Another awesome video! I related so much to these tips! Your elevator experience is the exact reason why I avoid a room near the elevators. I kinda have a fear of elevators and rooming next to one creeps me out! Your experience is the reason why!! Lol.
I was near an elevator, but two or three cabins down. Had no issues except for kids screaming down the hallway. But the kids scream all the way down the hallway. I think a couple of cabins away from the hallway is ideal, especially mid-ship above the promenade deck and not right below the lido deck.
I'd like to add: Don't book a room next to the kids area. Our last cruise (Mexican Riviera), our cabin was literally right next to Camp Carnival. Our cabin was mostly soundproof , but everytime we opened our door, we were bombarded by kids running either to or from the kids area. And we did hear a little in our cabin. Never again. Actually, I think they changed the room cuz I woulda noticed if I had picked a room there!
1.Comfy shoes 2. Medicine for whatever you might need. 3. Sunscreen, 4. Turn off your Data Roaming, put cell phones 8n airplane mode. 5. For more relaxing time, go for a longer cruise like 7-10 or more days. 6.Watch time zones and explore, on your own staying close if not with group.
Don’t over pack!! Dragging your luggage through airports, on and off ships, or through customs is bad enough...but dragging it back home with clothes you never wore is the worst!!!...set out your clothes before packing, and then put half back in the closet, and you will be fine...most ships these days don’t have the dress codes of old, and, trust me when I tell you that the 500 strangers you pass on the ship today don’t know you already wore those shorts!..especially in tropical climates...everything gets wrinkled anyway!...just relax and enjoy!
a few years ago we booked our flight for the morning of a DECEMBER cruise from Michigan. BIG MISTAKE. A horrible ice storm hit that morning. We just boarded the plane and had to get off so runway and plane could be de-iced which took 2 hours. Then we got back on and had to sit a few more hours. We finally made it to florida and hired a driver to get us to ship. He was literally speeding and passing people on the shoulder of expressway to get us there on time. He got us there in the nick of time which we tipped him $100. We still had to run to check in but made it. Now we pay for a hotel room the night before. That would be my biggest tip to cruisers.
We are cruising in September out of Baltimore, which is about a 6 hour drive for us. My mom, whom I am bringing along, was assuming we were going to drive to the port the day of. Oh no, I'm not going to get up at the butt crack of dawn and drive all day then board the ship right away... and pass out by dinner lol! We always get a hotel, we try to get a snooze and cruise package so we don't have to worry about parking no matter what port we travel to! Less stress and much better experience!
I've done the exact same thing! Flying from Maryland to Cape Canaveral! It was a nightmare! The next time we went, we booked a room for the night before the cruise. We still flew into Orlando (and it's quite a drive from there to Cape Canaveral) but had time to see the Kennedy Space Center and relax the night before.
Big yes about the flying. My wife and I flew from Brisbane to Sydney earlier this year to cruise on a repositioning to Seattle. Our 1005 flight was cancelled, and a replacement flight didn’t depart until 1350! We got to the port with only about 15 minute to spare! Talk about stressful!
Mine was a 7am flight that was cancelled and didnt get out until noon. With the cruise transportation to the pier waiting for our flight we arrived as they were shutting down the check in. Luckily there were about 30 of us on the same flight.
My first cruise was back in 1998 and the mistake I made was not during the cruise but at the end...... Dont not go back to work the day after your cruise! Take a couple extra days off. You'll need it....
We always try mid ship glass elevators! Our favorite spot for sure noise hasn’t been a problem, usually longer cruises though, and Holland America or Princess, not the “party cruise lines”
Ditto...just walk on with our beach bag. Don't need to worry about when suitcases arrive at your suite. We're usually poolside with a beer within ten minutes of boarding.
On my first cruise I lived in Seattle and the cruise left at 6 p.m. in Vancouver, BC. I caught a bus at noon for Vancouver. It was connected with the cruiseline so the ship wasn't going to leave without us. If the bus wasn't partnering with the cruise line I would have left the day before. On the other cruises I've taken I lived further away from the port of departure that required me to fly so I left the day before. It was very nice because I got to enjoy spending the night before in the hotel and enjoying things before the cruise.
ALWAYS fly in the day before! Too many things can happen if you cut it close. Flight delays, traffic in port city. Lost luggage is a pretty big one- you get to the ship on time, but without your luggage.
CALL YOUR PHONE SERVICE PROVIDER!!! Most of them (especially if you are unlimited data) cover cruises in places like the Bahamas and the like but you have to get it flipped on. Every carrier is different though.
My rookie mistakes: - way too formal on formal nights ( it’s not like the titanic) -not enough daytime, casual clothes ( I thought I would pretty much live in swimwear) -not enough underwear (I didn’t account for wanting to take 2 showers a day like I often did) -not packing warm enough clothing (it was cold and windy mornings and evenings.) - not bringing small-bill cash for excursions and tipping I think most of my mistakes were all in my packing. I listened to some bad advice. Well, maybe not bad advice but at 20 I listened to someone at 50 about packing advice, with a very different “cruise style” I guess. I packed only dinner dresses (she told me formal nights were basically prom levels of formal too, haha) swim suits and coverups. For a 7 day Cruise I literally brought one pair of shorts, one pair of capris and a t shirt. and I had the pants and sweater I wore on embarkation. I wore them way too much and was too stubborn to fork out money for laundry service because Royal Caribbean at the time didn’t have self-service laundry.
It didn't happen to me, but on my first Princess cruise several years ago I met a woman in the self-service Launderette on board the ship who told me that during our stop in Jamaica she and her mother had gone outside the port and taken a cab to see the sights in the area at an agreed upon price. When they were on their way back to the port, but still some distance away, the driver stopped and told them that the price they had agreed upon was only half and that he needed an additional amount to take them back. Until they paid him he wouldn't budge, so they ended up paying him double the original price. When they got back to the ship and complained there was nothing that could be done.the cruise excursion desk had warned passengers at the shore excursion talk and in the short excursion literature that was put in the rooms, to only take cabs that were licensed and had a certain symbol on them to indicate as much.To save money these ladies bypassed the licensed cabs with set pricing and made a deal with an independent cab that ended up costing them moneywise and ruining their day in port. It's good to try to save money, but we need to do our homework and stay safe. .
yes, on a boat to a beach...$5 pp..once on the boat they said another $5 pp for return boat ride...but didnt tell us that before we got on the boat, so instead of giving him a $10 we had to search for a $20 in our beach bag...good thing we brought more money along...didnt expect to spend anything other than the boat ride to the beach as nothing else was there to buy that we were interested in. Live and learn...and maybe ask before getting on the boat AGAIN how much the ride will be. Everyone on the boat was shocked about this
I forgot to pack any panties when I went on the QE2 about 25 years ago.. I ended up buying one pair from the Harrods store on board and paid $27 for a pair of silk ones. I washed out one while I wore the other pair. I never wore those panties again because they fit too tight. We still laugh about it but I don't forget my underwear anymore.
Pack your medicines or the most important ones in your carry-on bag. If your main bag is delayed getting to you or lost, you could have a bad vacation. Also, carry any prescription narcotics in your pocket, especially through TSA inspection points in airports. Make sure they are in the labeled bottles from your pharmacy. If you are a chronic pain patient, you know which pills I am talking about. Many TSA scanners are thieves and I have had a TSA agent help themselves to my pain meds; some or even all of them while doing a "further inspection" of my carry-on bag. The news is more frequently doing stories about unscrupulous TSA agents who are thieves.
Glenn Quagmire wait, I carry "those pills" I always watch my bag go through the scanner, how did a TSA agent take your pills from your carry on bag? I can see meds getting ripped off from a checked bag though.
The mistake that I will never make again on my next cruise is that I will not feel embarrassed to ask for seconds in the main dining room. Not knowing the policy in Dining Room in my last cruise and I was still hungry, so after dinner, I went up to the Buffet Dining to finish my dinner.
Great tips! On our first cruise we did research and didn't book any excursions. Then when we were in port we ended up doing the same your as the cruise line (they were right behind is the whole time) except theirs was in a big bus for $175 pp or so, and ours was $10 for all 12 of us! (We tipped too of course!)
+kaitlin pica I think if I were to choose one reason why I prefer non-ship sponsored tors it would definitely be the smaller crowd and prices. You hit the nail on the head.
I LOVED your advice about booking and exploring shore excursions not affiliated with the ship. I use to always just stick with what they offered in their packages. Don't get me wrong, I've only experienced great excursions through the cruise lines. I watched your video and boy was I ever glad I did! My husband and I had already booked a cruise to Alaska, for the honeymoon we never had. The longest cruise we ever were going on and we "mapped out" our excursions for the different islands/ports... we wanted to book asap as prior experiences taught us that some of the popular fill quickly. About 2 weeks before we were to fly to Vancouver, my sister and niece had a catastrophic loss. They needed to come and stay with us. Well, they obviously needed some positivity and love. Royal Caribbean was FANTASTIC and completely accommodating when I asked if I could change our suit into 2 staterooms. I travel a lot for work so airfare was covered with mileage (those miles do add up). Our only concerns were amenities, cocktails, snacks and excursions. I realize cruise ship don't like this BUT.... at our first port of call we went to a ABC store and bought our own "duty free" spirits and snacks. We bought one cocktail and then slipped back to our room for refills. As far as excursions went, my husband and I were pleasantly surprised that when you chat with locals, they're happy to share the hidden treasures. For example, there is a Bald Eagle/Rapture sanctuary in Ketchikan through National Parks. They say it's free but we had such a beautiful time that we felt a generous donation was in order. They simply have a donation box. There were nature paths, live exhibits and lectures and fabulous photo ops. We found similar experiences in Skagway and Juneau but not as note worthy at the sanctuary in Ketchikan. Once we were away from the ports of call, Alaska took on a whole different experience. The ports are inundated with tourist shops, jewelry and fur shops. We're not big shoppers but the ABC stores were great for snacks, forgotten items... and of course spirits. It must sound like we are a bunch of lushes! LOL!We were on a needed trip away. In the long end, we really enjoyed the cruise's pass by the glaciers and weren't left feeling like we missed out by skipping out on the helicopter ride or glacier hike. Thank you for your very valuable advice! I'll also take your advice and not bring those dressy heels as I've never worn them (despite constantly packing them). ❤️
For us when we flew I honestly didn’t think they would say anything because of the big bottles of sunscreen and body wash I had him on my carry-on bag and they took him away at the airport and also when we were watching a movie by the pool we didn’t know that we could borrow blankets instead of towels to cover ourselves. It was so cold some of the times and we were both just huddled with one towel then we saw that you could get a blanket it was so funny
Thanks for sharing, save some of us from learning the hard way. We are always freaked out about roaming. Also relate to the sunscreen screen and burning easily. - Tony
Yes, I booked a room right by the elevator on the Carnival Freedom and it was great! No extra noise, in fact i think we had less because there was a cleaning closet between us and the elevator. I actually made sure to book by an elevator again for my upcoming cruise. I guess all experiences vary!
This is good to hear. I booked one right by an elevator (some sort of room in between, closet or storage ) on the Freedom and I thought about changing it, but now I won't! Thank you
Might I add, keep cruising. You will learn something new every time. I'm booked on my fifth cruise since getting the bug in 2012 for November 2018. This one is a 17 day cruise with 7 ports from Perth to Sydney.. Last one was a 13 day New Zealand cruise with 7 ports, every single port on consecutive days, and by gee it got hectic toward the end, and I was thinking I wouldn't make it due to my arthritis.... The next one has either one or two sea days between each port.
Wife is a nurse and she brings probably 10 pounds of "just in case" meds. It has really paid off. One cruise we were on I had cold symptoms on the 2nd day. I am good as long as I have some Dayquil. Dayquil on the ship comes in a small bottle and costs around $12. In port we were able to find the bigger bottles for less.
Leaving without my passport... I thought it had been packed, but had a funny feeling that something important was left behind, 2 blocks down the road. I turned around, didn't even know what I was looking for, until "Ah-ha!", looking in the safe.
We always wait until we're a mile from the house to check for those things. We almost make a point to check our list 1mile down the road, it's a weird way we double check everything but it works!
thejokerspeaks omg, i did this same thing when we took our first cruise. But i didn't realize the error until we were in Florida. I had to ask my brother to fax the birth certificates (back then you didn't have to use a passport) to our hotel. Thankfully the cruiseline accepted the faxed copies so we could board. That was so stressful wondering if we would be allowed to board. Now, the passports stay right in our carry on bag at all times!
Most of the times the ship excursions are worth it (if worried about money...just take one or two for the week)....we have taken off ship "excursions" and 1/2 the time they turn out and 1/2 they are a disaster, and costs us about the same (maybe a little less, not much). Getting back to the ship is never a worry, just pay attention to the time. The problem is "safety" (two different taxis drives were "adventures"; one said he'd drive us to his mother's clothing shop, refused to stop when we requested and only after being yelled at by my 200 lb, 6 ft husband, he admitted that his mother's shop really was one hour drive away in a completely diff. city; and another taxis we got off the cruise terminal suddenly "broke down" in the middle of nowhere, shaddy road, we thru the grace of God got a wonderful "angel" lady to stop her taxis and give us a ride, and we literally had to have the new driver drive like crazy bc the previous person had us followed and followed us back to the cruise terminal...and we had our two teenage girls w/us in that 3rd world country! Or the off ship excursion that was a little cheaper but added diving, which my husband likes, on a glass bottom fish viewing boat where 1/2 our family got sea sick, which we never do, and we tried not to throw up for most of it...we were told by experienced cruisers that that would never have happened in a ship-sanctioned excursion as if any complaints like that, the ship wouldn't carry them. Sometimes, if you are not going to just walk into town and look around or just get a ride to a beach, it's better and safer to book thru the ship. Getting back in time will be the LEAST of your worries, trust me!
I have my second ever cruise next year and I'm trying to prepare for it. I found your channel and I've been hooked ever since. All your videos are helping pass the time unti I'm aboard the Star Princess. I'm can't wait! Keep up the great work!
Can’t agree with the 2-3 day cruise. I had a ball. No party animal here.. I’m in bed by 9.30 and still enjoyed myself, wandering, eating, reading, napping and the odd drink.
Great tips! Im not sure i can make Mondays live stream so posting a few of my tips here for first day carryon packing. On your phones you can also turn off voice and data roaming domestic and international and still be able to use the ships wifi package if you purchase it. Also, Its good to pack magazines or a book and earbuds or earphones. Also bring a small bottle of headache pills or any meds you might need while waiting for you luggage to show up.
don't forget 1 binoculars in your carry on bag 2) books/mags 3) beach bag 4) magnets for closet walls to hold papers in the cabin 5) small travel handwash laundry soap to wash out bathing suits in the sink 6) small hand mirror to do hair/makeup 7) earplugs to block out snoring room companion 8) small over the shoulder purse to keep it hands free 9) flip flops for the pool or showers/cover up and 10) small bills for tipping!
It's so funny, I've heard others say this, but my husband and I LOVE being near the elevator. We've not heard any noise and it is so handy, since my husband is in a wheel chair and it's very difficult to pass through the hallways, especially at dinnertime.Another great video though. :)
thanks for that - No 5 was the one that we'd not thought of... our cruise departs 18:30 and we thought flying from NZ to Sydney Australia on the morning of our cruise would be fine but so many people warned us against it and advised us to fly in the day before - which we are now doing :-)
I've only been on five cruises. For my Caribbean cruises, I've not had a problem flying in the day of the cruise. For the Alaskan cruise and the Med, you absolutely need to fly in at least one day in advance.
I agree with this lady completely about the cruise excursions. I always get a taxi and I don't have to wait on the same few people who can never make it back to the bus on time. So! I see more for half the price.
I know this is two years old however it’s worth hearing again. Mine was not realizing the tip was already included at the spa. I added a “good” tip. And wondered why I was so popular on our next visit!! Lol 😆 ugh
On the sunscreen issue, don't go without, if you forget to bring it buy it, no matter what the cost. We are just planning our first cruise for this coming December, but we learned our lesson at an amusement park. Forgot sunscreen went to buy it at park, $12 for a tiny little bottle, wouldn't pay it. Half a day in an ER and 3 lost days of work from severe sunburn after wish we had spent the $12.
So great, especially the bit about port times! It didn't happen to me, but there was this lady who missed the boat leaving one of the ports and had to be ferried out to the ship.
We were on our way to a Mediterranean Cruise 14h by car. The day before embarkation we chose a hotel, wich has the same name as an Italian city. Guess what happened when we rewrote the destination we wanted to go to? So our ride was 3hours longer and we had to be fine with another hotel. Finally we made it to ship the next day... Thanks for sharing your tips!
So your number 1 mistake really tickled me. When picking a cabin location I always try to be as close to the elevator as possible. I absolutely love the convenience of not having to crawl through a long hallway before I can gain access to the elevators. You mentioned the noise from the elevator of medal hitting together. Was the cabin on the inside by chance. We always take a balcony so, the elevator would never be on a adjacent wall. Well, at least on the ships I’ve been on. Also, I know how people tell me how they worry about traffic outside their cabin. I have never heard foot traffic once the door is closed. Of course, every cruiser is not wired the same. I just found your videos and fell in love with them! Also, huge fan of Princess as well. Number 1 line for me. Reason being, fantastic itineraries! When you have cruised as much as I have, I want something beyond a vanilla Caribbean cruise. I know, that’s a bit mean. I shouldn’t say that, but I’m sure you understand what I meant was in the best of spirit. Going on the Grand Princess 15 day sailing from San Francisco to Hawaii for this year’s Christmas/New Year’s Cruise. Always been a bucket list item for me. Second 15 day Princess sailing I’ve done. Just loved the last one. Best cruise ever. Most gregarious passengers I ever sailed with. And I think as a whole, most cruise lovers are gregarious. I suspected that on a 2 week cruise, the passengers are pretty hardcore lovers. Perhaps, that’s why. Thanks so much for sharing! Rick
Mistake when we booked our cruise online. We booked the WRONG SHIP!! We had been looking at different cruises on different dates so I noticed within 24 hours that we booked the wrong ship. RCL let us change the reservation because it was within 24 hours without a change fee.
Susan S my girlfriend left her epi pen and accidentally ate cashews on the first night -__- thankfully that's one of the nuts shes only mildly allergic to.
We always flight out the day of the cruise from to Charlotte, NC to Miami or Fort Lauderdale airports. Never had issues nor any travel issues with weather in winter months.
On the phone thing: we put the phones into airplane mode on the gangway going aboard! Generally, in fact, aside from times when we want to use one as a camera, our phones stay in the safe in the cabin. Cruises are a time to unplug. On excursions: non-ship excursions are great! The ship-sponsored excursions tend to be really crowded, while when we've done island tours in Roatan, it was 4 of us and a driver. Stingray City in Grand Cayman? Probably 15 of us on the boat with 2 dive guides and a pilot. Contrast that with the ship tours where they cram 50+ people onto the boat! The other tour tip I'd have is, taxi drivers tend to be SUPER knowledgeable about their island. We had a GREAT tour of Nassau with a driver we just flagged down -- "show us the things you'd want a tourist to remember about your city, and find us someplace that you'd go for lunch." Voila, a city tour, local cuisine, and it cost us like $20 (plus food).
We used to do that also, but then we had several scary "adventures" in taxis in bigger and/or more 3rd world countries. Now, unless it's a small island or country that's not 3rd world and/or we have heard from others it's OK...we have learned (the hard way...like safety-wise) NOT to do that anymore. We used to say that also, tho. You're safe...until you're not, and then it's really just by the grace of God that you are able to get safely back to the ship...trust me.
Like the video! As a Floridian I am ashamed to admit that my wife and I didn't think to pack sunscreen for one of our cruises. We had to buy on ship and it was the most expensive sunscreen we've ever bought!
I live in south florida so going to port is a 20 min drive but I will never take uber there again bc it's chaos and you'll be waiting forever especially with a kid when time to go home. I will forever just drive over to port myself
Umm. I got a tour from a guy at the pier ... AND HE GOT ARRESTED WHILE ON OUR TOUR! , I will always pick one from a ship from now on, because shit can happen
The difference is, you need to research and make sure an independent company is reputable BEFORE you leave for your cruise. Picking one up on the pier is probably not the best idea. We've booked independent excursions for years with far better experiences than ship ones, but you have to do your homework.
Taunya Hagen ~ I don't know where you were. In Alaska, I had great success talking with locals at casual restaurants just having coffee. It saved us hundreds. We used the cruise transportation or taxi services only. I'm sorry you had that bad experience.
I don’t even dare to book any tours/excursions not done officially through the ship. Numerous occasions I hear that ship-booked tours run late and we’re just sat there waiting for the tour to come back. If you booked that tour yourself not via the ship, you can kiss goodbye to your cabin and belongings on board as the ship won’t wait for you. One of my mom’s friends booked a glacier walk excursion on an Alaskan cruise, but the weather took a turn for the worse, so they were stuck up on a glacier over night, and had to be rescued by a helicopter the next morning. Luckily since it was booked through the ship they all caught a flight to the next port and met back up with the ship the next day, AND they got the excursion refunded and $500 compensation. Just another reason to book official tours/excursions through the cruise line.
Thanks for the video. Definitely a good idea to pack enough sunscreen and maybe even keep some in carry on because you might be out in the sun a lot before your luggage is at your room. That and I am pretty sure those stores are not even open until after they have sailed.
If you travel at all, for work, for pleasure, these tips apply in almost all cases. Yes, if you are on land, near a major city or town, you can find stores for certain items that you need, but do you really need to spend time looking for essentials on your vacation or work assignment?
I got one. Never book a guaranteed cabin room. I did this on the Norwegian Escape. That means they can assign you any cabin in the ship in that category. More likely than not it is not gonna be a good location, like near an elevator or in my case just above the ships stabilizer system. (lots of banging noises all night) You save money booking a guaranteed cabin but you have no control of what you will get and they will not change you once the cabin is assigned. It's better to be able to select your own cabin then you can research reviews on it on sites like cruisecritic.
I lost two cruises due to flight cancellations and/or delays from NYC to Fl. Did not have cruise line insurance. However I did purchase one with a Citibank card that secured the transaction and refunded 100%. On the 2nd one, still didn't learn, purchase with American Express and to my surprise they do not cover unless you book through they travel services!!! By now I learned...and I discarded the AMEX cards!!! I do leave home without them!
That's true, but after about 20 cruises, we have found anything under 5 days is a "party cruise" with lots of drunk people, stripping contests (sponsored by the ship, BTW), etc. It depends on what you like.
Don’t forget to call your bank or credit card company to let them know your are leaving for vacation or else they can block your credit card or bank card. Tell them the cruise line ship name the ports you visit departure and return date.
I'm basically of the opinion you NEVER go on a shore excursion arranged by the cruise line, unless you like paying five to ten times the amount you can get a tour from the wharf. One one excursion, the ship was charging $95 for what you could get for $17. Plus they left the museum (which had free entry) [Te Papa in Wellington, NZ] after an hour. Doing it on your own you could stay for much longer than that.
Here are 3 DO NOT FORGET HINTS TO SAVE YOU ON A CRUISE EXCURSION: 1. Unless you are staying within the confines of the port, ALWAYS CARRY YOUR PASSPORT with you. In worst case, you could be in an accident in a foreign country WITHOUT YOUR PASSPORT, good luck trying to fly or get home without it. 2. Always carry the ships NEWSLETTER with you when going on any excursion. BECAUSE if you have any problem, like not retuning on-time - the news letter has the LOCAL CONTACTS for the cruise company. 3. MOST IMPORTANT: Always use the cruise company's excursions - never go out on your own. WHY - BECAUSE even though always more expensive than local sightseeing, IF the bus or taxi (or your rent-a-car breaks down) is late returning - the SHIP WILL ALWAYS WAIT FOR YOU (and in the absolute worst case - will get you to the next port of call at SHIPS EXPENSE). When you go out on your own - you are on your own if you MISS THE BOATS departure - and if you forgot your passport, good luck.
Forgot medicine on last cruise and did the phone thing once! Luckily it was just a few text messages at a nickel each. The medicine was a problem since we began with two sea days. BP wasn't a big deal but the GERD medicine was a killer. Luckily, in almost every Caribbean port, you can get these types of medicines without a prescription, I got 6 pills of each in St. Maarten for $8.
I also don't agree with the advice to avoid cruise line booked excursions. While they can be pricier than excursions booked at the pier or through a 3rd party, there are two large benefits to doing so. One is that when you book through the line, the ship is aware of your excursion and if return to the ship is delayed - the ship is more likely to delay departure or make efforts to expedite alternative transportation for your return to the ship. Number two is that the excursions are heavily vetted by the cruise line. They have a vested interest in ensuring that the excursion actually provides what is advertised, that the tour operators are knowledgeable, competent and certified (when required) and that the facilities/destinations/equipment are up to date and well maintained.
Yes, when the off ship excursions work and are much cheaper ... it's great. But when they don't, it's bad. We booked a slightly cheaper glass bottom fish watching boat excursion thru a private company (they added a small scuba driving thing at the end of theirs not on the ship sponsored one). About 1/2 our family got sea sick on the boat, including me, who had to try to stop from throwing up thru 1/2 of it (and I n-e-v-e-r get sea sick otherwise), and the scuba diving was suppose to be off a reef but supposedly bc of the rough water that day (that's what we were told...also told "no refunds"), they scuba dived with the boat tied up at the pier (no reefs). I heard the scuba diving equipment was iffy too. Experienced cruisers told us that that type of excursion would never had been sponsored by the ship bc of all the complaints. Never will take something like that again.
Went through that traveling with an aunt. She got mad about a super silly, perceived but not actual, slight during tea time and spent the rest of the cruise in her cabin literally pouting. I will never travel with anyone I don't know is easy going and not a drama queen/complainer ever again. I'll go solo first.
For us it was booking a cabin over the auditorium. What's so bad about that? Well the Filipino crew members decided to party it up for two nights with a super loud live band past 3:00 am. It was apparently some Filipino holiday. The noise was so intense we could not sleep and suffered the ill effects of sleep loss during land tours.
I think it’s good to be aware (especially for people outside of America) that in most ships they’ll charge for healthcare, and it’s normally quite expensive!
Very true. I got extremely seasick on one cruise. Ended up in the ship hospital to get a nausea shot. Thank goodness my insurance paid the bill. I only had to pay my $100 deductible.
Did the new shoes one..and realizing I left my passport at home once we got comfortable by my sister almost 3 hours away the day before. Good thing it wasn't further and my husband asked then and not the morning of the cruise.
I specifically try to get a room by the elevator. You had one bad experience with mechanical problems but that's got to be rare. They're designed to be quiet. I mostly book on Royal Caribbean and the people around the elevator are usually older.
True! Flew in the day of once...plane hit a bird and lost an engine. Had to return to the airport and wait hours for a new plane. Barely made the ship and only with the help of the Carnival kiosk lady who put us (and about a dozen other cruisers on our same flight!) on the Carnival shuttle. We'd planned to save money taking Uber, stopping to buy our soda and wine on the way to the port. That was out the window! Now we go the day before and chill. Except for our next one: Princess has good flight prices and a guarantee that you'll get on the ship if you book through them so we're trying "day of" again.
Here's something we learned with friends... If travelling with your significant other, pack half of your stuff and half of your partner's stuff in one bag and the other half in your stuff in the other bag. This way, both partners have more of their stuff, than nothing. The husband of a couple we travelled with on a cruise, had his bag lost at the airport and it wasn't located until we got back from our cruise. He only had two shirts, one pair of shorts and one pair of pants... Not very convenient....
Ahhh first time cruising in 6 days and we fly in toFlordia at 5 am the day of. Praying it goes well. I didn't know to do the day before until wayyy to late
Over packing! It's funny how as humans we will stay in the same thing all weekend (lazy days) but yet feel as tho were going to have 3 outfit changes a day Lmao! We literally had a full (huge) bag of stuff we didn't even open on our first. Also.. making sure to leave room/ pack an extra duffle bag for souvenirs. We drove the first couple of times to port but with flying you have to be extra diligent of bringing the right stuff with you.
I heartily recommend using the Alaska Toursaver BOGO coupon book if cruising and/or land traveling in AK. We bought ea. Of our shore excursions for AK at half price, and the full fare cruise excursion passengers were on same tour, so no problems getting back to ship. Well worth the $90. First time cruisers.
I got my first sunburn last year in Roatan Honduras . and until that point, I would tell my wife, black guys, dont get sunburned. (I'm black shes white) So we always had it I just never used it.
cjhan47 ~ I just read your reply to my husband! I'm white and was raised in Hawaii. He's black and has never been out of Maryland. When we go home to visit my family I explain the importance of sunscreen and how close we are to the equator. His exact words to me were, "black people don't burn and I'm really dark so I'm safe". I tried to explain that wasn't true (I'm a nurse practitioner) but he said... "you wouldn't know because you're white". I tried several times. On our second or third day we were at my parent's house for a family BBQ. He snorkeled, played volleyball and over saw the grill. Later that night we were in the emergency room with him having really bad sunburn. No, he didn't have to go to a ER but we saw how well he listened to me about sunscreen. Needless to say, the next several days were miserable for him and he faithfully uses sunscreen now.
How long does it take your bags to get to your room? I would like to know more about that process. Things like how to minimize lost luggage, is there a limit on how many bags or how heavy, etc
Sorry can’t make tomorrow night. Our biggest mistake was when we were carrying two bottles of wine on the ship and thought we could pack them in our large suitcase rather than our carry-on. We went to the naughty room and stood in line for HOURS. Please make sure if you’re bringing wine that it is packed in your carry-on bag.
I've had this problem both ways around now with Princess. First time the carry-on wine was in the big bags, and there wasn't a problem. Second time we had to get it out of the big bags and into hand luggage. I suppose the solution is to have 2 bottles of wine in the big bags AND two bottles in the carry-on. What's the worst that can happen? They confiscate the wine? At the price of wine in supermarkets now, that'll be the least of your worries
Would doing 'self embarkation', at the end of the cruise, be a mistake? Not putting out your luggage night before,...and doing it yourself? instead of all that waiting around the day you get off the ship? Is it allowed? Can you then self embark at any time?
We always fly in a day or two and relax, shop or whatever. Then we stay in the same hotel (with early checkin) on disembark and miss the airport hassles of all the cruise passengers.
My first cruise i went with my Friends and their parents, they book room all we heard it sounded like bowling balls being roll on floor. It was carts for the lido. We were asleep and got awake we all laugh.
Completely agree. I've got arthritis in many joints, including knees, ankles and toes. Those cabin corridors can be VERY long, and on 2,000 berth ships, you're only going to have two main elevator shafts. I've learnt this the hard way on our first two cruises when we were very close to the rear of the ship. The last two cruises, I've chosen a cabin right near the elevators, and for my next one in November, the same applies.
Thank god, I haven't made any of your mistakes. Great video though. One thing though, I have T-mobile and they have contracts with cruise lines so I can surf and never had to pay a dime
Mistake #1 - I packed way too much! Mistake #2 - To save $100 we left our car with family rather than parked at port, they were hours late picking us up and we had to wait in the freezing cold with our 3 kids, and our car had tons of scratches all over it, happy honeymoon to us!
Another awesome video! I related so much to these tips! Your elevator experience is the exact reason why I avoid a room near the elevators. I kinda have a fear of elevators and rooming next to one creeps me out! Your experience is the reason why!! Lol.
Scott Singer Cruises I
I was near an elevator, but two or three cabins down. Had no issues except for kids screaming down the hallway. But the kids scream all the way down the hallway. I think a couple of cabins away from the hallway is ideal, especially mid-ship above the promenade deck and not right below the lido deck.
Glenn Quagmire so funny thanks for making a funny comment
I'd like to add: Don't book a room next to the kids area. Our last cruise (Mexican Riviera), our cabin was literally right next to Camp Carnival. Our cabin was mostly soundproof , but everytime we opened our door, we were bombarded by kids running either to or from the kids area. And we did hear a little in our cabin. Never again. Actually, I think they changed the room cuz I woulda noticed if I had picked a room there!
If you're next to elevator that means you book an "inside cabin" Inside cabins are cheaper but I would avoid them at all costs...
1.Comfy shoes 2. Medicine for whatever you might need. 3. Sunscreen, 4. Turn off your Data Roaming, put cell phones 8n airplane mode. 5. For more relaxing time, go for a longer cruise like 7-10 or more days. 6.Watch time zones and explore, on your own staying close if not with group.
Don’t over pack!! Dragging your luggage through airports, on and off ships, or through customs is bad enough...but dragging it back home with clothes you never wore is the worst!!!...set out your clothes before packing, and then put half back in the closet, and you will be fine...most ships these days don’t have the dress codes of old, and, trust me when I tell you that the 500 strangers you pass on the ship today don’t know you already wore those shorts!..especially in tropical climates...everything gets wrinkled anyway!...just relax and enjoy!
a few years ago we booked our flight for the morning of a DECEMBER cruise from Michigan. BIG MISTAKE. A horrible ice storm hit that morning. We just boarded the plane and had to get off so runway and plane could be de-iced which took 2 hours. Then we got back on and had to sit a few more hours. We finally made it to florida and hired a driver to get us to ship. He was literally speeding and passing people on the shoulder of expressway to get us there on time. He got us there in the nick of time which we tipped him $100. We still had to run to check in but made it. Now we pay for a hotel room the night before. That would be my biggest tip to cruisers.
We are cruising in September out of Baltimore, which is about a 6 hour drive for us. My mom, whom I am bringing along, was assuming we were going to drive to the port the day of. Oh no, I'm not going to get up at the butt crack of dawn and drive all day then board the ship right away... and pass out by dinner lol! We always get a hotel, we try to get a snooze and cruise package so we don't have to worry about parking no matter what port we travel to! Less stress and much better experience!
I've done the exact same thing! Flying from Maryland to Cape Canaveral! It was a nightmare!
The next time we went, we booked a room for the night before the cruise. We still flew into Orlando (and it's quite a drive from there to Cape Canaveral) but had time to see the Kennedy Space Center and relax the night before.
ALWAYS book a hotel the night before.
dont do that
@@elizabethdavis9801 I wholeheartedly agree, and we have been on about 20 cruises.
Big yes about the flying. My wife and I flew from Brisbane to Sydney earlier this year to cruise on a repositioning to Seattle. Our 1005 flight was cancelled, and a replacement flight didn’t depart until 1350! We got to the port with only about 15 minute to spare! Talk about stressful!
Mine was a 7am flight that was cancelled and didnt get out until noon. With the cruise transportation to the pier waiting for our flight we arrived as they were shutting down the check in. Luckily there were about 30 of us on the same flight.
My first cruise was back in 1998 and the mistake I made was not during the cruise but at the end...... Dont not go back to work the day after your cruise! Take a couple extra days off. You'll need it....
I absolutely LOVE cabins near the elevator, we barely heard a thing and so convenient hop on and off so easily and get back to the room !
100% agree.
Barbs Smith a
We always try mid ship glass elevators! Our favorite spot for sure noise hasn’t been a problem, usually longer cruises though, and Holland America or Princess, not the “party cruise lines”
We always fly in a day before. Saves a lot of stress and you get a nice little day trip out of it.
Ditto...just walk on with our beach bag. Don't need to worry about when suitcases arrive at your suite. We're usually poolside with a beer within ten minutes of boarding.
On my first cruise I lived in Seattle and the cruise left at 6 p.m. in Vancouver, BC. I caught a bus at noon for Vancouver. It was connected with the cruiseline so the ship wasn't going to leave without us. If the bus wasn't partnering with the cruise line I would have left the day before. On the other cruises I've taken I lived further away from the port of departure that required me to fly so I left the day before. It was very nice because I got to enjoy spending the night before in the hotel and enjoying things before the cruise.
ALWAYS fly in the day before! Too many things can happen if you cut it close. Flight delays, traffic in port city. Lost luggage is a pretty big one- you get to the ship on time, but without your luggage.
CALL YOUR PHONE SERVICE PROVIDER!!! Most of them (especially if you are unlimited data) cover cruises in places like the Bahamas and the like but you have to get it flipped on. Every carrier is different though.
My rookie mistakes:
- way too formal on formal nights ( it’s not like the titanic)
-not enough daytime, casual clothes ( I thought I would pretty much live in swimwear)
-not enough underwear (I didn’t account for wanting to take 2 showers a day like I often did)
-not packing warm enough clothing (it was cold and windy mornings and evenings.)
- not bringing small-bill cash for excursions and tipping
I think most of my mistakes were all in my packing. I listened to some bad advice. Well, maybe not bad advice but at 20 I listened to someone at 50 about packing advice, with a very different “cruise style” I guess. I packed only dinner dresses (she told me formal nights were basically prom levels of formal too, haha) swim suits and coverups. For a 7 day Cruise I literally brought one pair of shorts, one pair of capris and a t shirt. and I had the pants and sweater I wore on embarkation. I wore them way too much and was too stubborn to fork out money for laundry service because Royal Caribbean at the time didn’t have self-service laundry.
It didn't happen to me, but on my first Princess cruise several years ago I met a woman in the self-service Launderette on board the ship who told me that during our stop in Jamaica she and her mother had gone outside the port and taken a cab to see the sights in the area at an agreed upon price. When they were on their way back to the port, but still some distance away, the driver stopped and told them that the price they had agreed upon was only half and that he needed an additional amount to take them back. Until they paid him he wouldn't budge, so they ended up paying him double the original price. When they got back to the ship and complained there was nothing that could be done.the cruise excursion desk had warned passengers at the shore excursion talk and in the short excursion literature that was put in the rooms, to only take cabs that were licensed and had a certain symbol on them to indicate as much.To save money these ladies bypassed the licensed cabs with set pricing and made a deal with an independent cab that ended up costing them moneywise and ruining their day in port. It's good to try to save money, but we need to do our homework and stay safe.
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Aimee Rogers very good to know!
yes, on a boat to a beach...$5 pp..once on the boat they said another $5 pp for return boat ride...but didnt tell us that before we got on the boat, so instead of giving him a $10 we had to search for a $20 in our beach bag...good thing we brought more money along...didnt expect to spend anything other than the boat ride to the beach as nothing else was there to buy that we were interested in. Live and learn...and maybe ask before getting on the boat AGAIN how much the ride will be. Everyone on the boat was shocked about this
I forgot to pack any panties when I went on the QE2 about 25 years ago.. I ended up buying one pair from the Harrods store on board and paid $27 for a pair of silk ones. I washed out one while I wore the other pair. I never wore those panties again because they fit too tight. We still laugh about it but I don't forget my underwear anymore.
Oh NOOOO!!!!!!!
+CruiseTipsTV have you ever gone commando? it works and you dont have to foolishly pay 27 bucks...nuts!
I did the same exact thing on my first cruise!! Lol
Panties?
@Carol Parham Talk about getting your panties in an uproar!
Pack your medicines or the most important ones in your carry-on bag. If your main bag is delayed getting to you or lost, you could have a bad vacation. Also, carry any prescription narcotics in your pocket, especially through TSA inspection points in airports. Make sure they are in the labeled bottles from your pharmacy. If you are a chronic pain patient, you know which pills I am talking about. Many TSA scanners are thieves and I have had a TSA agent help themselves to my pain meds; some or even all of them while doing a "further inspection" of my carry-on bag.
The news is more frequently doing stories about unscrupulous TSA agents who are thieves.
Glenn Quagmire wait, I carry "those pills" I always watch my bag go through the scanner, how did a TSA agent take your pills from your carry on bag? I can see meds getting ripped off from a checked bag though.
The mistake that I will never make again on my next cruise is that I will not feel embarrassed to ask for seconds in the main dining room. Not knowing the policy in Dining Room in my last cruise and I was still hungry, so after dinner, I went up to the Buffet Dining to finish my dinner.
Good one!
EmperorWildManChan will ug
EmperorWildManChan my favorite thing to ask for more of was shrimp cocktail
Great tips! On our first cruise we did research and didn't book any excursions. Then when we were in port we ended up doing the same your as the cruise line (they were right behind is the whole time) except theirs was in a big bus for $175 pp or so, and ours was $10 for all 12 of us! (We tipped too of course!)
+kaitlin pica I think if I were to choose one reason why I prefer non-ship sponsored tors it would definitely be the smaller crowd and prices. You hit the nail on the head.
I LOVED your advice about booking and exploring shore excursions not affiliated with the ship. I use to always just stick with what they offered in their packages. Don't get me wrong, I've only experienced great excursions through the cruise lines. I watched your video and boy was I ever glad I did! My husband and I had already booked a cruise to Alaska, for the honeymoon we never had. The longest cruise we ever were going on and we "mapped out" our excursions for the different islands/ports... we wanted to book asap as prior experiences taught us that some of the popular fill quickly.
About 2 weeks before we were to fly to Vancouver, my sister and niece had a catastrophic loss. They needed to come and stay with us. Well, they obviously needed some positivity and love. Royal Caribbean was FANTASTIC and completely accommodating when I asked if I could change our suit into 2 staterooms. I travel a lot for work so airfare was covered with mileage (those miles do add up). Our only concerns were amenities, cocktails, snacks and excursions. I realize cruise ship don't like this BUT.... at our first port of call we went to a ABC store and bought our own "duty free" spirits and snacks. We bought one cocktail and then slipped back to our room for refills. As far as excursions went, my husband and I were pleasantly surprised that when you chat with locals, they're happy to share the hidden treasures. For example, there is a Bald Eagle/Rapture sanctuary in Ketchikan through National Parks. They say it's free but we had such a beautiful time that we felt a generous donation was in order. They simply have a donation box. There were nature paths, live exhibits and lectures and fabulous photo ops. We found similar experiences in Skagway and Juneau but not as note worthy at the sanctuary in Ketchikan. Once we were away from the ports of call, Alaska took on a whole different experience. The ports are inundated with tourist shops, jewelry and fur shops. We're not big shoppers but the ABC stores were great for snacks, forgotten items... and of course spirits. It must sound like we are a bunch of lushes! LOL!We were on a needed trip away.
In the long end, we really enjoyed the cruise's pass by the glaciers and weren't left feeling like we missed out by skipping out on the helicopter ride or glacier hike.
Thank you for your very valuable advice! I'll also take your advice and not bring those dressy heels as I've never worn them (despite constantly packing them). ❤️
For us when we flew I honestly didn’t think they would say anything because of the big bottles of sunscreen and body wash I had him on my carry-on bag and they took him away at the airport and also when we were watching a movie by the pool we didn’t know that we could borrow blankets instead of towels to cover ourselves. It was so cold some of the times and we were both just huddled with one towel then we saw that you could get a blanket it was so funny
Thanks for sharing, save some of us from learning the hard way. We are always freaked out about roaming. Also relate to the sunscreen screen and burning easily. - Tony
Totally! Airplane mode is a life saver!
Wow, we always book by the elevator and never have issues..but I definitely agree about the shoes. I never take anything but flats and sneakers!
Yes, I booked a room right by the elevator on the Carnival Freedom and it was great! No extra noise, in fact i think we had less because there was a cleaning closet between us and the elevator. I actually made sure to book by an elevator again for my upcoming cruise. I guess all experiences vary!
This is good to hear. I booked one right by an elevator (some sort of room in between, closet or storage ) on the Freedom and I thought about changing it, but now I won't! Thank you
Might I add, keep cruising. You will learn something new every time. I'm booked on my fifth cruise since getting the bug in 2012 for November 2018. This one is a 17 day cruise with 7 ports from Perth to Sydney.. Last one was a 13 day New Zealand cruise with 7 ports, every single port on consecutive days, and by gee it got hectic toward the end, and I was thinking I wouldn't make it due to my arthritis.... The next one has either one or two sea days between each port.
Great information, thanks for sharing your video with us
Wife is a nurse and she brings probably 10 pounds of "just in case" meds. It has really paid off. One cruise we were on I had cold symptoms on the 2nd day. I am good as long as I have some Dayquil. Dayquil on the ship comes in a small bottle and costs around $12. In port we were able to find the bigger bottles for less.
Haha, that is the PERFECT example.
Leaving without my passport... I thought it had been packed, but had a funny feeling that something important was left behind, 2 blocks down the road. I turned around, didn't even know what I was looking for, until "Ah-ha!", looking in the safe.
+thejokerspeaks eek!!
thejokerspeaks lol this was me in Sept. Got 3 blocks from my house and my friend asked if I had my birth certificate..had to turn around.
We always wait until we're a mile from the house to check for those things. We almost make a point to check our list 1mile down the road, it's a weird way we double check everything but it works!
thejokerspeaks omg, i did this same thing when we took our first cruise. But i didn't realize the error until we were in Florida. I had to ask my brother to fax the birth certificates (back then you didn't have to use a passport) to our hotel. Thankfully the cruiseline accepted the faxed copies so we could board. That was so stressful wondering if we would be allowed to board. Now, the passports stay right in our carry on bag at all times!
I’d rather book excursions through the ship. That way if the excursions run late, the ship WILL wait for me.
Most of the times the ship excursions are worth it (if worried about money...just take one or two for the week)....we have taken off ship "excursions" and 1/2 the time they turn out and 1/2 they are a disaster, and costs us about the same (maybe a little less, not much). Getting back to the ship is never a worry, just pay attention to the time. The problem is "safety" (two different taxis drives were "adventures"; one said he'd drive us to his mother's clothing shop, refused to stop when we requested and only after being yelled at by my 200 lb, 6 ft husband, he admitted that his mother's shop really was one hour drive away in a completely diff. city; and another taxis we got off the cruise terminal suddenly "broke down" in the middle of nowhere, shaddy road, we thru the grace of God got a wonderful "angel" lady to stop her taxis and give us a ride, and we literally had to have the new driver drive like crazy bc the previous person had us followed and followed us back to the cruise terminal...and we had our two teenage girls w/us in that 3rd world country! Or the off ship excursion that was a little cheaper but added diving, which my husband likes, on a glass bottom fish viewing boat where 1/2 our family got sea sick, which we never do, and we tried not to throw up for most of it...we were told by experienced cruisers that that would never have happened in a ship-sanctioned excursion as if any complaints like that, the ship wouldn't carry them. Sometimes, if you are not going to just walk into town and look around or just get a ride to a beach, it's better and safer to book thru the ship. Getting back in time will be the LEAST of your worries, trust me!
I have my second ever cruise next year and I'm trying to prepare for it. I found your channel and I've been hooked ever since. All your videos are helping pass the time unti I'm aboard the Star Princess. I'm can't wait! Keep up the great work!
Thank you for watching! I know you'll love Star Princess.
Thanks! You just reminded me to pack my Sun Screen.
QualityChildcare1 haha that's a good thing !
Can’t agree with the 2-3 day cruise. I had a ball. No party animal here.. I’m in bed by 9.30 and still enjoyed myself, wandering, eating, reading, napping and the odd drink.
They definitely have their place! Sometimes, a good weekend break is PERFECT. I think the two nighter just wore me out ;-)
Great tips! Im not sure i can make Mondays live stream so posting a few of my tips here for first day carryon packing. On your phones you can also turn off voice and data roaming domestic and international and still be able to use the ships wifi package if you purchase it. Also, Its good to pack magazines or a book and earbuds or earphones. Also bring a small bottle of headache pills or any meds you might need while waiting for you luggage to show up.
I didn't make any of these mistakes because I watched your channel before I went on my cruise and you SAVED us!!!
Ah, thank you Liz!
don't forget 1 binoculars in your carry on bag 2) books/mags 3) beach bag 4) magnets for closet walls to hold papers in the cabin 5) small travel handwash laundry soap to wash out bathing suits in the sink 6) small hand mirror to do hair/makeup 7) earplugs to block out snoring room companion 8) small over the shoulder purse to keep it hands free 9) flip flops for the pool or showers/cover up and 10) small bills for tipping!
It's so funny, I've heard others say this, but my husband and I LOVE being near the elevator. We've not heard any noise and it is so handy, since my husband is in a wheel chair and it's very difficult to pass through the hallways, especially at dinnertime.Another great video though. :)
thanks for that - No 5 was the one that we'd not thought of... our cruise departs 18:30 and we thought flying from NZ to Sydney Australia on the morning of our cruise would be fine but so many people warned us against it and advised us to fly in the day before - which we are now doing :-)
Good choice ;-)
I've only been on five cruises. For my Caribbean cruises, I've not had a problem flying in the day of the cruise. For the Alaskan cruise and the Med, you absolutely need to fly in at least one day in advance.
These are such great tips! We are going on a cruise next week and I’m determined to not overpack like I did last time!
Have a wonderful cruise!!!
BRING A WATCH!! This is imperative!
I agree.
a watch with an alarm!
I agree with this lady completely about the cruise excursions. I always get a taxi and I don't have to wait on the same few people who can never make it back to the bus on time. So! I see more for half the price.
I know this is two years old however it’s worth hearing again. Mine was not realizing the tip was already included at the spa. I added a “good” tip. And wondered why I was so popular on our next visit!! Lol 😆 ugh
On the sunscreen issue, don't go without, if you forget to bring it buy it, no matter what the cost. We are just planning our first cruise for this coming December, but we learned our lesson at an amusement park. Forgot sunscreen went to buy it at park, $12 for a tiny little bottle, wouldn't pay it. Half a day in an ER and 3 lost days of work from severe sunburn after wish we had spent the $12.
Excellent tip sally! that sounds like a really scary experience and I appreciate you sharing this.
So great, especially the bit about port times! It didn't happen to me, but there was this lady who missed the boat leaving one of the ports and had to be ferried out to the ship.
We were on our way to a Mediterranean Cruise 14h by car. The day before embarkation we chose a hotel, wich has the same name as an Italian city. Guess what happened when we rewrote the destination we wanted to go to?
So our ride was 3hours longer and we had to be fine with another hotel.
Finally we made it to ship the next day...
Thanks for sharing your tips!
So your number 1 mistake really tickled me. When picking a cabin location I always try to be as close to the elevator as possible. I absolutely love the convenience of not having to crawl through a long hallway before I can gain access to the elevators. You mentioned the noise from the elevator of medal hitting together. Was the cabin on the inside by chance. We always take a balcony so, the elevator would never be on a adjacent wall. Well, at least on the ships I’ve been on. Also, I know how people tell me how they worry about traffic outside their cabin. I have never heard foot traffic once the door is closed. Of course, every cruiser is not wired the same.
I just found your videos and fell in love with them! Also, huge fan of Princess as well. Number 1 line for me. Reason being, fantastic itineraries! When you have cruised as much as I have, I want something beyond a vanilla Caribbean cruise. I know, that’s a bit mean. I shouldn’t say that, but I’m sure you understand what I meant was in the best of spirit.
Going on the Grand Princess 15 day sailing from San Francisco to Hawaii for this year’s Christmas/New Year’s Cruise. Always been a bucket list item for me. Second 15 day Princess sailing I’ve done. Just loved the last one. Best cruise ever. Most gregarious passengers I ever sailed with. And I think as a whole, most cruise lovers are gregarious. I suspected that on a 2 week cruise, the passengers are pretty hardcore lovers. Perhaps, that’s why.
Thanks so much for sharing! Rick
Mistake when we booked our cruise online. We booked the WRONG SHIP!! We had been looking at different cruises on different dates so I noticed within 24 hours that we booked the wrong ship. RCL let us change the reservation because it was within 24 hours without a change fee.
hi shari i love your cruise advise! my hubby and i have been on many cruises & cruise lines but you can never get enough advise& tips.
That’s so sweet, thank you!!
Great video!!! My mistake was I left my sons epi-pens and allergy medicine at home. He’s anaphylactic to peanuts. It made for a very worrisome cruise.
Susan S my girlfriend left her epi pen and accidentally ate cashews on the first night -__- thankfully that's one of the nuts shes only mildly allergic to.
We always flight out the day of the cruise from to Charlotte, NC to Miami or Fort Lauderdale airports. Never had issues nor any travel issues with weather in winter months.
On the phone thing: we put the phones into airplane mode on the gangway going aboard! Generally, in fact, aside from times when we want to use one as a camera, our phones stay in the safe in the cabin. Cruises are a time to unplug.
On excursions: non-ship excursions are great! The ship-sponsored excursions tend to be really crowded, while when we've done island tours in Roatan, it was 4 of us and a driver. Stingray City in Grand Cayman? Probably 15 of us on the boat with 2 dive guides and a pilot. Contrast that with the ship tours where they cram 50+ people onto the boat! The other tour tip I'd have is, taxi drivers tend to be SUPER knowledgeable about their island. We had a GREAT tour of Nassau with a driver we just flagged down -- "show us the things you'd want a tourist to remember about your city, and find us someplace that you'd go for lunch." Voila, a city tour, local cuisine, and it cost us like $20 (plus food).
Great tips- so true!
We used to do that also, but then we had several scary "adventures" in taxis in bigger and/or more 3rd world countries. Now, unless it's a small island or country that's not 3rd world and/or we have heard from others it's OK...we have learned (the hard way...like safety-wise) NOT to do that anymore. We used to say that also, tho. You're safe...until you're not, and then it's really just by the grace of God that you are able to get safely back to the ship...trust me.
Like the video! As a Floridian I am ashamed to admit that my wife and I didn't think to pack sunscreen for one of our cruises. We had to buy on ship and it was the most expensive sunscreen we've ever bought!
I live in south florida so going to port is a 20 min drive but I will never take uber there again bc it's chaos and you'll be waiting forever especially with a kid when time to go home. I will forever just drive over to port myself
Umm. I got a tour from a guy at the pier ... AND HE GOT ARRESTED WHILE ON OUR TOUR! , I will always pick one from a ship from now on, because shit can happen
The difference is, you need to research and make sure an independent company is reputable BEFORE you leave for your cruise. Picking one up on the pier is probably not the best idea. We've booked independent excursions for years with far better experiences than ship ones, but you have to do your homework.
Taunya Hagen waa it in bermuda? Guy named mike?
Taunya Hagen da actual fuq
Taunya Hagen ~ I don't know where you were. In Alaska, I had great success talking with locals at casual restaurants just having coffee. It saved us hundreds. We used the cruise transportation or taxi services only. I'm sorry you had that bad experience.
I don’t even dare to book any tours/excursions not done officially through the ship. Numerous occasions I hear that ship-booked tours run late and we’re just sat there waiting for the tour to come back. If you booked that tour yourself not via the ship, you can kiss goodbye to your cabin and belongings on board as the ship won’t wait for you.
One of my mom’s friends booked a glacier walk excursion on an Alaskan cruise, but the weather took a turn for the worse, so they were stuck up on a glacier over night, and had to be rescued by a helicopter the next morning. Luckily since it was booked through the ship they all caught a flight to the next port and met back up with the ship the next day, AND they got the excursion refunded and $500 compensation. Just another reason to book official tours/excursions through the cruise line.
Thanks for the video. Definitely a good idea to pack enough sunscreen and maybe even keep some in carry on because you might be out in the sun a lot before your luggage is at your room. That and I am pretty sure those stores are not even open until after they have sailed.
+Glock2201 very true!
If you travel at all, for work, for pleasure, these tips apply in almost all cases. Yes, if you are on land, near a major city or town, you can find stores for certain items that you need, but do you really need to spend time looking for essentials on your vacation or work assignment?
I got one. Never book a guaranteed cabin room. I did this on the Norwegian Escape. That means they can assign you any cabin in the ship in that category. More likely than not it is not gonna be a good location, like near an elevator or in my case just above the ships stabilizer system. (lots of banging noises all night) You save money booking a guaranteed cabin but you have no control of what you will get and they will not change you once the cabin is assigned. It's better to be able to select your own cabin then you can research reviews on it on sites like cruisecritic.
I lost two cruises due to flight cancellations and/or delays from NYC to Fl. Did not have cruise line insurance. However I did purchase one with a Citibank card that secured the transaction and refunded 100%. On the 2nd one, still didn't learn, purchase with American Express and to my surprise they do not cover unless you book through they travel services!!! By now I learned...and I discarded the AMEX cards!!! I do leave home without them!
I did a back to back cruise on the Carnival Inspiration in 2016. The 4 day cruise was pretty great but everyone on the 3 day cruise was really loud.
“Peaceful and relaxing” is relative. 3-4 day cruises are fantastic. I’ve done it 4 times. Disney Cruiseline has areas for ages 18+, no brats allowed.
That's true, but after about 20 cruises, we have found anything under 5 days is a "party cruise" with lots of drunk people, stripping contests (sponsored by the ship, BTW), etc. It depends on what you like.
Very clear and interesting, thanks
I'm doing my first solo cruise on Satuday and I'm flying into LAX on Saturday (the same day) so now I'm a big nervous.
Don’t forget to call your bank or credit card company to let them know your are leaving for vacation or else they can block your credit card or bank card. Tell them the cruise line ship name the ports you visit departure and return date.
I'm basically of the opinion you NEVER go on a shore excursion arranged by the cruise line, unless you like paying five to ten times the amount you can get a tour from the wharf. One one excursion, the ship was charging $95 for what you could get for $17. Plus they left the museum (which had free entry) [Te Papa in Wellington, NZ] after an hour. Doing it on your own you could stay for much longer than that.
Really enjoy your videos going on a first time cruise with about eight other ladies so excited thank you for all your great tips and advice
Here are 3 DO NOT FORGET HINTS TO SAVE YOU ON A CRUISE EXCURSION:
1. Unless you are staying within the confines of the port, ALWAYS CARRY YOUR PASSPORT with you. In worst case, you could be in an accident in a foreign country WITHOUT YOUR PASSPORT, good luck trying to fly or get home without it.
2. Always carry the ships NEWSLETTER with you when going on any excursion. BECAUSE if you have any problem, like not retuning on-time - the news letter has the LOCAL CONTACTS for the cruise company.
3. MOST IMPORTANT: Always use the cruise company's excursions - never go out on your own. WHY - BECAUSE even though always more expensive than local sightseeing, IF the bus or taxi (or your rent-a-car breaks down) is late returning - the SHIP WILL ALWAYS WAIT FOR YOU (and in the absolute worst case - will get you to the next port of call at SHIPS EXPENSE). When you go out on your own - you are on your own if you MISS THE BOATS departure - and if you forgot your passport, good luck.
Michael Glick you gave the best advice!
Forgot medicine on last cruise and did the phone thing once! Luckily it was just a few text messages at a nickel each. The medicine was a problem since we began with two sea days. BP wasn't a big deal but the GERD medicine was a killer. Luckily, in almost every Caribbean port, you can get these types of medicines without a prescription, I got 6 pills of each in St. Maarten for $8.
Texts on Carnival are .50 cents for incoming and $1 for outgoing. Wow. .05 cents is a bargain!
I also don't agree with the advice to avoid cruise line booked excursions. While they can be pricier than excursions booked at the pier or through a 3rd party, there are two large benefits to doing so. One is that when you book through the line, the ship is aware of your excursion and if return to the ship is delayed - the ship is more likely to delay departure or make efforts to expedite alternative transportation for your return to the ship. Number two is that the excursions are heavily vetted by the cruise line. They have a vested interest in ensuring that the excursion actually provides what is advertised, that the tour operators are knowledgeable, competent and certified (when required) and that the facilities/destinations/equipment are up to date and well maintained.
Yes, when the off ship excursions work and are much cheaper ... it's great. But when they don't, it's bad. We booked a slightly cheaper glass bottom fish watching boat excursion thru a private company (they added a small scuba driving thing at the end of theirs not on the ship sponsored one). About 1/2 our family got sea sick on the boat, including me, who had to try to stop from throwing up thru 1/2 of it (and I n-e-v-e-r get sea sick otherwise), and the scuba diving was suppose to be off a reef but supposedly bc of the rough water that day (that's what we were told...also told "no refunds"), they scuba dived with the boat tied up at the pier (no reefs). I heard the scuba diving equipment was iffy too. Experienced cruisers told us that that type of excursion would never had been sponsored by the ship bc of all the complaints. Never will take something like that again.
Loved the room by the elevator!
My biggest mistake was not putting my foot down when my mother-I law decided to invite herself along onto the cruise. UGGH!!
Went through that traveling with an aunt. She got mad about a super silly, perceived but not actual, slight during tea time and spent the rest of the cruise in her cabin literally pouting. I will never travel with anyone I don't know is easy going and not a drama queen/complainer ever again. I'll go solo first.
carolyn lucca 😂😂 that is funny
Statistically, most DON'T get along with in laws. You are NOT their child...
😂😂😂😂
I feel you, my sister invited herself and drove my husband nuts then drove me nuts
Thanks for the advice.
Great Video. Thank you for posting. This was informative and helpful.
Very interesting. Have a nice day now.
I am loving this live stream
Awesome information! Love it, so much! My first cruise in 16 days! Thanks..
Bon voyage!
For us it was booking a cabin over the auditorium. What's so bad about that? Well the Filipino crew members decided to party it up for two nights with a super loud live band past 3:00 am. It was apparently some Filipino holiday. The noise was so intense we could not sleep and suffered the ill effects of sleep loss during land tours.
I think it’s good to be aware (especially for people outside of America) that in most ships they’ll charge for healthcare, and it’s normally quite expensive!
Very true!
Very true. I got extremely seasick on one cruise. Ended up in the ship hospital to get a nausea shot. Thank goodness my insurance paid the bill. I only had to pay my $100 deductible.
Vlogtoberfest has been so much fun! Thanks for all of your hard work!
+Paula Malcomson thanks!!
Did the new shoes one..and realizing I left my passport at home once we got comfortable by my sister almost 3 hours away the day before. Good thing it wasn't further and my husband asked then and not the morning of the cruise.
The shoes sounds like me and the Kentucky derby. We had to park about a mile away and 5in heels as a big no.
I specifically try to get a room by the elevator. You had one bad experience with mechanical problems but that's got to be rare. They're designed to be quiet. I mostly book on Royal Caribbean and the people around the elevator are usually older.
True! Flew in the day of once...plane hit a bird and lost an engine. Had to return to the airport and wait hours for a new plane. Barely made the ship and only with the help of the Carnival kiosk lady who put us (and about a dozen other cruisers on our same flight!) on the Carnival shuttle. We'd planned to save money taking Uber, stopping to buy our soda and wine on the way to the port. That was out the window! Now we go the day before and chill. Except for our next one: Princess has good flight prices and a guarantee that you'll get on the ship if you book through them so we're trying "day of" again.
Here's something we learned with friends... If travelling with your significant other, pack half of your stuff and half of your partner's stuff in one bag and the other half in your stuff in the other bag. This way, both partners have more of their stuff, than nothing. The husband of a couple we travelled with on a cruise, had his bag lost at the airport and it wasn't located until we got back from our cruise. He only had two shirts, one pair of shorts and one pair of pants... Not very convenient....
Upgraded to spa deck but my room is right next to the elevator 🤷♀️ should i change it now?
Thank you Sooooo Much!
Totally forgot to add Heartburn meds
Ah- good one! That's a must pack.
Ahhh first time cruising in 6 days and we fly in toFlordia at 5 am the day of. Praying it goes well. I didn't know to do the day before until wayyy to late
Over packing! It's funny how as humans we will stay in the same thing all weekend (lazy days) but yet feel as tho were going to have 3 outfit changes a day Lmao! We literally had a full (huge) bag of stuff we didn't even open on our first. Also.. making sure to leave room/ pack an extra duffle bag for souvenirs. We drove the first couple of times to port but with flying you have to be extra diligent of bringing the right stuff with you.
I heartily recommend using the Alaska Toursaver BOGO coupon book if cruising and/or land traveling in AK. We bought ea. Of our shore excursions for AK at half price, and the full fare cruise excursion passengers were on same tour, so no problems getting back to ship. Well worth the $90. First time cruisers.
NATE, Were they all buy one get one free. What did you use yours for?
everyone, including african americans, should wear sun screen b/c everyone can have sun burns.
I got my first sunburn last year in Roatan Honduras . and until that point, I would tell my wife, black guys, dont get sunburned. (I'm black shes white) So we always had it I just never used it.
cjhan47 ~ I just read your reply to my husband! I'm white and was raised in Hawaii. He's black and has never been out of Maryland. When we go home to visit my family I explain the importance of sunscreen and how close we are to the equator. His exact words to me were, "black people don't burn and I'm really dark so I'm safe". I tried to explain that wasn't true (I'm a nurse practitioner) but he said... "you wouldn't know because you're white". I tried several times. On our second or third day we were at my parent's house for a family BBQ. He snorkeled, played volleyball and over saw the grill. Later that night we were in the emergency room with him having really bad sunburn. No, he didn't have to go to a ER but we saw how well he listened to me about sunscreen. Needless to say, the next several days were miserable for him and he faithfully uses sunscreen now.
Absolutely! Thanks for the reminder :-)
Bradly C yep. I don't burn easy tho
I'm not a cruiser but just like watching your videos because you are sooo cute!!
Always book your cabin away from high traffics areas. Casino, Theater, piazza, Etc.
And it ends with JAZZ HANDS! Woot!!!
Woot!
We drove one time from South Florida to Cape Canaveral and we got there at 3 o’clock it was very stressful
How long does it take your bags to get to your room? I would like to know more about that process. Things like how to minimize lost luggage, is there a limit on how many bags or how heavy, etc
Sorry can’t make tomorrow night. Our biggest mistake was when we were carrying two bottles of wine on the ship and thought we could pack them in our large suitcase rather than our carry-on. We went to the naughty room and stood in line for HOURS. Please make sure if you’re bringing wine that it is packed in your carry-on bag.
EEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I've had this problem both ways around now with Princess. First time the carry-on wine was in the big bags, and there wasn't a problem. Second time we had to get it out of the big bags and into hand luggage. I suppose the solution is to have 2 bottles of wine in the big bags AND two bottles in the carry-on. What's the worst that can happen? They confiscate the wine? At the price of wine in supermarkets now, that'll be the least of your worries
Would doing 'self embarkation', at the end of the cruise, be a mistake? Not putting out your luggage night before,...and doing it yourself? instead of all that waiting around the day you get off the ship? Is it allowed? Can you then self embark at any time?
Yes, most cruise lines offer this. You can then self debark BEFORE everyone else with luggage tags.
We always fly in a day or two and relax, shop or whatever. Then we stay in the same hotel (with early checkin) on disembark and miss the airport hassles of all the cruise passengers.
My first cruise i went with my Friends and their parents, they book room all we heard it sounded like bowling balls being roll on floor. It was carts for the lido. We were asleep and got awake we all laugh.
oh no! That's not good at all!
Once again your video was awesome you rock sister
Good topic, thanks!
Being mobile impaired we prefer right by the elevators. It be even better if we could book an elevator!
LOVE it!
John Smith I book ONLY near elevator. Don't like the long walks just to go to diamond or diamond+ lounge to get a coffee.
Completely agree. I've got arthritis in many joints, including knees, ankles and toes. Those cabin corridors can be VERY long, and on 2,000 berth ships, you're only going to have two main elevator shafts. I've learnt this the hard way on our first two cruises when we were very close to the rear of the ship. The last two cruises, I've chosen a cabin right near the elevators, and for my next one in November, the same applies.
NOXEMA for sunburns, works wonders. Just throwing that out there :)
Good tip!
Thank god, I haven't made any of your mistakes.
Great video though.
One thing though, I have T-mobile and they have contracts with cruise lines so I can surf and never had to pay a dime
Mistake #1 - I packed way too much! Mistake #2 - To save $100 we left our car with family rather than parked at port, they were hours late picking us up and we had to wait in the freezing cold with our 3 kids, and our car had tons of scratches all over it, happy honeymoon to us!
Great reminder on the data plan. You said put on airplane mode. Can't we just turn off international roaming?