Guests aboard Carnival Vista enjoy dancing on the ship’s lido deck during the “80s Rock-N-Glow” party.ANDY NEWMAN/CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE


lines. So should you pre-book or not? It


depends on who you ask. All of these agents said if you’re


wedded to an excursion, pre-book it because it may sell out, particularly on an Alaskan cruise. Excursions can be booked on the


cruise and Hopper and Schocke recom- mended taking excursions that are organized through the cruise company, because they are reliable and vetted. You don’t have time to check out a tour operator at port. But if you are a little more adventur-


ous and want to save a little money, you can book your own once you arrive at a port, said Boskus. If you are concerned with seasick-


ness, book a room mid-ship and on decks 5 through 8. Midship is more expensive, typically $50 per person, said Boskus. Many people do not get sick anymore


22 Living Well i January/February 2018


because the stabilizers and the size of the ship. If you are prone to seasick- ness, try the patch, suggested Schocke. If this is your first time sailing, then


know that seven-day cruises tend to have two formal diner evenings and attire will range from church dresses to sequins, so bring something fancy, said Hopper. Shorter cruises have one for- mal evening. You can purchase alcoholic drinks on


the ship, but if you enjoy your cocktails and plan to imbibe, you may want to consider a “cheers” or alcohol package which may save you money, said Hop- per.


Another way to avoid sticker shock


at the end of the journey is to pre-pay your tips. “I recommend doing because it is


one less thing on the account. It’s $13.50 per person, per day. That is an aver- age,” said Hopper. Also, when planning a cruise, if you


have a big family, you may qualify for a group discount which requires eight cabins and 16 people. Another common question for first


time cruisers is whether or not to book travel insurance? Yes, echoed these experts. “I always recommend travel insur-


ance and the reason is it protects them against cancelation if they have to can- cel for a reason like illness or death. It also gives them emergency medical care and lot of people don’t realize the insurance we carry often does not have much coverage out of the country. Trav- el insurance will cover you for an emer- gency or accident, even dental,” said Schocke. Regular insurance will help protect


against illness or a death, but there is new “Cancel for Any Reason” insurance that allows you to cancel, too. That is an additional cost, usually $50 per person, said Boskus.


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