YAY! I booked it! - few questions from a first timer

[IndyEmily]

So my husband and I officially booked our cruise! We finally decided on the Baltimore sailing on 5/19/2011.

 

I have a few questions though -

 

We are on Enchantment of the Seas room #4569 - we picked this because it was centrally located (since neither of us know how we will handle the rocking of the ship) and we wanted to start off simple and work our way up in the staterooms during future cruises. Also, we did not think we would be in the room enough to make it worth the extra money. But, I am slightly concerned about the proximity to the MDR. Will the noise level be loud in this area of the ship?

 

Also, we decided to do the pre-paid gratuities, because it just seemed a little easier than trying to figure it all out being that this is our first cruise. I saw the breakdown of the tips on RCI's website - but how is that handled? Do we ultimately decide who gets what based on the vouchers we receive? Or do we receive the vouchers already made out for the amounts listed in the gratuity breakdown? Also, if you do not prepay these, do you usually tip more or less than the "suggested amounts"? I am just wondering if the prepaid amount will be enough, too much, or just right? We have no problem paying more if the service is exceptional, but I also am not willing to pay too much for service that is sub-par.

 

If anyone else has some tips/tricks for a first timer - I am all ears!

 

322 days until embarkation!!! :D

[starlake]

Congratulations on your first cruise.

The Enchantment is a perfect ship for a first cruise. You are not that close to the dining room. You have a lobby area between you and the dining room. They do use that area in the evening for dancing. You also are close to having Beleros over your head. That area usually has a lot of evening entertainment and dancing going on.

If you are an early or light sleeper, this might bother you a bit. I have stayed on deck 4 closer to the Champagne Bar than you are, I love the location.

If you have any other questions, ask away.

The prepaid gratuities will be already marked for you. You will receive slips marked for your room attendant, waiter, etc.

[spanner14]

Can't help with the room location but the prepaid gratuities are easy to manage. You don't need to worry about tipping for any drinks because a 15% service charge is automatically added onto the drinks prices. We always tip a couple of dollars if we use room service for breakfast, and it's best to hand that to the attendant as soon as they bring the food in.

 

With the pre-paid gratuities, you will be given envelopes towards the end of your cruise; one each for the Head Waiter, Waiter, Assistant Waiter and your Room Steward. The envelopes contain vouchers, and each passenger in your stateroom gets to give a voucher. So if there are two of you in your stateroom, then you put the two "Head Waiter" vouchers in one envelope and give that to the Head Waiter at dinner on your last evening. Same for your Waiter and Assistant Waiter. If you don't manage to see your room steward in person on the last evening then you can leave it out for him/her. You can put a few extra dollars in the envelope with the vouchers if you wish, but you don't have to because you've already paid for the tip vouchers.

 

I hope that makes sense! :)

[DonnaK]

The vouchers are just for appearance sake...you dont have to hand it to the person in order for them to collect. (just an FYI in case you don't see someone on the last night) The steward and wait team get a list of who pre-paid, so they will know you didn't stiff them.

 

The amount is just right, and there is no expectation to give more. You certainly won't come across as a cheapskate if you dont. However, if you really liked one of the people who served you, and you are feeling especially generous, you can slip an extra $10-20 into the envelope with the voucher. (We usually give more to the waiter and asst waiter only, but it's strictly a personal choice).

 

The autotips do not include bar service. A 15% gratuity will be added to your drink bill automatically. As well, if you receive room service, you should tip the person who delivers it a dollar or two. Same with the porters who handle your luggage at the pier - a dollar or two per bag.

[cooncat_mom]

You answered my question DonnaK - thank you! Just didn't see it till after I posted :)

[sandravb79]

So my husband and I officially booked our cruise! We finally decided on the Baltimore sailing on 5/19/2011.

 

I have a few questions though -

 

We are on Enchantment of the Seas room #4569 - we picked this because it was centrally located (since neither of us know how we will handle the rocking of the ship) and we wanted to start off simple and work our way up in the staterooms during future cruises. Also, we did not think we would be in the room enough to make it worth the extra money. But, I am slightly concerned about the proximity to the MDR. Will the noise level be loud in this area of the ship?

 

We will be right above the restaurant on our next cruise. I think that by the time there could be noise in the morning, we would up anyway, and by the time we go to bed, restaurant will be closed again.

 

Also, we decided to do the pre-paid gratuities, because it just seemed a little easier than trying to figure it all out being that this is our first cruise. I saw the breakdown of the tips on RCI's website - but how is that handled? Do we ultimately decide who gets what based on the vouchers we receive? Or do we receive the vouchers already made out for the amounts listed in the gratuity breakdown? Also, if you do not prepay these, do you usually tip more or less than the "suggested amounts"? I am just wondering if the prepaid amount will be enough, too much, or just right? We have no problem paying more if the service is exceptional, but I also am not willing to pay too much for service that is sub-par.

 

If anyone else has some tips/tricks for a first timer - I am all ears!

 

322 days until embarkation!!! :D

 

Each time, we have prepaid gratuities. You get a voucher at the end of the cruise to give to the different people, one for room attendant and 3 for restaurant.

Each time, we filled the envelope with the voucher for the room attendant + added some more cash because we found he deserved it. For the restaurant, when we had had the same waiters every night, we handed them the envelopes, sometimes with extra cash, sometimes not. Last cruise, we had different waiters every night, so I asked the hostess how to handle it, and she said we could give the vouchers to her, since the wait staff would get their tips anyway through a centralized system, the vouchers are just for "show". I saw that most people handed the vouchers to her.

[Desert Cruizers]

Even though we pre pay, we always pick up the envelopes at the desk the final day and add extra and personally hand them to our Room Steward, Waiter and Assist Waiter.

[wwcruisers]

So my husband and I officially booked our cruise! We finally decided on the Baltimore sailing on 5/19/2011.

If anyone else has some tips/tricks for a first timer - I am all ears!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1209975

 

Hi IndyE, and welcome to cruisecritic. Between now and next May, you will find lots of answers to your questions, on these boards. I took the liberty of checking to see if your cruise had an active roll-call thread, and it does -- I've included the link, above. When you get a minute, go over and meet some of the folks you'll be cruising with -- they'll have lots of great info for you! :D

[aldewitt]

So my husband and I officially booked our cruise! We finally decided on the Baltimore sailing on 5/19/2011.

 

Will the noise level be loud in this area of the ship?

 

If anyone else has some tips/tricks for a first timer - I am all ears!

 

322 days until embarkation!!! :D

 

Congrats on the cruise; that's just great. You'll have a wonderful time, and your husband will be surprised at all there is to do and how relaxing it is. I speak from experience there. My wife wanted me to cruise and I told her I didn't want to be out of sight of land because I wanted to be able to DO things. That attitude lasted about 25 seconds into the first cruise... :p

 

I have not been on the Enchantment, but my experience with inside cabins is that they are among the quietest you can get, unless you've got professional yodelers on either side. Seriously, though, we've never had a problem with noise.

 

Inside cabins are dark, and you wont' see the sunrise, and as a result, you won't have a visual clue to get you up. I've overslept a couple of times on cruises and missed breakfast in order to get to the planned events. So, take along a phone or watch with an alarm on it. The ships usually have a way to make a wake up call request, but sometimes those come, and sometimes they don't. I am used to waking with the sun, so I have to have an alarm in an inside cabin.

 

Inside cabins are smaller, and for that reason, you need to be careful about what you pack, because it all has to fit in that smaller space. My wife and I have found, over the last few cruises, that we always take more than we need. We now pack lots of underwear, lots of socks, lots of swimsuits, and very few dress clothes. I take one suit and two dress shirts and send them to the dry cleaners if need be. Sure, it costs an arm and a leg, but in the end its worth it, particularly where you have to pay $45 a bag on some airlines. (Tip: if you fly business class on Airtran your bags are free).

 

Your cabin is going to be your staging and sleeping area, but you won't be spending much time in it. Inside cabins are the best value on one-port-a-day cruises because you never spend time in your cabin. On the Sea Days a balcony is nice, but there are deck chairs and lots of places to sit outside, so you won't miss anything by having an inside cabin.

 

If you've never cruised before, it may not be apparent about the dining room hours/arrangements. My wife and I always ask for late seating for several reasons. First, you never have to cut a shore excusion short in order to make dinner. Second, we like eating a leisurely-paced dinner and if you have first dining they are concerned with getting you out the door to turn the tables for the next seating. With second seating you go to the early show, so that after dinner, if you want, you can go dancing or walk along the outside of the ship in the moonlight, or whatever else you want to do until you want to go to bed. If you go to first seating you have to catch the second show, and my wife sometimes falls asleep in the shows. Anyway, we like the second seating better. We usually go get a snack (afternoon tea, sometimes, or a cookie) at about 3 to 4 so that we're not famished by meal time. If you can't adapt to eating at 8:30, though, then opt for the first seating.

 

On my first cruise we were fortunate enough to sit at the Staff Captain's Table. The Staff Captain is the relief captain who drives the ship while the main captain is snoozing. Think of him as the Executive Officer. Anyway, the Staff Captain brought his wife along, and she made sure that as a first time cruiser, I knew all the ropes.

 

One thing that is not obvious is that you can always get more in the dining room. The dining room staff practices portion control. For example, on Lobster night you'll get a lobster that looks too young to be out without its mother. You eat that one, ask for another one, and they'll bring it to you. Same thing with other meats. My son loves Lamb. He went through three racks of lamb on one of our Carnival cruises (this was back when Carnival's food didn't taste like it had been cooked in a nursing home kitchen and flown in from Australia). Same thing with desserts. Also, you are not stuck with ordering one appetizer, one soup, one entree. You can usually order two of everything if you want to. I like getting two appetizers and a salad, and then the meat or fish entree. You never have to ask for more if you do that, and the pacing of the meal is such that by the time you get your entree you'll be full anyway.

 

Prepaying gratuities is smart. What really hamstrings a lot of folks is the big bill at the end of the cruise based on shore excursions and the bar tab. You have to be very careful about what you drink. Three drinks a day for each of you can add up to a hellacious bar tab at the end of the cruise. If you're watching your pennies, there are some things you can do.

 

First, if you want unlimited soda, you can get that soda card. It's exensive, but if you're really thirsty people, it can be a good buy. We bring sodas onto the ship. While you can't bring liquor on the ship, you can always bring sodas, and we stash two 12 packs in the fridge. We avoid the mixed drinks and beers at the bar (and they'll be pushing these like a street corner hustler from the moment you walk on). If we want to have a beer, we get one in port where it benefits the locals. We've had some great beer in Mexico and Jamaica because of this. And we'll sometimes go to Margaritaville too.

 

Spend some time here, read up on things, and you'll be ready for a terrific time.

[aldewitt]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1209975

I've included the link, above.

 

I wish I had thought to do that. That's a great suggestion!

[Mysticks1]

Be sure to bring any over the counter medications with you if you use something frequently as the ships store is very limited.

I also bring an over the door shoe holder with the clear pockets and hang it on the bathroom door. I store all of our smaller things in the pockets and it is keeps everything organized and easy to find. It really doesn't take up much room and doesn't weigh much at all.

[nusail]

...My wife wanted me to cruise and I told her I didn't want to be out of sight of land because I wanted to be able to DO things. That attitude lasted about 25 seconds into the first cruise... :p

 

... my experience with inside cabins is that they are among the quietest you can get, unless you've got professional yodelers on either side.

 

... We avoid the mixed drinks and beers at the bar (and they'll be pushing these like a street corner hustler from the moment you walk on).

 

Good for you, aldewitt. I'm not new to cruising but I enjoyed reading your response to Indy Emily. Thanks for taking the time to provide such a detailed and entertaining reply!

[IndyEmily]

Thanks everyone for all of your fabulous responses! Sounds like we did the right thing by pre-paying the tips - one less thing to think about during the week so we can focus our energy on relaxing! :D

[QuickGold]

Congrats on booking your first cruise!!

[Jimnbigd]

I prefer having a cabin above me rather than a public area. Boleros might keep you from going to sleep too early. You might want to change your cabin to one on deck 3, not under the back dining room, so you have a cabin above you. Should be the same price or maybe a few bucks less, and there is no extra charge just to switch cabins. Lower floor and middle cabin will have the least movement.

 

I also recommend you arrive the day before the cruise. This is a little harder for you, since your cruise leaves on a Thursday. But try to arrive the Wednesday before if you can. You'll be glad, especially if your flight (or drive) is delayed. And don't book the return flight too early. You return on Saturday. I suggest you wait until Sunday to return. That way if the ship is late getting back, you wont' have to worry about rescheduling your flight. Plus you can enjoy Baltimore for another evening.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[debandbruce]

Enchantment was our first cruise too! Last November. I can't say enough good things about the ship and most especially the staff. They were phenomenal! I have never felt so spoiled in my life, our dining room waiters were so attentive, they went out of their way to make sure we liked everything, tried some new things and never left hungry! Cabin steward kept our room spotless and the ice bucket full! Bartenders were always smiling and looked like they were having the time of their lives!

We had an inside on deck 7, it was so cozy and the little bit of motion we had on our first day due to the end of a tropical storm was nothing more than very gentle rocking. We loved that cruise so much we have 2 more booked. I know you will love it, she has also been in drydock recently and had some re-decorating done which will make her even more beautiful. Enjoy, you'll get hooked, we did.

[debandbruce]

One quick extra note. We prepaid our tips but still used the envelopes provided to give extra, the staff worked so hard and we wanted to show them we appreciated it. Our poor room steward was left 3 dollars by the folks next to us. I don't know what their reason was but we felt good that we had left him some extra.

[klingoncruiser]

Hee hee... you will be so hooked like the rest of us.:D Have a wonderful cruise.

[ehfl]

As for the noise, smart travelers know to always carry earplugs. They're cheap and simple. That way, you're not at the mercy of location, the noisy kids next door, unplanned maintenance, etc. The people who have problems with noise simply showed up on board unprepared.

[Leiriope]

We were on EOS in Sept 2008. We had cabin 4584, which is close to the Champagne Bar. I have to say, we were not disturbed by any noise at all. On our first cruise back in 2003 I felt some seasickness the first night, so I was expecting it again, but even with a lot of rain while at sea we didn't feel any movement at all. I enjoyed Enchantment, the staff was fantastic and we had the same wait staff in the MDR each night. And my daughter and I took the liberty of ordering more than one appetizer, entree and dessert if we couldn't decide what sounded better, and not once did our waiter make us feel bad for it. And yes, we prepaid our tips too and was so glad we did. That way, we didn't have to worry about keeping money back (we paid cash at the end of the cruise).

 

Have a good time!!

[crookedhalo]

Enjoy the sail out of B'more:D We've done it twice and it's an experience in itself:) Another great reason to opt for late dinner is the first night you sail under the Bay Bridge right as the first seating is beginning (it's to cool a sight not to see) and then around 11:30 you'll sail over the Virgina Bridge/Tunnel - it is so cool to see the headlights of the cars just 'disappear' under the water:eek:

[loverofpv]

Congratulations on booking your first cruise....I agree, once you cruise, you'll be hooked. Enjoy!!!!!:p