Frequently Asked Cruise Questions & Answers

What is a cabin & how many people can it sleep?

A cabin (also referred to as a room or stateroom) depending on the cruise line offers exactly the same facilities as many land based hotel rooms. All cabins offer en-suite facilities, storage space, television, shipboard telephone & room service. Many cruise lines offer a range of cabins from inside to grand suites, with the latter having enhanced features such as a butler, living space, separate bathrooms, large balconies.

Many cruise ships offer cabins that can accommodate single/solo guests, couples & families with up to 4 guests in one room. In family rooms the beds for 3rd/4th guests will be in the form of pullman berths, rollaway beds or pull out sofabeds (depending on the cabin you choose). This makes them perfect for families or friends sharing.

These rooms can easily be identified on a ships deckplans as they will have symbols next to the room number that show who the confirguration is setup, you will then just need to check key to see what these symbols mean

We've created handy guide to understanding the difference rooms, grades & fares for P&O Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard. & Fred Olsen Cruise Line links to each one can be found below:

• Understanding P&O Cruises Rooms & Fares
• Understanding Cunard Rooms & Fares
• Understanding Celebrity Cruises Staterooms & Fares
• Understanding Fred Olsen Rooms & fares

Additionally we have a host of help information covering a range of different topics including destinations, cruise lines, what to pack plus much more on our dedicated cruise blog

What are Cruise Gratuities?

Cruise Gratuities or tips is a service charge that is given to those people that look after you whilst on holiday, normally to your Cabin Steward & Dinner Waiters (sometimes the Bar Staff, depending on cruise line).  Depending in the cruise line that you are travelling with these are either added to your on board account, pre-paid before boarding or included in the price.

For example P&O Cruises, Azamara & MSC Cruises includes these in the cost of your holiday, Princess Cruises include gratuities with their All-Inclusive Fares, Royal Caribbean & NCL give you the option to add them a the time of booking, where as Cunard & Fred Olsen add them to your onboard account.

If you wish to pay them yourselves you can remove any tips/gratutities from your onboard accounts via guest services/reception, however you must do this before you leave the ship. Most cruise lines also provide a guide as to how much to tip per day.

What is a tender port?

A tender port is when a ship is to large to dock in a location. The ship will the use its own or local smaller tenders to take you a shore. It is worth noting that you have mobility issues that you are unlikely to be able to go ashore as no lifts or ramps are available and that you will be required to navigate stairs to embark/disembark the tender

Do ships offer Children's facilities?

Yes, if you're looking to travel with the family, cruise lines such as P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean offer children's clubs for ages 2-16 which are all free to use & open from around 9am-10pm each day (varies per cruise line). The ages are normally separated in to smaller age groups and are all looked after by highly trained youth staff.

Activities including scavenger hunts, PS4/Xbox tournaments, sports games, fancy dress etc. In addition to these clubs there are designated family facilities such as family pool, toddler pools, waterparks, rock climbing plus so much more

Some cruise lines also offer night creche services so that you can enjoy some time alone in the evening, please check with us at the time of booking if this service is available.

What age are children allowed to travel from?

It all depends where your cruise holiday is sailing to & from. For cruise from the UK the minimum age is 6 months, whilst all other fly cruises, cruise & stay and selected longer voyages the minimum age is 12 months due to remote itineraries & number of consecutive sea days. If you are unsure speak to our experts today.

What are Dining Times?

Dining times are the name given to evening meals that are served in the main restaurants on board. Traditionally there were 2 main dining times, however many cruise lines now offer freedom or anytime dining normally between 6-9pm (varies per cruise line). On traditional dining you sit at the same table every night. These choices are included free as part of your holiday options.

How many formal nights will there be?

During a weeks cruise holiday typically there are 1-2 formal nights, however these can vary depending on your cruise line you are travelling with. If you have already booked you can find out more by visiting your cruise lines personaliser or call us to find out more.

Do cruise ships offer accessbiled/disabled rooms?

Yes, most cruise lines offer limited disabled cabins across all the different cabin grades. Like all cabins they offer similar facilities that have been adapted to cater for disabled guests such as wider cabin doors, wet rooms & ramps on to balconies. Additionally, if you are looking to bring a mobility scooter then some cruise lines may require you to book an accessible/disabled room

If you are looking to book one of these cabins you will need to complete a medical form once booked to provide the cruise line with details of your needs.

How do I pay for items whilst on board?

Most cruise lines use an "on board account" which is linked to your room via your cruise card or wrist band. As you would in many hotels you can charge items to your room using this method with the final bill charged to your debit/credit card that you have registered once you were on board.

Do I need to take a travel adaptor?

Yes we would recommend taking both US & European travel adaptors as many cruise line do not have UK plug sockets. Ideally take at least 2 adaptors with you so that you are able to charge multiple items. Some cruise lines such as P&O Cruises and Fred Olsen are designed for the British market so do have UK sockets, however we recommend taking them just in case.

What time can I embark & disembark the ship when leaving from the UK?

You will be given an allocated time slot on the day of embarkation by your chosen cruise line. This will be listed on your e-tickets or boarding passes provided to you via us or your cruise lines website/app.

Embarkation normally commences at 12 noon with the last boarding time around 4-5pm. This is to ensure that all guests & crew are accounted for, safety drills can be completed, the ship is safetly secured for sea & is able to leave at it designated time slot, very similar to an airplane at the airport

On the day of disembarkation at the end of your cruise, many cruise lines operate a scheduled disembarkation time between 8:00-10:30am. You are normally allocated a time within this window based on your onwards journeys such as those travelling by coach or have a plane to catch. 

These details are then delivered to your room, should it not meet your requirements, you will need to visit reception/guest services to change it another time.

The reason cruise lines operate these systems is to ensure that there isn't overcrowding in the baggage reclaim hall & that you able to wait in the comfort of onboard lounges until you can proceed ashore.

On occasions, you are able to do a self disembarkation. This is when you can disembark the ship as soon as it has been given clearance by customs & the port authority. Unlike an allocated time, you will be required to take your own luggage ashore as there is no assistance available - this is also the most common for of disembarkation on shorter 2-5 night voyages as most guests don't have a huge amount of baggage.