A few questions from a newbie :)

[mo.da.grass]

Hello Fellow CC'ers :)

 

I had a few questions, because I have not yet been on a cruise, and I wanted to know a little more!

 

• For a married couple with a teenage daughter, What would be a better cruise line to go to Alaska in? Princess or Royal Caribbean? We were thinking of flying to Seattle and doing a 7-day Round Trip....

 

• Say that we dock in Juneau 8 am to 8 pm. Are we allowed on and off privileges, or are we on our own until we leave?

 

• is food included in the price?

 

• Are there washers/dryers on board? Self serve or...?

 

• As formal nights go, are we required / is it good etiquette to participate?

 

If I have any more, I will be sure to post them :D

Glad to be a part of the CC community! Thanks to everyone who makes it great!

 

-Mo

[cb at sea]

Which ship depends on the atmosphere you desire...either will be fine, tho! Both are nice lines!

You can come and go as you please when docked (or tendered)...no limit...as long as you're back on the ship 1/2 hour before it sets sail!

Food in the buffet and dining room are included in the price. Depending on the ship/cruiseline, there will be some other venues that are also include. Almost all ships now have some "extra fee" eating places, but you are under no obligation to use them!

 

RCI has NO self-laundry facilities....I believe Princess does.

 

Formal nights are fun...do participate! For women, it's much easier than men...a cocktail dress will do just fine, and takes up no more room than a sundress! You are not "required" to do it, but it is a good time! For men, a suit or tux is the "proper" attire, but many will do less than that....it's up to you!

[kitty9]

Either will be just fine for your family. If you want something a little more upscale with better food, then go with Princess.

 

When you dock, once the ship is cleared by local authorities you can come and go as you please. But you must be back on board the ship no later than 30 minutes before departure.

 

Food in the main dining room and buffet, along with the burgers and pizza is included. You also have room service, but on Royal Caribbean, if you order room service after midnight and before 5am, there is a service charge. There are specialty restaurants on board most cruise ships that do cost extra. Also, alcohol, soda and bottled water cost extra.

 

Royal Caribbean does not have passenger laundries. You are not allowed to bring irons or use them in your cabin.

 

Formal nights are not required but you're paying for the best food of the week on formal nights, so why miss them. I wouldn't say it's bad etiquette to miss them, but they're fun and part of what a cruise is made of.

[househunter]

Hello Fellow CC'ers :)

 

I had a few questions, because I have not yet been on a cruise, and I wanted to know a little more!

 

• For a married couple with a teenage daughter, What would be a better cruise line to go to Alaska in? Princess or Royal Caribbean? We were thinking of flying to Seattle and doing a 7-day Round Trip.... Either would be good, with the edge given to RCI.

 

• Say that we dock in Juneau 8 am to 8 pm. Are we allowed on and off privileges, or are we on our own until we leave? Yes, you may get off and on the ship as many time as you like.

 

• is food included in the price? Most of the food will be included. The main dining room, the buffet and a few more places depending on which ship you are sailing on. Room service is also included. There will be various specialty restaurants depending on the ship which will have an additional fee. These restaurants are optional.

 

• Are there washers/dryers on board? Self serve or...? RCI has no self serve laundry facilities, but the prices are not too bad if you have to send a few things out to be cleaned.

 

• As formal nights go, are we required / is it good etiquette to participate? If you are eating in the main dining room, you will need to follow the suggested dress code for each evening. If you do not want to participate in formal evenings you can eat in the buffet, some of the specialty restaurants or order room service- lots of choices!

 

If I have any more, I will be sure to post them :D

Glad to be a part of the CC community! Thanks to everyone who makes it great!

 

-Mo

 

Hope this helps!:)

[mo.da.grass]

Thanks everyone! All your information was very helpful :)

[sissaysu]

• For a married couple with a teenage daughter, What would be a better cruise line to go to Alaska in? Princess or Royal Caribbean? We were thinking of flying to Seattle and doing a 7-day Round Trip....

- I personally have never been on a princess cruise, but I was on a few RCCL cruises as a teenager and LOVED them. in fact, I went with my mom and my best friend about ten years ago and we BOTH had a blast...even with my mom :p

 

• Say that we dock in Juneau 8 am to 8 pm. Are we allowed on and off privileges, or are we on our own until we leave?

- The cruises I have been on you were allowed on and off as much as you want as long as you were back on that ship when it was time to leave. I have witnessed people missing a ship...they stood near it and were trying to wave it down. They were late getting back and the ship was unable to stop to get them, apparently. When in port I always ALWAYS come back at least an hour before they tell me to in case something happens that delays me on the way. I have heard that on tours that you book through RCCL, the ship does hold up if your tour is late...however it must be a tour booked through the cruise line. I am guessing if you book a tour through another place and it runs over, that particular cruise line would not be responsible should it run over.

• is food included in the price?

- on the cruise yes. Depends on what tour you go in. Some it is included. I know when we were on a RCCL cruise to Europe, the tours we took included two meals at chosen local restaurants. Some tours are all inclusive. It just depends. However, drinks are not included in the price on cruises (unless they have an unlimited beverage card like RCCL and Carnival do) and booze, no matter what beverage plan you go on, is NEVER included.

• Are there washers/dryers on board? Self serve or...?

- I can't answer this as we never used them. We were on vacation and the last thing we wanted to do was laundry :D We just bought a bunch of clothes with us and then had a "marathon laundry" day upon return lol

 

• As formal nights go, are we required / is it good etiquette to participate?

- You don't HAVE to...but it's fun. I LOOOOOOVE dressing up in cocktail dresses, doing my makeup and hair and jewelry and love ANY reason to dress up. However, you do need to dress a little as in khakis, nice slacks, collared shirt, etc. any day you go to the dining room.

Hope this helps!!!

[GORDONCHICK]

One of the best souvenirs we get on cruises are the formal family photos. Have even used some in Christmas cards.