• Once you board the ship, everything is paid for except: alcoholic drinks, gambling, gift shop purchases, excursion tours, etc. All food, non-alcoholic drinks, entertainment, games, etc. are included in the price of the cruise. You will be provided an itinerary in your cabin regarding all shipboard activities...and they fill nearly every minute. You can take part or do as you please!

• You do not tip for every service (with exception of bartenders). You leave a tip in your cabin just prior to disembarkation. There will be literature in your cabin which will suggest the proper amount to leave for waiters, cabin boys, etc. This usually runs approximately $25.00 up per person but is more convenient than tipping for every single service.

• At the ship/shore desk, you can check out any excursions you might want to take once you get to you destination, such as snorkeling, etc.

• Unless you are on a truly up-scale cruise ship, most of the dress is casual, except at dinner where you might want to dress up in your "Sunday Best." There is one formal night (ranging all the way from Sunday Best to Sequins & Tuxedos) which is the Captain's party and is usually held the last night aboard ship.

Questions to ask when planning a family cruise

1. Are children's programs on this sailing available for all age levels in your group? Are there special children's/teens' clubs and/or shore excursions? Does the ship conduct any activities designed for the whole family to do together?

2. Do youth programs run all day, or only at certain times, breaking, for example, for meals? Are programs available on port days, so you might be able to take a shore excursion and leave children in the care of the youth counselors?

3. What is the ratio of youth counselors to kids? What is their training?

4. Are programs operated regardless of the number of children on board, or is there a minimum required? How many children are expected on your sailing? What age groups?

5. Is in-room baby-sitting readily available or only group child care? What are the fees and hours of operation, and how much notification is required?

6. Are special family cabins available? Connecting cabins? How large are these, and what is the price differential between getting a larger cabin for the family to share or two smaller cabins, which provide more privacy? Are children's rates or kids-cruise-free promotions available?

7. If you are booking a large family group, will the cruise line provide one or more free rooms, or an across-the-board discount for all your cabins? Will the ship arrange a private reception or other extras for your group?

8. Will the ship guarantee that your group has rooms near each other as well as adjacent tables in the dining room?

9. Will the ship allow you to pre-book shore excursions? (Some popular day-tours fill up fast, and some members of your group could get closed out if they wait until they are on board to book). An alternative is to have your travel agent look into booking you a private, customized tour at one or more ports, which can be less expensive and provide more flexibility for your family group.

10. Can you prepay gratuities and other preset charges? This is especially helpful when one person or a couple, such as grandparents, are hosting the entire group.

Please free to ask any questions that we have not covered here! We will probably want to add the
question/answer to the aforementioned list for other Travelers visiting the Atlas Web Site to benefit from. Either visit our Suggestions Area before you leave and put them in the Suggestion Box or send them by E Mail to:

DECLARATION: The information contained on this or any other page of the web site, Atlas Tour and Travel, is based on research of other sources, personal opinion and feedback from travelers. Although every effort has been made to be as error-free as possible, the information is not to be considered as being 100% accurate since facts can change and there must be an allowance for human error.