12 Things You Don't Need To Take On A Cruise

 

12 Things You Don't Need To Take On A Cruise

Written By Gayle Keck – Contributor For Cruise Critic

 

If You're The Sort Of Traveler (Like We Are) Who Sometimes Resorts To Sitting On Their Suitcase To Get It Closed, You'll Be Happy To Know That You Can Lighten Your Load When Packing For A Cruise. Ships Furnish A Number Of Items That You Can Cross Off Your Packing List.

 

1. Soap And Other Toiletries

Most Ships Are Equipped With Soap, Shampoo, Conditioner, Lotion And Shower Caps. As You Move Up To Higher Cabin Classes Or Luxury Lines, The Amenities Increase. You May Find Cotton Swabs, Cotton Balls, Bath Salts, Sunblock, Loofa Scrubs, Colognes Or Choices Among Prestige Brands. Of Course, If You Have Preferred Toiletries Brands, Bring Them Along. Your Cabin Attendant Will Replenish Toiletries Regularly -- And If You Have Any Extra Needs, Don't Hesitate To Ask.

 

2. Hair Dryer

Ships All Come Equipped With Hair Dryers. They May Be Wall-Mounted In The Bathroom, Or In A Closet Or Vanity Drawer. We've Even Been On One Ship That Had Both A Wimpy Wall-Mounted Dryer And A More Powerful One Stashed In A Drawer.

 

3. Clothesline

Most Ships Have A Retractable Clothesline Located In The Bathroom. While It May Be Tempting To Toss Your Swim Suit Over A Balcony Chair To Dry -- Don't. It's A Good Way To Lose A Suit To A Gust Of Wind, And It's Also Against Most Cruise Lines' Rules.

 

4. Beach Towels

For Poolside And Beachy Ports, Ships Furnish The Towels. You'll Find Them Stashed By The Pool, Or Handed Out As You Head Off The Ship.

 

5. Dirty Laundry Bag

You'll Find A Laundry Bag In Your Closet. It's Used For The Ship's Laundry Service, But Nobody Says You Can't Use It For Dirty Laundry That You're Packing To Take Home. Just Don't Take The Bag Home If It's Cloth And Not Plastic -- You'll Be Charged.

 

6. Books

Don't Bother To Lug Lots Of Books Along, Since Ships Have Onboard Libraries. Some Even Have "Take A Book, Leave A Book" Shelves Where You Can Exchange A Book You've Read For Another One You Can Keep.

7. Snacks

If There's One Thing Ships Are Loaded With, It's Food! You Will Most Likely Be Able To Find Something To Eat At Any Time Of The Day Or Night, Including Room Service. And If You're Concerned About Random Munchies Attacks, You Can Always Collect A Stash Of Cookies From The Buffet.

 

8. Booze

Most Ships Don't Allow You To Bring Wine Or Liquor Onboard, Although There Are A Few Exceptions. In General, They'll Scan Any Hand Luggage Every Time You Board And Hold Alcoholic Beverages For You Until You Disembark. Most Lines Allow You To Bring Wine, But Charge A Corkage Fee (Unless You Consume It In The Privacy Of Your Cabin).

 

9. Computer

Most Ships Have Computer Terminals Available For Passenger Use, Although You'll Usually Pay To Access The Internet. They're Perfect For A Quick Email Check Or Printing Out Your Boarding Pass. However, If You Want To Download Photos Or Check Sensitive Work Email, Bring Your Own Laptop.

 

10. Local Maps

On Port Days, Maps Of The Area Are Usually Available From Guest Services Or Shore Excursions Personnel -- Although Sometimes You'll Find Representatives From Local Tourism Bureaus Handing Them Out, Either On The Ship Or At The Port. If You Attend Port Lectures With Slideshows, You Can Snap Photos Of Maps And Other Info With Your Phone, Too.

 

11. A Pillow

Unless You're Like The "Princess And The Pea," Most Ships Will Have Pillow Alternatives To Accommodate You. Luxury Lines And Higher Cabin Classes May Even Offer A Pillow Menu, With All Sorts To Choose From Hypo-Allergenic To Extra-Firm. Talk To Your Cabin Steward If You'd Like A Different Pillow.

 

12. Exercise Equipment

Leave Your Yoga Mat And Resistance Bands At Home. Cruise Ships Have Fully Equipped Gyms Stocked With Everything From Weights To Bosu Balls And Elliptical Machines. Personal Trainers Are On Hand To Lead Group Exercise Classes, Like Spinning Or Pilates, Or Offer One-On-One Training Sessions. 

Back To Back Cruises - What To Expect

 

Back-To-Back Cruises: What To Expect

Written By The Staff At Cruise Critic

 

We All Know Cruises Are Fun, And Most Of Us Would Give Anything To Prolong The Experience At The End Of Each Voyage We've Sailed. That's Where Back-To-Back Cruises Come In. Passengers Who Book Them Can Maximize Their Cruise Time While Usually Only Having To Go Through The Embarkation And Disembarkation Process Once. Below, We Answer Several Common Questions Cruisers Have About These Types Of Sailings.

 

What Are Back-To-Back Cruises?

Back-To-Back Cruises Are Two Or More Cruises Booked Consecutively, Whether On The Same Ship Or On Different Ships. You'll Want To Let Someone At The Front Desk Know You're A Back-To-Back Cruiser During The First Part Of Your Trip So Arrangements Can Be Made For You During The Changeover Day Between The Sailings.

 

Will I Be Able To Stay In The Same Cabin For Both Sailings?

It Depends On How The Sailing Is Booked. If You Choose The Same Cabin For Both Sailings, Then, Yes, You'll Be Able To Stay. If, However, You Decide You'd Like To Be On One Side Of The Ship For One Sailing And On The Other Side For The Second Sailing, That's Also Possible. We Recommend Finding A Travel Agent To Help You Make The Arrangements You Prefer. Keep In Mind That You're More Likely To Be Able To Book The Same Cabin For Both Parts Of Your Trip If You Book Early.

 

If You Stay In The Same Stateroom For Both Legs Of Your Vacation, You Will Be Able To Leave Your Belongings In Your Cabin During The Changeover Between Sailings. If You'll Be In A Different Cabin For Each Cruise, You'll Be Required To Relocate Your Luggage. Sometimes Your Room Steward Can Offer Assistance.

 

Do I Have To Attend The Muster Drill On The 2^nd  Sailing If I've Already Gone To It On The First One?

Yes. Plan To Go To The Drill On Both Voyages, Or You Risk Being Thrown Off The Ship. It's Mandatory For All Passengers On Every Cruise, And Since Back-To-Backs Are Considered Separate Sailings, You're Required To Attend At The Beginning Of Each New Segment.

 

Can I Stay Onboard At The End Of The First Sailing, Or Do I Have To Disembark?

This Process Varies By Cruise Line And According To The Laws That Are In Place In The Port Of Disembarkation, But Generally You'll Need To Clear Immigration. Some Lines Will Have All Back-To-Back Passengers Meet In A Designated Area, Such As The Front Desk Or A Lounge, And Clear Them All From Onboard The Ship. Others Will Have Passengers Meet And Escort Them Off The Ship To Clear Immigration And Escort Them Immediately Back Onboard.

 

Either Way, Back-To-Back Cruisers Are Aboard Before Passengers Just Coming Onto The Ship For The First Time, And They'll Have The Vessel To Themselves For A Couple Of Hours. (Note That Onboard Services, Such As Food And Entertainment, Are Likely To Be Limited During The Changeover.)

 

Do I Have To Go Through The Check-In Process All Over Again At The Start Of The Second Sailing?

It's Unlikely You'll Have To Go Through The Whole Thing A Second Time. As Mentioned Above, Clearing Immigration Is Generally Quick And Painless, And You Won't Have To Go Back To The Terminal Desks To Check In, Get Your Keycard And Fill Out Health Forms.

 

However, Since Back-To-Back Sailings Are Considered Two Separate Cruises -- Even If You're Sailing On The Same Ship -- You'll Have To Settle Your Onboard Account From The First Sailing And Open A New Onboard Account For The Second. That Means You'll Also Have To Obtain A New Keycard; Some Cruise Lines Send Them To Your Cabin On The Last Night Of The First Sailing, While Others Will Require You To Visit The Front Desk. Often, When You Leave The Ship For The First Time After Obtaining Your New Keycard, You'll Be Required To Have A New Security Photo Taken At The Kiosk Near The Gangway.

 

Once I'm Cleared, Am I Allowed To Leave The Ship And Re-Board Whenever I Want?

Yes, But Keep In Mind That You Might Need Your Old Keycard When Leaving The Ship And Your New One When You Return, So Be Sure To Take Both With You. Once Your New One Is Activated, You Won't Need To Carry Your Old One Anymore.

 

Are Discounts Offered If I Book Consecutive Cruises?

We've Never Heard Of Discounts Offered Specifically As Incentives For People To Book Two Round-Trip Sailings In A Row. Your Best Bet In Those Cases Is To Look For Deals That Apply Individually To Each Of The Two Sailings You Want To Take. General Cruise Bargains Range From Straight-Up Price Reductions And Free Onboard Credit To Discounts On Third And Fourth Passengers And Free Add-Ons Like Bottles Of Wine Or Dinner In A For-Fee Restaurant.

 

There Are However, Sometimes Lower Price Options On Point-To-Point Cruises When The Cruise Line Offers A Choice Between Booking The Same Trip As Two (Or More) Cruises Back-To-Back Or A Composite Booked As One Cruise. But Here’s The Deal: In Some Cases The Composite Is Lower, While In Others, The Back-To-Back Bookings May Be Lower. A Travel Agent Can Help You Sort Through The Options. Lines That Offer These Types Of Options Include Viking Ocean, Crystal, Holland America And Seabourn, Among Others.

 

I'm A Member Of My Cruise Line's Loyalty Program. How Will Back-To-Back Cruising Affect Me?

Obviously, The More Cruises You Take And The More Days You Sail, The More Points You Accrue, And The More Quickly You'll Move Up The Tiers Of Your Line's Passenger Loyalty Program. You Won't Receive Any More -- Or Any Fewer -- Points For Taking Back-To-Back Voyages Than If You Were To Take Two Cruises Six Months Apart.

 

However, Back-To-Back Sailings Are Still Considered Two Separate Cruises, So If You Reach A New Level In Your Line's Program During The First Sailing, You'll Receive The Perks Afforded To That Tier Upon The Start Of The Second Cruise.

 

What Happens To The Alcohol I Purchase On Back-To-Back Cruises?

Generally, Any Alcohol You Purchase Ashore Or Onboard In One Of The Ship's Duty-Free Shops Will Remain Checked For The Duration Of Both Sailings. However, Some Cruise Lines Will Allow Passengers To Take Alcohol Back To Their Cabins If It's Purchased On The Last Night Of A Sailing. If You're On A Back-To-Back And Buy Booze On The Last Night Of The First Cruise, There's A Chance You'll Be Able To Keep It In Your Cabin To Have For The Second Voyage.

 

What Are The Major Differences Between Booking Consecutive Cruises On The Same Ship Versus Sailing Back To Back On Two Different Ships?

If You've Booked Back-To-Back Cruises On Two Different Ships, Much Of The Above Information Does Not Apply. You Obviously Won't Be In The Same Cabin For Both Sailings, And At The End Of The First Sailing, You'll Have To Disembark, Clear Immigration And Customs, And Go Through The Embarkation Process Again At The Port And Terminal Where Your Second Ship Is Docked.

 

You're Also Likely To Encounter More Logistical Challenges With Back-To-Backs On Two Different Ships. You'll Have To Take All Your Luggage With You And Arrange For Transportation Between Ports Or Terminals, Depending On Where Your Second Ship Is Located.

 

What Should I Pack For Back-To-Back Cruises?

Packing For A Long Cruise Can Be A Challenge. What You Should Pack Depends On Two Main Factors: The Itineraries And Whether Or Not You're Willing To Do Laundry Onboard.

 

If You're Headed To Similar Climates For Both Sailings, Our Advice Is To Pack Enough For The Longer Of The Two Voyages And Do Laundry If A Self-Service Option Is Available. You Can Also Pay To Have Your Laundry Sent Out If Your Ship Offers A Laundry Service. Even If You Decide Not To Wash Your Clothes Onboard, You Can Still Wear Them Again; Keep In Mind That Your Fellow Cruisers On The Second Leg Of Your Journey Won't Know What You Wore During The First Leg.

 

If You're Sailing To Two Regions That Greatly Differ In Terms Of Temperature And Weather, You'll Have To Get Creative. Pack Enough Clothing For Half Of Your Sailing To The First Climate And Half Of Your Sailing To The Second; Then Do Laundry Halfway Through Each Cruise. Pack Items That Can Be Layered, So You Can Re-Wear Base Layers In Both Destinations.