Your Cruise Vacation -- FAQs

If you are planning a cruise vacation, you likely have questions about what to expect on a cruise trip. Presently, you are provided with FAQs that address some of the basic queries that people commonly have in regard to planning for and taking a cruise vacation in this day and age. Of course, if you find that you have additional questions about your cruise vacation, you will want to contact a cruise line operator directly or you will want to contact your professional travel agent or agency.

Aren’t cruises tremendously expensive?

One of the most common myths associated with cruise travel is that a cruise vacation is always expensive. In point of fact, the typical cruise traveler never pays “full retail” price for a cruise vacation ticket. There are many ways to save money on a cruise vacation … including booking your cruise trip early and keeping an eye out for discount offers on cruise travel.

What sort of identification am I going to need for a cruise vacation?

The type of identification that you will need for cruise travel varies depending on what ports of call you will be traveling to during your cruise trip. A passport is a universally accepted form of identification appropriate for cruise travel. In some instances, depending on where you might dock along the way, you may need a visa if your cruise vacation is going to include excursions into a country that requires a travel visa. If your cruise is going to take you between the U.S.A. and Canada or the U.S.A and Mexico, you will not need a passport. What you will need is a government issued ID card (a drivers license, for example) and a certified or “original” copy of your birth certificate.

Do I need to new wardrobe for my cruise?

Probably not. While some cruise line operators do have different dress codes for different evening events -- casual, informal and even formal in some instances -- there are other cruise lines that simply do not have any dress suggestions whatsoever. If you are so inclined, you can find a casual cruise that simply pays no never mind to the styling of your clothing.

Will my electrical devices work on a cruise ship?

For the most part, the typical cruise ship that caters to an American clientele has outlets that will meet the needs of your electrical appliances. However, if you board a cruise ship that caters more often than not to a European crowd, you will need an adaptor.

Can I stay in touch with the folks back home or at the office while I am on a cruise?

Generally yes. You will have in your cabin a ship to shore phone that is easy to use and with service that nearly always will be available. Similarly, faxes can be received on a cruise ship at sea. Finally, more and more often a typical cruise ship is becoming “wired” with hot spots and similar portals to allow for email and Internet connections while at sea.