• What time can I board the ship?

• Can I bring visitors onboard the ship?

• Are meals included?

• Are drinks included? How much do they cost?

• What's the drinking age onboard?

• How much do I need to tip the staff?

• How do I pay for my purchases onboard the ship?

• How do I find out about the ship's daily activities?

• What are Shore Excursions? Can I purchase them in advance?

• Are there activities for my kids?

• Is there Babysitting for my kids on the ship? How much does it cost?

• How can I be contacted while I am onboard the ship? Can I check my e-mail?

• Does my cell phone work from the ship?

• What time will I be off the ship on the day of disembarkation?

• Does the ship serve breakfast the last day of the cruise?

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General boarding begins approximately four hours prior to departure. Passengers should be on board not later than an hour prior to sailing.

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We're sorry. Due to heightened security, visitors are not allowed on board cruise ships unless they are members of a wedding party.

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Most meals are included in the price of your cruise package. These meals include eating in the main dining room as well as buffets. Some cruise lines offer specialty restaurants that do charge a per person fee. These restaurants may require advanced reservations that you can make when you board the ship. Cruise ships offer free room service with a limited menu 24-hours a day.

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Coffee, tea, water, milk and juices are included as part of your cruise fare. Soft drinks, bottled water, beer, wine and alcohol are additional unless you are sailing on select Luxury Cruise Lines, in which case it would be included. Prices for drinks are comparable to what you would pay in a hotel or restaurant.

Many of the Contemporary / Resort Cruise Lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean offer both adult and child, unlimited soda cards. These can be purchased from the bar and cost about £3 per day.

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You must be 21 years old to legally consume alcohol, beer or wine on a cruise ship.

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You should budget a minimum of £7.50 per guest per day total for gratuities. This would recognize your waiter, cabin steward, bus boy, headwaiter and maitre d'. The cruise lines have made it easy for you in regards to tipping the staff. Many cruise lines offer the convenience of automatically charging your credit card for your onboard account. All bar bills have a 15% service charge added in.

Realizing tipping is a personal matter; you can alter the tipping at the purser's desk according to the level of service you received.

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All financial transactions on a cruise ship are done through and onboard account you set up when you board the ship. You will provide a credit card or a cash deposit and then all purchases will be applied to your stateroom. You can conveniently charge all of your onboard purchases (beverages, spa services, ship souvenirs, pictures and shore excursions) to your cabin. On the last night of the cruise, a statement of all of your charges will be delivered to you and charged to your credit card.

If you do not have a credit card, you can leave cash deposit upon embarkation to open your onboard account. You may need to replenish this cash throughout the week if the purser's desk notifies you. Any unused cash will be refunded to you at the end of the cruise. Cash is accepted in the casino.

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Every evening during your cruise, a daily bulletin will be delivered to your cabin with a complete agenda of all activities, events, movie schedules and special programs. This agenda will list the offered activities, hours of restaurants and shops as well as casino hours. Children's activities are listed on a separate sheet, so check with the purser's desk or your cabin steward for a copy.

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Shore excursions are optional, guided tours in a cruise ship's port of call. They are offered in almost all cruise ports and cities and are a great way to enhance your cruise experience by allowing you seeing more of the places you visit. Shore excursions highlight the best local attractions and sightseeing opportunities; the best places to shop; and, give the cruise passenger a chance to experience the local culture.

You can pre-book your shore excursions directly with the cruise line or online with CruiseCheap.com. CruiseCheap.com offers many of the same shore excursions offered by the cruise lines but at reduced prices.

Related information: Shore Excursions FAQ's

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Several cruise lines offer extraordinary programs for children and teens. Many cruise ships have children's play centers and teen facilities. The Children's Programs are organized by age groups, so your child will feel right at home with similarly aged children. These group programs are supervised by certified cruise personnel and included in the cost of your cruise.

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Group babysitting in the children's area is offered on almost all mass-market cruise lines. Certified children's programs counsellors conduct and supervise children's activities, and when it comes time for naps, the children have sheet covered mats and kid's videos to help put them to sleep. Infants have their own cribs, and are rocked to sleep. This is generally included in the cost of your cruise.

Each cruise line varies in regards to their evening individual babysitting services (when the children's program is not in operation). Check our Cruise Line Pages to confirm your cruise line's policy. In general, evening babysitting services are available for a babysitting fee (approximately £3 - £6 an hour). You can arrange your evening Babysitting service through the Purser's Desk onboard the ship.

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All modern cruise ships have satellite telephones in the staterooms. You can dial directly from room to room and internationally from these phones. Instructions and prices are listed in your room. Making a call can cost anywhere from £4-£15 a minute, depending on the service used.

Your family can also contact you directly onboard by calling your stateroom. Your telephone will likely have voice mail so they can leave you a message. They can also try you on your mobilel phone. Some Caribbean ports and private islands will continue to pick up a signal for an incoming call.

Most ships also have Internet Cages so you can access your e-mail from the ship. The cost of the Internet service ranges from 35-50 pence per minute. Some cruise lines offer unlimited Internet packages for your cruise duration at one special price. Check with the Internet café when you board for these special rates.

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While you are docked in a US Port, your mobile phone should work if it is a tri-band phone. Once you head out to sea, you will most likely lose your phone signal (unless you have a special satellite phone). Your ability to make and receive calls while in the Alaska, the Bahamas, Caribbean and Bermuda depends on your phone carrier and their coverage. You should check with your phone carrier prior to embarkation to verify access in your ports of call. If you need to make or receive calls from international destinations, you should speak with your carrier regarding programs for your specific phone.

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Cruise ships generally arrive in their final port of disembarkation by 7:00 am on the last day of the cruise. Upon arrival, Customs Officials will board and inspect the vessel, then process immigration information for U.S. and foreign passengers. Once this is complete, the ship will be cleared for passengers to disembark. If all goes smoothly, disembarkation can be as early as 9:30 am. However, there can be delays.

If you are making your own flight arrangements, please be advised to schedule your flights home no early than noon on your day of arrival. If the airport is more than one hour from the cruise ship terminal, you should book even later flights home.

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Breakfast is served earlier than usual on the last day of your cruise. Breakfast buffets and the dining rooms will be open for you to enjoy one last meal before you have to disembark. Check with your cruise information sheet in your cabin for the full details on the times and places breakfast is served.

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