Cruises

[Ric.ror]

Has anyone been on a cruise - I am thinking of taking my mum on one next year but I am a little worried about the formality of it all. Would we need to wear evening gowns every night etc

[jno]

there are all sorts. Most of the more expensive ones will have one formal night a week where you can wear bow ties and evening gowns, though I don't think it's ever compulsory. But some cruises are informal, eg Ocean Village (British) and NCL (American) have no dress codes and cater for all ages.

[sddsddean]

Go to these two sites which have loads of faqs
http://www.cruise-information-center.com/defau lt.htm
http://www.cruisecritic.com/

As jno says , there are all sorts of different 'class' of cruises, but even if you go on one of the 'flasher' ones (say Princess or Royal Caribbean), there will only be 1 formal evening a week, 2 'smart casual', and the rest are casual (but no shorts!). The main thing do remember is that you DO NOT have to do anything you don't want to. There will always be an alternative dining area from the main dining room. Indeed, many people use the more cafeteria style dining areas to save dressing up, but loads of people (mainly women!) enjoy putting on the glad rags. Do not be worried, just pick somewhere to go and enjoy it! My first cruise was from San Diego, California to Miami via the Panama Canal. 5000 miles in 2 weeks...and didn't have to repack once!!

[auntiebertie]

Go to www.cruisecritic.com and click on the word 'boards' in the blue line at the top and then click on the cruise line you are thinking about - lots and lots of questions being asked and what to wear is a frequent topic.
If you have never been on a cruise I suggest that you take one of the 'better' lines like RCL or NCL rather than the cheap British ones like Thompsons - usually bigger newer ships with a wider range of activities and dining venues.

[peachy51]

Hi there my partner and i went on a cruise in january this year ... it was around the canaries,,,, we didnt go to the captains night but a lot of people did,,, it is optional i suppose.... lol and no the ball gown neednt be worn every night !!!!! Do you or your mum suffer from motion sickness?

[Dassie]

Just a tip when it comes to booking. If you choose the Caribbean for a cruise, you will get the best bargains by going through an American agent such as "Vacations to Go" who are more competitive with their pricing than the UK. The only thing is you will need to organise your own flights to say Miami.
Last year we went on a Carnival Cruise Line 8 day cruise and by using the US agent and booking our own flights we saved about �250 each over what the UK agent was offering for the same grade of cabin.