extra costs on 7 night cruise.

[Skallywag]

We are booked for October 2005. Long way ahead you may say but need to get organised money wise.

When you say you can get Soda free - what is classes as soda/
(we are from England and soda to us is fizzy water) does this include sprite and coke?

We have a digital camera and wonder if the computer room allows you to download to a dvd or cd rather than carry too many memory cards.

Question 3 is about tipping and it seems most people spend more on tipping than anything else. Suppose we are rather a mean nation and service charges here are usually include din the cost. There will be 4 of us in two staterooms and wonder if you could give us some advice about this. Also if you order room service (have heard the cheese platter is great) does this cost extra?

So many little questions and so long before we go.
Thanks to this site will be so well prepared I hope.

 

[jel0511]

I'll do my best to answer:

1. Soda (yes Coke and Sprite too) are free in the dining rooms, buffet and from the Deck 9 drink station. You still must pay for soda ordered from a bar or from room service.

2. There isn't a place where you can download your information for free, but I believe Shutters (the photo place) will do it for you for a small fee.

3. For a party of 4, for a 7 night cruise, you'll be expected to pay around $300 total for tips. There is a recommended amount that will be given to you with your documents, as well as in your stateroom. Most items from room service are free, with the exception of soda and alcoholic beverages. Usually a small tip of a few $$$ is customary.

 

[jrabbit]

Question 3 is about tipping and it seems most people spend more on tipping than anything else. Suppose we are rather a mean nation and service charges here are usually include din the cost. There will be 4 of us in two staterooms and wonder if you could give us some advice about this. Also if you order room service (have heard the cheese platter is great) does this cost extra?

I've heard that if you purchase a package from "Jolly ol' England" that they usually will include the tips/gratuities in the package price since you're not used to giving out tips. Since I'm from the US I'm not 100% sure on this - but I kinda remember reading about it on these boards.

 

[jel0511]

Originally posted by jrabbit
I've heard that if you purchase a package from "Jolly ol' England" that they usually will include the tips/gratuities in the package price since you're not used to giving out tips. Since I'm from the US I'm not 100% sure on this - but I kinda remember reading about it on these boards.

jrabbit is exactly right. Most tour operators in Britain usually include in the tips in the package price for DCL. If you did book through a British travel agency, give them a ring and see if it applies to you. If the tips are included, you'll recieve vouchers at the end of the cruise to hand out to the applicable people.

 

[ksjayhawks]

If you do get the tips included in your package, don't forget to get some dollar bills to use to tip the person who brings the room service food to you--$2 or so is usually fine.

If you go to Palo, some people add on an extra tip there. A tip is automatically included on alcoholic orders and any pop ordered from a bar. All these will show up on your shipboard account.