cruiseclues.com(that site has great ideas of menus on board&what to pack&places to see on your different ports that you will see) good luck.

Answer 7

well how much you pay extra really depends on you drink a lot ..pay a lot...buy a lot of pics spend a lot ..spend a lot of time in the casino...maybe lose a lot..all kidding aside i have taken that cruise many times and spent any where from 150.00 to 600.00 depends on how much you want to do extra..go see a travel agent there free and a lot of help..and bring a friend cost are split and your not alone....

Answer 8

Go to the following website. It is the BEST for everything "cruise"......

www.cruisecritic.com

Answer 9

you will possibly no longer appear like Tom Cruise, yet your avatar does (sorry, i understand). you mustn't sense undesirable inspite of the undeniable fact that. i've got had somebody tell me my avatar sounds like Wanda Sykes and that i'm a guy.