Cruise FAQs

Hope this is helpful. If you have a question that's not listed here, please post it in the comments and I'll add it. Past cruisers, if you see any answers that are just not right, please correct me!

• What time should I get to the dock?
• How do I get from the airport to the dock and back?
• Do I need a passport?
• Will I get seasick?
• Can I bring drinks onboard?
• Is there a safe in the room?
• Is there a hair dryer in the room?
• How do you pay for things onboard?
• Do I have to make a photo group in advance?
• How does the photo op work?
• Do cell phones work?
• How much is internet?
• How much are drinks?
• How does the seating work?
• What did you spend total?
• What excursions should I do?
• When are roommates matched?
• When do you find out the themes?
• When do you get the full itinerary?
• How much sleep did you get?
• Should I bring my laptop?
• Can I pack an iron?
• Will there be a pre-party?
• What time do you get off the boat? How early can I book my return flight?
• When should I arrive in Miami?
• What should I tip?
• What about the door decorating?
• What should I wear?
• What are some odd things I should pack?
• What else should I pack?

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What time should I arrive at the dock?
Last year, boarding was from 12-4 p.m. However, people were lined up that morning. You'll be fine if you arrive by 2:30 or 3.

How do I get from the airport to the dock and back?
There are a few options for this. The easiest but not necessarily the cheapest way is to hop in a taxi. From Miami airport, this will set you back about $25 each way. From Ft. Lauderdale, I believe the rate is more like $70. However, if you are fitting 3-4 people in one cab, this could be the most cost effective. When you disembark at the end of the cruise, there will be a line of taxis waiting, so it doesn't require planning on either end of the trip.

Option two is to arrange a shuttle service. Last year, many BHs used SAS Transport. They charged $15 per person each way from Ft. Lauderdale. You must make reservations in advance either on their site or by calling 954-600-0240.

Option three is to book some sort of excursion (more on the Monday end) that will drop you at the airport. And there are other choices like driving or renting a car, but most people will probably choose taxi or shuttle.

Do I need a passport?

If you're not a US citizen, yes absolutely.

If you are a US citizen, not technically, but everyone (Carnival, Rose Tours, NKOTB) recommends it. If there was an emergency while you were in the Bahamas, you would not be able to fly home without a passport. If you really really don't want to get a passport, you need a certified copy of your birth certificate and your driver's license. If your name is different from your birth certificate, you may also need your marriage license (not sure).

Will I get seasick?
Maybe. I thought the boat was quite rocky, especially Sunday morning. Many people got behind the ear seasickness patches.

Anonymous tip: MythBusters tried out motion sickness remedies, including the pressure point wrist band and prescription pills. What worked hands down was the ginger capsules. No drowsy side effects, and might help with the stomachaches if you overindulge on the eating.

Can I bring drinks onboard?

Officially, when you board, you can bring one bottle (750ml) of wine or champagne, per person, only in carry-on luggage. You're also permitted a "small quantity" of non-alcoholic beverages. Unofficially, people got creative.

Is there a safe in the room?

Yes, a small one. It opens with a room key. But only one room key. That means one roommate can get in and the other can't (unless you borrow the key).

Is there a hair dryer in the room?
No, unless you are in one of the swankiest suites.

How do you pay for things onboard?
Everything is on your Sign and Sail card. You either attach it to a credit card when you board, or you pay some cash onto it and use it like a debit card. If you go over, they'll bill you and you can pay on the ship.

MDGirls: We used cash last year for the Sign and Sail Card and they not only bill you if you overspend, but if you put more on the card than you use they provide you with a check the last morning and you can cash it on the boat if need be :)

Do I have to make a photo group in advance?
No, but it will make your life easier. Just be sure to plan where and what time to meet before you even leave for Miami. It's tough to find each other without cell phones.

How does the photo op work?
Don't think of it as a meet and greet. It is a photo op. You will file in with your group of 10, pose, snap the photo, and file out. You get a free hi-res download of the photo.

Do cell phones work?
They WORK but they are outrageously expensive. I heard several stories of roaming charges in the triple digits on the next statement, and that's just to have service, not for any calls. Check with your carrier. Text messages can be $0.50/each and calls can be $4.50/minute and up. (There is a phone in your stateroom that costs something like $9.99/minute.) I kept my cell phone in the safe with the battery out just to be sure I wasn't roaming. See this post for lots more info.

How much is internet?
Depends on if you buy a 15-minute, 30-minute, or one-hour package. The one hour was $24. Each use was charged a minimum of 2 minutes.

How much are drinks?
$4 or $5 for a well drink or a beer. Up to $10 for a speciality drink. $2.50 for water or soda. There is an unlimited soda card you can buy for around $25.

MDGirls: They also have an alcoholic drink card similar to the soda card. I think it was $23, it was for 5 drinks. The only catch is you can only get whatever their daily specials are with it.

How does the seating work?
Suites are guaranteed the first five rows, and 6Es the first six. Seating is assigned based on the time of booking. So the first suite gets the closest row, the first 6E to book the first seat behind that, and everyone else by time of booking behind them. Aside from premium seat category rooms, having a more expensive room is unrelated to the seat you will be assigned.

What did you spend total?
In addition to the cost of my room, I spent at least $1500 last year. That's a conservative estimate. See more here.

What excursions should I do?
My personal recommendation is not to book anything in advance. Would you really want to be hiking if Donnie suddenly decided to have a hot tub party? Play it by ear and see what you feel like doing when you get there. In 2010, Rose Tours advised not to book ANY excursions.

nessa188: If you are flying out on Monday after 3pm, you may want to look into a Miami excursion. Hubby and I did this last year and it was a great way to pass the time. Plus, they drop you off at the airport, either MIA or FLL. We paid approx. $45 each for a guided architecture tour of South Beach. We booked the excursion on the ship.

When are roommates matched?
Rose Tours said they will match roommates after the final payments clear in mid-April.

When do you find out the themes?
Last year we got themes about a month in advance. That's also when we found out about the door decorating contest. 

When do you get the full itinerary?
Two weeks before sailing.

How much sleep did you get?
Very little. Of course it's up to you, but I think most people went on ~4 hours a night.

Should I bring my laptop?
Some people do to transfer photos. I did to tweet. Just keep in mind that it won't fit into the safe.

Can I pack an iron?
Iron, no. Travel steamer, yes. There are laundry facilities on board with at least a few irons/ironing boards.

Will there be a pre-party?
We don't know yet! Last year I don't think we found out till April.

What time do you get off the boat? How early can I book my return flight?
What time you disembark depends on what deck you're on and how much you've packed. It can be as early as 8:30 a.m. Rose Tours says not to book return flights before noon (Miami) or 1 p.m. (Ft. Lauderdale).

When should I arrive in Miami?
You can arrive the morning of the cruise and be fine. If you can arrive the day before, even better. Since you don't get much sleep on the cruise, it's nice to have a lie in and relax the morning of.

What should I tip?
You prepaid through Rose Tours for tips for dining and cabin staff. We also left a tip for our steward at the end of the trip.

What about the door decorating?

I haven't heard if this is happening again but my guess is that it will. We found out a month in advance last year. There was a theme, but it was very vague, and people did their own thing. Bring tape for the decorations, not magnets. The doors are 6'8" by 22".

What should I wear?

During the day, bathing suits/cover ups, shorts and tees, sundresses. It's very casual. For meals, as long as you're covered, you're fine. For dinner in the dining room, you can't wear bathing suits or be too disheveled. At night, dress for whatever the themes are!

What are some odd things I should pack?
Make sure to bring a power strip (there's only one outlet), a nightlight (or stub your toes at night), and a travel alarm (there's no clock). Since the bathrooms are tiny, an over the door shoe organizer is a good way to hold toiletries.

What else should I pack?

See this entry.