Cruising, even for experienced cruisers, comes with a lot of questions. That's even more true as some rules and policies have changed after the industry's comeback from the Covid pandemic.
Some of those changes are for the better. Multiple cruise lines, for example, have eliminated the old muster process that involved standing around, sometimes in the sun, for your fellow passengers. The replacement (which does vary by line) involves differing variations of a self-service plan where much of the process takes place on your phone or stateroom television.
Many cruise questions, however, are subjective. "What should I pack?" or "Is specialty dining worth it?" are subjective. Our cruise expert, Dan Kline, will be answering your questions based on his experiences. These are Dan's opinions based on dozens of cruises across multiple cruise lines in just the past few years.
We welcome your questions which can be sent to ComeCruise@TheStreet.com.
Image source: Pixabay
What is your biggest cruise regret?
Question: On the many cruises you have taken, is there something you did wrong or a mistake you made that you wish you could take back?
Dan Kline: For me, it's always planning to do too many things and booking excursions that I don't want to take by the time the day arrives. Doing a four-hour class learning about tequila always seems like something I would want to do, but when the time comes to do it, I generally don't (I have paid for and skipped that particular excursion at least twice).
Pre-cruise me is generally way more ambitious than actual cruise me which has led to a few paid-for beach days when I would have been happier staying on the ship and other similar mishaps.
When should I arrive in my port city?
Question: My friends tell me I should leave a buffer day in between my flight to Miami and the embarkation but is that really necessary? Trying to avoid the extra expense of a hotel room.
Dan Kline: I always leave a buffer day when I fly to a cruise — two if overseas. With airline issues and the possibility of bad weather, missing your cruise and losing thousands of dollars, is simply not worth the risk. Fly into your embarkation city the day before and have a relaxing night.
If you don't have travel insurance, and you miss your cruise, you will lose everything you paid except for taxes and port fees. That's a steep risk to take, and even if you do have insurance, you still don't want to risk mixing your cruise.
Should I book specialty dining?
Question: I'm cruising in December with my family (two adults, and one teenage daughter) and we have not cruised together before. I cruised a few times as a kid, as a kid, but have not in many years. We will be on Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas. Should we book specialty dining or are the included options enough?
Dan Kline: If you haven't cruised for a long time and some of you have never cruised, I'd actually suggest sticking mostly to the main dining room (MDR) and other free options. You can see the MDR menus in the Royal Caribbean app when your sailing is a few months out (there's no specific timetable for them to be shared).
Take a look and perhaps if there's a night when nothing appeals to you, it might be a good idea to treat yourself to specialty dining, If you're an adventurous family, I'd suggest Wonderland, which has an Alice in Wonderland theme, or, if you are a little picky Chops, the cruise line's steakhouse, or Jamie's Italian are good choices.
Don't forget Park Cafe, with its famous "Beef on Weck" sandwich for breakfast and lunch and El Loco Fresh, which offers Mexican staples on the pool deck. And, remember that Sorrento's has pizza pretty much 24/7 and Cafe Promenade offers an included array of snacks, cookies, and sandwiches at nearly all times of day.
Image source: Daniel Kline/TheStreet
What cruise line is best for adults without kids?
Question: My husband and I are celebrating our oldest being in college with a cruise. We're not partiers, but like a few drinks, maybe some dancing in the club, and we're not put off by kids, but would prefer to not sail on a ship packed with them. Is there a best cruise line for us?
Dan Kline: I like Celebrity Cruises and Virgin Voyages, which literally does not allow passengers under the age of 18. In reality, however, you have a lot of options. If you sail a Monday through Friday sailing on a week that's not a major school vacation, Royal Caribbean's ships likely won't have a ton of kids onboard (a good travel agent can help you avoid vacation weeks).
With Allure of the Seas, and soon the brand-new Oasis-Class Utopia of the Seas, sailing those weekday itineraries (often at very good prices) it's worth considering Royal Caribbean. In addition, Margaritaville of the Seas new Ship, MAS Islander, will be sailing 4-7 day itineraries out of Tampa and might be worth considering (kids are allowed, but there likely won't be that many of them).
Celebrity Cruises does welcome kids, but aside from major holiday weeks, I've never seen all that many onboard and the cruise line draws a mixed-age crowd, so there's usually some late-night areas that are still busy and the bars are always hopping. Virgin Voyages offers a kids-free experience and a sophisticated party atmosphere that's grownup, but not overly adult.
Have a question? Email us at ComeCruise@TheStreet.com.
