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@@LisaReinhardt3355 hi Lisa, I’m happy to send you a file you can download by email, and this won’t be an issue. Please email me at lifewellcruised@gmail.com so I can send it to you asap. Thanks for your purchase!
I have a question in regards to water on the ship. Would I be able to drink water from the sink or are they not safe? I don’t wanna end up in the bathroom the whole time.
It doesn't allow me to leave a new comment so I gotta reply to this one: I thought they'd make you like...walk the plank if you took food away from the buffet, tbh 👀
Loyalty to one line saves a lot of money in the long run. Free alcohol, a free photo free or discounted laundry. Etc etc etc. the good thing is all the perks. The bad thing is that it makes it tough to try another line.
When flying, I make an "airline sangria". I order red wine and cranapple juice. They always have this juice on American Airlines, at least. I mix half of each into a wine glass and I have 2 servings. Flight attendants love this idea!
@@dr.perfectsmile4175 hair dryers aren't, they have them in the rooms, but the don't provide the flat irons or curling rods, so you have to bring your own.
To jazz up cruise ship coffee, we bring our own flavored creamers. They come in individual containers that don't need refrigeration. Easy to travel with. Thanks for your tips.
I'm not the only one who stocks up on snacks with my zip lock baggies lol. My gosh they come in handy when some shore excursions take forever before you get your food. As far as speciality dining, I always book the steakhouse on carnival for the first night because you get a free bottle of wine.
Haha I bring ziplocks too, in different sizes 😂. Great tip about the wine at Cagneys. I’m not a regular Carnival cruiser and didn’t know that. Thanks for sharing
Just make sure your snacks are in the original sealed package when going to Mexico. I found that out the hard way when a friend and I got breakfast burritos on the ship to eat later off the ship in Cozumel.
I'm a huge tea drinker; I brought 8 bags of my favorite tea and 7 packets per tea bag of my favorite sugar substitute (Stevia). I just asked for a cup of hot water from the coffee shop or took it with me to the buffet.
I ask for hot water and two glasses of ice at MDR breakfast and or lunch and 'brew' my own specialty iced teas, then put them in my Yeti! Morning MDR is also a fruit source for thermos sangria (mentioned in several of Ilana's hack videos)
I'm pretty dedicated to my cuppa. It seems US cruise lines don't have electric kettles available for your room, just the coffee machine. After first trip and realizing this I bought a collapsible travel kettle that has automatic shut off for safety. It folds down into nothing. A complete lifesaver. A good stash of my favorite brew from home and I'm set. I'll bring back milk from the buffet to keep in the fridge. 😊
One thing that I like about the official cruise ship excursions is that the ship will wait for you if your excursion is delayed. We were delayed for 45 minutes in Chile because the police had closed the road due to a fire. We got our complete excursion, plus the ship waited while we were tendered to the ship. If that had happened on an independent tour, that would not have happened and we would have had to find our way back to Santiago (without our luggage, medications, etc) to catch the plane home.
I only do cruise sanctioned port excursions… except for areas where hubby could walk. We explored a lot on foot . We hung with the locals all over Alaska.
My favorite line is Regent. I am retired, no kids. I love that everything is included so I know what I am paying up front. I enjoy the excursions, lectures, music, and meeting interesting people. I prefer no children at all, as they are too noisy. But I am older and want more sophistication and to dine anywhere I want.
Our 1st cruise we put our wine in our check in bag & it was confiscated. They left us a note. I went to guest services & was told it was taken because they could not guarantee we didn't ALSO have one with us at carry on & through security. So, learning from that mistake, we always hold on to it & carry it on with us.
I cruise with Princess.They have self service laundry rooms on most cabin floors. When my bags arrive to my room, I pull out all of my clothes that may have gotten a little wrinkled and toss them in the dryer ,then hang them up.It's $3 , but well worth it to me.I always ask for extra hangers when I meet my room steward on the first day.
That is a rarity nowadays. Most cruise lines removed the self serve laundry rooms,due to fires breaking out, but it was a great perk on my lone Princess cruise back in 2000.
Our cruise announced we were not allowed to walk off the ship with food but I had granola bars in my backpack and those were no problem. Thanks for your great tips here! 😊
That’s a very smart idea. True that dry snacks, especially high protein ones, are a great way to tide you over till getting back on the ship. Thanks for sharing
The tip for sangria also works for iced coffee (coffee, milk, syrup), mocha (coffee, hot chocolate), iced tea, sweet tea, iced mocha, mimosas, and other drinks.
They also make many different flavors you can buy that only take a squirt to flavor your coffee--iced or hot. Since it is not alcohol I fill a couple of small travel bottles and bring it along. I love the eggnog.
I was just on an Alaskan cruise. First time cruisers. The cruise was beautiful, the crew was exceptional. We really enjoyed the ship and took advantage of most of the offerings. But yes I did get the premier package. Though we both enjoy our alcohol we could not drink enough to come close to what the drink package offered. The wifi was not good. It would have been better to use internet available at port. We didn’t plan to use the fitness room, or spa so those costs were extra. I would really research what you would realistically use before buying the promoted package.
I agree. The free tea and coffee on Cunard was better than the premiums, and the soft drink package only had diet coke. Not great for diabetics. Just bought one or two cocktails a day and would have saved $200 without the package. Cunard wifi also 200 times the cost of a service on land, and that only for one device. Very big money spinner for them!
Hey..love the zip lock bag…for me…never thought to do this and i have been on 70 cruises i need to bring back cookies and milk to my cabin. thanks a bunch!
Found your channel about a week ago and loving your videos. We are avid cruisers. Both my husband and I are former crew members from the 90's on Carnival. So we are pretty loyal to Carnival specifically. We now share the cruise experience with our daughters. Great suggestion about making sangria! We have made mimosas with champagne plus the orange juice that that have in the mornings on Carnival. Yes, they only have the juice stations in the morning so if you want for later, you do need to fill up a glass and store in your cabins mini fridge.
Thanks Cheryl! Amazing that you and your husband are former crew members and choose to cruise now on your holidays. I like your mimosa suggestion too! I may share it in a future video :)
EXACTLY what we do! 2 bottle of wine brought in, plus I ordered champagne and strawberries for our cabin on the cruise, and we'll have Mimosas each morning!
I always bring a non-spill travel mug to keep my tea hot. Great for carrying around. I also bring a plastic cup with the lid and straw. You can ask your room steward for an ice bucket and he refills it each day. Then fill with the pop or wine you brought on board. Also bring your own straws if you don’t like edible wilting ones in your drinks. They sell them but they are expensive. This is on Carnival.
On Princess we only had awful paper straws which never lasted through one drink, especially my coffee. I’m glad I watched enough UA-cam to know to bring my own straws.
I’m bringing some zip lock freezer bags thanks to you. It will save me $ by not eating at restaurants when in port. A sandwich or cold pizza, cookies or fruit and some water or soda and I’ll be good until dinner.
My husband and I are going on our first cruise in March after having to cancel twice due to covid! I’ve been watching your videos and getting so many great hacks! I’m going to feel so prepared for our cruise thanks to you!
Alright y’all. We are down to T minus 5 days 51 mins till our FIRST CRUISE!!! So I’m going through and binging all these great “tips n tricks” and taking notes!!! Thanks for this info love!! ALL my questions answered in one spot!!!
use dryer sheets to freshen the closets. gonna buy downer wrinkle release . medicine bag. hubby years ago got sick and had to buy cough medicine - expensive . so dollar store for bandaids , medicine. key . free lanyard from casino too.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing your experience. I had heard about the lanyards in the casino in the past, but admit I’ve only played in a casino 3x in about 25 cruises so I know very little about what goes on there 😂
Watching all your videos as we prepare to take a cruise next month. This is the fourth time we have booked it lol! It has been a long two plus years for us die hard cruisers!! A tip for people who don't drink much and want to save some money. Take those juices(like you mention) that they have in the am back to your mini fridge. Then order a small bottle of your favorite hard liquor. While the mixed drinks from the bar can be costly the bottles are quite reasonable. Then you can make your own cocktails in your roon:)
Your UA-cam vids are the BEST in terms of useful info, outfits, cruise lines, lists, EVERYTHING! I really enjoy listening to you and watching your vids. You're my 'go-to' presenter and WELL deserve the thousands and thousands of likes and views! You're smart, you know your audience, and I'm just so grateful for you! Hubby and I are cruising with Royal Navigator October 5 days/4 nights, and I already have 3 files with spreadsheets tips, tricks, food in MDR, food in the Windjammer, a drink spreadsheet with how much I plan to drink vs. the drink 'plan', and how to stay away from the 'cat fights' but still be in a position to vid them! I also did weather checks from the last 5 years for the week we're going. Our October cruise will have Halloween on the 2nd night of the cruise (aka, I guess formal night since it's at sea on Day Two), but I FULLY plan on participating. I'll privately send you the details-you are SO gonna laugh!!! A grateful Tube Fan and admirer of your posts, Love and hugs to your whole family, Grandma Lynsey EDIT: I LOVE your hair, outfits and your sandals!!
So happy to have found your site. We haven't cruised for over 10 years and are looking forward to our upcoming cruise with friends. LOVE the sangria recipe and zip lock bag tips. Thank you!
We are booked in 2023 for a Mediterranean cruise. We bought the drink package. No plans to lug drinks around on an international flight. Definitely packing snacks for our 11 year old for the flight.
Absolutely. You’ll enjoy it. Btw, make sure to eat in ports on your Med cruise. The food and experience is too good not to. We didn’t find it as pricey as we thought it was going to be either
Love your Sangria idea! I usually get wine package arranged as soon as I board. Usually 5 bottles for price of 4. No requirement for every adult to book. Can take wine in glass from MDR to cabin or show.
Thank-you Ilana for another great video. There are a number of great tips you missed, not the least of which is to subscribe to your newsletter! That seems to be the only way to actually be notified of a new cruise tip video.
Thanks Don for the kind words. True I think subbing to my emails is the quickest way to keep up with everything LWC lol. I’ll have to save more tips for a follow up video 😉
@@purplewombat1923 You are right. It is not obvious if you are using a phone. Since you can’t post links in a comment, I will give you the steps to get there from here: click the link for the ultimate cruise planner, then click the copyright notice to get to the blog. Read any post scroll down until you see the block that says “get your free cruise packing checklist”. That is the sign up for the newsletter.
I am addicted to Ranger cookies on Royal. I bring a ziplock freezer bag and every time we go to Windjammer or Cafe Promenade, I get my husband to go in line separately from myself and I get 2 cookies to eat at the time and 2 to put in the bag, along with the 4 from my husband. By the time the last day rolls around, I have a freezer bag full of those cookies that I can take home with me. I then ration myself maybe 1 or 2 cookies a week to hold me over until my next cruise. I don’t eat many of the other desserts so I don’t feel too guilty about hoarding my cookies.🤭
We were recently on Symphony Of the Sea, RC 8 night cruise. I noticed about half way through the trip, they were giving away the bottles of water. No charge for them! That was great! Not sure of that’s a normal thing…
I bring a small Tupperware container of detergent to use in the laundry and use the iron to press my own clothes Also Ships Laundries are great places to socialise with your fellow passengers 🙂
I have been on princess, NCL, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean, and only princess had a laundry facility for its passengers. I always bring laundry detergent, and a bungee rope clothesline that has built-in clothes pins. plus if I'm flying in the day before I always rent a car and go shopping at Walmart for soda, junk food, magazines, maybe extra flip flops, liquid detergent and various other odds and ends. now when I've been on cruises 11 to 16 days long I will also use the cruise laundry facilities when they have a sale of one price for as many clothes as you can get into their specific bag. I found if you fold all your clothes neatly and compactly you can get a lot more in those bags than if you just shove them in. the one thing that does not reduce down in size is blue jeans. typically if I'm on a cruise that long that means it is a one-way travel and I'm going to spend more time away from home in a foreign country.
@@icedteamama176 casino offers, and I don't spend a lot. I had booked Celebration for Jan for $2400 balcony. Then got an offer for a free balcony sane ship and itinerary for $489 out the door.
Thank you so much that is going to help immensely I’m taking three older children with me and I’m paying for everything but I want to I love my kids and this is such great quality time ,but yes little bit of a budget especially when we’re going for over 20 days haven’t decided which cruise yet but the longer the better and the on-board activities are extremely important so especially for them ,I’ll be happy no matter what. but every dollar does count. thank you so much again.
A way to get some on board credit to spend is to become a cruiseline stockholder. NCL for example will give you a $100 OBC for cruises 7-14 days long, $250 for 15 days +. 100 shares is required. Of course, this costs money and stock prices can go down.
That was awesome. I loved this video. I'm way older than you and have been booking travel for a long time but just recently started getting paid for it. I learned much from you on this video. You reinforced much that I already knew. A few of them had to do with families and that is new to me. I've never traveled with kids..... But I have grandkids now so it was great information!!! But your very last tip was about wine was my fav. I drink Chardonnay and trying to drink less white and more Reds. I had not thought of this yet... So I am jazzed you included..... The sangria. I have been involved in holistic medicine since the '80s when I lived in Silicon Valley. I would pack a few cans of 7up or sprite to make it come alive. Plus Ice. I have rarely drink soda for 40 years. I occasionally have cocktails or sangria and I drink 7UP. I'm mostly a wine drinker so this would give me an alternative for day drinking. I could then enjoy a glass of wine with dinner! This was Major for me and I thank you so much!!! 👏👏✨👍👍👏✌️✌️✨🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
We are going to Alaska on a cruise in Sept 2024 and we found out that this will be the last time this ship goes to Alaska and the ship is also going to be moved to a different port for future cruises. So, i am thinking that they will have super super sales near the end of our trip to get rid of all their souvenir, jewelry, and clothing items before the trip ends!
I just came back from a cruise (May 28th, 2022) and I travelled with an 8mnth old and 7yr old. It was great!!! You will be just fine and HAVE FUN!!!!!!
Thank you truly appreciate All your great ideas more like this please especially if we travel with our kids this helps tons lots of blessings to you for all this so important information you provide to us 🥰🥰🙏🙏🙏🙏
You may not need the branded wrinkle release product. The display gal in the store (retail) I worked at kept a spray bottle with water only to use on clothes when she did displays. She’d simply give the clothes a light spritz & a little stretch. The wrinkles disappeared. Of course this depends on fabric content of the item.
Our newest hack is we bring a hip pack (for you young folks the flat plastic bottle tad bigger than aflask) with small bottle of lime juice and those awesome new mini tonic cans we sip a gin and tonic at sunset on our balcony or on deck
Just saying usually life, not on a cruise is casual this and casual that. One of my to-do things I'm looking forward to is a specialty dinning experience.
Another hack regarding getting the wrinkles out of your clothes is just to hang them up or lay them flat and mist them with water from a spray bottle. You don’t even necessarily have to have the downy spray. I usually spray my outfit when I first start getting ready so it can dry and D wrinkle while I’m doing hair and make up etc. Or if it’s extremely wrinkled do it once the night before and then again when you start getting ready. This is how I iron absolutely all the time!
Another thing to do if you love to gamble is getting free alcohol while you are playing. On the next trip i am taking, as long as i am gambling, drinks are free (I dont have to play to obtain that benefit first). Also, i am hoping my cruise will have a reception for previous cruisers. I have gotten free drinks at this kind of event as well.
Great information as always. My grandchildren are taking their first cruise with their parents soon. My daughter in law was very pleased with the ideas for snacks. Thank you.
Are you able to bring for example and if you were allowed of course a case of water if you're traveling with another person two bottles of wine and the Coke or soft drink. And if you are able to do that then that will become a weight Factor. Or room.
So as long as the cruise line allows it, it’s not an issue. For water bottles, I’ve actually given it to the porters in the last and they put a sticky luggage tag on it and it was delivered to my cabin. However you can bring a cooler bag or two, and carry it on yourself as well. Just make sure you’ve got wheels on your carry on to make it easier. I’ve never seen anyone report luggage being turned away for weight or even too much
On carnival you can preorder a case or two of water that is delivered to your cabin on embarkation day. It was fairly reasonable price, i think we paid $5 for a 24pk of water, this was precovid. Check your cruise website, on carnival its called the Funshops other lines may have other names for the onboard cabin pre-purchase items.
To save money on drinks you can have alochol delivered to your cabin on embarkation day, along with water and other items. It's a major savings if you are in a cabin with someone that does not drink because the cruise line mandates purchasing drink package for EACH 21+ adult in your cabin if one person does. Love the DIY sangria idea!
To get it delivered to your room, you have to purchase it a couple days before the cruise… correct? And is this specific to carnival or most cruise lines?
I’m not seeing your links! Love your tips! I’m gonna use your sangria tip for sure! Cruising in July Montreal to Boston maybe you could talk about what to wear on these kind of cruises! I feel as if the beach tropical sundresses won’t look right on a northern cruise!
On Princess we were told we could not bring any ship food off the ship. I did bring some ritz peanut butter crackers from home and was so glad I did. Food is not always available on excursions or it might only be expensive, greasy food. Also, the afternoon tea on Princess did cost extra, $10 I think. When I saw it, I wished I had done it. It was a small area, but it looked nice. I love your tip about putting snacks into ziploc bags for later. Kids are always hungry at the most inconvenient times. Also, I try to do one specialty restaurant per cruise because the food is far, far better than cruise food, which is mediocre at best in the buffet and is hit or miss in the dining room.
That’s a good tip - sometimes you can’t bring ship food off, but packaged stuff is ok. I know the tea you mean on Princess. There are actually 2 - one is in the MDR and is free or included and really is little things handed out. The one you mentioned looked fabulous, although we didn’t do it either, and had tiered plates of tea sandwiches, scones ect and had flowers on the table. It was very pretty!!
Princess ships have "afternoon tea" in the MDR everyday & it's complimentary. You are served one type of tea & waiters walk around with trays of finger sandwiches, pastries & cakes Then usually toward the end of the cruise they will have "The Royal Tea". This is usually held across from their specialty coffee/tea shop in the Piazza & is very fancy, reservations are required & it's usually $10 pp. You are served different teas with each courses of finger sandwiches, pastries, cakes & the event ends with a flute of Champagne. Both afternoon teas are quite lovely.
![40 Cruise Food [& Drink] HACKS That Will Blow Your Mind!](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jloSbjtQaqI/mqdefault.jpg)
Planning a cruise? Get The Ultimate Cruise Planner. It's a 47 page printable cruise travel planner with packing checklists, shore excursion planning forms and much more! ($10 off for a limited time). Details here: lifewellcruised.com/ultimate-cruise-planner/
Hi! I just purchased the Cruise Planner and my iPad says it doesn’t support the file type. What am I doing wrong?
@@LisaReinhardt3355 hi Lisa, I’m happy to send you a file you can download by email, and this won’t be an issue. Please email me at lifewellcruised@gmail.com so I can send it to you asap. Thanks for your purchase!
I have a question in regards to water on the ship. Would I be able to drink water from the sink or are they not safe? I don’t wanna end up in the bathroom the whole time.
It doesn't allow me to leave a new comment so I gotta reply to this one:
I thought they'd make you like...walk the plank if you took food away from the buffet, tbh 👀
Loyalty to one line saves a lot of money in the long run. Free alcohol, a free photo free or discounted laundry. Etc etc etc. the good thing is all the perks. The bad thing is that it makes it tough to try another line.
When flying, I make an "airline sangria". I order red wine and cranapple juice. They always have this juice on American Airlines, at least. I mix half of each into a wine glass and I have 2 servings. Flight attendants love this idea!
Another hack for ironing your clothes is bringing your flat iron for your hair! You can clamp your clothes with it to get most of the wrinkles out!
Genius hack, thank you 😊
I do this as well 😂
I take Downy Wrinkle Release. Hang your sprayed clothes in the bathroom after your shower and the wrinkles will disappear.
I thought flat irons aren’t allowed 😳?
@@dr.perfectsmile4175 hair dryers aren't, they have them in the rooms, but the don't provide the flat irons or curling rods, so you have to bring your own.
Cuising on a camping budget, I like that philosophy.
To jazz up cruise ship coffee, we bring our own flavored creamers. They come in individual containers that don't need refrigeration. Easy to travel with. Thanks for your tips.
I did this many many years ago and it was a big hit with my 80-year-old aunt.
I wasn't exactly impressed with the 'yellow' sweetener, so I'm bringing Splenda for the hubs.
I'm not the only one who stocks up on snacks with my zip lock baggies lol. My gosh they come in handy when some shore excursions take forever before you get your food. As far as speciality dining, I always book the steakhouse on carnival for the first night because you get a free bottle of wine.
Haha I bring ziplocks too, in different sizes 😂. Great tip about the wine at Cagneys. I’m not a regular Carnival cruiser and didn’t know that. Thanks for sharing
I also book Steakhouse first evening for the free bottle of wine.
Just make sure your snacks are in the original sealed package when going to Mexico. I found that out the hard way when a friend and I got breakfast burritos on the ship to eat later off the ship in Cozumel.
@@elouise5593 oh yeah they will for sure take it
We love staying on the ship while most passengers go ashore! Once we were the only couple by the pool for over an hour!
Never done that,
Will do it next time 👍
Taking my first cruise this year, so I’m binging all your videos and then watching again and probably taking notes 😂😂😂. Love all the info you provide
Thanks Julie! So glad my videos could be of help as you plan your cruise. I’m excited for you 🎉
same here I'm looking to book.
She has some great ideas. Even though we have taken many cruises, some of these were a fresh
of breath air
Me too
I'm a huge tea drinker; I brought 8 bags of my favorite tea and 7 packets per tea bag of my favorite sugar substitute (Stevia). I just asked for a cup of hot water from the coffee shop or took it with me to the buffet.
No hot water available in the buffet area?
I ask for hot water and two glasses of ice at MDR breakfast and or lunch and 'brew' my own specialty iced teas, then put them in my Yeti! Morning MDR is also a fruit source for thermos sangria (mentioned in several of Ilana's hack videos)
I'm pretty dedicated to my cuppa. It seems US cruise lines don't have electric kettles available for your room, just the coffee machine. After first trip and realizing this I bought a collapsible travel kettle that has automatic shut off for safety. It folds down into nothing. A complete lifesaver. A good stash of my favorite brew from home and I'm set. I'll bring back milk from the buffet to keep in the fridge. 😊
One thing that I like about the official cruise ship excursions is that the ship will wait for you if your excursion is delayed. We were delayed for 45 minutes in Chile because the police had closed the road due to a fire. We got our complete excursion, plus the ship waited while we were tendered to the ship. If that had happened on an independent tour, that would not have happened and we would have had to find our way back to Santiago (without our luggage, medications, etc) to catch the plane home.
I only do cruise sanctioned port excursions… except for areas where hubby could walk. We explored a lot on foot . We hung with the locals all over Alaska.
My favorite line is Regent. I am retired, no kids. I love that everything is included so I know what I am paying up front. I enjoy the excursions, lectures, music, and meeting interesting people. I prefer no children at all, as they are too noisy. But I am older and want more sophistication and to dine anywhere I want.
Our 1st cruise we put our wine in our check in bag & it was confiscated. They left us a note. I went to guest services & was told it was taken because they could not guarantee we didn't ALSO have one with us at carry on & through security. So, learning from that mistake, we always hold on to it & carry it on with us.
Thank you!!!!!
I worked port security and was a passenger screener. ALWAYS carry on your wine. Run it through the xray machine and take it with you.
I cruise with Princess.They have self service laundry rooms on most cabin floors. When my bags arrive to my room, I pull out all of my clothes that may have gotten a little wrinkled and toss them in the dryer ,then hang them up.It's $3 , but well worth it to me.I always ask for extra hangers when I meet my room steward on the first day.
This is a brilliant tip!! I actually never thought to do this!! (The dryer) Thanks for sharing
Also Cunard. Plus irons.
That is a rarity nowadays. Most cruise lines removed the self serve laundry rooms,due to fires breaking out, but it was a great perk on my lone Princess cruise back in 2000.
Our cruise announced we were not allowed to walk off the ship with food but I had granola bars in my backpack and those were no problem. Thanks for your great tips here! 😊
Adding cruise chocolate milk and some cream to coffee really helps too!
We bring our own lariat for our room key. We have the ones that hold the card! We also bring beef jerky for our excursions.
That’s a very smart idea. True that dry snacks, especially high protein ones, are a great way to tide you over till getting back on the ship. Thanks for sharing
The tip for sangria also works for iced coffee (coffee, milk, syrup), mocha (coffee, hot chocolate), iced tea, sweet tea, iced mocha, mimosas, and other drinks.
That’s a great one!! I hadn’t thought about iced coffee, but that would be awesome
They also make many different flavors you can buy that only take a squirt to flavor your coffee--iced or hot. Since it is not alcohol I fill a couple of small travel bottles and bring it along. I love the eggnog.
@@jamess5154 smart!!
I love this, it’s on my list.
Yes I made sandwiches with ziplocs at breakfast last time. Everyone was like that is genius.
I was just on an Alaskan cruise. First time cruisers. The cruise was beautiful, the crew was exceptional. We really enjoyed the ship and took advantage of most of the offerings. But yes I did get the premier package. Though we both enjoy our alcohol we could not drink enough to come close to what the drink package offered. The wifi was not good. It would have been better to use internet available at port. We didn’t plan to use the fitness room, or spa so those costs were extra. I would really research what you would realistically use before buying the promoted package.
I agree. The free tea and coffee on Cunard was better than the premiums, and the soft drink package only had diet coke. Not great for diabetics. Just bought one or two cocktails a day and would have saved $200 without the package. Cunard wifi also 200 times the cost of a service on land, and that only for one device. Very big money spinner for them!
I love the wine hack would not have thought of that. I been cruising since 1995 and I have learned several hacks and tricks by watching Life Well.
Hey..love the zip lock bag…for me…never thought to do this and i have been on 70 cruises i need to bring back cookies and milk to my cabin. thanks a bunch!
So glad this was helpful!!
Found your channel about a week ago and loving your videos. We are avid cruisers. Both my husband and I are former crew members from the 90's on Carnival. So we are pretty loyal to Carnival specifically. We now share the cruise experience with our daughters.
Great suggestion about making sangria! We have made mimosas with champagne plus the orange juice that that have in the mornings on Carnival. Yes, they only have the juice stations in the morning so if you want for later, you do need to fill up a glass and store in your cabins mini fridge.
Thanks Cheryl! Amazing that you and your husband are former crew members and choose to cruise now on your holidays. I like your mimosa suggestion too! I may share it in a future video :)
EXACTLY what we do! 2 bottle of wine brought in, plus I ordered champagne and strawberries for our cabin on the cruise, and we'll have Mimosas each morning!
I always bring a non-spill travel mug to keep my tea hot. Great for carrying around. I also bring a plastic cup with the lid and straw. You can ask your room steward for an ice bucket and he refills it each day. Then fill with the pop or wine you brought on board. Also bring your own straws if you don’t like edible wilting ones in your drinks. They sell them but they are expensive. This is on Carnival.
Smart tips!! Thanks for sharing the great tips
On Princess we only had awful paper straws which never lasted through one drink, especially my coffee. I’m glad I watched enough UA-cam to know to bring my own straws.
@@JaniceCrowell Based on what Ilana said, I'm bringing good straws.
The Harbor Freight stainless steel hot-cold drink holders are the BEST! They'll keep cold drinks cold for HOURS, even in a hot car!
I have been on many cruises and your video is on point. Thanks for helping those who are not veterans.
I also start getting a water with my drinks around lunch and put them in my bag to take back to the room.
I’m bringing some zip lock freezer bags thanks to you. It will save me $ by not eating at restaurants when in port. A sandwich or cold pizza, cookies or fruit and some water or soda and I’ll be good until dinner.
Love your hair, beautiful!!!
Thank you 😊
My husband and I are going on our first cruise in March after having to cancel twice due to covid! I’ve been watching your videos and getting so many great hacks! I’m going to feel so prepared for our cruise thanks to you!
P.S. I love your cruise planner! Great value!
You are SO informative and thorough! I’m cruising with my extended family of 10 and we are constantly sending each other your videos.
Alright y’all. We are down to T minus 5 days 51 mins till our FIRST CRUISE!!!
So I’m going through and binging all these great “tips n tricks” and taking notes!!! Thanks for this info love!! ALL my questions answered in one spot!!!
use dryer sheets to freshen the closets. gonna buy downer wrinkle release . medicine bag. hubby years ago got sick and had to buy cough medicine - expensive . so dollar store for bandaids , medicine. key . free lanyard from casino too.
Great tips! Thanks for sharing your experience. I had heard about the lanyards in the casino in the past, but admit I’ve only played in a casino 3x in about 25 cruises so I know very little about what goes on there 😂
@@LifeWellCruised they do it on the first day. free to anyone.
@@alyssasimon3940 great to know! Thanks for sharing the tip
Do you have to play to get a lanyard? Just curious…we have lanyards 😅
Thank you thank you thank! The more money I can save, the more I have to put towards more cruises. :)
lol, that’s exactly how I think 😂
Watching all your videos as we prepare to take a cruise next month. This is the fourth time we have booked it lol! It has been a long two plus years for us die hard cruisers!! A tip for people who don't drink much and want to save some money. Take those juices(like you mention) that they have in the am back to your mini fridge. Then order a small bottle of your favorite hard liquor. While the mixed drinks from the bar can be costly the bottles are quite reasonable. Then you can make your own cocktails in your roon:)
Love it Dana! Have an amazing and well deserved cruise vacation 🎉
How much are the bottles, and it mini ones Please.
Can you do a video on Alaskan cruise if you've been on one.
Your UA-cam vids are the BEST in terms of useful info, outfits, cruise lines, lists, EVERYTHING! I really enjoy listening to you and watching your vids. You're my 'go-to' presenter and WELL deserve the thousands and thousands of likes and views!
You're smart, you know your audience, and I'm just so grateful for you!
Hubby and I are cruising with Royal Navigator October 5 days/4 nights, and I already have 3 files with spreadsheets tips, tricks, food in MDR, food in the Windjammer, a drink spreadsheet with how much I plan to drink vs. the drink 'plan', and how to stay away from the 'cat fights' but still be in a position to vid them!
I also did weather checks from the last 5 years for the week we're going.
Our October cruise will have Halloween on the 2nd night of the cruise (aka, I guess formal night since it's at sea on Day Two), but I FULLY plan on participating.
I'll privately send you the details-you are SO gonna laugh!!!
A grateful Tube Fan and admirer of your posts,
Love and hugs to your whole family,
Grandma Lynsey
EDIT: I LOVE your hair, outfits and your sandals!!
LOVE THE SANGRIA IDEA!!! I will test that out on my cruise next month!! Love the ziplock baggies too will def add to my list!
Haha that’s great!!
Awesome info for people on a budget.
So happy to have found your site. We haven't cruised for over 10 years and are looking forward to our upcoming cruise with friends. LOVE the sangria recipe and zip lock bag tips. Thank you!
I know re: haven't cruised for over 13 years! There have been some changes!
Great Advice we are Crown and Anchor Members Diamond. We love Royal Caribbean.
We are booked in 2023 for a Mediterranean cruise. We bought the drink package. No plans to lug drinks around on an international flight. Definitely packing snacks for our 11 year old for the flight.
Absolutely. You’ll enjoy it. Btw, make sure to eat in ports on your Med cruise. The food and experience is too good not to. We didn’t find it as pricey as we thought it was going to be either
Love your Sangria idea! I usually get wine package arranged as soon as I board. Usually 5 bottles for price of 4. No requirement for every adult to book. Can take wine in glass from MDR to cabin or show.
Yes :)
You look very pretty. Your makeup is flawless.
As always thanks for all of the excellent information.
Thanks Todd! Glad you enjoyed the video :)
I been on over 15 cruises and never thought about the Zip lock bags. I will do it on the next one
Thank-you Ilana for another great video. There are a number of great tips you missed, not the least of which is to subscribe to your newsletter! That seems to be the only way to actually be notified of a new cruise tip video.
Thanks Don for the kind words. True I think subbing to my emails is the quickest way to keep up with everything LWC lol. I’ll have to save more tips for a follow up video 😉
How do we subscribe to Ilana's newsletter? Nothing in the pinned post about that.
@@purplewombat1923 You are right. It is not obvious if you are using a phone. Since you can’t post links in a comment, I will give you the steps to get there from here: click the link for the ultimate cruise planner, then click the copyright notice to get to the blog. Read any post scroll down until you see the block that says “get your free cruise packing checklist”. That is the sign up for the newsletter.
@@DonLekei thank you :-)
Making sangria was a great idea!
Best hack....DIY Cruise Sangria. What great ideal!
Haha glad you like it
@@LifeWellCruised Oh yeah!! Hubby loves it, too!! Thanks!!
Ohhh I'm making sangria. I wasn't going to bother with bringing a bottle with me but this hack! Yep! Will be doing this!
I am addicted to Ranger cookies on Royal. I bring a ziplock freezer bag and every time we go to Windjammer or Cafe Promenade, I get my husband to go in line separately from myself and I get 2 cookies to eat at the time and 2 to put in the bag, along with the 4 from my husband. By the time the last day rolls around, I have a freezer bag full of those cookies that I can take home with me. I then ration myself maybe 1 or 2 cookies a week to hold me over until my next cruise. I don’t eat many of the other desserts so I don’t feel too guilty about hoarding my cookies.🤭
😂 that’s funny…I’m going to try that cookie when we get on Harmony end of September!
What are Ranger cookies?
We were recently on Symphony Of the Sea, RC 8 night cruise. I noticed about half way through the trip, they were giving away the bottles of water. No charge for them! That was great! Not sure of that’s a normal thing…
I bring a small Tupperware container of detergent to use in the laundry and use the iron to press my own clothes
Also Ships Laundries are great places to socialise with your fellow passengers 🙂
I have been on princess, NCL, Carnival, and Royal Caribbean, and only princess had a laundry facility for its passengers. I always bring laundry detergent, and a bungee rope clothesline that has built-in clothes pins. plus if I'm flying in the day before I always rent a car and go shopping at Walmart for soda, junk food, magazines, maybe extra flip flops, liquid detergent and various other odds and ends. now when I've been on cruises 11 to 16 days long I will also use the cruise laundry facilities when they have a sale of one price for as many clothes as you can get into their specific bag. I found if you fold all your clothes neatly and compactly you can get a lot more in those bags than if you just shove them in. the one thing that does not reduce down in size is blue jeans. typically if I'm on a cruise that long that means it is a one-way travel and I'm going to spend more time away from home in a foreign country.
I can't believe carnivals recent deals. Im Doing a 4 day next year $436 out the door and $500 obc. Crazy
That’s fabulous!!!! Good for you :)
How are you getting so much OBC please?
@@icedteamama176 casino offers, and I don't spend a lot. I had booked Celebration for Jan for $2400 balcony. Then got an offer for a free balcony sane ship and itinerary for $489 out the door.
I love my on-board port days!
Thank you so much that is going to help immensely I’m taking three older children with me and I’m paying for everything but I want to I love my kids and this is such great quality time ,but yes little bit of a budget especially when we’re going for over 20 days haven’t decided which cruise yet but the longer the better and the on-board activities are extremely important so especially for them ,I’ll be happy no matter what. but every dollar does count. thank you so much again.
A way to get some on board credit to spend is to become a cruiseline stockholder. NCL for example will give you a $100 OBC for cruises 7-14 days long, $250 for 15 days +. 100 shares is required. Of course, this costs money and stock prices can go down.
You’re right! Great tip!! Thanks for sharing
Same with Carnival & Princess... love it...
What tips, tricks & hacks have you used to save money on a cruise?
That was awesome. I loved this video. I'm way older than you and have been booking travel for a long time but just recently started getting paid for it. I learned much from you on this video. You reinforced much that I already knew.
A few of them had to do with families and that is new to me. I've never traveled with kids..... But I have grandkids now so it was great information!!! But your very last tip was about wine was my fav. I drink Chardonnay and trying to drink less white and more Reds. I had not thought of this yet... So I am jazzed you included..... The sangria. I have been involved in holistic medicine since the '80s when I lived in Silicon Valley. I would pack a few cans of 7up or sprite to make it come alive. Plus Ice. I have rarely drink soda for 40 years. I occasionally have cocktails or sangria and I drink 7UP. I'm mostly a wine drinker so this would give me an alternative for day drinking. I could then enjoy a glass of wine with dinner! This was Major for me and I thank you so much!!! 👏👏✨👍👍👏✌️✌️✨🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺
We are going to Alaska on a cruise in Sept 2024 and we found out that this will be the last time this ship goes to Alaska and the ship is also going to be moved to a different port for future cruises. So, i am thinking that they will have super super sales near the end of our trip to get rid of all their souvenir, jewelry, and clothing items before the trip ends!
Found your channel this month and I take my first cruise next month with my 6 year old . I am nervous and excited at the same time lol
I just came back from a cruise (May 28th, 2022) and I travelled with an 8mnth old and 7yr old. It was great!!! You will be just fine and HAVE FUN!!!!!!
@@mssophied1295 thank you so much ❤️❤️
Love the Sangria hack! Thanks for sharing. 🍷
Good ideas especially taking the little milk cartons back to the cabin for kids later on.
Glad that was helpful:)
Be aware! Many of the mini fridges are only coolers and not true refrigerators. They would hold milk for a few hours but not long-term.
Thank you truly appreciate All your great ideas more like this please especially if we travel with our kids this helps tons lots of blessings to you for all this so important information you provide to us 🥰🥰🙏🙏🙏🙏
It's a good thing mead counts as a wine, taste great and it's 40 proof.
Yeah mead is not 40 proof but ok
@@juliamock4052 Dansk Mjod Viking Blod Mead is, I guess if u wanna get technical it's just under 40 proof because we're looking at 19%alcohol content.
Good tips, might try the sangria hack in Sept. Thanks for sharing 😊
My pleasure! Thanks for watching
You may not need the branded wrinkle release product.
The display gal in the store (retail) I worked at kept a spray bottle with water only to use on clothes when she did displays. She’d simply give the clothes a light spritz & a little stretch. The wrinkles disappeared. Of course this depends on fabric content of the item.
Our newest hack is we bring a hip pack (for you young folks the flat plastic bottle tad bigger than aflask) with small bottle of lime juice and those awesome new mini tonic cans we sip a gin and tonic at sunset on our balcony or on deck
The subset drink sounds great
Thanks for the tips, we use them all the time!
Thanks Holly! When is your next cruise, if all goes well of course:)
I love the snorkeling idea! ❤
I have a few fine dinning nights booked already
Just saying usually life, not on a cruise is casual this and casual that. One of my to-do things I'm looking forward to is a specialty dinning experience.
I love a nice afternoon tea because I usually have late dinning
Can you bring a Battery operated candle? it would make an awesome nightlight
Love the sangria hack. Great idea.
Glad you like it!! 🍹
We never get the drink package unless it is included. I bring my own soda on the cruise myself.
That’s smart. If they allow you to bring your own, why not? :)
Will you ever do any video on cruising single?
It’s such a good topic - if I can find out enough or find a way to share good information I’d love to
Tips foe Travelers with Gary Bembridge has a few.
🍷🍷 EXCELLENT!
I'll do a trial run on the sangria wine at home before we go on our next Cruise. I love that idea.
Thanks👍
They have drinks in the evening at the main jewelry store. It is free.
Your makeup looks great today.
Panama Canal late October on Celebrity!
Wow!!! Nice
Another hack regarding getting the wrinkles out of your clothes is just to hang them up or lay them flat and mist them with water from a spray bottle. You don’t even necessarily have to have the downy spray. I usually spray my outfit when I first start getting ready so it can dry and D wrinkle while I’m doing hair and make up etc. Or if it’s extremely wrinkled do it once the night before and then again when you start getting ready. This is how I iron absolutely all the time!
Another thing to do if you love to gamble is getting free alcohol while you are playing. On the next trip i am taking, as long as i am gambling, drinks are free (I dont have to play to obtain that benefit first).
Also, i am hoping my cruise will have a reception for previous cruisers. I have gotten free drinks at this kind of event as well.
How do you find just shopping and beach excursions? We don’t want all these other tours or snorkeling.
What’s the best red wine to bring to make the sangria ?
I would choose one that i like. You can also use white or rose if you like.
Love your tips and especially your sangria tip
Great information as always. My grandchildren are taking their first cruise with their parents soon. My daughter in law was very pleased with the ideas for snacks. Thank you.
Ive done the ziploc snaking
Awesome 👏
I bean on the Dawn princes for 45 days the road in Italey was very scary i was very scard
do you have a suggested walkie talkie to bring for royal carribbean?
I would use the app. I don’t think these work very well
Are you able to bring for example and if you were allowed of course a case of water if you're traveling with another person two bottles of wine and the Coke or soft drink. And if you are able to do that then that will become a weight Factor. Or room.
So as long as the cruise line allows it, it’s not an issue. For water bottles, I’ve actually given it to the porters in the last and they put a sticky luggage tag on it and it was delivered to my cabin. However you can bring a cooler bag or two, and carry it on yourself as well. Just make sure you’ve got wheels on your carry on to make it easier. I’ve never seen anyone report luggage being turned away for weight or even too much
Check with cruise line about case of water, my daughter could'nt take her's on Carnival...
On carnival you can preorder a case or two of water that is delivered to your cabin on embarkation day. It was fairly reasonable price, i think we paid $5 for a 24pk of water, this was precovid. Check your cruise website, on carnival its called the Funshops other lines may have other names for the onboard cabin pre-purchase items.
oooh! I love the DIY sangria idea!!!! Thank you. I'm enjoying your channel.
Hang crumpled items in the shower room while bathing and the steam will get rid of the creases
Smart tip!
To save money on drinks you can have alochol delivered to your cabin on embarkation day, along with water and other items. It's a major savings if you are in a cabin with someone that does not drink because the cruise line mandates purchasing drink package for EACH 21+ adult in your cabin if one person does. Love the DIY sangria idea!
To get it delivered to your room, you have to purchase it a couple days before the cruise… correct? And is this specific to carnival or most cruise lines?
Who do you order it from?
I wish every Cruise Line would allow this. I would not mind spending 40 $45 for a bottle of liquor then
I'm old, I no longer like taking pictures LOL!!!!
I bet you are still beautiful❤❤❤
It was very high i was scard to fall to the see i was crying shacking
I’m not seeing your links! Love your tips! I’m gonna use your sangria tip for sure! Cruising in July Montreal to Boston maybe you could talk about what to wear on these kind of cruises! I feel as if the beach tropical sundresses won’t look right on a northern cruise!
Your video is very informative & good. But do they have lactose free milk on the ship?
First aid kit is a go oil d idea
Glad you agree - pack a small pharmacy is my motto 🤣
Lot of people talk about coffee. Can you get tea. Sky Princess
On Princess we were told we could not bring any ship food off the ship. I did bring some ritz peanut butter crackers from home and was so glad I did. Food is not always available on excursions or it might only be expensive, greasy food. Also, the afternoon tea on Princess did cost extra, $10 I think. When I saw it, I wished I had done it. It was a small area, but it looked nice. I love your tip about putting snacks into ziploc bags for later. Kids are always hungry at the most inconvenient times. Also, I try to do one specialty restaurant per cruise because the food is far, far better than cruise food, which is mediocre at best in the buffet and is hit or miss in the dining room.
That’s a good tip - sometimes you can’t bring ship food off, but packaged stuff is ok. I know the tea you mean on Princess. There are actually 2 - one is in the MDR and is free or included and really is little things handed out. The one you mentioned looked fabulous, although we didn’t do it either, and had tiered plates of tea sandwiches, scones ect and had flowers on the table. It was very pretty!!
@@LifeWellCruised I didn’t realize there was also one in the main dining room.
How to save money on Princess. I can rattle a whole list of things if anybody is interested.
@@burningblue1254 I am!
Princess ships have "afternoon tea" in the MDR everyday & it's complimentary. You are served one type of tea & waiters walk around with trays of finger sandwiches, pastries & cakes Then usually toward the end of the cruise they will have "The Royal Tea". This is usually held across from their specialty coffee/tea shop in the Piazza & is very fancy, reservations are required & it's usually $10 pp. You are served different teas with each courses of finger sandwiches, pastries, cakes & the event ends with a flute of Champagne. Both afternoon teas are quite lovely.
Can you pack a small iron