I'm a caregiver and a guy I took care of recently passed, he was an avid cruise-goer. He got me into watching all of these cruise info videos even though I've never been on a cruise myself. Watching this made me smile.
Then you should 100% go on a cruise so all the fun the two of you had watching them is not in vain. You will not regret it and he'll be with you the whole time.
For anyone interested, if you are flexible and can sail within a 90 day period, Vacations to Go is where I shop cruises. There are many itineraries and cruise lines available. Just an FYI
As someone who lives in Orlando (and has worked at Disney), if you are planning to be in the Disney area for a few hours (say, after a cruise) but you don’t want to ride any rides, go to Disney Springs!! There’s so much to do there and both parking and admission is completely free. You can also board the buses from there to basically get to any other place on property, so us locals like to use dsprings to resort hop. My favorite resorts to visit for a brief day trip are Coronado Springs (massive, beautiful, and not at all crowded resort with so much good food) and Polynesian/Grand Floridian (iconic and right next to each other on the MK monorail loop)
I would like to point out that the Royal Refreshment package can be an excellent value. I don’t even really drink mocktails and I still get the RR package. I am Diamond+ (so I get 5 free drink vouchers up to $14 each, daily). I’m also a Prime member in the casino so I get free drinks there. I still get the RR package. Like you said, it’s about the math. On a ship like Symphony, it’s a great value. A shake at Johnny Rockets is about $6. A fresh smoothie from the Vitailty Spa Cafe is $8.25. Specialty coffee drinks are around $6. But I use it most for bottled water which is $3.25 each. I stockpile bottled water because we are big water drinkers and like to be able to take off the ship at ports as well. Also the packages work on the RC private islands which is nice.
I cruise 2 to 3 times a month on royal caribbean. I cruise FREE everytime well i pay the port taxes, Theres so many tips and tricks to cruising😊 Biggest tip is if you gamble make sure you use your card in the machines and 1200 points gets you a free cruise BUT you have to pay the deposit before getting off the ship
shhhhh! the more people know the less opportunities we'll have to book :) I was just on a 14-day Panama Canal cruise on Celebrity and the people coming into the casino were asking all about using the points and getting cruises. Now when I try to book there are a lot of cruises that are offered that fill up within da.
Lol! Yeah, I did 17 cruises last year for about $1500 in port taxes and fees. You are right about putting a deposit down with Next Cruise, you can book a complimentary casino cruise off the ship but you lose the free slot pay from the casino and the onboard credit from Next Cruise. My best cruise.was a 12 night cruise out of Miami. RC’s panama canal cruises are always booked so no freebies there.
I have been cruising since 1982, and just completed my #142 cruise. I have cruised on “budget” to “ultra luxury” lines. I have booked cruises using just about every method available, including visiting a travel agency before the internet. The base price for a cruise is basically the same no matter where you book your cruise, it’s the promotion, discounts and extras that makes the difference. I know the rules, will not name names. One of the major warehouse clubs offers a gift card, which is a percentage of the cost, which can add up to hundreds of dollars as “discount”. I have been using a major travel agency for the last 10 years, which for me, has worked out great. They have “group rates” which beats just about every price. In addition to great prices, my agent often has promotions which includes OBC, gratuities, WiFi, and specialty dinning. And if there are any “sales” after we book, but before final payment, she rebooks it and adjusts the price. If it’s after final payment, she adds the price drop to the OBC. FYI - Royalty Caribbean is not a cruise line for “foodies”. My next two upcoming cruises are on Oceania and Viking Ocean, where the food is great.
My parents are 30+yr cruisers on Royal Caribbean. They have stuck by the company even though trying other brands from time to time. I don't think you are going to go wrong cruising with them as long as you are aware (like you did your research) what things really cost and what to shy away from. Nice to hear your take on your holiday!
Hi, a tip for watching stuff from your tablet or phone on the tv screen, you can bring an hdmi cord and an adapter to connect it to your device so you can watch downloaded content on the tv. Thanks for all the great info!
Are you sure they weren't in any of the onboard shops? I have been able to purchase these items on the ship, in the shop (where other medications are sold). The mark-up is phenomenal, but when you're caught off guard it was good to have that option, even if it was $$.
They have them in the shop and you can ask for one anywhere and have it delivered. They aren't kept in the bathrooms because kids do weird stuff from 10:30 until 1 am bed time.
I was on a cruise in 2014 on The Explorer of The Seas. It was a 10 day cruise with a friend. We went full out and got a balcony room, that was something we both dreamed of. We went to 4 islands. We never bought any excursions from the ship. We winged it lol. We were able to go online before the cruise and see what each island had to offer. It was so much cheaper and we still did alot. You can find people waiting at the ship dock to give you a tour on most islands. We really did well touring each island, going to a museum in Samana, Dominican, Republic, I was able to score some pieces of Larimar stone jewelry there on the cheap. We also went to St.Thomas, St.Kitts, and St. Maarten. We went up the hill in St Thomas and saw the castle/ fort there, and on up for their world's famous Banana Daiquiris---not going to lie ( I got completely $hitfaced there and...I don't normally drink like that 🤣)---so much fun.... We actually went thru Uniglobe for the package trip, and they get the drink packages, dinner seating, etc...but once we were there, we found ways of doing things when we got on board on our own 😉
Ahh Jen how did i not know you had another channel?! My husband and I took our kids on Royal's Oasis of the Seas (so huge like Symphony) last year. And we just actually got back from a 7 night on Carnival Celebration (carnivals biggest ship..but still not close to as big as oasis class ships). We had an amazing time and the roller coaster on the ship was really cool...plus Guys Burgers was AMAZING. But overall, i pick Royal Caribbean every single day. Thats insane that they weren't selling tampons or pads!! Ok Oasis they had a big vending machine with all kinds of body care products, teeth stuff,ect and it also had tampons. But you are one million percent right about the facebook groups being SO helpful!! On Carnival you couldnt book a spot for any show or entertainment...so you had to line up early and hope you were able to get a seat for everything. I really appreciate royal Caribbeans way of doing that now lol Your time dining wasnt an option? Thats what we did on both cruise lines. Then when you wanted to eat there you just went on the app and said I'm ready to eat... My crab cake at Chops was really good..but nowhere else. I live in PA...like 1.5 hours from Maryland lol Oh lordy i have been to WDW 6 times...the last time was in October 2021 for 9 days. We spend an entire 2 days(morning till close) in Epcot and still didn't get to do all the things i wanted. I can't even imagine the torture only having a couple of hours would be...buuut I'm also a complete Disney lunatic (disney adult 🙄) haha. I will say, if you are an animal lover...there are several amazing animal experiences you can do that are near the port in Cape Canaveral.
FYI medical has tampons and pads. Some strange rule they have to be handled by medical. If you pick up the phone there and they come fast. I had an emergency on a cruise long story but they came fast and took great care of me
When my mom and I did a cruise one tip I had learned was, pack a swimsuit in a backpack as a carry-on and in the time before you are allowed in your room, go to a pool. Most people don’t have their swimsuits handy so the pools are mostly empty. The most empty they’ll ever be during your stay. Our drink package was significantly cheaper though and I paid for it for us so we could have lattes and better wine selections at dinners. Worth it for us. Our tea party was free you just needed to make reservations. We did a Viking cruise. Expensive but so many cool things I like better than larger cruises. Fun video!
Refreshment package is huge. Cause it includes Starbucks level coffees, smoothies, fresh squeezed juice not concentrate, works on private islands, and even offers 50% alcohol during dining services. Yes also soda, water, etc
The Facebook groups can get ridiculous. Tons of good info but also TONS of people giving wrong answers that have no clue what they’re talking about. And some of them take their jobs way too seriously. Getting kicked out and blocked is a little overboard, no pun intended
I am a 57 yr old Diamond Plus cruiser who is fairly faithful to Royal. I’ve been cruising since ‘89 and was a travel agent briefly from 1988-1990 with a passion and focus on cruising. Thumbs up on your video and detailed information.
Great advice, especially about the crab cakes. I’m from MD too, Eldersburg, Carroll County. Disney cruise line doesn’t know what a MD lump crab cake is either.
As an avid cruiser this women is 100% spot on. Solarium Bistro is No longer a secret your 100% correct eveyone knows about it. Not worth going up there for food. Your also 100 % correct on the lump crab cakes. No crab no shrimp no lobster no nothing Its just a mush ball and yes No obay. Yes always pay for the room you want to be in. Yes you need to be at triva at least 45 min early or theres no seats and it sucks standing there for an hr writing down your answers. Great job on this video.
Just got back from Symphony today. I’m a HUGE UA-cam planner and apparently can’t stop watching videos even after the trip. Anyway great stuff. We had very similar experience the week after you. Great ship, great cruise and great info positive or “negative” for anyone planning.
I felt your pain when you were talking about the crab cakes. I’m an Alaskan who knew better than to order the salmon. It was advertised as Atlantic salmon, which meant it could’ve been farmed, but also wasn’t pacific, so yuck. The chef actually came out to speak with us to make sure we were happy with what we ordered because my husband and I made the mistake of discussing it in front of our attendant. Oops! In regards to the Facebook groups and your tampon situation, we had a poster who needed supplies and several posters helped her out because they’d brought extras. The Facebook groups can definitely come in handy!
We were on the same cruise. Not a fan of Nassau but I do like the recent changes. Also, people were spending $66 PP to enter a hotel beach. My husband and I kept walking and enjoyed Junkanoo beach and walked over to twin brothers for conch salad. I would tell people just be vigilant of your surroundings. Bags on disembarkation was a nightmare. We were number 7 and I found my bags in 43. They stopped me from searching I had to sneak in to get my bags. Will keep my bags next time. We booked Izumi, the sushi was amazing!
My bf and I didn’t get the drink package since we knew we wouldn’t drink enough, but every time we tried to buy a cocktail or specialty coffee a la carte the bartenders looked shocked and were like are you sure?! You don’t have a drink package though?! 😮 It was so funny! Like just because we want a drink every once in a while doesn’t mean we want to drink 5-8 drinks a day, which was the amount we would’ve needed to for the price to be worth it
If you are not a drinker, it is cheaper to buy an occasional drink. Some are priced as much as $14 plus gratuities which can become pricey. I get 6 free drinks a day now (loyalty program) but usually drink one a day. Have fun on your next cruise.
I wanted to mention too that the specialty coffee, bottled water, fresh juice, and soda are also included so if you only have two or 3 alcoholic drinks per day but also a soda and a coffee then water all day in between and for your cabin, it can sometimes be worth it depending on if you can find a sale price. I still don’t usually get the UDP because I dont really drink at all but I always see people who think it’s only worth it if you plan to drink 8 drinks a day. ❤
@@OceanBlueandCraftytooexactly. People tend to forget that all those are also included. I am sick of seeing people say, "I have to drink 5-8 drinks a day." Like they have to drink nothing but alcohol all day. They tend to forget it includes all drinks. If only people could read the whole description lol
Thank you for your video. It is refreshing to hear from someone who actually has complaints. I feel like the usual cruise vloggers do everything they can to make it all seem so great. I love cruising, but there definitely are drawbacks that you need to be aware of. One additional tip is that if you do get the drink package many cruise lines will not deliver a drink to your room you have to go to the bar, same with the bottles of water. I really enjoyed princess Cruise because we would order two glasses of wine and an appetizer to watch the sunset on our balcony. Carnival and won’t do that and I can’t get a straight answer as to whether Royal Carribean will. We are cruising Royal Caribbean in January. I’ve called the customer service number several times and you get a different answer, depending on who you speak to.
My Mom loved to cruise. She was a pro! I agree that everyone needs the 411. When she started she had friends that had been doing it for years. She was very particular about her cabin placement. I am glad you had fun. Thanks for all the information. Mad love ❌️ ⭕️
I'm also a Baltimore native. I never bother to even order crab cakes outside of Maryland, And, outside of Maryland, "Maryland-Style Crab Cake" is NEVER really a "Maryland-Style" crab cake.
Thanks for the video Jen. I too watched alllll the info videos before my cruise. One thing that no one told me was that for a week I would deal with disembarkation syndrome. I realized I had my sea legs once I got home from my flight and went to get in the shower and I couldn't stop the sensation of feeling like I was still on a boat. I dealt with it for about a week. Some people say it lasts a few days but it stayed with me for a week. It's something that no one mentions in their cruise videos. Great video. I can't wait to go on another cruise even if I get sea legs for a week.
I just disembarked my last Royal Caribbean cruise on 6/8/24. They sold both tampons and pads in the shops. They also have them available from Guest Services, or you could ask your room attendant and they will gladly deliver them to your cabin. They aren't in the bathrooms because people flush them, which causes blockages in the pipes. Coincidentally, flushing objects other than waste and toilet paper is the number one issue maintenance deals with on these ships.
Heeeeey travel agent here! 🙋♀️ Most cruise sailing groups are run by travel agents and they are WEIRD about their no promotion rules. My guess is that the rule applied to your post because it was a video and the algorithm could do its thing and lead people down a rabbit hole of RCCL content by other travel agents. 🙃 You should try Virgin Voyages next!
THANK YOU so much for this video. I came across it a few days ago and loved it. So truthful and comprehensive. Sometimes that's missing in other cruise videos. I realized that some others are positive and then see they get early access/perks, etc. that may be driving the positive remarks. Since I did some of the activities you mentioned, e.g., chocolate factory, I knew that your video was very honest, but also delivered in a respectful manner.
My wife and I are going on a RC Cruise in a few months. I felt like this video was great. It felt very honest and you were also self aware. 100% Good Review Thanks for sharing.
I'd also have a small amount of meds on hand. They didn't have any and the ones they had were like 2 pills for $15. So like benadryl, tylonal, motion sickness
So glad you had a wonderful cruise. Since I suffer from motion sickness, river cruises are the only ones I can stomach. My husband and I just finished a river cruise on the Danube and had an amazing time🚢
Thank you so much for informing us about the balloon drop because me and my friend that are going on a cruise in JAN and my husband we are ALL Veterans that suffer from PTSD and popping balloons without us knowing its coming would have sent us into an episode, a trauma induced literal episode.
I'll be honest, I went into this video thinking "oh here's more of the same tips", as I as well have watched a lot of those videos. I was pleasantly surprised, seriously these are some top tier tips, thank you so much!!
Not on Oasis Class ships. Those ships are HUGE and the typical midship=short walk isn't necessarily true on those ships. Look at the deck plan for rooms CLOSE TO THE ELEVATOR (preferably midship), but Oasis Class is built weird, so FINDING the middle can be difficult. Best to look for ELEVATOR near the room you want. Ship is easy to walk everywhere BUT the room hallways 😂😂
If you are going on RC, I always recommend getting “the key” comes with internet, you get special seating at shows, you get to leave the ship first on port days and upon embarkation, you can leave your carry-ons at their kiosk and they will bring your bags to your room. Lastly, you can leave the ship early to avoid crowds when disembarking at the end of your cruise.
O god no don't do the key. Total waste of money. We watch people all the time with it board first and then 10 min later we're right behind them. No Key...Bad Idea!!!
@@bigguy1403 it’s not much more than vroom package. I don’t have to drag my carry on around in the first day, you get preferred seating at shows and more importantly I don’t have to wait in line to get off the ship. It’s worth it to me.
@@cccullen I Never wait in line getting off the ship. I try and pick an early time and then I walk right off the ship when the key or pinacal people are walking off. Noone Ever stops you or says anything except to say thank you for cruising with us. Then I go down to my luggage group wait a few minutes till my bags come out they open the gate and I walk over to my bags that were brought out and head home. As for preferred seating at the shows those seats are not the best seats in the room there are much better seats to be had. I made the mistake of getting the key a while back and after talking to so many people that had the key and told us what to do instead and save a good chunk of money you'll learn other hacks to do that are much better then the key.
Symphony has some great shows. Hairspray is so much fun, and the production show, Flight, is wonderful and oddly emotional? At the end, I'm like, "Why am I tearing up over aviation?" The thing I tell new cruisers is to make sure to check out the cruise compass (the daily schedule) for all the live music that happens every evening. Royal Caribbean has a great live music program fleetwide.
Very informative. Just came back from an Alaskan cruise and I wish I knew there was a FB group. Because of your video, I just joined a FB group for my transatlantic crossing in October. Regarding disembarking... we used the luggage valet service (where they bring your luggage directly to the airport and check it for you). Brilliant. Would use it again in a heartbeat. Cheers!
Totally agree you have to do the math on drink packages. Also, you are allowed to bring 1 bottle of wine per person. So if you like a certain kind or just want a little something one night that’s also an option. (When I went on Symphony in 2022 it was 2 bottles each, so we brought 4).
YES! I should have mentioned that! I like a glass of wine with dinner, so I brought 2 bottles of wine. I ended up drinking half of one and bringing the other bottle home.
Hi, I have a question about bringing your own wine, I read that each bottle should be $15 or less and also in some research I've been doing people say to put them in your carry on. My question is, I'm planning to bring only a medium suitcase and a travel backpack as a personal object, do you know if it is allowed to put the wine in the backpack? Thank you ♥️♥️
@@daisy0729 we packed our wine in our checked bag since we had to fly to Miami And TSA wouldn’t allow it for carry on. Once in Miami we moved it to our backpack/ personal item. Our wine was over $15 for sure (not expensive but more than $15). When we went through security at the cruise terminal they didn’t even take our wine out of our bags to check it. Some other guests had theirs taken out to look at but not many. It was very easy to bring with us in our personal item. Hope this helps.
Im cruising for the first time in my adult life (37f last cruise and only other was on carnival in 2003) on msc later this year and have gone down the rabbit hole of youtube cruise advice videos. Thank you so much for your thoughtful information as someone who doesn't cruise often.
If you happen to have young kids, my kids favorite thing was that the entertainers came out in costume after the show for photos. (Well, with adults too.) You'd think they were meeting Taylor Swift as excited as they were. I've never seen another line do that.
im getting old so i always book a 6pm dinning slot. the place is only 1/2 full so you get in and out quickly. and then you are free to go to the nighttime shows
Going on this ship in Sept, so as everyone does I was looking for all the news I can find, so was glad to come across your video. At long last someone has information that nobody else mentioned. Well done you
I do stuff. We love it. Definitely should be a permanent thing on your videos! Forgot to comment this earlier. My wife and I also hate seeing the news on the ship. We want to stay in our cruiseship bubble. We even avoid listening to people when they start talking about world stuff. The depressing bad world stuff will still be there when I return to reality. We love our bubble.
Love this new channel! You are a wonderful story teller and very thorough and truthful with your reviews (cosmetics, dining, holidays and now cruises 🚢) without coming across as unnecessarily rude or unkind. More of all the things please 🙏 ❤
i am Australian. the price advertised is the all inclusive price. you can tip if you want to there are specialty restaurants and drinks that cost extra. but there are no hidden fees like gratuities/taxes/port fees. * it is the same in our shops, the price marked is the price you pay.
Thank you for your comment regarding no tampons on Symphony of the Seas! I was also going through perimenopause when I went on a cruise in Sept 2022 with my husband for our 25th anniversary and unexpectedly got my period on the 5th day of a 7 day cruise, we luckily found one box of tampons in the second gift shop we went to, they were some foreign brand that were terrible but better than nothing, I wish I had posted something then to save someone else the same aggravation! It really did ruin the last two days of our cruise. I told my husband never again Royal Caribbean, but we were planning a family vacation this year and when we looked at the video tour of Wonder of the Seas, they had a vending machine and tampons were among some to the items in there, so it must just be a Symphony of the Seas problem. I did however see something on Wonder of the Seas that I thought was odd, one day at the windjammer a woman in front of us was turned away for lunch because she was wearing this cute bralette top and a matching pair of pants, they said due to dress code, but then my husband and I didn't attend the formal night because My husband didn't want to wear a jacket and tie, he just had button downs and polo shirts for the main dining room regular nights, but my son went with his girlfriend and they said that there were men in shorts that were permitted to dine. That seems backwards to me, it seems like what is the point of having rules if you are only going to enforce them when it's convenient?
Thank you so much for this video. I'm a cruiseship virgin and found this so, so very helpful. I'm planning to go in about 1.5-2 yrs (planning, etc 😊). I'll be adding these tips to my to-do/tips & tricks list.
OK, hands-down the best video. I’ve watched so far before my first cruise. You answered so many of my questions. I’m still afraid to hit the buy button because I know there will be so much more added to the process. If you ever make a video, and I am going to look for one after I post this, I would like that information going through the process. You got a fan in me now.
The best thing I just learned from this video was "Don't go to the balloon drop if you don't like balloons popping all around you!" Thank you for that. I would not have even thought about it before this video! Your video was very detailed oriented and full of great info!
Honestly I really enjoyed hearing about your trip in addition to your tips & tricks. I feel like it'll be cool to hear you talk about random stuff for sure.
We did a Princess cruise. Iced tea and lemonade in buffet was free and then I brought some water enhancer squeezy bottle stuff. So much cheaper when travelling with teen boys. We also brought reusable/recyclable lidded tumblers with straws. Walmart has them every summer. 8$C for 6.
Thank you, I just came across your video (UA-cam algorithms) and found it really interesting. I haven’t been on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship since 2011 so I know that a lot has changed. In the back of my mind I’m thinking to do something with them and your “be aware” notes are actually very informative. Thank you.
Hey JenX, that was a fantastic description of your experience on Royal Caribbean. My wife and I will be planning a trip in June'25 and I was considering this cruise line. None of the other blogs had information that you described and I am grateful. Was wondering if you booked your trip through a travel agent or directly w/Royal Caribbean. I don't know what you do for a profession but your oratory skills are excellent.
2 tips I learned. You are allowed to bring two 750ml bottles of wine or champaign and 12 cans of soda on board. If the diving show is open air, don't book it for your last night because it might rain. Book an interior show. If it does rain on the night you booked you have a chance to see it another night going standby. Don't miss the parade if there is one.
In 2012, on a Holland cruise, the same thing happened to my sister. She was in perimenopause, hadn't had a period for most of the year just like you… and suddenly it started on the ship. THANKFULLY I brought a ton of tampons just in case my period started a day or two early. She was able to buy a box at one of the ports. But same thing, no tampons or pads on the ship. Absolutely ridiculous. Sad to hear this hasn't been resolved.
Harmony of the seas in the public restrooms some of the bathrooms they did have pads and tampons. We were on the cruise also front desk will have seasickness pills thank you so very much for the information this is so helpful the next time we take a cruise
Really enjoyed your non-glossy “tips and tricks” and LMAO about the crab cakes and Old Bay🤣🦀, I’m working my way towards a first cruise and this was really helpful, THANKS!
I've never done a cruise, but my family and I recently went to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico and there were SO many things that I wish I had known before we went, not dissimilar to some of the things you talked about on your cruise!
Hey Jen! I came over from your UA-cam channel. My family and I are doing Carnival and I saw you here and realized I knew you! Kinda... I always enjoy your content, I always learn something.
I can definitely attest to the expect to pay more personally. In another video by Modern MBA, he cites how on average, passengers pay 30% more on extras like excursions, wifi, specialty dining, et cetera for the Cruise Line alone. Great tip about the fb group also!
Being from Baltimore, and moving with my husbands job for so many years, and have lived in Virginia for 30 years….no one has MD style crab cakes, like we get on Maryland! I’ve tried also. Lol. Take some old bay with you and get shrimp 😁 Glad you had a great cruise!
Great tips, Jen! I am an avid cruiser but haven't been on a RC cruise before (Princess, Holland America, and Celebrity are our go-tos). I'd add to this video that your experience is going to be different from cruise line to cruise line, particularly dining.
I'm a newbie going on my first cruise in November 2024. Fortunately I'm going with some experienced cruisers, so I'm relying on them for a lot. Like Jen, I've watched tons of cruise videos to get an idea of what I'm getting myself into. I'm taking Celebrity (instead of RC) since I'm in my 60s and not a fan of being around kids all the time (I have none of my own). The biggest reason I am hesitant about going on a cruise is that I'm not a beach person who wants to lay around in the sun all day long. Hopefully there will be plenty of shade to sit in to enjoy watching others having fun in the pools. I'm told that cruises are great, so I figured while I can still get around, I'd go on one (probably the only one I'll ever be able to afford). So tips on where to spend my money is important. I have no clue about excursions and whether they are something I'd wanna do. I'll be taking a Caribbean cruise. There's still so much I'm confused about. Hopefully when the time comes I'll be excited about going and not worried cruises are not for me.
You can cast movies from streaming services on the Wonder of the Sea if you have the internet. We had two tvs one was huge one small and interior room.
I wish they would have had a digital option on the cruise I went on a few years ago, I booked all my excursions prior to the cruise cause I knew there was a couple things I for sure wanted to do! 🤗
Very helpful information! I am planning my first cruise, so I don't know what I don't know (yet) and I appreciate all the topics covered candidly in the video.
I watched this because I watch all your videos. But I have since registered for a conference which is on a cruise which happens to be Royal Caribbean. So these tips are helpful!
Jen, I am sailing on Symphony this summer and just like you I watched everything…thank you so much for this! You helped me to learn a few new things I was curious about but no one else has mentioned! ❤
with the balloon drop I always thought they could put some tickets with prizes in some. 10% of your next cruise. free upgrade on your net cruise. 2 for the price of one specialty dining. * with that I also thought prizes could be more prevalent. My friend went on a cruise and got a stupid plastic trophy for winning trivia night. his wife got a 2-inch cruise ship for winning the limbo competition. both had the ship's name on them. probably cost the ship 10C each, but was a talking point when they got back.
I will never buy a drink package. We hit Diamond two cruises ago an get 4 drink vouchers each for each each day of the cruise. My wife doesn't drink at all so I can use hers, but I don't do more than 3 drinks a day, but can also use it for shakes or specialty waters, etc. Also, being Prime in the casino we get free drinks from the casino bar when the casino is open. I am glad you brought up the lump crab cakes. I was on RC ship where they actually made a lump crab cake that was good. We also live in Maryland. I make little things to put on your cruise door to help you find it. Reach out before your next cruise and I will send you one for your cruise.
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I'm a caregiver and a guy I took care of recently passed, he was an avid cruise-goer. He got me into watching all of these cruise info videos even though I've never been on a cruise myself. Watching this made me smile.
I hope you can go on a cruise one day and think of this guy. Cruising is so much fun
Then you should 100% go on a cruise so all the fun the two of you had watching them is not in vain. You will not regret it and he'll be with you the whole time.
Yes! Go on a cruise if you have a chance. They are soooo much fun.
For anyone interested, if you are flexible and can sail within a 90 day period, Vacations to Go is where I shop cruises. There are many itineraries and cruise lines available. Just an FYI
Shop there don’t book there…. Book direct with cruise line. Same prices.
As someone who lives in Orlando (and has worked at Disney), if you are planning to be in the Disney area for a few hours (say, after a cruise) but you don’t want to ride any rides, go to Disney Springs!! There’s so much to do there and both parking and admission is completely free. You can also board the buses from there to basically get to any other place on property, so us locals like to use dsprings to resort hop. My favorite resorts to visit for a brief day trip are Coronado Springs (massive, beautiful, and not at all crowded resort with so much good food) and Polynesian/Grand Floridian (iconic and right next to each other on the MK monorail loop)
Thank you!
I would like to point out that the Royal Refreshment package can be an excellent value. I don’t even really drink mocktails and I still get the RR package. I am Diamond+ (so I get 5 free drink vouchers up to $14 each, daily). I’m also a Prime member in the casino so I get free drinks there. I still get the RR package. Like you said, it’s about the math. On a ship like Symphony, it’s a great value. A shake at Johnny Rockets is about $6. A fresh smoothie from the Vitailty Spa Cafe is $8.25. Specialty coffee drinks are around $6. But I use it most for bottled water which is $3.25 each. I stockpile bottled water because we are big water drinkers and like to be able to take off the ship at ports as well. Also the packages work on the RC private islands which is nice.
I cruise 2 to 3 times a month on royal caribbean. I cruise FREE everytime well i pay the port taxes, Theres so many tips and tricks to cruising😊 Biggest tip is if you gamble make sure you use your card in the machines and 1200 points gets you a free cruise BUT you have to pay the deposit before getting off the ship
shhhhh! the more people know the less opportunities we'll have to book :) I was just on a 14-day Panama Canal cruise on Celebrity and the people coming into the casino were asking all about using the points and getting cruises. Now when I try to book there are a lot of cruises that are offered that fill up within da.
Lol! Yeah, I did 17 cruises last year for about $1500 in port taxes and fees. You are right about putting a deposit down with Next Cruise, you can book a complimentary casino cruise off the ship but you lose the free slot pay from the casino and the onboard credit from Next Cruise. My best cruise.was a 12 night cruise out of Miami. RC’s panama canal cruises are always booked so no freebies there.
Interesting take, Jen. Good tips for newbies.
@@clbert7460I'll try to figure it out
How much do you spend in the casino to earn 1200 points?
I have been cruising since 1982, and just completed my #142 cruise. I have cruised on “budget” to “ultra luxury” lines. I have booked cruises using just about every method available, including visiting a travel agency before the internet. The base price for a cruise is basically the same no matter where you book your cruise, it’s the promotion, discounts and extras that makes the difference. I know the rules, will not name names. One of the major warehouse clubs offers a gift card, which is a percentage of the cost, which can add up to hundreds of dollars as “discount”. I have been using a major travel agency for the last 10 years, which for me, has worked out great. They have “group rates” which beats just about every price. In addition to great prices, my agent often has promotions which includes OBC, gratuities, WiFi, and specialty dinning. And if there are any “sales” after we book, but before final payment, she rebooks it and adjusts the price. If it’s after final payment, she adds the price drop to the OBC. FYI - Royalty Caribbean is not a cruise line for “foodies”. My next two upcoming cruises are on Oceania and Viking Ocean, where the food is great.
So you recommend using a travel agent to get group rates and OBC. Who do you use if I may ask as I’m looking for a good one.
My parents are 30+yr cruisers on Royal Caribbean. They have stuck by the company even though trying other brands from time to time. I don't think you are going to go wrong cruising with them as long as you are aware (like you did your research) what things really cost and what to shy away from. Nice to hear your take on your holiday!
I've been cruising with them for over 10 years and I've been very pleased.
Hi, a tip for watching stuff from your tablet or phone on the tv screen, you can bring an hdmi cord and an adapter to connect it to your device so you can watch downloaded content on the tv. Thanks for all the great info!
Yes, I do this all the time.
No tampons or pads on an entire ship? Tell me your purchasing department is all male, without telling me your purchasing department is all male 🤣
Are you sure they weren't in any of the onboard shops? I have been able to purchase these items on the ship, in the shop (where other medications are sold). The mark-up is phenomenal, but when you're caught off guard it was good to have that option, even if it was $$.
I used to work in the shops on board Cruise Liners and we always sold Tampons and liners, not a massive choice but better than nothing.
They have them in the shop and you can ask for one anywhere and have it delivered. They aren't kept in the bathrooms because kids do weird stuff from 10:30 until 1 am bed time.
@@JH-lw1fz Disney Cruise Line keeps them out in public bathrooms 24/7 and kids don't mess with it. 🤔
So where do there female employees, get there feminine products.
Disney cruise line has tampons and pads in all public restrooms for free. As someone that is going through perimenopause, this was such a plus.
I was on a cruise in 2014 on The Explorer of The Seas. It was a 10 day cruise with a friend. We went full out and got a balcony room, that was something we both dreamed of. We went to 4 islands. We never bought any excursions from the ship. We winged it lol. We were able to go online before the cruise and see what each island had to offer. It was so much cheaper and we still did alot. You can find people waiting at the ship dock to give you a tour on most islands. We really did well touring each island, going to a museum in Samana, Dominican, Republic, I was able to score some pieces of Larimar stone jewelry there on the cheap. We also went to St.Thomas, St.Kitts, and St. Maarten. We went up the hill in St
Thomas and saw the castle/ fort there, and on up for their world's famous Banana Daiquiris---not going to lie ( I got completely $hitfaced there and...I don't normally drink like that 🤣)---so much fun....
We actually went thru Uniglobe for the package trip, and they get the drink packages, dinner seating, etc...but once we were there, we found ways of doing things when we got on board on our own 😉
Ahh Jen how did i not know you had another channel?! My husband and I took our kids on Royal's Oasis of the Seas (so huge like Symphony) last year. And we just actually got back from a 7 night on Carnival Celebration (carnivals biggest ship..but still not close to as big as oasis class ships). We had an amazing time and the roller coaster on the ship was really cool...plus Guys Burgers was AMAZING. But overall, i pick Royal Caribbean every single day.
Thats insane that they weren't selling tampons or pads!! Ok Oasis they had a big vending machine with all kinds of body care products, teeth stuff,ect and it also had tampons. But you are one million percent right about the facebook groups being SO helpful!!
On Carnival you couldnt book a spot for any show or entertainment...so you had to line up early and hope you were able to get a seat for everything. I really appreciate royal Caribbeans way of doing that now lol
Your time dining wasnt an option? Thats what we did on both cruise lines. Then when you wanted to eat there you just went on the app and said I'm ready to eat...
My crab cake at Chops was really good..but nowhere else. I live in PA...like 1.5 hours from Maryland lol
Oh lordy i have been to WDW 6 times...the last time was in October 2021 for 9 days. We spend an entire 2 days(morning till close) in Epcot and still didn't get to do all the things i wanted. I can't even imagine the torture only having a couple of hours would be...buuut I'm also a complete Disney lunatic (disney adult 🙄) haha. I will say, if you are an animal lover...there are several amazing animal experiences you can do that are near the port in Cape Canaveral.
FYI medical has tampons and pads. Some strange rule they have to be handled by medical. If you pick up the phone there and they come fast. I had an emergency on a cruise long story but they came fast and took great care of me
When my mom and I did a cruise one tip I had learned was, pack a swimsuit in a backpack as a carry-on and in the time before you are allowed in your room, go to a pool.
Most people don’t have their swimsuits handy so the pools are mostly empty. The most empty they’ll ever be during your stay.
Our drink package was significantly cheaper though and I paid for it for us so we could have lattes and better wine selections at dinners. Worth it for us.
Our tea party was free you just needed to make reservations. We did a Viking cruise. Expensive but so many cool things I like better than larger cruises.
Fun video!
I do the same thing! I have my swimsuit in my back pack too!
Refreshment package is huge. Cause it includes Starbucks level coffees, smoothies, fresh squeezed juice not concentrate, works on private islands, and even offers 50% alcohol during dining services. Yes also soda, water, etc
The Facebook groups can get ridiculous. Tons of good info but also TONS of people giving wrong answers that have no clue what they’re talking about. And some of them take their jobs way too seriously. Getting kicked out and blocked is a little overboard, no pun intended
If anyone does their research on something they plan to buy, it's Jen Luv lol
I am a 57 yr old Diamond Plus cruiser who is fairly faithful to Royal. I’ve been cruising since ‘89 and was a travel agent briefly from 1988-1990 with a passion and focus on cruising. Thumbs up on your video and detailed information.
Great advice, especially about the crab cakes. I’m from MD too, Eldersburg, Carroll County. Disney cruise line doesn’t know what a MD lump crab cake is either.
Am I literally ever gonna go on a cruise? No. Am I watching the full thing cause it's Jen? Yes lol
As an avid cruiser this women is 100% spot on. Solarium Bistro is No longer a secret your 100% correct eveyone knows about it. Not worth going up there for food. Your also 100 % correct on the lump crab cakes. No crab no shrimp no lobster no nothing Its just a mush ball and yes No obay. Yes always pay for the room you want to be in. Yes you need to be at triva at least 45 min early or theres no seats and it sucks standing there for an hr writing down your answers. Great job on this video.
Just got back from Symphony today. I’m a HUGE UA-cam planner and apparently can’t stop watching videos even after the trip. Anyway great stuff. We had very similar experience the week after you. Great ship, great cruise and great info positive or “negative” for anyone planning.
I felt your pain when you were talking about the crab cakes. I’m an Alaskan who knew better than to order the salmon. It was advertised as Atlantic salmon, which meant it could’ve been farmed, but also wasn’t pacific, so yuck. The chef actually came out to speak with us to make sure we were happy with what we ordered because my husband and I made the mistake of discussing it in front of our attendant. Oops!
In regards to the Facebook groups and your tampon situation, we had a poster who needed supplies and several posters helped her out because they’d brought extras. The Facebook groups can definitely come in handy!
We were on the same cruise. Not a fan of Nassau but I do like the recent changes. Also, people were spending $66 PP to enter a hotel beach. My husband and I kept walking and enjoyed Junkanoo beach and walked over to twin brothers for conch salad. I would tell people just be vigilant of your surroundings.
Bags on disembarkation was a nightmare. We were number 7 and I found my bags in 43. They stopped me from searching I had to sneak in to get my bags. Will keep my bags next time.
We booked Izumi, the sushi was amazing!
My bf and I didn’t get the drink package since we knew we wouldn’t drink enough, but every time we tried to buy a cocktail or specialty coffee a la carte the bartenders looked shocked and were like are you sure?! You don’t have a drink package though?! 😮 It was so funny! Like just because we want a drink every once in a while doesn’t mean we want to drink 5-8 drinks a day, which was the amount we would’ve needed to for the price to be worth it
If you are not a drinker, it is cheaper to buy an occasional drink. Some are priced as much as $14 plus gratuities which can become pricey. I get 6 free drinks a day now (loyalty program) but usually drink one a day. Have fun on your next cruise.
They also have a “drink of the day” that’s typically $11 and they’re always really good
Don't forget all the non alcoholic drinks that are included. If we buy the deluxe drink package, half or more of the price per day is used up on them.
I wanted to mention too that the specialty coffee, bottled water, fresh juice, and soda are also included so if you only have two or 3 alcoholic drinks per day but also a soda and a coffee then water all day in between and for your cabin, it can sometimes be worth it depending on if you can find a sale price. I still don’t usually get the UDP because I dont really drink at all but I always see people who think it’s only worth it if you plan to drink 8 drinks a day. ❤
@@OceanBlueandCraftytooexactly. People tend to forget that all those are also included. I am sick of seeing people say, "I have to drink 5-8 drinks a day." Like they have to drink nothing but alcohol all day. They tend to forget it includes all drinks. If only people could read the whole description lol
Thank you for your video. It is refreshing to hear from someone who actually has complaints. I feel like the usual cruise vloggers do everything they can to make it all seem so great. I love cruising, but there definitely are drawbacks that you need to be aware of. One additional tip is that if you do get the drink package many cruise lines will not deliver a drink to your room you have to go to the bar, same with the bottles of water. I really enjoyed princess Cruise because we would order two glasses of wine and an appetizer to watch the sunset on our balcony. Carnival and won’t do that and I can’t get a straight answer as to whether Royal Carribean will. We are cruising Royal Caribbean in January. I’ve called the customer service number several times and you get a different answer, depending on who you speak to.
Room service drinks are charged even if you have the drink package on Royal.
I love to eat in the dining room: Always have a seat, love being waited on and it has better food.
My Mom loved to cruise. She was a pro! I agree that everyone needs the 411. When she started she had friends that had been doing it for years. She was very particular about her cabin placement. I am glad you had fun. Thanks for all the information. Mad love ❌️ ⭕️
Something I learned early on as a Baltimore native, if it says "Maryland-Style Crab Cake" on the menu, it's NOT a Maryland-style crab cake!
Tell me about it. Then again, anytime you see "Maryland style" outside Maryland is not Maryland style lol. It's someone trying to trick you. Run 🤣
Baltimore native myself, no crab cakes like home.
It’s a BREAD cake!
I'm also a Baltimore native. I never bother to even order crab cakes outside of Maryland, And, outside of Maryland, "Maryland-Style Crab Cake" is NEVER really a "Maryland-Style" crab cake.
Thanks for the video Jen. I too watched alllll the info videos before my cruise. One thing that no one told me was that for a week I would deal with disembarkation syndrome. I realized I had my sea legs once I got home from my flight and went to get in the shower and I couldn't stop the sensation of feeling like I was still on a boat. I dealt with it for about a week. Some people say it lasts a few days but it stayed with me for a week. It's something that no one mentions in their cruise videos. Great video. I can't wait to go on another cruise even if I get sea legs for a week.
😂 me as well for 2 days!
I just disembarked my last Royal Caribbean cruise on 6/8/24.
They sold both tampons and pads in the shops.
They also have them available from Guest Services, or you could ask your room attendant and they will gladly deliver them to your cabin.
They aren't in the bathrooms because people flush them, which causes blockages in the pipes.
Coincidentally, flushing objects other than waste and toilet paper is the number one issue maintenance deals with on these ships.
Heeeeey travel agent here! 🙋♀️
Most cruise sailing groups are run by travel agents and they are WEIRD about their no promotion rules. My guess is that the rule applied to your post because it was a video and the algorithm could do its thing and lead people down a rabbit hole of RCCL content by other travel agents. 🙃
You should try Virgin Voyages next!
That's so interesting! I didn't think of that! And I'd love to try Virgin one day. It looks amazing!
THANK YOU so much for this video. I came across it a few days ago and loved it. So truthful and comprehensive. Sometimes that's missing in other cruise videos. I realized that some others are positive and then see they get early access/perks, etc. that may be driving the positive remarks. Since I did some of the activities you mentioned, e.g., chocolate factory, I knew that your video was very honest, but also delivered in a respectful manner.
Ive never booked a time in the main dining room in Royal Caribbean. I eat when I want and I have never had a problem nor had a long wait.
My wife and I are going on a RC Cruise in a few months. I felt like this video was great. It felt very honest and you were also self aware. 100% Good Review Thanks for sharing.
I'd also have a small amount of meds on hand. They didn't have any and the ones they had were like 2 pills for $15. So like benadryl, tylonal, motion sickness
Man, you are hilarious! So informative, while being approachable, genuine, and funny. Thanks for adding to my repertoire!
So glad you had a wonderful cruise. Since I suffer from motion sickness, river cruises are the only ones I can stomach. My husband and I just finished a river cruise on the Danube and had an amazing time🚢
There’s a lot more motion on a river cruise than on these mega ships!
Oh Really? I think it depends on which river you’re cruising.
Every Marylander knows to never order a crab cake outside of Maryland!
Thank you so much for informing us about the balloon drop because me and my friend that are going on a cruise in JAN and my husband we are ALL Veterans that suffer from PTSD and popping balloons without us knowing its coming would have sent us into an episode, a trauma induced literal episode.
I’m glad you & your Mama had a good time!
I'll be honest, I went into this video thinking "oh here's more of the same tips", as I as well have watched a lot of those videos. I was pleasantly surprised, seriously these are some top tier tips, thank you so much!!
My experience was in 2023. I needed more sanitary pads and was sent to the liquor store. To our amazement, they sold them there!
Another helpful tip is select your room and try to stay in the middle of the ship it will save you some walking anyways
Not on Oasis Class ships. Those ships are HUGE and the typical midship=short walk isn't necessarily true on those ships. Look at the deck plan for rooms CLOSE TO THE ELEVATOR (preferably midship), but Oasis Class is built weird, so FINDING the middle can be difficult. Best to look for ELEVATOR near the room you want. Ship is easy to walk everywhere BUT the room hallways 😂😂
@@hangingwiththehowards hence why I said middle of the ship aka mid ship 😝
If you are going on RC, I always recommend getting “the key” comes with internet, you get special seating at shows, you get to leave the ship first on port days and upon embarkation, you can leave your carry-ons at their kiosk and they will bring your bags to your room. Lastly, you can leave the ship early to avoid crowds when disembarking at the end of your cruise.
O god no don't do the key. Total waste of money. We watch people all the time with it board first and then 10 min later we're right behind them. No Key...Bad Idea!!!
@@bigguy1403 it’s not much more than vroom package. I don’t have to drag my carry on around in the first day, you get preferred seating at shows and more importantly I don’t have to wait in line to get off the ship. It’s worth it to me.
@@cccullen I Never wait in line getting off the ship. I try and pick an early time and then I walk right off the ship when the key or pinacal people are walking off. Noone Ever stops you or says anything except to say thank you for cruising with us. Then I go down to my luggage group wait a few minutes till my bags come out they open the gate and I walk over to my bags that were brought out and head home. As for preferred seating at the shows those seats are not the best seats in the room there are much better seats to be had. I made the mistake of getting the key a while back and after talking to so many people that had the key and told us what to do instead and save a good chunk of money you'll learn other hacks to do that are much better then the key.
@@bigguy1403 thanks for the advice. Much appreciated.
@bigguy1403 when the price is $1or $2 a day more than internet we get it to avoid the buffet cattle call. Also the departure breakfast is good.
Symphony has some great shows. Hairspray is so much fun, and the production show, Flight, is wonderful and oddly emotional? At the end, I'm like, "Why am I tearing up over aviation?" The thing I tell new cruisers is to make sure to check out the cruise compass (the daily schedule) for all the live music that happens every evening. Royal Caribbean has a great live music program fleetwide.
19:00 omg, balloon drop? A literal nightmare for me. No thanks! I'm with you. Balloons are the worst. Lol
I've been on 8 cruises but about to go on royal this summer. Balloon drop sounds like hell,I will need to avoid that!!
Very informative. Just came back from an Alaskan cruise and I wish I knew there was a FB group. Because of your video, I just joined a FB group for my transatlantic crossing in October. Regarding disembarking... we used the luggage valet service (where they bring your luggage directly to the airport and check it for you). Brilliant. Would use it again in a heartbeat. Cheers!
Totally agree you have to do the math on drink packages. Also, you are allowed to bring 1 bottle of wine per person. So if you like a certain kind or just want a little something one night that’s also an option. (When I went on Symphony in 2022 it was 2 bottles each, so we brought 4).
YES! I should have mentioned that! I like a glass of wine with dinner, so I brought 2 bottles of wine. I ended up drinking half of one and bringing the other bottle home.
Hi, I have a question about bringing your own wine, I read that each bottle should be $15 or less and also in some research I've been doing people say to put them in your carry on. My question is, I'm planning to bring only a medium suitcase and a travel backpack as a personal object, do you know if it is allowed to put the wine in the backpack?
Thank you ♥️♥️
@@daisy0729 we packed our wine in our checked bag since we had to fly to Miami And TSA wouldn’t allow it for carry on. Once in Miami we moved it to our backpack/ personal item. Our wine was over $15 for sure (not expensive but more than $15). When we went through security at the cruise terminal they didn’t even take our wine out of our bags to check it. Some other guests had theirs taken out to look at but not many. It was very easy to bring with us in our personal item. Hope this helps.
@@beckyb1576 Thank you very much it is actually very helpful! ☺️
Im cruising for the first time in my adult life (37f last cruise and only other was on carnival in 2003) on msc later this year and have gone down the rabbit hole of youtube cruise advice videos. Thank you so much for your thoughtful information as someone who doesn't cruise often.
If you happen to have young kids, my kids favorite thing was that the entertainers came out in costume after the show for photos. (Well, with adults too.) You'd think they were meeting Taylor Swift as excited as they were. I've never seen another line do that.
im getting old so i always book a 6pm dinning slot.
the place is only 1/2 full so you get in and out quickly.
and then you are free to go to the nighttime shows
Going on this ship in Sept, so as everyone does I was looking for all the news I can find, so was glad to come across your video. At long last someone has information that nobody else mentioned. Well done you
Thanks so much!
I'm taking my 9th cruise soon and found this information helpful, thank you.
I do stuff. We love it. Definitely should be a permanent thing on your videos! Forgot to comment this earlier. My wife and I also hate seeing the news on the ship. We want to stay in our cruiseship bubble. We even avoid listening to people when they start talking about world stuff. The depressing bad world stuff will still be there when I return to reality. We love our bubble.
The name of this channel made me laugh! I’m so glad YT served your vid to me because I didn’t know you had a second channel!
Love this new channel! You are a wonderful story teller and very thorough and truthful with your reviews (cosmetics, dining, holidays and now cruises 🚢) without coming across as unnecessarily rude or unkind. More of all the things please 🙏 ❤
i am Australian.
the price advertised is the all inclusive price.
you can tip if you want to
there are specialty restaurants and drinks that cost extra.
but there are no hidden fees like gratuities/taxes/port fees.
*
it is the same in our shops, the price marked is the price you pay.
the medical centers have hours they are open, but in an emergency you just call and there is an on-call doctor.
Is there a charge?
Thank you for your comment regarding no tampons on Symphony of the Seas! I was also going through perimenopause when I went on a cruise in Sept 2022 with my husband for our 25th anniversary and unexpectedly got my period on the 5th day of a 7 day cruise, we luckily found one box of tampons in the second gift shop we went to, they were some foreign brand that were terrible but better than nothing, I wish I had posted something then to save someone else the same aggravation! It really did ruin the last two days of our cruise. I told my husband never again Royal Caribbean, but we were planning a family vacation this year and when we looked at the video tour of Wonder of the Seas, they had a vending machine and tampons were among some to the items in there, so it must just be a Symphony of the Seas problem. I did however see something on Wonder of the Seas that I thought was odd, one day at the windjammer a woman in front of us was turned away for lunch because she was wearing this cute bralette top and a matching pair of pants, they said due to dress code, but then my husband and I didn't attend the formal night because My husband didn't want to wear a jacket and tie, he just had button downs and polo shirts for the main dining room regular nights, but my son went with his girlfriend and they said that there were men in shorts that were permitted to dine. That seems backwards to me, it seems like what is the point of having rules if you are only going to enforce them when it's convenient?
Thank you so much for this video. I'm a cruiseship virgin and found this so, so very helpful. I'm planning to go in about 1.5-2 yrs (planning, etc 😊). I'll be adding these tips to my to-do/tips & tricks list.
I love learning about cruises even though I would go on one due to my crippling motion sickness.
Get your doctor to give you the patches. One patch will last months.
OK, hands-down the best video. I’ve watched so far before my first cruise. You answered so many of my questions. I’m still afraid to hit the buy button because I know there will be so much more added to the process. If you ever make a video, and I am going to look for one after I post this, I would like that information going through the process. You got a fan in me now.
The best thing I just learned from this video was "Don't go to the balloon drop if you don't like balloons popping all around you!" Thank you for that. I would not have even thought about it before this video! Your video was very detailed oriented and full of great info!
Glad you had a good time with your mom.
Honestly I really enjoyed hearing about your trip in addition to your tips & tricks. I feel like it'll be cool to hear you talk about random stuff for sure.
We did a Princess cruise. Iced tea and lemonade in buffet was free and then I brought some water enhancer squeezy bottle stuff. So much cheaper when travelling with teen boys. We also brought reusable/recyclable lidded tumblers with straws. Walmart has them every summer. 8$C for 6.
Thank you, I just came across your video (UA-cam algorithms) and found it really interesting.
I haven’t been on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship since 2011 so I know that a lot has changed. In the back of my mind I’m thinking to do something with them and your “be aware” notes are actually very informative. Thank you.
Hey JenX, that was a fantastic description of your experience on Royal Caribbean. My wife and I will be planning a trip in June'25 and I was considering this cruise line. None of the other blogs had information that you described and I am grateful. Was wondering if you booked your trip through a travel agent or directly w/Royal Caribbean. I don't know what you do for a profession but your oratory skills are excellent.
2 tips I learned. You are allowed to bring two 750ml bottles of wine or champaign and 12 cans of soda on board. If the diving show is open air, don't book it for your last night because it might rain. Book an interior show. If it does rain on the night you booked you have a chance to see it another night going standby. Don't miss the parade if there is one.
Here from your other channel, I love cruising as well as makeup. This vid is filled with good info
In 2012, on a Holland cruise, the same thing happened to my sister. She was in perimenopause, hadn't had a period for most of the year just like you… and suddenly it started on the ship. THANKFULLY I brought a ton of tampons just in case my period started a day or two early. She was able to buy a box at one of the ports. But same thing, no tampons or pads on the ship. Absolutely ridiculous. Sad to hear this hasn't been resolved.
Harmony of the seas in the public restrooms some of the bathrooms they did have pads and tampons. We were on the cruise also front desk will have seasickness pills thank you so very much for the information this is so helpful the next time we take a cruise
I never plan to go on a cruise, ever. 😂 Yet I watched this whole video because it’s Jen! Plus it was fun learning about something I’ve never done
Ditto and ditto!!!
Really enjoyed your non-glossy “tips and tricks” and LMAO about the crab cakes and Old Bay🤣🦀, I’m working my way towards a first cruise and this was really helpful, THANKS!
Love the fact that your video was from true experience and not sugar coated 😊
Thank you so much 👍
Never would have thought about the balloons popping! I think I'll skip The balloon drop. Thanks for the heads up.
I've never done a cruise, but my family and I recently went to an all-inclusive resort in Mexico and there were SO many things that I wish I had known before we went, not dissimilar to some of the things you talked about on your cruise!
Hey Jen! I came over from your UA-cam channel. My family and I are doing Carnival and I saw you here and realized I knew you! Kinda... I always enjoy your content, I always learn something.
Thanks for the info about Greycliff. I’m going to Nassau on my next cruise, and I’m might look into going there for the day. 😁
I can definitely attest to the expect to pay more personally. In another video by Modern MBA, he cites how on average, passengers pay 30% more on extras like excursions, wifi, specialty dining, et cetera for the Cruise Line alone. Great tip about the fb group also!
Yes, we just got back from a RCI cruise to Alaska. Solarium bistro was VERY busy!
Thank you for great content. I am planning my first cruise on RC. Been a Carnival gal for a while now. Need a change.
Being from Baltimore, and moving with my husbands job for so many years, and have lived in Virginia for 30 years….no one has MD style crab cakes, like we get on Maryland! I’ve tried also. Lol. Take some old bay with you and get shrimp 😁 Glad you had a great cruise!
Great tips, Jen! I am an avid cruiser but haven't been on a RC cruise before (Princess, Holland America, and Celebrity are our go-tos). I'd add to this video that your experience is going to be different from cruise line to cruise line, particularly dining.
I'm a newbie going on my first cruise in November 2024. Fortunately I'm going with some experienced cruisers, so I'm relying on them for a lot. Like Jen, I've watched tons of cruise videos to get an idea of what I'm getting myself into. I'm taking Celebrity (instead of RC) since I'm in my 60s and not a fan of being around kids all the time (I have none of my own). The biggest reason I am hesitant about going on a cruise is that I'm not a beach person who wants to lay around in the sun all day long. Hopefully there will be plenty of shade to sit in to enjoy watching others having fun in the pools. I'm told that cruises are great, so I figured while I can still get around, I'd go on one (probably the only one I'll ever be able to afford). So tips on where to spend my money is important. I have no clue about excursions and whether they are something I'd wanna do. I'll be taking a Caribbean cruise. There's still so much I'm confused about. Hopefully when the time comes I'll be excited about going and not worried cruises are not for me.
You can cast movies from streaming services on the Wonder of the Sea if you have the internet. We had two tvs one was huge one small and interior room.
Thanks - this was the most real and helpful video I have seen. Good job.👍
I wish they would have had a digital option on the cruise I went on a few years ago, I booked all my excursions prior to the cruise cause I knew there was a couple things I for sure wanted to do! 🤗
Very helpful information! I am planning my first cruise, so I don't know what I don't know (yet) and I appreciate all the topics covered candidly in the video.
I watched this because I watch all your videos. But I have since registered for a conference which is on a cruise which happens to be Royal Caribbean. So these tips are helpful!
Oh wow, Tish! I hope you have the BEST time! Thanks for watching!
Best video ever. Wish I had seen one like this before taking Princess to AL. Honest feedback is what you want but is hard to find!
9:10 I had my two teenagers with me and we found tampons on our trip March 2024 on Wonder of the Seas in their merch store.
Thank you for the great tips! Hoping to on my first RC cruise next spring!
thank you this will be our first time on Symphony but like you Loyal yo Royal
Jen, I am sailing on Symphony this summer and just like you I watched everything…thank you so much for this! You helped me to learn a few new things I was curious about but no one else has mentioned! ❤
I’m not going on a cruise, but I am going on a two week trip in several months. You’ve given me valuable food for thought! Thanks!!! ❤
with the balloon drop
I always thought they could put some tickets with prizes in some.
10% of your next cruise.
free upgrade on your net cruise.
2 for the price of one specialty dining.
*
with that I also thought prizes could be more prevalent.
My friend went on a cruise and got a stupid plastic trophy for winning trivia night.
his wife got a 2-inch cruise ship for winning the limbo competition.
both had the ship's name on them.
probably cost the ship 10C each, but was a talking point when they got back.
I remember seeing tampons and basic pads in the gift shop where they had toiletries, they even had condoms.
Thanks for your two cents!!! I want to plan a cruise for my family
Enjoyed this video so much… informative and fun 🤩 I felt like I was listening to a great friend tell me about her vacation! 🥰 Thank you for sharing!
I will never buy a drink package. We hit Diamond two cruises ago an get 4 drink vouchers each for each each day of the cruise. My wife doesn't drink at all so I can use hers, but I don't do more than 3 drinks a day, but can also use it for shakes or specialty waters, etc. Also, being Prime in the casino we get free drinks from the casino bar when the casino is open. I am glad you brought up the lump crab cakes. I was on RC ship where they actually made a lump crab cake that was good. We also live in Maryland. I make little things to put on your cruise door to help you find it. Reach out before your next cruise and I will send you one for your cruise.