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Mailbag Monday: April 30, 2012 Edition

Written by T.I. Cruiser on April 30, 2012 · 2 Comments

Here we have another edition of Mailbag Monday. Today I answer three questions I received in my email inbox. Today I’ll be answering questions about the effectiveness of sea sickness pills, Carnival room service and “tendering” into a port. If you have any questions you would like me to answer you can shoot me an email via the blogs contact form. Just remember if you don’t want to post your question publicly just include that instruction somewhere in either the subject line or the beginning or end of the submission.

Do sea sickness tablets really work?

I am going on my first cruise this August. Something that worries me about cruising during hurricane season is the condition of the seas. I would expect that the waters will be more rough than normal and was wondering if those seasick pills you see actually work.

Seasick remedies come in all shapes and sizes. Some people swear by Ginger, the patch, acupressure wrist bandsand even seasick pills. Depending on who you ask, you’ll get a dozen different reviews for each of those remedies. Some people will say one a certain method works while the very next person will say the same exact remedy is bogus. No method is fool-proof, if one were the others wouldn’t exist.

My advice for someone who is prone to getting sea-sick would be to try multiple remedies. What you don’t want to happen is to be on the ship with a “cure” that doesn’t work. A cruise costs thousands of dollars, sea-sick remedies cost less than 20 dollars each. Stocking up on a few different cures for sea-sickness to bring along on your cruise is probably the best way to assure you get something that works for you.

On the Carnival Cruise ships, is the 24-hour room service free?

I’ve been seeing people say different things, like that the food is free but beverages are not. I tried to look for answers on the Carnival website but didn’t find what I was looking for.

Yes the room service is free on board Carnival Cruise ships. Some cruise lines have started charging a surcharge during certain hours as a deterrent to people making late night room-service orders for food that will not be eaten. As far as I know Carnival hasn’t instituted anything of the sort, yet. However, that isn’t to say everything is free. Anything that would cost you money from the ships bar will cost through room service. So, alcoholic beverages as well as soft drinks won’t be free even though room service technically is free. Also you should probably tip whoever brings the room service order to your cabin. It doesn’t have to be a lot but you should tip something. As a general rule of thumb I tip just a couple of dollars minimum, but if I make a large order I tip more.

What does the term “tendered” mean?

I will be taking a New England cruise this fall and one of the ports says “tendered”, but all the others say docked, what exactly does this mean?

The term “tendered” is one that everyone encounters if they cruise enough. What it means is instead of the ship docking in the port it will anchor off shore. Passengers will then be shuttled to the mainland via smaller boats.

There are a couple of reasons why tendering may be necessary. There could a glut of ships in port on that particular day, or your ship could simply be too large to dock. In these instances passengers will need to be ferried back and forth between the ship and shore.

Tendering can be fun because it gives you a unique view as you approach the port. However, tendering is not without its drawbacks. If you have mobility issues, tendering is less than ideal. Another drawback is the lines to leave the ship and particularly when returning late can be longer than you would like them to be. Tendering services are run by the port of call and not by the cruise lines so they aren’t as streamlined as what you are used to on the ship. Some ports are better than others so there is no way to tell what your experience will be like unless you have visited that port in the past.

Mailbag Monday: January 23, 2012 Edition

Written by T.I. Cruiser on January 23, 2012 · Leave a Comment

From time to time I like post answers to questions that I feel may help readers of the blog, I call it Mailbag Monday. On this Mailbag Monday we talk about shore excursions, RCI dining and Bermuda cruises. Hopefully, these questions will help not only the person who asked it but also others who may be reading. Remember if you have any questions that you want answered feel free to use the contact form to send me an email. If for some reason you don’t want your question used for Mailbag Monday just put it in the subject line or at the end of your email.

Shore Excursions to Book or Not to Book?

I will be going on a Caribbean Cruise in April. When I looked at the cruise line website there are like 100 shore excursions that that can be booked ahead of time. The cruises cost from 30-200$ a person which seems pretty staggering. So really I have a couple different questions for you.

Do you need to book excursions in advance or can you book them on the cruise?
Is it worth booking these excursions is there enough stuff do and without having to pay for extras?

Okay, about excursions first let me tackle the question about when to book them. First, yes you can book shore excursions after you board the ship but the more important question is if you should. On the occasions where I book excursions through the cruise line I wait until I am actually on the ship unless, it is something I anticipate to be in high demand. Usually there is no real upside or downside to the timing of when you book an excursion but if there is an excursion you absolutely must have, book it now. There is no point in taking a chance that a must have excursion gets filled up.

The answer to your second question of is there enough to do without having to go on an excursion is a resounding yes. However, if this is your first cruise I would say you will probably want to book shore excursions through the cruise line. Later on, as you gain more experience cruising you will probably book ship sponsored excursions less frequently. When you are new to a port sometimes it’s nice to let the excursion provider do the worrying for you but over time you will visit many of these ports multiple times. Once you have been to St. Thomas a few times and have seen many of the sights you kind of find your own grove.

Necessity of Foreign Currency on a Cruise

I’ll be going on a cruise to the Western Caribbean. We are visiting Cozumel, Roatan, Cost Maya and Belize do I need foreign currencies in those countries?

No you won’t need foreign currency in any of those countries on your cruise itinerary. Every merchant you encounter in those countries will be more than happy to take good old United States legal tender. Smaller merchants will be cash only but more established brick and mortar stores should also accept credit cards. Just be forewarned that when paying in cash you will probably get your change back in local currency. So, you will want to make sure you have small bills so that you can lessen the amount of change you have since they will be little more than souvenirs once you leave that country.

Dinner with Strangers

We are traveling on Royal Caribbean is it mandatory that you sit with strangers at dinner?

One of the best things about taking a cruise is nothing (other than the muster drill) is mandatory. It’s your cruise so you can do whatever you want. Now if you book traditional dining (early or late) seating your options for a table for two may be limited. However, if you choose the option of “Anytime Dining” you will be able to eat whenever you want and with whomever you want (as long as they are complicit with you forcing yourself upon them).

Cruising From New York to Bermuda

I am planning a NY to Bermuda cruise for April but have a question about the weather. I know the weather in New York can be hit or miss but what about the weather in Bermuda and also on the way to Bermuda? This price is right but I don’t really want to book it if the weather isn’t going to be nice.

Well you already know how that time of year can be in New York, anywhere between 20 degrees and blizzard-like conditions and a perfect 80 degree day. The weather in Bermuda is slightly more predictable with the average temperature being 71 degrees with an expected 4 inches of precipitation. The sea in between those two ports will obviously be a mix of both but you all have to take into account the winds. I have never sailed that trip at that time of year so I can’t speak from first-hand experience but I’d say things will be a little on the chilly side. I would also expect the water temperature to be kind of cold in Bermuda. My best approximation would be comparable to the water temperature of the NJ/DE/MD area in the early summer, mid to upper sixties.

11 Posts From 2011 That Helped You Become a Better Cruiser

Written by T.I. Cruiser on December 28, 2011 · Leave a Comment

As we bring to a close 2011, it’s important to look back at the current year before we start looking ahead to the New Year. Here is a list of 11 posts from 2011 provide useful information to both new and experienced cruisers.

Those of you who are regular readers of theintelligentcruiser.com may have read most of these blog posts, but (if you ask me) they are worth reading again. Those readers who just recently discovered this cruise blog and only joined us for part of the year should find these blog posts particularly useful.

It’s no secret that Mexico Cruise Ports have gotten a lot of bad press in 2011. Cruise Lines have canceled boatloads of Mexico Riviera sailings. Here is what I had to say about the safety of Mexico Cruise Ports.
Snorkeling is one of my favorite cruise port activities. Since the closest beach to my house is in the Northeast United States, let’s just say gazing at fish in clear 80 degree water is not something I take for granted. The problem is many tourists do take snorkeling for granted and because of that lack of respect the world’s coral reefs are being destroyed. Check out this article about how tourists are unknowingly contributing to the destruction of the world’s coral reefs, and to find out what you can do to make sure you are not part of the problem.
Every cruise I take I see people who really have no business being left to their own devices in a foreign country. If you ever stood outside the gangway watching as passengers exit the ship you would know what I mean. Loud shirts, fancy jewelry and general cluelessness are all too prevalent. Then when you look to the other side of the fence that separates the “real world” from “Ship Life” and you realize exactly what is going on. These passengers have bathed themselves in chum and are about to enter shark infested waters. Here is a blog entry that details a slew of ways to not be one of those chum covered cruise ship passengers.
I’m not sure if I am the only one who suffers from post-cruise depression. I suspect there are others out there who also suffer from this affliction. I wrote this blog post to share a few tips I have for avoiding post-cruise depression or to at least lessen its effects.
Buffets, usually people say they either love them or hate them. My theory is no one actually hates them but rather the behavior of their fellow passengers at the buffet. I think if everyone knew how to probably conduct themselves the whole perception of the buffet would change. This particular cruise article should be required reading for anyone taking a cruise. In fact, if you are someone who thinks you have good “cruise buffet etiquette” you should probably read it twice.
Cruise ship vacations are probably the most misunderstood segment of the travel industry. Hotel stays and all-inclusive resorts are easy, but for some reason unless you are a cruiser you probably don’t understand cruising. In fact, even some of the people I know that have been on cruises still don’t understand them. I wrote this blog entry to clear up some cruise vacation misconceptions.
The logistics of planning a cruise can sometimes be daunting. While most of the anxiety comes from getting from your home to the cruise ship, something that shouldn’t be overlooked is getting from the cruise ship back to your home. Depending on where you are sailing from and your commitments back home the need to have a smooth transition back to “the real world” can be even more stressful than leaving it. Here is a little blog post I wrote that sheds some light on the unpleasant task of booking a post-cruise flight back home.
While cruise vacations can be great values the presence of more ala carte options and the “cashless” transaction method can also lead to over-spending. Here are 5 ways cruise lines encourage overspending onboard the cruise ship and here are 5 ways you may be able to save money on a cruise vacation. While most of the ideas presented in those two posts will be things you probably have thought about at one time or another. Sometimes being reminded of something and being able to see it written in black and white helps the idea sink in a little bit more.
In 2011 not only did cruisers as a whole get a lot smarter but cruise lines got smarter as well. When the price of oil started to once again rise there was much speculation the return of fuel surcharges. However, cruise lines threw us a curve ball they didn’t reinstate the fuel surcharge. What they did instead was make many of the other things just a bit more expensive. The move was brilliant. Cruisers didn’t have to pay “fuel surcharges” and cruise lines didn’t have to eat the cost of fuel. Sure, all of us cruisers were still paying for the rising cost of fuel but as long as it wasn’t labeled as a fuel surcharge we stayed happy.
Each cruise, thousands of passengers board their cruise ship to embark on their own version of a cruise. The funny thing is even though ships have more than a dozen cabin categories, numerous dining options and countless ways to entertain you everyone on a ship is basically taking the same cruise. The magic is in the choices and extras each individual passenger makes. Even though there are thousands of passengers on the same cruise how you structure your cruise and what options you choose along with the memories created is what distinguishes your cruise from everyone else’s. In that way a cruise is a lot like buying a car. You can line up 100 Honda Accord’s and because of colors and options no two will be alike. Here is an article about how going on a cruise is just like shopping for a car.

So there are 11 articles that I feel were amongst the most helpful in 2011. Of course there are others that could have and maybe should have made the cut but I had to make a cut-off somewhere. All in all I would say 2011 was a resounding success. Just as always my aim was to provide good, useful content for readers a trend that I hope to continue in 2012.