Honeymoon Travel Tips: The Inner Workings Of A Cruise Liner

Just as there are certain types of practices that you can expect when staying at a resort or vacation Mecca, there are also standard procedures that are often attached to cruise liners - you just don't hear a lot about them. If you're planning a honeymoon cruise, however, you'll want to be fully prepared well in advance of the trip. The last thing that you'll want to face is the unexpected and, without the proper knowledge base, you might be in for a few surprises. Although it's important to have a carry-on with a change of clothing and toiletries whenever you board an airplane, this also holds true for taking a cruise. Without this as your back-up, you might find that you don't have access to many of the things that you need until well into your first day on board. This is because, in many cases, the luggage isn't delivered to your cabin until after the dinner hour, so whatever you'll need between the time you board and the first twinkling of the evening stars will have to be packed into an easy-to-carry case that stays with you as you travel. If you've never taken a cruise in the past, then you may not be aware of the fact that most establishments that are on board the ship won't accept cash for their transactions. When you first come aboard, an imprint is taken of your credit card, and you'll be given a sort of "credit card" for the ship. Since restaurants, bars, boutiques, etc., all require that you "sign" for the items that you purchase, this ship card will accumulate all of the purchases that you charge throughout your trip and, at the end, the total cost will be tallied and charged to whichever credit card was imprinted at the onset of the trip. Tipping, too, can be a bit confusing. First of all, no tipping is done until the end of the cruise. At that time, not only is it expected, but there are standard rates that tend to apply, depending upon the type of service you received. For instance, when porters load your luggage, it's expected that they'll be given $1.00 for each bag, while other types of service personnel receive different amounts. Stewards and waiters, for instance, would normally be paid $3.00 per day for each passenger, and the Maitre D' will generally be offered between $5.00 and $10.00 for the duration of the cruise, depending upon the level of service that was offered. Once again, your carry-on will come in handy on the last day of the cruise, since most cruise liners require that the passengers' baggage is left outside of their cabin door on the night before the planned departure. Be sure to leave everything that you'll be needing for the next day or so in the carry-on, in case the luggage is lost or stolen. For more information concerning cruise line protocol or questions which relate to a particular type of cruise package, contact your local travel agent.

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