We learned, from a very young age, to not say "I am Bored"....as my mom always had chores or a drawer for us to clean out if we said "we were bored!" In this busy busy world, to be on a beautiful ship, not have to cook, clean, or go to work....to sleep in....how LOVELY TO BE BORED! Relish it for 7 days....and enjoy your boredom beside the pool with a cocktail and a good book!
One reason I have heard is “I can’t swim”. Remembering being on a flight home talking to the couple next to me about cruises and the woman said “I can’t swim”. I looked at her looked out the window back to her and said “I can’t fly.”
@@carolineobrien6301 one, it’s quite funny, two, the woman is on a plane; she says she doesn’t want to go on a cruise because she can’t swim, but she’s on a plane, and I’ll bet (and you admit no one can learn to fly), she can’t fly. Next time, think your reply through before you try to be snarky. Caroline comment = massive fail.
I'm an old white person and I have never been on a cruise but would like to so much! (can't afford it) So for me watching those lovely well-made videos is as close as I'll ever be to cruising. Thank you for sharing, Mr Bembridge!
I've been on 13 cruises. Most were in balcony cabins. The last one I went on was an inside room. I'd never pay for a balcony again if it meant I could spend the extra money on drinks or shore excursions. I found the inside cabin much quieter and certainly darker when the sun started caming up.
We went on a 7 day cruise to Caribbean on Liberty of the Seas and had an owners suite. I was so glad for the space. Some folks dont spend time in the cabin but I loved ours and spent a lot of time reading in my cabin with the ocean view or on our balcony.
It's so miserably cold and wet where we're from so we try to get away every winter on a cruise. It's such a big effort to get to where we're going that we don't go on any winter cruise that are less than 14 days.
Ginger beer is also very good for feeling sick. You are spot on regarding getting bored my wife and I have often had to split on activities or talks because they clashed. Believe this, no one gets bored even on a transatlantic cruise with many sea days.
Before I started cruising, I used to derisively call them hotels on barges. But after four cruises (none in warmer climates), I appreciate larger ships for one reason: economies of scale. Bigger ships are cheaper, and I get more value for my money. Despite the large number of passengers, I rarely feel crowded. As for boredom, I enjoy solitude and my two-week transatlantic crossing (with seven days of nothing but water at one point) was not boring at all. I never saw so many people reading in my life. It felt like, "Hey, these are my kind of people."
I don't cruise. I'm a loner. I enjoy my solitude and don't want to make small talk with strangers or HORRORS--dine with them. But for he adventurous and gregarious, it sounds perfect. And I enjoy living vicariously through Gary's videos. But actually GO.....................?
There is always potential for things to go wrong, as with everything in life, so you just have to take the good with the bad and try to keep a positive attitude. I'm approaching my first cruise with an open mind expecting a great experience!
We have been on many cruises. Boredom was NEVER an issue! Just the opposite was true. I am often so tired from the excursions that I look forward to sea days to slow down. Even sea days can be busy if you want them to be. There are always shows and other activities onboard. We will be cruising again!
I love cruising. It's truly a vacation when we don't have to worry about where to eat, where to sleep, etc. Let the cruise line handle the everyday things and spend your energy doing and seeing wonderful new things.
My husband and I went on a cruise with my in-laws about 6 years ago. We were on a carnival ship and I was bored out of my mind. Tiny pool, nothing to do, terrible almost non existent entertainment. By the end I was so ready to go back to work. The only thing I enjoyed was getting dressed up and taking pictures and having dinner together. At one of the ports we realized we would rather just stay there and get lost, so that taught me a lot about myself. A few years later I planned a trip to Puerto Rico. We spent most of our time outside or exploring and it was the best week of my life.
I highly disagree with people who think cruises are for certain age groups. Cruises are for everybody who wants to relax. If you're the type of person to get bored easily or lose your patience quickly, you won't like cruises. I'm a teenager and have been sailing with P&O with my mum and dad for a few years now and the only problems we've ever had is with one or two of the ports and not with the actual cruise experience itself. Though, we've been sailing on ferries for many years now so we're probably used to being at sea.
Personally I don't mind dressing up for dinner in the dining car; however if dressing up isn't your thing. Then I would suggest the buffet on the upper deck or dine in at the other more casual dining on the cruise. Gary is correct about depending on which cruise liner you go on.
My family and I started cruising in October 2022 (Western Mediterranean) and we are now hooked. We just did our third cruise (Caribbean) and my wife and kids are begging for a fourth one. My wife's biggest apprehension was that she feared being in water and she was afraid she would get sea sick. In Africa, this is a common fear due to the general low quality of water travel. However, now she is absolutely fine with cruise. Gary, greetings from Kenya. We watched a number of your videos to help us in the initial stages of cruise planning
I definitely agree with you regarding how people think there's nothing to do on a cruise ship. We took our first cruise back in July 2018 and there was so much to do we couldn't get to everything. Dressing up for dinner was called elegant night on our ship and that was quite fun seeing everyone in their best clothes and dresses.
My wife and I watch ur channel all the time...getting rdy for my 3rd cruise I am so exited...but this is my wife first one...she is a lil nervous ...but it's getting better with every one of ur vidieos...THANKS MAN!!!...don't know if u every read comments but we hope ur getting some sort of compensation for ur time ...thanks again
Thanks. Great to hear that you finding the videos helping. Hope she has a great time! I do read all comments and usually try and reply same day they posted but been travelling and got behind! catching up now!
We are in our 60's and looking forward to our third Viking cruise. I wish they had bigger dinner tables so we could meet fellow passengers as there are only 900 on board and the cruise in 4 months long.
I love the simplicity of cruising - not having to fly to different locations on a plane, the endless food and desserts, and having a place to stay for usually cheaper than a hotel. Things I don’t like are the limited WiFi connection & extra surcharges. I’ve only been to two cruises, both NCL and I think the departure port has to do with the type of people you get. Miami one may have more party goers. My first cruise from NYC seemed to have a more diverse crowd, lots of families. On my Hawaii cruise, the crowd was noticeable old and white. It’s not a problem as people were nice but I did feel like I was sticking out as a early 30s Asian family. Also got some questions from older people who asked where I was “REALLY from” when I said I was from New York City. They were still nice but kinda ignorant and mildly offensive.
Heritage is of interest to people, so they ask. That's why there are so many people doing DNA ancestry testing. Older people haven't heard of, or don't care about political correctness, so they're more honest. Very few mean any harm. They're just curious. :)
Just watched this video in 2021. We said almost all these things as reasons not to cruise. We finally did a cruise in 2018 and fell in love with it! I almost wish we hadn't because we've had to cancel cruises in 2020, 2021 and it's painful because we know what we're missing. Here's hoping our cruises booked for 2022 actually get to sail.
I went on a Celebrity cruise from Southampton about 6 yrs ago, I was in my early 50's and there were all colours of skin to behold. We got friendly with a Japanese couple on honeymoon, they were so nice and friendly. Most cruising were American, British or Irish.
most ships will not let you enter the dinning area with out washing your hands first or using gel they have someone standing there to make sure you wash your hands it is a good thing But as always there is always people that can not be bothered to wash first
I’ve been on cruises where they have someone stood at the entrance to the restaurants with the anti bacterial gel in a spray and wouldn’t let you in unless you’d had your hands sprayed
The last Norwegian ship I went on had a lady at the buffet section with the hand sanitizer squirting people's hands. She was ALWAYS smiling and singing some "washy washy" song too. It was great! On the other hand and as a man, I HATE seeing guys that go to restrooms and don't wash hands before leaving. It always amazes me and I try to avoid being around them.
That one about dressing up is my number one concern. I don't own evening dresses so sitting in a restaurant with people all dressed up to the nines would put me off.
stella ormes , Stella, we only cruise Princess cruises but on the formal night we see everything from those dressed in evening gowns to those dressed in what I would call Church clothing. Wear what you have and don’t let it stop you from going and enjoying yourself.
I booked a 14 day Cruise with P&O Australia. We booked fairly early thinking that early Bookers get a good Deal. How wrong we where. Just days after booking with them they had one special after enougher and that has been going on now for 3 month. So far We are down by nearly $2000-. All they gave us is a very small upgrade that is worth about $300- at the most. What makes it worse is that a Balcony Cabin is over $300- cheaper now than what we paid and if we want to upgrade to a Balcony Cabin they want us to give them an extra $1400-. They can get stuffed. A warning, if you book with P&O Australia don't book with them until about 3 weeks before sailing day so you don't get ripped off. This has put us off with booking with them again.
Really sorry to hear of your experience. Generally speaking early booking don't get great deals as the line assumes that people booking early really want to do that trip. The best prices (if the trip is not selling out) will be after 90 days before the trip when final balances have to be paid and then the deals usually kick in.
Hmmm...that's not really fair to people who make the commitment and fork over their money early on. Those are the folks who should get the *_best_* deals, not the worst.
Yes! Very important to check terms in refunds and deposits. Though sometimes the savings are greater than the lost deposit and so could still be better off, so always worth seeing what the line will offer you if you see prices going down
It’s very strange to me that I will get deadly seasick on a yacht or a fishing boat. But I can get on a cruise ship that’s really rocking a lot and not get sick at all. Actually I get my best sleep on a rocking ship
If someone gets seasick, get some of the seasickness wrist bands. They really work. Also, don’t book a cabin in the rear of the ship over where the propellers are. The propellers make the ship tremble and that can make you seasick. Mid-ship is best.
While I have no problem using hand gels I am unable to tolerate alcohol in any form. Even a small amount of alcoholi based gel would cause severe irritation. I usually take my own alcohol free gel instead.
In my experiences, the Caribbean can be a little rough at times. I love cruising and especially cruising the Hawaiian Islands on NCL and Alaska on Princess.
Hi Gary, and thank you. We have cruised on Carnival, and find that we have different interests than many others, perhaps because we want to cruise for different reasons. We enjoy sea days, often wander around a port by ourselves, and we skip most of the onboard activities. People come in many varieties and flavours, and there's a place for most people (even on the "Fun Ships.")
So in other words, you are a weirdo and keep to yourself and enjoy doing nothing. Its best you just stay at home cuddled up under a warm blanket reading a book or something.
I have only done one cruise. I diligently took my seasick meds before I stepped foot onboard, and before I went to bed the first night, but by VERY early the next morning I was so seasick it forced me out of bed and onto the top deck. I told a concerned fellow passenger I was whale watching! I tried breakfast, but ended up back in our room with more meds, and I tucked myself back into bed (well my sister’s bed, as mine was the top bunk), and slept for hours. My sister, other travel companion & the cabin steward kept checking on me because they thought I was unconscious. Bless them! By that afternoon I bounced out of bed and didn’t have any further problems. You just have to find the correct seasickness medication that works for you! I would definitely do another cruise.
Kudos to you: it all depends on the parents teaching their children to be well mannered\behaved. Not to say that the children should be statues in a museum, no, but the opposite of kids ruining everyone's cruise due to their behavior while the parents do nothing about it.
Yes. And if they must run they shouldnt yell and shout with their piercing voices. And not running into people or fragile things. Behaving children is no problem, its even a joy.
I take a cruise or two every year. I would certainly cruise more except for this one thing: Out of control children. I try to schedule my cruises when they are in school (or supposed to be). There always seems to be hundreds of them. Screaming up and down the halls at all hours of the day or night. Never washing their hands. Acting up in the dining room or buffet areas. And don't get me started with them running wild on the Lido deck. The parents who leave them to their own devices are also to blame. But the off season also means hurricane season. If there were cruises that were adult only, I would certainly be a big fan and be willing to pay a little more.
Agree! There are also some lines that unlikely to have kids on but they tend to be the more expensive lines like Seabourn, Viking, Windstar, Silversea. The new Virgin Voyages ship when it launches in 2020 will be adult only and P&O Cruises have a number of adult only ships
This sounds like a "you" problem. I don't observe children being problematic or behaving as you say at all and I'm part of a couple, late forties. See a therapist, get a Xanax prescription or something and chill the heck out.
Totally understand both sides as I have cruised before without kids and with kids... young kids. While I do not tolerate when my kids become uncontrollable.... I have become more sympathetic to those who do have occasional very bad days. Kids are made to wiggle a lot, explore and challenge adults and the world around them. That is how they learn. And at the same time.... those are opportunities to discipline and make them aware of proper and improper behavior. We have to understand that children are not little adults. After all, we were children once and I am sure we were not born disciplined. If the presence if children does get you in a terrible mood.... definitely join an adults only cruise. Otherwise, children are pretty much everywhere in the world. They make the world go round and round! Kids become adults. And hopefully... they become adults who see kids as a work in progress!
@Catharina, Sweden Virgin Mobile Cruise Line is going too be adult only can't wait. I completely understand what you're saying and how you feel I have three kids but my baby girl is 17 years old.
My hubby and I was on a cruise this past weekend and was shocked at the amount of young black couples and families that was on the cruise. In 2017 we cruised and it was mostly white families with a small amount of other races but not so much black people. It was great to see the mixture of people.
Once again Gary, you have given sound information. On being bored..... I suggest people take a book and/or visit the ship's well stocked library. Although chances are you may not have time to read! and yes, your cabin choice is so important.
Yes, cruising, especially in the tempestuous weather of the low season is very reading - literature propitious… Especially, if the library has a very romantic view of the ocean. Read a book… Or write a book… When cruising!
On my first cruise, I went with my University classmates after graduating. They did a vote to see if we would go to a beach or a cruise. I voted beach because I thought a cruise was going to be boring, and I'm soooo glad I got outvoted. I think that as long as you pick your cruise right, it's almost impossible to get bored (unless you really really work at it).
I loved this suggestion - and would like to add to it. I have been on just one cruise but it was transatlantic (5 days straight at sea) and this was bliss for me. It was not warm so people were not at the pool and yet I found I didn't have much time to read - I was so happy doing other things. What I wanted to add was that I took 2 audio books from my local library - just downloaded to my phone... so you can 'read' while people-watching or watching the sea roll by. And for those (like me) with bad eyes or who find it hard to read with any movement, this solves it all!
LOL--I am one of those "old white people", over 60 and I agree with you 100%. Hey, we are ALL people, no matter of what color anyone is--and NO ONE is better than the next guy due to what color they are either.
I'm not white and I enjoy cruising! Funny that it's likely liberals talking this crap yet they go on and on about how everyone should live together yet they are often the ones who will never wiling to do what they preach!
I was just on a 15 day cruise thru the Panama Canal, and first night a virus hit. My cabinmate was struck with it. As soon as the ship found out, they put in procedures to halt the spread. I heard so many people complain, but I would ask them if they wanted the risk of getting sick, and they said no. Well, I replied by saying the ship is trying to prevent that from happening. I still enjoyed the cruise, and I give kudos to Celebrity as well.
I learned about the acupressure bracelets for motion sickness many years ago while on Commodore Cruise Lines. I tried them and found they work amazingly well. Unlike Dramamine you don't get drowsy. I was told they are used by the Canadian navy. I was a skeptic but not any more. I make sure to pack them for every cruise.
I believe there is variability among the Vista Class ships in terms of how many people are on board. Cunard has a lower density than most cruise lines because their ships, particularly the QM2 are designed for a lot of sea days in a row.
I have been on three cruises, and my Carnival cruise was MISERABLE. The food was bad, there was nothing to do if you werent a drinker/partier. It was a week fast for me, and my Crohns deteriorated so much that I was hospitalized a few weeks after coming home. I have done my research for my next trip, and we will be on Princess for Japan. Cruising is great, but we had to choose a cruiseline that fit us. Princess was great the first time, and NCL's Epic was wonderful, too.
I have a lot of people saying they have not been happy with Carnival. I think clearly it is not for everyone..! Hopefully you will enjoy Princess a lot. It is great. I am just back from a cruise with them. Hope you get a chance to watch my Princess videos and they help!
@@tipsfortravellers Carnival has improved, especially the food. I wasn't happy on my first cruise with them, but the cruise before had been on Princess. I mainly stick with Princess now, but they don't offer Mexican cruises year round and Carnival does. Also did a Western Caribbean out of New Orleans (because we wanted to stay in port a few days) on Carnival. Had a great time! I've reached Elite status and I love those Princess Perks!
I dont care about my room, I want a comfortable bed, a toilet/shower and a place to store my stuff. I save money by getting an inside cabin and let them pick one for me.
True! Even if I cruise with friends, I want MY OWN CABIN, because I want my own bathroom, ALL the closet all to myself, and to be able to stay up or go to sleep whenever I want. For sheer horror, imagine lying in a dark room, staring at the ceiling, listening to someone else snoring for hours because you are suffering from jet lag.
Really informative video Gary.These are things i ask myself about going on a cruise ship especially the thought of feeling trapped and like i cant stretch my legs.You have explained everything beautifully.Hope ur year has got off to a great start and i look forward to seeing ur next video.😊
I was barely ever in my cabin when I went I literally slept then got ready I mean there’s 24 hours in a day I slept maybe 5, 6 hours and then got ready which is not even 5 minutes so like I was out way more
Exactly. I'm super not a people person, so I need to have a place to go and be away from everything for awhile after partaking in a big day with excursions or even just eating at buffets. Having a pleasant place to decompress in is a must so I can just breathe for a bit and gear up mentally to go back out the next day.
That’s not necessarily true because I had to downgrade because my suite was too high up and even taking meds I was too sick. It’s is best to be lower unless I’m going to be miserable. I try to book find lower rooms and make sure I take meds as soon as I get to that port.
I got seasick in the Caribbean, The cruise was seven days. I felt yucky for four of them.. Nothing I could not handle. The part I hated was residual punky feeling for the next six weeks once the cruise ended. Seasickness is not the same as vertigo, but stuff like dramamine is used to treat both.
Have taken over 30 cruises. "Titanic" theory still applies. You get what you pay for. Keep your eye on the weather from the Bridge. Take a seasickness pill BEFORE the weather turns. Went through a Cat 8 storm in a suite on the Navigation Deck. No problem. We love having our own large veranda and always book a large suite. The worst cruise was on board a monster Royal Caribbean ship...awful food and NO private dining. Smallest was a sailing Windstar cruise on the Wind Song in the Society (or Tahitian) Islands. Unfortunately, 2 cruises after ours there was an electrical problem and it was destroyed. Basic rule....you get what you pay for. Even on smaller ships, we've been able to avoid noisy drunks and badly behaving children by getting the best accommodations possible. Call me a snob, but I'm a relaxed and happy one.
I totally agree. Carnival is the Walmart of the seas. Their cruises are cheap and therefore draw what could be called the lower end of vacationers. A 7-day (or less) Carnival cruise to the Caribbean: That's where you'll find the unruly kids, drunks, fights and loud/bad behavior in general. Yes, you only get what you pay for. We'd much rather go on one pricey and enjoyable cruise than two cut-rate cruises from hell.
You may have seen me there. I get awful drunk and fart, and burp loudly while letting my spoiled children run loose. Fuck you people who go there to relax. I go to party!
It all depends on someone's personality. I felt trapped when I went to Maui, I'm used to driving from San Francisco to Salt Lake City whenever the urge hits me. In Hawaii you can't drive from one county to the next, you have to fly or use a boat and rely on someone else's schedule.
I like your thoughts on the cabins. Balcony is important to me...although my first cruise is not until January 2019. The mistake I made is booking a mini suite and that is because of. terrible travel agent. But balcony is my idea of the romantic version of the cruise
I am a subscriber. I enjoy your channel very much. I have never seen a black passenger on an ultra luxury cruise/expedition. It would have been nice had you talked more about race. I wish you would specifically do a segment where you address the lack of passenger racial diversity on the ultra luxury ships. It is not all a result of economics. There is more at play. What are the liners doing to encourage a cruising atmosphere that welcomes people of diverse races and means to cruise. Thanks!--Al
Another myth about cruising: "Cruising is only for the wealthy." We typically pay between $100-130 per night for a balcony cabin. I've paid lots more than that to stay in a hotel, and hotels don't move around, take you to places and feed you for free. When we were still cruising in interiors or oceanviews, we were paying about half that per night. It can be an amazingly good deal.
Just don't agree a ton about choosing a cabin, but we've always stayed in the middle of the ship on the second floor, but that's the calmest place on the boat
On land norovirus is called stomach flu (the kind that only lasts a few days, not to be confused with longer stomach flu varieties, which are something else), despite only hearing about norovirus on cruise ships, it is very common on land (as said in the video).
As much as I have enjoyed cruising, there's very very little they offer in the way of activities that I'm the least bit interested in. I don't gamble, I don't drink, I think most of the production shows are boring... I tried doing a trivia contest once, which I might have been interested in. It was a disaster. It was being held in one of the bars (because of course the ship is far more interested in pushing drinks than entertaining passengers), I was by myself (I guess you're expected to find a group but I have no clue how you would go about doing that), and I was made to sit with a bunch of rowdy German passengers who had no intention of playing trivia - they just came to drink. So I usually spend most of my time sitting in my cabin reading. If someone tells me they might be bored, I believe them. Not everyone cares about salsa lessons and whiskey tasting classes (for a nominal fee).
Well you should probably check out cargo ship cruising, to be honest. I remember watching some videos from someone who has done it a lot. If you’re not interested in what cruise ships offer then check it out for sure man. Or join the Navy.
We are definitely the scruffy generation! Is it such a big deal to make a little effort for dinner? The rest of the day you can be in shorts or jeans if you so desire.
Norovirus? Oh, the good old days of 2018 It's 2020 & damn Corona Virus shutting down the entire world, so I'm watching old vids in dreaming of taking a cruise Love your vids & tips; can't wait to actually apply them in the future
The only ships that are not boring are Oasis class by RCL. The entertainment on remaining ones is on the lame side. Cabin is only to sleep and the other sleep. Dark cabin is the best and cheapest.
Only cruise I have been on was the 4 day Long Beach - Catalina Island - Ensenada Mexico cruise on Carnival's Inspiration. It was January 2012. Extremely boring. The boat has almost no amenities and apart from a kayaking shore excursion on Catalina, the port had nothing to do either. I live in Vegas and my husband and I don't want to be around families, so we're looking into Virgin Voyages because they're 18+.
Thankyou so much I love your vlogs. Just booked our first ever cruise with RC in July 21 going to the Med from Barcelona. I will be watching a lot more of your vlogs they are so helpful. New subscriber 😀
my biggest turnoff ocean cruises is the distance and therefore waste of time spent between port and city , livorno florence, civitavecchia rome, havre paris, cadiz seville, genova milano, malaga cordoba granada, palamos or tarragona and figueres, southampton london, and the longest one of all, warnemuende and berlin.
I agree with every word you said. Regarding the number of people, my most recent cruise had over 5,000 passengers and I felt that it was no different in feeling that a cruise I took that had half that. The bigger ships are just that, bigger, so there is way more room and way more activities. The MSC ship I went on that had 5,000 passenger had two large dining rooms with three different seatings, two buffets, and several specialty restaurants, three different big show seatings, and about 20 different bars and lounges. Crowding was not much of an issue. I have never been seasick on a cruise ship (but I have been seasick on deep sea fishing boats!), but I do take Bonine just in case. I haven't ever needed it. Being bored on a cruise ship...impossible! I have never been able to do everything! Trapped, my word, if that is being "trapped", please trap me! I could have stayed on there for months and feel wonderful the whole time. And yes, what you said about the cabin, I have fallen in love with every cabin I have had. Best place to sleep, best place to nap, best place to sit on the balcony with a drink in hand, best place to even sit and watch TV if that was what I wanted, or to read a book I brought. Perfect total relaxation. Also, lots of different kinds of people on all sorts of cruise ships, people of every race and nationality, and also age group. And I like that. The only negative that I can see regarding cruising is one does not get an in-depth experience of a foreign port, which one would have if that was the only place you went on your vacation. I think there is room for both kinds of travel...go to one destination for one vacation if there is a place you want to experience in depth, and cruising for when you want a more relaxed, pampered experience and see several different places for half a day or so effortlessly. My ideal pattern is to take one vacation each season, three of them an in-depth experience at one particular place, and one of them a cruise.
river cruises , or smaller ships are more expensive upfront, but are usually nearer to destinations from ports unlike the average ocean cruise where ports are two, three hours one way from cities towns advertised. especially european destinations. caribbean, alaska, new england, much less essential to book excursion. plus is how different members of a family can do their own excursion and meet up at dinner . minus is that there is less time spent in the city and museums, galleries, and concerts, ballets, operas are rarely available for you to enjoy unless the cruise line allows or includes these performances as part of their excursions or port adventures.
My hang up is I don’t like feeling “like a tourist,” even if I obviously am one, Lol. I did go on a European river cruise a few years ago. It was the best kind of cruise for me. I was able to get to know some of the others and make friends. Also I liked that I didn’t have to pack up every time we moved to another location. My hotel came along, Lol. During port tours, I really appreciated the guide having headsets to hear them without having to stand right next to them. But I am used to exploring on my own, etc. And felt silly with a guide holding a sign with us all in tow. I enjoyed a bike riding tour on that trip, but I ended up ditching the group for a while…
Great video More excellent advice especially with regard to choosing your cabin. I've just returned from a 14 night cruise aboard the Marella Explorer. I was lucky enough to have a cabin mid ship on deck 8. Fellow passengers on lower decks aft aka at the rear of the ship discovered that the noise from the engine room during the night was intolerable. I think that the age of a cruise ship is also very important for people to consider. The I mentioned is 22 years old
Here’s one that has stopped my boyfriend from cruising Gary….he was once told it’s a female’s paradise vacation. I knew at that moment, it would be imbedded in his brain 🙄🙄🙄
also love to see anything about great cruises from royal that are not on the mega ships but feel like your getting much of the same experiences of the mega ships, if thats possible.
I so appreciate your vlogs. I can’t wait for the pandemic to really cool down and I can go again. I’ve only cruised once and even though it wasn’t the BEST I loved it!
Not sure I agree about the stabilisers. If the ship hits really rough weather the stabilisers will only have a limited effect. Contrary to what one "expert" claims they can't always sail round the storms. Some can be up to 100 miles wide.
My wife and I are 35 and we go on 1-2 cruises a year with Royal Caribbean. There are plenty of families and it seems like the average age of adult passengers are 30s and 40s.
SEA SICK: only cruise I took (QM2) had me sea drunk, not sick. I felt drunk almost the whole time, drinking or not. It was wacky. Nothing bad, just uncontrollable.
If they climb on the balcony or railings, which are anything up to four feet high then they might just fall off. It is pretty much impossible to "fall off". people who have gone over board have either jumped or been silly and climbed onto the railings.
They are stupid! How many car accidents happen each day? Do you worry about not being in a car? How about plane crashes? Never fly then? How often do you seriously hear of a cruise ship sinking? In the past 100 years I believe I could count all the major ones on my fingers while millions of ships have sailed without anything happening! As for falling off you won't unless: you're stupid, drink waaaaaay to much, or climb over the rail! It's almost impossible to fall from a ship unless you're trying to do such!
Love your cruise videos. And we also love to dress up for formal nights. As for getting sick, we went on a 15 day Hawaii cruise last February and despite the fact I was constantly washing my hands..........there was a lot of coughing going on around me.......I actually contracted the flu. I'd had my shot 2 months earlier, so it could have been worse, but getting sick on a cruise is a real possibility........especially during the winter months.
Regarding seasickness: When I took up SCUBA diving a few years ago, a fellow diver (and nurse) taught me that one very effective way to PREVENT and relieve seasickness is ginger. Ginger root, ginger beer (stronger than ginger ale, but still non-alcoholic), and even extracts (pills or capsules) are much less likely to carry side-effects. I can attest to that: on a deep-sea fishing trip, the swells were 4-6 feet tall, and everybody in my group "fed the fish" except me, because I drank a liter of ginger beer. Before I went on a trans-atlantic trip -- at the peak of hurricane season -- my doctor prescribed some "weapons-grade" antihistamine, and I took one dose before hitting the ocean. It made me so groggy, I didn't take another one.
Whenever the ship I was on in the navy set sail, for the first couple of days at sea there would be lots of saltines available on the mess decks. I have no idea if it really helps, but people thought it did.
Great video but Im curious about this "most 7 night cruises have a different port every day" thing. Ive only been on 8 cruises now and only one had a different port every day (and to be honest, it was too much). When I first started cruising it seemed like a standard 7 night cruise almost always had 4 PoC. Now it seems as though the standard is 3 PoC.
We learned, from a very young age, to not say "I am Bored"....as my mom always had chores or a drawer for us to clean out if we said "we were bored!" In this busy busy world, to be on a beautiful ship, not have to cook, clean, or go to work....to sleep in....how LOVELY TO BE BORED! Relish it for 7 days....and enjoy your boredom beside the pool with a cocktail and a good book!
Exactly 😅
One reason I have heard is “I can’t swim”. Remembering being on a flight home talking to the couple next to me about cruises and the woman said “I can’t swim”. I looked at her looked out the window back to her and said “I can’t fly.”
Brilliant.
@@jkokich Brilliant? Why? You can be taught to swim. I’ve yet to meet a person who can fly.😳😳
@@carolineobrien6301 one, it’s quite funny, two, the woman is on a plane; she says she doesn’t want to go on a cruise because she can’t swim, but she’s on a plane, and I’ll bet (and you admit no one can learn to fly), she can’t fly. Next time, think your reply through before you try to be snarky. Caroline comment = massive fail.
@@jkokich hey friend. I don't think she meant to be snarky, I think she was trying to be funny...
Much love ❤️, SSSam7 🐬
As an avid cruiser, I've watched many different UA-cam videos on cruising. Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers are the most informative.
I book up to a hundred people a month on cruises - I learn so much from this guy to help me help others make good cruise choices
I am an old white person and I love to cruise!
Young Indonesian and I love to cruise as well!
Scott Whitley And she’d probably call the police.
Yeah be proud to be old and white Susan
Older people are more fun and interesting. The white part doesn't matter either way.
I'm an old white person and I have never been on a cruise but would like to so much!
(can't afford it)
So for me watching those lovely well-made videos is as close as I'll ever be to cruising.
Thank you for sharing, Mr Bembridge!
I've been on 13 cruises. Most were in balcony cabins. The last one I went on was an inside room. I'd never pay for a balcony again if it meant I could spend the extra money on drinks or shore excursions. I found the inside cabin much quieter and certainly darker when the sun started caming up.
Yes BUT , with Covid, do you really want to be stuck in an inside cabin for months?
I am a young black person and I LOVE to cruise!
We went on a 7 day cruise to Caribbean on Liberty of the Seas and had an owners suite. I was so glad for the space. Some folks dont spend time in the cabin but I loved ours and spent a lot of time reading in my cabin with the ocean view or on our balcony.
Leigh O'Toole love that, serenity
It's so miserably cold and wet where we're from so we try to get away every winter on a cruise. It's such a big effort to get to where we're going that we don't go on any winter cruise that are less than 14 days.
Last cruise that I boarded had about 2400+ passengers but it did not feel that crowded except for the muster drill and one of the shows.
Ginger beer is also very good for feeling sick. You are spot on regarding getting bored my wife and I have often had to split on activities or talks because they clashed. Believe this, no one gets bored even on a transatlantic cruise with many sea days.
Before I started cruising, I used to derisively call them hotels on barges. But after four cruises (none in warmer climates), I appreciate larger ships for one reason: economies of scale. Bigger ships are cheaper, and I get more value for my money. Despite the large number of passengers, I rarely feel crowded. As for boredom, I enjoy solitude and my two-week transatlantic crossing (with seven days of nothing but water at one point) was not boring at all. I never saw so many people reading in my life. It felt like, "Hey, these are my kind of people."
I don't cruise. I'm a loner. I enjoy my solitude and don't want to make small talk with strangers or HORRORS--dine with them. But for he adventurous and gregarious, it sounds perfect. And I enjoy living vicariously through Gary's videos. But actually GO.....................?
There is always potential for things to go wrong, as with everything in life, so you just have to take the good with the bad and try to keep a positive attitude. I'm approaching my first cruise with an open mind expecting a great experience!
We have been on many cruises. Boredom was NEVER an issue! Just the opposite was true. I am often so tired from the excursions that I look forward to sea days to slow down. Even sea days can be busy if you want them to be. There are always shows and other activities onboard. We will be cruising again!
I love cruising. It's truly a vacation when we don't have to worry about where to eat, where to sleep, etc. Let the cruise line handle the everyday things and spend your energy doing and seeing wonderful new things.
My husband and I went on a cruise with my in-laws about 6 years ago. We were on a carnival ship and I was bored out of my mind. Tiny pool, nothing to do, terrible almost non existent entertainment. By the end I was so ready to go back to work. The only thing I enjoyed was getting dressed up and taking pictures and having dinner together. At one of the ports we realized we would rather just stay there and get lost, so that taught me a lot about myself. A few years later I planned a trip to Puerto Rico. We spent most of our time outside or exploring and it was the best week of my life.
I highly disagree with people who think cruises are for certain age groups. Cruises are for everybody who wants to relax. If you're the type of person to get bored easily or lose your patience quickly, you won't like cruises. I'm a teenager and have been sailing with P&O with my mum and dad for a few years now and the only problems we've ever had is with one or two of the ports and not with the actual cruise experience itself. Though, we've been sailing on ferries for many years now so we're probably used to being at sea.
Personally I don't mind dressing up for dinner in the dining car; however if dressing up isn't your thing. Then I would suggest the buffet on the upper deck or dine in at the other more casual dining on the cruise. Gary is correct about depending on which cruise liner you go on.
My family and I started cruising in October 2022 (Western Mediterranean) and we are now hooked. We just did our third cruise (Caribbean) and my wife and kids are begging for a fourth one. My wife's biggest apprehension was that she feared being in water and she was afraid she would get sea sick. In Africa, this is a common fear due to the general low quality of water travel. However, now she is absolutely fine with cruise. Gary, greetings from Kenya. We watched a number of your videos to help us in the initial stages of cruise planning
I definitely agree with you regarding how people think there's nothing to do on a cruise ship. We took our first cruise back in July 2018 and there was so much to do we couldn't get to everything. Dressing up for dinner was called elegant night on our ship and that was quite fun seeing everyone in their best clothes and dresses.
5:17 I tend to agree with this one. Class of cabin is not terribly important.
Fantastic video you're absolutely spot-on about every single one of the points.
My wife and I watch ur channel all the time...getting rdy for my 3rd cruise I am so exited...but this is my wife first one...she is a lil nervous ...but it's getting better with every one of ur vidieos...THANKS MAN!!!...don't know if u every read comments but we hope ur getting some sort of compensation for ur time ...thanks again
Thanks. Great to hear that you finding the videos helping. Hope she has a great time! I do read all comments and usually try and reply same day they posted but been travelling and got behind! catching up now!
We are in our 60's and looking forward to our third Viking cruise. I wish they had bigger dinner tables so we could meet fellow passengers as there are only 900 on board and the cruise in 4 months long.
I love the simplicity of cruising - not having to fly to different locations on a plane, the endless food and desserts, and having a place to stay for usually cheaper than a hotel. Things I don’t like are the limited WiFi connection & extra surcharges.
I’ve only been to two cruises, both NCL and I think the departure port has to do with the type of people you get. Miami one may have more party goers. My first cruise from NYC seemed to have a more diverse crowd, lots of families. On my Hawaii cruise, the crowd was noticeable old and white. It’s not a problem as people were nice but I did feel like I was sticking out as a early 30s Asian family. Also got some questions from older people who asked where I was “REALLY from” when I said I was from New York City. They were still nice but kinda ignorant and mildly offensive.
Heritage is of interest to people, so they ask. That's why there are so many people doing DNA ancestry testing. Older people haven't heard of, or don't care about political correctness, so they're more honest. Very few mean any harm. They're just curious. :)
A bit like your comment then, I mean that's if your to be taken seriously.. .. 🙄🙄
Just watched this video in 2021. We said almost all these things as reasons not to cruise. We finally did a cruise in 2018 and fell in love with it! I almost wish we hadn't because we've had to cancel cruises in 2020, 2021 and it's painful because we know what we're missing. Here's hoping our cruises booked for 2022 actually get to sail.
I went on a Celebrity cruise from Southampton about 6 yrs ago, I was in my early 50's and there were all colours of skin to behold. We got friendly with a Japanese couple on honeymoon, they were so nice and friendly. Most cruising were American, British or Irish.
Discerning the truth is hugely important!!! Complete elucidation. Thank you, Gary!
most ships will not let you enter the dinning area with out washing your hands first or using gel they have someone standing there to make sure you wash your hands it is a good thing But as always there is always people that can not be bothered to wash first
It is good when they have people there insisting everyone does it. It can be a bot hit and miss I have found by cruise line
I’ve been on cruises where they have someone stood at the entrance to the restaurants with the anti bacterial gel in a spray and wouldn’t let you in unless you’d had your hands sprayed
The last Norwegian ship I went on had a lady at the buffet section with the hand sanitizer squirting people's hands. She was ALWAYS smiling and singing some "washy washy" song too. It was great! On the other hand and as a man, I HATE seeing guys that go to restrooms and don't wash hands before leaving. It always amazes me and I try to avoid being around them.
@@peterking2651 Sadly there are people who need treating like they are in kindergarten and have to be reminded to wash there hands before they eat.
Green apples are good for motion sickness as well
Good tip. Some lines put them on reception when sea gets rough
Interesting.
That one about dressing up is my number one concern. I don't own evening dresses so sitting in a restaurant with people all dressed up to the nines would put me off.
stella ormes , Stella, we only cruise Princess cruises but on the formal night we see everything from those dressed in evening gowns to those dressed in what I would call Church clothing. Wear what you have and don’t let it stop you from going and enjoying yourself.
I booked a 14 day Cruise with P&O Australia. We booked fairly early thinking that early Bookers get a good Deal. How wrong we where. Just days after booking with them they had one special after enougher and that has been going on now for 3 month. So far We are down by nearly $2000-. All they gave us is a very small upgrade that is worth about $300- at the most. What makes it worse is that a Balcony Cabin is over $300- cheaper now than what we paid and if we want to upgrade to a Balcony Cabin they want us to give them an extra $1400-. They can get stuffed. A warning, if you book with P&O Australia don't book with them until about 3 weeks before sailing day so you don't get ripped off. This has put us off with booking with them again.
Really sorry to hear of your experience. Generally speaking early booking don't get great deals as the line assumes that people booking early really want to do that trip. The best prices (if the trip is not selling out) will be after 90 days before the trip when final balances have to be paid and then the deals usually kick in.
Hmmm...that's not really fair to people who make the commitment and fork over their money early on. Those are the folks who should get the *_best_* deals, not the worst.
Cancel your cruise and rebook at the lower price. I have done this a few times!
Except that you may not be _able_ to cancel. It may be nonrefundable.
Yes! Very important to check terms in refunds and deposits. Though sometimes the savings are greater than the lost deposit and so could still be better off, so always worth seeing what the line will offer you if you see prices going down
It’s very strange to me that I will get deadly seasick on a yacht or a fishing boat. But I can get on a cruise ship that’s really rocking a lot and not get sick at all. Actually I get my best sleep on a rocking ship
This is one of my major concerns on sea travel. Seasickness. You have just inspired me to try a cruise. 🛳
If someone gets seasick, get some of the seasickness wrist bands. They really work. Also, don’t book a cabin in the rear of the ship over where the propellers are. The propellers make the ship tremble and that can make you seasick. Mid-ship is best.
cmmahoney21 that’s where my cabin was
While I have no problem using hand gels I am unable to tolerate alcohol in any form. Even a small amount of alcoholi based gel would cause severe irritation. I usually take my own alcohol free gel instead.
In my experiences, the Caribbean can be a little rough at times. I love cruising and especially cruising the Hawaiian Islands on NCL and Alaska on Princess.
I watch a few of your videos, and I trust your advice thank you for answering my questions about cruises
Hi Gary, and thank you.
We have cruised on Carnival, and find that we have different interests than many others, perhaps because we want to cruise for different reasons. We enjoy sea days, often wander around a port by ourselves, and we skip most of the onboard activities.
People come in many varieties and flavours, and there's a place for most people (even on the "Fun Ships.")
So in other words, you are a weirdo and keep to yourself and enjoy doing nothing. Its best you just stay at home cuddled up under a warm blanket reading a book or something.
@@ihaveatalkingpenisanditsay6699 It's best you go far away and keep such opinions to yourself.
I have only done one cruise. I diligently took my seasick meds before I stepped foot onboard, and before I went to bed the first night, but by VERY early the next morning I was so seasick it forced me out of bed and onto the top deck. I told a concerned fellow passenger I was whale watching!
I tried breakfast, but ended up back in our room with more meds, and I tucked myself back into bed (well my sister’s bed, as mine was the top bunk), and slept for hours. My sister, other travel companion & the cabin steward kept checking on me because they thought I was unconscious. Bless them!
By that afternoon I bounced out of bed and didn’t have any further problems. You just have to find the correct seasickness medication that works for you!
I would definitely do another cruise.
We have brought our daughters cruising 3 times, we are in early 30s, and kids are under 7. We love cruising.
Kudos to you: it all depends on the parents teaching their children to be well mannered\behaved. Not to say that the children should be statues in a museum, no, but the opposite of kids ruining everyone's cruise due to their behavior while the parents do nothing about it.
Yes. And if they must run they shouldnt yell and shout with their piercing voices. And not running into people or fragile things. Behaving children is no problem, its even a joy.
Barney Den stad that’s utterly impossible and illogical children are children you can discipline them all you want but children will be children
I take a cruise or two every year. I would certainly cruise more except for this one thing: Out of control children. I try to schedule my cruises when they are in school (or supposed to be). There always seems to be hundreds of them. Screaming up and down the halls at all hours of the day or night. Never washing their hands. Acting up in the dining room or buffet areas. And don't get me started with them running wild on the Lido deck.
The parents who leave them to their own devices are also to blame.
But the off season also means hurricane season. If there were cruises that were adult only, I would certainly be a big fan and be willing to pay a little more.
Agree! There are also some lines that unlikely to have kids on but they tend to be the more expensive lines like Seabourn, Viking, Windstar, Silversea. The new Virgin Voyages ship when it launches in 2020 will be adult only and P&O Cruises have a number of adult only ships
This sounds like a "you" problem. I don't observe children being problematic or behaving as you say at all and I'm part of a couple, late forties. See a therapist, get a Xanax prescription or something and chill the heck out.
Totally understand both sides as I have cruised before without kids and with kids... young kids. While I do not tolerate when my kids become uncontrollable.... I have become more sympathetic to those who do have occasional very bad days. Kids are made to wiggle a lot, explore and challenge adults and the world around them. That is how they learn. And at the same time.... those are opportunities to discipline and make them aware of proper and improper behavior. We have to understand that children are not little adults. After all, we were children once and I am sure we were not born disciplined. If the presence if children does get you in a terrible mood.... definitely join an adults only cruise. Otherwise, children are pretty much everywhere in the world. They make the world go round and round! Kids become adults. And hopefully... they become adults who see kids as a work in progress!
Happy I'm not the only one feel like that about the kids.
@Catharina, Sweden Virgin Mobile Cruise Line is going too be adult only can't wait. I completely understand what you're saying and how you feel I have three kids but my baby girl is 17 years old.
My hubby and I was on a cruise this past weekend and was shocked at the amount of young black couples and families that was on the cruise. In 2017 we cruised and it was mostly white families with a small amount of other races but not so much black people. It was great to see the mixture of people.
Once again Gary, you have given sound information. On being bored..... I suggest people take a book and/or visit the ship's well stocked library. Although chances are you may not have time to read! and yes, your cabin choice is so important.
Thanks. Great to hear you found it interesting. I agree with you that it is pretty hard to get bored!
Yes, cruising, especially in the tempestuous weather of the low season is very reading - literature propitious… Especially, if the library has a very romantic view of the ocean. Read a book… Or write a book… When cruising!
Carolyn Armstrong Yes, I read 2 books during a 7 night cruise. It is great!
On my first cruise, I went with my University classmates after graduating. They did a vote to see if we would go to a beach or a cruise. I voted beach because I thought a cruise was going to be boring, and I'm soooo glad I got outvoted. I think that as long as you pick your cruise right, it's almost impossible to get bored (unless you really really work at it).
I loved this suggestion - and would like to add to it. I have been on just one cruise but it was transatlantic (5 days straight at sea) and this was bliss for me. It was not warm so people were not at the pool and yet I found I didn't have much time to read - I was so happy doing other things. What I wanted to add was that I took 2 audio books from my local library - just downloaded to my phone... so you can 'read' while people-watching or watching the sea roll by. And for those (like me) with bad eyes or who find it hard to read with any movement, this solves it all!
Yea crusies are not just for old white prople. Black people stay on crusies.
The tom joyner cruise is super popular.
LOL--I am one of those "old white people", over 60 and I agree with you 100%. Hey, we are ALL people, no matter of what color anyone is--and NO ONE is better than the next guy due to what color they are either.
I'm not white and I enjoy cruising! Funny that it's likely liberals talking this crap yet they go on and on about how everyone should live together yet they are often the ones who will never wiling to do what they preach!
I never heard this myth I'll be going on my second cruise soon
@@jotwell264 Liberals? Really? Did you have to go there?
@@ludy41
There's always one... It required in the quota... 🙄😏
I was just on a 15 day cruise thru the Panama Canal, and first night a virus hit. My cabinmate was struck with it. As soon as the ship found out, they put in procedures to halt the spread. I heard so many people complain, but I would ask them if they wanted the risk of getting sick, and they said no. Well, I replied by saying the ship is trying to prevent that from happening. I still enjoyed the cruise, and I give kudos to Celebrity as well.
I learned about the acupressure bracelets for motion sickness many years ago while on Commodore Cruise Lines. I tried them and found they work amazingly well. Unlike Dramamine you don't get drowsy. I was told they are used by the Canadian navy. I was a skeptic but not any more. I make sure to pack them for every cruise.
Ok so I cracked up when he said the 1st myth with a straight face 🤣
I believe there is variability among the Vista Class ships in terms of how many people are on board. Cunard has a lower density than most cruise lines because their ships, particularly the QM2 are designed for a lot of sea days in a row.
I have been on three cruises, and my Carnival cruise was MISERABLE. The food was bad, there was nothing to do if you werent a drinker/partier. It was a week fast for me, and my Crohns deteriorated so much that I was hospitalized a few weeks after coming home. I have done my research for my next trip, and we will be on Princess for Japan. Cruising is great, but we had to choose a cruiseline that fit us. Princess was great the first time, and NCL's Epic was wonderful, too.
I have a lot of people saying they have not been happy with Carnival. I think clearly it is not for everyone..! Hopefully you will enjoy Princess a lot. It is great. I am just back from a cruise with them. Hope you get a chance to watch my Princess videos and they help!
@@tipsfortravellers Carnival has improved, especially the food. I wasn't happy on my first cruise with them, but the cruise before had been on Princess. I mainly stick with Princess now, but they don't offer Mexican cruises year round and Carnival does. Also did a Western Caribbean out of New Orleans (because we wanted to stay in port a few days) on Carnival. Had a great time! I've reached Elite status and I love those Princess Perks!
I dont care about my room, I want a comfortable bed, a toilet/shower and a place to store my stuff. I save money by getting an inside cabin and let them pick one for me.
True! Even if I cruise with friends, I want MY OWN CABIN, because I want my own bathroom, ALL the closet all to myself, and to be able to stay up or go to sleep whenever I want. For sheer horror, imagine lying in a dark room, staring at the ceiling, listening to someone else snoring for hours because you are suffering from jet lag.
Really informative video Gary.These are things i ask myself about going on a cruise ship especially the thought of feeling trapped and like i cant stretch my legs.You have explained everything beautifully.Hope ur year has got off to a great start and i look forward to seeing ur next video.😊
Thanks! Great to hear you found it interesting. Good start to the year so far, Hope yours is too
I was barely ever in my cabin when I went I literally slept then got ready I mean there’s 24 hours in a day I slept maybe 5, 6 hours and then got ready which is not even 5 minutes so like I was out way more
I’ve found the Holland American ships aimed at older folks but Carnival certainly has a younger group.
Everyone knows already wheat you said. Thanks for stating the obvious.
I did not spend much time on my cabin, shower, get ready, as most of time you are around the ship.
I really love your videos. Your voice is so soothing. The info you provide is awesome.
"I won't spend any time in the cabin" is what people with crummy cabins say! The nicer the cabin the more time you will spend in it.
Exactly. I'm super not a people person, so I need to have a place to go and be away from everything for awhile after partaking in a big day with excursions or even just eating at buffets. Having a pleasant place to decompress in is a must so I can just breathe for a bit and gear up mentally to go back out the next day.
That’s not necessarily true because I had to downgrade because my suite was too high up and even taking meds I was too sick. It’s is best to be lower unless I’m going to be miserable. I try to book find lower rooms and make sure I take meds as soon as I get to that port.
I got seasick in the Caribbean, The cruise was seven days. I felt yucky for four of them.. Nothing I could not handle. The part I hated was residual punky feeling for the next six weeks once the cruise ended. Seasickness is not the same as vertigo, but stuff like dramamine is used to treat both.
After doing a Disney Bahama cruise 2 years ago, my family are strictly Disney. They go above and beyond and are worth the premium.
They've come a long way, since the "Big Red Boat". :)
Have taken over 30 cruises. "Titanic" theory still applies. You get what you pay for. Keep your eye on the weather from the Bridge. Take a seasickness pill BEFORE the weather turns. Went through a Cat 8 storm in a suite on the Navigation Deck. No problem. We love having our own large veranda and always book a large suite. The worst cruise was on board a monster Royal Caribbean ship...awful food and NO private dining. Smallest was a sailing Windstar cruise on the Wind Song in the Society (or Tahitian) Islands. Unfortunately, 2 cruises after ours there was an electrical problem and it was destroyed. Basic rule....you get what you pay for. Even on smaller ships, we've been able to avoid noisy drunks and badly behaving children by getting the best accommodations possible. Call me a snob, but I'm a relaxed and happy one.
I totally agree. Carnival is the Walmart of the seas. Their cruises are cheap and therefore draw what could be called the lower end of vacationers. A 7-day (or less) Carnival cruise to the Caribbean: That's where you'll find the unruly kids, drunks, fights and loud/bad behavior in general. Yes, you only get what you pay for. We'd much rather go on one pricey and enjoyable cruise than two cut-rate cruises from hell.
You may have seen me there. I get awful drunk and fart, and burp loudly while letting my spoiled children run loose. Fuck you people who go there to relax. I go to party!
I’m 30 but I like the kicking back and just relax. Never know I might fine myself a sauger grandma. I not embarrassed about it.
It all depends on someone's personality. I felt trapped when I went to Maui, I'm used to driving from San Francisco to Salt Lake City whenever the urge hits me. In Hawaii you can't drive from one county to the next, you have to fly or use a boat and rely on someone else's schedule.
I like your thoughts on the cabins. Balcony is important to me...although my first cruise is not until January 2019. The mistake I made is booking a mini suite and that is because of. terrible travel agent. But balcony is my idea of the romantic version of the cruise
Balcony is great but mini suite will be even better as bigger and usually larger balcony
I am a subscriber. I enjoy your channel very much. I have never seen a black passenger on an ultra luxury cruise/expedition. It would have been nice had you talked more about race. I wish you would specifically do a segment where you address the lack of passenger racial diversity on the ultra luxury ships. It is not all a result of economics. There is more at play. What are the liners doing to encourage a cruising atmosphere that welcomes people of diverse races and means to cruise. Thanks!--Al
Thanks, I was afraid that these big ships would feel like being in a shopping mall for a week VS being at sea.
Great to hear you found helpful them. Thanks for letting me know. Much appreciated.
They remind me of floating holidy camps.
Another myth about cruising: "Cruising is only for the wealthy." We typically pay between $100-130 per night for a balcony cabin. I've paid lots more than that to stay in a hotel, and hotels don't move around, take you to places and feed you for free.
When we were still cruising in interiors or oceanviews, we were paying about half that per night. It can be an amazingly good deal.
Just don't agree a ton about choosing a cabin, but we've always stayed in the middle of the ship on the second floor, but that's the calmest place on the boat
On land norovirus is called stomach flu (the kind that only lasts a few days, not to be confused with longer stomach flu varieties, which are something else), despite only hearing about norovirus on cruise ships, it is very common on land (as said in the video).
As much as I have enjoyed cruising, there's very very little they offer in the way of activities that I'm the least bit interested in. I don't gamble, I don't drink, I think most of the production shows are boring... I tried doing a trivia contest once, which I might have been interested in. It was a disaster. It was being held in one of the bars (because of course the ship is far more interested in pushing drinks than entertaining passengers), I was by myself (I guess you're expected to find a group but I have no clue how you would go about doing that), and I was made to sit with a bunch of rowdy German passengers who had no intention of playing trivia - they just came to drink. So I usually spend most of my time sitting in my cabin reading. If someone tells me they might be bored, I believe them. Not everyone cares about salsa lessons and whiskey tasting classes (for a nominal fee).
Well you should probably check out cargo ship cruising, to be honest. I remember watching some videos from someone who has done it a lot. If you’re not interested in what cruise ships offer then check it out for sure man.
Or join the Navy.
unfuzzy No wonder you’re alone.
We are definitely the scruffy generation! Is it such a big deal to make a little effort for dinner? The rest of the day you can be in shorts or jeans if you so desire.
I am with you on that :-)
Amen!! I love dressing up for dinner. If folks dont want to dress up they should stay in the buffet??
Exactly... agreed!
Never got seasick on a cruise.Great tips
Good to hear you got good sea legs! Great you found the tips helpful !
Norovirus? Oh, the good old days of 2018
It's 2020 & damn Corona Virus shutting down the entire world, so I'm watching old vids in dreaming of taking a cruise
Love your vids & tips; can't wait to actually apply them in the future
The only ships that are not boring are Oasis class by RCL. The entertainment on remaining ones is on the lame side. Cabin is only to sleep and the other sleep. Dark cabin is the best and cheapest.
Only cruise I have been on was the 4 day Long Beach - Catalina Island - Ensenada Mexico cruise on Carnival's Inspiration. It was January 2012. Extremely boring. The boat has almost no amenities and apart from a kayaking shore excursion on Catalina, the port had nothing to do either.
I live in Vegas and my husband and I don't want to be around families, so we're looking into Virgin Voyages because they're 18+.
Thankyou so much I love your vlogs. Just booked our first ever cruise with RC in July 21 going to the Med from Barcelona. I will be watching a lot more of your vlogs they are so helpful. New subscriber 😀
I am too tickled! The first one caught me off guard!
my biggest turnoff ocean cruises is the distance and therefore waste of time spent between port and city , livorno florence, civitavecchia rome, havre paris, cadiz seville, genova milano, malaga cordoba granada, palamos or tarragona and figueres, southampton london, and the longest one of all, warnemuende and berlin.
Happy New Year! Luv your channel and excellent speaking voice and detailed presentation. Always enjoyable. May you Continue to Prosper.!
Thanks so much! Great to hear you enjoy the videos. Please keep watching
I agree with every word you said. Regarding the number of people, my most recent cruise had over 5,000 passengers and I felt that it was no different in feeling that a cruise I took that had half that. The bigger ships are just that, bigger, so there is way more room and way more activities. The MSC ship I went on that had 5,000 passenger had two large dining rooms with three different seatings, two buffets, and several specialty restaurants, three different big show seatings, and about 20 different bars and lounges. Crowding was not much of an issue. I have never been seasick on a cruise ship (but I have been seasick on deep sea fishing boats!), but I do take Bonine just in case. I haven't ever needed it. Being bored on a cruise ship...impossible! I have never been able to do everything! Trapped, my word, if that is being "trapped", please trap me! I could have stayed on there for months and feel wonderful the whole time. And yes, what you said about the cabin, I have fallen in love with every cabin I have had. Best place to sleep, best place to nap, best place to sit on the balcony with a drink in hand, best place to even sit and watch TV if that was what I wanted, or to read a book I brought. Perfect total relaxation. Also, lots of different kinds of people on all sorts of cruise ships, people of every race and nationality, and also age group. And I like that. The only negative that I can see regarding cruising is one does not get an in-depth experience of a foreign port, which one would have if that was the only place you went on your vacation. I think there is room for both kinds of travel...go to one destination for one vacation if there is a place you want to experience in depth, and cruising for when you want a more relaxed, pampered experience and see several different places for half a day or so effortlessly. My ideal pattern is to take one vacation each season, three of them an in-depth experience at one particular place, and one of them a cruise.
Thanks for watching and leaving such a detailed comment! Your added thoughts will be very helpful for those still wavering I hope
Tom Osbourne- you described it perfectly
@@Maria-ig2vt Thank you so much, Maria! I hope you have MANY wonderful adventures!
@@tipsfortravellers Thank you! I really enjoy your videos and the information you provide can really guide people to their ideal vacations.
river cruises , or smaller ships are more expensive upfront, but are usually nearer to destinations from ports unlike the average ocean cruise where ports are two, three hours one way from cities towns advertised. especially european destinations. caribbean, alaska, new england, much less essential to book excursion. plus is how different members of a family can do their own excursion and meet up at dinner . minus is that there is less time spent in the city and museums, galleries, and concerts, ballets, operas are rarely available for you to enjoy unless the cruise line allows or includes these performances as part of their excursions or port adventures.
My hang up is I don’t like feeling “like a tourist,” even if I obviously am one, Lol. I did go on a European river cruise a few years ago. It was the best kind of cruise for me. I was able to get to know some of the others and make friends. Also I liked that I didn’t have to pack up every time we moved to another location. My hotel came along, Lol. During port tours, I really appreciated the guide having headsets to hear them without having to stand right next to them. But I am used to exploring on my own, etc. And felt silly with a guide holding a sign with us all in tow. I enjoyed a bike riding tour on that trip, but I ended up ditching the group for a while…
My concern is feeling crowded and the more expensive or smaller ships that don't look as if they would be as crowded don't seem as entertaining.
Great video
More excellent advice especially with regard to choosing your cabin.
I've just returned from a 14 night cruise aboard the Marella Explorer. I was lucky enough to have a cabin mid ship on deck 8. Fellow passengers on lower decks aft aka at the rear of the ship discovered that the noise from the engine room during the night was intolerable. I think that the age of a cruise ship is also very important for people to consider. The I mentioned is 22 years old
I think I'd quite like the sound of those big rumbling diesels.
Here’s one that has stopped my boyfriend from cruising Gary….he was once told it’s a female’s paradise vacation. I knew at that moment, it would be imbedded in his brain 🙄🙄🙄
also love to see anything about great cruises from royal that are not on the mega ships but feel like your getting much of the same experiences of the mega ships, if thats possible.
I so appreciate your vlogs. I can’t wait for the pandemic to really cool down and I can go again. I’ve only cruised once and even though it wasn’t the BEST I loved it!
Great video! Thanks!
Thanks ! Great to hear you enjoyed it
Not sure I agree about the stabilisers. If the ship hits really rough weather the stabilisers will only have a limited effect. Contrary to what one "expert" claims they can't always sail round the storms. Some can be up to 100 miles wide.
My wife and I are 35 and we go on 1-2 cruises a year with Royal Caribbean. There are plenty of families and it seems like the average age of adult passengers are 30s and 40s.
SEA SICK: only cruise I took (QM2) had me sea drunk, not sick. I felt drunk almost the whole time, drinking or not. It was wacky. Nothing bad, just uncontrollable.
I've heard lots of people being worried about falling overboard or the ship sinking, what would you say to those people?
If they climb on the balcony or railings, which are anything up to four feet high then they might just fall off. It is pretty much impossible to "fall off". people who have gone over board have either jumped or been silly and climbed onto the railings.
They are stupid! How many car accidents happen each day? Do you worry about not being in a car? How about plane crashes? Never fly then? How often do you seriously hear of a cruise ship sinking? In the past 100 years I believe I could count all the major ones on my fingers while millions of ships have sailed without anything happening! As for falling off you won't unless: you're stupid, drink waaaaaay to much, or climb over the rail! It's almost impossible to fall from a ship unless you're trying to do such!
Love your cruise videos. And we also love to dress up for formal nights. As for getting sick, we went on a 15 day Hawaii cruise last February and despite the fact I was constantly washing my hands..........there was a lot of coughing going on around me.......I actually contracted the flu. I'd had my shot 2 months earlier, so it could have been worse, but getting sick on a cruise is a real possibility........especially during the winter months.
Thanks. You've pretty much just answered the 7 reasons why I haven't yet taken a cruise.
Not to mention they are the cheapest vacations. Most major lines let you do a down payment and make payments!
I get extremely sea sick and car sick too. Wearing Scopolamine patches is the only way I can cruise, but it’s worth it.
Totally agree with all those suggestion
Great informative video - thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much. Really appreciate you taking time to leave a comment.
You provide a lot of good info. Thanks!
I've loved all your videos and am booking a cruise to Alaska this summer. Thanks.
Regarding seasickness: When I took up SCUBA diving a few years ago, a fellow diver (and nurse) taught me that one very effective way to PREVENT and relieve seasickness is ginger. Ginger root, ginger beer (stronger than ginger ale, but still non-alcoholic), and even extracts (pills or capsules) are much less likely to carry side-effects. I can attest to that: on a deep-sea fishing trip, the swells were 4-6 feet tall, and everybody in my group "fed the fish" except me, because I drank a liter of ginger beer.
Before I went on a trans-atlantic trip -- at the peak of hurricane season -- my doctor prescribed some "weapons-grade" antihistamine, and I took one dose before hitting the ocean. It made me so groggy, I didn't take another one.
Whenever the ship I was on in the navy set sail, for the first couple of days at sea there would be lots of saltines available on the mess decks. I have no idea if it really helps, but people thought it did.
Great video but Im curious about this "most 7 night cruises have a different port every day" thing. Ive only been on 8 cruises now and only one had a different port every day (and to be honest, it was too much). When I first started cruising it seemed like a standard 7 night cruise almost always had 4 PoC. Now it seems as though the standard is 3 PoC.
Great video! Excellent tips and info👍🏾