Newbie cruiser with “dumb questions” :-)

[CruiseMom82]

Hello all I am sailing on the Serenade to Alaska with my husband in May, and this will be my first cruise! I have some “dumb questions” that I’m sure some of you more experienced cruisers will be able to answer. Thanks very much in advance! 

1. Do the state rooms really only have two power outlets? Do they have additional ones that are on a different standard, and if so is it possible to use a converter?

2. How do you go about sharing your surf and stream package between two devices? I have already purchased a single device package with the understanding that my husband and I can both use it as long as we are not using it at the same time, but I’m really not sure how this would work.

3. I’m trying to figure out what is the best way to make phone calls. We have AT&T which I assume will work in all the ports, but will we be able to use Wi-Fi calling on the ship?

4. I’ve heard some people talk about having two breakfasts, one in the room and then one in the dining room or buffet restaurant. Is this really a thing? I would love to be able to just order coffee in the room and then go sit down and eat after a little while.

5. Are there blackout curtains in the room? I think it’ll be pretty light for me trying to sleep in Alaska in May. Should I bring an eye mask or something?

6. How long does it really take to get off and on the ship when you are in Port? Or does it vary a lot from day today? If our schedule says that we will be in port for seven hours, should we really plan for five or six hours that we can be out exploring?

7. I know this is something no one ever wants to think about encountering on vacation, but what happens if you experience bedbugs in your room? Has this happened to anyone and how was it handled? At this point we are more worried about them than Covid!

Thanks everyone! 

 

[Btcruiser]

There is a lot going on in this post lol. But here’s the ones I can help answer for you.

1. Yes they really only have two outlets. 
 

2 and 3 I’m not sure of as I’ve never got the streaming service. 
 

4. you can definitely have two breakfasts. You can get room service or walk down to get a coffee and something small early and then head to the main dining room or windjammer later for a bigger breakfast. 
 

5. The rooms can be made very dark with the curtains. 
 

6. probably about 5-10mins on average to get off the ship. Does vary by port slightly depending how popular of a port is and if you try to get off right away or if you wait a little bit to let the first crowd go. 
 

7.  I would be stunned if you had bed bugs. They keep these ships super clean now more then ever but even before Covid they were on top of things. 

[Riley]

No such thing as a dumb question, though below may be some dumb answers....

1. It depends on the ship.  We have been on "Serenade" but I do not recall the number of outlets. There is likely a few in the cabin and one in the bathroom. NOTE: you can't ordinarily bring a multi-plug power strip so I'd recommend a couple pre-charged batteries in case your phones are running low and the outlets are taken. 

2. Can't help you on this one but someone with more technological know-how might be able to.

3. Yes if you have the streaming service you should be able to use WiFi.  We use WhatsApp and it's seamless.

4. Continental room service breakfast is complimentary (tip your crew person a buck or two!) which includes coffee, tea, juices, cereal etc.  Breakfast in the main dining room is usually pretty good and the Windjammer has anything/everything you'd like to try. 

5. Depends on the cabin (interior cabins are seriously dark!) but yes, there is a double curtain to keep light down. 

6. Once the gangway drops at each port you can wander on and off at will.  There is a big crush first thing to get off, especially if you end up disembarking when all the shore excursions are heading out as well, but you're only looking at maybe 10 minutes... they have to scan everyone's seapass card leaving and coming back plus xray to get onboard, which is the delay. These ports are SMALL and you can cover the whole place on foot in a few hours so you'll have plenty of time. For example in Skagway we got on and off several times to eat lunch, pick up a jacket, etc. (NOTE: if you stop in Ketchikan look into the Totem Bight State Park - it's way better than the Totem Pole places the shore excursions take you too and it's a $4 bus ride round trip. Ask at the information stand.)

7. Never encountered bed bugs but one of our folks had SOMETHING bite her in bed (could have simply been the scratchy sheets....) and she reported it to the cabin steward.  A guy from maintenance came and went over the cabin with great care including taking the entire bed apart and examinig each seam with a flashlight and blacklight. He didn't find anything but they take it seriously.

HAVE FUN!

[kadmgs]

1. Yes, only 2 outlets. However, there is also a European outlet as well. Get a travel outlet converter to use. Be aware of the different voltage on Euro plugs. For example, I plugged the hair dryer into my converter on Oasis in December and it got HOT, FAST and then shut off due to overheating... I forgot about the difference in American appliances (110 volts) versus Euro (220 volts). 

2. You will get a flyer with instructions in your cabin when you board about logging in. Basically, the system will recognize your stateroom number and it will know which plan you paid for. If you log in on your phone and your husband is already logged in on his, it will prompt you to log him out. You will then be able to log in on your device and vice versa.

3. You can use wifi calling. We do. Once on board, put your phone in airplane mode and manually turn your wifi back on. You can then use the wifi without using your cell data plan. 

4. yes, we order a light continental breakfast delivered each morning and then later in the morning have a "sit down" breakfast. We follow the "Hobbit" meal plan when cruising. 

5. Yes, it gets pretty dark. I've used hair clips to close the little tiny gaps at times if it shows through.

6. I would be careful to schedule anything within 2 hours of departure from a port unless you are on a Royal excursion. You don't want to get left if there is a complication. The ship will only wait for you if you are on a Royal sponsored excursion aka one you purchased through the cruise planner.

7. I've also never heard of anyone dealing with bedbugs onboard. Hotels, yes, but not on a Royal ship. 

 

[KJones]

1. USB hubs are allowed, so you can have multiple phones/ other USB devices charging on a single outlet.

[Pooch]

2.  You’ll set up a username & a password you can then share between devices.

[CruiseMom82]

Thank you so much to all of you for the helpful replies I am really looking forward to the trip now! Also wondering what changes might be a foot as the Serenade is currently in dry dock. 

[fa-li]

Serenade is a lovely ship, and imo a great size for a first cruise!

You can definitely bring a euro plug converter.  Your iphone and ipad (if you have these) will be fine as they are dual voltage.  If you'll be brining a hair dryer or flat iron, you can get ones that toggle between voltages.  I do this because there will be a small vanity for getting ready, and this is where the Euro plug is located.  

On Alaska cruises, you may be close enough to land to get AT&T coverage even when you are technically "at sea."  However, you may want to get their travel pass ($10 a day for first device, $5 for others, IF you take it out of airplane mode while abroad) so you don't accidentally get dinged with roaming charges while you are off the coast of Canada.  As others have said, WhatsApp works great too. 

You can always use a pants hanger from the closet to clip your drapes closed.  

Finally, you didn't ask for tips, but I strongly encourage you to bring a pair of good binoculars.  There are some great wildlife sightings to be had.  Enjoy!

[CruiseMom82]

Awesome info! I’m not sure if I have a euro plug adapter but I definitely have one for the UK, if these are the same or if there’s also a UK plug. I know all about the voltage requirements, having fried a blow dryer in the past when traveling abroad! And I already got a nice set of binoculars ready to go. Thanks again you guys! The information about the Internet and phone usage is especially helpful.

[Andy & Sheryl Unwin]

11 minutes ago, CruiseMom82 said:

Awesome info! I’m not sure if I have a euro plug adapter but I definitely have one for the UK, if these are the same or if there’s also a UK plug. I know all about the voltage requirements, having fried a blow dryer in the past when traveling abroad! And I already got a nice set of binoculars ready to go. Thanks again you guys! The information about the Internet and phone usage is especially helpful.

Europlug and UK plugs are quite different. We always carry an international power converter which has both. In addition with regards to power, the suggestion to have a USB hub was one we picked up from the live blog on youtube a few years ago. This is a huge one and I cant recommend it enough

[CruisingNewb]

19 hours ago, CruiseMom82 said:

4. I’ve heard some people talk about having two breakfasts, one in the room and then one in the dining room or buffet restaurant. Is this really a thing? I would love to be able to just order coffee in the room and then go sit down and eat after a little while.

Yes.  Of course this is a thing!

First breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, second dinner....If you are in Alaska and 16 to 18 daylight hours a day, fit in a second lunch.

 

[kadmgs]

24 minutes ago, CruiseMom82 said:

Awesome info! I’m not sure if I have a euro plug adapter but I definitely have one for the UK, if these are the same or if there’s also a UK plug. I know all about the voltage requirements, having fried a blow dryer in the past when traveling abroad! And I already got a nice set of binoculars ready to go. Thanks again you guys! The information about the Internet and phone usage is especially helpful.

The "international" plug fits multiple  plugs. Your UK converter will work just fine.