liss travels: 10 most frequently asked questions about cruising

i got so many good questions on instagram related to cruising. i thought i would address the most frequently asked questions in one blog post. sorry that this is so long! i wanted to give you all the info i could think of! 

why should I go on a cruise instead of staying at a resort or hotel?

i love cruising! i am not shy about this. the main reason is because you get to see a lot more places than you could on your own. i am someone that loves crossing countries off my list. are you the same way? cruising makes this possible. go to bed and wake up in a new country. i love that! i also love to “test” different destinations. see where you might want to go and spend a week next time. i also love that it’s so easy. you don’t have to deal with planes, trains, and automobiles. get on the ship and they handle it. 

is cruising expensive? how can I get the lowest price?

no! cruising is one of the most economical ways to travel. we paid less for our 9 night mediterranean cruise than for our 7 night honeymoon in mexico. cruising typically costs around $100 per person per day. (note: this is in my experience, other cruise lines and itineraries may differ). but for $200 a day, you and your significant other have a room, all of your meals, and extras. there aren’t many places where you can even get a hotel room for $200 a night. let alone all of the extras. so in general, cruising is very affordable. let’s say you are cruising with 4 people. maybe with your 2 kids or you and 3 girlfriends? it’s even cheaper. 4 people can fit in a room (they have bunk beds). this will save you even more money.

as far as getting the best deal, i  recommend booking 12-24 months out. royal caribbean typically has 2 years of cruises on their site. if you know your schedule (or are pretty flexible), this can save you a lot of money. they also run deals periodically. for example, book a cruise and get free credit while on the ship, etc. watch for these deals and jump when it’s a good one!

are cruises all-inclusive? aren’t there a lot of hidden costs?

first, let me preface by saying we always cruise with royal caribbean. other cruise lines may differ on this. for royal caribbean, your cruise fare includes your room, meals, room service (on most ships), beverages (coffee, tea, lemonade, water), and entertainment. let’s go back to the meals for a second. there is food available (and included in your fare) almost 24 hours a day. there is a huge buffet (which is included). there is the formal dining room with 3 course dinners (also included). not to mention a late night buffet (included) and room service (included on most ships).

you can enjoy a wonderful cruise without buying anything extra. i promise! however, there are some extras that are worth the extra bucks. for example, we usually spend extra on shore excursions, internet, alcohol, and pop. but you obviously do not have to. your fare also does not include tips.

am I going to gain a lot of weight?

to be honest, you might. like i mentioned above, there is food available literally all the time. if you want to eat and drink like crazy (most people do) go girl! but there are ways to keep your diet in check too. there is a tendency because it’s “free” to order multiple entrees and desserts. try not to worry about “getting your money’s worth.” don’t worry, you already are. another tip – we try to keep our days really active. instead of taking the bus or shuttle option, we walk . we walk 25,000 steps in port sometimes. besides that, try not to worry about it. you are on vacation after all! have the cheesecake, the glass of wine, or the pizza at 2am. all in moderation!

did you buy the beverage package? can I bring alcohol onto the ship?

there are always questions about the beverage package! on royal caribbean the beverage package is $55 a day. you have to buy the drink package for every day of your cruise. so for a 4 night cruise for 2 people it’s $440. keep in mind that most days are in port. the only time you can use it is at sea and evenings. if you plan on averaging 8+ drinks a day (girls trip, honeymoon maybe?), get it. if not, buy them a la carte. that’s what we do. if we feel like having a beer by the pool we order one! it’s cheaper for us to just pay for each drink.

part two of this question… bringing alcohol onto the ship. on royal caribbean you can bring two bottles of wine per room. take advantage of that! we always buy a few bottles before we get on. it’s nice to have a bottle for formal nights. beer and alcohol may not be carried onto the ship. if you buy alcohol in port, it will be wrapped up and waiting when you get off.

will I get seasick?

maybe. if you are prone to getting seasick, bring precautions. i typically wear a motion sickness patch. on our last cruise i didn’t and i was fine. to be safe, i would bring either the patch, wristband, or tablets. whatever works for you. that being said, most people have no problems. first, cruise ships are very large. it’s not like being on a small boat or ferry. second, cruise ships have stabilizers to keep the ships steady. i would not let your fear of sea sickness hold you back. like i said, i get motion sickness easily and cruise ships do not bother me. one last thing. for multiple reasons, i would not recommend cruising in the caribbean during hurricane season. sea sickness is a large reason, but obviously there are other issues to consider.

is cruising just for old people?

short answer- no. long answer? here we go. cruises used to cater more towards older generations. cruise ships now have dedicated tons of space to young people. there are rock walls, basketball hoops, and even water slides. young couples and families are a huge demographic on cruise ships. based on my experience, caribbean cruises have young cruisers. this tends to be the group that is partying and getting sun. the more unusual destinations (mediterranean, alaska, etc.) have an older group. these are the cruisers that are more into sightseeing versus partying.

should I do the shore excursions?

it depends on what you want to do. do you want to just get off and walk around the port city? you don’t need a shore excursion. do you want to get off and take a taxi to a beach? you don’t need a shore excursion. is there a lot you want to see and do? a shore excursion helps with logistics. for example, let’s say you are docked in naples. you want to see pompeii, capri, and sorrento.  you will not be able to do all of that (and be back on time) on your own. this is when shore excursions come in handy. also, when you’re on a shore excursion, the boat knows where you are! this is key. the boat will not leave without you! 

What did you guys do about phones and internet?

tony got the ‘travel pass’ from verizon. his phone worked both on the ship and in port. tony’s phone was extremely helpful in port for uber and google maps. we also got wireless on the ship. i used this for my phone (mainly instagram!) on land we had his phone and on the ship we had both our phones. does that make sense? on the ship you really don’t need internet. but i mean, let’s be real. it’s fun to post photos. if you followed along on our most recent cruise, you know i posted a ton of photos. 

what should I pack? do I need to bring formalwear?

i could dedicate an entire post to this topic! but to briefly summarize…

sea days

bring swimsuits, a cover-up, and sandals for the pool. i would also bring activewear if you plan on working out. you do not need to bring towels. the cruise ship will provide these.

in port

bring whatever your “go-to” casual wear. i typically wear shorts and a top or a sundress. wear something that is comfortable. you will probably be walking around a lot. bring (or wear) a swimsuit if your day involves the beach or water. bring a crossbody bag or small backpack. don’t forget sunglasses. i usually wear a brimmed hat. if you have an excursion planned, the cruise line will give you more guidance on what to wear.

evenings

the dress code for the dining room is typically “smart casual” or “formal.” smart casual for me means a dress. i think nice pants and a top would work too. formal means a cocktail dress or black tie. every cruise there are ball gowns and tuxes. if you love to dress up, go all out on formal night! shorts or jeans are pretty frowned upon in the dining room. i would keep those for daytime. but do you plan on doing the buffet for dinners? wear whatever you want.

other things to pack (that you may not think of!)

• small portable fan – i get hot easily, and find the cabins get too warm.
• wine (see above) – 2 bottles per cabin, take advantage of this!
• towel clips – keep your towel from blowing away on the ship or in port.
• refillable water bottle – cruise ships have free water but charge for bottled water. bring a refillable one to fill up and take into port.
• umbrella – self-explanatory but it would suck to be in port when its raining.
• power strip – there is usually only 1 outlet. bring a power strip or an adapter to give you an extra outlet.
• post-it notes – this may seem silly but it’s nice to leave notes for your room attendant or family members. your phones won’t work if you don’t get internet. notes are nice for letting people know where you are.
• magnetic hooks or clips – the cabin walls and doors are magnetic. we just learned this! magnetic hooks would work for hanging up clothes or bathing suits. we also saw magnetic clips on some cabin doors with notes or photos.
• deck of cards – we always forget cards! it’s fun to bring a deck to one of the bars and play drinking games.
• power banks – we have a couple power banks from tony’s work. we brought them on our most recent cruise. it was nice to keep our phones charged while in port.

did i miss anything? let me know in the comments!

**this post is in collaboration with royal caribbean. royal caribbean provided me with onboard credit in exchange for a review. all opinions are my own.