Onboard the Ship

Generally, you can request your dining time preference at the time of booking. Some cruise lines also allow you to make online reservations for their specialty restaurants several days prior to the sailing.

If you are sailing on a ship with pre-assigned dining times and tablemates and would like to change either, talk to the restaurant’s maitre d', who will do everything in his or her power to ensure that you have a pleasant dining experience each night.

Shows are generally performed twice nightly, so no matter what time you eat dinner, you’ll still be able to catch all of the evening’s entertainment.

Alternative restaurants, or “specialty” restaurants, are in addition to main dining rooms and “lido” buffet restaurants. Many ships now house alternative restaurants, with cuisines ranging from Italian to sushi. Many alternative restaurants charge a small fee for dining, usually $10–20 per person, including tip.

This really depends on your ship. Most ships offer two dinner seatings for the main dining room (early seating and late seating), and your dining time and table size will be confirmed upon embarkation. However, some cruise lines now offer "relaxed" dining, where passengers can dine when, and with whom, they choose. Even if your ship has pre-assigned dining times, you can generally choose to eat at a casual buffet-style restaurant at no additional charge.

On most ships, food is available 24 hours a day, either in an all-night diner, or via free room service. Those ships that don’t offer 24-hour dining generally serve food until the wee hours, and start serving again early in the morning (generally as early as 5 AM). In addition, many cabins now have mini refrigerators where you can keep snacks.

Yes, room service is available on most ships, and is often served 24 hours a day.

Low-sodium meals, kosher meals, and other specialty meal plans are offered by ships; however, you should arrange for special meals in advance. You may do so by calling a Cruise Specialist at 1-888-249-3978.

Yes. Generally, you’ll be able to choose among three or four entrée choices, with at least one vegetarian selection.

Each night, you will receive a news update in your cabin with the next day’s activities. Many ships also broadcast onboard activities via a closed circuit TV channel as well.

All ships have planned activities; though, generally speaking, the larger the ship, the more planned activities you’ll find. Evening activities often include casino gambling, Broadway- and Vegas-style revues, cabaret shows, nightclub performances, disco dancing, movies, and passenger talent shows.

Each night, you’ll receive a list of planned activities for the next day, including special activities for sea days with inclement weather.

It’s not likely that you’ll get bored. Most ships offer more than enough activities to keep passengers very busy, even on sea days. To find out about what activities are offered, take a look at the Entertainment and Fitness & Recreation sections of the ship's review. Some ships offer everything from typical activities like ping-pong, shuffleboard, sunbathing, and bridge tournaments to more unique diversions like rock climbing, ice-skating, computer classes, and movies at dedicated movie theaters.

The ship’s staff fills each day with a host of shipboard activities. However, you are not required to take part in any activities, and can choose to spend the day as you wish.

Most ships have full-service gyms onboard, as well as outdoor fitness equipment, ranging from simple running tracks and volleyball courts to rock-climbing walls and tennis courts. Check the Fitness & Recreation section of the ship's review to review what fitness options are offered.

Most spas offer a typical range of beauty treatments, including massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, haircuts, and hair styling. Some spas also offer more unique treatments, like hot stone therapy and couples massages.

Most ships have libraries, Internet cafés, and card rooms which can be used as quiet areas. In addition, most ships also have lounges and top deck space with quiet pockets.

All ships help passengers celebrate special occasions like honeymoons, anniversaries, and birthdays. Some ships simply provide a free or inexpensive cake, while others sell packages including everything from in-cabin massages to private tours of the bridge. If you’ll be celebrating a special occasion while onboard, call a Cruise Specialist at 1-888-249-3978 so that he or she can let the ship’s staff know which occasion you’ll be celebrating. If you forget to call a Cruise Specialist before you leave for your trip, or if your cruise line does not accept this information ahead of time, simply tell the maitre d' shortly after boarding, and he or she will be happy to assist you with your celebration plans.

Most ships have Internet cafés, offer Internet access from the cabins, and some even provide ship-wide wireless Internet access. To learn more about out your ship’s Internet options, check the ship’s amenities page.

Also, most cabins offer telephones. If your cabin does not have a telephone (which is very rare), the ship’s radio operator can connect you to a mainland number. Please keep in mind that making a ship-to-shore telephone call can be quite expensive, and it may be worth the wait to use a pay phone at the next port stop.

A number of cruise lines offer onboard cell phone service, but reception also depends on your cell phone carrier. Please keep in mind any additional roaming or usage fees your cell phone provider may issue.

Most ships have TVs in all cabins and in some public areas, and daily newspapers can generally be found around the ship as well. Most ships also have Internet cafés, where passengers can go online for a per-minute fee.

Additionally, ship newsletters are provided each evening to keep guests informed about daily events happening onboard.

Supervised activities for children are generally organized by age group and may include swimming, sports, movies, crafts, and games. Oftentimes, cruise ships also have designated areas for kids including special children’s pools, teen hangouts, and youth reading and recreation rooms. Be sure to visit the Kid Stuff section of our Ship Info and Review pages to learn more about the programs offered on each ship.

Most ships do offer babysitting services, either in a group setting, or with a sitter coming directly to your cabin. To find out whether your ship offers babysitting services, check the Kid Stuff section of the ship’s review page. Be sure to reserve space early as availability may be limited.

Most ships recommend that you tip around $10 per person, per day. Some ships automatically charge tips to shipboard accounts (which can then be adjusted by the individual), while others ask you to pay cash directly to the staff member. Tipping guidelines will be included in your travel documents, which you will receive two to four weeks before departure. You will also find tipping guidelines on the Amenities tab of the ship's review, and in the welcome packet you’ll receive upon boarding.

Formal nights are evenings which the ships suggest you dress up for dinner, with men wearing dark suits or tuxedos and women wearing cocktail dresses or pantsuits. Special meals are generally served on formal nights. Many ships do have formal nights, but generally only one or two for a seven-night cruise. If you don’t want to dress up on formal nights, you can generally dine at a buffet restaurant at no extra charge.

Laundry and dry cleaning services are offered by most major cruise lines. Information about the service fees and procedures can be found in the cabins.

Generally, smoking is allowed in designated areas of all ships. However, smoking is not allowed in most of the cabins, in the main dining rooms, and in certain public areas. Consult the cruise line’s general conditions, rules and regulations in the booking path for additional details about the cruise lines’ specific smoking policies.

On the final night of the cruise, you’ll have the option of placing your luggage outside your cabin door. If you don't set your luggage out, you'll be required to take it off the ship yourself. If you do leave your luggage out, be sure to keep any necessities in a carry-on bag, as your luggage will not be accessible until after you depart the ship. If you want breakfast, you’ll generally need to get up extra early, so keep this in mind. Passengers depart in groups, and your group information, along with any necessary customs forms, will be left in your cabin the night before you disembark. You’ll be required to pass through customs as you depart the ship.