Cruise Etiquette

We had our honeymoon on a cruise and it was fantastic !! It was P&O we cruised with.

1. For the formal nights, to be honest it was very mixed. I had long dresses and cocktail dresses, but there were some older ladies with skirts and blouses on, or more appropriate clothes for their age. I would maybe check if there is a forum on the cunard website, as I found out about clothes etiquette from the P&O website.

2. All alchohol and soft drinks (even water) were charged over and above what has been paid. I wont even tell you what our bar bill was as it is too embarassing. You are given a card and you just use that instead of cash for the whole trip. Tips, we tipped the waiting staff and also you are expected to tip the staff who maintain your cabin. I cant remember the rate, but it was a certain amount a day. We took some wee envelopes to put the money in. Excursions are also extra.

3. It was quite a mixed lot to be honest. Some who looked down their noses at everyone, some who were up for a laugh. It is so big you dont really see the same people often, so it doesnt matter really.

On our cruise Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee were entertainment and guests ?

I had a fab time cruising. If I had the money I would cruise every year. ?

We cruised at christmas with Carnival.

1. For the formal evenings there were a FEW really glammed up but alot of people just put on their nicer outfits - alot of skirts and tops for the older ladies, black trousers and blouse's aswel. I wouldnt worry too much about this - your not going to get 'told off' for not wearing something glamourous enough

2. drinks were quite expensive, a coffee or tea was around $3 and a vodka and lemonade was about $5, our bar bill was very very expensive because you dont feel like you are spending money because they give you are card,,,t'was a bit of a shock when we got the bill but you can regularly pay it off and check the balance.

3. There was a huge mixture of people on our cruise from young couples, to groups of friends to older couples to families.

I never once experienced people looking down their noses at us and we are definatly not rich and posh!!

who is it you are cruising with??

Cunard has a FAQ page which has info about tips etc http://www.cunard.co.uk/FAQ/faq.asp?Page=2&main=&catID=

I'm afraid I have never been on a cruise but I would think that formal wear for somebody of that age would be a dress or top/skirt combo and a jacket. I would head to John Lewis and ask advice from their sales assistants. I bet they get loads of people in asking similar questions.

My dad and step mum are going on the QM2 in July and they are definitely not posh ...

I'm sure you would both have a fantastic time.

We are going on our first cruise with P7O though in 5 weeks and have found a couple of really good forums where you are bound to find the answer to your questions specifically for the QM.

www.cruise.co.uk - they have a cruise answers sections

www.cruisecritic.co.uk - they have a forum

HTH

Definitely go! You'll have a brilliant time (or at least I did when I was 15...)

John Lewis sounds like a good bet for an outfit for your gran. Something with a jacket and smart blouse or similar would be good - the air conditioning inside can be ferocious and you don't want her to be cold.

Drinks are expensive. Be prepared for a bit of a shock when you get your bill in! Or just stick to the tea and coffee!! Its UTH milk onboard, not the best but does the job. On the boat we were on there was a 'tea and coffee station' at either end of the ship. You could go any time day or night and get a cuppa. It was fab! Your gran might like that!

What type of cruise is it? Will there be excursions? We were on a Med cruise and some trips were very expensive. A day trip to Rome was around £130 per person - that included your coach travel, 2 meals, tour guide and entry to the Vatican, Collesseum etc. But you could also do smaller half day trips that were cheaper (a visit to a vineyard, for example). That would be around £30 - £50. Some ports you can walk straight off the ship and into a town or to the beach - I bet a taxi could be easily arranged for your gran if she's not up to much walking. But you don't have to leave the ship - you'll have your pick of bingo, linedancing, napkin folding, learning how to gamble in the casino...

And it's definitely not juts for posh people! It does depend on the ship, but most are family friendly and people come from all walks of life. For some it's a trip of a lifetime, for others it's a yearly outing! You'll be amazed how friendly everyone is and how easy it is to chat to people. And you're guaranteed to meet someone you or your gran knows! ? Enjoy yourself!

You must go - it will be wonderful. I think the 'poshness' depends on the ship. We went last year with P&O and it was incredibly posh - most of the passengers wore full length gowns with matching shawls and bags for the formal nights and were dripping in jewels. Cocktail dresses were worn on semi-formal nights and nice dresses on casual nights (it said in the guide that smart jeans were acceptable on casual nights but not once did I see anyone in jeans and I would have felt very out of place). On our table, we had people who were incredibly well-off - one couple had just come back from doing the World Cruise and they were all minted. Saying that, they were all very friendly but I'm glad I took at least one full length gown. This site may help you on tipping etc for your ship: https://www.choosing-cruising.com/Cruiseweb/ShpDetailsQuery.asp?nshp=302

Clarry-Love