Life on Board

There is nothing like life on board a modern cruise ship. With the fine dining and entertainment, spas, lounges, shopping and constant attention to your every need, it is like staying at the finest resort that moves from one paradise to another. Even a day at sea is a fulfilling and relaxing day, which can be as busy or relaxing as you want it to be.

Morning can start at any time you want it to start. Sleep-in late or rise early, there will be breakfast available when you are ready. Order in your cabin or visit the main dining room during their serving hours and have a breakfast made to order. Always keep in mind that there is usually food being served somewhere on the ship pretty much around the clock.

Spend the day at the one of the pools, find your favorite spot in a lounge chair, visit the library, or participate in many of the pre-arranged activities on-board. If at a port of call, pack a few things for the day and visit the local attractions.

In the evening, relax for awhile and then enjoy exquisite cuisine at one of the main dining rooms or be more casual and venture out to one of the many buffets serving in the evening. Then retire to one of the entertaining shows or lounges or just enjoy the night on deck as the ship churns through the silent ocean. By the end of the day, that feeling of contentment will be permanently placed in your mind and sleep will be just a few relaxing winks away with another great day ahead.

It is time for a Panama Canal Cruise!

As you are planning and preparing for a wonderfully relaxing Panama Canal Cruise, here are a few things that may assist you in being prepared for your great adventure.

BEFORE YOU LEAVE

Cruise Ticket Pricing
Cruise pricing includes your accommodation, dining on board, some beverages, entertainment, and activities.

Additional Charges
You are responsible for looking after your transfers between the pier and airport, and your onboard purchases of a personal nature (i.e. casino bets, gift shop purchases, spa and boutiques, dry-cleaning, laundry, etc). Shore excursions, beverages, and gratuities are also additional unless otherwise noted.

Gratuities per Guest, per Day (U.S. dollars)
Most cruise lines deal with gratuities in a similar manner. The following are some specific examples.

Holland America Line: Gratuities are not required; however, passengers are welcome to tip if service exceeds their expectations.

Norwegian Cruise Line: Norwegian automatically applies a $10 gratuity to your shipboard account or $5 for children aged 3 to 12. You are welcome to adjust the dollar value up or down as you see fit. A 15% service charge is added directly to bar bills.

Princess Cruises: Princess automatically applies a $10 gratuity to your shipboard account. You are welcome to adjust the dollar value up or down at your discretion. A 15% service charge is added directly to bar bills.

Royal Caribbean International/ Celebrity Cruises: Dining room service $5.50, Housekeeping staff $3.50, and Headwaiters and other service personnel at your discretion.

How much and who on your cruise should be tipped? When and how should tips be given? The whole custom can be the source of considerable anxiety.
Generally, you should plan to tip your room steward $3.00 to $3.50 per person, per day, and plan an equal amount for your dining room waiter, and half of that for the busboy.

On most ships, tip the maitre d' or dining room captain only if you ask for special favors or table-side service; $5 to $10 is normal. Bartenders and wine stewards are tipped 10 to 15 percent, but many cruise lines will automatically add this gratuity to your bar or beverage bill. Check the bill to see how it is handled. Also, tips for special services such as salon & spa treatments and room service are left to the discretion of the guest, depending on services rendered.

Gratuities are placed in envelopes from your cabin's stationery supply. Generally, passengers on cruises of 10 days or less will tip at the end of the cruise. On longer voyages, tipping weekly may be the norm.

As part of a new trend that seems likely to grow Holland America, Norwegian, and Princess now charge gratuities to your account automatically. Norwegian, for example, charges $10 per day, per guest, to cover service in the various dining rooms and your room steward. If you feel this amount needs to be adjusted, whether increased or decreased, arrangements can be made onboard the ship, generally at the end of your cruise.

A few lines do not encourage tipping, including Radisson Seven Seas, Seabourn, and Windstar. Crew members are reportedly higher paid and not tip dependent. Many passengers tip anyway for outstanding service or special favors.

Identification
Citizens of the U.S.A. or Canada need proof of citizenship (passport or birth certificate with photo ID). All non-U.S. passengers require a valid passport and an unexpired U.S. Multiple Re-Entry visa. Passengers who can apply for admission under the Visa Waiver pilot program are required to carry a valid, unexpired passport.

Passengers are required to carry their proper travel documentation before, during, and immediately following the cruise. You will not be allowed to board the vessel without proper identification. All non-U.S. guests will be asked to surrender their passports and/or resident alien cards at embarkation. These documents will be returned the morning of arrival back in the U.S.

ONCE ON BOARD

Onboard Currency/Credit Cards
Onboard pricing is in U.S. dollars when sailing on Carnival, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, and Royal Caribbean. On all of these ships, passengers make purchases on board with a "cruise card" that is issued to passengers at embarkation. This card is both identification and a credit card.

Many lines suggest the use of U.S. travelers' cheques when paying your shipboard account. Only cash is accepted in casinos and for medical charges. Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted by all cruise lines. Royal Caribbean International also accepts Diners, Carte Blanche and Discover cards. Discover is also accepted by Holland America and Norwegian Cruise Lines. Celebrity Cruises has ATMs aboard all of their ships.

Attire
Cruise passengers attire is casual during the day. In the evening, Carnival, Holland America, Princess, and Royal Caribbean have three types of dress code: elegant casual (comfortable, relaxed clothing), informal (dresses/dress suits for women, jackets for men) and formal (evening gowns and suits/tuxedos). This attire varies by the night. Norwegian Cruise Lines' ships always have resort casual attire for dinner with some optional formal nights offered.

Smoking Policies
Smoking policies vary by cruise line in terms of designated smoking areas. In all cases, smoking is, however, not permitted in food services areas, restaurants, or show lounges. Carnival Cruise Lines' Paradise is the first ever totally smoke-free ship.

Liquor Policy
Passengers are not allowed to bring alcoholic beverages on to their ship. Alcoholic beverages can be purchased in the ship's gift shops or in foreign ports, but may be retained by the cruise line until the end of the voyage. If you are celebrating a special occasion, fine wines and champagne can be brought on board during embarkation only. If you choose to consume the wine in the dining room, a $10 per bottle corkage fee is charged.

Wine, beer, champagne, and mixed drinks are available during the cruise except when U.S. Immigration personnel are inspecting the vessel.

All cruise lines follow U.S. regulations in regards to drinking. That means that no one under the age of 21 years is permitted to buy or consume alcohol while on the ship.

Seasickness
Ships nowadays are so big and well-stabilized that passengers can barely tell that they are moving. Caribbean cruises and Alaska's Inside Passage cruise are known for extremely calm waters. It is unlikely that you will feel sick during your cruise to these locations.

If you run into rough waters and begin to feel queasy, your symptoms can be relieved by an over-the-counter medication like Dramamine. If you are very prone to seasickness, ask your doctor, prior to sailing, for the Transderm patch (available by prescription). Or buy some ginger capsules and acupressure wristbands at a pharmacy before boarding the ship.

Staying In Touch
All of today's cruise ships have TVs in every stateroom, many with news network coverage. A daily newssheet with stories from the major newspapers is available for passengers on some cruise lines. Norwegian Cruise Lines has major newspapers available for sale aboard many of its newer vessels. In addition, you can make phone calls and send emails both at sea and in port.

Safety
There are many rules and regulations adhered to by cruise ships so that passengers and crew members are kept safe from harm. In addition, the Coast Guard conducts rigorous quarterly inspections of all ships operating from U.S. ports to make sure that the ships comply with its emergency-response requirements. Ships also operate under international rules known as Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) to protect against fire. The rules require ships to have smoke detectors, sprinklers, and low-level emergency lighting for escape routes. To ensure that passengers know how to evacuate in the event of a real emergency, drills are held for passengers and crew at the beginning of every cruise to simulate an evacuation.

Security
International rules have recently been established requiring all ships and ports to have security officers and security plans. Cruise lines are required to report the names of passengers on each sailing to the Coast Guard and identification policies are very tight.