103 of the Best Frequently Asked Questions About Cruising

Quite simply, because it’s a fun and affordable way to vacation. There’s something special about being at sea that’s hard to put into words. What I love about cruising may be different from what someone else gets from it, but the commonality is that you have no responsibilities, everything is taken care of for you, you can eat as much as you want, and basically, you have no worries for the duration of the cruise.

There are a lot of decisions to make before you book your cruise. In fact, we wrote an entire post about that.

It depends on where you want to go. Cruising is available year-round, but in different locations due to weather and seasons. The Caribbean is best cruised in the winter, while Alaska is best in the summer. Southern Europe is best in the spring or fall, while northern Europe is best in the summer. Canada/New England cruises are most popular in the fall, when the leaves are at their most colorful. Japan is at its most beautiful in the spring and the fall.

It depends on several factors: which cruise line you choose, which ship you choose, which type of cabin you choose, and which amenities you choose (like alcoholic beverage package). If you find a great deal, you can cruise in an inside cabin on a mass-market cruise line with no alcoholic beverage package for as little as $50 or so a day. At the other end of the scale, a suite on a luxury cruise line with all the bells and whistles can cost you thousands per day.

There are different classes of cruise lines, each with their own ambiance and target market. Some appeal more to families, such as Carnival, Disney, Royal Caribbean, or Norwegian, while others appeal more to couples, such as Celebrity, Princess, or Virgin.

Not at all; they’re quite different. Yes, they all have cabins, restaurants, bars, a pool deck, and the like, but ships can be very different in size, design, and ambiance. Do your homework about your ship before you book your cruise.

For your first few cruises, I’d say definitely. After that, you will probably have a good idea how to handle things on your own and can book directly with the cruise line.

If you’re flying to your cruise port, then it’s best to plan to arrive at your port at least one day before; two days if you’re flying quite a long way.

As for after your cruise, some flight itineraries will only be offered in the morning, which are too early for you to safely make on disembarkation day. In that case, it’s best to plan a night in a hotel after your cruise, then get up early in the morning for a flight home.

Yes. Check with your cruise line to be sure you have the correct information for your cruise. In general, though, bathing suits and flip-flops are a no-no for any restaurant. Shorts aren’t allowed in main dining rooms, specialty restaurants, or exclusive restaurants in the evening. For those venues, men are expected to wear a collared shirt and slacks or nice pants, and ladies are expected to wear a dress, skirt with nice top, or pants with a nice top. Ripped jeans are a no-no, as well as T-shirts with offensive or divisive messages. Leave the camouflage-patterned clothing at home, as it is prohibited in some countries.

That depends on how you’re getting to the port. If you’re driving, you can bring as many suitcases as you’d like, but remember that your cabin is small. The smart thing is to pack light. If you’re flying, you are limited by the airline’s requirements.

Most cabins are usually quite nice, much like a small hotel room. All cabins will have a bed (or two), a small seating area (usually), a TV, a counter with drawers beneath and a mirror above, storage space, and a private bathroom with tub and/or shower. Inside cabins, the least expensive, are small and windowless but still nicely appointed. Balcony cabins are somewhat larger, about 200 square feet on average, with a small balcony large enough for a small table and two chairs. Suites are larger, usually between 300 square feet and 2,000 square feet, and may be like a studio or may actually have separate rooms…some are even large enough to have a dining room!

Absolutely. Here’s why.

Only if you don’t participate in any of the many entertainment and activities available onboard. There’s so much to do!

Yes. The larger ships will have at least one doctor and one registered nurse in a medical facility similar to an urgent care center. Smaller ships don’t have the space for large facilities, but may have a doctor or nurse onboard in the equivalent of a doctor’s office.

Yes. There is very little chance of anything happening to the ship. As for onboard safety, you should do the common-sense things: keep your cash and valuables in your safe, don’t leave laptops and other expensive equipment lying around, keep your cabin door locked, don’t drink too much alcohol to where you’re impaired, and otherwise enjoy your cruise.

If you don’t want to stress on embarkation day about a cancelled or delayed flight, or if you’re driving about a flat tire or breakdown on the road, then it’s best to plan to arrive at your port the day before. As for after your cruise, some flight itineraries will only be offered in the morning, which are too early for you to safely make on disembarkation day. In that case, it’s best to plan a night in a hotel after your cruise, then get up early in the morning for a flight then.

We book our cruises a year or two in advance so we can get the best possible price for airfare in conjunction with it (although we can’t book our airfare until 11 months prior to the cruise). Between the time we book and the final payment date, the cruise fare can fluctuate. Keep an eye on it, and if there is a significant savings, contact the cruise line and see if they’ll adjust your price.

If you are driving to your port and don’t have to worry about airfare—and if you’re flexible in schedule—then last-minute fares are the way to go.

A guaranteed cabin is offered (usually at a lower rate) when the cabin category is booked on that ship for that date, but the cruise line feels confident there will be cancellations that will allow them to assign you to a cabin later. The downside is that you will have no control over the location of the cabin, just that you are guaranteed that category (or better).

Cabins above or below the buffet, pool deck, theater, or nightclubs will be the noisiest. Also not optimal are those near the elevators or in the bow near the anchor. Cabins with an obstructed view also aren’t the greatest.

If you drink multiple cocktails a day, plus premium coffees, premium juice, bottled water, etc., then a beverage package makes sense. If you only drink a cocktail or two a day, and aren’t picky about your coffee or juice and don’t need bottled water, then a beverage package probably won’t be a good deal for you.

Bottles of wine (although they may be discounted) usually aren’t included, and neither are wine or beer or alcohol flights or tastings. Check with your cruise line to be sure.

No cruises are truly all-inclusive; there will always be something extra you can purchase, such as shopping or spa treatments or specialty restaurants. But as for the basics—cabin, WiFi, and drink package—some cruise lines like Celebrity and Norwegian offer as an all-inclusive package.

No way! Families with children have a ball on cruise ships with more active entertainment, and couples tend to either enjoy the laid-back cruise ships or the ones with high-intensity nightlife.

Food in the buffets and main dining rooms tend to be anywhere from adequate to quite good, depending on the ship and its staff at the time. Food in the specialty and exclusive restaurants, however, is usually exceptional. Some cruise lines have better food than others.

Not at all. The ship is full of wide, expansive spaces with soaring ceilings. Plus, there are decks with outside spaces too such as pool decks, sundecks, and on some of Celebrity’s ships, a green lawn!

Depending on the itinerary and time of year, you may have some bad weather that would cause the ship to rock somewhat. Most ships these days have stabilizers that help reduce this sensation. For the most part, you’ll most likely even forget you’re at sea, the ride will be so smooth.

Now the work really begins. You have a lot of decisions to make and reservations to book. Start here.

Some cruise lines offer a program where they will send you an email before your cruise, giving you the opportunity to bid on a better cabin. You’ll be given several better cabin options plus a price range with a minimum and maximum bid. These bids are per person, so keep that in mind. You’ll have to give a credit card number, and if they select your bid, your card will be charged and there’s no going back. You’ll also have no control over where your room will be located on the ship, so if you need an accessible cabin, I wouldn’t recommend using the bidding program. And yes, you can bid on more than one cabin category. Minimum bids used to be successful frequently right after the pandemic, but ships are so full at this point, they probably won’t be as successful.

When you go ashore, you may need local currency for food and beverages, shopping, taxis, excursions (outside of the cruise line’s offerings), and tipping.

Yes. Your cruise line will need specific proof from a parent that the child is allowed to travel with you, as well as to give you permission to get medical attention for the child if needed. Each cruise line has detailed requirements for this documentation, so check with them.

The safe answer is yes, you should always cruise with a passport. In addition, the passport should be valid for at least six months after the end of the cruise.

I would say yes. You can use it to show your boarding pass when you embark, to view the day’s activities, to see restaurant menus, to make reservations, and with some cruise lines, to communicate with others in your traveling party.

Yes to both, although renting a scooter and having it delivered to the ship would probably be easiest. Check with companies like SmartScoot or Scootaround. Also, you need to book an accessible cabin, which will have a door wide enough to accommodate the scooter, as well as space in the cabin to store it.

Contact your cruise line. They will be able to answer your questions and possibly handle your requests over the phone, or you may need to fill out a special needs form. More information about using CPAP on a cruise ship is available here.

Absolutely! Check with your cruise line for their wedding packages and prices.

A burial at sea of cremains is possible but there are certain rules that must be followed. Check with your cruise line for theirs.

It isn’t recommended to book a flight home in the morning of disembarkation day. Your ship can arrive late at the port due to weather, or there may be a problem at customs. Either way, it’s safer to book your flight for after 1:00 p.m. or even later, depending on the distance from the port to the airport.

Depending on the distance from your home and the port, you can either drive or fly, If you fly, you can take a taxi, Uber, or private car to the port.