Hey cruisers! Our follow up livestream on this topic is Saturday March 3, noon Pacific at ua-cam.com/video/aDkkml5AazI/v-deo.html. Share YOUR cruise mistakes and join the live chat. See you on the high seas!
My tip is don’t book your flight home to be to early. Every cruise I’ve been on I hear people complaining and watch them rushing because they have an hour to get off the ship and get to the airport to catch their flight. I always book my flight to get me in a day early and to leave later that day. It’s great being able to take in a nice brunch on the ship and deciding when I want to get off.
We're going on Royal Caribbean in late October, and I was thinking of booking our flight thru them, because they say they guarantee that if you do miss your boat, they will do whatever they can to get you there. I thought that, with the travel insurance, will work. What do you think?
The first time I cruised, me and my family flew home the next day. And the second time, we had an evening flight home the day of debarkation. Really enjoyed the time between debarkation and the flight home. Nice not to be rushed.
One tip I have is to bring your passport with you into port. You never know what will happen in a foreign port, and if you miss the ship without your passport (for example), it could be quite difficult to get home/fly to the next port of call!
Marisa Rose Carrying a laminated photo of the information page of your passport and another form of I.D. and leaving the original locked up on the ship so you don't lose it or have it stolen is a better idea. I have both the passport book and card for this reason.
Marisa Rose that is such an important tip you never know when u will be required to show id in port also to add to thar don't leave your credit cards behind on board it could be very challangeing to get by if all the cash u have is $200 in $20 notes
The major rule seams to be to never bring the passport (if you do not need it for visas and stuff) but to bring a signed copy of the said passport. Information at the cruise ship should be able to help you do that. At least if you have some other form of ID - Like a drivers license. In that way you never get in risk of getting the actual passport thefted. Johan.
Plan your shore excursions to arive back at port 60 minuets before the time you've been given to be back onboard- spend the extra money and use the cruse ship for excursions not only are they througherlly tested but if these vendors are late you ship must wait untill u arive back regardless if u arive later than their sailaway times .
I'm not a "new" Cruiser, and I still make a mistake every cruise( not huge) but I seem to learn something from it! My top mistake as a cruiser, not being prepared for the unexpected, from lost (airline luggage), to weather, to ports of call being cancelled (mostly tender boat ports of call), another is "thinking" I have to do everything they offer on the ship! Relax, do what you want!
When my sister and I were disembarking at the end of our first cruise, my sister turned to me and said, "Don't look now, but check out how much stuff that couple at nine o'clock is carrying with them." What a sight!!! She had the baby wrapped in a sling around her, a diaper bag/purse on her right shoulder, and each hand was on a rolling suitcase. Meanwhile, he was wearing a backpack, and with his left hand, he was using the baby stroller to transport a large, boxed up Pack-n-Play; and with his right hand he was wheeling another suitcase. Moral to the story: unless you absolutely HAVE to, do NOT bring babies or toddlers with you on a cruise, especially if you have as much stuff as they did! Plus, even if the ship you're cruising on offers nursery/childcare, it's typically NOT included in the base cost of your cruise (check with your cruise line for details). Another tip: Wait until the last day of the cruise before buying anything in the shops! Most of the time, a lot of merchandise goes to 50% off on the last day at sea. (Why pay more for something earlier on in the cruise when you can get it at a better price later on?)
making sure you have the ship currency on you if you want to pay your account by cash or letting your bank do the currency conversion on your CC as the ship conversion rates are usually a lot lower than banks. A big lesson learnt here in Australia as a lot of our ships are in American dollars and some in British pounds.
Biggest rookie mistake we made was not unpacking and organizing our stateroom on the first cruise. Trying to step around and shuffle through suitcases in a small space is no fun! BTW, I love your eye shadow in this video! What colors are you wearing?
I actually pack much more now than I did on my first cruise - I just feel better knowing that I have what I need - especially toiletries that I can use & are safe for my skin! I’ve also found that I change clothes a lot while cruising - I get hot & sweaty on Caribbean cruises, and need layers on Alaskan cruises (and generally change for dinner - no swimsuits in the MDR)! My first cruise - way back in 1989 - I was terrified! I didn’t know what to expect, but was traveling with 4 experienced cruisers! And back then, our travel agent had all of our documents in a lovely pleather folder for us - printed tickets for everything including the bus transportation to the pier & no pre-booking shore excursions, that had to be done the first evening when we were on the ship! Now my first cruise was on The Norway - so it was really lovely. We had inside cabins - 2 friends were in a tiny cabin with lower & upper berths, and myself & the 2 other gals were in a HUGE cabin with 2 lower beds & an upper berth & even a bathtub!! Even without a window - it was a beautiful cabin! The ship was so unique - not cookie cutter! Finding the cabin every day was interesting - we never knew where we were - our cabin was in a separate hallway leading off of the main hallway!! The one thing I do remember was our cabin was under a lounge & I heard the show every night (Russian comedians/jugglers/magicians) - when we finally saw the show I realized what I was hearing every night. And back then, no anytime dining! Early or late seating & you needed formal dress (going to church on Sunday dresses) for the formal nights - there weren’t other options, no 24hr buffet (but 2 incredible midnight buffets)! All in all it was a wonderful experience!! I fell in love with cruising. I don’t remember anything going wrong (although on the bus ride down to the pier, the driver hit his head while storing the luggage & was bleeding the whole way down to the pier - I was ready to turn around and go home)!! I would recommend to all cruisers to bring at least 2 pairs of comfortable shoes - I’ve had 2 friends who had shoes that fell apart shortly after getting on the ship & buying new shoes either on the ship or in a Port was quite expensive!! I just bring everything I own - it’s a lot of luggage - but it puts my mind at ease!! I need my stuff!! On my cruise in January my friend (a newbie cruiser) almost didn’t get on the ship - she had her birth certificate, but couldn’t find her drivers license (photo ID) - she had to pull everything out of her luggage curbside to find the wallet she had her license in - but she made sure she had her boarding pass & she had the luggage tags, but didn’t put them on the suitcase (the porter did)! I told her to watch your videos - but she’s not into UA-cam & she told me she had checked the Princess site & saw the pre-cruise checklist so I thought she was ready!! Oooops! I should have been better at telling her what she needed to do!! And then when we were disembarking, she didn’t know she’d need her birth certificate to get through customs & packed it in her luggage! Luckily we had a nice porter - gave her time to open her luggage & find her birth certificate (I wouldn’t have put that in my luggage & then placed it out in the hallway the night before - but she is very trusting)!
My overpacking isnt normally on clothes, its on electronics and means by which to charge said electronics. From travel fan, to white noise thing, to cameras... yah its gotten bad. One of these years I'm going to have to do an "unplugged" cruise where I leave all of my electronics at home. Think of all of the room for souvineers!
OMG, THANK YOU for talking about time zone changes for the cruise! I totally did not consider the fact that going to Alaska I will be dropping back by an hour for pretty much my entire trip!
Hey Sheri! One additional tip (or mistake to avoid) is, if flying in and out for your cruise, to make sure that you leave enough time for your flight home on disembarkation day. For example, it's probably not the best idea to book a 10:00 AM flight home when the ship doesn't fully dock in port until 8:00 AM. By the time the ship clears customs, everyone is funneled out of the ship, you collect your luggage, and get on the shuttle the airport, the chances of making that 10:00 AM flight are slim to none.
Thanks for this video! My husband and I are taking our 1st cruise in October (over Halloween and Day of the Dead) from Long Beach to Catalina Island and Ensenada. This is our "Can we cruise" cruise.
This is Awesome!! I have done that cruise 4 times and I have always enjoyed myself. I do with you well and I think you'll have a blast! Happy traveling.
Taking my first(ish) cruise this December. Staying in my home waters off Queensland for this one. 7 nights to the Great Barrier Reef. Really enjoying your tips videos, learning lots of little but important things to remember. Thanks for the assistance.
Here's a tip that might not seem obvious: beware the upsell unless you've budgeted for it! When on board, especially on embarkation day, there are a lot of "special deals" or packages offered for using some of the extra facilities that sound like a fantastic deal -- and they sometimes are -- but they can tempt you to spend a lot more money than you may have first expected. Either learn to pass on them, or budget and save appropriately before you get on board.
This was helpful.... Thank you for making all these vids.... We have a cruise coming up in March 2019... Been trying to catch up on all ur vids....lol...
Comfortable shoes!!! Watch the salt intake or you'll get swollen ankles and feet if you're prone to this- especially if you wear tight and uncomfortable shoes. Expect some long lines on occasion, but they usually move very fast- just go with the flow and relax. Live in the moment and don't get upset about the little things that sometimes may happen. Have fun and enjoy!
Overpacking is my biggest mistake always! I did much better this time, but my first time was crazy!! This vlog was super informative. Once again ty so much!
Hi there. I'm going to be 20 years old shortly and my mom and i have been thinking about taking a cruise. We sailed on Royal Caribbean's Sovereign of the Seas (which they no longer have because it was so old) when I was 10 years old and we loved it. We have been debating on doing Royal Caribbean again or trying Carnival out. Now, my mom and I have pretty different vacation styles. She's definitely more of a slower paced kind of person whereas I can be somewhat jumpy, but once I've jumped around from different activities, I'm ready to spend a few hours of alone time either in a hotel/cabin or other quiet place like a park area. I'm not the most tolerant of loud noises, but do like a party once in a while. My favorite things on vacations are mostly watching performances, looking at anything artsy (especially if it's tactile), eating weird foods, and anything thrilling like amusement rides, zip lining, or water park type stuff. My mom tends to be more classy than me in the way that she loves events where she can dress up, and enjoys spa type activities. She's not a big performance watching type person like I am and I'm not big into dressing up all that much (although I don't mind it for certain events) and spas aren't exactly my thing either. However, being a bit more found of slower paced activities than me and also more social than me, she really doesn't need to be in the stateroom a whole lot like I do. And as weird as this sounds, I'm not really all that into fitness equipment, but she absolutely loves anything to do with fitness.
I'd DEF do RCCI, and probably pick one of the newer BIG ships....did Independence in 2016, then the larger Allure in 2017. We're going back to the "Indy" size as we felt Allure was just too big. But with your description, I think that size ("Oasis") would work best....big enough for you both to do what you want!
That time zone tip was learned the hard way during my first cruise what occurred was that my family had a trip to Mexico from Florida and an assigned dining time when we switched time zones our phones did make the switch but ship time didn’t, I noticed but my family didn’t which resulted in me dining alone for a night 😢( I was 14 at the time).
Very good tips! However, I always pay my gratuities with my cruise fare so there are no surprises. I encourage purchasing insurance outside of the cruise line due to finding lower prices.
I left for a cruise with an entire suitcase full of custom tailored clothes. Everything was handmade by a very well known, but conceptual tailor in my area. On the first day I was quickly accosted by cruise staff, urging me to "cover up" and stop "exposing myself" NEARLY EVERYONE ON BOARD WAS TOO POOR TO SEE MY LAVISH NEW GARMENTS. If you are going on a cruise in the future, consider bringing more pedestrian type apparel, the kinds found at departments stores.
never having cruised before and unsure if I would like it, I went on a two night repositioning cruise first. Booked a 13 night cruise to New Zealand on my first day on board.
Thank you so much for this. I'm getting ready to embark on my first cruise ever by next September and I really need the information to help my experience be awesome.
Be careful what insurance you buy. In our situation, our travel insurance did not cover the fact the airline changed the time of our flight. We had to cancel, long story. Lesson learned. When booking any vacation, we have found it more advantageous to now book airfare directly with the airline and purchase the airline insurance. This will more likely insure you'll get your airfare refunded. I don't think airlines should be able to just change your flight time a month before your trip, it was kind of a mess.
This is a good video, thank you, but would be even better if you display in the format a list of the points, just like you did in the video "10ways to get you kicked out of the cruise", visual and compilation of the talk helps a great deal and makes the presentation more interesting and informative. Your demeanor and your smile are very pleasant, keep it up, even when you are not recording a video (this is flattering and advise at the same time: two for the price of one).
Hello CruiseTipsTV: I am not only a new subscriber, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE all your tips on all the YT videos. I just took the "personality" test and it said I am a Princess Cruise person...but our daughter and son-in-law are treating us to a RC cruise, so I have Q's for you: Will we like\dislike the RC cruise? Will we be bored\overstimulated? Will it be too much for us "over 60-er's"?
You actually have a cruise A A A personality test… Impressive! I like cruising with Carnival, but that’s the only line I’ve been on so far. It might be time to try RCCL!
NurseNancy I love RCCL!!! I have had nothing but great experiences on RCCL for all of our 5 cruises. I have only ventured on one other cruise line (Celebrity) which was such a disappointment. So many things went wrong and Celebrity did nothing to fix the problems. I will never sail with them again.
NurseNancy My favorite cruise line is NCL It feels like a true chill vacation then in 20 steps it has a water park, go-kart, mini golf, laser tag, multiple pools and hot tubs, it has soo much to do RCCL is good but I feel like they overcrowd there ships a bit much
Do not, under any circumstance attempt to skip the Muster Drill! I have been involved in big delays because some wiseguy thinks they can get away with not coming. My biggest pet peeve in cruising.
I know this is a year old, but I had to throw out my new cruising catch phrase "break in your shoes before you cruise!" I know recently I've been looking a bit strange wearing glittery strappy sandals around the house, but its going to be worth it once on the ship. Same with my day to day shoes. No uncomfy feet here!
Some association of my mother in law went on an Encenada cruise and complained of the bedding having an odor. I was thinking it may have been a good idea to take some new bed sheets for just such an occurrence. But they could also have brought it up to the staff.
Hi Sheri! I love your videos and they were a great help before my first cruise last September. One thing I learned the hard way on that cruise is that you should check over your luggage after it arrives in your cabin (mistake #1). I just stuck my big rolling suitcase under the bed, pulling it out a few times for items I hadn't unpacked. But after I packed it back up to leave it outside my door the night before disembarkation, I noticed it leaning to one side. One of the 2 wheels was completely broken off! Mistake #2 was not contacting the Guest Services desk right then, since they needed to actually see it in order to compensate me for it, though that was no biggie... the suitcase wasn't all that new anyway, and they couldn't have helped me drag it through LA's Union Station to catch the train back home. I did find a decent priced spinner suitcase to replace it, so I'm happy with that, but I'll never put my luggage away without checking the wheels and handles on them now.
Awesome tips! One thing that does confuse me a bit. Tips are included in most cruise lines right? So when you mention tipping in cash is that an extra tip you’re adding for excellent service? Do the personnel expect us to add cash tips on top of the already paid tips? Just curious. Thank you.
Evelyn, I ALWAYS tip my Cabin Steward the first time I meet him/her (usually when moving into the room)...for a 5-8 night cruise, I happily give them $20 and have my brother or wife (depending on whom I'm with) also give them $20. May sound extravagant, but I assure you I always get whatever I ask for! If uncomfy with $20, make it $10 apiece or $5 apiece....but give them some good old cash on that first day! They LOVE (and usually NEED) it!
Joe, great idea. I have been on 7 cruises and never thought of this. Money up front is a great way to get the best service. I'm surly doing this the next time I sail.
Thank you for ab important point regarding time.I will be a first timer next year, Princess Regal, 7 days in the Carribean .Does Princes adhere ro ship rime, local time,or a mix.I find your postings upbeat and informative.Thank you!
Tim Blaker Oh I just sailed on the Regal, booked a balcony cabin. The ship is magnificent I can’t wait to sail on her again soon. To answer your question local time
Make sure u inform your bank about a week before you set sail exactly where u are going and the dates you you expect to be in which countries otherwise... ...... your bank might think that transaction in Fiji( no offence intendard ) may be fraudulent and cancle your credit card leaving u strandard and evan unable to finalise your cruse account at the end of your cruse. Ask your bank for their internationial contact number as it will not be the 1300 or 13 number u use at home- if u get into strife ask at the percers desk if they may allow u to reverse change back to your bank at home to fix things up. I have done so with p and o when i got very sea sick and needed to inform my teavel insurance company i was intending to see a GP and the percers allowed me to reverce charge back to Australia for help.
My first (and only) cruise so far was an Alaskan cruise on Princess. You're going to have a marvelous time! :) My second cruise is going to be on Norwegian coming up the first week of October. After my great 1st experience I cannot WAIT for more.
Always pack some type of sea sickness medication or bracelet. Even if you think you don't get sea sick you might hit rougher waters than were expected. The worst thing on a cruise is feeling like your going to die because you thought "those ships are huge, they don't move that much, right?" wrong.
I believe in my mobile pharmacy that I keep in my purse. 5 days worth of pretty much any malady you can think of. Cold and flu meds, decongestant, allergy, pepto, dramamine, heartburn, aches and pains, the whole schmear. No use in being uncomfortable when you're with a few thousand people in a confined space.
Saul Ramirez I’m thinking about booking her in 2019, I’ve been on 3 princess ships and 5 RCCL ships, and 1 Carnival ship. Norwegian looks like a very good and reliable cruise line Please tell me how it went
I took my first cruise last year and fortunately I didnt make any major mistakes but the one I did make was that I was unaware that they take your luggage and drop it off later on. I did t wear a bra on embarkation day figuring I would get to my room and do all the showering and getting ready. While I was on my way to the terminal it was 6 am and I said screw it I'll put all that stuff on when I get on board. Oops. So I get on the ship and have my jean jacket on over my T shirt and the rooms weren't ready yet so I had to sit in the lounge which was quite warm. I was dying with my jacket on but couldn't take it off. Lololol
Hi, it will be my first time going on a cruise next month, we will be going to Bahamas by Royal Carribean. We are packing light and only with carry on. I am only bring 3 pairs of footwear. Should I bring a pair of water shoes or my ballet flat Crocs ( made of plastic)? It is overwhelming to pack but I am getting a lot of info from your vlogs. Thanks.
Had a fellow cruise passenger pack all of her pants the night before disembarkation and she had to try and pick out her black bag from a stack of them while wearing a night gown and a raincoat. Um, not fun.
We're taking our first cruise in October on RC for 7 days in the western Caribbean. It's going to be 4 of us sharing a stateroom, me, hubby, my sister and 4 year old daughter. Any tips or thoughts on trying to pack carry on only? So we won't be falling over huge suitcases all over the stateroom? Help please!
Use "collapseable" cases (like duffles) that can be "squished" under the beds. WATCH SHERI'S PACKING VIDEOS! They are amazingly helpful! You will be in a swim suit almost every day, all day, so don't overpack. I packed in a carryon for 7 nights: Sheri's video will show you how (and Mr CruiseTips TV does an amazing one for the guys!).
Shantel0602 if you can use the duffel bags Suitcases are to big and bulky for me Put all your luggage under your bed, or in your closet if it’s big enough
As with almost all in life, depends on the time and budget! But if a first cruise for most, pick one with: Interior cabins low and toward center of ship (less rocking) which can connect to the next door cabin (if small children) and across from at least one nice balcony cabin. Then all can share the balcony view, without all having the expense.
How long would you recommend for a first cruise? Would doing a 4 day cruise be wise to make sure I an handle it or would you go for more like a 7 day cruise to get a more relaxed experience? I'm a fairly quiet person so being on a loud, wild ship is not really appealing (which it sounds like short cruises are more prone to), but I wasn't sure if booking a long cruise could be a mistake for a first time out? I've always lived in the dead center of the country and so seeing the ocean at all for me has always been the rare treat, so you can imagine my level of experience with boats.
Kaylen Jones youre very very lucky to never been delayed as we always fly one day early as weve gone on 7 cruises as well and 5 times our flights have been delayed for a full day. We also pack a day worth of clothing, meds and other essentials in our carryon bags in plane bc weve spent the night in airports sometimes or the airlines lost our luggage. My 2 cents of advice :) cheers!
I have really cute purple owl duct tape (lots of wee little owls) all over my black suitcase. And I shape the tape into the first letter of my name which starts with "L". Never have a problem sighting it on the baggage carousel
My husband and I always have a fight about entering the ship. I love to go when is people and the ship is in active mode my husband wants to go first and nobody is there. I hate that i feel bored he want to go right to the pool I want to stay with my dress waiting for the events and dinner. Someone can relate to this???
I have never been to an all inclusive resort but I don't think it is any more complicated to go on a cruise than it is to go on a resort. A lot of complications in our vacations have been from delayed or cancelled flights.
Hey cruisers! Our follow up livestream on this topic is Saturday March 3, noon Pacific at ua-cam.com/video/aDkkml5AazI/v-deo.html. Share YOUR cruise mistakes and join the live chat. See you on the high seas!
Your voice sounds like one that a Disney princess would have :) super sweet
My tip is don’t book your flight home to be to early. Every cruise I’ve been on I hear people complaining and watch them rushing because they have an hour to get off the ship and get to the airport to catch their flight. I always book my flight to get me in a day early and to leave later that day. It’s great being able to take in a nice brunch on the ship and deciding when I want to get off.
Excellent tip! Good point, and one we don’t talk about often enough. 😀
GREAT IDEA to arrive the night before! Small price to pay for rising late, easy trip to port and starting the vacation off on a relaxing note!
We're going on Royal Caribbean in late October, and I was thinking of booking our flight thru them, because they say they guarantee that if you do miss your boat, they will do whatever they can to get you there. I thought that, with the travel insurance, will work. What do you think?
Great idea. I think even booking your flight home the next day (yeah, added cost of staying in a hotel) ease that tension of getting home.
The first time I cruised, me and my family flew home the next day. And the second time, we had an evening flight home the day of debarkation. Really enjoyed the time between debarkation and the flight home. Nice not to be rushed.
One tip I have is to bring your passport with you into port. You never know what will happen in a foreign port, and if you miss the ship without your passport (for example), it could be quite difficult to get home/fly to the next port of call!
Marisa Rose Carrying a laminated photo of the information page of your passport and another form of I.D. and leaving the original locked up on the ship so you don't lose it or have it stolen is a better idea. I have both the passport book and card for this reason.
Marisa Rose that is such an important tip you never know when u will be required to show id in port also to add to thar don't leave your credit cards behind on board it could be very challangeing to get by if all the cash u have is $200 in $20 notes
The major rule seams to be to never bring the passport (if you do not need it for visas and stuff) but to bring a signed copy of the said passport. Information at the cruise ship should be able to help you do that. At least if you have some other form of ID - Like a drivers license. In that way you never get in risk of getting the actual passport thefted. Johan.
Plan your shore excursions to arive back at port 60 minuets before the time you've been given to be back onboard- spend the extra money and use the cruse ship for excursions not only are they througherlly tested but if these vendors are late you ship must wait untill u arive back regardless if u arive later than their sailaway times .
David Young n
Over packing....sigh....lol
Pick your cabin carefully. Examine the deck plans and know what’s above, below and around the cabin you select.
I'm not a "new" Cruiser, and I still make a mistake every cruise( not huge) but I seem to learn something from it! My top mistake as a cruiser, not being prepared for the unexpected, from lost (airline luggage), to weather, to ports of call being cancelled (mostly tender boat ports of call), another is "thinking" I have to do everything they offer on the ship! Relax, do what you want!
When my sister and I were disembarking at the end of our first cruise, my sister turned to me and said, "Don't look now, but check out how much stuff that couple at nine o'clock is carrying with them." What a sight!!! She had the baby wrapped in a sling around her, a diaper bag/purse on her right shoulder, and each hand was on a rolling suitcase. Meanwhile, he was wearing a backpack, and with his left hand, he was using the baby stroller to transport a large, boxed up Pack-n-Play; and with his right hand he was wheeling another suitcase. Moral to the story: unless you absolutely HAVE to, do NOT bring babies or toddlers with you on a cruise, especially if you have as much stuff as they did! Plus, even if the ship you're cruising on offers nursery/childcare, it's typically NOT included in the base cost of your cruise (check with your cruise line for details).
Another tip: Wait until the last day of the cruise before buying anything in the shops! Most of the time, a lot of merchandise goes to 50% off on the last day at sea. (Why pay more for something earlier on in the cruise when you can get it at a better price later on?)
making sure you have the ship currency on you if you want to pay your account by cash or letting your bank do the currency conversion on your CC as the ship conversion rates are usually a lot lower than banks. A big lesson learnt here in Australia as a lot of our ships are in American dollars and some in British pounds.
This vlog was spot on. I am going to tell my friends who are new or inexperienced cruisers to watch this vlog.
Biggest rookie mistake we made was not unpacking and organizing our stateroom on the first cruise. Trying to step around and shuffle through suitcases in a small space is no fun!
BTW, I love your eye shadow in this video! What colors are you wearing?
I actually pack much more now than I did on my first cruise - I just feel better knowing that I have what I need - especially toiletries that I can use & are safe for my skin! I’ve also found that I change clothes a lot while cruising - I get hot & sweaty on Caribbean cruises, and need layers on Alaskan cruises (and generally change for dinner - no swimsuits in the MDR)! My first cruise - way back in 1989 - I was terrified! I didn’t know what to expect, but was traveling with 4 experienced cruisers! And back then, our travel agent had all of our documents in a lovely pleather folder for us - printed tickets for everything including the bus transportation to the pier & no pre-booking shore excursions, that had to be done the first evening when we were on the ship! Now my first cruise was on The Norway - so it was really lovely. We had inside cabins - 2 friends were in a tiny cabin with lower & upper berths, and myself & the 2 other gals were in a HUGE cabin with 2 lower beds & an upper berth & even a bathtub!! Even without a window - it was a beautiful cabin! The ship was so unique - not cookie cutter! Finding the cabin every day was interesting - we never knew where we were - our cabin was in a separate hallway leading off of the main hallway!! The one thing I do remember was our cabin was under a lounge & I heard the show every night (Russian comedians/jugglers/magicians) - when we finally saw the show I realized what I was hearing every night. And back then, no anytime dining! Early or late seating & you needed formal dress (going to church on Sunday dresses) for the formal nights - there weren’t other options, no 24hr buffet (but 2 incredible midnight buffets)! All in all it was a wonderful experience!! I fell in love with cruising. I don’t remember anything going wrong (although on the bus ride down to the pier, the driver hit his head while storing the luggage & was bleeding the whole way down to the pier - I was ready to turn around and go home)!!
I would recommend to all cruisers to bring at least 2 pairs of comfortable shoes - I’ve had 2 friends who had shoes that fell apart shortly after getting on the ship & buying new shoes either on the ship or in a Port was quite expensive!! I just bring everything I own - it’s a lot of luggage - but it puts my mind at ease!! I need my stuff!!
On my cruise in January my friend (a newbie cruiser) almost didn’t get on the ship - she had her birth certificate, but couldn’t find her drivers license (photo ID) - she had to pull everything out of her luggage curbside to find the wallet she had her license in - but she made sure she had her boarding pass & she had the luggage tags, but didn’t put them on the suitcase (the porter did)! I told her to watch your videos - but she’s not into UA-cam & she told me she had checked the Princess site & saw the pre-cruise checklist so I thought she was ready!! Oooops! I should have been better at telling her what she needed to do!! And then when we were disembarking, she didn’t know she’d need her birth certificate to get through customs & packed it in her luggage! Luckily we had a nice porter - gave her time to open her luggage & find her birth certificate (I wouldn’t have put that in my luggage & then placed it out in the hallway the night before - but she is very trusting)!
bonnie bergstein Iam just like you i like to take my closet when i take my vacation .You save more money and you get to do more stuff.
My overpacking isnt normally on clothes, its on electronics and means by which to charge said electronics. From travel fan, to white noise thing, to cameras... yah its gotten bad. One of these years I'm going to have to do an "unplugged" cruise where I leave all of my electronics at home. Think of all of the room for souvineers!
OMG, THANK YOU for talking about time zone changes for the cruise! I totally did not consider the fact that going to Alaska I will be dropping back by an hour for pretty much my entire trip!
Hey Sheri! One additional tip (or mistake to avoid) is, if flying in and out for your cruise, to make sure that you leave enough time for your flight home on disembarkation day. For example, it's probably not the best idea to book a 10:00 AM flight home when the ship doesn't fully dock in port until 8:00 AM. By the time the ship clears customs, everyone is funneled out of the ship, you collect your luggage, and get on the shuttle the airport, the chances of making that 10:00 AM flight are slim to none.
Thanks for this video! My husband and I are taking our 1st cruise in October (over Halloween and Day of the Dead) from Long Beach to Catalina Island and Ensenada. This is our "Can we cruise" cruise.
Willow Raevynwood is that your husband in the pic there? Honey keep him away from us gay men will eat him right up! He's cute!😍
This is Awesome!! I have done that cruise 4 times and I have always enjoyed myself. I do with you well and I think you'll have a blast! Happy traveling.
Taking my first(ish) cruise this December. Staying in my home waters off Queensland for this one. 7 nights to the Great Barrier Reef. Really enjoying your tips videos, learning lots of little but important things to remember. Thanks for the assistance.
Here's a tip that might not seem obvious: beware the upsell unless you've budgeted for it!
When on board, especially on embarkation day, there are a lot of "special deals" or packages offered for using some of the extra facilities that sound like a fantastic deal -- and they sometimes are -- but they can tempt you to spend a lot more money than you may have first expected. Either learn to pass on them, or budget and save appropriately before you get on board.
Great tips! My biggest fail is usually forgetting something. I now have a checklist that I update each cruise to make sure I don't forget something.
Boat Lover I don’t take a chance on forgetting anything... I take everything with me...
my cruise is booked for next year.
my first time,
and i'm nervous as all get out.
thank you for posting this.
This was helpful.... Thank you for making all these vids.... We have a cruise coming up in March 2019...
Been trying to catch up on all ur vids....lol...
I would like to thank you for all tips, but especially the one about the time change.
We did not think about it!
You’re welcome 😇
Comfortable shoes!!! Watch the salt intake or you'll get swollen ankles and feet if you're prone to this- especially if you wear tight and uncomfortable shoes. Expect some long lines on occasion, but they usually move very fast- just go with the flow and relax. Live in the moment and don't get upset about the little things that sometimes may happen. Have fun and enjoy!
Overpacking is my biggest mistake always! I did much better this time, but my first time was crazy!! This vlog was super informative. Once again ty so much!
Hi there. I'm going to be 20 years old shortly and my mom and i have been thinking about taking a cruise. We sailed on Royal Caribbean's Sovereign of the Seas (which they no longer have because it was so old) when I was 10 years old and we loved it. We have been debating on doing Royal Caribbean again or trying Carnival out.
Now, my mom and I have pretty different vacation styles. She's definitely more of a slower paced kind of person whereas I can be somewhat jumpy, but once I've jumped around from different activities, I'm ready to spend a few hours of alone time either in a hotel/cabin or other quiet place like a park area. I'm not the most tolerant of loud noises, but do like a party once in a while. My favorite things on vacations are mostly watching performances, looking at anything artsy (especially if it's tactile), eating weird foods, and anything thrilling like amusement rides, zip lining, or water park type stuff. My mom tends to be more classy than me in the way that she loves events where she can dress up, and enjoys spa type activities. She's not a big performance watching type person like I am and I'm not big into dressing up all that much (although I don't mind it for certain events) and spas aren't exactly my thing either. However, being a bit more found of slower paced activities than me and also more social than me, she really doesn't need to be in the stateroom a whole lot like I do. And as weird as this sounds, I'm not really all that into fitness equipment, but she absolutely loves anything to do with fitness.
I'd DEF do RCCI, and probably pick one of the newer BIG ships....did Independence in 2016, then the larger Allure in 2017. We're going back to the "Indy" size as we felt Allure was just too big. But with your description, I think that size ("Oasis") would work best....big enough for you both to do what you want!
Joe Mock Just saw your reply. We recently went on Carnival Elation and found it worked okay for the two of us.
Thank you for all the help you gave us planning our first cruise! We had a blast! Your tips were bang on!
That time zone tip was learned the hard way during my first cruise what occurred was that my family had a trip to Mexico from Florida and an assigned dining time when we switched time zones our phones did make the switch but ship time didn’t, I noticed but my family didn’t which resulted in me dining alone for a night 😢( I was 14 at the time).
Very good tips! However, I always pay my gratuities with my cruise fare so there are no surprises. I encourage purchasing insurance outside of the cruise line due to finding lower prices.
Good advice thank you
I left for a cruise with an entire suitcase full of custom tailored clothes. Everything was handmade by a very well known, but conceptual tailor in my area. On the first day I was quickly accosted by cruise staff, urging me to "cover up" and stop "exposing myself" NEARLY EVERYONE ON BOARD WAS TOO POOR TO SEE MY LAVISH NEW GARMENTS. If you are going on a cruise in the future, consider bringing more pedestrian type apparel, the kinds found at departments stores.
never having cruised before and unsure if I would like it, I went on a two night repositioning cruise first. Booked a 13 night cruise to New Zealand on my first day on board.
I love your channel. I'm burgeoning travel agent and your info is so useful. It makes me an expert in the eyes of my clients
Thank you so much for this. I'm getting ready to embark on my first cruise ever by next September and I really need the information to help my experience be awesome.
Be careful what insurance you buy. In our situation, our travel insurance did not cover the fact the airline changed the time of our flight. We had to cancel, long story. Lesson learned. When booking any vacation, we have found it more advantageous to now book airfare directly with the airline and purchase the airline insurance. This will more likely insure you'll get your airfare refunded. I don't think airlines should be able to just change your flight time a month before your trip, it was kind of a mess.
This is a good video, thank you, but would be even better if you display in the format a list of the points, just like you did in the video "10ways to get you kicked out of the cruise", visual and compilation of the talk helps a great deal and makes the presentation more interesting and informative. Your demeanor and your smile are very pleasant, keep it up, even when you are not recording a video (this is flattering and advise at the same time: two for the price of one).
Hello CruiseTipsTV: I am not only a new subscriber, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE all your tips on all the YT videos. I just took the "personality" test and it said I am a Princess Cruise person...but our daughter and son-in-law are treating us to a RC cruise, so I have Q's for you: Will we like\dislike the RC cruise? Will we be bored\overstimulated? Will it be too much for us "over 60-er's"?
You actually have a cruise A A A personality test… Impressive! I like cruising with Carnival, but that’s the only line I’ve been on so far. It might be time to try RCCL!
NurseNancy I love RCCL!!! I have had nothing but great experiences on RCCL for all of our 5 cruises. I have only ventured on one other cruise line (Celebrity) which was such a disappointment. So many things went wrong and Celebrity did nothing to fix the problems. I will never sail with them again.
NurseNancy I love carnival but Royal carribean has some awesome ships!
NurseNancy
My favorite cruise line is NCL
It feels like a true chill vacation then in 20 steps it has a water park, go-kart, mini golf, laser tag, multiple pools and hot tubs, it has soo much to do
RCCL is good but I feel like they overcrowd there ships a bit much
Fantastic video, you are really good at what you do, thanks for sharing.
First cruise to Nassau in 7 days!!!!!
Love your top! I have a cute anchor dress I always take cruising!
Excellent information and so beautifully presented! A joy to watch!
Thanks for the vedio.. taking our 1st family cruise in July..
Thanks for your tips. We will be going on our first cruise together this year, my first time cruising so this is very helpful.
Our pleasure
Thanks Sheri, another great video.
Ughh! I need a cruise now! So true on the comfortable shoes! I always pack my Sanuks they are the best cute travel shoes to keep handy!
Do not, under any circumstance attempt to skip the Muster Drill! I have been involved in big delays because some wiseguy thinks they can get away with not coming. My biggest pet peeve in cruising.
Yes don't miss the newsletter. They have great activities all day and kid friendly places
Hurricane season is the worst I was on the ship on my bday we skipped a port to miss the hurricane but we hit it on my bday
Also, wonderful, wonderful tips!! 😊
Great as always:)
I know this is a year old, but I had to throw out my new cruising catch phrase "break in your shoes before you cruise!" I know recently I've been looking a bit strange wearing glittery strappy sandals around the house, but its going to be worth it once on the ship. Same with my day to day shoes. No uncomfy feet here!
Excellent tip.
I wasn’t paying attention and I was a newbie so I walked through the passport check area to walk back to the boat and immediately got held at gunpoint
Great tips!!!
Another useful video!!
Some association of my mother in law went on an Encenada cruise and complained of the bedding having an odor. I was thinking it may have been a good idea to take some new bed sheets for just such an occurrence. But they could also have brought it up to the staff.
Good thinking
Exxxxxcellent tips
Hi sheri! Love love your shirt!!!
Hi Sheri! I love your videos and they were a great help before my first cruise last September. One thing I learned the hard way on that cruise is that you should check over your luggage after it arrives in your cabin (mistake #1). I just stuck my big rolling suitcase under the bed, pulling it out a few times for items I hadn't unpacked. But after I packed it back up to leave it outside my door the night before disembarkation, I noticed it leaning to one side. One of the 2 wheels was completely broken off! Mistake #2 was not contacting the Guest Services desk right then, since they needed to actually see it in order to compensate me for it, though that was no biggie... the suitcase wasn't all that new anyway, and they couldn't have helped me drag it through LA's Union Station to catch the train back home. I did find a decent priced spinner suitcase to replace it, so I'm happy with that, but I'll never put my luggage away without checking the wheels and handles on them now.
Awesome tips! One thing that does confuse me a bit. Tips are included in most cruise lines right? So when you mention tipping in cash is that an extra tip you’re adding for excellent service? Do the personnel expect us to add cash tips on top of the already paid tips? Just curious. Thank you.
Evelyn Torres NCL charges $18-22/day for each passenger in a room
Evelyn, I ALWAYS tip my Cabin Steward the first time I meet him/her (usually when moving into the room)...for a 5-8 night cruise, I happily give them $20 and have my brother or wife (depending on whom I'm with) also give them $20. May sound extravagant, but I assure you I always get whatever I ask for! If uncomfy with $20, make it $10 apiece or $5 apiece....but give them some good old cash on that first day! They LOVE (and usually NEED) it!
Joe, great idea. I have been on 7 cruises and never thought of this. Money up front is a great way to get the best service. I'm surly doing this the next time I sail.
Joe Mock yep I give $10-20 per day per person depending on well the steward did the day earlier
These guys make scrap money so I like to help
Very interesting. Have a nice day now.
IM GOING ON ANTHEMS OF THE SEAS ON ST PATRICKS DAY IM SOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!
Wow! That’s soon!!
Leaving in 2 days for Alaska
Thank you for ab important point regarding time.I will be a first timer next year, Princess Regal, 7 days in the Carribean .Does Princes adhere ro ship rime, local time,or a mix.I find your postings upbeat and informative.Thank you!
Tim Blaker local time!
Tim Blaker
Oh I just sailed on the Regal, booked a balcony cabin. The ship is magnificent I can’t wait to sail on her again soon.
To answer your question local time
Make sure u inform your bank about a week before you set sail exactly where u are going and the dates you you expect to be in which countries otherwise... ...... your bank might think that transaction in Fiji( no offence intendard ) may be fraudulent and cancle your credit card leaving u strandard and evan unable to finalise your cruse account at the end of your cruse. Ask your bank for their internationial contact number as it will not be the 1300 or 13 number u use at home- if u get into strife ask at the percers desk if they may allow u to reverse change back to your bank at home to fix things up. I have done so with p and o when i got very sea sick and needed to inform my teavel insurance company i was intending to see a GP and the percers allowed me to reverce charge back to Australia for help.
I just booked my first cruise on the Star Princess for Alaska next year. I am SO in danger of over planning. I love to plan.
My first (and only) cruise so far was an Alaskan cruise on Princess. You're going to have a marvelous time! :)
My second cruise is going to be on Norwegian coming up the first week of October. After my great 1st experience I cannot WAIT for more.
Always pack some type of sea sickness medication or bracelet. Even if you think you don't get sea sick you might hit rougher waters than were expected. The worst thing on a cruise is feeling like your going to die because you thought "those ships are huge, they don't move that much, right?" wrong.
I believe in my mobile pharmacy that I keep in my purse. 5 days worth of pretty much any malady you can think of. Cold and flu meds, decongestant, allergy, pepto, dramamine, heartburn, aches and pains, the whole schmear. No use in being uncomfortable when you're with a few thousand people in a confined space.
Not going to the muster drill is another cruising mistake.
Can you make a video about tips for Norwegian Cruise Line’s because I’m going on the Norwegian bliss
Saul Ramirez same here! First time cruiser so a vid on it would really be helpful 😊
My 1st time on Norwegian is coming up this fall. I'd love to hear more about them too.
Saul Ramirez
I’m thinking about booking her in 2019, I’ve been on 3 princess ships and 5 RCCL ships, and 1 Carnival ship.
Norwegian looks like a very good and reliable cruise line
Please tell me how it went
I took my first cruise last year and fortunately I didnt make any major mistakes but the one I did make was that I was unaware that they take your luggage and drop it off later on. I did t wear a bra on embarkation day figuring I would get to my room and do all the showering and getting ready. While I was on my way to the terminal it was 6 am and I said screw it I'll put all that stuff on when I get on board. Oops. So I get on the ship and have my jean jacket on over my T shirt and the rooms weren't ready yet so I had to sit in the lounge which was quite warm. I was dying with my jacket on but couldn't take it off. Lololol
Hi, it will be my first time going on a cruise next month, we will be going to Bahamas by Royal Carribean. We are packing light and only with carry on. I am only bring 3 pairs of footwear. Should I bring a pair of water shoes or my ballet flat Crocs ( made of plastic)? It is overwhelming to pack but I am getting a lot of info from your vlogs. Thanks.
If you plan to visit beaches where there’s lots of coral and enter the water yes but otherwise I would leave them at home. For spaces sake
Bring the water shoes!
Had a fellow cruise passenger pack all of her pants the night before disembarkation and she had to try and pick out her black bag from a stack of them while wearing a night gown and a raincoat. Um, not fun.
We're taking our first cruise in October on RC for 7 days in the western Caribbean. It's going to be 4 of us sharing a stateroom, me, hubby, my sister and 4 year old daughter. Any tips or thoughts on trying to pack carry on only? So we won't be falling over huge suitcases all over the stateroom? Help please!
Use "collapseable" cases (like duffles) that can be "squished" under the beds. WATCH SHERI'S PACKING VIDEOS! They are amazingly helpful! You will be in a swim suit almost every day, all day, so don't overpack. I packed in a carryon for 7 nights: Sheri's video will show you how (and Mr CruiseTips TV does an amazing one for the guys!).
Shantel0602 if you can use the duffel bags
Suitcases are to big and bulky for me
Put all your luggage under your bed, or in your closet if it’s big enough
can u save from disney halloween cruise in the west coast ?
me and my family are planning to go on a cruise but we don’t know which one is best for a large family ?¿
As with almost all in life, depends on the time and budget! But if a first cruise for most, pick one with: Interior cabins low and toward center of ship (less rocking) which can connect to the next door cabin (if small children) and across from at least one nice balcony cabin. Then all can share the balcony view, without all having the expense.
I NEED your top! 😍 😁
Sherri I loooooove ur top
How long would you recommend for a first cruise? Would doing a 4 day cruise be wise to make sure I an handle it or would you go for more like a 7 day cruise to get a more relaxed experience? I'm a fairly quiet person so being on a loud, wild ship is not really appealing (which it sounds like short cruises are more prone to), but I wasn't sure if booking a long cruise could be a mistake for a first time out? I've always lived in the dead center of the country and so seeing the ocean at all for me has always been the rare treat, so you can imagine my level of experience with boats.
It depends on your budget and other factors but based on what you’ve said I suggest a longer, 7 night cruise on holland America, Princess or Celebrity
CruiseTipsTV Thank you!
Royal Caribbean gets you on overspending. I came in thinking the max i would spend is 1,000 but I ended up adding an extra 0.
Where's the link to the cruise line personality quiz please?
We definitely made a few of these! Great tips. - Tony
I LOVE your top!!! Where did you find it? :-)
Love the shirt!
We have always flew in the day of our cruise, have gone on 7 and so far no flights have been canceled.
Kaylen Jones youre very very lucky to never been delayed as we always fly one day early as weve gone on 7 cruises as well and 5 times our flights have been delayed for a full day. We also pack a day worth of clothing, meds and other essentials in our carryon bags in plane bc weve spent the night in airports sometimes or the airlines lost our luggage. My 2 cents of advice :) cheers!
Yay I'm early!!!
Sheri looked very peeved about the clock thing. 😂
i love your shirt!
7 day cruise is my maximum days
Lotta Vocal Fry there
Viewer suggestion: Can you do a video on how to NOT overpack! lol
No black luggage !!!!!!
Ah yes, totally agree
Why?
Lol add a thick luggage strap around the whole case .. mine is neon green and I always find it super easy
Kristal Sims My luggage is the most garish purple floral that I could find... I’ve never regretted it...
I have really cute purple owl duct tape (lots of wee little owls) all over my black suitcase. And I shape the tape into the first letter of my name which starts with "L". Never have a problem sighting it on the baggage carousel
cruise line personality quiz in the description?? where??
Sorry- it’s kind of buried in the links:
www.cruisetipstv.com/whats-your-cruise-personality/
I wish I could do a video all in one take
Captain Katie I wonder if she has a TelePrompTer to read from.
This sounded like an asmr thing
My husband and I always have a fight about entering the ship. I love to go when is people and the ship is in active mode my husband wants to go first and nobody is there. I hate that i feel bored he want to go right to the pool I want to stay with my dress waiting for the events and dinner.
Someone can relate to this???
I am not seeing your personality test link.
Sorry Janet, it's buried in the link list. Here you go!
www.cruisetipstv.com/whats-your-cruise-personality/
CruiseTipsTV Royal Caribbean but I want Princess lol.
CruiseTipsTV Mine says RCCL but I always cruise HAL....
I got Celebrity. Hmm.
Great tips! Luv your top, super cute ⚓️
6:32 Your credit card also may have this as a benefit.
Love the backround!💗❤👍
All this sounds like to much complication i think i will stay traveling in Airplanes to Resort never ever had all this complication.😁
I have never been to an all inclusive resort but I don't think it is any more complicated to go on a cruise than it is to go on a resort. A lot of complications in our vacations have been from delayed or cancelled flights.
That women has one hell of a pronunciation of the letter " S " if you closed your eyes and just listened, you'd think a snake was doing the talking!
Forgetting air freshener for the bathroom. 💩
Am I missing the cruise personality quiz?
Sorry Kathy! it's buried in the link list. Here you go!
www.cruisetipstv.com/whats-your-cruise-personality/