Conference abbott::cruise_travel

    
    Are towels provided or should you bring your own beach towel(s)?
    
    Cindy

    Towels and beach towels are provided. Save the space to bring back
    gifts.
    
    Len

    
    How about irons for pressing clothing?  Can you get these on cruise
    ships or should you bring your own?
    
    Cindy

    Cindy,
    
    If you want to be sure to have an iron you should take one with
    you. Most ships don't have irons for the guests to use. We brought
    ours along on our last cruise and used it a couple of times.
   
    Hope this helps.
    
    Dan

    On the Homeric we were told irons were not allowed (fire hazard)
    and had to have clothes pressed in their laundry.
    
    On the Norway we brought a travel iron and they also offered a cleaning
    and pressing service.
                               
    To be safe, bring one along.  Also remember that everyone else on
    the ship has had their clothes packed and are wrinkled too!
    

    Hi Cindy,
    
    Unfortunately some of the older ships don't have electrical outlets
    or have foreign (ie not for U.S. applicances) 2 or 3 pronged outlets.
    I know this is the case in the ship I'm going on next week (Princess/
    Sitmar's Dawn Princess).  They say they have central rooms scattered
    throughout the ship where you can go plug in your applicances, but
    this seems very inconvenient, especially in a case of drying one's
    hair.  I know there are converters available or I may just buy a
    small European hairdryer on board/or in port if I need to.
    
    The ships' brochures usually provides this information.  I've never
    brought an iron along (cause I don't/won't iron on my vacation) but
    my girlfriend brought a small travel one along on the last cruise
    and she found it handy.
    
    What day are you leaving?  
    
    Have a wonderful time...
    
    Ro
    

    If your wrinkles aren't too bad, you can always hang clothes in the
    bathroom when you shower and the steam will take some of the wrinkles
    out.
    

    When they say "dressy" for the dining... how dressy? I had planned
    on bringing a gown that I wore as a bridesmaid... pretty, not too
    wedding-y. What should my husband wear? Should he rent a Tux?
    
    Whats the basic clothing look?
    
    thanks,
    beth

    Most men on the RCCL cruises we have been on wear business suits on the
    formal nights. If your husband wants to wear a tux for the formal
    nights, why not buy one. Most tux's don't cost much more than a good
    suit and you be amazed how many times it can be worn each year. At
    least that what I found once I bought mine. As for the ladies its
    anything from very formal gowns to pant suits. The main idea for the
    formal nights is for the ladies to look beautiful and the men
    uncomfortable.

    Hi Beth,
    
    Yes, bring the gown.  I think you'll enjoy wearing it.  Lots of
    beautiful sequined outfits, gowns, etc. - you won't feel over- 
    dressed.
    
    Ro
    

    What about the regular days? Can I just wear clubby stuff for the
    disco, etc? I know I can wear whatever while walking around the
    islands, but want to be sure of what to bring for the nights. I'm
    so psyched! This is going to be a blast!
    
    thanks,
    beth

    
    I have heard that cruise ships have something similiar to a liquor
    store on them where you can buy a bottle of liquor at a reasonable
    price.  Is this the case for all cruises?  If not, is it possible
    to purchase a bottle of liquor from the bar and not be charged an
    exorbitant amount of money.
    

    I have cruised on both RCCL and Princess ships.  Both lines sold 
    liquor very cheaply in their ship stores.  Also, many of the islands
    (St. Thomas seems to be the best) sells liquor very cheaply and
    packages it for you to carry home.  The prices are less than 1/2
    what I pay for the same liquor in Maine.  Some of the islands sell
    their own liquors and that's fun to sample and bring home too.
    
    Regards,
    Patty

    

    When we were recently on the Princess Crown Princess, they
    would take a liquor order from you, but only deliver the
    liquor at the end of the cruise.  They wanted to compete with
    the duty-free ports, but obviously they didn't want to
    cannibalize their per-drink bar bill.  

    On the three Royal Carribean boats I've been on, you could
    buy bottled liquor whenever the shops were open (mostly
    daytime when you're at sea).  They always claimed they'd
    match any price you found in port.

    
    Very interesting.  That was my concern.  I figured they might
    have a problem with not getting the high price of per-drink
    orders.
    
    I will be crusing on Royal Carribean's Song of America in May
    and it sounds like it will be ok on that ship.  This is a very
    helpful file.
    

	I will be on RCCL's Song of America on March 9th.  I will let 
        you know what the current liquor situation is when I return.

        cheers,
        Patty

    

    Cruise ships can sell duty free liquor etc while in transit, as they
    aren't under the auspices of any government.
    
    Another benefit I found was that fuel, in some places can be duty free.
    Flying a Beechcraft Baron from Bougainville Island in Papua New Guinea,
    to Port Moresby, about 1000 miles, it was worth a 100 mile detour to
    pick up duty free fuel in Honiara, in the Solomon Islands.
    
    q