George_Davis

I've never been on a cruise where you couldn't get milk or juice at times other than breakfast. That includes Carnival, Royal Carribean, NCL, Celebrity.

It kind of makes me think - what would be the point? If I had to ration my breakfast milk for later in the day I would tell them to stuff it.

ita

it seems that to avoid being stiffed, you have to be on guard constantly. This is not my idea of a vacation. I will seriously consider whether to take further family cruises.

Thanks for the tip re the children and the cruise card. I think that the service staff should get confirmation from an adult before they let kids order excessively.

Eschew

You "hope" the service staff should get confirmation from an adult ... but it doesn't happen. They ask for the card, swipe it and ask the kids to sign it. Once it is signed, the purchase is complete.

A cruise holiday is a great holiday, but it is not for everyone. We do both cruise and land holidays and ultimately, we found cruise holidays more relaxing, and good value for our needs.

Others enjoyed all inclusive resorts but we never found them attractive even with dirt cheap prices.

We had taken our children to cruises when they were young teenagers and they enjoyed the freedom and the responsibility that came with it. We didn't encounter any extraordinary purchases and they found out where all the free stuffs were and what were extra billed. The biggest expense they had was spending a few dollars on the video arcade.

If this is your first cruise, ask a lot of questions here before you go, check out the fodor cruise info section http://www.fodors.com/cruises/ and also take a look at the cruise critic first time cruiser tips http://www.cruisecritic.com/ftc/ You should find a lot of good information, and ddon't be discouraged.

Milk and juice are generally not available other than breakfast time. If you ask the staff, they should provide them for free. Just that it is so much more convienent to have them handy when you needed it, without having to wait for it. (Remember the $5 tip to the bus boy at the dining room?)

DW drinks hot water so we have a small thermos and we filled it with hot water each night on our own when we do our "wandering" around the ship. I guess we could have ordered hot water from room services, ask teh cabin steward to fill it, or went up to the buffet when we needed it, but is is so much more handy when it is right there when you needed it.

Go ahead and relax and enjoy your cruise before you come to any conclusion. Don't let anxiety take over. I would love to read your trip report here, based on a first timer experience. That would be very interesting and give people a different perspective, as well as helping other first timers.

Good luck and have a wonderful cruise vaction!

thursdaysd

"I think that the service staff should get confirmation from an adult before they let kids order excessively."

But then the cruise company would make less money. The real profit is not on the price of the cruise, but on what you spend on board and on buying excursions.

Eschew

Very true statement indeed that the cruise ships make money on what you spend on board rather than the cruise fare itself.

If you don't drink, don't buy the photos, don't buy the jewerelly or souvenirs, don't go to the casinos, and don't book the ship's excursions, it would be a very inexpensive holidays.

I would say people who do that is a minority. As we cruise more, we bought less photoes and less souvenirs. We are not heavy drinkers and we are not gamblers so what we spent on board is minimal.

If the adult was there, the adult would have signed for it. It would be hard for the service staff to get the confirmation from an adult if the adult was not there, and they are not in a position to refuse service.

Some cruise lines issue a different card to younger children so that they are IDs and cabin key cards only, but cannot be used to charge for things. that is a good compromise. You can ask for them specifically if you do not want your children to charge things into your account.

thursdaysd

My problem would be the drink, lol. I like a glass of wine with dinner. I did read a suggestion that you could buy a bottle and then bring it to future meals, is that right? I gather several lines don't let you bring your own alcohol on board....

ita

I am not a first time cruiser. I have been on a cruise to South America and twice to Alaska, once with 3 grandsons. I do not remember any problems with tipping. I am learning about it from these forums. The only problem I remember was with the oldest grandson who charged video games above his allotment and he was required to pay me back. I do not remember problems about what the children could drink.

I will write a trip report. I am a very experienced traveller, but taking 6 people on a cruise is expensive and becoming aware of all the extra charges is concerning. Alcohol and gambling is not a concern for us. We don't gamble and drink sparingly, We have booked our excursions and are doing everything we want at a cost of about $500. Our only disappointment is for 2 who want to swim with the dolphins, but we have another commitment that day.

I am a very informed traveller and like to know what I am getting into. We will have a very good time (if the kids behave) and I will let you all about it. If someone wants something that is not included we will pay for it. What would bother me is if I didn't know about all this. That is why I am a slave to Fodor's forums. Thank you for all the info.

Eschew

Thursdayd, there are distinct alchol policy from each cruise line and they are usually posted at their web sites.

Almost all will let you bring your own wine, all they do is charge you a "corkage" fee, typically anywhere form $10 to $20 per bottle. If you drink very expensive wine that the ship does not carry, then it would be worth your while. If you drink what the ships usually carries, then it is questionable to bring your own.

We are not heavy drinkers but enjoy a glass of wine here adn tehre, we just buy from the ship and couldn't be bothered with lugging it around. I know people who brings bottled water, soft drinks ect on board.

And yes, you can buy a bottle and ask them to save it for another day (or time). They do it all the time. The question is how long will it keep after it was open before it turns bad, some keeps longer than other. All they do is just pop the cork back in half way and that's it. They don't do any extra with it.

Ita, looking forward to your trip report and go have a great time!

thursdaysd

Eschew - thanks for the info. I had read that some lines treated bottles of wine as contraband. I suppose I could take my Vacu-Vin along for use instead of corks. (See http://www.vacuvin.com/270/Vacuum_Wine_Saver.html - although mine is older and less fancy.) I live alone and only drink one glass with dinner, and it keeps the wine drinkable for several days.

gail

Regarding kids and cruise cards - it is possible to get kids cruise cards with no charging ability - you do it when you board. (At least that was the case on several lines when our kids were minors)

The small tip in advance practice also got our son enough crab legs at one dinner so that his plate looked the deck of Deadliest Catch episode.

ita

I forget about the cruise card. How do you wear it? Do the kids have it around their necks or wrists?

There are pros and cons to no charging ability. It is a good learning experience. I would like the kids to be able to charge if they do it responsibily. You have to know your customers (kids react differently) and keep a close check.

Eschew

You can get a lanyard and they can wear it around their neck. They can punch a hole on it and hook the card on it, or you buy the lanyard with a pocket.

Older kids can carry it in their pocket.

ita

I did not find tipping a problem. It seemed natural to do what we did. We went with the add on gratuities and then gave extra gratuities to the waiter who was very nice to the kids and to our cabin steward.

Eschew

ita, how as the crusie? and did you like the ship? Looking forward to your TR, and your experience with the extra bodies in tow.

MissGreen

Just went on my first P & O Australia cruise. They don't auto add tips. I was expecting it on our bill. I checked later and their website said that they had changed it. A friend who had cruised before told us to cancel the auto tips. I decided that I wouldn't do that as I figured there were so many people behind the scenes that we didn't see and they should be rewarded just as much as the waiter who brings us our dinner.

Rockknocker

Here is my dilemma. When you leave an xx% tip on the table in a place where the American custom prevails, how much of it is a salary supplement and how much of it is for excellent service? If you don't know, how can your waitress/cabin attendant know? And if they don't know, what happened to the concept of a 'tip' being a recognition of above-average service? Where is the incentive? Seems to me the concept is bugged.

Secondly, why do some posters claim that you must tip "because they work so hard and have families to support"? What happened to the concept of a fair and just wage/salary?

In conclusion I find it appalling that tourists are expected to conform to an AMerican system which is based on slave wages. It is just the passing of a legitimate operating cost on to the consumer. Why do Americans accept this Middle Ages system?

I want to know my total cost when I contract for something, and I want to tip for exceptional service, not to supplement salaries. Simple!!

1965

Rockknocker-I don't know where you're from, but I agree with you, and I'm from the U.S. We do leave the auto. tips in place because we do get very good service on most cruises. Have only removed them once due to terrible service. On one 27 day cruise had we tipped according to the recommendations we would have left hundreds of dollars in tips. We tipped as we saw fit on the last night to those who really did a wonderful job and did go above and beyond the expectations. I think tipping in the U.S. has gotten way out of hand.

Eschew

It was 10%, then 12%. It is "only" 15% now but I have seen anywhere from 17% to 20% for some places. Do you see 25% in the horizon or maybe 100% sometime in the not too distant future?

The tipping is not restricted to the crusie industry but restauarnts, hair dressers, tour guides, taxi drivers, and most service inustry in general as well. There are places that I have come across (especially in East Asia) where they added a 10% service fee and the staff is still expecting a "tip" over and above.

The staff claimed that the 10% service fee was kept by the house and they only get a small percentage of it. The kitche, the manager all receive a share of the pool.