Cliff
Crittenden
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TOP
CRUISE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 1-800-955-9942
or 703-827-0414
Guests
often ask what to bring for "the perfect cruise."
With ten years cruising experience, Travel
Coordinator Cynthia Neu recommends bringing one suitcase,
one carry-on, a valid passport, all your
smiles and a hat. "Traveling
with one suitcase, one carry-on and your
valid passport, means you go quickly through
all the lines. When you smile you're invited
to join in all the fun activities and with a hat
you're always protected,"
she says. These
items contribute most to smooth sailing,
whether on land or sea. Here are Cynthia's answers
to more of your questions.
1.) Are
all meals included? Yes.
Each cruise you purchase includes all
dining on board ship, as well as 24 hour FREE
room service. Whether you want to taste everything,
or follow a special diet, you can have it all
when you cruise.
2.) What
about alcohol and other beverages on board ship?
All alcohol consumed on a ship must be
purchased on the ship. No one may board ship
with liquor bottles packed in their luggage.
Such bottles will be removed when passing through
security. Even when buying liquor on shore, you
must check your bottles upon returning to the
ship. Liquor purchases are returned to you at
the end of the cruise for you to pack,
or you may want to ship them home via mail.
Remember you are no longer allowed to carry
liquids onto an airplane. Don't let U.S.
Customs take your liquor at the airport. Be
careful. It is important to know too that
because soda cans cause an environmental issue
guests must pay extra
for sodas on a cruise. Coke, 7-UP, Pepsi, etc.,
will be charged to you...sometimes as
much as $3 per can. However, a few soda cans
packed in your luggage can be brought on the
ship. Just don't overdo it. Also
be aware that bottles of water placed in your
cabin are not free. They often cost as much as
$3 each. Instead, bring your own water
bottle and each day ask
room service to bring you a pitcher of cold water
to replenish your water
bottle. The water delivered to you room is bottled
water too! Do not bring a bottle
for refilling to any public eating place on the
ship. For hygienic reasons this is forbidden.
There are also specialty coffee bars
on board ship, but they do cost extra. All other
beverages such as iced tea, hot tea, juices,
coffee and milk are free and abundant throughout
the ship 24 hours a day.
 3.)
What about gratuities? You
pay them only in US
cash dollars during
the last 24 hours of the cruise. Envelopes will
appear on your bed with the crew's titles: cabin
steward, head waiter, assistant head waiter,
etc. If you budget $10 (ten) US
cash dollars per day for the
cruise you will be giving the customary total
amount of tips to pay all crew members who make
your voyage special. Yes, $70 for 7 days is enough
to tip all attendants collectively for
a whole week. A suggested tip sheet is also at
the Guest Relations
Desk on board ship. The
$10 daily rate is quoted per person, per cabin, regardless
of the age or number of guests in a cabin. Bring
small bills ($1 and $5) to pay tips,
especially on shore to cab drivers. A good idea
is to bring at least fifty (50) $1
bills. Why take home foreign currency you cannot
use when you return? It's very difficult to find US
dollars in small denominations,
either on the ship or on shore. A safe is usually
in each cabin for you to store cash. Guest
Relations can also provide you
with a safety box. Today many cruise ships allow
guests to charge gratuities to their cabins.
When guests do this, they are provided
vouchers to give the waiters,
etc. ,
who then collect the tips from Guest
Relations later.
There are two exceptions to these tipping rules:1) It
is customary to give a $1 cash tip to a waiter
who delivers your Free
Room Service and 2) No
need to tip waiters who serve you alcoholic
drinks. A 15% gratuity is automatically included
on your tab when you sign for any specialty
drink. Small bills also allow you to barter better
on shore because shop keepers
need small U.S. dollar denominations.
You can buy something at a better price, if you
are paying for it with $1 and $5 dollar U.S.
bills.
4.) How
do I pay my expenses on board ship? Upon
arriving to the pier you will be asked for a
credit card or a debit card. An
imprint of it will be made. You will then be
issued a cabin key, which looks like a credit
card. All purchases on the ship are charged
to your cabin key, then charged to your
credit card the last day of the cruise. There
are no cash transactions allowed on board ship
during the cruise, other than paying cash tips
for room service
or to pay the wait staff tips on the last day
of the cruise. You could also deposit a minimum
of $300 cash or Travelers Checks when initially
boarding ship to open a cash account.
Then all charges you make on the ship could
be drawn against your $300 cash deposit. The
Guest Relations Desk notifies passengers when
their cash deposits are running low and/or when
their credit cards have reached their limits.
Be prepared with a back-up plan to replenish
money sources, if needed. Should you fall short
of cash to use on shore trips your cabin key
usually allows you to take cash out of the casino.
There is a limit of $200 cash per person per
day to be taken out of the casino. No extra penalty
is imposed on your credit card for obtaining
cash from the casino. And while there is usually
an ATM machine on the ship, it often runs out
of money. Because the ships' ATM machines are
contracted out for service crew members have
no way to assist you if an ATM machine is not
working. On the eve of disembarking, an itemized
statement of all your cruise expenses will appear
in your cabin. Any questionable charges must
be settled at the Guest
Relations Desk before leaving
the ship. No charge can be contested after you've
left the ship. Be sure
to obtain a receipt from Guest
Relations for
any refund the cruise lines agrees to give you
because often times those refunds don't reach
your credit card company in a timely manner.
Always get a receipt for any transaction you
do on a ship! Be smart. Be careful. Be sure.
5.) Are
medical staff and facilities on board ship? Yes.
Excellent clinics, doctors and nurses are on
board ship. Doctors and clinical staff work under
a foreign flag. They do not accept any form of
U.S. Medicare or Medicaid for payment. And most
insurance companies in the United States do not
offer health coverage on cruise ships.
Check with your own health insurance carrier
before traveling to learn what coverage you
may have, if any, when you cruise.
Full payment is required for medical treatment
when you receive it on a ship, at the time it
is administered. It is charged to your cabin.
The insurance offered by      reimburses
you for most such costs. To view and study Royal
Caribbean's insurance policy, click here.
For a link to Celebrity's
insurance policy, click here. Note: There
is no charge for Dramamine. Nor usually is there
a charge for speaking to a nurse. There is
a charge for speaking to a doctor. If
you're diabetic, have MS, sleep apnea, or
carry oxygen when
traveling, make it known at the time you book
your cruise. If
you need a refrigerator in your cabin to keep
medications cool be sure to book the category
of cabin that has this benefit or
place a request for one because mini
refrigerators on ships are limited. They
are distributed on a first come first served
basis. Also your cabin steward can
keep your med's in a large refrigerator he has
access to on your deck. Medications could
then be delivered to you at a pre-arranged time
each day. Passengers must notify Travel
Coordinator Cynthia
Neu at 1-800-955-9942 well
in advance of the ship's departure to say what
special medical equipment, medications or
hardware they want to carry onto the vessel.
Guests may not be allowed to board until
all concerns about such items are clarified.
Persons who are diabetic, or have MS, and require
daily shots must carry a doctor's note in
their travel kits verifying the use of needles.
Insurance offered by either Royal
Caribbean or Celebrity includes
trip cancellation and medical coverage, but does
not cover pre-existing medical conditions...nor
does it provide coverage for elective surgery prior to
your cruise's departure. Having elective surgery
prior to the cruise's departure falls into the
category of being a pre-existing condition, which
is not insurable. The policy does, however, include
coverage for
shore excursion accidents as described below.
It has also become necessary to require each
guest who books a handicap cabin to fill out
the cruise lines' medical forms verifying need
for such a cabin, combined with presenting a
letter from a doctor asking for the special
cabin. Detailed paperwork is sent to a guest
immediately after his/her booking is made to
complete and return right away. Always keep your
hands washed and clean, especially after using
stair railings, pushing elevator buttons and
opening cabin doors. Clean hands contribute most
to having a healthy trip. Carry a small bottle
of Purell.
Be safe. Always wash your hands before eating.
 6.) What
do I wear? members
dress fashionably for every cruise event. Generally
speaking, your favorite seasonal outfits are
fine. There are no changing rooms near your ship’s
pool. Guests usually wear shorts over their swim
suits when walking to the pool from
their cabins. Sandals and tennis shoes are fine
for this too. However, one dresses nicely for
dinner each evening. There are 2 formal nights
on a 7 day cruise: the Captain’s
Welcome Dinner the second night at sea
and the Captain’s
Farewell Dinner the next to last night
at sea. These 2 events are highlights of
the cruise. Longer cruises have 3 formal nights.
The minimum formal dress for a lady is a cocktail
dress. And
while gentlemen are encouraged to wear tuxes,
a dark dressy suit with a tie is acceptable,
but only as a minimum. Men may not have open
collars at these formal events. Guests not dressed
appropriately will be turned away from the dining
hall by the dining room staff. It
is the policy of this club to follow
the dress code requirements of the cruise lines
for all ship activities. Boarding documents will
have details on how to rent a tux in advance
on the ship. There are no public laundry rooms
on the ship. However, room service does provide
dry cleaning and laundry care. Such services
can be expensive. "During
my years of cruising," says
Cynthia Neu, the club's Travel Coordinator, "I've
learned a trick to save space in my luggage.
I bring one formal outfit with two different sets of
jewelry. When it's the second formal night I wear the
same outfit with different jewelry. Then I sit at a different
table with different friends!
You can do this too. No one will ever know." :)
A
HIGHLIGHT OF CRUISING is dining together
on formal nights at sea. The Captain
of Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas is Nikolaos
Antalis. He invited members of the Fun & Fitness
Travel Club to dine with him on a recent cruise
in recognition of the club's popularity at
Royal Caribbean. Travel Coordinator Cynthia Neu
is shown (R) of the Captain; Fitness Host Coordinator
Barb Batson is (R) of Cynthia. Standing behind
Cynthia is club web master Cliff Crittenden.
Standing behind the Captain is Patrick McCluskey,
creator of ExerciseFriends.com,
a top ten fitness site on the Internet, as determined
by Amazon.com. Patrick is also Cynthia's son.
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Evening
Dinner Wear: Each
evening the main dining room
features a different menu and
a different dress code. This
list will help you plan your
evening dining attire. A guest
may not dine in the dining
room in jeans, nor with shirts
having no sleeves or collars,
regardless of whether it is
for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Why do guests need to dress
up? Because a dress code brings
out everyone's best behavior.
Guests who dress up will
also behave well. This is important
when thousands of people
are sailing out on the sea
in a confined space, often
while drinking alcohol.
You will find the ship's officers
and crew to be the very best
dressed persons on your ship...and
the most courteous.
Daily dress code:
3,
4 and 5-night cruises:
One formal, all other casual nights.
6,
7, 8 and 9 night cruises:
Two formal,
one smart casual, all other casual nights.
10, 11 and 12-night
cruises:
Two formal, three smart casual, all other casual
nights.
13,
14 and 15, 16, 17-night cruises:
Three
formal, four smart casual, all other
casual nights.
Dress code styles for men:
Casual: Sport
shirt, trousers and a shirt with collar.
Smart
Casual: Slacks,
shirt and jacket.
Informal: See
Smart Casual, but more dressy.
Formal: Tux
or a dark suit with a tie.
(At
no time may shorts, jeans or T-shirts be worn in
the formal dining hall.)
  
WHEN
DINING AT A FORMAL SETTING: Throughout
the cruise courteous wait staff will
attend to your every request. They have been trained
extensively on both how to set a table and serve
it. Here they share some of that knowledge: "The
bread plate is to your far left with its own butter
knife. Your salad fork is the first one on your
left (outside),
followed by an appetizer fork (middle). The
meal fork lays next to the plate. At right
is a knife (outside) for
simple salads, a spoon is for soup and a sharper
knife beside the plate for is select cuts of meat.
Your wine glass stands left of your water glass.
An after dinner spoon for coffee is placed above
the dessert spoon and fork atop your dinner plate.
Dessert may be pudding, ice cream or a choice of
gourmet pastries. Notice there is a utensil
set for each of them. Dining on a luxury liner
is an elegant event. After you return home you
too can set an elegant table. Simply remember:
A fork (with
4 letters) is set to your left (also
with 4 letters). A spoon and knife (each
with 5 letters) is set to your right (also
with 5 letters).Special seminars on board
ship offer instructions on how to prepare exquisite
meals, how to serve the best wine and
how to set an elegant table.
7.)
What about passports? Do we need one to cruise?
guests
must have a valid passport to board ship. This
policy applies even
if sailing only to nearby Mexico, Canada or other
U.S. states like Alaska and Hawaii. Whenever a ship
sails 3 miles off shore it is considered to be in International
waters, thus a passport is required to get back into
the United States. Additionally, during any national
emergency, or more likely during a personal emergency,
guests traveling abroad would not be allowed to board
a plane to fly home without a valid passport. To
be sure all guests are protected we insist each
guest carry a valid passport when traveling with our
club.
The easiest way to obtain a passport, or to have it
renewed, is to visit your local Post Office for assistance.
Anyone who travels with an INS
Green Card must produce it
before boarding ship and again upon returning stateside.
No one may board a cruise ship departing the United
States without being cleared by U.S.
Homeland Security. Please cooperate to the
fullest with all United States' Customs and Immigration
requirements.
AMERCIAN
PASSPORT INFORMATION: http://travel.state.gov Ask
at your local post office how to obtain
a new, or renewed, U.S. passport. You can
also call or e-mail these government agencies
and private sector companies for help:
 National
Passport Center toll-free number is 24/7 at 1-877-487-2778.
Its
E-mail site is NPIC@state.gov Customer
Service is M-F 8 AM-8 PM EST. A Passport Fee is $55
with a $12 Security Surcharge and $30 Preparation Fee
= $97 per passport. It's important to know when returning
to the United States that U.S. Customs will scrutinize
any passport having less than six months validation
on it. Why? Because such passports are often stolen.
A U.S. passport number is good only
for the life of the passport. When a U.S. passport
expires so does its number. Any new passport issued
always has a new number. Aliens can easily enter
the country illegally with a tampered American
passport that's about to expire. Be sure to travel
on a passport having more than 6 months validation
on it. This precaution saves you a huge amount
of time at any U.S. border when trying to re-enter
the country, not to mention it reduces the
chances that your passport will be stolen. Remember
that no one is exempt from questioning by U.S.
Customs and Immigration. The most innocent looking
grandmothers can be questioned sternly to prove
the U.S. government is not racial profiling travelers.
Also, when trying to re-enter the States always
keep on your person all receipts for items
you bought abroad, especially
jewelry. Customs
has been known to ask for such receipts when Americans
are re-entering the States.
In fact, foreign jewelry stores often
notify U.S. authorities which Americans are returning
home with very expensive jewelry. This is
to protect those travelers who actually purchased
the expensive jewelry to ensure they are the same
persons taking the jewelry out of the country.
Cooperate with U.S. Customs to the fullest.
U.S. Customs is at the pier to help us. Not hurt
us. Passport123.com•PassportsAndVisas.com•PassportExpress.com •PassportNation.com•GetAPassportNow.com are
web sites to help you with passports.
8.)
How do we sign up for shore excursions?
When
you receive your cruise boarding documents
they will contain a booklet with many
pages describing shore excursions,
their times and prices. You can book
shore excursions on board ship. More
experienced cruisers may want to wait
until the ship docks at its various
ports of call to book outings with
local vendors on the shore. Either
way is fine. Prices are about the same.
But cruisers should book the
more exotic excursions like helicopter
rides and fishing tours on the cruise
lines’ web
site early
because of their limited spaces. Visit
either ROYALCARIBBEAN.COM or CELEBRITYCRUISES.COM
You'll need your booking ID number
to book on the Internet. Call 1-800-955-9942 for
your booking ID. The
huge benefit of waiting to book shore
excursions on the ship is that
if you change your mind, if you become
sick at the last minute and can't go,
or if an excursion is canceled, you
will be refunded your money on the
spot. This is not true when booking
on the Internet. It is impossible
to get any refund if you book on the
Internet and later have to cancel.
Yet another way to enjoy shore excursions
is for a group of at least 4 or 5 guests
to go together out on shore and rent
a van and driver for the day. Be sure
to ask for an English speaking driver.
There will be English speaking drivers
wherever you dock. Go in groups of
at least 4 and 5 to be safe. Remember,
however, that if you book a shore
excursion on your own the insurance
you bought through the cruise lines
will not apply.
There is ample opportunity to select
shore excursions on the ship after you board. Your ship
will have more excursions to offer
than does the Internet. This is to
protect the ship's passengers. But
do not wait too long after boarding ship to book excursions.
Book them at the Shore Excursion Desk when it opens,
usually after dinner the first night. You can also book
them from your TV set in your cabin on the Shore Excursion
Channel. It is very important that when you buy shore
excursions you buy them only for yourself. Do not
put friends' choices on your credit card because if they
cannot go it will be impossible for "the
computer" to give you a refund. Don't
mix up friends' charges with your purchases on your
credit card. Avoid this absolutely! If you are computer
savvy and still prefer to book shore trips on the Internet
go to ROYALCARIBBEAN.COM and
look for a section called BEFORE
YOU BOARD. Scroll
down to SHORE & LAND
EXCURSIONS. Keep moving through the process
until it asks for your Booking ID number, ship and
sailing date. Shore trips are laid out by either
CALENDER, PORT or EXCURSION. You can call 1-800-327-6700
and ask for the Shore Excursion Desk, but only for
computer help. Royal
Caribbean, Celebrity and
our offices are not allowed to book shore
excursions for you. You must book your own excursions
either on the Internet, on board ship or on shore by
yourselves. This policy is firm.
9.) What
should I pack? Bring as little
as possible. Pack smart and light.  Packing
clothes with dry cleaning plastic bags
reduces wrinkling. Cabin closets are very small.
Store your carry-on inside your suitcase.
Both must stay in your cabin. Do not bring anything heavier
than you personally can carry. Always put your cruise
luggage tags on before leaving home. Hotel
and airport personnel know what they are. Luggage
tags come with your boarding documents. Luggage
on rollers is best. Bell caps are expensive.
Take your carry-on with a pool outfit, sweater,
make-up, curlers, medications, sun glasses, walking
shoes, camera, good jewelry, your valid passport
and your boarding ticket
in it. Don't forget your hat! Choose a color scheme
to mix and match your cruise outfits. Bring one
formal outfit with two sets of jewelry
or accessories. Wear any jacket you will need
in route there. Pack
two swim suits and two pairs of shoes: one casual
and one dressy. Wear your casual shoes in route.
Keep your camera and spare batteries in your carry-on.
Batteries may not be packed in checked luggage.
When flying domestic your one checked bag cannot
weigh over 50 lbs. and your carry-on limit is 40
lbs. When flying over seas you may check two bags
at 50 lbs each. Any carry-on
flying over seas is also limited to 40 lbs. Ladies
may bring purses in addition to their carry-on's.
Any fluid container in any purse or carry-on is
limited to 3 oz's or less. Men may bring their
satchels in addition to bringing a briefcase on
an airplane. Men are also limited to
only 3 oz. liquid containers. (See
below.)
10.) Is
there long-term car parking at all piers? Yes.
The fee is usually near $15
per day. Shuttle buses drive through the lots
taking guests and their luggage to the ship.
You are not allowed to carry luggage onto
the ship. Crew members will deliver it to your
cabin. It’s
important to keep your carry-on with you because
your suitcases may not appear at your cabin
until after dinner. The first night’s dinner
on the cruise is casual. What you have on when
you board ship will be fine for dinner, except
that shorts and T-shirts are never allowed in
the main dining room. Be prepared to dress for
both cool and warm weather on any cruise day.
Layers are best. On the last night
of your cruise you must leave
your packed luggage outside your
cabin door ready for the ship's crew to pick
it up by midnight. Colored tags will have been
given to you earlier in the day to tag your luggage.
Colored tags allows you to easily identify your
luggage at the pier in the morning. No
one is allowed to carry his/her luggage off the
ship. This policy is firm.
11.) What
do I do about
the airport and flights? When
booking flights to and from your cruise departure
city remember: You
may board ship by 12 noon, but do not book
any flights
home before 12 noon. You
must check your own luggage at your airport of
departure, then pick it up yourself at the airport
where you arrive. It is your responsibility to
get your luggage to the correct bus going to your
ship. Look for a cruise lines’ rep
near the airport's baggage claim area.
He will direct you to your bus.
If you bought the cruise lines' air/sea package
your bus transfers will be included with your boarding
documents. If you purchased air outside
the cruise lines you can buy a bus transfer
by showing your boarding documents to the cruise
representative who is there. He will charge the
transfer to your cabin. The exception to this policy
is when traveling over seas. Then, bus
transfers must be bought in advance. (Call
our office for details.) Whenever
your bus arrives to the pier, you must identify
your luggage to the ship's crew as it is
being taken off the bus. This is a security measure.
Be sure all luggage tags show clearly
on each suitcase to ensure delivery to your cabin.
If you and your cabin mate arrive to the pier together
please check-in with the same crew person at the
same computer. This avoids technical delays.
If you and your cabin mate arrive to the ship at
different times it is not necessary to wait to
board together....simply board whenever you arrive
at the pier. (See
below for suitcase requirements when flying.) When
it is time to return from a cruise the
ships sometimes cannot dock early in the morning
because of fog or other port authority issues.
It always takes at least two hours for everyone
to disembark after the ship is finally docked.
You also need to be to the airport at least
two hours before your plane flies home. To be sure
you have no flight problems going home book your
return flights only
after 12 noon.....not before. It can even
be 12:15 PM. Just be sure it is after 12 NOON.
This is the best way to assure a stress free return
home.
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Keep
a photograph of your suitcases when you travel.
If lost, you can show the baggage agent exactly
what they look like. Carry your jewelry on
your person only. Do not pack jewelry in
checked luggage.....ever.
Airlines
General Luggage Polices:
DOMESTIC
FLIGHTS: Your first checked suitcase is
usually free while a second checked bag
may cost you as much as $25 or more. Phone
your carrier before departure to learn
its latest luggage policy. Usually a purse
or briefcase may be taken onto a plane,
in addition to one carry-on. Persons flying
First Class may be able to check two bags
without any extra charge. Checked bags
usually cannot exceed 50 lbs. each. A carry-on
should not exceed 40 lbs. A carry-on must
fit under your airplane seat or overhead
bin. Checked bags must also meet linear
dimensions requirements. *(see
below)
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS:
It is best to phone your carrier to learn
what its latest luggage restrictions are.
Usually a carry-on and a purse or briefcase
may be brought onto the plane at no extra
charge. A checked bag usually can not exceed
50 lbs., while a carry-on flying international
may not exceed 40 lbs. It also must fit
under your airplane seat or in your overhead
bin. All luggage must meet linear dimensions
requirements too. *
Checked
Bag going
anywhere cannot
exceed 62" linear dimensions. *
Carry-On
Bag going anywhere cannot
exceed 51" linear dimensions.*
*(Width
+ Length + Depth = Linear dimensions)
Any liquid
in checked bags should be double wrapped
in plastic and sealed. Any liquid in a
carry-on cannot exceed a 3 oz. container
and must be wrapped with all other such
containers together in a clear, sealed
bag. (See
below.)
For a list of airlines
flying in the USA click here.
Follow cues to your airline for its luggage
rules. Such policies can vary widely. However
one consistent rule among all airlines is that
no batteries of any size may be packed in checked
luggage. Take all batteries on a plane
in your carry-on for inspection. No liquid
container more than 3 oz. may be taken
in your carry-on. This policy is firm. Obeying
the packing rules will make your airport experience
easier. |
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to Enlarge. |
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12.) Should
I take my good jewelry? Whatever
you do, don't pack jewelry in your checked
bags at the airport. Always carry jewelry
on your person when flying anywhere. If you don't
want to lose it, don't pack it. As for the ship,
passengers often wear lots of gold and nice jewelry,
especially on the cruise formal nights. Each
cabin usually has a safe where one can
store jewelry. Take your favorite fine pieces
to wear on the ship, but do not wear them in
port. Don’t
be afraid to over-dress during the cruise. Colorful
costume jewelry is always fashionable.
When you purchase jewelry abroad be sure to keep
it and its receipts with you to declare when
returning to the United States. Customs often
asks for information about any new jewelry you're
bringing home. They can do this because jewelry
stores abroad sometimes tell U.S. Customs which
cruisers bought expensive jewelry. The jewelry
stores and U.S. Customs work together to ensure
the persons who bought expensive jewelry
abroad are the same persons taking the jewelry
off the ship. Doing this helps prevent travel
theft and insurance fraud.
 13.) Is
there gambling on board ship? Yes!
And since casinos have been named healthy places
that can bring about good health, is
pleased to sail on cruise ships with slot machines
and gaming tables that include Roulette, Poker,
Black Jack, Texas Hold’em and Craps.
All are available every night when a ship
sails to its next port of call. When Ann
Wynn (white sweater) of Avon,
IN, cruised with last
February she
won $3,600 after inserting a second quarter
into the slot machine behind her.
"Thumbs up for gambling on cruise ships!,"
she says. Guests may charge up to $2,000 per
day for gaming chips. And most ship casinos
also permit guests to withdraw up to $200 personal
cash per day. Guests can do this with no interest
penalty applied to their credit cards. Vera
Pohedra of Annandale, VA won $4,000 on each of her
two past cruises playing slots. She says, "Trust me!
It pays to cruise."
14.)
Will there be other things to do on the ship
besides Fun & Fitness events?
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Yes. Throughout
the day your ship will hold social events
ranging from expert speakers on ports of call
to “how-to” classes
on such subjects as napkin folding, wine tasting
and card games for bridge. There are fun sports
events too and champion Bingo games to play with
big prize money. One club member won $7,000 in
a Bingo game when he cruised with us to Alaska!
Cruise guests sometimes have their own talent
show too on the ship! It is a hugely popular
event for everyone. Fun
& Fitness Travel Club members frequently participate
in the talent show and have even been known
to win it!
And
in your cabin each evening will appear the
ship’s
daily newsletter listing all the next day’s
activities and dress code.
You will also have easy access to shore excursion
information at the Shore Excursion Desk or
the Shore Trip Channel on the television set
in your cabin. No question will go unanswered
on your cruise. |
15.)
Why is it necessary to book a cruise so far
in advance? Booking
a low fare cruise ticket is like booking
a low fare airline ticket. When an airline
first announces its new flights it has low
fares to promote sales. There are not many low
fare air tickets available for each flight, so
it is important to book quickly.
It is the same concept when booking a low cost
cruise.
 |
16.) When
and where are club exercise
classes held? The
first night at dinner on your exciting
cruise you will be given a schedule of
classes for the whole trip. Fitness Hosts
escorting their own students are given
different times to teach each day. This
ensures no one teacher and her students
are assigned all the early bird classes.
Morning exercise classes are completed
before 10 AM allowing guests time to
shower, enjoy breakfast and meet for
their shore excursions. Club members
who return to the ship in early afternoon,
or even those who choose not to leave
the ship at all, can enjoy privately
held exercise classes in mid-afternoon
at various locations throughout the luxury
liner. (Click on sample schedule at left.) |
|
Cliff Crittenden
