Ask the Captain (FAQs)

Life Aboard

In addition to the answers below, further information can be found in the Life Aboard section of this site.

Are there non-smoking areas?
Can friends or relatives come onboard?
Can I access my company email?
Can I keep in touch with the outside world?
Can I smoke onboard a Cruise Ship?
Can I take my own Hairdryer (& Shavers)?
Can I wash my clothes whilst onboard?
Can you store suitcases under the bed?
Can you tell me all I need to know about tipping onboard a cruise ship?
Do cabins have televisions and what channels are available?
Does my ship have Medical Facilities?
How do I find my way around the ship?
How do I keep my valuables safe?
How do I pay for onboard purchases?
I've arrived at the cruise terminal, what happens now?
Is there a charge for entertainment?
What are the onboard alcohol policies?
What does the term "Tender Port" mean?
What happens at the end of my cruise?
What is a Lifeboat Drill?
What is the Purser's Desk? Does every ship have one?
What time can I board the ship?
When will my luggage be delivered to my cabin?

Are there non-smoking areas?

Today, virtually all ships have smoking and non-smoking tables or non-smoking sections in the dining rooms and lounges. In fact, many cruise ship dining rooms are now totally smoke-free, and at least one ship is a completely smoke-free cruise ship, reflecting passenger requests. If you want your dining table in a non-smoking area, just complete the booking preference information at the time of booking. Onboard, in "open-seating situations," you can advise your waiter or the Maitre D'.

Can friends or relatives come onboard?

For safety and security reasons, no visitors are allowed onboard, even when the ship is in port before sailing. Of course your friends are welcome to give you the traditional send off from the visitors lounge at the cruise terminal.

Can I access my company email?

You will not be able to access your company email account unless the account is web based. However, it may be possible to forward your company emails to your own personal, web based email account. We suggest that you check with your company IT department before travel.

Can I keep in touch with the outside world?

Quite easily. Most ships have a daily newsletter with news, headlines, selected stock quotes and sports scores. Cabins on today's modern cruise ships are equipped with satellite televisions and in some cases in-cabin internet connections. While most ships now have satellite telephones (calls charged directly to your Onboard Account) in passenger cabins, you can also call someone on shore through the ship's radio operator while at sea. And, you can make phone calls from most ports.

In addition, many ships have fax capabilities and newer ships offer Internet access and e-mail capabilities to passengers. We recommend that you open a "hotmail" account before travel to enable you to send and receive emails.

Can I smoke onboard a Cruise Ship?

There are designated areas for smoking and non-smoking on all ships. All theatres and dining rooms are non-smoking.

Can I take my own Hairdryer (& Shavers)?

Electric razors and hair dryers can be brought with you although most cabins are already equipped with a basic hairdryer. Most cabins have 110 and/or 220 volts AC and are capable of handling all normal appliances. Depending on the ship, you may need a plug adapter (normally twin pin).

Can I wash my clothes whilst onboard?

Most ships have laundries on-board, so you can have your clothes washed or dry cleaned as you go, through room service. Some ships have self-service launderettes. See our Laundry & Dry Cleaning section of the website.

Can you store suitcases under the bed?

Yes, there is room under the bed to store normal sized suitcases.

Can you tell me all I need to know about tipping onboard a cruise ship?

You will not lack guidance on this subject - you will receive advice on the tipping procedure in the daily bulletin, in the disembarkation presentation and on the in-cabin TV. On some cruise lines tipping is included in the cruise fare (usually the luxury cruise lines), or can be automatically added at the time of booking, or automatically added to your Onboard Account. Some cruise lines still operate a cash placed in an envelope system at the end of the cruise and give recommendations on how much to give to staff members.

To help you budget for your cruise you should note the following:-

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 cruise lines suggest you also tip the headwaiter or restaurant manager 50p per day.
If you have children sharing your cabin, it is acceptable to tip at half the adult rate.
All drinks from the bar (including wine at dinner) have a service charge automatically added. Most American cruise lines add 15% and European cruise lines 10% to the bill.
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.

These guidelines are suggestions only and of course, you may vary these rates depending on the quality of service you have personally received. We have provided information in respect of the suggested rates by cruise line. See our Gratuities and Tips section of the website.

Do cabins have televisions and what channels are available?

Yes, cruise cabins do have televisions and typically the following channels are available: Movie channels and special interest films, port enhancement lectures, satellite and BBC World, Mast camera, classical, contemporary, pop, jazz music channels.

Does my ship have Medical Facilities?

Every cruise ship provides professional medical staff and facilities on board to assist including a licensed doctor in the event of an emergency or routine medical condition. Medical staff are on call 24-hours a day. Doctors will be generalists and licensed. American and British cruise lines use doctors licensed in the US, Canada Australia, South Africa and the UK.

The size of ship may determine the extent 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 Onboard Account.

Guests are responsible for providing all medications, equipment and supplies necessary for their care, and must have the appropriate levels of travel insurance cover in place before travelling.

How do I find my way around the ship?

You needn't worry about getting lost on board as all stairways display large "ship maps" to assist you, and most cruise lines provide a pocket size deck plan leaflet to help you find your way around the ship.

How do I keep my valuables safe?

Every cabin has a combination safe (free of charge)

How do I pay for onboard purchases?

All items onboard ship will be priced in Pounds Sterling, U.S Dollars or Euros depending on the chosen cruise line. Most ships now operate a cashless system onboard, an Onboard Account will be set up for you when you board the ship and purchases will be billed automatically to your credit card that you register prior to embarkation. On the final night of the cruise you will receive a completely itemised statement of your onboard account, delivered to your cabin. The transaction value of your spending onboard the ship plus the exchange rate (commercial daily rate of exchange) to be applied will appear on your itemised statement. See our Cashless Environment section of the website.

I've arrived at the cruise terminal, what happens now?

Embarkation normally begins approximately 4 hours prior to departure. Passengers must be aboard no later than 30 minutes prior to sailing. With most cruise lines you will be able to complete your Boarding Documents on-line before you travel, saving you time when boarding at the pier.As per new US Government regulations, it is entirely your responsibility to complete all documents accurately and before you sail.

When you arrive at the cruise terminal you will go through all the formalities of check-in, immigration, security. Completing an embarkation card (assuming you have not already completed this online) and present your passport, cruise ticket and credit card details.

You will be issued with your boarding card, which will double as your Onboard Charge Card and key to your cabin. On many cruise lines 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. The charge card is required for all onboard purchases (drinks, spa treatments, shopping etc).

If your credit card has been swiped all charges whilst on-board will be charged to the Onboard Charge Card, and you will be provided with a final statement of all on-board expenses at the end of the cruise (some cruise lines are able to show this on your in-cabin TV). If you opt to pay by cash or with traveller's cheques they may ask you to give a deposit in advance to cover your likely onboard spend and to top it up as you go.

Once on-board the ship and inside your cabin you will find a card with your restaurant table number and sitting as well as the daily newsletter with the day's activities, entertainment and opening hours for the spa and restaurants. Your luggage will be delivered to your cabin giving you time to explore the ship or make reservations in the speciality restaurants or spa. The buffet restaurant and bars will be open and there will be organised tours of the facilities onboard.

Is there a charge for entertainment?

Never. On a cruise, the entertainment is on the house. There's no charge for an admission ticket. The shows are live. The movies are first-rate. The variety is limitless.

What are the onboard alcohol policies?

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

Minimum Drinking Age

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 cruise port.
On American cruise lines the drinking age is 21.
Some cruise lines permit wine and beer to be served to 18 year olds with parental consent.

Drinks Pricing and Packages

There are few all inclusive cruise lines and most alcoholic and soft drinks are charged as an extra, usually with a service charge of 10 or 15%.
On most cruise lines you can buy a soft drinks package for the duration of the cruise.

Full bottle purchases onboard or ashore

Alcoholic beverages purchased ashore or on board at duty free prices will be stored and delivered to your stateroom on the last night of your cruise.

What does the term "Tender Port" mean?

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. 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.

To avoid long queues for the tenders, cruise lines will often disembark organised shore excursion passengers first. Other passengers will be required to obtain a tender ticket from a central location giving a time to disembark. Return tenders to the ship are frequent, however, be warned, the last tender before the ship departs is usually very popular.

Wheelchair guests are typically restricted from using tender facilities and we advise that you consider the suitability of the itinerary carefully before booking. See our Accessible Cruising section of the website.

What happens at the end of my cruise?

The whole disembarkation process actually starts the day before when you will receive briefing papers in your cabin and information in the daily cruise news. Some cruise lines repeat the briefing on your in-cabin TV.

Colour-coded tags for your luggage will be left in your cabin - the colour will relate to your onward flight arrangements or if you are taking a shore excursion before travelling home. Make sure you have been given the right tags - if not go to the Purser's Desk and request to get them changed.

Disembarkation day usually starts very early, you can expect to have disembarked the ship by no later than 9.30am, however, the ship has to be cleared by Customs and Port Authorities before you can actually leave. The time allotted to disembark the ship will be determined by the colour-coded tags you have been given (as placed in your cabin the previous day).

If you have completed immigration, settled your bill and left your cabin then take your time over breakfast and await your call to disembark. Once you are called you are able to leave the ship and go to the baggage hall in the cruise terminal.

Luggage will be grouped according to the colour coded tags - pick it up and pass through customs to the outer hall where you will be directed to your transfer bus or taxi, if you are travelling independently.

When you disembark the ship and pick up your luggage, cruise line representatives will guide you to your transfer bus. This will take you to the airport where you will check in your bags.

Be aware that some cruise lines require you to disembark by 9 or 10am and transfer you to the airport immediately - if you have an afternoon or evening flight you could have a long wait. In the US many cruise lines organise the use of a dayroom at an airport hotel, so you can relax by the pool until it is time to transfer to the airport.

If you face a long wait at the airport, you could take one of the shore excursions offered - this will normally take you directly to the airport at the end of the excursion.

Alternatively, you can make your own arrangements for the day. Some countries levy a departure tax on everyone leaving from the airport and these are payable in cash only and in local currency although many will accept US dollars.

If you are leaving from the USA, allow plenty of time at the airport to clear security, the airport authorities there do open luggage to check the contents.

What is a Lifeboat Drill?

These are also referred to as "Muster" drills. Everyone on board the ship is required to be in attendance for a compulsory safety drill before departure to comply with Coast Guard and International safety regulations.

What is the Purser's Desk? Does every ship have one?

Onboard ship, the Purser's Desk is like the front desk of a top class hotel. It's the place to go for information on just about everything and yes, every ship will have one.

What time can I board the ship?

General boarding begins approximately four hours prior to departure. Passengers should be on board no later than 30 minutes prior to sailing.

When will my luggage be delivered to my cabin?

Your baggage will be delivered to your cabin about two hours after you board the ship. It is highly recommended that each person bring a carry-on bag with a change of clothes, medication, sunscreen, bathing suit, camera etc to hold you over until your bags arrive.

Your holiday begins when you step aboard. You shouldn't have to wait for your bags to arrive to start having fun. Come prepared with a carry-on bag.

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