Going on the Freedom of the seas cruise to the western Caribbean, how much should i expect to pay extra for food, laundry, non alcoholic drinks, room service, tips, ben and jeri's ice cream... saw the pic, and on land, is anything covered by the cruise? and can you get bottled water from the ship to take on land? how should we dress?
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We had a great time cruising Royal Caribbean (Serenade of the Seas) in the eastern Caribbean but there were a few disappointments. They tend to have a lot of families which is fine if you're used to having kids and teens running around you. Their assigned dinner seating was a minus because we were assigned to a table for the entire cruise with a lovely family, but it was awkward because there were 5 of them and 2 of us and we felt they had to go out of their way each night to include us, rather than just have dinner together and discuss their day.
Finally, we have cruised on three lines now and Royal Caribbean stands out as the line that nickel and dimed us the whole cruise: a soda pop plan and a this and that charge, and this is included but this slightly different thing is extra. They want to take your picture several times a day but it is very expensive to buy the photos. We just wish they had added $200 to the cost and not nickel and dime us the whole cruise. Just be prepared for it to cost more than they lead you to believe and you'll have a great time in some beautiful places!
P.S. They automatically add what I consider an exorbitant housekeeping & staff tip onto your bill at the end. It's supposed to cover all the staff that are simply doing their job. You can have this charge taken off without any arguments or hassle and tip your room attendant or any particularly good waiters, etc., on your own.
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All food is included on the cruise ship so you have no need to pay extra. Laundry has a supplement cost but I do not think you will know that until you are there and given the price, non alcoholic drinks are also included e.g. jusices etc. Room service would be extra and tips at your discretion.
Dress for dinner in dinner clothing, breakfats in light clothing and bathing suits for the pool, or I guess pants and shirt.
Hope I helped!
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This is pretty much up to you. There is an unlimited amount of free food on the ship. There are even free soft icecream machines. And often there's icescream at the desert stand at the buffet. However, there are some specialty restaurants that are not free. Ben and Jerry's is not.
Soft drinks and bottled water are not free. You can buy a card which will allow you to have as much soda as you'd like. It's pretty expensive. Coffee, tea, iced tea, lemonade, milk, and juices are free. You can get free water in the dining rooms- not bottled. You can buy bottled water in any of the ports.
Laundry and drycleaning is expensive. Royal Caribbean does have a day when you can put as much underwear, nightgowns and tee shirts into a bag, and they charge $25. Or you can do what I did- take travel size packages of detergent. There's a small clothes line in the shower. I also brought along suction hooks to hang things up on. And since you can't take an iron. You can sprinkle water on creases, and then use a blow dryer- which is in every cabin. An interesting fact from my female cab driver on one of the islands. None of the native inhabitants owns a washing machine. She goes home from her job, and washes the family clothes in the river.
Room service is free, except, I believe between 1AM and 5AM. However, you need to give a tip. Tips for the stateroom and diningroom staff come to a total of $10 per person per day. If you use the SPA, which is not free, you need to tip. And a tip is added on to your bar bill.
Nothing on land is paid for by the ship, unless you're going to their private resort- Labadee.
I'd suggest that you do not book excursions thru the ship. It's much cheaper if you do it in port. And there will be many tour guides waiting for you as you disembark.
Dress during the day is very casual. On ship, you can wear a bathing suit, shorts and tops, sandals, or flip flops. Or if you're walking around, good walking shoes. You can't wear a bathing suit into the dining room. In port, shorts and a top, and good walking shoes are best- the coolest materials you have. It can get quite hot. And remember to bring a heavy sweater or jacket. It can be cool on deck in the early morning and evening.
In the evening, women must wear nice slacks and tops, or a dress into the dining room. Men should wear slacks and a shirt. Tee shirts are not appropriate. Shorts, thongs, and sneaks are not allowed. On a 7 day cruise, there are 2 formal nights. There will be people dressed in long gowns, cocktail dresses, pants suits, and simple dresses. Men will be in tuxs, or suits. If you don't feel like dressing up, you can get a good meal at the buffet. More and more people are doing so. So do as you please. Remember, this is your vacation. Spend it as you like. You don't have to impress anyone.
