Going On 100 Cruises Taught Me 7 CRUCIAL Cruise Tricks
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- Опубліковано 16 чер 2024
- I have just taken my 100th cruise and I have been asked by so many cruise passengers and cruising fans what are the biggest things I have learnt about cruising over all those trips. Here are the 7 biggest ones. Some may surprise. I hope so. This is the first of a series of videos I have made to mark hitting this milestone.
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ABOUT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS: If you want to get cruising right, Tips For Travellers makes it easy to plan and have the incredible cruise experiences you dream of every time. All my Tips For Travellers advice, tips and tricks tips draw on everything that I have learnt on the 96 cruises I have done to date.
#cruisetips #CruisingTips #cruiseships
00:00 Start
00:36 Know Your Cruise Friends
03:22 The Key To Cruise Cabins
05:24 Getting Lost Cruising
07:32 No Repetition Cruising
08:46 More Means More Cruising
10:08 Unexpected Cruise Outcomes
10:40 It's Okay To Cruise Alone
I enjoyed my solo cruise so much after my husband passed.I felt so much freedom without sharing with somebody.
You go girl
What?!?
@@cherylkoski7184seriouslyy😂😂
Solo travel is fantastic! So much freedom.
I traveled by myself to England and Germany 3 times now. I love it but it can be lonely sometimes. That’s why I want to take a cruise next. It’s not that I don’t want other people to come with me, it just doesn’t work out for financial or childcare reasons. I’m always happy to hear other solo travelers talk about their experiences.
We love the Hop On/Off buses in a lot of cities. sometimes we ride the whole circuit first and then decide on where to get off , other times we have specific venues we want to see and use it for that, then hop back on to get back to port. They are great in Scandinavia!
Same! I often go the full way round first...
I have only been on a short cruise once which I absolutely hated. Then I decided that cruising was not for me and that I'd rather do my own thing. But for some reason, I came across your channel. Once I started watching your videos I realized that it was not that the cruise I was on was bad, but that I had booked a cruise that was simply not right for me. After watching your videos - which I find very enjoyable and educational - I have decided to dip my toes into cruising again. As per what I have learned from your videos I booked a ship that is slightly smaller with fewer bells and whistles. Thank you for all your content. I feel much better prepared this time.
We took our first cruise on HAL in 2015 after which we said, "Been there--done that. No need to do it again." It wasn't bad. Somehow it just didn't inspire us to cruise. Now, here we are several years later and had two cruises (MSC Caribbean and Virgin Transatlantic) in 2022 and five cruises this year (again MSC and Virgin including another Transatlantic on MSC Divina), and we are already booking into 2024 (MSC-Caribbean and Princess-Alaska and 2025 Azamara Panama Canal/Miami to Lima Peru.
Best wishes in your travel adventures at sea.
Smaller ships are so much better!
@@tomg1247 Sounds absolutely wonderful! Thank you for sharing! Enjoy your upcoming cruises!
Yes, you need to do your research before you book or cruising can turn out to be a not very enjoyable experience. I like cruises that don’t cater for children, and have peaceful areas to be able to fully relax , plus not having to dress up too formally . So party ships, or very formal ships or ships with fun rides are not something I would enjoy. I get all these ‘likes’ with Oceania. I have heard from others that they have hated their cruise, and when I have asked how they picked their cruise they admit they just see a good price and off they go.
Like buying a home, you have to look into all the variables first!!
@@elaineshelton8006 Do realize that post-pandemic, you really do not have a good way of researching the up-to-date situation on the ship. For example, on our RCCL cruise last May, half of the entertainment talent was not on the ship which meant that there was not a Broadway show which is what cruise bloggers talk about. Also, the mega screen was not working for movies. In December, HAL did not have the staffing in the MDR and the service really suffered. On ALL of the ships, there have been some major and a lot of minor cutbacks that make a lot of cruise bloggers PAST videos not as relevant. For example, I watch all of the TRAVELTOURISTVIDEOS for the food offerings. There have been significant changes in 2023 compared to what was offered in mid 2022 on all of the last three cruises. Before booking last month's cruise on the NCL Epic, I researches everything on the internet and the reviews were great. However, they made changes in December 2022 after the cruise was paid for and the reviews in 2023 have been terrible.
Gary is a treasure. Mark is a lucky guy.
I've never been on a cruise. I thought I wasn't cruise material, but you are talking me into it.
Same here.
Thank you for addressing the solo traveler at the end. I’m a brand new cruiser. My first cruise is coming up in April then my second in May. While both are planned with friends I look forward to possible solo journeys in the future. You may already have a video on solo travel (I’ll search for it) if you haven’t can you do one. I’d love to hear about your experiences.
Literally just got off an MSC Mediterranean cruise from Marseille about 8 hours ago. First time taking a cruise where English was not the primary language and it was a bit interesting, but MSC did a good job. I had a solo balcony cabin. Didn’t know that existed but glad it did. It was a great deal and I wasn’t stuck either in an interior room with no windows or paying double. Congrats on 100, I’m at 4 now.
Thank you for just saying its OK to cruise alone. I truly appreciate it.
Absolutely!!
Alone, not lonely! I meet more people when I travel alone because you're more approachable than when travelling with others.
Thanks to everyone for making me feel ok as a solo traveler, I greatly appreciate it!
I have never been on a cruise 🚢 yet and I’m 63 this year. Hopefully I might try one later this year.
Respect to you for doing 100 cruises Sir…👍🏾
Great tip about the 5-sided separation for your cabin. I remember one of our worst cruises was when our cabin was below the galley and there must have been a walk-in freezer above us. Bang-bang all night long, ugh! Now, we make sure we have cabins on all sides (above, below, and both sides) and our door is also far away from elevators and crew doors. And a mid-ship cabin is another great tip! Thank you for your great video and channel!
I've never cruised! However, I find your channel so informative and relaxing to watch. When I do cruise, I feel I will get so much more out of it, because of YOUR channel. I'm glad you started it!
Tomorrow is not guaranteed! Book sooner than later, you’ll love it!
I'm in the same boa... er, ship.
I'm saving up for my first cruise, and toying with which line to use. P&O & Princess are the short list right now. We'll decide once we've chosen our travel agent.
Every time I go on a cruise not princess, I keep finding myself trying to compare it to princess… leading me to not like other lines as much… I gotta stop comparing and just enjoy the cruise
I used to do EXACTLY the same with HAL. I compared ALL cruise lines with HAL.
@@peterjaro6804 really? We did 30 cruises and HAL was our worst
@@avv1435 REALLY! Isn't that funny? OK I have not done 30 cruises like you, but HAL comes out top for almost everything... in my book anyway. I did have a few food issues with them, but that was way before covid. My last 3 with them has been near perfect.
Happy Cruising A vV !
I assume you've never been on the Crown Princess... we know princess is not for us.
I am sorry that Princess sold the Orient and the Pacific. They were the BEST Princess ships. Only took 690 passengers.
I love that you do most of your cruising solo (granted, by necessity to expand the channel). I do as well, and I've always enjoyed my trips and sharing the experience with others. I think cruise lines are slowly learning that there is a largely untapped solo traveler market that they can welcome to their benefit. Thanks for the excellent information you provide!
im super interested in solo cruising. Im taking my first cruise in April with a group of about 20 gals........
@@mmommo10 That's a great way to get your feet wet with solo cruising!
@@mmommo10 oh, if you’re going with 20 other gals, that’s not exactly solo, but have fun🌴🐬🐠🛳
@@SoloSueTravels 🤣
Gary, Thank You so much for your informative videos. We have enjoyed cruising much more since finding your channel. All of your little 'tips' are worthwhile for cruisers of all ages and all experiences.
Excellent video, Gary. You are so inspiring! Thank you!
Always appreciate watching your videos. I feel like I learn something new everytime.
great that you’re sharing your experience with us Gary ❤
So agree that ports and places are extremely important. I love coming back to that haven of the ship.
Thank you so much for this video. It is truly FANTASTIC! Great information and so beautifully organized. Cheers!
Your channel is invaluable, I appreciate you and all your hard work. Thank you.
This is your BEST cruise video by far! It’s so good I’ve taken notes! 😊 Thank you for sharing all your wisdom! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
I've been all over the world as a solo traveler. I've never had trouble meeting people & always enjoy getting to know the staff. I post photos & short videos on Facebook & I get recognized occasionally . I do mostly HAL cruises, but not exclusively & I usually run into staff I know from previous cruises. It's a bit like being a celebrity on embarkation day. I agree with all your cruise tricks. I'm going to have to try some of the other lines. I've done HAL & Princess mostly but Norwegian & Royal Caribbean too. 180 days on cruise ships for me since the restart & 71 more in the next 3 months.
Crused on the Voga our cabin was above the kitchen. They made bacon 2 ways raw and burnt. So we knew each morning which one we were going to see on the buffet.
My first cruise was on the P&O Canberra, maiden voyage. This ship was later used in the Falkland’s War. 50 years later it was the Princess Regal. Unbelievable ship, I’m now spoiled and comparing all ships to Princess. Thank you for what you do.
Great video, Gary, (as always)!
I love your videos and your comparison of cruise lines to friends. If you have not tried the Star Clipper line, please add it to your list. Nothing beats their repo westbound crossings!
An Excellent video which gave me a different view on some aspects of cruising and travel.
Insightful advice. Thanks so much 🙏
Love watching your cruise vlogs. My husband and I have only cruised one Norwegian, two Oceania Cruises, (ocean cruises) and The Zambezi Queen and Anawartha Heritage Line in Myanmar, (river cruises). We have a Paul Gauguin coming up shortly that is a 16 day from Bali to Fiji. I truly cannot wait for this cruise after watching your video on the Paul Gauguin, although a different itinerary. We will probably never make it to 100 cruises, however we are now enjoying them as much as we have our travels via air and land. Thank you for your insight and tips on cruising. ❤❤❤. And congratulations on your 100th cruise, may you enjoy 100 more!!!
Nice video, as always. Liked and subscribed to the channel. Keep the great job, mate!
Great video, Gary
Our first cruise in the 1990s was on the old Costa Riviera to Alaska. It was a ship built for the tropics ao a lot of the amenities were unavailable to us. (It was basically the wrong ship to a great destination.) We swore off cruising until 2019. We have been on four cruises since the pandemic. Three were fantastic (RCCL, HAL, and Celebrity). However, last month's cruise on the NCL Epic was one that I would have gotten off after the first day if it had not been prepaid due to a lack of service and responsiveness.
It's wild that your first cruise was as recently as 2004. I wasn't sure it was even possible to do 100 cruises in less than 20 years, averaging out more than 5 cruises a year--and with at least a year lost to the pandemic...Truly incredible.
19 years ago is recent?
@@R0YB0T to do 100 cruises? Yes..
Easily. Im doing my 19th since November 2022 tomorrow
That's a lot of flights, also!🙄
You taught me to always check your cabin location. What’s above or below it you explained in a video few years ago. It was the best advice of cruising I ever heard! I always research my cabin now, thank you
Thanks good information I vicariously travel with you I am going on holland this year
Congrats on 100 cruises!
Happy 💯and thank you for your channel.
Congratulations on 100! Great tips and cheers to another 100 🥂
Yes, after 166 cruises, agree with you 100%. But don’t be afraid of repetition, you always find something new!
The dancer at 3:45 min made my day. You could loop that dancer, and I would watch it for 10 minutes. Great insightful video. This is one of the best vlogs I have seen on cruising. Thank you
It was rather manic dancing :-) Thanks for watching and great to hear how useful you found it!
100ncruises - I’m envious! Great advice and much appreciated.
Thanks for watching!
Congrats on being the number one cruise vlogger! 🏆
Thanks for the inspiration; I’ve been watching your channel for while, and even thought I spotted you on my last voyage.
I started my own cruise channel, and hope to keep it going as long as possible.
I think Princess Cruises to Alaska is the best cruise from San Francisco. 😊❤
My wife and I love balcony rooms, towards the front (we like the motion vs center where everything is barely moving). We also follow the rule of 5 guest rooms! We do not mind the walk to get aft. We also mainly book our own excursions - or none. We've done a total of 3 Cruise Line excursions. We've also had to scramble when weather reverses an itinerary or completely changes the port-of-calls! All part of the fun. :D
We have nowhere near the cruises you do. We have several cruise lines we want to try. We are attracted to the smaller cruise ships (size of Carnival Magic or slightly smaller for instance). Looking forward to our next cruise!
I have been watching your videos from Australia for the past month and really appreciate all the good advice you give - it’s simple, clear and very informative. Appreciate your hard work!
Great to hear! Thanks!
I love your videos I just love them. Thank you.
I'm so glad! Thanks for watching
I enjoy watching your videos - great content, speaking from experience. We've been on two cruises, both with P&O, one with our then 1 year old which made the experience very different!
ᴛʜᴀɴᴋs ғᴏʀ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ʏᴏᴜᴛᴜʙᴇ ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏs ᴛᴇxᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀM👆ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🏆…
All I can say Gary; Is thank you very much for your channel! My wife and I have discovered the 20 or so cruises we’ve been on we can expand our vision 10 to 20 times! Bless you, thank you!
ᴛʜᴀɴᴋs ғᴏʀ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ʏᴏᴜᴛᴜʙᴇ ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏs ᴛᴇxᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀM👆ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🏆…
Always enjoy your videos. Have only done 40 cruises but your advise to cruise with many different lines is absolutely correct. Have cruised with: NCL, HAL, CCL. RCCL, X, Princess, Viking, and Windstar.
ᴛʜᴀɴᴋs ғᴏʀ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ʏᴏᴜᴛᴜʙᴇ ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏs ᴛᴇxᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀM👆ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🏆…
Great video Gary thanks for sharing ❤️ we're only new in our cruising life, have only done 2 so far on p and o Australia, but we have one booked for November on royal Caribbean ovation of the seas then our honeymoon cruise booked on virgin voyages resilient Lady in December then another one back on p and o Australia in February on our first overseas holiday to the islands then another on p and o Australia locally here in Australia in August 2024 ❤️ so we have a few new adventures ahead of us 😍
I agree each line has its highlights for different itineraries, people and occasions
So true, cabin selection is very important.
I have a totally different attitude to repetition - based on my personal approach to travel. I ALWAYS assume that I'll be back. This removes the pressure to see everything, and lets me follow my mood and any serendipitous moments that might arise. If I find a particularly nice cafe, and want to sit and people watch, I can. A cute shop and friendly shopkeeper? I can stay and chat, or try on more things. Those are the kinds of moments I really enjoy while travelling, and if I'm clock watching to make sure I see every sight on "the" list, I miss out on so much. And, if I make it back, I'll still have plenty of new things to do!
Very good point! Less stress and more relaxing. I guess it depends on one’s personality.
I have really enjoyed your channel, thank you! Have you tried UnCruise? I am looking at the Baja Mexico trip, amazing!!
Excellent again Gary! Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very good points. I've been looking to expand my crusing horizons beyond Princess and Carnival. I'm not saying I wouldn't go on a larger ship, but there's a charm to smaller ships as well. Carnival Panorama was a great ship, especially in the Cloud 9 cabins. It was a bit inconvenient only hvaing one or two elevators that serviced our deck, but I prefer stairs going down anyway.
My partner and I both enjoy crusing, though we've only been on one together. We both also want to venture out of the US, not just destinationally, however it is definitely not cheap to do so and not helped by splurging on a mini-suite on our cruise. Having the extra space, especially a couch to lounge around on when we're done with people was fantastic, but I'm sure we could easily find some out of the way/quieter spots to lounge around the ship if we needed to, but I feel like a balcony is a near must at this point. Princesses Royal class seems to be about my ideal size. Compared to older ships it's huge, but it's definitely not a megaship like Panorama, Mardi Gras, or Royal Caribbean and the like.
One thing that concerns me are the older ships to be honest. Stateroom ammenities are important, and these older ships are missing many, even after drydock. Having outlets near the bed for CPAPs needs to become common place. Preferably US and European outlets as well.
Great tips, some of which we've learned the hard way with only 10 cruises across four lines. Five cabin surround plus no connection is good. Because we initially favoured NCL because of the price point, we are now at a reward level that really does give us more than other lines. Now we cruise to travel so it is all about the ports and not about the ship or line. Also, being a polyglot, I am not scared of exploring a port on my own but there are certain countries, whether I'm fluent or not, that we opt for a ship excursion due to safety concerns. Also, I think it depends where you live; being Canadian, I've long since explored the Caribbean during my resort holiday years and have no desire to waste money on a cruise to those destinations.
I liked your little rave dance at 5:17 😁 Joking aside, some great tips and reminders for beginners and oldies alike.
Glad you enjoyed it :-) It was probably scarily how I did use to rave dance back in the day...!
... congratulation on all your adventures ... over 100 now ...only been on three here ... ready to go again once the airports are staffed up again ...
I'm so happy you decided to make a YT channel - we learn so much from you! We are addicted to Celebrity but this makes a lot of sense. We already have our cruise booked for this year but I'll be thinking about your rationale when it's time to book our next one. Thanks for all of the great videos/tips/tricks/pointers Gary!!
I love you list and explain
I agree with different ports in Europe, but in the Caribbean, I have been there lots and a beautiful beach is a beautiful beach, the difference between those islands isn't big enough to worry if the itinerary isn't varied.
I LOVE your content. Just took my 7 year old daughter on her first cruise (RC to Mexico) and she had a blast. I see many fun trips in our future.
I direct all cruisers to your content- it is amazing.
That is awesome! Thanks
Very interesting video thanks for producing
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching !
Nice guy, great advice.
Thanks for watching!
@@tipsfortravellers not just watching, I’m binging. I love your videos, I watch them back to back, they are captivating and hook me to the next one, one after the other. My husband watches them too 😊 I’m learning so much, I’m so grateful. Come to think of it, it’s about time I subscribed! LOL
Congratulations Gary!
So true that it’s the ports that make a cruise special. When I cruised to Havana I woke up at 4 in the morning to see us floating in. I filmed all of it and after taking the tour of downtown I learned what I had filmed. Che’s house. The statue of the redeemer like in rio. It was the most incredible trip I’ve ever taken. The Tropicana that evening was icing on the cake. The Cuban rum. Oh my!
I just booked a guaranteed interior cabin on odyssey of the seas. It’s for a Mediterranean cruise in July. I am nervous about it but, I needed to keep the cost down as much as possible.. My family and I don’t spend much time in the cabin and I’ll make sure to bring noise canceling headphones just in case..Lol🤞🏻
Signed up for a cruise on Royal Caribbean from Baltimore to Bermuda in September. Although RC is not our favorite cruise line we live about a 20 minutes from Baltimore so this will be so easy for us.
great tips, as always! I would like a Panama Canal cruise. Maybe one day, it is certainly on the Bucket List! Thank you for the video! Have a brilliant week!
Panama Canal is fascinating! Don't go too late in the season as it gets really hot.
Im not a cruse person but i can see why you enjoy it. Cool videos xx
Great videos! Just wondering, do you use travel agents for all your cruises?
Whole heartedly agree with cabin location and passenger rooms on 5 sides. We learned this lesson the hard way a few years ago on a Holland America cruise where we were right below the smoker’s section on the lido deck. We didn’t smell anything but heard scraping deck chairs all day and night. Because a typical smoker would only be there for 5-10 minutes they would sit down…scrape…smoke their cigarette and get up…scrape. Ugh. Never again.
I agree the more you travel the more places you want to see. The must do list just keeps growing isn't life great!
Thanks!
Thanks so much! Greatly appreciated
Very good video. And so true.
I organised our first cruise this January with Princess Cruises. I knew nothing about cruising at all but managed to bumble my way through and we had a really wonderful, relaxing 5 day cruise.
All of us were first timers and we absolutely loved it.
Now I'm now hooked on cruising and have already booked another one for January next year.
I really wanted to stay with Princess Cruises - I am usually very brand loyal - but didnt see the value in traveling on the exact same ship as unfortunately only one of their ships come to our state, so I booked with P&O.
I now think this was a great idea. I want to try different ships and different cruise lines to see what they have to offer and compare and contrast. I'm already seeing a lot of differences in their offerings.
I can't wait!!
Gary:
I very much appreciate this video and your insights; thank you.
Having said that, I’d respectfully make the point that every cruiser is different, as are their motivations for cruising. For instance, there are several places I love so much that I overtly seek out cruises with those destinations regardless of how often I’ve been there. There are other ports that I’ve been to that I don’t care about and enjoy staying on the ship for some solitude while everyone else is ashore. Some of my favorite conversations with less-busy staff from around the world have occurred during those times, and I’ve never regretted staying aboard in those situations.
I very much agree with you that being openminded to cruise line is a good thing, as some of my favorite cruises have been utter surprises, and sometimes you just don’t know which line suits you best if you never leave your comfort zone. Like you with P&O, I was a dedicated Celebrity cruiser for years, and Celebrity Horizon is still my favorite ship (RIP Horizon). As Celebrity started with the Solstice class I became less enamored; I went on the Edge once and hated it. I started cruising on Princess more, and now they’re my default, though I’m still up for trying others.
My point is this: I think your list makes sense for you, but especially for those new to cruising it’s important to note that everyone’s list may be substantially different.
Thanks again!
ᴛʜᴀɴᴋs ғᴏʀ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ʏᴏᴜᴛᴜʙᴇ ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏs ᴛᴇxᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀM👆ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🏆…
100% on port stops. We're new to cruising and as much as I enjoy it, motorhoming will always be my first love due to the freedom and ability to manage how long you spend in each location.
Always something to learn from you, Gary. Thank you.
This might be my most favorite and your best video ever Gary! Brilliant stuff, wisdom through experience. Thank you!⭐
Oh Gary…you never disappoint with your content! Thank you so much….hope to cruise soon and I’ll review the videos I’ve saved!
What ship lines & shore activities can you recommend for Antarctica? Thanks!
BTW, I just found your channel & love your content!!! ♥️
Hi Gary, another great video thanks from Queensland Australia
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!
I just planned my first cruise for my wife and I - We are travelling around the Mediterranean. We are very excited and want to thank you for all the information you have shared. It made the decision process much easier 😎👍
I agree I am going on 8 day 3 ports 2 new 1 been two but Carnivals private island I was there in June it beach only good you see the ship from beach
I love your videos, they have helped us cruise through the years- bless you!! We are wanting to go to Paris, and London, including other countries- could you recommend any cruises for that? We have looked at the lists- but don't have the experience. One is on the NCL Getaway...just wondering as this is our last big cruise...sadly- so we want it to be special! Any help or tips would be so appreciated, but no worries if you are too busy!
ᴛʜᴀɴᴋs ғᴏʀ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ʏᴏᴜᴛᴜʙᴇ ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏs ᴛᴇxᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛᴇʟᴇɢʀᴀM👆ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ 🏆…
You must have tons of friends from all of your cruises 🚢 😊
Great points, Gary! Connie & I are relatively new to cruising as we did our first cruise together in 2016. Before that she did some with her girlfriends, and I would travel to Switzerland and go hiking in the Alps. But now we travel together. I think we will always want to travel on land as well as cruising. Your videos are really helpful.
I was lucky to be on Cunard Princess for R&R during my deployment during Desert Storm
Thank you for your service, Kent.
Thank you, Gary 🚢🚢
This video is one of your best!
Wow, thanks :-)
Love your videos. Do you have any off ship recommendations for Alaska ports?
Hi Gary I love watching your videos, I’ve watched every one of them, some 2-3 times. I’m wondering how Viking ocean/river cruises compare with the many you’ve reviewed?
We have definitely loved Viking Ocean. We took one Viking river trip that was just meh. However, that was early last March on the Douro. Our cruise director was a drunk. They originally showed us to a below Ocean suite when I was sure we had booked a balcony. They did put us in a balcony after I had complained. I got food poisoning one night and had to miss the tour to Salamanca, Spain the next day. They just didn’t have it together.
Really interesting, Gary!!!!! Here's to Gary's 200th cruise!!!
Hopefully I am around to hit that milestone. That would be quite something :-)
Good advice about avoiding service stairways but how do you know where they are? This is something accommodation plans omit. The best you will get are unlabeled blank spaces here and there which could mean anything.
Excellent. I have done 29 cruises and learned many of the lessons you covered. After being under the stage on a South American cruise with flamenco dancers I have always carefully picked my own stateroom. I agree with all your recommendations and include a few more. I always look at an exterior picture of the ship to be sure my balcony has a great view: left, right, up and down. Being older with mobility issues I also like to be near the elevators, but not so close that there is noise. Unlike you I like to go where I have been before so I don't have to get off the ship if I don't feel up to walking, And I tend to stick with Holland America and its smaller ships as they cater to older clients, and getting from one end of the ship to the other isn't an expedition. I feel the same about Viking and American Cruise Lines. I'm looking for good food, no children, respectful service, lectures, cooking shows, movies and bridge partners. That is entirely different from what I was looking for forty years ago. I like going alone or with friends, but I'm at the stage where I want my own stateroom if traveling with a friend. I am sad to be reaching the end of my cruising days, but have many fantastic experiences and fond memories.
Hi and congrats on your 100th! If you wished to try something different I can really recommend Pandaw cruises run as a social enterprise and amazing experience in Cambodia and Vietnam - our family were truly astonished but by experiences we had (and wonderful contrast to our previous Seabourn and Azamara trips). R
I agree with your concept and analogy of friends. Sure you have your best, but each one brings a different experience and has their own interests. My favorite cruise lines are Holland America and Princess but I choose a cruise based on many factors such as itinerary, cost, location and most recently, my children's school schedule. I like sailing the Caribbean and early August seem to be the only time the kids are not bound to school or sports.
Though I agree with your synopsis I would add there are things to see even at the same port visited prior. For example we are visiting Rome again but this time we will do a truffle hunting excursion to learn about that delicacy and completely skip the city.