What should we know for our first cruise?

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Drinking age onboard is now 21. (On RCI it was 18 from 2001 until 2006 -- sorry!). And your onboard charge card is also your ID card, so they will ALWAYS know how old your are. (You can't pay cash at the bar.) Same applies on Coco Cay.

That said, if the 21 year old goes and buys a round of drinks and you're discrete about it ... I'm not sure anyone will care too much.

Drinking age in the Bahamas is 18, so you can drink in Nassau.

BTW, you can find more "know before you go" stuff, including info on using a cell phone, what to pack, etc. here:
http://www.cruisesavvy.com/savvyguide/know_before_you_go

Have an awesome trip!

TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only

Here's my recommendations based on the almost 20 cruises I have been on, including all over the Caribbean.

Yes they do enforce the drinking rules on ship; the cruise card you will receive when you check in at the port will be your charge cards for everything you buy on ship, including drinks. If you are under age 21 thee will be a restriction on your card.

The dress on ship is casual all day until 6:00PM. So take swim wear, shorts, sandals, beach shoes, your snorkel equipment if you have it, sun glasses and sun screen, lotions, a cap or big hat for the sun, a book if you are a reader, your music player, sneakers and clothes to workout in if you like to use the gym, good walking shoes, your camera, and other personal toiletries.

After 6:00 PM they request that you wear "sports or resort casual" attire. That's attire that you would expect a person to wear in a business office, (like a bank employee), shirt with a collar, slacks, skirt, blouse, etc. You can still wear shorts and swim wear in the pools and spas but not in public areas like dining rooms and restaurants, show rooms, bars, casino, etc.

Your cruise will have a formal night when you can wear your best stuff and get pictures taken, and maybe meet the shipâ€™s Captain. The formal nights are REQUESTED not required attire, so you do not have to dress up unless you want to. But most people do dress up. Some men just wear a suit and tie and some women wear a nice dress but not a gown. You will not be denied access to the dining room or anything else if you choose not to dress up.

- Its best to pack using soft-sided luggage because with space limited in your cabin it fits under the beds better if its not hard sided luggage. Take a small carry-on bag for the last night of the cruise. On the last evening you will be required to put your luggage outside your cabin by about 2:00 AM so that they can start taking it down to the lower deck for offloading the next morning. So you will need a small bag for your toiletries and your clothes that you sleep in.

-If you want to use the gym, pool and/or hot tub as soon as you get on ship pack those clothes and a change of clothes in your carry on bag because it will be hours after you board before you get your luggage.

- Cruise lines charge a lot (about $15 to $25 per photo) for the photos they take so take your own photos around the ship when you get the chance, especially on the formal nights. Take your own camera and ask other passengers to take photos for you, they generally are very willing.

- If you are taking your cell phone, MP3 player or other item that needs to be plugged in take an extension cord as the plugs in the cabin are generally not in the best places and there are usually only one or two.

- Take a small bottle of hand sanitizer. There are generally sanitizer dispensers at the entrances of restaurants, the buffets and dining room, but some times the are not there or not working. The sanitizer helps prevent the spread of the Norwalk Virus that sometimes occur on cruise ships.

The price of your cruise includes your cabin, all meals (except the specialty restaurants), all shows and entertainment, and use of all facilities on ship. The things that you will have to pay for once you are on the ship are:

Gratuities: They will amount to about $10 per person in your cabin per day.

Alcoholic drinks and soft drinks: Coffee, tea, milk, juice, and lemonade and punch will be provided free but your friend must pay for drinks (alcoholic beverages) and they will add a 15% gratuity to each drink and soft drink order.

Photographs: Cruise lines will take plenty of photographs of you all over the ship, in the dining room, and as you exit the ship in ports.

Tours/Excursions: These are listed on your cruise line web site and you can reserve them well before the cruise or book them on ship. But you DO NOT have to book any tours and you can get off and on the ship as much *** you want.

Souvenirs: Anything you buy on ship from a gift shop or duty free shop goes on your on board account. Things that you buy on shore you pay cash or credit card for.

Casino: If you plan to gamble on ship you will need cash for that. You cannot have drinks on ship but you can gamble.

Other: most cruise lines have what they call "specialty" restaurants where there is a gratuity/service charge. All other food on board is free; you cannot eat all that will be available.

--If you want/need to have your hair done, get a massage or wrap, or any services from the spa, you will have to pay for them. You can use the gym free but the spa stuff cost big bucks.

--Ships now have internet cafe and some have WiFi but the there is a fee for internet access and it is very expensive (like about $50 to $60 an hour).

--You cabin will likely have a minibar with soft drinks and munchies; you have to pay for them (but there is free room service 24/7).

CoCo Cay is nice and you will enjoy it.

cmelendez6604

ok....first since ur a first time cruise i would highly recommend u check out the site cruisecritic.com....u can get all the info on ur ship and even chat with ppl that will be cruising with u....I went on RC to the bahamas it was a blast...MAKE SURE wen u port in nassau u check out SENOR FROGS....i was 19 wen we went and it becomes like a nightclub after 7pm or sumthin.....it was a blast...it's really close to the port...after all the marketplaces it's towards the end...U HAVE TO GO....we had so much fun...and the drinks are cheap....and yea ur 18 but overthere it doesn't matter....plus thats where all the sailors go wen their in port....also go snorkeling that was great and atlantis to...have a blast and def check ou the site!!!

randall_nd

Run a search on Yahoo Answers for "cruising do's and dont's"

Wings

When you land in Nassua go over to Paradise Island to the Atlantis Hotel. Absolutely gorgeous. They aren't too strick about drinking on board the ship. They don't ask for I.D. when you order a drink. You should have a good time. Good luck.

CeCe 17

make sure to pack more than one outfit per day
ex: 1 outift for the day, maybe and evening outfit, and a semi-formal outfit, for the dinners.
Also... do not expect to lose weight...unless you exercise the whole time or dont eat. But if you like to eat or try things dont think your going to come back lbs lighter! :)

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