It's so weird that they force you to tip (gretuities) for them to do what their employer is supose to pay them to do, then they still expect a tip on top of that... Tippning culture suports modernday slavery
For the LOVE! I do not know how you two stay so sweet, funny & kind after reading some of the SUPER NEGATIVE & ridiculous comments here. Get a life people... Keep on keeping on Ben & David ❤❤❤❤!!!
I'm glad when you were covering all the ways to do shore excursions or explore the ports, you also spoke to less confident travelers and let them know it was okay to do what made them comfortable.
After originally searching various websites for a 14 night Caribbean cruise on a budget, we finally booked our first ever cruise direct with Royal Caribbean for May 2026. 14 nights and 8 ports round the Caribbean from New York on Odyssey of the Seas in unobstructed ocean view balcony for 2 adults. And all for less than £4k (total. 2k per person). Thought this was a bargain in comparison to others we were seeing coming in at around 3.5k each for 7 nights. We are so looking forward to it.
Thanks for letting me live vicariously through you! I’ve never had disposable income in my entire life and well I can’t even afford health insurance so I’m dying pretty young, 53, so I watch other people traveling, it looks so fun. I also groan through every Ben pun but I smile so thanks for that too!
All good advice. But the best idea is to budget. Take all of David and Ben's great descriptions and decide ahead of time what you absolutely want/need and what you don't. Then set a cash limit for each item and do not pay one penny more than you must. It will become quickly apparent when you go to pay the final bill that your peace of mind has a firm value beyond the cost of passing whims like specialty dining, spa treatments, drink packages, glossy photos, and the like.
Is no one going to talk about how Ben's skin is FLAWLESS! Watched so many videos and I'm always surprised how amazing his skin is. I mean, a video on his skin routine is needed. ASAP! No pores, blemish and pigment free. The guy is a walking billboard for a dermatologist!
One tip you left out is to book any shows that you want to see as soon as you can because there is limited seating and don't book outdoor shows on the last day because of the weather. And get there early. Shows are free so it isn't technically an overlooked saving tip.
Travel insurance best tip of all! My wife and I just got home from what was supposed to be a month in Italy. Broke her leg seriously 3 days into the trip. We spent 14 days in two hospitals to get her surgery. They finally moved us to a private hospital that was very nice to get the surgery finally done and then flew us home business class. Haven't been asked for a cent to date.
A brilliant video full of REAL advice and guidance. Thanks. A few points. Gratuities can be removed on most cruise lines should you prefer to tip as you go. Secondly avoiding school holidays is probably the biggest money saving tip. Also booking on board for your next cruise can often earn you loads of extra on board credit - just make sure it’s a cruise you would have booked anyway. Keep up the great work!
Great video with some very good tips and tricks. A drinks package is never worth it for me so I took my own bottle of wine to enjoy in my cabin. I also just do my own exploration in port. Keep cruising.
Hi Ben and David, thank you both again for a fantastic tips vlog, I would just like to add to the end of the tips given by David about insurance was to make sure that people choose CRUISE COVER to their travel insurance as this will be necessary and can also pay for things such as MISSED PORTS etc. love you guys to absolute bits, Ann and Mike xx
When I was in university, you could drive to the cruise port and get WILD deals by just picking a ship and sailing off. The students used to do it at reading week. As long as you didn’t care where you were going, they were practically giving rooms away on the departure date. Those days are gone now, lol.
We used to do the same when we lived in South Florida. You could go to Miami,go to the cruise office, and do a deal. If they had empty cabins, they’d sell them for just a few bucks over what it cost them. Often 50 to 75% or more off the book price. After a while, they knew us and we could just call and ask if they had room. We cruised a dozen or more times a year. This pretty much ended in the 1990s. You can still get deals but not the day of sail deals we used to do.
Hi Ben and David. Great video with lot's of helpful hints. We never purchase the wifi, photos or specialty dining. Many of the crew will take your picture if you just ask ( we will also give them a gratuity if they do) depending where you are on the ship. Have a great week. Thank you for all you do ❤❤
Look at some of the MSC ships out of New York and Florida. Some of them are priced at $41 pp pd +$101 grats on a 7 day cruise. If you are not picky, there are also a lot of great deals on HAL and Princess in early November, December and January. And you can book them as late as 2-3 days out.
Hi Ben and David. You guys are being cheeky this time. I thought you are going to reveal your top secret of how YOU are able to cruise so much and you left out the most important part! The financing part! How are you guys able to cruise FULL TIME and also afford to relocate and build a new home from scratch when your job is cruising of which 90% is paid out of your own pockets sans the limited few times you were invited by the cruise companies. You also went for the full drinks package, WiFi, balcony or suites mostly, contrary to the tips you have shared with us peasant folks. Besides the sponsorships, patreon and UA-cam money, there are things you are not telling us. 😉 I suspect you guys have won the lottery or inheritance to fall back on. Just saying. 😏 We really hope one day you will really share with us how you guys are able to do it for reals. 😊
A lot of good advice, we usually sail MSC and add drinks on booking, we are doing three cruises practically in a row drinks cost £30 each per day on booking, on board same package cost £90 so do your research. I buy drinks package as other half has a fit at price so no drinks, he gives me a generous budget , just do not tell him how much it costs. I am softening him up for next year £14000 for Antarctic cruise plus flights, we are going because it is one of his dream destinations that we have not done. I also buy our insurance (we are 65 & 83) from Saga, as we are going to the Caribbean, it is nearly double at £1800 but if we can afford to cruise we can afford to pay insurance.😅 Enjoy you cruising and enjoy your life
I loved your video, and thanks for sharing those helpful tips and hacks! I’d like to add a few comments based on my experiences, as I’ve been on quite a few cruises. For Booking Later for Discount, it’s not always cheaper to book at the last minute. You should consider that you may have limited cabin choices, especially if you're particular about the type of cabin you want. Additionally, dining times can be an issue-I've noticed that last-minute bookings typically get the 8:30 PM dining slot because the 6 PM option is often already booked. The same applies to specialty restaurants, where prime times may be unavailable. Another tip when choosing a cabin: you might think booking a suite (for 4-6 guests) could save money, similar to a hotel room. However, that’s usually not the case. Suites can be significantly more expensive overall. A better option might be to book two connecting balcony rooms side by side, which can often work out to be cheaper per person than a suite with multiple guests. For Excursions, I agree it can be cheaper to book independently rather than through the cruise line. However, one thing to keep in mind is that if your cruise itinerary changes for any reason, private tour operators are less likely to offer a refund, whereas the cruise line will typically reimburse you. I’ve experienced this twice, and it was a headache trying to get a refund from the private providers. Also, I agree with your advice to watch for price drops, even after you’ve already booked. WiFi packages, drink packages, dining packages, etc., often fluctuate in price, so it’s worth keeping an eye on them. You can usually cancel online for a full refund and rebook at the lower price. Similarly, if your cabin category price drops, you can call (for example, on Celebrity) and they’ll often offer an onboard credit. Finally, regarding the Upgrade Options where you can bid for a higher stateroom, it’s important to know that upgrading through a bid does not increase your loyalty program status. For example, on Celebrity, if you upgrade from a standard balcony to a concierge-class balcony, your loyalty points will still be based on the standard room. A standard balcony earns one point per night, while a concierge-class balcony earns three points per night.
I personally think cruising is more fun if you don’t get the WiFi package, because it allows me to really be connected with my family while on vacation. With everything getting more expensive nowadays, these tips are definitely needed. Thanks for the video, Ben and David!
An additional consideration regarding the drinks package is that often the cruise line will require that it be purchased by each adult in the cabin. So if one of you enjoys drinking alcohol and your cabin mate doesn’t, it’s a waste of money.
Stayed on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, warming to the idea of a cruise, slowly, sounds like a cross between an expensive hotel and Vegas ! I have the same level of knowledge for flying and cant imagine trying to fit it all into a 20 min video.
Im going on my 1st cruise sept 2026. Going with my mum qnd sister. It was harder to shop around with me being disabled and needing an accessable cabin. I cant wait and will definitely use some of your tips. Will be looking at excursions for pompii as thats on my bucket list.
Great vlog as always. One thing I noted at the beginning of your story was booking a refundable rate .. I have never done this .. if the cruise goes down before final payment, I contact the cruise company and they reprice it! I’ve had the reprice up to 5-6 times 😆🙌🇨🇦
When I'm researching flights, cruises and vacations in general, I do all the research on my computer and as you stated the prices increase as I'm searching. When I finally know what flight, hotel, cruise, vacation and dates, etc., I want, I then go and book everything on my Husbands Computer which shows the Original prices when I first started my research. This way I'm Not booking the accelerated prices that come up while I'm doing my research. I'm using 2 computers back to back to schedule my entire trip and I don't have to wait hours or the next day to finish up my trip.
Maybe it is the sadist in me - but I would love to see Ben and David do a 'no extras' challenge - book the cheapest room, no speciality dining, no drinks package, no excursions!! :P :P
18 годин тому
That is what she said. My wife works for DCL and we can only do a veranda cabin. She can't go back to the basic inside rooms. The only time the balcony really came in handy was our Alaskan cruise. Otherwise, I only shower and sleep in the cabin, I'd rather be people watching or drinking. So now any cruise we go on has to be a balcony. UGH - that's what she said!
We only book with a travel agent as they deal with the hassle if any and we don't trust Royal Caribbean. Don't get us wrong, we are "Loyal to Royal" and only sail with them, but we've had some real problems dealing with them from no knowing where Manchester Airport is and trying to send us to the Caribbean via Switzerland and also for our honeymoon, we booked 2 nights in Venice pre-cruise. The day before we flew all newlywed I went to print the cruise documents and they have booked the flights for after we'd booked the hotels. After rowing with someone in Miami for an hour, we ended up contacting their emergency UK flight centre who sorted it!
Not mentioned you can purchase Cruise Line Credits via AARP at a discount , and if you pay AARP via a cash back Credit Card you can save even more money
We have done 2 cruises so far and the stop we did our own adventure that day was the worst overall could be that it was Nassau so that could have been it.
You Guys truly are the Cruise Experts! Absolutely thankful to have your unbias opinion, I don't think most of your viewers realize that you pay for your own cruises(unlike most other UA-camrs), this was all great advice - bottom line - DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!!!
Great tips Guys! I got some great deals coming out of Covid. Some cruises we did are twice as high now! I look at cruises all the time for fun. You will see, (and am sure you do), trends on pricing and pricing around departure ports. I also talk to Friends that have went on cruises and see what they think about value for the money. I’m thinking with the economy now that you will start to see cruise lines get more desperate to fill up the monster ships, and offer better deals.
In regards to wifi, the best "trick" we have found to to buy and install an esim (like airlo etc), we paid US$65 for data only 20GB/365days global coverage, that you can hotspot (although "global" does not work in Tahiti, so we got a local 10gb sim for AUD25), Also, you can request to cancel the gratuities, if you an an Aussie/NZ they know we don't like "mandatory" tips Great tips guys
Norwegian and Royal Caribbean and I think some other cruise lines offer discounts to those who own stock in the company. I believe it’s 100 shares you have to own, but if you’re investing you might explore investing in your favorite cruise line it comes with discounts and special promotions. Your advice for having lunch at the special restaurants instead of dinner to save money holds true on land too. You can eat it some really great restaurants at lunchtime for much less than dinner. Frequently, it’s almost the very same menu just smaller portions
Norwegian and Royal Carribean’s stock benefit is onboard credit. $50 for cruises less than 5 days $100 for cruises between 6 and 14 days $250 for cruises 15+ days
Carnival Corporation cruise lines offers the same deals as RCCL and NCL. In addition HAL offers AARP OSC that can be added on to what you get from your travel agent AND the shareholder discounts.
Beware if you go on a more "upscale" cabin or cruise line, it is very hard to back. We started many years back with inside cabins. Now the last 10 cruises has been in MSC Yacht Club. You do get used to the extra that follows a more upscale cabin or cruise line. Maybe go back to inside? No that is not an option. Cruising can be addictive and breaking the habit may be impossible. Wonder how our next cruise on Explora Journey from Miami in Januari will be?
Don't forget to really check some of those packages. Many include the WiFi, drinks and gratuities, they can be well worthwhile especially those offered by Princess
Great video! No shade being thrown, but they neglect to mention that as this is their job, they get to write most of it off on their taxes and essentially get the money back. That’s how they REALLY afford all this. Plus the income made from UA-cam, sponsors, etc.
That's not how taxes work. They are essentially self employed with net positive income. They are not running at a loss to continue cruising with the bells and whistles, so they still have to pay their taxes like everyone else and UK tax rates are high. No write offs.
Great advice guys! Especially about the art, we didn't buy any but "won" two pieces we only recieved one ever (the auctioneer didn't like us bc we helped others w/answers can't help i was an art teacher lol) we also didn't recieve the piece we picked. 😅
Went on the NCL Prima in April. I think it was a special cruise for ParkWest customers. They would block off half the Observation Lounge every day at noon and yap about art till 4. Really messed up my quiet place to read….
If you see the price go up as you’re searching it and searching around the Internet. But then David said it is exactly true and if you have an Apple computer and the main Safari browser, it happened to you more than the other one so if you’re on like an iMac, you might want he switched to another browser and maybe the incognito. Cause I can say I’ve done research on my iMac, but then I’ve gone back to my computer to look and I’m ready to purchase and the price is gone back down there instantly.
Awesome video (as always! ☺️) One thing I don’t think you mentioned was package deals (and who doesn’t love a good package 🤣) We are on email lists for a few cruise travel agent companies that do package holiday deals and sure that means wading through a lot of emails BUT we have managed to snag a few fantastic holidays and saved heaps of money this way. Ended up getting cruise+flights+hotels on land for the cost we would have paid for just the cruise in some cases! 😎 Lucky ducks 🦆 we’ve been!!
Thanks guys, you have given some great tips here. Just one thing I want to clarify. Gary on Tips For Traveler's suggests that if there is a fare reduction to contact the cruise line and ask them to match the new reduced fare, admittedly he says this is becoming harder to do. Have you guys ever done the same thing?
About Wi-Fi, our daughter and her husband both work in cyber security and insist we all use Signal. On our last cruise in June, I had my phone in airplane mode, and we have T-Mobile as our phone carrier. It was a sea day, and suddenly, there was a video call from our daughter. We carried on a perfectly interference-free call, and I was never charged for it. Not by the Cruiseline or T-mobile. I have no idea how it works, but that might be worth looking into.
We took a last minute cruise about 10 years ago. It was to the Panama Canal on Princess, the price quoted was $499 for an inside cabin, with about $350 in port fees. I booked it the same evening about 6 hours later and the cost had gone up- to$509 🤣. We waited for our cabin to be assigned, which happened about 2 weeks before the cruise. I received the email around noon, and then just after 5:00 P.M. I received another email asking if we wanted to upgrade to an outside cabin for $99, a no-brainer, so we upgraded. In all we paid just under $1,000 each for an 11 day Panama Canal cruise. I should note that we are retired and lived just a four hour drive from the port, so outside of parking there was no additional cost outside of gratuities. P.S. I was at the end of October/beginning of November.
As far as I am aware (grateful if you could confirm) but as from the UK and if we book from UK (online or travel agent) if the price goes down, you can rebook but lose your deposit. But if I use an American travel agent, I believe that if the price drops (which isn’t that common these days)C, then the cruise line has to honour it, without having to rebook. So if a US cruise I look to use a US agent. However, you will be paying in dollars, so could be more expensive or cheaper depending on the dollar/pound exchange rate.
If there was a tip/hack I'd disagree with is 'once you upgrade you can't go back'. If I misheard how it was presented I do apologize. I've only ever booked a balcony if it was within my budget. If not, I have no problems booking an interior. I've gone back and forth and never felt short changed.
It’s when I consider homeschooling my children to get in on the BEST DEAL DAYS RATES !! Haha I’ve found myself seriously considering it at times wanting to cruise so bad lately!
Just be careful with free wifi, most times its not secure and that's how you get hacked. I normally buy an esim which is cheaper than wifi but means I don't have to connect to risky wifi on land.
Yes, eSim now can be bought very easily and you can even get one SIM to cover multiple countries. It's so easy. On one cruise I was on I could actually use 4G a lot of the time even when sailing because the routes were following close to land often.
What service provider do you use for cruising to get phone signal in all the ports? There’s so many out there, who is trustworthy? Which company is the best deals? Can’t wait for our first cruise in February!😁
Step 1: Get hundreds of patreons, and thousands of dollars every month from creating top content. Step 2: Get squarespace sponsoring you. Also everything else mentioned in this video.
Cant stress enough to make sure the insurance covers from the day you take it out and not make my mistake of realising day after it doesn't and then day after that disaster strikes and 😫😫😫
So you’re saying that for your big trips to the Caribbean etc you’re booking flights and cruise separately - meaning they’re not ATOL protected? Just curious has that ever backfired?
Hi Ben. Is the app you're talking about My Kind of Cruise? We always use a travel agent to book and we do book early (one year) and we constantly check prices to see if the cruise fare is lower.
One thing the wife and I were debating was whether you take a drinks package if you haven’t enough points to earn this already. I reckon you pay as you go but the thinks you take the package.
Definitely if you have the freedom to book 2 years in advance for your cruise, are flexible on length of cruise and departure of the cruise, oh yes there are some crazy deals to be had out there. Same thing if you already have loyalty bonuses with the cruise line, definitely some bangers of deals out there above and beyond what is advertised on the website. But at the end of the day, it doesnt matter how good of a deal you get if you cant take off of work for a 16 night trans pacific repositioning to Australia cruise from the US if you cant get enough time off of work, and arent factoring the cost of air travel to get back home. Sure the cruise might be 3500 per person, but to get back home it could possibly be the same price to take a flight. So break out those spreadsheets and work yourself a budget. If your cruising budget is 2500 dollars for you and your significant other, that's your budget. Include airfare, taxes, hotels, drink packages or a la carte drinks, specialty dining if that's your thing, and work that budget up. See what's possible for your vacation without breaking the bank. If the cruise isnt in the budget, that's totally OK. Take 5 days off of work and enjoy a staycation watching cruise videos, have a sailaway party on your balcony or deck, mix up some cocktails and travel the world from your living room. Then put that money in to savings, and stash it for the next year. Add to your cruise budget and you might even have a little more squirrelled away for some specialty dining, a really special shore excursion or maybe a spa treatment to make your next vacation even more special.
@@Michelebvacations Take a cargo ship to wherever you want to go. Most shipping co.'s take on a limited # of paying passengers and you won't find children as they don't have any bells & whistles adventures aboard these ships. My parents took a transatlantic voyage on a freighter and they really liked it (and said the food was out-of-this-world). It's not exactly any less expensive but if you don't want to be crammed on a ship w/thousands or even 100 passengers, that is always an option.😊🚢
If you book on HAL or Celebrity during school times (away from the holidays and the summer months) you will generally find that there are less than 20 children out of 2000 passengers. That is not "kid free" but it is pretty close. It also helps if you book a cruise that is 10+ days long.
@@isabellindlind Freight lines are no longer carrying passengers post-Covid. Even when they did, the costs were substantially HIGHER than your average non-luxury cruise line.
@@jlawrence0181 Yes they are. You can find all sorts of shipping co.'s that take paying passengers. I never said it was any less an expensive than a cruise line.
As an experienced cruiser, I agree with almost everything in this video. The one pointer that I'd take a bit of an issue with (not necessarily the pointer, but the figures used as an example) is the drinks package comment. I've *never* seen a drinks package cost anywhere near the onboard cost of 10 alcoholic drinks, unless those drinks happen to be the cheapest beer sold on a ship. If you buy a package from the online cruise planner ahead of time, the price is usually in the neighborhood of 5 or 6 alcoholic drinks per day, and that number doesn't count all the non-alcoholic beverages that are usually included, as well. Those bottles of water, specialty coffees, and occasional sodas or milkshakes really do add up. Now having said all that, my advice to newbies is that a drink package is a very personal decision. It absolutely makes sense for some, it's a break-even possibility for some, and it's an absolute waste of money for some. The level of value depends on individual drinking habits, the length of the cruise, the itinerary itself (number of sea days, etc.), and personal comfort level. Some people buy the packages for the peace of mind of having their drinks paid for before the cruise and being able to try new cocktails without worrying about wasting $15 on a drink they might not enjoy. So when people in cruise social media group posts ask the generic question about "Is the drinks package worth it," the correct answer is always "It depends on YOU." I love the advice about booking local excursions. We have done and will continue to do both cruise line and local excursions, and the best ones have *always* been the local ones. Way more bang for your buck, a less hectic process of getting underway, and a more direct connection to the local culture. Reputable local excursions have plenty of Google and TripAdvisor reviews, and they tend to go out of their way (if needed) to get you back on time. Keep up the good work, gents!
As for a drink package, it is a very personal decision. However, on our recent Alaska and Hawaii cruises on Celebrity and HAL, we have seen couples order the drink package who are only planning to have a couple of glasses of wine and maybe a beer. Many of them have the mistaken belief that you MUST have a drink package to take advantage of the ship's bars and lounges and I think that is fueled by some of the travel agents. you have to be a very serious drinker to handle drinks a day everyday.
Sure but drinks package doesn't always mean alcoholic drinks or even coffee, specialty drinks which tends to be more expensive. I for one goes for basic soda + water package since I don't hanker for alcohol or coffee which has none of the stimulant effect on me.
Head to squarespace.com/benanddavid to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code benanddavid
In Deutschland haben wir ein Krankenkassen oder ADAC Krankenkasse gehen die nicht auf Schiffen??
I live on benefits in Sweden so I will never be able to go on a Cruise so I live vicuriously through Cruise tube😢
It's so weird that they force you to tip (gretuities) for them to do what their employer is supose to pay them to do, then they still expect a tip on top of that... Tippning culture suports modernday slavery
For the LOVE! I do not know how you two stay so sweet, funny & kind after reading some of the SUPER NEGATIVE & ridiculous comments here. Get a life people...
Keep on keeping on Ben & David ❤❤❤❤!!!
I'm glad when you were covering all the ways to do shore excursions or explore the ports, you also spoke to less confident travelers and let them know it was okay to do what made them comfortable.
After originally searching various websites for a 14 night Caribbean cruise on a budget, we finally booked our first ever cruise direct with Royal Caribbean for May 2026. 14 nights and 8 ports round the Caribbean from New York on Odyssey of the Seas in unobstructed ocean view balcony for 2 adults. And all for less than £4k (total. 2k per person). Thought this was a bargain in comparison to others we were seeing coming in at around 3.5k each for 7 nights. We are so looking forward to it.
Thanks for letting me live vicariously through you! I’ve never had disposable income in my entire life and well I can’t even afford health insurance so I’m dying pretty young, 53, so I watch other people traveling, it looks so fun. I also groan through every Ben pun but I smile so thanks for that too!
Thank you for keeping it real!!!!! EVERYTHING you both stated spot on
Thank god you guys are back ,I missed your Vlogs. Ben You look great
All good advice. But the best idea is to budget. Take all of David and Ben's great descriptions and decide ahead of time what you absolutely want/need and what you don't. Then set a cash limit for each item and do not pay one penny more than you must. It will become quickly apparent when you go to pay the final bill that your peace of mind has a firm value beyond the cost of passing whims like specialty dining, spa treatments, drink packages, glossy photos, and the like.
Is no one going to talk about how Ben's skin is FLAWLESS! Watched so many videos and I'm always surprised how amazing his skin is. I mean, a video on his skin routine is needed. ASAP! No pores, blemish and pigment free. The guy is a walking billboard for a dermatologist!
Both Ben and David have a beautiful and flawless complexion.
It's that "we're cruising and minding our own damn business" glow effect
There is a funny new thing called "filter".. 😁
And how much he slimmed down. Lookin good ❤
For two oldish guys hiding their grey hair and whiskers they do okay 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I've never cruised before, and this video is packed full of very useful info!! Love watching you guys!
We had a stop in Istanbul, we booked a private guide ( 2 of us) and it was cheaper than the excursion from the cruise.
One tip you left out is to book any shows that you want to see as soon as you can because there is limited seating and don't book outdoor shows on the last day because of the weather. And get there early. Shows are free so it isn't technically an overlooked saving tip.
I just love Ben & David so much 😊
Sweetest you tubers
Those videos where peopke get left behind are awful. Not funny.
Travel insurance best tip of all! My wife and I just got home from what was supposed to be a month in Italy. Broke her leg seriously 3 days into the trip. We spent 14 days in two hospitals to get her surgery. They finally moved us to a private hospital that was very nice to get the surgery finally done and then flew us home business class. Haven't been asked for a cent to date.
This has been just remarkably helpful! Excellent idea for content on this less-than-ideal ship experience. Thank you as always, Gentlemen!
A brilliant video full of REAL advice and guidance. Thanks. A few points. Gratuities can be removed on most cruise lines should you prefer to tip as you go. Secondly avoiding school holidays is probably the biggest money saving tip. Also booking on board for your next cruise can often earn you loads of extra on board credit - just make sure it’s a cruise you would have booked anyway.
Keep up the great work!
Really good vlog, very informative delivered immaculately. Thankyou 🤗
all these tricks and hacks have allowed me to cruise 3 times :) ok maybe i need to watch this again.. Yes im being silly.. i blame Ben, Thx guys..
Great video with some very good tips and tricks. A drinks package is never worth it for me so I took my own bottle of wine to enjoy in my cabin. I also just do my own exploration in port. Keep cruising.
Exactly how I cruise also 😊
I have watched plenty of your videos and still this one taught me lots of good things to know.
Thank you for sharing and safe travels.
Hi Ben and David, thank you both again for a fantastic tips vlog, I would just like to add to the end of the tips given by David about insurance was to make sure that people choose CRUISE COVER to their travel insurance as this will be necessary and can also pay for things such as MISSED PORTS etc. love you guys to absolute bits, Ann and Mike xx
I love January cruises (it's my birthday month and the crew always does something extra nice for me).
When I was in university, you could drive to the cruise port and get WILD deals by just picking a ship and sailing off. The students used to do it at reading week. As long as you didn’t care where you were going, they were practically giving rooms away on the departure date. Those days are gone now, lol.
We used to do the same when we lived in South Florida. You could go to Miami,go to the cruise office, and do a deal. If they had empty cabins, they’d sell them for just a few bucks over what it cost them. Often 50 to 75% or more off the book price. After a while, they knew us and we could just call and ask if they had room. We cruised a dozen or more times a year. This pretty much ended in the 1990s. You can still get deals but not the day of sail deals we used to do.
Hi Ben and David. Great video with lot's of helpful hints. We never purchase the wifi, photos or specialty dining. Many of the crew will take your picture if you just ask ( we will also give them a gratuity if they do) depending where you are on the ship. Have a great week. Thank you for all you do ❤❤
Look at some of the MSC ships out of New York and Florida. Some of them are priced at $41 pp pd +$101 grats on a 7 day cruise. If you are not picky, there are also a lot of great deals on HAL and Princess in early November, December and January. And you can book them as late as 2-3 days out.
Thanks for the great information gentlemen. Always fun to watch all your videos!!
Watching this while waiting for my DCL booking window to open in a few minutes.
Hi Ben and David. You guys are being cheeky this time. I thought you are going to reveal your top secret of how YOU are able to cruise so much and you left out the most important part!
The financing part!
How are you guys able to cruise FULL TIME and also afford to relocate and build a new home from scratch when your job is cruising of which 90% is paid out of your own pockets sans the limited few times you were invited by the cruise companies.
You also went for the full drinks package, WiFi, balcony or suites mostly, contrary to the tips you have shared with us peasant folks.
Besides the sponsorships, patreon and UA-cam money, there are things you are not telling us. 😉
I suspect you guys have won the lottery or inheritance to fall back on. Just saying. 😏
We really hope one day you will really share with us how you guys are able to do it for reals. 😊
This was a spectacularly informative video!!!!
WOW. Thank you!
A lot of good advice, we usually sail MSC and add drinks on booking, we are doing three cruises practically in a row drinks cost £30 each per day on booking, on board same package cost £90 so do your research. I buy drinks package as other half has a fit at price so no drinks, he gives me a generous budget , just do not tell him how much it costs. I am softening him up for next year £14000 for Antarctic cruise plus flights, we are going because it is one of his dream destinations that we have not done. I also buy our insurance (we are 65 & 83) from Saga, as we are going to the Caribbean, it is nearly double at £1800 but if we can afford to cruise we can afford to pay insurance.😅 Enjoy you cruising and enjoy your life
I loved your video, and thanks for sharing those helpful tips and hacks! I’d like to add a few comments based on my experiences, as I’ve been on quite a few cruises.
For Booking Later for Discount, it’s not always cheaper to book at the last minute. You should consider that you may have limited cabin choices, especially if you're particular about the type of cabin you want. Additionally, dining times can be an issue-I've noticed that last-minute bookings typically get the 8:30 PM dining slot because the 6 PM option is often already booked. The same applies to specialty restaurants, where prime times may be unavailable.
Another tip when choosing a cabin: you might think booking a suite (for 4-6 guests) could save money, similar to a hotel room. However, that’s usually not the case. Suites can be significantly more expensive overall. A better option might be to book two connecting balcony rooms side by side, which can often work out to be cheaper per person than a suite with multiple guests.
For Excursions, I agree it can be cheaper to book independently rather than through the cruise line. However, one thing to keep in mind is that if your cruise itinerary changes for any reason, private tour operators are less likely to offer a refund, whereas the cruise line will typically reimburse you. I’ve experienced this twice, and it was a headache trying to get a refund from the private providers.
Also, I agree with your advice to watch for price drops, even after you’ve already booked. WiFi packages, drink packages, dining packages, etc., often fluctuate in price, so it’s worth keeping an eye on them. You can usually cancel online for a full refund and rebook at the lower price. Similarly, if your cabin category price drops, you can call (for example, on Celebrity) and they’ll often offer an onboard credit.
Finally, regarding the Upgrade Options where you can bid for a higher stateroom, it’s important to know that upgrading through a bid does not increase your loyalty program status. For example, on Celebrity, if you upgrade from a standard balcony to a concierge-class balcony, your loyalty points will still be based on the standard room. A standard balcony earns one point per night, while a concierge-class balcony earns three points per night.
I personally think cruising is more fun if you don’t get the WiFi package, because it allows me to really be connected with my family while on vacation. With everything getting more expensive nowadays, these tips are definitely needed. Thanks for the video, Ben and David!
An additional consideration regarding the drinks package is that often the cruise line will require that it be purchased by each adult in the cabin. So if one of you enjoys drinking alcohol and your cabin mate doesn’t, it’s a waste of money.
Stayed on the Queen Mary in Long Beach, warming to the idea of a cruise, slowly, sounds like a cross between an expensive hotel and Vegas ! I have the same level of knowledge for flying and cant imagine trying to fit it all into a 20 min video.
How you were able to cruise as much as you do is because you work hard. You are not just on a cruise ship ship sipping drinks. Keep up the good work.
This was very helpful, thank you.
Great tips guys, thanks!
Excellent advice guys. Thanks
Im going on my 1st cruise sept 2026. Going with my mum qnd sister. It was harder to shop around with me being disabled and needing an accessable cabin. I cant wait and will definitely use some of your tips. Will be looking at excursions for pompii as thats on my bucket list.
Fantastic summary of a lot of hard work. .much appreciated ..
Your ideas are always so unique and interesting. Thank you for your creativity!🐍🧢👍
Great vlog as always. One thing I noted at the beginning of your story was booking a refundable rate .. I have never done this .. if the cruise goes down before final payment, I contact the cruise company and they reprice it! I’ve had the reprice up to 5-6 times 😆🙌🇨🇦
This was a really useful one. Learned a couple of things and I’m a seasoned passenger…. Thank you very much.
When I'm researching flights, cruises and vacations in general, I do all the research on my computer and as you stated the prices increase as I'm searching. When I finally know what flight, hotel, cruise, vacation and dates, etc., I want, I then go and book everything on my Husbands Computer which shows the Original prices when I first started my research. This way I'm Not booking the accelerated prices that come up while I'm doing my research. I'm using 2 computers back to back to schedule my entire trip and I don't have to wait hours or the next day to finish up my trip.
Maybe it is the sadist in me - but I would love to see Ben and David do a 'no extras' challenge - book the cheapest room, no speciality dining, no drinks package, no excursions!! :P :P
That is what she said. My wife works for DCL and we can only do a veranda cabin. She can't go back to the basic inside rooms. The only time the balcony really came in handy was our Alaskan cruise. Otherwise, I only shower and sleep in the cabin, I'd rather be people watching or drinking. So now any cruise we go on has to be a balcony. UGH - that's what she said!
We only book with a travel agent as they deal with the hassle if any and we don't trust Royal Caribbean. Don't get us wrong, we are "Loyal to Royal" and only sail with them, but we've had some real problems dealing with them from no knowing where Manchester Airport is and trying to send us to the Caribbean via Switzerland and also for our honeymoon, we booked 2 nights in Venice pre-cruise. The day before we flew all newlywed I went to print the cruise documents and they have booked the flights for after we'd booked the hotels. After rowing with someone in Miami for an hour, we ended up contacting their emergency UK flight centre who sorted it!
Not mentioned you can purchase Cruise Line Credits via AARP at a discount , and if you pay AARP via a cash back Credit Card you can save even more money
Never heard of AARP cruise discounts, thanks. Looks like it's Holland America.
Some great tips. I had one question about travel insurance , but you answered it at the end 😊
Thanks guys, I really love watching you!
We have done 2 cruises so far and the stop we did our own adventure that day was the worst overall could be that it was Nassau so that could have been it.
You Guys truly are the Cruise Experts! Absolutely thankful to have your unbias opinion, I don't think most of your viewers realize that you pay for your own cruises(unlike most other UA-camrs), this was all great advice - bottom line - DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!!!
Great tips Guys! I got some great deals coming out of Covid. Some cruises we did are twice as high now! I look at cruises all the time for fun. You will see, (and am sure you do), trends on pricing and pricing around departure ports. I also talk to Friends that have went on cruises and see what they think about value for the money. I’m thinking with the economy now that you will start to see cruise lines get more desperate to fill up the monster ships, and offer better deals.
Damn Ben lookin spicy. Also, I fawn over your Polo RL clothes. The all over prints polos are amazing
Those are great tips, and now I know to wait a couple of months before planning again.
Thank you for the video!
Load of good info. Thank you
That’s some great information and tips, thanks for sharing
Looking to book our first cruise for 2026, thank you for the tips!
In regards to wifi, the best "trick" we have found to to buy and install an esim (like airlo etc), we paid US$65 for data only 20GB/365days global coverage, that you can hotspot (although "global" does not work in Tahiti, so we got a local 10gb sim for AUD25),
Also, you can request to cancel the gratuities, if you an an Aussie/NZ they know we don't like "mandatory" tips
Great tips guys
Norwegian and Royal Caribbean and I think some other cruise lines offer discounts to those who own stock in the company. I believe it’s 100 shares you have to own, but if you’re investing you might explore investing in your favorite cruise line it comes with discounts and special promotions.
Your advice for having lunch at the special restaurants instead of dinner to save money holds true on land too. You can eat it some really great restaurants at lunchtime for much less than dinner. Frequently, it’s almost the very same menu just smaller portions
Norwegian and Royal Carribean’s stock benefit is onboard credit.
$50 for cruises less than 5 days
$100 for cruises between 6 and 14 days
$250 for cruises 15+ days
Carnival Corporation cruise lines offers the same deals as RCCL and NCL. In addition HAL offers AARP OSC that can be added on to what you get from your travel agent AND the shareholder discounts.
Beware if you go on a more "upscale" cabin or cruise line, it is very hard to back. We started many years back with inside cabins. Now the last 10 cruises has been in MSC Yacht Club. You do get used to the extra that follows a more upscale cabin or cruise line. Maybe go back to inside? No that is not an option. Cruising can be addictive and breaking the habit may be impossible. Wonder how our next cruise on Explora Journey from Miami in Januari will be?
Don't forget to really check some of those packages. Many include the WiFi, drinks and gratuities, they can be well worthwhile especially those offered by Princess
Great video! No shade being thrown, but they neglect to mention that as this is their job, they get to write most of it off on their taxes and essentially get the money back. That’s how they REALLY afford all this. Plus the income made from UA-cam, sponsors, etc.
That's not how taxes work. They are essentially self employed with net positive income. They are not running at a loss to continue cruising with the bells and whistles, so they still have to pay their taxes like everyone else and UK tax rates are high. No write offs.
@@whowhatwheresg - Does the UK not allow you to write off business expenses?
Great advice guys! Especially about the art, we didn't buy any but "won" two pieces we only recieved one ever (the auctioneer didn't like us bc we helped others w/answers can't help i was an art teacher lol) we also didn't recieve the piece we picked. 😅
Went on the NCL Prima in April. I think it was a special cruise for ParkWest customers. They would block off half the Observation Lounge every day at noon and yap about art till 4. Really messed up my quiet place to read….
Very useful tips! Big thank you for you guys! 😊😊😊
Ben you are looking amazing. You can tell you have lost a lot of weight. Congratulations.
If you see the price go up as you’re searching it and searching around the Internet. But then David said it is exactly true and if you have an Apple computer and the main Safari browser, it happened to you more than the other one so if you’re on like an iMac, you might want he switched to another browser and maybe the incognito. Cause I can say I’ve done research on my iMac, but then I’ve gone back to my computer to look and I’m ready to purchase and the price is gone back down there instantly.
Thanks Guys for this very informative video.
Awesome video (as always! ☺️) One thing I don’t think you mentioned was package deals (and who doesn’t love a good package 🤣) We are on email lists for a few cruise travel agent companies that do package holiday deals and sure that means wading through a lot of emails BUT we have managed to snag a few fantastic holidays and saved heaps of money this way. Ended up getting cruise+flights+hotels on land for the cost we would have paid for just the cruise in some cases! 😎 Lucky ducks 🦆 we’ve been!!
Best advice never go on one of these floating petri dishes...😂😂 i like the videos but going on one those big ships is my idea of a nightmare
Go on a smaller ship!
Thanks guys, you have given some great tips here. Just one thing I want to clarify. Gary on Tips For Traveler's suggests that if there is a fare reduction to contact the cruise line and ask them to match the new reduced fare, admittedly he says this is becoming harder to do. Have you guys ever done the same thing?
Thanks for doing this! Great useful information .
About Wi-Fi, our daughter and her husband both work in cyber security and insist we all use Signal. On our last cruise in June, I had my phone in airplane mode, and we have T-Mobile as our phone carrier. It was a sea day, and suddenly, there was a video call from our daughter. We carried on a perfectly interference-free call, and I was never charged for it. Not by the Cruiseline or T-mobile. I have no idea how it works, but that might be worth looking into.
great getting info like this
We took a last minute cruise about 10 years ago. It was to the Panama Canal on Princess, the price quoted was $499 for an inside cabin, with about $350 in port fees. I booked it the same evening about 6 hours later and the cost had gone up- to$509 🤣. We waited for our cabin to be assigned, which happened about 2 weeks before the cruise. I received the email around noon, and then just after 5:00 P.M. I received another email asking if we wanted to upgrade to an outside cabin for $99, a no-brainer, so we upgraded. In all we paid just under $1,000 each for an 11 day Panama Canal cruise. I should note that we are retired and lived just a four hour drive from the port, so outside of parking there was no additional cost outside of gratuities. P.S. I was at the end of October/beginning of November.
Cruise fares increase as ships book up. Its a known fact and the price will not go back down
You guys are AWESOME ❤❤❤
As far as I am aware (grateful if you could confirm) but as from the UK and if we book from UK (online or travel agent) if the price goes down, you can rebook but lose your deposit. But if I use an American travel agent, I believe that if the price drops (which isn’t that common these days)C, then the cruise line has to honour it, without having to rebook. So if a US cruise I look to use a US agent. However, you will be paying in dollars, so could be more expensive or cheaper depending on the dollar/pound exchange rate.
I've been on a few cruises in the past but will never go on another. Just not my bag! But I love watching your videos!
I love your Sunday videos. I don’t know where to find the spot where I can be a patron.
If there was a tip/hack I'd disagree with is 'once you upgrade you can't go back'. If I misheard how it was presented I do apologize.
I've only ever booked a balcony if it was within my budget. If not, I have no problems booking an interior. I've gone back and forth and never felt short changed.
They said it’s “hard to go back”not that “you can’t go back.”
@@mpb3481 Thank you for giving me the direct quote.
Since you're mentioning all the cabin types perhaps you should cruise in each category
They used to. You can check out their earlier videos.
It’s when I consider homeschooling my children to get in on the BEST DEAL DAYS RATES !! Haha I’ve found myself seriously considering it at times wanting to cruise so bad lately!
Just be careful with free wifi, most times its not secure and that's how you get hacked. I normally buy an esim which is cheaper than wifi but means I don't have to connect to risky wifi on land.
Yes, eSim now can be bought very easily and you can even get one SIM to cover multiple countries. It's so easy. On one cruise I was on I could actually use 4G a lot of the time even when sailing because the routes were following close to land often.
Get a VPN. Encrypts your data over any connections.
What service provider do you use for cruising to get phone signal in all the ports? There’s so many out there, who is trustworthy? Which company is the best deals? Can’t wait for our first cruise in February!😁
Always great information. 😊 Cheers.!
Sincerely.
SIR ROBERT.😊
Why is it that whenever I see Ben…I just have to have a cuppa Yorkshire Gold and a Hobnob biscuit?
Step 1: Get hundreds of patreons, and thousands of dollars every month from creating top content. Step 2: Get squarespace sponsoring you. Also everything else mentioned in this video.
Ooh, someone is jealous....
Calling them out on how they get money to “cruise full time” is not jealous. Their video conveniently leaves out these income sources.
@@rhiandavies1381 Ooh, someone doesn't like other people to voice their opinions so they armchair psychoanalyze their motives...good luck w/that!
Im so so glad your hoocked on cruisee so am i ❤😊
Cant stress enough to make sure the insurance covers from the day you take it out and not make my mistake of realising day after it doesn't and then day after that disaster strikes and 😫😫😫
So you’re saying that for your big trips to the Caribbean etc you’re booking flights and cruise separately - meaning they’re not ATOL protected? Just curious has that ever backfired?
I live near Vancouver Canada so it’ll be cheaper for me to head to eastern USA to do Caribbean or do west coast of Canada to do the Alaskan cruises
We took the MS Volendam (Holland American) out of Vancouver to Alaska, less than 2,000 passengers. What a lovely ship!
Hi Ben. Is the app you're talking about My Kind of Cruise? We always use a travel agent to book and we do book early (one year) and we constantly check prices to see if the cruise fare is lower.
very good information
One thing the wife and I were debating was whether you take a drinks package if you haven’t enough points to earn this already. I reckon you pay as you go but the thinks you take the package.
Hi another lovely evening ❤
Definitely if you have the freedom to book 2 years in advance for your cruise, are flexible on length of cruise and departure of the cruise, oh yes there are some crazy deals to be had out there. Same thing if you already have loyalty bonuses with the cruise line, definitely some bangers of deals out there above and beyond what is advertised on the website. But at the end of the day, it doesnt matter how good of a deal you get if you cant take off of work for a 16 night trans pacific repositioning to Australia cruise from the US if you cant get enough time off of work, and arent factoring the cost of air travel to get back home. Sure the cruise might be 3500 per person, but to get back home it could possibly be the same price to take a flight. So break out those spreadsheets and work yourself a budget. If your cruising budget is 2500 dollars for you and your significant other, that's your budget. Include airfare, taxes, hotels, drink packages or a la carte drinks, specialty dining if that's your thing, and work that budget up. See what's possible for your vacation without breaking the bank. If the cruise isnt in the budget, that's totally OK. Take 5 days off of work and enjoy a staycation watching cruise videos, have a sailaway party on your balcony or deck, mix up some cocktails and travel the world from your living room. Then put that money in to savings, and stash it for the next year. Add to your cruise budget and you might even have a little more squirrelled away for some specialty dining, a really special shore excursion or maybe a spa treatment to make your next vacation even more special.
would you please give me the website as well as the app you use? My husband and I really enjoy your videos.
We are waiting for a bear cruise.
Tell me how to find a “kid free” cruise besides Virgin. 🤣🤣🤣
Royal Caribbean has 12 and under sail free promos on specific sailings
@@Michelebvacations Take a cargo ship to wherever you want to go. Most shipping co.'s take on a limited # of paying passengers and you won't find children as they don't have any bells & whistles adventures aboard these ships.
My parents took a transatlantic voyage on a freighter and they really liked it (and said the food was out-of-this-world). It's not exactly any less expensive but if you don't want to be crammed on a ship w/thousands or even 100 passengers, that is always an option.😊🚢
If you book on HAL or Celebrity during school times (away from the holidays and the summer months) you will generally find that there are less than 20 children out of 2000 passengers. That is not "kid free" but it is pretty close. It also helps if you book a cruise that is 10+ days long.
@@isabellindlind Freight lines are no longer carrying passengers post-Covid. Even when they did, the costs were substantially HIGHER than your average non-luxury cruise line.
@@jlawrence0181 Yes they are. You can find all sorts of shipping co.'s that take paying passengers. I never said it was any less an expensive than a cruise line.
As an experienced cruiser, I agree with almost everything in this video. The one pointer that I'd take a bit of an issue with (not necessarily the pointer, but the figures used as an example) is the drinks package comment. I've *never* seen a drinks package cost anywhere near the onboard cost of 10 alcoholic drinks, unless those drinks happen to be the cheapest beer sold on a ship. If you buy a package from the online cruise planner ahead of time, the price is usually in the neighborhood of 5 or 6 alcoholic drinks per day, and that number doesn't count all the non-alcoholic beverages that are usually included, as well. Those bottles of water, specialty coffees, and occasional sodas or milkshakes really do add up.
Now having said all that, my advice to newbies is that a drink package is a very personal decision. It absolutely makes sense for some, it's a break-even possibility for some, and it's an absolute waste of money for some. The level of value depends on individual drinking habits, the length of the cruise, the itinerary itself (number of sea days, etc.), and personal comfort level. Some people buy the packages for the peace of mind of having their drinks paid for before the cruise and being able to try new cocktails without worrying about wasting $15 on a drink they might not enjoy. So when people in cruise social media group posts ask the generic question about "Is the drinks package worth it," the correct answer is always "It depends on YOU."
I love the advice about booking local excursions. We have done and will continue to do both cruise line and local excursions, and the best ones have *always* been the local ones. Way more bang for your buck, a less hectic process of getting underway, and a more direct connection to the local culture. Reputable local excursions have plenty of Google and TripAdvisor reviews, and they tend to go out of their way (if needed) to get you back on time.
Keep up the good work, gents!
As for a drink package, it is a very personal decision. However, on our recent Alaska and Hawaii cruises on Celebrity and HAL, we have seen couples order the drink package who are only planning to have a couple of glasses of wine and maybe a beer. Many of them have the mistaken belief that you MUST have a drink package to take advantage of the ship's bars and lounges and I think that is fueled by some of the travel agents. you have to be a very serious drinker to handle drinks a day everyday.
Sure but drinks package doesn't always mean alcoholic drinks or even coffee, specialty drinks which tends to be more expensive. I for one goes for basic soda + water package since I don't hanker for alcohol or coffee which has none of the stimulant effect on me.