My recent experience with the drink package on Princess cruise line left me slightly bewildered. I chose the Princess Plus drink package. It includes cocktails (up to a certain dollar amount for each drink), bottled water, specialty coffees, sodas, and smoothies, etc. Also you can put one device on Wi-Fi. My disappointment happened the first day. We were able to board early, which was great. After lunch and unpacking, I went to a lounge to order a drink. It was around 3 pm. That’s when I found out my drink package didn’t start until around 6 that evening. I was given the excuse that they have to be so far out in the ocean……whatever. But where I holler BS is I could have bought the drink out right. I’ve cruised many times and initially fell for buying their recommended jewelry stores in port. Ladies, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had expensive stones fall out (and therefore lost). The clasps are extremely cheap. I’ve had bracelets fall off my arm. I’ve taken my jewelry in for repairs, costing hundreds of dollars! Save your money! Find a reputable jeweler where you live. I’ve bought two pieces of art. I like them but I won’t deal with doing that on a cruise ship again. My husband and I treated ourselves to an all inclusive specialty dining. We could go to two specialty dining restaurants each day. They food was fabulous! But guess what? It was so much food we couldn’t eat the rest of the day. I’m glad we tried it though. Next time we will just treat ourselves to maybe one or two times for the entire cruise. Cheers everyone!
I placed a basic (no premium package) reservation for a cruise in 2025 aboard the newest Princess ship. Using Gary's advice, I rechecked the same cruise and noticed I could get the same accommodation + Princess plus package for 25% less than originally purchased. I contacted customer service and indicated the fare had changed drastically for a cruise a year away. The 1st representative said 'What do you want us to do about it?'. I persisted and asked that my reservation be rebooked at the current offering. Two long holds and the new fare is in place. For a 30 minute investment in time, I saved approximately $1,000 on my cruise. Thank you Gary!
I agree with you Gary about the solo rip off. What I think is the worst is a person that is staying in a room for two can only eat for one but they’re being charged as if they’re eating two meals every day for each meal
Former travel advisor (US-based) here. Gary's points are spot on. Oceania is one of the worst for "inclusive rip offs". It often has a promotion that includes "free" shore excursions or beverage package or shipboard credit. It is not free. The wording should be "included" and if one looks at the pricing one can see they will be paying for those "free" inclusions. Included airfare is another pet peeve of mine. If the cruise line does one's air, then the cruiser loses the ability to choose their airline, scheduling, and routing (unless they pay extra for custom air). The airline wants to fly a cruiser in on the day the ship is departing--I wouldn't do that even here in the United States, much less Asia, Europe, South America. And, if there is a problem, the cruise line is now an added middle man and it is hard for a cruiser to solve the issues at hand. The ONLY time is ever saw this being a benefit was after the Japanese earthquake of 2011, when thousands of cruisers were stranded and the cruise line handled the re-routing of those passengers who had booked through them. Hotels can be another rip off, but cruisers should do a little math before deciding. Hotels in the real world price per night, per room. Cruise lines price per night, per person. However, airport-to-hotel and hotel-to-ship transfers are often included in the cruise line's hotel pricing. This can be valuable for ports like Civitavecchia which is an hour outside Rome, or Southampton, 2 plus hours from London. I will say concerning cruise line insurance, if the cruiser is over 75, sometimes the cruise line's policy is significantly less expensive than Allianz, TravelGuard, etc. as prices increase with age of the traveler. Also, if there is a price drop, read the fine print of the new offer very carefully., as often it will prohibit re-books (canceling your original fare and re-booking the new one). The new offer may also eliminate perks associated with the first fare, so quiz your agent about what exactly is included or excluded.
I used to work on ships. The 18% gratuity that was automatically added to bills was our salary, although we were not allowed to say this to the passengers. Any additional tips were an added bonus to us.
Came across one cruise recently where travelling solo cost MORE than having two people in the exact same cabin! It was cheaper to book for two people and then cancel one claiming they fell ill.
That's a common one. Cruise line's seem to think that solo passengers aren't good business, but with the aging population (of which I'm one of) they should be making solo cruisers a stand out option, instead of an afterthought
@@EARTHROMR Ive been solo cruising for 5yrs less the COVID shut-down and just purchased another an hour ago. There are plenty of cruises and cruise lines out there that don't penalize the solo traveler by charging double occupancy rates. The trick is to look for the single supplement and travel last minute as much as possible. I rarely pay more than $100/day and will only pay about 15% single supplement unless the rate is extraordinarily low. Its important to develop search tools and methods and spend the time searching to save $$$
@@rpruneau68 I have done 12 cruises with Royal Caribbean, and my 13th cruise is in Oct, San Diego to Tampa via Panama Canal. The cruise is $3700 for 16 night's, solo internal. Everything else on top is where it gets expensive. $2400 for flights(Per-Lax return) then internal USA flight, Accommodation, spending etc Total cost will be around $10k AUD
@@ashleighelizabeth5916 I have most my sea days between Princess and NCL. I also have traveled solo on Holland America and partnered up on Carnival. Carnival rarely offers a single supplement whereas, NCL rarely charges a penalty on last minute bookings for solo travelers. They also have a good sorting tool within their website that will allow a search by solo discounted cruises. My experience with Princess is you will typically have to pay anywhere from 10% or greater penalty if you wait for last minute bookings which will be dependent on how sold out they are. Both of those cruise lines have recently upgraded my inside cabin to balconies at no additional cost.
Thanks Gary! I agree with every aspect of this video. Obviously, all cruise lines are entitled to reasonable profit. I really don't mind that they offer any of these "rip offs." Ultimately, I think it is the responsibility of each client/passenger to make reasoned decisions concerning finances and budgets. By thinking things through and planning, cruises don't need to be "rip offs." For example, I followed you suggestions on my recent HAL cruise (ms Rotterdam) to the Southern Caribbean. It turns out my final tab was about $400.00 less than my travel companion's tab! Thanks buddy!
For those eligible (over 50s only), look at Saga. Lots of stuff is included - travel to the port, drinks, some excursions and most importantly INSURANCE. For my mum (94 and with a medical history), her policy for a recent cruise cost £430. The one 5 months before, with Saga, cost nothing beyond the brochure price.
On a recent cruise, I saw a piece of art that I just loved. It really spoke to me I wrote down the name of the artist went online. Found a company that made copies of that exact printing ordered it and I’m very happy with it. It cost me a fraction of what they wanted for that painting.
A tip about the funicular in Bergen: Fløibanen gets very full very early whenever there's cruise ships in town. Therefore, please consider going up immediately if you want to go there, and beat the lines.
I really appreciate your videos. I have learned many money saving tips over the years & like you I don’t book the excursions on ship. On a Hawaiian cruise we became friends with another couple that was renting a car to see the sights. We paid 1/2 of the cost & had a great time exploring beaches where we were the only ppl on it, going to restaurants where the locals eat, etc…No crowds & we weren’t on a schedule besides the ships. When you get back on the ship, sit on the top deck & watch ppl as they run to catch the ship before it leaves….or when they’re left.😊
It's 2:30 AM in here and I'm binge watching your videos. As I mentioned to you on Instagram - I have been selling cruises for almost 30 years now, being all this time with one major Canadian travel agency, however my career with them came to an end a year ago, so I had a long break and just now getting back to it with another travel agency - this time working from home, so your tips and updates are priceless to me and I have been taking some notes. Gary - thanks again and have a lovely day!
Interesting you can convince them to do this! We booked a cruise and paid our deposit... we're told the remainder would be charged to my credit card... and when they did not charge my credit card... I lost my deposit and no cruise... they won't do anything to make it right... now that's a ripoff!
Love your channel! I worked on cruiseships as deck officer for 10 years. Love to watch your channel for the tips and tricks. So true! I never heard a wrong thing about how the cruise lines try to make money. We still waiting to plan a cruise together with my partner, to bring back memories ( he s also ex-engineer on HAL). Keep it up!
Our travel agent Delta Skycruises specifically told us we had to watch for our own price drops and call them to get the adjustment. We aren’t using them for future cruises…
We have done our homework and recognize the bundles are generally not for us. Also one needs to consider how many port/sea days the cruise offers. If the bundle is included in an already great price….then that to us, is a win. Otherwise, it’s ala cart for us and that is just fine. Thanks Gary!
Thank you for mentioning the dubious value of the art auctions that seem to have an ongoing presence on so many of the cruises I've been on. Many years ago I purchased one of these pieces of art as it's presentation was beautiful. All the glamor disappears when a gray post off mailing tube arrives with a rolled up print that is simply a cheap print. I wanted to display the piece in a way that I had seen on the ship so I took it to a local framery where I paid hundreds of dollars more to make the inexpensive (not to me) print an enjoyable piece to hang on my wall. The entire thing could have been done for a fraction of the price by dealing with a local small framing business who had plenty of great prints to sell for a very small fraction of what the cruise line people were getting from their customers. As my father used to say, "A fool and his money soon part". I'm embarrsed to say, when it comes to those cruise line art auctions, I certainly was the fool.
Thank you for the wonderful tips. We book a cruise for the Norwegian Fjords (HAL) in 2024 and we’ll definitely take a look at the ports and the attractions offered at each. With Bergen, we will definitely be going on our own as everything seems to be nearby the port. As for the packages, we usually take the wine package as we put that to good use but never the drinks package as they are way too expensive.
Be careful in Bergen if you go to the fish market. There was a huge upcharge for those using foreign currency several years ago at some of the stalls. It was almost three times as expensive to use USD than Norwegian Kroners at some places in the fish market (this was fairly common anywhere touristy, but the exchange was really not in your favour).
Two important things Gary didn’t mention: 1) you can only change fare or upgrade until 60 days before sailing and never after you have paid in full. 2) teetotallers buying a fare with drinks on some lines will still have to pay tips on drinks they don’t drink unless you know that you can just decline the drinks package. So be sure to ask about that as they don’t inform you otherwise.
Whenever possible, I take Hop on, Hop off busses, and see the city sites I want, skip those I don't. Not every city has them, so doing your homework can save you a bundle.
Allianz took good care of us when my wife got covid during a cruise and we were stranded in Canada. They promptly paid our claim with no issues. It was hassle free.
The shops at some destinations also put their prices up when a cruise shop comes into port. When we were in Port Vila on holiday we were in the shopping area. Someone told us to buy before the ship came in the next day. All shops have different price tags which they change to double the price when ship comes in.
Ripped off by Cunard big time over our Christmas cruise. We had a cruise credit (our own deposit) and were given till the end of June last year tobook. We booked just before the expiry date, Cunard then lowered their price by $1250 per person just after we booked . Rubbish customer service, I tried getting a refund, or upgrade etc as you suggested Gary. We got a big fat NOTHING from chnard. To add insult to injury, the QE was denied access to Fjiordland inNew Zealand on Christmas day. So the highlights of our cruise were missed. There area lot of other lines to choose from.
P&O Australia were absolutely useless when it came to price matching their own price drops. Lesson learned, hold off as long as it is possible before paying for the full fare!
This really makes me not want to go on a cruise. Way too complicated and my stomach is in a knot just listening to this. I just want to relax and have a good time. I went on a Viking, cruise and I had none of these issues. I’m going on another Viking cruise in April 2023. Everything included, no hidden costs.
Gary, your videos are awesome. I just completed my 4th cruise (Noumea/ Vanuatu ) 2 weeks ago. Every thing you say is 100% correct. I have taken some of your tips away with me. Thank you
Every traveller is different. We have had a couple of dud ship excursions but the vast majority have been great, well informed guides, no hassle and so much better than wandering around on your own, a recent visit to Casablanca with MSC resulted in an 11+ hour excursion including Rabat and a great lunch at the Movenpick Hotel for just over £10 per hour. We all had a memorable day, met some great fellow travellers who we kept meeting on the ship, while our dinner companions did their own thing and were back on the ship within 2/3 hours very disappointed. Also the MSC drinks packages when purchased before boarding, or included with your cruise fare, have no service charges and no drink limit restrictions, there has not been 1 cruise with them where we have not ended up £'s ahead and have left the ship with a final bill at zero for drinks and service charges.
I cruise a lot and agree you said. Drink package doesn't work for me because you need to drink a lot(5-8 per day). Wifi Premium is a must for me because I do like streaming at night or sea days. Excursions I do mix. Some I book cruise and some outside. The good thing about excursions w cruise is they don't leave you behind so it's a peace of mind you get. My last cruise on Prima few families were left behind because they went with outside vendors. Flying out tomorrow to Doha to check out the new MSC Europa. Happy New year :)
Totally agree. We love the spa, but not at sea. It’s grossly over priced and they try to sell you stuff that don’t want. If we want a spa day I like to do it the day after our cruise. It’s nice to have a facial after a week of intense sun.
ALL true, especially the parts about spa up-selling. It's no different than going to get a hair cut at home and having the stylist tell you that you should buy a special product at check out (I was once told that I need to make such a purchase because my scalp was allegedly too dry, and on the following visit, told to buy something else because my scalp was allegedly too oily). Spa or salon employees are MASSIVELY incentivized via contests/prizes and scaled bonuses to sell, sell, sell because of the profit margins involved. Overall, cruise lines are NOT in the travel or entertainment business -- they are in the MONEY MAKING business, and providing vacation experiences to passengers is simply a means to that end. There's nothing wrong with handing over money for appropriately-priced goods/services, but there's plenty wrong with paying for goods/services that are overpriced or unneeded/unused.
Pro Tip: Avoid booking any type of spa treatment onboard. Not only are they poorly trained, but they're more concerned with upselling than offering a good treatment. Most spas are operated by an outside firm.
Definitely agree with monitoring the price. On an upcoming cruise, I noticed the price dropped by $500 and I hadn't made my final payment. Called NCL and they immediately adjusted my price to the new rate saving the full amount. On my last cruise, I had a similar situation however I had already fully paid for the cruise. I was able to get upgraded from a balcony to a suite for about $200 since prices dropped quite a bit since I booked. Personally I am a fan of the bundles, but it does definitely depend on what you plan to use. The NCL Free at Sea works great for me personally as I use the $50 credit per excursion and definitely get my money's worth from the free drinks package.
I've always been surprised at how many passengers go to the spa, get beauty treatments, and purchase art of any name-brand items from the shops. They could do all this at home for less money. It's a vacation. Just do the things you can't do at home. (Maybe I'm far too frugal. LOL)
One of my problems with cruise line excursions is the number of people on the excursion. Cruise lines usually try to fill up the bus and then mark the excursion as sold out. So the bus is usually full. This means that it takes longer to get on and get off, desirable seats are taken quickly, you almost never get a double seat to your self, and the bus has to wait for the last person to get back. I took a tour by taxi in Papeete, and tour buses were stopping at the same spots. We were probably three times as fast as the bus tour AND got to spend more time in the attraction. They actually paid twice as much (we shared the taxi with another couple) and got MUCH less. In addition, many of the ship excursions focus on stops to shop, which do not interest us at all. I want to spend my time on the attraction, not a few minutes at the attraction and the rest of the time in a shop or waiting in line at the rest room.
I used to live in Samoa, and I would watch countless ignorant tourists pay over $300 for an excursion to the beach next to my house. The beach was public and the bus they rented usually charged ONE DOLLAR for a fare, each way. They literally paid $299 for the guided walk from the ship across the street to the bus. Drove me nuts.
Excursions are always a ripoff. But you don’t have to plan and think, you are safe and you know the ship is going to wait for you. That’s what you are paying for.
I AGREE wholeheartedly with you on excursions! we do our own thing in ports... I won't pay the overpriced amount line's charge for excursions even the lower end of the cruise market ( Marella) charges way too much for excursions ( only cruise line iv been on when they were Thomson) ..THE ONLY GOOD THING about booking an excursion through the cruise line is if your late back to the ship they have to wait for you were as if you go it alone and your not back in time they leave you stranded! what we love to call pier runners the unlucky folks who don't get back in time! AND its up to them to arange to catch up with the ship in the next port of call too so extra costs in travel be it a flight to the next island/ country or a long train journey to the next port call if in same country!
@@dizzydevil547 Some independent excursions come with a guarantee that you will get back to the ship or they will get you to the next port. I have booked them with Vacations to Go I’m the past. Still a real hassle compared to the ship waiting for you.
I found an interesting side effect on my recent Holland America trip. Because I bought the basic fare, all drinks, gratuities, and so forth were considered on-board spending. HAL gives extra Mariner Society loyalty points for on-board spending, so all of that added up to an extra week of loyalty points. If I had purchased the Have It All package, I would have received none of those points. And I still spent less than the package cost!
For my upcoming cruise I calculated all the drink types I usually drink on a cruise. It came nowhere near the cost of my drinks. So we didn’t sign up for the drink package this time. Sometimes on a longer cruise it may be worth it.
Holland America adds the package cost to onboard spending calculation for loyalty points. Last cruise we had no onboard spending except On Deck for a cause and $100 shareholder OBC that we spent and we still received the max points based on package cost (which calculated out as worth it for us to purchase for this cruise since it came with crew appreciation included)
Your information is great, but, I highly recommend buying your excursions through the cruse line. I came within minutes of being left behind at Hawaii. My father-in-law and I stepped onto the last tender, the gate closed and we were underway before we were seated.
Azamara lowered our cabin rate after our early booking was higher. They sent us a check for $1100. They also added $500 on board credit when later bookings were offered $1000 instead of $500.
Self explore and shore excursion outside of the cruise line should only be done in areas that are close enough to the ship that you can either A.) walk back to the ship or B.) have multiple different options for transportation back to the ship. I've seen too many cases of pier runners that were left behind and THAT is going to cost a lot more than the few dollars you will save avoiding a cruise based excursion. In reference to insurance. Don't forget medical care and luggage replacement when selecting insurance. Some medical insurance policies in the US may actually cover over seas care if necessary but a lot will not. When insuring your luggage read the fine print on how you are reimbursed. A lot of insurance companies will demand receipts for items like phones, laptops and cameras. If you don't have one you may be out of luck. Remember private insurance companies are in the business of making money and they don't do that by paying out claims so they will use every trick they can to not cover you.
I have experience with cruise line trip insurance. We were told it completely covered everything. I became critically ill on a trip to alaska and had to be removed to a hospital in Canada for Intensive Care hospitalization. This turned into a nightmare I wont go into here. But I will tell you that this occured in August of 2022, it is now February2023 and Im not even close to getting reimbursed. AON travel is horrible. They are the company recommended by Carnival cruiselines. For my airfare and hotel portion of the trip I used Allianz insurance and I was reimbured within 3 weeks of my claim. My advice is do your homework before booking insurance but DEFINITELY get insurance!
Great tips! We have only cruised twice, both Norwegian, and we love the Free At Sea (basic) drink package. But I agree with all your other rip-off tips! Our first cruise, we fell for the duty free booze. Found the same at our local liquor store. So, no. The only shopping we want on our ship is a t-shirt and hat, and a resin model. In this, the Norwegian Escape disappointed. Next Norwegian cruise, we'll upgrade one of us on the internet package, because we missed a message from our pharmacy.
I agree with all those you mentioned. I usually get the included drink package because I'm not that picky when it comes my alcohol. And I definitely get my money's worth on drinks. But if you are just a casual/social drinker, it's not worth it. The rip-offs work because the casual traveler is not going to do a lot of research on everything. You are paying extra money for the convenience.
Just got back from a cruise 3 days ago. Everything you have to buy while on the cruise is essentially a rip off. Art, Excursions, Drinks, Spa etc etc, is contracted out basically where the cruise charges their markups on the retail contractor rates for pure profit. Easy workaround: book your own excursions, dont get drink package and use the free bottles you are allowed to bring on board, hold off that spa package until you are home, and go with the regular dining rooms which are usually not that far behind the quality of the add on charged dining restaurants on board. Easy peasy.
There is a company in the UK who specialise in solo cruises, and if you you them as your agent they will negotiate for groups of solo travellers on erasing supplement costs and arranging solo traveller social opportunities. They are called Addicted to cruising. Friends have been using them for years, from all over the world.
An illuminating video, thank you. The biggest rip off imo is the cruise lines reluctance to display prices for drinks packages and gratuities before pressing the book button. Very rarely can you add them to your ‘shopping basket’ whilst exploring and considering the total price of your cruise.
On my last cruise, gratuities were very clear, and reasonable. If I'd gone for the drinks package, and tried to get "value" for it, my liver would have been in great danger.
Great video, Gary! I'll be checking out some of the sites you mentioned. One thing that we really missed on our cruise in November (our first since 2019!) on Celebrity's Apex, they did away with all of the Port Shopping Advisors - we understand they always recommend the same old retailers, but sometimes they had really good coupons and always maps of the port! Since it had been 3 years since our last cruise, we forgot which shops were in which ports and exactly where they were located! We were unhappy with that decision simply because we like to shop... Anyway, Happy New Year to you & Mark!!
We used the Ship Photographers on our 20th Wedding Anniversary/my wife's 50th birthday cruise in Alaska. Professional photographers in Australia are very expensive. It was worth our time and money to use the ship's photographers this way. We got dressed up etc and the photos were good.
Art and spa treatments are a rip off for sure. We usually get one photo for each cruise. The alcohol package is debatable. Port days are usually days off the ship when you don’t drink as much. Sea days are another matter! We drink more when we are aboard. I guess each cruiser has to balance hir or her cost to consumption. Anyhow, your info. Was spot on! Thanks, Gary.
What is the orange thing @2:09? I have watched a few of your videos. A little more volume would not hurt, you have a naturally low voice which is difficult to me.
The free cheap champagne they provide at the art auctions isn't enough to lure me to attend. But it is still popular or they would stop holding them and lure passengers into some other venue.
Drink packages are a major ripoff, unless you are an alcoholic! I paid for one on a recent 17 day Holland America cruise. Never again. Will pay separately per drink next time.
Royal Caribbean don’t do that price match (in Ireland anyway). Found my cruise cheaper and contacted travel agent but they said I would have to cancel and rebook. This means losing deposit. It’s very annoying because they have this cruise with confidence in the US. That’s definitely a way to make you feel ripped off when you don’t get same option
A big rip off fromNCL. We booked our flights through NCL. It is reserved and paid for before we knew what the schedule was. We just got the schedule which included an overnight flight arriving in Tampa at 6:00 AM. We are 80 years old and could not endure an all night flight. We cancelled. NCL charged us $520 cancellation even though we cancelled 60 days before the flights
One time on a Carnival cruise I went to the day-before port shopping highlights meeting (waiting for bingo). I actually won a print of a painting at one of the drawings. When I went to get my print the art gallery/shop requested that I buy a $ 300.00 frame for the print. I had to stand my ground firmly to get Carnival to mail me the print in a tube and I found a $ 25.00 frame at the local arts & craft store . That $ 25.00 frame with the print hangs to this day on my wall.
If you want art and aren't interested in 'investing', make it yourself or have a friend make it. If you don't happen to have a friend who does art in an art style you like, ask them to introduce you to their creative friends. Look at what they have on their walls: often it's a mix of stuff they make themselves and stuff their other friends have made. Or go to a craft market. Look around there, remember that you're looking for an artist with an art style you like. If they're not selling a piece you want, ask about doing custom work. And don't limit yourself to paintings and drawings. A lovely quilt can hang on a wall. A piece of pottery can add to the look of your room. A giant vase and some long feathery grasses (my Nan had that, it was in the corner of her living room, and was beautiful.) Unless you have a lot of money to throw around, buy (or make) art to make your house into a home. Get what you like, not what you're told is an 'investment piece'. Addendum: I have two art pieces that I bought at a framing shop. They're both prints, and they were the 'demo frame' prints. Dirt cheap, and both are displayed in my bedroom.
All of the advice here is very good and unlike a lot of other ‘tubers, it isn’t overly positive in the cruise line’s favour. Well done Gary. Also Gary, how well have you found asking for refunds or upgrades for the cost difference with British cruise companies?
I look at TripAdvisor ( tu Rick Steves) and book excursions. My best deal was in Ephesus, private guide all day $250. No lines or crowded busses and she wanted us to stop at the best bakery. Baklava!!!! Ship wanted almost $1k for a private tour guide. Downside is if the ship doesn't make it to the port you are out of $$ already paid.
Good evening Sir Gary. Yes. I get alerted with cruise fare alerts. Have saved 100’s. All wonderful tips. I am weak for the photos. Have gotten wonderful packages especially when 1 8x10 is $20 - $25. I like the hard copy; my husband likes digital and we get at least 2 canvas. Did professional sitting twice. Thanks so much.
Agree. On art though you can I believe get a good deal some times. I saw a 3 dimensional framed art piece and really liked it. Since, they found I was a first time buyer talking to one of the art support sellers they offered a discount off of what I would pay if I won the bid. I think they also strategically placed the item during the auction to help me get it. All, because they want you to keep buying more pieces later on. For this piece the framing which was included since it was a 3d piece would have been costly on it's own. As such, I don't believe I got a bad deal and actually got a piece I really like at what I think was a great price. But all in all I think their art is a rip off. If you do love a piece though, make sure to ask them some questions and make sure they wind up knowing you are a first time bidder.
One of my USA Based favorites on board is Starbucks. Go to a local Starbucks and buy a gift card or two!!! They ARE accepted on board!! Last Norwegian I took, 10% off the posted price because I was using THEIR gift card.
All through the Caribbean, I found any number of local tours less expensive and more inclusive than cruise line tours. The difference is quite profound. Spa treatment runs about double what a decent spa treatment does on land. Just compare liquor prices online. The duty-free ship stops cost more than land based shops do with tax.
We went on an MSC cruise in May. There were not that many people on the cruise less than half capacity so we got to chat with much of the crew. They said within reason the ship wouldn't leave without a passenger . We enjoyed the cruise it was a good value.
discovering THIS about cruise trip insurance. Just booked Alaska a few days ago, and am going to cancel and buy it 3rd party. ZERO pre-existing condition coverage. FYI, you have 10 days after purchase to cancel it.
The excursions are almost always overpriced. I checked the price of a trip on the Flåm Railway and found that it was 15€ less to walk to the station from the ship (just like the excursioners had to) and buy a ticket (which they didn't). We then boarded the train FIRST - there were 2 queues - so we got the best seats (right hand side heading uphill, if you are interested). Most ports have queues of taxi drivers capable of doing a similar tour to the "climb on a coach" ones, carrying a whole family for the price of a single person on the coach.
Thank you I was just got off a cruise. I wanted to take the railroad train so I got off the ship. Ask the one of the two guys can I purchase a ticket to the train and they said no I gotta do it on the train. I don’t book now excursion on the ship. It’s too expensive. Thank you for this channel.
I personally found the drink package worth it. Sodas and sparkling water aren't included so unless you were going to drink water and coffee all the time, I highly recommend it. Also note, that if you plan to drink at least 5-6 soft drinks/alcoholic drinks, it cancels itself out and will pay more otherwise. I also don't recommend a drink package if you have many port of call days as you'll likely be eating off the ship and drinking 5 drinks over the course of the evening can be a lot.
Park West art auctions are low quality low cost prints. They make their money on the framing, which wasn't that much more than local framing shops. To me they are a fun souvenir memory I see every day when I'm home.
On our last cruise, I only went to the spa when our excursion was canceled due to the sea conditions and my husband was sea sick. What’s a lady to do? 😊
Insurance - I compared and found that RCL's sponsored policy fit my needs, still COMPARE before you buy. DUTY FREE - (Gary, correct me if I'm wrong) Don"t go buy that fancy Rolex, Omega, or other luxury watch overseas. I've looked into it and the prices are set by the companies, not the store. Second, and more importantly, if you have a problem with your purchase, you may not have the same protections or assistance as purchasing from a local retailer. Additionally, purchasing locally allows you to build a relationship with that retailer and receive better service than you would otherwise have at a shop in a foreign port.
Fantastic, comprehensive summary Gary. I entirely agree with your views on all inclusive packages, wifi slow and expensive, spas, photographic and art being massively expensive. I really like the cruise price monitoring and will try that out. Also the shops seem to be on another planet with their prices. I understand that folks may like these opportunities and be happy to pay, but certainly not us. For drinks packages, unless you are a heavy drinker, which is frowned upon, the drinks packages just do not represent good value. I cannot understand why most drinks onboard range between $12-20 each...that's just crazy. You can buy a whole bottle of spirit at home for the price of 1 drink onboard. I believe it's high time cruiselines stop financially penalizing solo travellers. We tend to DIY our excursions and just don't waste money on non essential purchases onboard. We might visit an upscale restaurant for a special occasion, but using our bogof deal on our loyalty program. The restaurants used to be better value but now are a primary revenue streams for the lines. Hiked prices and downgraded menus to sweat the assets and maximise profits. Over our 54 cruises we have learned to steer away from overpriced products and services and find cost effective ways to enhance our cruises. Happy new year to you and Mark. Cheers, Ray and Sue. 🥂
So true and here is another rip off. The bus to the city centre if your not taking a tour. They will have you believe that it is the only way into town and the fee for our Princess cruise was $20AU each way. Generally the city provides a free shuttle service because they want you to spend your money in their town. Whether you do or not is not a condition of using their service. And there can often be a local bus service just out of the port for a fraction of the cost. As an example we could catch the local bus for $1.20 instead of paying $20-$30 each way. After some discussion with others we found out that the cruise line either owns the coaches for transfer or charter them , 😊so the money goes straight back to the cruise line. One more recommendation is to check your on board account daily. We found charges pop up that were not ours. It is far easier to get this fixed whilst still on board than after the cruise has ended. They are quick to take your money but getting it back is a lengthy struggle.
The drinks package on Viking is way better than most. Like Gary on most cruises I don't buy the drinks package since it is only at lunch and dinner and only house wines. But on Viking drinks in the bar are also included and while the most expensive drinks aren't covered there's enough to satisfy me.
I fell for the art auction, i ended up with posters of the art i thought i was buying. Posters. Won't do that again. I would be interested in seeing places where you could go shopping at these ports to get best prices for jewelry and art 😊
What's the best way to make a complaint against a company. I was sick on a cruise because of an allergy because the company didn't disclose the contents. It ruined the first half of the cruise and they charged me for the doctors visit. They eventually refunded the medical fees but didn't compensate me. It could have been a lot more serious
Many great ideas. We have found drink package tips can be an issue. If a cruiseline offers a drink package that includes tips in their overall upgrade package, this can work for us. But, NCL in their Free At Sea package offer unlimited drinks, but charge extra for tips. This never works to our advantage. We find that if we buy drink by drink, we don’t spend enough to even cover the tips on the free drink package. So, it would not be a free drinks package for us.
Not sure if GEOCACHING is still big or not? But this can be fun as it gets you off the ship and out and about. In 2009 I was geocaching around Nassau, which took me to some historical places around the city.
My recent experience with the drink package on Princess cruise line left me slightly bewildered. I chose the Princess Plus drink package. It includes cocktails (up to a certain dollar amount for each drink), bottled water, specialty coffees, sodas, and smoothies, etc. Also you can put one device on Wi-Fi. My disappointment happened the first day. We were able to board early, which was great. After lunch and unpacking, I went to a lounge to order a drink. It was around 3 pm. That’s when I found out my drink package didn’t start until around 6 that evening. I was given the excuse that they have to be so far out in the ocean……whatever. But where I holler BS is I could have bought the drink out right. I’ve cruised many times and initially fell for buying their recommended jewelry stores in port. Ladies, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had expensive stones fall out (and therefore lost). The clasps are extremely cheap. I’ve had bracelets fall off my arm. I’ve taken my jewelry in for repairs, costing hundreds of dollars! Save your money! Find a reputable jeweler where you live. I’ve bought two pieces of art. I like them but I won’t deal with doing that on a cruise ship again. My husband and I treated ourselves to an all inclusive specialty dining. We could go to two specialty dining restaurants each day. They food was fabulous! But guess what? It was so much food we couldn’t eat the rest of the day. I’m glad we tried it though. Next time we will just treat ourselves to maybe one or two times for the entire cruise. Cheers everyone!
Traveling with Princess for the first time next year doing the plus. Didn’t know about that drink rule. Thanks for the tip
I placed a basic (no premium package) reservation for a cruise in 2025 aboard the newest Princess ship. Using Gary's advice, I rechecked the same cruise and noticed I could get the same accommodation + Princess plus package for 25% less than originally purchased. I contacted customer service and indicated the fare had changed drastically for a cruise a year away. The 1st representative said 'What do you want us to do about it?'.
I persisted and asked that my reservation be rebooked at the current offering. Two long holds and the new fare is in place. For a 30 minute investment in time, I saved approximately $1,000 on my cruise. Thank you Gary!
Awesome!!! Great to hear, and that you were persistent and it paid off. Thanks for the super chat.
I agree with you Gary about the solo rip off. What I think is the worst is a person that is staying in a room for two can only eat for one but they’re being charged as if they’re eating two meals every day for each meal
Former travel advisor (US-based) here. Gary's points are spot on. Oceania is one of the worst for "inclusive rip offs". It often has a promotion that includes "free" shore excursions or beverage package or shipboard credit. It is not free. The wording should be "included" and if one looks at the pricing one can see they will be paying for those "free" inclusions.
Included airfare is another pet peeve of mine. If the cruise line does one's air, then the cruiser loses the ability to choose their airline, scheduling, and routing (unless they pay extra for custom air). The airline wants to fly a cruiser in on the day the ship is departing--I wouldn't do that even here in the United States, much less Asia, Europe, South America. And, if there is a problem, the cruise line is now an added middle man and it is hard for a cruiser to solve the issues at hand. The ONLY time is ever saw this being a benefit was after the Japanese earthquake of 2011, when thousands of cruisers were stranded and the cruise line handled the re-routing of those passengers who had booked through them.
Hotels can be another rip off, but cruisers should do a little math before deciding. Hotels in the real world price per night, per room. Cruise lines price per night, per person. However, airport-to-hotel and hotel-to-ship transfers are often included in the cruise line's hotel pricing. This can be valuable for ports like Civitavecchia which is an hour outside Rome, or Southampton, 2 plus hours from London.
I will say concerning cruise line insurance, if the cruiser is over 75, sometimes the cruise line's policy is significantly less expensive than Allianz, TravelGuard, etc. as prices increase with age of the traveler. Also, if there is a price drop, read the fine print of the new offer very carefully., as often it will prohibit re-books (canceling your original fare and re-booking the new one). The new offer may also eliminate perks associated with the first fare, so quiz your agent about what exactly is included or excluded.
Thank you so much for these gem tips former US-based Travel Advisor!!
I used to work on ships. The 18% gratuity that was automatically added to bills was our salary, although we were not allowed to say this to the passengers. Any additional tips were an added bonus to us.
Came across one cruise recently where travelling solo cost MORE than having two people in the exact same cabin! It was cheaper to book for two people and then cancel one claiming they fell ill.
That's a common one. Cruise line's seem to think that solo passengers aren't good business, but with the aging population (of which I'm one of) they should be making solo cruisers a stand out option, instead of an afterthought
@@EARTHROMR Ive been solo cruising for 5yrs less the COVID shut-down and just purchased another an hour ago. There are plenty of cruises and cruise lines out there that don't penalize the solo traveler by charging double occupancy rates. The trick is to look for the single supplement and travel last minute as much as possible.
I rarely pay more than $100/day and will only pay about 15% single supplement unless the rate is extraordinarily low.
Its important to develop search tools and methods and spend the time searching to save $$$
@@rpruneau68 which lines do you travel on? Because I find it problematic to cruise solo.
@@rpruneau68 I have done 12 cruises with Royal Caribbean, and my 13th cruise is in Oct, San Diego to Tampa via Panama Canal. The cruise is $3700 for 16 night's, solo internal. Everything else on top is where it gets expensive. $2400 for flights(Per-Lax return) then internal USA flight, Accommodation, spending etc
Total cost will be around $10k AUD
@@ashleighelizabeth5916 I have most my sea days between Princess and NCL. I also have traveled solo on Holland America and partnered up on Carnival.
Carnival rarely offers a single supplement whereas, NCL rarely charges a penalty on last minute bookings for solo travelers. They also have a good sorting tool within their website that will allow a search by solo discounted cruises.
My experience with Princess is you will typically have to pay anywhere from 10% or greater penalty if you wait for last minute bookings which will be dependent on how sold out they are. Both of those cruise lines have recently upgraded my inside cabin to balconies at no additional cost.
Thanks Gary! I agree with every aspect of this video. Obviously, all cruise lines are entitled to reasonable profit. I really don't mind that they offer any of these "rip offs." Ultimately, I think it is the responsibility of each client/passenger to make reasoned decisions concerning finances and budgets. By thinking things through and planning, cruises don't need to be "rip offs." For example, I followed you suggestions on my recent HAL cruise (ms Rotterdam) to the Southern Caribbean. It turns out my final tab was about $400.00 less than my travel companion's tab! Thanks buddy!
For those eligible (over 50s only), look at Saga. Lots of stuff is included - travel to the port, drinks, some excursions and most importantly INSURANCE. For my mum (94 and with a medical history), her policy for a recent cruise cost £430. The one 5 months before, with Saga, cost nothing beyond the brochure price.
Unfortunately not good for Americans…
T
Terrible ships imho.
On a recent cruise, I saw a piece of art that I just loved. It really spoke to me I wrote down the name of the artist went online. Found a company that made copies of that exact printing ordered it and I’m very happy with it. It cost me a fraction of what they wanted for that painting.
A tip about the funicular in Bergen: Fløibanen gets very full very early whenever there's cruise ships in town. Therefore, please consider going up immediately if you want to go there, and beat the lines.
I really appreciate your videos. I have learned many money saving tips over the years & like you I don’t book the excursions on ship. On a Hawaiian cruise we became friends with another couple that was renting a car to see the sights. We paid 1/2 of the cost & had a great time exploring beaches where we were the only ppl on it, going to restaurants where the locals eat, etc…No crowds & we weren’t on a schedule besides the ships. When you get back on the ship, sit on the top deck & watch ppl as they run to catch the ship before it leaves….or when they’re left.😊
It's 2:30 AM in here and I'm binge watching your videos. As I mentioned to you on Instagram - I have been selling cruises for almost 30 years now, being all this time with one major Canadian travel agency, however my career with them came to an end a year ago, so I had a long break and just now getting back to it with another travel agency - this time working from home, so your tips and updates are priceless to me and I have been taking some notes. Gary - thanks again and have a lovely day!
Interesting you can convince them to do this! We booked a cruise and paid our deposit... we're told the remainder would be charged to my credit card... and when they did not charge my credit card... I lost my deposit and no cruise... they won't do anything to make it right... now that's a ripoff!
Thanks, great advice! We're frequent travelers, but soon to be first timers on a cruise liner.
Love your channel! I worked on cruiseships as deck officer for 10 years. Love to watch your channel for the tips and tricks. So true! I never heard a wrong thing about how the cruise lines try to make money. We still waiting to plan a cruise together with my partner, to bring back memories ( he s also ex-engineer on HAL). Keep it up!
Oh this is a great video. Love your money saving tips. It’s so easy to overpay for so many offerings on a cruise ship.
I've never been on a cruise, I never plan to go on a cruise, and yet I can't stop watching these videos.
A good travel agent, especially one the that specializes in cruises, will watch for fare drops and act accordingly, so you don’t have to.
Our travel agent Delta Skycruises specifically told us we had to watch for our own price drops and call them to get the adjustment. We aren’t using them for future cruises…
We have done our homework and recognize the bundles are generally not for us. Also one needs to consider how many port/sea days the cruise offers. If the bundle is included in an already great price….then that to us, is a win. Otherwise, it’s ala cart for us and that is just fine. Thanks Gary!
Thank you for mentioning the dubious value of the art auctions that seem to have an ongoing presence on so many of the cruises I've been on. Many years ago I purchased one of these pieces of art as it's presentation was beautiful. All the glamor disappears when a gray post off mailing tube arrives with a rolled up print that is simply a cheap print. I wanted to display the piece in a way that I had seen on the ship so I took it to a local framery where I paid hundreds of dollars more to make the inexpensive (not to me) print an enjoyable piece to hang on my wall. The entire thing could have been done for a fraction of the price by dealing with a local small framing business who had plenty of great prints to sell for a very small fraction of what the cruise line people were getting from their customers. As my father used to say, "A fool and his money soon part". I'm embarrsed to say, when it comes to those cruise line art auctions, I certainly was the fool.
Gary, you call it like it is, and all your viewers are better off for it. Bravo!!
Thank you for the wonderful tips. We book a cruise for the Norwegian Fjords (HAL) in 2024 and we’ll definitely take a look at the ports and the attractions offered at each. With Bergen, we will definitely be going on our own as everything seems to be nearby the port.
As for the packages, we usually take the wine package as we put that to good use but never the drinks package as they are way too expensive.
Be careful in Bergen if you go to the fish market. There was a huge upcharge for those using foreign currency several years ago at some of the stalls.
It was almost three times as expensive to use USD than Norwegian Kroners at some places in the fish market (this was fairly common anywhere touristy, but the exchange was really not in your favour).
Two important things Gary didn’t mention: 1) you can only change fare or upgrade until 60 days before sailing and never after you have paid in full.
2) teetotallers buying a fare with drinks on some lines will still have to pay tips on drinks they don’t drink unless you know that you can just decline the drinks package. So be sure to ask about that as they don’t inform you otherwise.
Whenever possible, I take Hop on, Hop off busses, and see the city sites I want, skip those I don't. Not every city has them, so doing your homework can save you a bundle.
Allianz took good care of us when my wife got covid during a cruise and we were stranded in Canada. They promptly paid our claim with no issues. It was hassle free.
The shops at some destinations also put their prices up when a cruise shop comes into port. When we were in Port Vila on holiday we were in the shopping area. Someone told us to buy before the ship came in the next day. All shops have different price tags which they change to double the price when ship comes in.
Ripped off by Cunard big time over our Christmas cruise. We had a cruise credit (our own deposit) and were given till the end of June last year tobook. We booked just before the expiry date, Cunard then lowered their price by $1250 per person just after we booked . Rubbish customer service, I tried getting a refund, or upgrade etc as you suggested Gary. We got a big fat NOTHING from chnard. To add insult to injury, the QE was denied access to Fjiordland inNew Zealand on Christmas day. So the highlights of our cruise were missed. There area lot of other lines to choose from.
I too have learned much from watching your videos. I'm on a limited budget so these kind of tips help very much.
P&O Australia were absolutely useless when it came to price matching their own price drops. Lesson learned, hold off as long as it is possible before paying for the full fare!
This really makes me not want to go on a cruise. Way too complicated and my stomach is in a knot just listening to this. I just want to relax and have a good time. I went on a Viking, cruise and I had none of these issues. I’m going on another Viking cruise in April 2023. Everything included, no hidden costs.
I always do the math on the bundles, and usually take them. I only drink red wine, so a basic drink package is perfect.
Great tips Gary, like you it annoys me when I am offered a free drinks passage when I don not drink alcohol. Keep up the great work, Peter Mac Donald.
Gary, your videos are awesome. I just completed my 4th cruise (Noumea/ Vanuatu ) 2 weeks ago. Every thing you say is 100% correct. I have taken some of your tips away with me. Thank you
Every traveller is different. We have had a couple of dud ship excursions but the vast majority have been great, well informed guides, no hassle and so much better than wandering around on your own, a recent visit to Casablanca with MSC resulted in an 11+ hour excursion including Rabat and a great lunch at the Movenpick Hotel for just over £10 per hour. We all had a memorable day, met some great fellow travellers who we kept meeting on the ship, while our dinner companions did their own thing and were back on the ship within 2/3 hours very disappointed. Also the MSC drinks packages when purchased before boarding, or included with your cruise fare, have no service charges and no drink limit restrictions, there has not been 1 cruise with them where we have not ended up £'s ahead and have left the ship with a final bill at zero for drinks and service charges.
I cruise a lot and agree you said. Drink package doesn't work for me because you need to drink a lot(5-8 per day). Wifi Premium is a must for me because I do like streaming at night or sea days. Excursions I do mix. Some I book cruise and some outside. The good thing about excursions w cruise is they don't leave you behind so it's a peace of mind you get. My last cruise on Prima few families were left behind because they went with outside vendors. Flying out tomorrow to Doha to check out the new MSC Europa. Happy New year :)
Totally agree. We love the spa, but not at sea. It’s grossly over priced and they try to sell you stuff that don’t want. If we want a spa day I like to do it the day after our cruise. It’s nice to have a facial after a week of intense sun.
Absolutely brilliant review Gary! I so resonate with everything you have said. Some very useful tips indeed. Great work!!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching !
ALL true, especially the parts about spa up-selling. It's no different than going to get a hair cut at home and having the stylist tell you that you should buy a special product at check out (I was once told that I need to make such a purchase because my scalp was allegedly too dry, and on the following visit, told to buy something else because my scalp was allegedly too oily). Spa or salon employees are MASSIVELY incentivized via contests/prizes and scaled bonuses to sell, sell, sell because of the profit margins involved.
Overall, cruise lines are NOT in the travel or entertainment business -- they are in the MONEY MAKING business, and providing vacation experiences to passengers is simply a means to that end. There's nothing wrong with handing over money for appropriately-priced goods/services, but there's plenty wrong with paying for goods/services that are overpriced or unneeded/unused.
Pro Tip: Avoid booking any type of spa treatment onboard. Not only are they poorly trained, but they're more concerned with upselling than offering a good treatment. Most spas are operated by an outside firm.
Definitely agree with monitoring the price. On an upcoming cruise, I noticed the price dropped by $500 and I hadn't made my final payment. Called NCL and they immediately adjusted my price to the new rate saving the full amount. On my last cruise, I had a similar situation however I had already fully paid for the cruise. I was able to get upgraded from a balcony to a suite for about $200 since prices dropped quite a bit since I booked.
Personally I am a fan of the bundles, but it does definitely depend on what you plan to use. The NCL Free at Sea works great for me personally as I use the $50 credit per excursion and definitely get my money's worth from the free drinks package.
Great info, thank you!
But on Norwegian we still payed fees on the drink package. So not as free as it sounds
@@trickstothetrades1801 True, it's not completely free, but if you average two drinks per day, the fees are more than covered.
We didn’t drink enough on NCL to cover the gratuity cost, so it wasn’t a free drinks package for us.
I've always been surprised at how many passengers go to the spa, get beauty treatments, and purchase art of any name-brand items from the shops. They could do all this at home for less money. It's a vacation. Just do the things you can't do at home. (Maybe I'm far too frugal. LOL)
You cannot shop at home?
One of my problems with cruise line excursions is the number of people on the excursion. Cruise lines usually try to fill up the bus and then mark the excursion as sold out. So the bus is usually full. This means that it takes longer to get on and get off, desirable seats are taken quickly, you almost never get a double seat to your self, and the bus has to wait for the last person to get back. I took a tour by taxi in Papeete, and tour buses were stopping at the same spots. We were probably three times as fast as the bus tour AND got to spend more time in the attraction. They actually paid twice as much (we shared the taxi with another couple) and got MUCH less. In addition, many of the ship excursions focus on stops to shop, which do not interest us at all. I want to spend my time on the attraction, not a few minutes at the attraction and the rest of the time in a shop or waiting in line at the rest room.
I used to live in Samoa, and I would watch countless ignorant tourists pay over $300 for an excursion to the beach next to my house. The beach was public and the bus they rented usually charged ONE DOLLAR for a fare, each way. They literally paid $299 for the guided walk from the ship across the street to the bus. Drove me nuts.
Just be sure to give yourselves plenty of time to return. We usually just walk around the immediate area.
Excursions are always a ripoff. But you don’t have to plan and think, you are safe and you know the ship is going to wait for you. That’s what you are paying for.
I AGREE wholeheartedly with you on excursions! we do our own thing in ports... I won't pay the overpriced amount line's charge for excursions even the lower end of the cruise market ( Marella) charges way too much for excursions ( only cruise line iv been on when they were Thomson) ..THE ONLY GOOD THING about booking an excursion through the cruise line is if your late back to the ship they have to wait for you were as if you go it alone and your not back in time they leave you stranded! what we love to call pier runners the unlucky folks who don't get back in time! AND its up to them to arange to catch up with the ship in the next port of call too so extra costs in travel be it a flight to the next island/ country or a long train journey to the next port call if in same country!
@@dizzydevil547 Some independent excursions come with a guarantee that you will get back to the ship or they will get you to the next port. I have booked them with Vacations to Go I’m the past. Still a real hassle compared to the ship waiting for you.
I found an interesting side effect on my recent Holland America trip.
Because I bought the basic fare, all drinks, gratuities, and so forth were considered on-board spending. HAL gives extra Mariner Society loyalty points for on-board spending, so all of that added up to an extra week of loyalty points. If I had purchased the Have It All package, I would have received none of those points.
And I still spent less than the package cost!
That's good info.
Thanks for bringing this up. I had forgotten about that, and the onboard spending can add up quickly and help get to the next mariner level.
For my upcoming cruise I calculated all the drink types I usually drink on a cruise. It came nowhere near the cost of my drinks. So we didn’t sign up for the drink package this time. Sometimes on a longer cruise it may be worth it.
Holland America adds the package cost to onboard spending calculation for loyalty points. Last cruise we had no onboard spending except On Deck for a cause and $100 shareholder OBC that we spent and we still received the max points based on package cost (which calculated out as worth it for us to purchase for this cruise since it came with crew appreciation included)
LOL. The art auction on the QE has the same paintings as when I was on it 10 months ago.
Your information is great, but, I highly recommend buying your excursions through the cruse line. I came within minutes of being left behind at Hawaii. My father-in-law and I stepped onto the last tender, the gate closed and we were underway before we were seated.
You can deselect the itemized "free at sea" on Norwegian, like the drinks package, etc.. That will save you money if you don't need them.
Azamara lowered our cabin rate after our early booking was higher. They sent us a check for $1100. They also added $500 on board credit when later bookings were offered $1000 instead of $500.
Self explore and shore excursion outside of the cruise line should only be done in areas that are close enough to the ship that you can either A.) walk back to the ship or B.) have multiple different options for transportation back to the ship. I've seen too many cases of pier runners that were left behind and THAT is going to cost a lot more than the few dollars you will save avoiding a cruise based excursion.
In reference to insurance. Don't forget medical care and luggage replacement when selecting insurance. Some medical insurance policies in the US may actually cover over seas care if necessary but a lot will not. When insuring your luggage read the fine print on how you are reimbursed. A lot of insurance companies will demand receipts for items like phones, laptops and cameras. If you don't have one you may be out of luck. Remember private insurance companies are in the business of making money and they don't do that by paying out claims so they will use every trick they can to not cover you.
I have experience with cruise line trip insurance. We were told it completely covered everything. I became critically ill on a trip to alaska and had to be removed to a hospital in Canada for Intensive Care hospitalization. This turned into a nightmare I wont go into here. But I will tell you that this occured in August of 2022, it is now February2023 and Im not even close to getting reimbursed. AON travel is horrible. They are the company recommended by Carnival cruiselines. For my airfare and hotel portion of the trip I used Allianz insurance and I was reimbured within 3 weeks of my claim. My advice is do your homework before booking insurance but DEFINITELY get insurance!
Great tips! We have only cruised twice, both Norwegian, and we love the Free At Sea (basic) drink package. But I agree with all your other rip-off tips! Our first cruise, we fell for the duty free booze. Found the same at our local liquor store. So, no. The only shopping we want on our ship is a t-shirt and hat, and a resin model. In this, the Norwegian Escape disappointed. Next Norwegian cruise, we'll upgrade one of us on the internet package, because we missed a message from our pharmacy.
I agree with all those you mentioned. I usually get the included drink package because I'm not that picky when it comes my alcohol. And I definitely get my money's worth on drinks. But if you are just a casual/social drinker, it's not worth it. The rip-offs work because the casual traveler is not going to do a lot of research on everything. You are paying extra money for the convenience.
Just got back from a cruise 3 days ago. Everything you have to buy while on the cruise is essentially a rip off. Art, Excursions, Drinks, Spa etc etc, is contracted out basically where the cruise charges their markups on the retail contractor rates for pure profit. Easy workaround: book your own excursions, dont get drink package and use the free bottles you are allowed to bring on board, hold off that spa package until you are home, and go with the regular dining rooms which are usually not that far behind the quality of the add on charged dining restaurants on board. Easy peasy.
There is a company in the UK who specialise in solo cruises, and if you you them as your agent they will negotiate for groups of solo travellers on erasing supplement costs and arranging solo traveller social opportunities. They are called Addicted to cruising. Friends have been using them for years, from all over the world.
An illuminating video, thank you. The biggest rip off imo is the cruise lines reluctance to display prices for drinks packages and gratuities before pressing the book button. Very rarely can you add them to your ‘shopping basket’ whilst exploring and considering the total price of your cruise.
On my last cruise, gratuities were very clear, and reasonable. If I'd gone for the drinks package, and tried to get "value" for it, my liver would have been in great danger.
Great video, Gary! I'll be checking out some of the sites you mentioned. One thing that we really missed on our cruise in November (our first since 2019!) on Celebrity's Apex, they did away with all of the Port Shopping Advisors - we understand they always recommend the same old retailers, but sometimes they had really good coupons and always maps of the port! Since it had been 3 years since our last cruise, we forgot which shops were in which ports and exactly where they were located! We were unhappy with that decision simply because we like to shop... Anyway, Happy New Year to you & Mark!!
We used the Ship Photographers on our 20th Wedding Anniversary/my wife's 50th birthday cruise in Alaska. Professional photographers in Australia are very expensive. It was worth our time and money to use the ship's photographers this way. We got dressed up etc and the photos were good.
Yes! Princess use to have a photo package for ALL the photos and the digital versions. Completely worth it.
Art and spa treatments are a rip off for sure. We usually get one photo for each cruise. The alcohol package is debatable. Port days are usually days off the ship when you don’t drink as much. Sea days are another matter! We drink more when we are aboard. I guess each cruiser has to balance hir or her cost to consumption. Anyhow, your info. Was spot on! Thanks, Gary.
What is the orange thing @2:09? I have watched a few of your videos. A little more volume would not hurt, you have a naturally low voice which is difficult to me.
Really enjoyed the videos I have watched. So much to think about as I have over a year to plan for Alaska. I will keep watching your videos.
The free cheap champagne they provide at the art auctions isn't enough to lure me to attend. But it is still popular or they would stop holding them and lure passengers into some other venue.
It's not free it's worked into the price of the rooms.
Nothings free on a cruise ship, they are not non profit !
Wow I just saved $300 on a tour excursion using your shore excursions recommendations !! Thanks Gary !!
Drink packages are a major ripoff, unless you are an alcoholic! I paid for one on a recent 17 day Holland America cruise. Never again. Will pay separately per drink next time.
I’ve been on 41 cruises and most of those I have not purchased insurance for. Durning the Plandemic. I did purchase it for a couple of cruises.
Royal Caribbean don’t do that price match (in Ireland anyway). Found my cruise cheaper and contacted travel agent but they said I would have to cancel and rebook. This means losing deposit. It’s very annoying because they have this cruise with confidence in the US. That’s definitely a way to make you feel ripped off when you don’t get same option
Very useful. It is true that excursions by the cruise line are enormously expensive.
A big rip off fromNCL. We booked our flights through NCL. It is reserved and paid for before we knew what the schedule was. We just got the schedule which included an overnight flight arriving in Tampa at 6:00 AM. We are 80 years old and could not endure an all night flight. We cancelled. NCL charged us $520 cancellation even though we cancelled 60 days before the flights
One time on a Carnival cruise I went to the day-before port shopping highlights meeting (waiting for bingo). I actually won a print of a painting at one of the drawings. When I went to get my print the art gallery/shop requested that I buy a $ 300.00 frame for the print. I had to stand my ground firmly to get Carnival to mail me the print in a tube and I found a $ 25.00 frame at the local arts & craft store . That $ 25.00 frame with the print hangs to this day on my wall.
If you want art and aren't interested in 'investing', make it yourself or have a friend make it. If you don't happen to have a friend who does art in an art style you like, ask them to introduce you to their creative friends. Look at what they have on their walls: often it's a mix of stuff they make themselves and stuff their other friends have made.
Or go to a craft market. Look around there, remember that you're looking for an artist with an art style you like. If they're not selling a piece you want, ask about doing custom work. And don't limit yourself to paintings and drawings. A lovely quilt can hang on a wall. A piece of pottery can add to the look of your room. A giant vase and some long feathery grasses (my Nan had that, it was in the corner of her living room, and was beautiful.)
Unless you have a lot of money to throw around, buy (or make) art to make your house into a home. Get what you like, not what you're told is an 'investment piece'.
Addendum: I have two art pieces that I bought at a framing shop. They're both prints, and they were the 'demo frame' prints. Dirt cheap, and both are displayed in my bedroom.
All of the advice here is very good and unlike a lot of other ‘tubers, it isn’t overly positive in the cruise line’s favour. Well done Gary. Also Gary, how well have you found asking for refunds or upgrades for the cost difference with British cruise companies?
Haha watched to the end, enjoyable, let me summarize, "Everything the cruises offer is a rip-off" :)
I look at TripAdvisor ( tu Rick Steves) and book excursions. My best deal was in Ephesus, private guide all day $250. No lines or crowded busses and she wanted us to stop at the best bakery. Baklava!!!! Ship wanted almost $1k for a private tour guide. Downside is if the ship doesn't make it to the port you are out of $$ already paid.
I like TripAdvisor reviews myself.
Good evening Sir Gary. Yes. I get alerted with cruise fare alerts. Have saved 100’s. All wonderful tips. I am weak for the photos. Have gotten wonderful packages especially when 1 8x10 is $20 - $25. I like the hard copy; my husband likes digital and we get at least 2 canvas. Did professional sitting twice. Thanks so much.
Agree. On art though you can I believe get a good deal some times.
I saw a 3 dimensional framed art piece and really liked it. Since, they found I was a first time buyer talking to one of the art support sellers they offered a discount off of what I would pay if I won the bid. I think they also strategically placed the item during the auction to help me get it. All, because they want you to keep buying more pieces later on. For this piece the framing which was included since it was a 3d piece would have been costly on it's own. As such, I don't believe I got a bad deal and actually got a piece I really like at what I think was a great price. But all in all I think their art is a rip off. If you do love a piece though, make sure to ask them some questions and make sure they wind up knowing you are a first time bidder.
One of my USA Based favorites on board is Starbucks. Go to a local Starbucks and buy a gift card or two!!! They ARE accepted on board!! Last Norwegian I took, 10% off the posted price because I was using THEIR gift card.
You are a very smart guy! I totally agree with you on the photos and art auctions. Thank you!
All through the Caribbean, I found any number of local tours less expensive and more inclusive than cruise line tours. The difference is quite profound. Spa treatment runs about double what a decent spa treatment does on land. Just compare liquor prices online. The duty-free ship stops cost more than land based shops do with tax.
My MIL is a “solo” traveler. We often tag along for a free vacation! ;)
We went on an MSC cruise in May. There were not that many people on the cruise less than half capacity so we got to chat with much of the crew.
They said within reason the ship wouldn't leave without a passenger .
We enjoyed the cruise it was a good value.
discovering THIS about cruise trip insurance. Just booked Alaska a few days ago, and am going to cancel and buy it 3rd party. ZERO pre-existing condition coverage. FYI, you have 10 days after purchase to cancel it.
On royal carribean once final payment is made/due you can't change price. I spoke to them.
The excursions are almost always overpriced. I checked the price of a trip on the Flåm Railway and found that it was 15€ less to walk to the station from the ship (just like the excursioners had to) and buy a ticket (which they didn't). We then boarded the train FIRST - there were 2 queues - so we got the best seats (right hand side heading uphill, if you are interested).
Most ports have queues of taxi drivers capable of doing a similar tour to the "climb on a coach" ones, carrying a whole family for the price of a single person on the coach.
We had the same experience. Bought our tickets on line prior to our cruise and saved a lot of time and money.
Thank you I was just got off a cruise. I wanted to take the railroad train so I got off the ship. Ask the one of the two guys can I purchase a ticket to the train and they said no I gotta do it on the train. I don’t book now excursion on the ship. It’s too expensive. Thank you for this channel.
I personally found the drink package worth it. Sodas and sparkling water aren't included so unless you were going to drink water and coffee all the time, I highly recommend it. Also note, that if you plan to drink at least 5-6 soft drinks/alcoholic drinks, it cancels itself out and will pay more otherwise. I also don't recommend a drink package if you have many port of call days as you'll likely be eating off the ship and drinking 5 drinks over the course of the evening can be a lot.
Thanks for another excellent video Gary.
Park West art auctions are low quality low cost prints. They make their money on the framing, which wasn't that much more than local framing shops. To me they are a fun souvenir memory I see every day when I'm home.
Going on a Viking river cruise on the Rhone in May of this year. Thanks for all the great advice!
Glad it was helpful!
On our last cruise, I only went to the spa when our excursion was canceled due to the sea conditions and my husband was sea sick. What’s a lady to do? 😊
I've repriced our 2 upcoming cruises, 4 times before final payment. We saved well over $1000.
Great to hear !
Insurance - I compared and found that RCL's sponsored policy fit my needs, still COMPARE before you buy.
DUTY FREE - (Gary, correct me if I'm wrong) Don"t go buy that fancy Rolex, Omega, or other luxury watch overseas. I've looked into it and the prices are set by the companies, not the store. Second, and more importantly, if you have a problem with your purchase, you may not have the same protections or assistance as purchasing from a local retailer. Additionally, purchasing locally allows you to build a relationship with that retailer and receive better service than you would otherwise have at a shop in a foreign port.
Fantastic, comprehensive summary Gary. I entirely agree with your views on all inclusive packages, wifi slow and expensive, spas, photographic and art being massively expensive. I really like the cruise price monitoring and will try that out. Also the shops seem to be on another planet with their prices. I understand that folks may like these opportunities and be happy to pay, but certainly not us.
For drinks packages, unless you are a heavy drinker, which is frowned upon, the drinks packages just do not represent good value. I cannot understand why most drinks onboard range between $12-20 each...that's just crazy. You can buy a whole bottle of spirit at home for the price of 1 drink onboard. I believe it's high time cruiselines stop financially penalizing solo travellers. We tend to DIY our excursions and just don't waste money on non essential purchases onboard. We might visit an upscale restaurant for a special occasion, but using our bogof deal on our loyalty program. The restaurants used to be better value but now are a primary revenue streams for the lines. Hiked prices and downgraded menus to sweat the assets and maximise profits. Over our 54 cruises we have learned to steer away from overpriced products and services and find cost effective ways to enhance our cruises. Happy new year to you and Mark. Cheers, Ray and Sue. 🥂
I wish there are more cruise lines leaving out of NYC, the flights and hotel can sure add to the cost.
Wish there were some leaving from Missouri too!! 😄😁😆 On more than 1 occasion I have had to pay more for 3 hour airfare than for the week long cruise.
So true and here is another rip off. The bus to the city centre if your not taking a tour. They will have you believe that it is the only way into town and the fee for our Princess cruise was $20AU each way. Generally the city provides a free shuttle service because they want you to spend your money in their town. Whether you do or not is not a condition of using their service. And there can often be a local bus service just out of the port for a fraction of the cost. As an example we could catch the local bus for $1.20 instead of paying $20-$30 each way. After some discussion with others we found out that the cruise line either owns the coaches for transfer or charter them , 😊so the money goes straight back to the cruise line.
One more recommendation is to check your on board account daily. We found charges pop up that were not ours. It is far easier to get this fixed whilst still on board than after the cruise has ended. They are quick to take your money but getting it back is a lengthy struggle.
The drinks package on Viking is way better than most. Like Gary on most cruises I don't buy the drinks package since it is only at lunch and dinner and only house wines. But on Viking drinks in the bar are also included and while the most expensive drinks aren't covered there's enough to satisfy me.
Fabulous information! Thank you for the video! Have a brilliant day.
Disney actually let’s you take the picture with your cellphone and the professional photo
I fell for the art auction, i ended up with posters of the art i thought i was buying. Posters. Won't do that again. I would be interested in seeing places where you could go shopping at these ports to get best prices for jewelry and art 😊
I'll be the second.. Thank you for making this. I've saved so much money from price watching.
Cool 👍🏻
What's the best way to make a complaint against a company. I was sick on a cruise because of an allergy because the company didn't disclose the contents. It ruined the first half of the cruise and they charged me for the doctors visit. They eventually refunded the medical fees but didn't compensate me. It could have been a lot more serious
Many great ideas. We have found drink package tips can be an issue. If a cruiseline offers a drink package that includes tips in their overall upgrade package, this can work for us. But, NCL in their Free At Sea package offer unlimited drinks, but charge extra for tips. This never works to our advantage. We find that if we buy drink by drink, we don’t spend enough to even cover the tips on the free drink package. So, it would not be a free drinks package for us.
NCL literally told me today that the gratuities are covered by the Free At Sea package... I hope it is. I'm not paying the service charge twice.
This was excellent! Thanks for all the tips!
Wow lucky you! Great information thank you!
Any cruise lines offer an all inclusive, including alcoholic drinks?
The "ultra-luxury" ones do (like Regent, Seabourn, Silversea etc).
Not sure if GEOCACHING is still big or not? But this can be fun as it gets you off the ship and out and about. In 2009 I was geocaching around Nassau, which took me to some historical places around the city.