On 25 Aug 2007 03:39:09 GMT, "Joan M." wrote:
>We're pondering on our first cruise experience and would like to know the
>following details:
>
>1. Is internet access (wi-fi or port access) free onboard? If not, what's
>the charge?
I only have experience with Carnival and HAL and in both cases
Internet access was definitely NOT free. There was an initial charge
to set up an account (under $5) plus a per minute charge that varied
depending on whether you used it on a pay as you go basis ($0.75/min)
or purchased a contract for 50, 100, or 500 minutes ($0.25 to
$0.50/min). I find this excessive and take my laptop ashore when we're
in port and can generally find a free or low-cost wi-fi hotspot at a
restaurant.
>2. Is tipping mandatory onboard? I've heard the ship charges you
>'automaticall' on a daily basis.
On HAL and Carnival your account is automatically charged $10/day per
person for tips. This can be adjusted up or down by talking to the
ship's front desk. On our HAL Alaskan cruise this summer we were
assured that 100% of the tips are paid to the Indonesian serving crew
(70% split between the cabin steward and the dining steward and the
remaining 30% distributed to the behind the scenes staff-cooks, etc.).
I suspect that the tips are the only remuneration that the Indonesian
serving staff receives.
>3. Based on your experience which cruise liners do you like the best?
Depends on what you are looking for. Families with young kids will
like different cruise lines than retired couples. Some ships have lots
of facilities for energetic youngsters (climbing walls, basketball
courts, etc.) while others focus on more intellectual pursuits with
seminars on photography, natural history, cultural anthropology, etc.
Gerry |