Top 15 Questions From Those Who Are New to Cruising
What’s the One Thing You Must Have to Get on a Cruise Ship?
Your dentures? Your tickets? Your winning personality?
Actually, you can leave all of those behind and still get on board — as long as you have proper ID.
US and international customs requires either a passport or birth certificate. A driver’s license or military ID is not enough. If your cruise does NOT start and end in the same US port, you MUST have a passport — and it must be valid for at least 6 months after your cruise ends.
Note: One thing you cannot bring on a cruise ship is a Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Cruise lines, like airlines, have banned the phone.
What Is Included in the Cost of a Cruise?
- Your room
- All meals — in either a large buffet open most of the day and evening, and/or a formal dining room where a multi-course dinner is served by white-gloved waiters. You can eat at both.
- Coffee, tea, juice, iced tea, and lemonade
- Kids clubs — on almost every cruise line there are kids clubs for ages 3–17, with separate facilities, staff, and activities for each age group
- Nightly entertainment — big Broadway-style shows, comedy clubs
- Activities on the ship — use of pools, hot tubs, water slides, games, and athletic facilities
What’s Usually NOT Included in the Cost of a Cruise?
- Gratuities
- Alcohol, soft drinks, and bottled water
- Shore excursions
- Spa treatments
- Note: a higher-priced fare code will sometimes include some of these items
What’s the Food Like on a Cruise Ship?
- There is a ton of it, available almost 24 hours a day, and it’s all free — except the few specialty restaurants which have a small surcharge.
- There’s always a huge buffet of amazing-looking desserts, so plan on gaining weight.
- There are fancy dining rooms where you can sit down, order off a menu, and have lunch or dinner served by white-gloved waiters.
- Or peruse the endless options at the buffet, open from 6 AM to 11 PM, and eat as much as you want, whenever you want.
- Even at the buffet, there are always half a dozen protein options, including meat carved off the bone to order. Vegan and gluten-free options are also available.
- Beautiful vegetable and salad bars are always available if you want to keep it clean and healthy.
Which Cruise Lines Are Good for Kids, Singles, Couples, or Seniors?
Virtually all cruise lines — except the high-end luxury lines like Viking, Regent, Silversea, Seabourn, and Crystal — have great kids programs with lots to do.
Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, MSC, and Costa all have large kids programs with separate facilities and activities for 3 or 4 different age groups. Parents can leave their kids in these clubs all day knowing they’ll be having supervised and safe fun — even when you go on a shore excursion.
That said, there are singles, couples, and seniors on every single cruise. Cruises during summer, spring break, and holiday weeks will have more families and kids onboard.
I Have Three, Four, Five or More Kids. Can All Five (or More) of Us Fit in One Cabin?
Each cruise line is different. The short answer:
Royal Caribbean, MSC, and Disney have a few cabins that will hold five — but very few. Princess, Celebrity, and Holland America generally do not. Carnival has many ships with cabins that hold five.
For more information about sailing with a family of 5, or sailing with a family of 5 in Europe, see our dedicated pages.
When Do We Have to Pay for the Cruise?
The cruise lines require a deposit to hold your cabin until 75–120 days before sailing, at which time final payment is due. Most cruise lines require a deposit of $250–$400 per person.
To see the deposit requirement for your cruise line, see our deposits page.
To make a payment on a cruise booked with us, use our encrypted form at payformycruise.com.
What Is Onboard Credit Good For?
If your cruise booking includes an onboard credit offer, that credit can only be used for purchases made while you are on the ship. You cannot apply it to the cruise price or to anything added before the cruise.
You can use it for any onboard purchase: drinks, drink packages purchased onboard, spa and salon treatments, excursions, gift shop items, photos, and more.
Can I Cancel the Cruise and Get My Money Back?
Your deposit is fully refundable up until final payment (usually 75–120 days before sailing), unless you booked a non-refundable fare code — in that case you may receive a future cruise credit but more likely will lose the deposit. Some luxury and river cruise lines charge $50–$100 per person admin fees to cancel at any time.
Once within the penalty window, canceling can cost anywhere from the deposit amount up to 100% of the cruise cost, depending on how close it is to sailing. Some cruise lines begin penalties as early as 120 days out.
To see the cancellation schedule for your cruise line, see our deposits and cancellations page.
The only way to get your money back during the penalty period is if you purchased travel insurance and are canceling for a covered reason. The most common covered reasons are illness, death or injury in the family, redeployment, and revocation of leave.
How Much Are Drink Packages?
Be aware that with most cruise lines, if one person in a cabin purchases a beverage package, all persons in the cabin must purchase one too.
For each cruise line’s beverage package prices, individual drink prices, and an analysis of whether drink packages are “worth it,” visit our Beverage Package Page.
What Is There to Do in Each Port? How Do I Book Shore Excursions?
There will almost always be many shops and activities very near the cruise terminal, so you can walk right off the ship and be surrounded by options. Or you can choose a shore excursion offered by the cruise line or a company we recommend.
Cruise line shore excursions range from about $35 to $350 per person. Once you’ve made your final payment, you’ll register on the cruise line’s website, complete your online check-in, and be able to browse and reserve excursions for each port.
After you book with us, we’ll send you a link to ShoreTrips — an alternative to booking excursions directly through the cruise line. Prices are usually lower and group sizes are smaller.
How Do You Book Spa Treatments or Specialty Dining?
You can book spa treatments once you are aboard by pressing the concierge or spa button on your room phone. Some cruise lines — Princess, for example — allow you to make spa reservations online in your trip planner before you board.
Spa treatments are usually expensive — expect around $120 for a one-hour massage, plus tip.
Specialty restaurants onboard typically charge an extra fee of about $20–$30 per person. Book these by calling the concierge when you first get on the ship. The food at these restaurants is usually four-star quality — worth it if you’re a foodie.
Where Is the Cruise Terminal Located? How Much Is Parking?
For US cruise terminal information, see our US Cruise Port Guide.
For European cruise terminal information, see our European Port Guide.
What Should I Pack? Is There a Dress Code?
Most cruises have a couple of formal nights where everyone dresses up nicely and photographers are everywhere. Bring a couple of fancy outfits for those evenings.
The formal dining room also has a dress code — no shorts, tank tops, or flip flops. Bring some nice dress pants and shirts, not just shorts and tee shirts. Anything is fine for kids.
Comfortable walking shoes are a must for both the ship and the ports of call. And if your cruise is to a cooler climate, bring a rain jacket and layers.
Where Do Cruises Go?
Most US cruises go to Caribbean islands — either the Western, Eastern, or Southern Caribbean — or the Bahamas. There are also cruises from California to Mexican ports like Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlán, and cruises from Seattle and Vancouver to Alaska.
A few 15-day cruises go from the West Coast to Hawaii, but most Hawaiian cruises begin and end in Hawaii.
Many cruises depart from Southern Europe and cruise the Mediterranean — either the Western side toward Spain or the Eastern side toward the Greek Isles. Northern Europe cruises sail the North Sea to the Norwegian Fjords and cities in the Baltic.
Cruises also go all over Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand — plus TransAtlantic, Repositioning, and Panama Canal crossings.
How Much Do Cruises Cost?
Cruise prices range from about $200 to $20,000 per person — and cruise lines change prices almost daily. To get an accurate price we need to know the specific ship, departure date, cabin type, number of people, and your state of residence and military status.
Use the cruise search tool to select when you want to go, where to, and where from — it will show a live list of all cruises fitting your criteria with current pricing and availability, sorted from least to most expensive. Holiday weeks and summer months are the most expensive times to cruise.
Or contact us and we’ll create a customized list of your best options. We’re open 7 days a week. Reach us at info@militarycruisedeals.com or 866-964-5482.
Read our reviews to hear from thousands of happy military customers.
Want to Hear What Experienced Cruisers Have to Say?
“How I survived and thrived on my first cruise” — by our agent Becca
A great blog post from our agent Tasha about her cruise experiences
Why Book Your Next Cruise While Onboard? Booking Bonuses!
Most cruise lines offer reduced deposits, onboard spending credit, and other perks if you reserve your next cruise while still onboard your current one. Sometimes onboard credit is applied to the cruise you’re already on AND your future cruise. The best part: you can snag a future cruise credit onboard and have it transferred to our agency for an additional military discount.
Carnival
Most Carnival ships have Future Cruise Counselors onboard (exceptions include the Imagination, Inspiration, Sensation, Spirit, Valor, and Legend). Cruisers can select ships and sail dates and receive up to $200 per stateroom in onboard credit. The reservation can be combined with other promotions (except interline discounts), and you receive two vouchers you can share with friends or family sailing with you. There is no deposit discount. Cancellations are free up to 90 days before sailing.
We strongly recommend this program. You have a lot of freedom and few restrictions.
Celebrity
Celebrity’s Future Cruise Vacations program offers discounted deposits of $100 per guest and allows booking up to three future cruises at once, combinable with Celebrity promotions like “Go Big, Go Better, Go Best!” The “Cruise Now” plan offers up to $500 in onboard spending credit. The “Cruise Later” option is for those who know they want to cruise but haven’t yet chosen a ship or date — no expiration date and up to $200 in onboard credit. Cancellations are free up to 90 days before sailing.
We strongly recommend this program. Excellent flexibility with few restrictions.
Costa
Booking onboard with Costa gets you a 5% discount guaranteed once finalized through your travel agent, plus promotions such as a 100 euro voucher toward a future cruise (amount varies by ship and sail date). Vouchers can be shared with family or friends. Deposit is non-refundable for cash.
We cautiously recommend this program. Rules may be more binding than other cruise lines’ onboard booking programs.
Disney
Disney’s Future Cruise Credit program has blackout dates (typically Christmas sailings). For 7-night or longer sailings: reduced deposit of 10%, 10% discount on the future cruise, and up to $200 in onboard credit. You can select a specific cruise or save your bonuses for later. Guests must sail within 18 months of booking onboard. Limited to two staterooms per household. Valid for Categories 4–11 only.
We cautiously recommend this program. Blackout dates and the 18-month time frame limit flexibility.
Holland America
The Future Cruise Consultant desk on Holland offers up to $200 per cabin in onboard credit (based on length and cabin category) with a deposit of $100 per person. You can pick an itinerary while onboard or take up to four years to choose before the deposit expires. Cancellations or changes are free up to 90 days before departure. Not valid on Grand World Voyages, Grand Voyages, or segments thereof.
Typical onboard credit amounts: 3–10 Days: $25 inside/oceanview, $50 balcony/suite. 11–21 Days: $50 inside/oceanview, $75 balcony, $100 suite. 22–50 Days: $100 inside/oceanview, $150 balcony/suite. 51+ Days: $150 inside/oceanview, $200 balcony/suite.
We strongly recommend this program. Excellent flexibility and a generous 4-year booking window.
MSC
MSC’s Future Cruise Credit program (currently offered on the MSC Divina in the Caribbean) provides up to $200 per cabin in onboard credit with a $100 per person deposit. You can book a specific cruise while onboard or decide up to four years later. Combinable with the military discount.
We strongly recommend this program. Relaxed 4-year time frame and military discount compatibility.
Norwegian
NCL’s Freestyle Cruise Rewards allows guests to purchase a $250 deposit for a sailing of 6 days or longer, and receive an instant $100 onboard spending credit for the current cruise. The $250 deposit can be applied to a specific sailing or saved — valid for four years. The deposit is refundable within 30 days of purchase (minus the $100 instant credit if refunded).
We cautiously recommend this program. The 30-day cancellation window is very short. However, it’s a great option if you’re certain you’ll cruise again and won’t cancel.
Princess
Princess future cruise sales consultants are on each ship. It costs $100 per person to reserve a future sailing, including up to $150 per passenger in onboard credit (based on cruise length and cabin class). Reservations can be for a specific cruise or an open sailing to be used within four years. Deposits are refundable within the four-year period as long as they haven’t been applied to a specific sailing.
We strongly recommend this program. Great benefits and automatically refundable deposits.
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean’s NextCruise program provides up to $200 per cabin in onboard credit (based on sailing length) and a reduced deposit of $100 per person. No expiration date — you don’t have to pick a sailing at the time of reservation. Guests receive two NextCruise certificates (shareable with friends or family) valid for 5 years. Note: shareholder onboard credits and other dollars-off promotions are not combinable with NextCruise onboard credit. Certificates are non-refundable for cash.
We strongly recommend this program. Generous 5-year window and lots of flexibility.
Please note that all onboard booking program information is subject to change at any time and may vary based on current promotions. This information is provided to help our clients understand the potential benefits of booking onboard.
🏅 Ready to Book Your First Cruise With a Military Discount?
Military Cruise Deals has been serving military families since 2001. Our agents — Mitch, Kevin, and Hope — will walk you through every step and make sure every available military discount is applied. We’ve helped over 50,000 military customers, earned 800+ five-star reviews, and our rates are always below what you’ll find anywhere else.
Call us: 866-964-5482 | Contact Us