BR Cruises

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Which cruise would you rather go on?

Ship Name: Independence Of The Seas
Departure Port: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Ports of Call: Fort Lauderdale, Florida; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Labadee, Haiti; Fort Lauderdale, Florida
21 hour drive
8 days
$1499 for balcony
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=3401034507705782739

Ship Name: Explorer Of The Seas
Departure Port: Cape Liberty Cruise Port, New Jersey
Ports of Call: Cape Liberty Cruise Port, New Jersey; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Casa De Campo, Dominican Rep; Labadee, Haiti; Cape Liberty Cruise Port, New Jersey
13 hour drive
9 days
$1349 for balcony

I booked the first one already but now I am not sure. Both come with savings certificates. This is for our honeymoon. I think my fiance would enjoy the smaller boat but its his first cruise and 9 days for a first time might be too much. The Independence is brand new though and I have already been on the sister ship Freedom but he has not experienced how huge it is. so which one do you like best?

We are leaving March 6/7 09. I didnt think about the weather leaving from New Jeresy. My fiance said he would like to go on the 8 day but wants a shorter drive and a smaller ship. I like in Chicago but lived in West Plam Beach Florida for about 9 months so I know my way around. I would like to go to New Jeresy however to see the 911 memorial site in NY. Kinda do two birds with one stone type deal. I guess we will have to think about it. The weather plays an important role. lol.






Answer :
Both ships and itineraries look good. Both are going to be large ships with many amenities. I've not sailed on the Independence, but took 2 cruises on the Explorer. Very nice ship.

You didn't say when you are going. One thing to consider is if you are taking the Explorer and its during this spring/early summer, the weather may not be "tropical" like the first couple of days sailing out of New Jersey. May be an issue of you plan on outside deck activities such as swimming or sunbathing. Enjoy whichever you choose!







Answer :
Of those two, I'd choose the first. The ports on the second one aren't that great.

I also wouldn't drive, especially given the price of gas these days. Do you really want to drive for 13 or 21 hours after a nice, relaxing cruise? [BTW - the 9/11 site is not that much to see now - it's basically a construction site, although the "memorial" at St. Paul's church near there is very moving. Just seems like a lot of trouble just to visit Ground Zero.] And leaving from NJ in March you'll have a couple of days of cold, possibly rough seas before you get to nice weather [so you'll have to pack warmer clothes].

Fly down the day before, since you'll be flying in March from a delay-prone area, so you can start out your cruise in a relaxed mood. Personally, I'd give up the balcony to be able to fly in the day before, but then I've never cruised with a balcony [would rather spend $ on other things on the cruise].

Have a nice cruise, whichever one you decide on.






Answer :
It depends on where you live. If you live in NYC, then its perfect, no airfare, if you live closer to Florida, then great, no airfare.

personally, I like the Western Carribean better there is much more to do there. I have done the Eastern Carribean and although the beaches are very pretty, thats about all that is there is beaches.






Answer :
We sailed on Freedom of the Seas last year and that's a sister ship to Independence.

It is absolutely breathtaking.

You're going to love its newness and beautiful features. While it is one of RC's biggest ships, you barely realize just how many people are on there.

Take time to enjoy the shows as they are some of the best on sea today.

There is seriously so much to do on this ship, you'll never be board.

You must...must...must...must...MUST...go to something they call the Quest. It is an absolute riot. Plus if it's your honeymoon, you'll get other perks along the way. Also, the Love and Marriage game show is a hoot...and you'll definitely get a kick out of it since you'll be honeymooning.

I know you mentioned you sailed on Freedom before...you should sign up for their Crown & Anchor loyalty program if you haven't already for great discounts while on ship. :)

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Gratuities on cruise ships.?

we have just booked a cruise for next year on the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas, this is our first cruise and we carnt wait the ship looks great, but can anyone tell me what is the best way to pay the tips, should we pay up front which adds another £100 on the holiday, or wait till we get on board.Also i have read the small print( yes i know iam sad) but it says something about a 15% charge on any beverage bills is this as well as any tips we might give, any advice would be great.






Answer :
You can prepay your tips if you wish or you can have the tips added to you shipboard account. If you chose the latter, it is something that you will have to budget for as a extra.
The 15% on drinks is a tip for the waiter or bar person who serves you, they are not included in the tip pool. The tips are for your cabin steward, the housekeeping staff and the dining staff.
If you are on a budget, pay them before you go, you will have plenty on your final bill if you plan on doing a few excursions, playing bingo, buying a few photographs, having a few drinks and buying things from the on-board shops.
Have a great time.






Answer :
I have sailed with 3 different lines and all were set up the same.
You set up an on board account before the ship leaves. This will cover $10.00 aday tip for staff plus any other purchases while you are on the ship. Any other tips are totally up to you. Always a good idea to leave something for room steward.
As for th 15% for drinks I was only charged this one time only.
Also each day you may either go to the main desk or on your TV in your cabin and review you account. Any time you may request that an unknown charge be removed. You may also ask that the gratuities be changed.
Also if you go to the same restaurant and feel you want to tip your server that is your choice.
The $10.00 aday tip is divided among the crew.
Enjoy your cruise.






Answer :
You can also go the the pursers office and have the tips removed from your on board account and tip the people that actually gave you service. This is what I do and we tip our waiter $20 and our cabin boy $20 this is from each of us in the cabin, if it is a family we adjust it accordingly. If you call for room service, we always tip $2 or $3. The same for bar service. If you tip yourself, you know that the tip goes to the person that actually took care of you and not a portion of it going to people you never see. The charge is normally $10 a day per guest if it is added to your on board account.






Answer :
If you're not familiar with the ship or the crew, don't pay up front. They won't give it back if you say you've had lousy service. There's a system for paying gratuities when you settle your drinks account and you can decide then.

Royal Caribbean charge you for drinks and pay their staff. They can charge what they want. Part of the bar staff wages is based on the volume of drink they sell, but why should that be your business. Just worry about the total cost of beverages and decide whether at that price you'd prefer to confine your boozing to time ashore.






Answer :
Some cruise liners have set rule but if that's not the case.

Don't pay upfront. Give tips only if you think the service is good. 10% is the norm but for exceptional service you can give more.
Unfortunately you can't do anything about the 15% surcharge (just look at it as part of the bill ) but if you want to get exceptional service add a bit extra for the waiter/waitress.

Don't forget the cabin staff.

Enjoy your cruise.






Answer :
American cruise ships are notorious for staff wanting tips & always at 15% on everything, plus you are expected to tip the cabin staff & anyone else (stewards, waiters, etc) and you will find a guide in your paperwork. If you travel on a British ship (or one that caters mainly for British travellers) it will be more like 10%. One or two lines don't encourage tipping & say that it's included in the cost.






Answer :
the small print is correct...you will pay 15% on beverage purchases (alcohol, soda, etc)...also, if you prepay the gratuties then its an expense you won't have when you are on the ship...you will get differing opinions on should you even pay them, but the service you receive for the small amount of cash is a great trade, many people who cruise extensivelt even tip additional .......you should have a fantastic time






Answer :
The bartenders are only on $800 a month so rely on their tips. If there was no 15% charge on drinks, the bartenders' salaries would be increased to a decent one and therefore making a cruise more expensive for the customers.
So really, boozers get the 'charge' and make cruises cheaper for non boozers






Answer :
You pay your tips at the end of the cruise...Usually you set up an account with the purser with your credit card for charges you accumulate on the trip.... All tips are generally given to the individuals......mostly for your room boy and your food staff. They will tell you all about it when you are on board.
Have a great time....You will love it






Answer :
They automatically add the "required" gratuities to your bill at the end of the trip! You never need to handle actual cash on board as they give you a cruise card (i.e charge card) which is used for everything you purchase.






Answer :
In regards to your question, 15% grats is always charged to any alchoholic beverage you purchase whilst you are on board, as for the other grats, this can be pre paid on board which i find the most conveniant.






Answer :
When we cruised with Royal Caribbean we were given envelopes with suggested amounts on them for us to hand out on our last night. It was ultimately up to us what we actually put on them.
I am sure you will have a wonderful time - we found it an amazing experience.






Answer :
I have been on 20 cruises, many on Royal Caribbean, and here's how the gratuities works on ALL cruise ships. First, there are standard gratuities that they charge all passengers. These will amount to about $10 per person in your cabin per day; about $70 each for a 7 day cruise. This amount is divided among the staff that will serve you this way:
Cabin Steward .... $3.50 per day per person
Waiter ................. $3.50 per day per person
Assistant Waiter ... $2.00 per day per person
Head Waiter ...........$ .75 per day per person

It does not matter whether you pre-pay or pay after you get on the ship. The amount is the same and in essence these charges are always automatic; that's how these staff people are paid (for the most part). But if you have a problem with the service of any of the aforementioned people you can go to the purser's desk and complain and ask that the charge be reduced or eliminated.

Otherwise, when you check in at the pier they will set up an on-board charge account for you to cover any and everything you may buy on ship. They will issue you a "cruise card" which will also serve as your room key, charge card, and pass to get on and off the ship. At the end of the cruise they will add the gratuity to your tab and you can pay with a credit card or cash, your choice.

Coffee, tea, milk, juice, and lemonade and punch will always be provided free but you must pay for drinks (alcoholic beverages) and soft drinks and they will add a 15 percent gratuity to each drink or soft drink order. Whenever you sign a chit the 15 percent will be automatically included in the total; but you can add more if you want.

Everything on the ship is cashless. You will use your cruise card for anything you purchase, like photos, tours, souvinirs, and at the end of your cruise you will pay your bill by credit card, unless you arrange to pay cash. You can have all charges for your cabin on one account, or split them up individually for each person.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Male dresscode on royal caribean?

we are going on the independence of the sea in sept this year, this is our first time cruising, could any one tell us what the male dress code is in the evenings, we know there are formal nights, but my husband would like to know what the dress code is for less formal nights, he likes to chill out and wear 3/4 linen pants with a nice top or jeans and a shirt and nice flip flops on his feet is this kind of clothing acceptable if we were just going to go to the pub and grill.






Answer :
been on two royal carribean cruises.
if you go to the dining room,clean casual clothing is acceptable,
flip flops - no. shorts - no.
even for the pubs and grills i would not recommend flip-flops
and shorts, as normally one does not stay all evening in one place,
but goes to other places like a bar, a show, the casino, too.
of course you will find people who do not care about their clothing
at all, as well as those, who dress up in evening gowns every evening.
to be on the safe side - try to stay in the middle.

as for ball gowns and tails for formal evenings - you can also rent
those on board.






Answer :
Always at night have a collar and shoes, other then that he will be fine. Have a great time. We have done it and your gonna love it. God bless.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Question about cruises?!? About Royal Caribbean!?

1st of we have been on many cruises, all RC and loved them! We want to go on the freedom family ships next. Here are the questions:
1). Is the Freedom Family the largest cruise ships in the world??
2). When is the Independence of the Seas first voyage???

Thank you!!






Answer :
Yup, as of right now Freedom ships are the largest with 3,634 passengers. RCI's Genesis Project will be bigger at 6,400 passengers and launches Fall 3009.

Independence was delivered on the 17th, inaugural is on the 30th, and maiden voyage is May 2:
http://www.cruisesavvy.com/news/2008/04/…

Pictures so far (will be updated!):
http://www.cruisesavvy.com/journals/rci_…






Answer :
Yes, the Freedom Class is the largest. It includes the Freedom, Liberty and Independence of the Seas.

My understanding is that the Independence sails its maiden voyage next month sometime, not sure of the exact date, but I'm sure the RC website has the date!

I just cruised on the Liberty of the Seas in March to the western caribbean for 7 nights and it was outstanding!!! So much to do and see and the service was incredible all the way around!!!






Answer :
Freedom class ships are the largest for now. Royal Caribbean is coming out with the new Genesis, which will be over 200,000 tons and carry 5400 passengers!!!

May 2 is the maiden voyage, which is ahead of schedule.






Answer :
YES FREEDOM OF THE SEAS IS THE LARGEST SHIP RIGHT NOW. BUT LARGEST DOESN'T NECESSARY MEAN BETTER.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Vacation question for teens?

im going on a cruise to europe.
its called "independence of the seas"
i want to know what its like. how are the teen clubs?
whats it like for the teens. Its the world's largest ship at the moment and it was just built. i just want to know the teen stuff.

no they built a new one. its the same cruise line but this one was just built.
:)
only two runs before mine and im the third cruise.






Answer :
Here are some teen things to do

rock- climbing wall
Ice-skating rink
Sports Pool
Full-size sports court
9-hole miniature golf course
Karaoke Club
Internet Center
Water Park
Boxing Ring
Flowrider Surf Club
theater

Enjoy)






Answer :
Actually, the largest cruise ship is the Freedom of the Seas. Anyways, the teen clubs on the boats are pretty fun, and it depends on how old you are. It also depends on your personality, most of the events requires you to be the type of person that's willing to go up to anyone and just start a conversation, you know, the REALLY BIG social type.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Cruise questions - sorry, kind of long?

I have a cruise on-hold right now with Royal Carribean and wanted to know what any avid cruisers out there thought of it before I pay for it, since I have never cruised before.

The cruise is in March, 2009 on the Independence of the Seas. It is a 6 night Western Carribean cruise starting in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. and stopping in Belize City, Conzumel Mexico, and Costa Maya Mexico. I set up a deluxe ocean view room with balcony on deck six. Would this be bad for sea sickness prone people? I know I get that kind of light headed/gonna throw up feeling when I fly....so figure a cruise might even be worse.

So, what do you think?

What land excursions whould we do?

Should I pre-pay gratuities? Does that cover all gratuities...or do you still tip some people?

Or, should I scrap the whole thing and just fly to Mexico?

Thanks so much!






Answer :
Well....this all depends on what you want. One reason I enjoyed crusing the Carribean was that it was the first vacation I ever took, and I had no idea about the different islands and what they held. Also, cruising is great in that you only need to pack and unpack the one time and your meals are included.

First, I prefer crusing the Southern Caribbean itineraries for one simple reason: you get more stops. Eastern or Western itineraries usually only make about three stops per seven days, and have several "at sea" days. If you enjoy lounging around and relaxing, you'll like at sea days. If you prefer to be busy and active, you may want to look into a cruise with more stops.

Second, the balcony rooms are often not worth the money. The balconies don't have much room, and if you are prone to sea sickness, you can feel more motion on the balcony (granted, it's not much motion, but that could just be my opinion because I don't get sea sick). If you get a nice, ocean view room, I'd leave out the balcony, myself. I prefer ocean view rooms; I feel like why cruise if you're not going to see the ocean?

Of your three stops, the only one I've done is Belize. I did to an excursion on Belize, and it was snorkeling. I usually do one excursion per cruise. It can get pretty costly, otherwise. Royal Carribean's ships have a library, and you can check out a book on your destinations, and make your own plans. Also, the crew will provide recommendations; like if one place tends to overcharge tourists, they'll tell you and that can help you make your decision.

I prefer doing my own gratuities. If you like someone, you'd like him or her to get more than the prescribed minimum. You should give the minimum regardless; that's how the non salaried workers make the bulk of their money. If the service was sucky, make sure to note it in the comment card. They give everybody one to fill out.

I hope that answer wasn't too long! Can you tell I've cruised with Royal Carribean a time or two? :)

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

In need of help for a school project of mine. I have to create my own country. Looking for opinions?

First off I don't know where I should have my country. Like on some Island in the Mediterranean sea etc. Declaring independence from another country or discovering an uninhabited land in Earth.






Answer :
A country has the following characteristics:

Government
Imports
Exports
Landmarks
Past times (American past time was once Baseball)

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

On board ship while in port?

my wife and i are going on the independence of the seas april 4, 2009. what is their to do onboard the ship while in port?






Answer :
Wow, you will have a ball. The independence is one of RC's Freedom class ships and it has:

a rock climbing wall,
an in-line roller skating track
an ice skating rink,
a full sized basketball/tennis court,
a 9 hole mini-golf course,
an surfing simulator called the Flowrider where you can surf right on ship,
a great gym with all types of equipment including a boxing ring,
a water park for kids called the H2O Zone
an adults only area called the Solarium that has a pool and two huge hot tubs,
there will be a free show every night and on two nights of your cruise there will be a free ice show performed by former Olympic skaters,
there are also other pools and hot tubs for everyone in addition to the adults only ones,


While the ship is in port the casino and stores on the promenade mall will not be open, but they will open shortly after you set sail. There is always free food in the Windjammer Cafe and via room service. You can take a look at the ship's features and take a virtual tour on RC's web site: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruis…

I cruised on one of its sister ships the Freedom a couple years ago and it is nice.






Answer :
Port days are the best time to enjoy the public areas of the ship, because the crowds are gone. I'd head straight for the cantilevered hot tubs. Some activities might not be available, like ice skating. Ice skating is open only certain hours/days. If you like to work out or go sit in the sauna, the crowds will be much lighter. The pool will be much pleasanter, too. You won't have any trouble filling your time if you're not interested in the port.






Answer :
You will get a list of activities that are available on a daily basis at the beginning of the cruise. While in port there will still be activities on the ship. You will not be bored.

Regards,
Dan






Answer :
well, you can do everything that you can do, on the sea. They might not have entertianment, but everything else. You can also eat , which is a good idea because you don't have to pay!






Answer :
It is usually a great time to get a massage, a pedicure or other salon things as they often will lower the price while you are in port.






Answer :
Spend time in the Spa, Movies in your cabin, Romantic Dinner when there's not as many on board ship. You decide !! thats the fun of it.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Becoming a cruise ship musician?

I have just returned from a great holiday on the Independence of the Seas and there was a great band there called 'Rock The Boat'. They were not a one-off act, they are actually employed there.

How would you get a job like this and what qualifications would one need to get in order to do it?






Answer :
Royal Caribbean has a great web site for it jobs. They actually have a web link for people who are interested in employment in entertainment on the ship: https://jobs.rccl.com/jobs/rccl_jobs.nsf…
When you go to this web link be patient as it takes a while to load.

This is also from RC's web site:

"Q: How can I audition to become a singer or dancer onboard?
A: If you are interested in becoming a part of Royal Caribbean's In-House Production shows, please visit us at Royal Caribbean Productions. "

This is the web link: http://www.royalcaribbeanproductions.com…






Answer :
Just like any other musician you need to have a booking agent who can get you to audition for these gigs. I have done this job in the past and I didn't like it. Working on a cruise ship sucks. You are confined to your own level with the rest of the workers and you really don't get to mingle with anyone else. The money is OK, but not what you would think. You need to be able to perform in front of a lot of people who just want to get drunk and dance. Everyone is a critic, of course, and
the dress code sucks.






Answer :
Through the years I got acquainted with many of the "guest" musicians and performers who appeared on Cunard ships, and they all said that they enjoyed Cunard the best -- they got private cabins in the crew-only area, and were allowed the run of the entire ship, so when they weren't rehearsing with the ship's orchestra or performing they were at the casino, at the pub, at the pools, etc. enjoying the ship. They were allowed to eat meals in either the crew-only area or in the buffet -- just not the formal dining rooms. However, a couple enjoyed dining with the officers in the officers' dining room. They said that on other ships they were confined to crew-only areas and given poor cabins. These were the performers who would be flown in somewhere to meet the ship, stay on board for one day of performing, and then flown back home, so they were generally on board for several days but only performed two evening shows on one day. A couple of others were flown in to perform every day -- like at the pub (light piano) or at high tea (harp) -- for a week or perhaps a month and then flown home. All said that Cunard treated them very, very well, and that was a very pleasant change from most other cruise companies. Guest lecturers for Cunard are treated similarly, and two of them told me they almost felt guilty about being paid . . .

As to getting a job as a cruise performer, you need to decide whether you are going for a "guest musician" spot or a "crew" spot. Then, have your agent get together all of the audition tapes, videos, written reviews, photos, etc., and contact the home offices of the cruise companies. If you pass muster as a performer then they will proceed with the usual employment stuff.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Does anyone know when the 2009 royal international cruise timetables come out??

WHATS THE BIGGeST....?

CRUISE SHIP...
IS IT...
FREEDOM OF THE SEAS
OR
INDEPENDENCE OF THE SEASE
HELP ME PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEE..






Answer :
All cruise lines categirize their ships by class. The Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, & Independence of the Seas are all Freedom Class ships (the largest class for RCL & the largest ships at sea currently). They are exact layouts of each other.
Here are the stats:

Freedom Of the Seas:
Class: Freedom Class
Maiden Voyage: June 4, 2006
Passenger Capacity: 3,634
Crew: 1,365
Draft: 28'
Speed: 21.6 knots
Length: 1,112'
Decks: 15
Gross Tonnage: 160,000 tons

Independence Of the Seas:
Class: Freedom Class
Maiden Voyage: May 17, 2008
Passenger Capacity: 3,634
Crew: 1,365
Draft: 28'
Speed: 21.6 knots
Length: 1,112'
Decks: 15
Gross Tonnage: 130,000 tons

They are sister ships with the exact layout. The only difference is Freedom of the Seas is 2 years older.






Answer :
Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas are the biggest - - for about two more weeks. When Independence of the Seas goes into service it will be the largest by about 6,000 tons






Answer :
The ships are identical in every way except interior decor. They are the same size and carry the same number of passengers. And they are two of the three Freedom Class ships that Royal Caribbean has. The other is the Liberty of the Seas. All three identical in size.






Answer :
Currently the largest cruise ships belong to the Freedom class, which includes the Freedom of the Seas (2006) , Liberty of the Seas (2007) and Independence of the Sea (2008). All three are the same, the only difference being the interior colors and the names given to the public areas. The ships are about 158,000 gross registered tons (GRT - which is a space rating, not a weight rating).

However, in 2009 a bigger ship will begin sailing. It is owned by Royal Caribbean (as are all the ships ending with "of the Seas"). The ship has not be named yet, but is currently known by its project name (Genesis). The Genesis ships (there will be two, the second one coming out in 2010) will be about 220,000 GRT.

Prior to the Freedom class the biggest ship was the Queen Mary 2 (QM2 - 2004) at 148,528 GRT. It is still the biggest ocean liner.

Prior to the QM2 the biggest cruise ships were the five Voyager class ships [Voyager (1999), Explorer (2000), Adventurer (2001), Navigator (2002) and Mariner of the Seas (2003)]. These ships are 137,280 GRT.

Prior to the Voyager class was the Grand class, which includes the Grand Princess (1998), the Golden Princess (2001) and Star Princess (2002). These ships are just under 109,000 GRT.

Prior to the Grand class was the Carnival Destiny (1996), which is just over 101,000 GRT. It was the first cruse ship to exceed 100,000 GRT.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

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Monday, January 31, 2011

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