Cruise Guide

Unless you are cruising from the UK, you will probably need to fly to join your cruise. If so you have three choices of how your cruise is organized:

• a cruise line package that includes flights, transfers and cruise - the hassle free alternative
• a travel agent package where they organize each element for you
• you buy the cruise only and organize your own flights and transfers.

Cruises are marketed as all inclusive and indeed the fare does include the cruise and all meals and entertainment onboard. Fly cruises are usually offered at a package price that include flights and transfers. However when budgeting for your trip it is important to allow for these additional costs:

• port charges - some cruise lines show these as an additional charge to the cruise fare
• parking at the airport or cruise terminal - some cruise lines include this in their fares
• air fares if not a fly-cruise package
• pre-cruise and post-cruise hotel accommodation - on some cruises it is not possible to get to the port or aiport before the departure time if you have to travel or fly a long distance. Fly-cruise packages normally include this
• booking and credit card handling fees charged by your travel agent
• meals pre and post cruise - these are not included in your package
• transfers airport/cruise terminal/airport - included on fly-cruise packages
• Onboard:
  • bottled water and mini bar in your cabin
  • alcoholic and soft drinks at dinner and the bars
  • beauty salon and spa treatments
  • casino, if you like a flutter
  • dining at the speciality restaurants
  • emails and telephone calls - see our tip on Staying in Touch
  • gift shop for those forgotten items or gifts for friends and family
  • internet café use
  • photographs purchased from the ship's photographers
  • shore excursions
  • speciality coffees
  • tipping - see the tipping comment on our Ship Details page and our advice on Tipping
• Ashore in Ports:
  • taxis and excursions bought at the pier or terminal
  • meals and drinks
  • personal shopping and souvenirs

Some tips for making savings on your cruise:

• Never pay the brochure price - select a cruise on our pages and complete our enquiry form - an experienced cruise agent will provide you with a discounted price and lots of good advice
• Look out for the Special Offers on our Offers page (navigation bar above)
• If you are arranging separate flights, consider buying your airport/cruise terminal transfers from the cruise line as these will be much cheaper than using local taxis
• If you take a lot of shore excursions, consider upgrading to a cruiseline that includes excursions in the fare
• alternatively excursions sold on the quayside are often cheaper than those offered onboard
• look out for special offers at the spa
• buy the special drinks packages offered eg a bottle of wine a day or all soft drinks
• use email or phones ashore to stay in touch

BOOKING your own flight, pre or post-cruise hotel and transfers so you could get your travel agent to cost the two alternatives and then weigh up the pros and cons before booking.

Cruise line terms require you to pay a deposit on booking of 10% of the cruise package cost with the balance payable 60 days before departure. Some Travel Agents ask you to pay in full earlier than this. If you are booking late you will be asked to pay in full on booking. Some cruise lines offer special prices for early bookings and payment.

These terms apply to the cruise line element of your booking, if your agent is organising flights, hotels and transfers for you, different payment terms may apply. Some Agents also charge a booking fee and, if paying by credit card, a handling charge of 1.5% TO 2% for Visa or Mastercard, even more for American Express. There is normally no charge for Delta, Switch and Connect direct debit cards or payment by cheque.

Before you make a booking and pay a deposit, we would advise you to check the financial protection that the Travel Agent and/or Cruise Line offers.

Cruise Lines insist that you have travel insurance in place before taking your cruise and will request details of that insurance if you do not purchase it through them. Travel insurance will give you peace of mind and should cover you up to the limit of your policy for:

• Cruise cancellation or curtailment - most cruise lines require a deposit on booking and full payment 60 days before departure. Cancellation policies vary but can cost you your deposit if 60 days before departure, 45% if 40+ days before, 75% if 16+ days before, 90%, 5+ days before and 100% if less than 5 days before.
• delayed, cancelled or missed flights
• lost or delayed baggage
• lost or stolen personal belongings
• emergency medical evacuation - airlifts can cost £0,000s
• emergency medical and dental expenses - you will be required to pay for treatment onboard your ship and in most countries that you will visit. Remember to take your E111 for treatment in the EEC
• emergency legal assistance

You can purchase travel insurance through your travel agent, the cruise line, or directly with a travel insurance company or you may already have an annual travel insurance policy. Travel Insurance is notorious for policies with so many exclusions that it is difficult to see what you can claim for; so please carefully check the details of any policy before you buy to ensure you have the coverage you need. In particular make sure you have a detailed explanation of all exclusions, excesses and limitations and check and look out for:

• companies that do not cover pre-existing medical conditions - most of the policies offered by the cruise lines exclude cover for pre-existing medical conditions. Some policies have a list of conditions that they will cover, so it is worth spending some time on this if you have an existing problem.
• that you are covered for cancellation right up to departure and curtailment thereafter.
• the definition of immediate family members for trip cancellation or interruption due to death, illness or injury to yourself, your traveling companions and your immediate family members.
• the procedure and required documentation for making a claim.

• Your preferred sitting and table size in the ship restaurant
• Seats assignments on plane if possible
• Shore excursions - some get booked up early. The cruise line normally sends out a booklet on shore excursions a month or so before departure with an advance booking procedure. Some lines have websites where you can book your excursions online.

You should receive a ticket pack from your cruise line or travel agent about 2 weeks before you are due to leave. If the cruise pack does not turn up by one week before, start chasing hard. This pack will contain:

• Your itinerary with flight and sailing times
• Cruise ticket with cabin number if allocated
• Vouchers for transfers to and from the ship
• Hotel and transfer voucher (if required)
• Luggage tags
• Embarkation card
• Credit card form for your onboard charge card
• Shore excursion brochure
• Ship guide with information about the facilities onboard
• Contact telephone numbers and email onboard to give to friends or family

Check these thoroughly when they arrive to ensure that it reflects what you booked and that your arrangements for getting to the port or airport are OK.

We have prepared some advice on preparing for your cruise that covers:

• Luggage - selection, weight allowances, labelling and security
• Clothes to pack - you will need more clothes for a cruise than any other type of holiday
• Medical issues - don't forget medication and E111 form
• Don't forget list - up to date passport amongst others

• to check well before your cruise that your passport is up to date - ie that you have a passport with at least 6 months validity and that it is the right type of passport for the countries you are visiting
• to check on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office web site (www.fco.gov.uk ) for all the latest travel, health and VISA information for the countries you will be visiting
• If you need any visas - your Travel Agent should advise you on this but check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office web site if you are travelling outside the EEC. This particularly applies if travelling to the US as there are new rules for the type of passport and visa you must have
• Your own toiletries - those provided on some lines are quite limited.
• Insect repellant and anti-histamine cream
• Camera and charger (if digital)
• Compact binoculars
• Seasick remedy
• Compact umbrella or lightweight rain protection
• Mobile phone and charger
• Electrical adaptor plug

Your cruise is going to be great but getting to and from the ship can sometimes be a bit stressful. Knowing what is involved is half the battle so in this section you will find our information on:

Flights and Transfers
Unless you are cruising from a UK port, your cruise will involve flights to and from the cruise region and transfers from the airport to your ship and back again. The cruise lines fly-cruise package is usually the least stressful option.

Embarking
When you arrive at the cruise terminal you will go through all the formalities of check-in, immigration, security and finally getting onboard to your cabin where you can relax at last.

Disembarking
At the end of your cruise you could do without disembarkation day. Unfortunately the process of leaving the ship can involve a lot of waiting and queuing.

In this section of our Cruise Information we cover most of what is on offer aboard your ship. Starting with what you can expect to find in your cabin we take you on a tour of the myriad of activities and entertainment you can enjoy. The first thing you should find in your cabin is a leaflet with the ship's deck plan and the Daily Programme. Take these with you until you know your way around - all the restaurants, bars, showrooms and pools will be shown on the plan and all of the day's and nights activities listed in the Programme.

We discuss the dining options, the entertainment and other activities you can expect to find and touch on financial issues like tipping and the costs and means of staying in touch with home. If you have teenagers or you were thinking of taking a few bottles of wine onboard, you may care to read our piece on alcohol policies. If you have any medical issues or you want more information on Norovirus or smoking policy, then read on. Finally we cover safety and security onboard - so you can have a ball in the knowledge that all of that is covered.

Your cabin will have most of the following (check our Cabin Details page):

• Small private bathroom with shower, wash basin and toilet.
• An international shaver socket, towels, soap and shampoos are normally provided.
• Modern ships have twin beds, which can usually be converted into a queen-sized bed. Older ships may have fixed twin beds, double bed or even upper and lower berths.
• Some cabins will have one or two additional pullman berths that are often stored in the ceiling during the day - for a family or friends who don't mind living at close quarters.
• Telephone, radio and TV with satellite or recorded channels.
• Vanity/desk unit and chair
• Wardrobe and drawer space, bedside drawers.

Your cabin may have:

• A bath - more likely in higher grade cabins and on British boats.
• Hairdryer in the bathroom or cabin.
• VCR or DVD player.
• A sitting area with sofa or two chairs and a table.
• Refrigerator/Mini Bar, Personal Safe.
• Balcony equipped with two chairs or sunbeds and table.

Suites may also have:

• King size beds, dining tables
• Whirlpool baths and even jacuzzis on the balcony
• Walk in wardrobes
• More than one bedroom and bathroom with separate bath and shower

Despite today's preoccupation with staying fit and slim, most passengers will spend more time eating than doing anything else and you can expect to gain weight on your cruise. Cruise lines recognise that this is an important part of the cruise experience and try to make dining a memorable experience. All meals are included in your cruise fare and there will be opportunities to eat all day long - early breakfast, full breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and the midnight buffet.

If you want to get an idea of the dining on the ship you are considering, we give a brief summary of the arrangements on our Ship Details page.

Quality of the Food
In general, you will get what you pay for and the quality of the food is reflected in our ship ratings - budget levels will mean pre-prepared meals from the freezer, luxury cruises will offer freshly prepared food. Cruise ships are catering for large numbers so the quality tends to be banquet level and suited to American, British, European or international taste according to the cruise lines' origins and principal passengers.

Dining Rooms
Traditionally cruise ships have offered a large main dining room with assigned seating, on open seating buffet restaurant and an outdoor grill. However, with the increasing popularity of flexible (freestyle or personal choice) dining, this is changing.

On traditional ships:

• There will probably be one or two main dining rooms with assigned seating and waiters serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The dinner menu will normally offer at least five courses with a choice of at least three dishes for each course.
• You will be asked to request your seating at the time of booking. There are usually two seatings - breakfast 7am or 8.30am, lunch 12 noon or 1.30pm and dinner 6.30pm or 8.30pm. If you choose first then you dine at the earlier times for each meal, but most ships have open seating at breakfast and dinner.
• Open seating means that you can sit at any available table with whom you please at a time of your choosing within the dining room's opening hours. Often in practice it means that you will be escorted to the next available places as the staff fill up each table in turn - so you can end up dining with anyone although it is a good way to meet lots of different people onboard.
• Service levels will vary according to the rating of your cruise ship - on cheaper cruises the staff have more diners to look after and probably have to serve wine as well. As you move up the ratings you will find that the waiters have more time and are more attentive - there will be separate wine waiters.
• Alternative dining options:
  • you do not have to use the main dining rooms every night, or indeed at all on your cruise.
  • a buffet style restaurant commonly near the pool area also serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
  • smaller speciality dining rooms that may require a reservation and incur an extra cost - £10 to £20 per person. Food, service and presentation will normally be much better than in themain dining room.
  • an outdoor grill/pizzeria for lunchtime snacks

On luxury ships:

• The main dining room will probably be single (assigned table) or open seating serving you at anytime during opening hours.
• Service will be personal and attentive with separate wine waiters

Flexible dining:

The main lines offering freestyle or personal choice dining are NCL and Princess although other lines are moving in this direction. This offers:

• a range of 6 to even 10 different restaurants with no fixed seating times or assigned tables serving eg dinner from 6pm to midnight
• main dining rooms offering the same option although on Princess one traditional dining room is retained
• a buffet style restaurant
• a range of smaller restaurants offering Italian, French, Asian and American cuisine - most will require reservations and some of them may carry an extra charge.

Smoking
On most ships smoking is not permitted in the dining rooms. Where it is allowed there are separate non smoking sections and you should be asked to select either smoking or non-smoking dining when you book.

Some tips:

• Choose first sitting if you have children or you like to get to bed early - you can leave dinner to go the the evening show and then to bed.
• If you plan to take shore excursions in the afternoon then take second sitting so you have time between returning to the ship and going to dinner to rest, shower and change.
• On booking you will also be asked to select a preferred table size. In practice there are few tables for two so you may well find yourself dining with strangers. Most tables are four, six or eight so select the largest if you like to meet lots of new friends.
• You will find your restaurant sitting and table assignment in your cabin when you board - if you do not like what you get or are unhappy with your dinner company, you can always ask the Restaurant Manager to change your sitting or table - a tip may help this along. In the worst case you can always eat in one of the alternative restaurants.

Most ships will have at least one pool and deck space for sunbathing so you can do nothing but lounge around the pool with a drink if you so wish. However, for those who prefer to get active, there will be sports facilities, a Fitness Centre and organized outdoor activities on days at sea. Information about the facilities on each ship is provided on our Ship Details page.

Pools
The swimming pool will be the centre of your time outside on the ship. You may find that your ship has several pools either together or in different areas but most are at the top of the ship surrounded by protective screens and overlooked by a sun deck. Sometimes the pools are tiered decks at the stern. This is often called the Lido and is where you will find the jacuzzis and water slides on some of the very large ships. The pool and sun decks will be filled with sunbeds and finding an empty one can be difficult but there will be quieter areas where you can settle.

Some ships have one pool that is covered - usually by a sliding roof called a magradome - andsome have an indoor pool lower in the ship. These are the ones to select if you like to swim and are planning to cruise in a region where warm weather is not guaranteed eg Alaska or Northern Europe.

Sports Facilities
Depending on the size of the ship, sports facilities may include badminton, basketball, golf driving nets, jogging or walking track, miniature putting green, paddle tennis, quoits, shuffleboard, skeet shooting, table tennis and volleyball. On larger ships you may also find an ice skating rink and a rock climbing wall.

Fitness Centre
Many ships now have a Fitness Centre with a gym and spa. The gym should offer modern equipment and exercise classes. Most classes are free but some ships charge for activities like yoga. The spa is the place for massages (extra cost), the sauna and steam room. There will probably be a beauty salon as well, where you can get your hair cut and styled - at extra cost, of course. The Daily Programme will give details of fitness classes, special offers and spa packages.

You are unlikely to be bored on a cruise ship - there is something to do all day (contests, lectures, deck games) and most of the night (casinos, cabaret and production shows). The ship will have Entertainment Staff, normally lead by a Cruise Director, whose remit is to ensure you have a good time. But if you just want to relax, you can sunbathe with a good book. All of the day's and nights activities are listed in the Daily Programme.

On days at sea especially, there will be lots of organized activities. Even if you are sunbathing by the pool entertainment is laid on - there are often bands playing on an outdoor stage area or competitions organised by the Entertainment Staff. If you want to be active you'll be able to participate in a variety of activities, depending on the ship, like cultural or port lectures, using the Internet, playing cards (Bridge is popular) and learning a range of skills from computers to flower arranging You can also improve your golf swing, pick a good book from the ship's library, shop for souvenirs and clothes in the onboard shops or see a recent release film in a theatre.

At night the lounges and bars come to life. Lounges will feature live bands and cabaret singers for your dancing or listening pleasure. Some nights the ship's theatre or showlounge will put on production shows with high tech lasers and videos on the bigger ships and costumed singers and dancers performing songs from West End or Broadway shows and popular hits. On other nights there will be featured singers, comedians and magicians. Some ships also have a separate Cabaret Room and British ships may put on plays as well. Karaoke, passenger talent shoes, Bingo and Quiz Games will also be put on in the Lounges.

In the warmer regions, poolside dances and music are popular. Some Princess ships offer Movies Under the Stars and Ocean Village has a Cirque Soleil type show on the lido deck. As the night moves on the Casino gets busier and many will end the evening at the Disco.

Families are cruising more and more often so children's programs and facilities have improved enormously over recent years - and they are continuously being upgraded. Some points to note:

• Not all cruise ships provide well for children - see our Children Rating and comment on the Ship Details page
• The newer ships tend to have the biggest, most elaborate children's clubs, mainly because the ships are bigger and the facilities are designed in.
• Most offer supervised activities by age groupings.
• Activities usually include some kind of arts and crafts and games.
• Some ships have special enclosed deck space (with wading pools, water slides and play equipment). Others have computers and video games.
• Some of the best lines for Children's Programmes are Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, Princess and Roy

Although your cruise fare does include all meals and entertainment onboard, there are many opportunities to increase the cost of your holiday. Traditionally the additional costs have been alcoholic and soft drinks, cabin telephone calls, casino, photographs, gift shop, shore excursions and tipping.

As cruise pricing has become increasingly competitive so the lines have sought different ways in which they can increase their onboard income. These opportunities have increased as ships get bigger and the variety of facilities and dining options have increased. You can expect to be charged extra for exercise classes, spa treatments, speciality coffees, internet café use and dining at speciality restaurants.

Some tips for saving on the extras:

• If you take a lot of shore excursions, consider upgrading to a cruiseline that includes excursions in the fare
• alternatively excursions sold on the quayside are often cheaper than those offered onboard
• look out for special offers at the spa
• buy the special drinks packages offered eg a bottle of wine a day or all soft drinks
• use email or phones ashore to stay in touch

There are three aspects of cruise line alcohol policies that are worth noting - minimum drinkng age permitted, drinks pricing and packages and taking spirits and wine onboard. The rules are complex and different across the different cruise lines so we are only able to give a summary here.

Minimum Drinking Age

• Firstly on most British and European cruise lines the permitted drinking age is 18, however some may raise this to 21 when cruising out of an American port eg Miami.
• On American lines including Princess the drinking age is 21.
• Some lines permit wine and beer to be served to 18 year olds with parental consent, notably Celebrity, NCL and Royal Caribbean.

Drinks Pricing and Packages

• On most ships alcoholic and soft drinks are charged as an extra, plus a service charge of 10 or 15%, although there are a few all inclusive ships.
• On most ships you can buy a soft drinks package for the duration of the cruise.
• On Thomson ships you can buy an alcohol package that covers house wines and non premium beers and spirits for the duration of the cruise.

Taking Bottles Onboard
The cruise lines want you to buy drinks from the bars onboard or your cabin mini-bar so the rules are quite strict:

• Spirits are not allowed to be taken onboard at embarkation.
• A few bottles of wine may be allowed at embarkation but a corkage fee is payable.
• Wine and spirits purchased while in port or from the ship's duty free shop are stored onboard and returned to you on the last night of the cruise.
• P&O Cruises are reported to have a more flexible approach to this issue, but this may change.

Traditionally there will be photographers onboard your cruise ship. You will meet them first at embarkation when they will take a picture before you go onboard, even though you may feel a bit tired and crumpled after your travels. From then on you will see them regularly at all the ship events and dinners, taking photographs of guests and possibly a video of the cruise experience.

Some cruisers love it, they get a record of their cruise without having to worry about taking photographs and formal photographs taken on gala nights when passengers are dressed up are very popular. The results of their work are displayed in the Photo Gallery (usually near the Shops) where you can see how good or bad you look before you buy. If you don't like what you see there is usually a box in which you can put photographs you wish to see destroyed. Expect to pay around £5 per photograph for any you wish to buy with discounts for 3 or more.

Most cruise ships with more than 50 passengers will have medical facilities and a licenced doctor onboard. Hopefully you will never need to call on them, but it is nice to know they are there just in case. The onboard Medical Centre should be capable of treating, evaluating and providing reasonable emergency medical care for passengers and crew and have medical staff on call 24-hours a day. Procedures will be in place for the evacuation of more serious cases.

Doctors will be generalists and licenced. American and British cruise lines use doctors licenced in the US, Canada Australia, South Africa and the UK. The size of ship may determine the exent of the facilities although some smaller luxury ships are very well equipped. Ideally these facilities would include an examination room, isolation room, x-ray machine, defibrillators, cardiac monitors, airway equipment, external pacemaker, electrocardiograph, infusion pump and a mobile emergency trolley.

Consultations with the doctor and use of the medical facilities will be charged on your shipboard account so ensure that you have adequate travel insurance with medical cover. Remember when you book to advise the cruise line of any conditions that will require treatment while onboard. Also don't forget to take any medication you need with you on the cruise.

You will probably not experience this notorious bug but you may have heard about it. Norovirus is a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus that causes moderate flu-like symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Commonly known as "stomach flu," other symptoms include a mild fever and headache. It's spread through contaminated food and water or from objects touched by infected people. It takes from one to three days for its symptoms to appear and then typically lasts from 24 to 48 hours.

There have been widespread outbreaks of this virus throughout North America and Europe usually during the winter flu season. It spreads in closed places that attract a lot of people like schools, theatres and hotels and has been a particular problem for cruise ships. Starting on Alaska cruises it has spread to other regions and cruise lines are taking preventative measures to avoid further outbeaks onboard. These measures include increased cleansing programmes and the complete sanitisation of ships where repeated incidents have occurred but it is unlikely that outbreaks can be completely avoided.

The measures that you can take to protect yourself, particularly if there is an outbreak, include:

• washing your hands often.
• avoiding uncooked food such as salads
• drinking bottled water and avoiding ice cubes
• using you cabin bathroom rather than the public washrooms.

If there is an outbreak the cruise ship will:

• suggest that guests who have flu-like symptoms remain in their stateroom and contact the onboard medical centre - doctor's fees would not normally be charged in these circumstances
• circulate a list of precautionary tips to passengers
• clean even more thoroughly than usual - with stronger solvents
• report outbreaks to the port authorities

Safety Onboard
There are a large number of rules and regulations for passenger and crew safety onboard your cruise ship. Regular inspections of ships are carried out by the ship's country of registration and current operation to ensure they comply with the emergency-response procedures. Ships are built and operate under international rules known as Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) that require ships to have lifeboats and lifebelts for all passengers and crew and on most cases smoke detectors, sprinklers and low-level emergency lighting for escape routes. Within 24 hours of sailing, you will be asked to participate in a safety drill that will involve wearing your assigned life jacket and going to your assigned lifeboat.

Security
Security procedures on all ships have been increased in recent years. The International Ship and Port Facility Code (ISPS) sets out new international rules that require all ships and ports to have both security officers and security plans. These are set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), part of the United Nations charged with the regulation of maritime transport and commerce. Similar rules are legislated in the UK, US and Europe.

Security Onboard

• All ships must display an identification number visible from the air and by satellite.
• Cruise lines are now required to report names of passengers before each cruise.
• Passengers and crew are provided with boarding cards (often computer readable) and must provide photographic identification when boarding and re-boarding the ship - this may mean you have to take your passport or photo driving licence ashore with you as well as your boarding card.
• However on some ships your photograph is taken at the start of the cruise and stored on computer to recognise you each time you board with your boarding card.
• On boarding or re-boarding your bags will be checked and x-rayed.
• Your cabin door will have a lock and key - in most cases this will be an encoded plastic card.
• Many ships now provide a personal safe in your cabin to store your passports, credit cards and other valuables. Check Cabin Details on our Ship pages to see if they are provided on your ship.
• If there are no cabin safes then there probably will be safety deposit boxes at the ship's Reception or Purser's Office.

Depending on the size of the ship, there will be a shop selling basics like toothpaste, medications and batteries as well as gift shops and boutiques selling an assortment of fragrances, cosmetics, resort wear, jewellery, watches, souvenirs and photographic equipment. In addition there will probably be a duty free shop for spirits, wine and cigarettes. Also watch out for the the ubiquitous art auction.

• security will mean that documents and bags may be checked both by the port authority and the ship before re-boarding.

Smoking policy varies across cruise lines. Most ships now do not permit smoking in the dining rooms. It is also usual practice to allow smoking only in designated areas in public rooms and many lines do not allow it in theatres and showrooms. Some American ships have banned smoking in cabins. Cigar and pipe smoking is only permitted on the outer decks unless there is a Smoking Room.

In general American ships are best and European ships worst for non smokers - European ships have rules but many passengers smoke and the rules are often ignored.

Staying in touch with home or business on cruise ships has become much easier over the years. Cabin televisions will probably have BBC World or CNN by satellite alongside onboard channels and some ships prepare a daily news summary in different languages - this can usually be found in the Library or Internet Café. You can make phone calls and send e-mails from most ships, although it's usually cheaper to do both from the ports.

Telephone Calls
Mobile phones

• Your mobile will function while you are in port or close to land but remember that the US has a different system and your phone will not work there unless you have made special arrangements.
• To make communications even easier some new ships are introducing mini transmission towers so mobiles can be used at sea.
• While using your mobile will cost much less than the ship's phones, roaming rates are not cheap.

Ship Phones
You will have a phone in your cabin from which you can make international calls but it is extremely expensive.

Land phones
The cheapest way of phoning home is to use the public phones in port and to buy a local phone card. Howevere those close to the ship are likely to be popular with both passengers and crew.

Internet access & Emails

• Most ships now offer internet and e-mail access but there are exceptions so check before booking if this is important to you.
• Internet charges vary by cruise line and a minute can cost from 25p to £1 per minute. On many lines you can buy a package of minutes at a more economic rate.
• Check if you can access your email from overseas and if not consider setting up a free hotmail.com account that you can use while away.
• Some cruise lines offer personal onboard e-mail addresses so you can receive and send emails but these can be more expensive than using hotmail or your normal account.
• It is still cheaper to use internet cafes in ports of call and you may find facilities in the cruise terminal.
• Cruise lines are starting to offer internet access direct from cabins some through interactive television.

Tipping is supposed to be a voluntary act of appreciation for good service, however, on most cruise ships tips are expected from all passengers and form an essential part of the crew's remuneration. Some lines even automatically add tips to your shipboard account at a fixed rate.

You will not lack guidance on this subject while onboard. On the day before you are due to leave the ship, you will receive advice on the tipping procedure - in the daily bulletin, in the disembarkation presentation and on the cabin video system. Your disembarkation documentation may well include envelopes to be used for tipping. However to help you prepare financially for your cruise you should note the following:

• We include a summary of the tipping policy of each ship on our Ship Details page.
• The traditional way of tipping is cash in envelopes at the end of the cruise based on recommendations on how much to give and to whom. You would normally give your tips the night before you leave the ship but some leave the cabin steward until the morning of diembarkation.
• Some lines automatically add tips to your shipboard account at a fixed rate although you can adjust the amount up or down based on the service you receive, but you have to go to the purser's office to do so. This method of tipping is becoming more appropriate with flexible dining where you may have different restaurant staff each evening.
• Some ships allow you to charge tips to your shipboard account - you give crew members envelopes with a receipt inside.
• Some lines say tipping is not required, or fares include standard tips - be advised tips will still be expected, cash in hand - but maybe at a lesser rate.
• On luxury lines Seabourn, Silversea, Radisson and SeaDream tips are included in the cruise fare and are neither required or expected.
• Typical daily tipping rates per person recommended are £2 for your dining room waiter, £1 for his assistant, £2 for your cabin attendant and if you have a personal butler, about £2 per day. Some lines suggest you also tip the headwaiter or restaurant manager 50p per day.
• Of course, you may vary these rates depending on the quality of service.
• If you have children sharing your cabin, it is acceptable to tip at half the adult rate.
• On some small ships, passengers put a lump sum into an envelope and the crew splits it.

Other Tipping

• All drinks from the bar (including wine at dinner) have a service charge automatically added. Most American ships add 15% AND EUROPEAN SHIPS 10%.
• Spa or beauty treatments may have tips automatically added to your shipboard account but you may have to tip personally.
• Guides on shore excursions are usually tipped 5% of the excursion cost.
• The luggage porters at the cruise terminal usually expect a tip - a dollar or Euro per bag.

Here is your chance to explore new places, learn the history, view the sights, shop for souvenirs or just sunbathe and swim on that sandy beach. You will know from your ship itinerary what ports you are going to visit and when. If you have found the cruise on our site you may have clicked on the ports visited to get our port wite-up so you know what to expect. You can also study the Shore Excursions brochure or attend the Excursions or Port presentation and decide if you are going to take the organised option or explore on your own. Read our tips opposite.

On the day before arriving there is normally a Port Talk on what you will find ashore including transportation, shops, beaches, excursions and any security issues. This talk is often repeated on the video channel in your cabin. A printed Port Briefing is provided with a simple map and a summary of all the talk details - this will also be delivered to your cabin so you can plan your day.

Have a great day ashore but remember Cinderella - unless you are on a ship's excursion, you are not covered by the ship's insurance and the ship will sail without you if you do not get back before departure. The sailing time is clearly shown in the Daily Programme, on the Port Briefing and at the bottom of the gangway and passengers are asked to be back onboard 30 minutes before then. If the worst happens and you do miss the boat, contact the cruise line's agent for the port - their telephone number and address will be shown in the Daily Programme or Port Briefing. Make sure you take it with you

Shore Excursions normally set out to show you the principal sights of the port and nearby places but in recent times they have become more adventurous and tours like helicopter flights, four wheel drive, biking, diving and horse riding have been added. Excursions are organised by the cruise line but can also be purchased on the quayside where they will be a little cheaper. However cruise line tours are covered by the ship's insurance and it will not depart without you - not the case if you do your own thing.

Unless you book a premium tour, your excursion will be onboard a comfortable bus with a driver and local guide reasonably fluent in your language. Costs can range from £20 to £35 per person for a halfday tour and £45 to £80 for a full day. Clearly if you are on a port intensive cruise this can mount up if you want to explore every destination.

Your cruise line should have sent you a Shore Excursion brochure with your cruise tickets listing and describing all the shore excursions you can take on the cruise. Many lines allow you to book excursions in advance and some have websites where you can book them online. This is useful if you want to make sure that you get a particular tour. Tours marked as "limited numbers" tend to get booked quickly and these may be full if you wait until you are onboard.

When you arrive onboard you should find an Excursions brochure and booking form in your cabin. On many ships there will be an Excursions Presentation early in the cruise and an Excursion Channel on your cabin tv with continuous coverage of what is on offer. If you have any questions go to the Excursions Desk (normally in the main foyer) but if you want to avoid those long queues complete the booking form and leave it in the drop box at the Excursions Office. Your shipboard account will be charged and your tickets delivered to your cabin but note that there are deadlines for booking excursions - usually 24 hours before arriving in the port. Check your Daily Programme for details.

The length of excursions will depend on the time in port but you will normally have a choice of half day or full day tours. Most tours will depart early on arrival in a port and in some ports it will be possible to take both a morning and afternoon tour. Tours usually assemble in one of the ship's lounges or on the quayside but there will be no announcements so check your tickets and the Daily Programme for the time and assembly point. The Excursion Office staff will direct you to your bus. When the tour is finished the bus will drop you at the ship or in the town if there is time for shopping. Guides on shore excursions can be tipped about 5% of the excursion cost and a Euro for the driver will be appreciated.

Many cruisers prefer to go ashore on their own to explore, shop or perhaps go to the beach. If this is your plan, read our Security Ashore tip and the Port Description on this site to get an idea of what the port is like and distance to shops and the nearest beach. Remember that some countries have strict dress codes and ladies may need clothes that will cover both legs and shoulders.

One advantage of doing your own thing is that excursions leave the ship first so you can take your time and have a leisurely breakfast or lunch before disembarking. On larger ships, particularly at a tender port, tickets are issued so that the numbers getting off are staggered. You cannot get off until your ticket number is called, but you can go later if you prefer.

Whatever your reason for going ashore remember that, unless you are on a ship's excursion, you are not covered by the ship's insurance and the ship will depart if you do not get back before the sailing time. We advise that you allow plenty of time to get back to the ship - taxis may be easy to get at the quayside but it might be much harder to get a taxi to bring you back to the port, particularly during rush hours. Check out your public transport alternatives and make sure you know the times of transport back to the ship.

Independent tours can often be purchased on the quayside either on a bus or a customised tour with a taxi driver. Make sure the driver can speak English and that you agree a price before starting out - don't pay until you get to your destination or back to the ship. There is safety in numbers so travel in groups of two or more. If you are a confident driver you may decide to hire a car and explore that way.

Shopping has become a major recreational activity. Many of the cruise lines (particularly American) will have a Shopping Advisor onboard who will give talks on the shopping opportunities in each port and give a list of recommended shops with map. The cruise line will be getting commission from these recommended stores but at least you will have some sort of come-back with the cruise line if there is something wrong with the goods. The Port Briefing will tell you if you can walk to the shops or if you require transport. In some ports a shuttle service is provided to the main shopping area.

If you just want to go to the beach for a swim then check out our Port Description and the Port Briefing - details of the nearest beach are usually given. It may be possible to walk or you may need a taxi. Sometimes there is a shuttle bus to a beach and often one of the Ship's Excursions is a Beach Day at a resort hotel.

At some ports the ship is unable to dock at a quay and it will anchor some distance offshore. Passengers will then have to go ashore by tenders - open or enclosed motorised launches that run a shuttle service a short distance to the port and back again. Cruise itineraries will say "by tender" or show an anchor symbol against the port name to advise you of this. At some ports this is because there are no facilities to dock or the ship is too large to dock. Sometimes the tendering is unscheduled due to quaysides being fully occupied.

You will find that getting ashore will take longer at tender ports. There is a limited capacity on the launches so you will be organised into groups (using a ticketing system) for going ashore until most passengers have left. There are regular launches back to the ship but as excursions return and sailing approaches you will have to queue to get onboard. If the sea is rough tendering can be quite difficult and you have to take great care in boarding the launch. If too rough you may not be able to visit the port at all.

Tendering can present difficulties to all disabled passengers. Are the ship's tenders accessible for wheelchairs - how will I be transferred to the tender? Try to get these questions answered before you book the cruise but check again once you board or if there is an unscheduled tender port.

If you are going ashore at the ports of call, you should at least think about the security issues, even if the risks are no greater than at home. Theft is by far the greatest risk with pickpocketing and bag snatching becoming commonplace while violent crime is rare. You can minimise these risks just by doing a little homework and taking a few precautions.

Firstly find out what risks there are:

• Visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office web site (www.fco.gov.uk ) for all the latest travel information about the countries or cities you are visiting. Security issues are covered
• Ask the Excursion Desk about the risks in the port you are about to visit
• Attend the Cruise Director's Port Presentation and ask questions there if security is not covered.

Secondly take precautions:

• Make sure you have the telephone number to call and an address for the Cruise Line's Agents just in case you have problems
• There is safety in numbers - take the shore excursion or travel in groups of two or more
• Dress for the location - remember some countries have strict dress codes.
• Don't overtly display too much jewellery and fancy cameras
• Take the minimum of cash and only one credit card ashore
• Keep your valuables in a pocket or bag you can close and see at all times - backpacks and wallets in back pockets are easy targets for pickpockets
• Hold on tight to your bags and carry them on the inside away from the road so they cannot be snatched by passing scooters
• If you are required to take photo identification ashore with you get a photocopy of your passport to take rather than the real thing.