# Cruise tips (ocean, big ship) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** vacation-travel\ **Created:** [February 28, 2024, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255 "2024-02-28T22:19:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/41 "2024-02-29T18:54:04Z")
After our last and only cruise some 20 years ago my wife said “Never Again”. But, much to my surprise she organized another. This will be the British Isles. And then Norway. Also, we will spend a few days in Iceland on a layover flight. She is our vacation planner. Always does a great job. No complaints from me. Well, except one hike that nearly killed me. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/42 "2024-02-29T21:30:09Z")
> [@sciurophobic](#): > > Yes. You’ll be reminded every night to set your watch ahead an hour. Depends on the cruise line and itinerary. My last & next cruise they define "ship’s time as what it was at the departure port. No changes enroute. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/43 "2024-02-29T22:05:29Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Depends on the cruise line and itinerary. My last & next cruise they define "ship’s time as what it was at the departure port. No changes enroute. > [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > (Queen Mary 2, New York to Southampton) On eastbound transatlantic voyages the time changes every night. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/44 "2024-03-01T01:13:45Z")
Ah, I had missed that the OP had told us which line and cruise. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/45 "2024-03-01T01:33:33Z")
> [@sciurophobic](#): > > On eastbound transatlantic voyages the time changes every night. And I said, when we sailed that route, on the QE2, we changed our watches every day, no doubt so there wouldn’t be a big time gap when we arrived. But as I also said, the OP should sail west to pick up time. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/46 "2024-03-01T01:38:24Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > But as I also said, the OP should sail west to pick up time. I have read this other places too but I do not get it. If the trip takes (say) 150 hours it is the same east and west. How am I picking up time if I go west? Same amount of daylight each day. Same amount of night time. While the ship’s clock may jump an hour each evening my body clock is not jumping with it. Alas, for me, it is a moot point. The trip is planned, tickets bought and we are going east. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/47 "2024-03-01T07:57:53Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I have read this other places too but I do not get it. > > If the trip takes (say) 150 hours it is the same east and west. How am I picking up time if I go west? Same amount of daylight each day. Same amount of night time. While the ship’s clock may jump an hour each evening my body clock is not jumping with it. Say you need 8 hours of sleep, and breakfast is at 8. Neglecting getting dressed time, that means you have to go to bed at midnight. If, however, they set the clock back an hour, you get to go to bed at 1 am (another trip to the buffet!) and still get 8 hours of sleep. Going west you have to go to bed at 11. My body clock reset no problem with an hour change a day. We had a few time zone changes also in the Baltic, but since we left from Copenhagen and returned there, it balanced out. Of course I was a lot younger then. BTW, I’d be interested in hearing about your trip to see how Cunard has changed in 44 years. In 1980 it was old style cruising, two classes, kippers for breakfast, and formal nights. And lots of silverware at dinner. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/48 "2024-03-01T08:11:10Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > If the trip takes (say) 150 hours it is the same east and west. How am I picking up time if I go west? Same amount of daylight each day. Same amount of night time. While the ship’s clock may jump an hour each evening my body clock is not jumping with it. I’d suggest that your body clock is, but not at a rate that would produce jet lag, in the way that flying from New York to London might. I’ve never cruised, or taken a sea voyage between North America and Europe, but I have driven across Canada a few times (six time zones). Changing one hour a day, or maybe one hour in two days, is like switching from Standard time to Daylight Savings time, or vice-versa: negligible. Your body adapts at that rate, but it does not necessarily when you cross three or more time zones in a matter of hours, such as when flying. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/49 "2024-03-01T09:03:35Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > It turned out the Chief Engineer and Deputy Chief Engineer rotated at our table for lunch and dinner, and we got invited to a cocktail party in their quarters. I was watching some cruise tips YouTube videos and [this one suggested](https://youtu.be/c10ABSfddVw?t=185) that the crew are very strictly forbidden from socializing with the guests beyond their duties as crew (can the captain still sit with guests at dinner?). Times change…sad. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/50 "2024-03-01T14:30:42Z")
I’ve only been on one cruise, last year in Alaska. The only advice that I haven’t seen here is that there are websites that rate room locations for any given ship. I found that useful for an idea of what to avoid–is the room below a loud club/lounge that stays open until 2 a.m., or other things. My sister got a nice cabin at the back of the boat with a large deck. The problem was that the engine was right there, which was especially loud when we came in for docking. The day that we docked at 6 a.m. was not appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/51 "2024-03-01T14:30:49Z")
Officers can dine with guests. No guests are to be in crew quarters. No fraternizing in general, which has been the standard for at least 25 years. In _Starman Jones_ (1953), Robert Heinlein refers to this standard when Max (crew) tells Ellie (guest) he’ll get in trouble for visiting with her. When Max becomes an officer, he can dine with the guests. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/52 "2024-03-01T14:39:05Z")
In the olden days, you didn’t want working-class sailors seducing the daughters of aristocratic passengers. Nowadays, you don’t want your employees getting hit with #metoo lawsuits. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/53 "2024-03-01T14:56:30Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > How do I know what time it is? Will my phone update itself or do I need to find the ship’s clock (or something else)? Does that mean dining times move an hour each day from my perspective? I believe the cruise line app on my phone always shows ship time but I need to update the actual clock manually even if I am connected to the ship wifi. Extension cords apparently depend on the line- NCL allows extension cords/ power strips as long as they don’t have a surge protector and I always bring one for the CPAP because there’s no guarantee the ship will have enough Drink package depends - on NCL, I only pay the gratuity (about $20 day) so it’s worth it. It wouldn’t be worth it if I had to pay $109 per day. A lot of things are going to depend on what you like and some will depend on your itinerary - I only sleep in my room so I don’t care about a balcony except for Alaska and the Panama Canal where the decks will be crowded as people are looking at the glaciers or the locks. My husband likes to sit on the balcony and look at the ocean. Some people like to be seated at a shared table to meet people , others want the same server every meal and still others don’t want to plan ahead and want to decide email times and locations each day. Dress codes vary from line to line - on NCL , the most dressed up you have to get is long pants and a collared shirt for men. And even that is only at a couple of restaurants. Some friends went on a transatlantic ( I think the Queen Mary ) and they brought multiple tuxes and gowns. They probably didn’t have to - I suspect there was a buffet or some other casual place where they could eat dinner even in shorts but I know I wouldn’t want to eat at the buffet every day so I would bring at least a couple of dresses. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2024, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/54 "2024-03-01T20:33:13Z")
> [@susan](#): > > Officers can dine with guests. No guests are to be in crew quarters. No fraternizing in general, which has been the standard for at least 25 years. In _Starman Jones_ (1953), Robert Heinlein refers to this standard when Max (crew) tells Ellie (guest) he’ll get in trouble for visiting with her. When Max becomes an officer, he can dine with the guests. My experience was over 40 years ago. I didn’t see any officers at any dinners for at least 20 years. Everything on Cunard was reserved tables, so it was simpler there for the officers to dine. In the late '50s my great aunt went to Europe on the SS United States (which had the speed record) and we got to go on the ship to see her off. You can’t do that anymore! No security checks in 1980, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/55 "2024-03-02T00:06:31Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I was watching some cruise tips YouTube videos and [this one suggested](https://youtu.be/c10ABSfddVw?t=185) that the crew are very strictly forbidden from socializing with the guests beyond their duties as crew It used to be somebody on the ship would get involved with the ship’s doctor, bartender, or yeoman purser on every cruise. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/56 "2024-03-02T13:27:08Z")
Do casinos on ships serve free drinks like casinos on land as long as you are gambling? Do they give any other perks like land-based casinos? (I almost never gamble but a person I am traveling with likes to gamble.) ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/57 "2024-03-02T13:31:11Z")
I see what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/58 "2024-03-02T13:32:22Z")
It’s almost like a love boat. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/59 "2024-03-02T14:13:48Z")
Not necessarily - on NCL , we use our regular drink package in the casino except for drinks the package doesn’t cover ( the one I get doesn’t cover water or energy drinks or Starbucks). Because my husband is a gambler, we get a special card for those drinks that’s only good in the casino but if you don’t have a history of gambling on their ships and didn’t get a “free” cruise from a land casino drinks in the casino will be just like drinks in any other bar on board - either your package or pay by the drink. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255/60 "2024-03-02T14:46:05Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Do casinos on ships serve free drinks like casinos on land as long as you are gambling? > > Do they give any other perks like land-based casinos? Free drinks is ship-dependent I think. It might also vary depending on how busy they are. They do give perk points like most casinos, but since you’re a captive audience, they’re not as good as a land-based casino, and the pay-outs on the machines are usually worse as well. If you stick to blackjack and poker, you can play much like you would elsewhere, but pretty much everything else is worse odds. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cruise-tips-ocean-big-ship/998255.md?page=4)