Remember that when you check in, they will put a hold on your credit card ( the ship) for about $60 US a day, for onboard charges. They will not CHARGE your card, but they will put a hold on that amount, or whatever their set amount is.dd
And Ephesus is amazing, just truely the most amazing place I have ever been.
Although I have lost all credibility on this issue, there are ferries across to Asia for more convenient straddling Istanbul Ferryboats
There are two types of pay for tippable staff; the guarantee and the salary. The salary is less than a dollar per hour, so for a two week cruise, you’re looking at maybe $100. The guarantee is a minimum the person will be paid if the tips don’t meet the guarantee. It’s so low, though, that the tips always meet the guarantee, so it’s essentially meaningless. It’s something like $300/week.
Generally, though, waiters and state room attendants make about 30,000 USD per year. Yet that’s almost all in tips. This is why I said that if you don’t tip, you’re essentially stealing their service. Sure, there’s a safety net if they don’t make enough, so it’s not exactly exploitative, but the point is you’re tipping them their paycheck, not just a bonus for excellent performance.
This is worthy of mention because after two weeks, you’ll know each other well. You’ll know your waiter and stateroom attendant. And I don’t want you to screw over your new friend, thinking that the company’s got their back.
I love cruises. Our Mediterranean cruise was really good. For us, the compatibility comes from our liking to sample. We aren’t the type who can stay in one city for a week and be happy.
I agree with most of the advice above, especially cruise critic. I love planning my vacations, so I usually end up going with lots of info. I find it helpful, but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. If you are sticking to cruise tours then you’re pretty much set. You can get a better deal by booking on your own, but the convenience factor (especially in non-English speaking countries) can make the ship tours worthwhile. I think a ships tour is practically required at the smaller ports, otherwise there isn’t much to do at all.
The only ports I’ve been to that you are going to are Rome and Naples. Naples was a highlight for us. We hired a driver (we were a group of 8 so that was both more convenient and cheaper than a ship tour). We went to Pompeii and Positano. Loved it.
Rome was okay. Not great for us, but that is a personal thing.
Don’t be scared, but do be careful with your wallet. Don’t take out money in public out in the open. If you have to get to your wallet, do it inside a shop or something.
As for cruising, I love the mix of “doing stuff” and “doing nothing.” On port days you get up early and go exploring. Then when back at the ship you can relax! When we do non-cruise vacation, we tend to forget the “relax” part, but on a Cruise, that relax time is built in, which is good for us. It might take a day or two for you to find your groove. For us, it was drinks in a lounge before dinner. We would get drinks, listen to the live music and read books. Maybe for you it will be the hot tub or pool. Or pub trivia. or maybe something different each day.
I don’t believe Turkey uses the Euro.
Check with your bank to see if you can use your ATM card in Europe. If you can without terrible fees, that is your best option for cash. Most credit cards will hose you with “foreign transaction fees.” We made liberal use of ATMs in France and it worked out well, though that also goes against my “don’t flash cash in public” rule for Italy.
Food service has been changing. In 1980 when we went over on the QE2 we had seatings and a reserved table for lunch and dinner. And maybe breakfast, I forget. In 2001 on a Princess liner we had a reserved table for dinner, not lunch. Two years ago on NCL we had no reserved tables - it was more normal restaurant style. I don’t know how Carnival does it, but he may not have a waiter.
However I certainly agree with your larger point, which is to tip. And more than the suggestion if the service is good, but definitely no less.