Additionally I always pack my bathing suit in my carry-on. Many times when we boarded a ship you can’t access the rooms yet. So this way we can have lunch if we’re hungry and then go sit in the pool area or the hot tubs.
I agree with almost everything you do on the first day... apart from one. When I've been to the cabin, spoken to my stewart and watched the drill, I go to the pool area for jacuzzi. This is usually the ONLY time I have the Jacuzzi to myself on the whole cruise and no one is waiting for me to leave... THAT is when I feel I'm on holiday. I happily skip lunch for that.
@@LK-hy5jz Ha ha yes... next time the Jacuzzi will be full on embarkation day, because they had all been reading a comment from some stupid person called Peter Jaro...
I am a travel agent and believe "Tips for Travellers" may be the most valuable thing I can do to help my clients find the best cruise for them. Also, really appreciate all the helpful tips. Looking back, I realize all the mistakes I made BEFORE I started viewing his videos on a regular basis. It is impossible to know everything about all cruises but with his UA-cam videos I feel knowledgeable and confident. Sharing the video with my clients is such a great tutorial! Thank you.
Gary is the best cruise vlogger. He is informative, timely, and his topics are spot-on. I cruise every 2 months and he has made my cruising experiences much more enjoyable. His advice is objective and valuable. Thanks Gary...
As a highly trained retired bureaucrat I keep a document file with a checklist and paper copies of everything in the order they will be needed including on the way hotel confirmations, airline reservations if I'm flying to the embarkation port, boarding pass, luggage tags, Covid-19 test results, Google maps of areas within walking distance of the ship in ports (to find places of interest I look interesting or the post office) grocery stores (where you buy specialty items and liquor at "locals prices." I also include a list of things I might forget (or have forgot in the past)--my camera, passport book where I also keep my original Covid-19 vaccination and booster cards, spare glasses, reading material, second car key and several other items. As a rudimentary Spanish speaker I have gone to Google Translate to download correctly some Spanish phrases I think I'm going to need--"I'd need a stamp for a postcard to the USA or Where is a supermarket near here?"
On our first cruise almost 30 years ago (a short 4 night), we didn’t explore the entire ship right off the bat. As a result, on the last night we discovered a small jazz bar tucked away that we had missed out the entire trip! Now the exploration of the ship is our embarkation day tradition.
Putting your phone on airplane mode is a great tip for sure. Our last cruise was to Alaska and only realized I was roaming after 3 days. Got a bill for $418. I was happy I discovered it after 3 days.
I actually do everything you mentioned except for one thing. I love sitting on my balcony as we set sail. I have never gone to the Sail Away Party on any cruise.
My preference is to go up a deck, or two, or three from the party on the Lido deck and take a bunch of picture, both of the party, and the scenery going past the ship as we leave port. I am an unabashed tourist.
Once you become a seasoned cruiser, you learn to avoid "planned activities" at all costs. They attract people who simply can't afford the high-class Cunard cruises but want to annoy people with talk of dragging a freaking tuxedo on vacation. I barely have enough room in my suitcase for all the cheap medicine and bottles of cheap vanilla extract that I am smuggling back in here and got no room for a costume to play "dress up". on a low class cruise ship full of like-minded smugglers. GTF outta here with alll that stupid talk.
One thing we have found useful…..find out if there is a specific spot you can leave your roll-on luggage until your room is ready. Nothing worse than having to lug it around waiting for the cabin to open up.
One thing I do on embarkation day is to get a decent breakfast before getting to the ship. That way, I'm not starving when I get to the ship and can avoid fighting with everyone else looking for food. Instead, I'll find one of the smaller cafes for a light lunch.
We fly in the day before, and eat at the hotel. Some include breakfast, others we have to pay for or 'comped' because I have loyalty points with various hotel chains.
@@tipsfortravellers Gary, when you eat at a specialty restaurant on embarkation day, did you book that ahead of time? Or, is that a meal you wait to book until you are on board? I’m asking with the first-day discount in mind. Thanks!
Living in Maine and going to Florida for Caribbean cruise, we plan three days out. We drive to a hotel near Boston’s Logan airport on that first of the three days where we leave our car for the duration of the cruise. The hotel buses us to Logan very early the next morning and we fly on the first nonstop plane to Fort Lauderdale. The early plane has most probably flown into Logan the previous evening and is ready to go. It’s much more likely that the plane will take off even in bad weather conditions. Regardless, being very early gives us flexibility to rebook for flights later in the day if necessary. Having a three day window, it gives us the alternative to drive to the cruise if weather prohibits flying.
Here is my “worst embarkation day” story. I live about 3.5 hrs away from Cape Canaveral and decided we would just drive the same day. Well everything that could go wrong did and as we pulled into the parking garage, we had to sprint to the doors into the terminal. They were literally about to lock the doors. We were the last ones on board. This was my first cruise and knew nothing about cruising. That feeling as my wife and I were running to the terminal was the worst.
We are the opposite- closer to PC and about 3 hours from MIA and FLL. We always give ourselves a HUGE buffer when we drive to port for your exact scenario. We have only had car trouble on the way back, fortunately. But we leave Orlando at 8 am to give ourselves plenty of time. Oh! But once we did forget a suitcase at home, so my husband had to drive back to Orlando from PC. Thank goodness we always give ourselves extra extra extra time. People who fly in the day of give me anxiety.
I take photos of embarkation documents and passports and save to my phone so I don’t have wifi. I also look up the contact info for consulates and embassies of my home country and for local police. Office of the port management team can also be useful if you can locate it.
Great video, Gary. I also always take anti-bacterial wet wipes, and clean all points that can be handled - including the remote for the tv plus of course all door handles, plugs & switches. In our 45 cruises we have never been ill though now in our late 70s. We usually travel off peak and pick ships with no children aboard. We like going to talks and all the shows.
If you are using digital copies on your phone take and use screen shots of your docs instead. I learned this when flying. The screen shots are retrievable from the photos app so you won't need an internet connection.
I've only been on 2 cruises, both with NCL, and on the first, I just ran around trying to see everything at once. The second cruise, I went in with a plan, and upon getting on board, I started running around trying to see everything at once. Lol. Couldn't help myself, its just so exciting boarding a ship bound for an exotic location.
first night of cruise, we have made sure we have packed evening wear for the main dining room in our carry on bag, and clothes for the next morning, and unpack the other items from the suitcases the first day as usually we at sea.
My tip on trip planning in general based on what my wife does for EACH trip.: 1) Lists out everything that needs to be done to close up our home. 2) Lists out everything that we will need for that particular trip. 3) Specialty lists of things to bring along for the cruise or Las Vegas. (specialty list) This is done on a MS Excel spreadsheet and she prints it out. At the end of the trip, she will edit the list so that it is ready for the next trip. When you know upfront that you have everything you need, you are relaxed when you get to the ship.
What a perfectly timed video! One week till I embark on my first ever cruise. Watching your videos will hopefully save me from making too many mistakes that might stress me out on my vacation!
The main thing is to not bring much beyond flip flops couple pairs of shorts a couple tshirts and some underwear. Don't get stupid and waste your space with "play dress up clothes" or anything stupid and pointless like that. The Oscars do sell tickets if you want to play "dress up". Sunblock is key, the cruise ship canteen gets a little gougy when it comes to needed things like sunblock, very expensive. Bring your own. I dont go running to customer service looking for free vouchers because someone farted in the elevator. They have. They are funny. grab a chair near customer service and watch the "professional anglers' at work trying to get a free cruise. lol. Too funny watching them. Everyone on the cruise ship is always deserving of a free follow-up cruise for no good reason. Just listen around the ship. You will be laughing. You will hear: " I am speaking to customer service about this" about three hundred times. Too goofy. Those cruise lines created their own monsters. Most of them cant evem afford a week at the motel six and act like it too. Nice they can get out though, I mean it. I am at the Hilton by the way. lol. suckers.
Most of what you have discussed we do and have found out like you that it makes the cruise so much better. Our last curies we went on, one of the couples we were cruising with booked an airfare the day of the cruise. Needless to say they had some major delays at the airport and just barley made it to the ship with only 10 minuets to spare. There are a couple of things I don't really disagree with but would like to add a point or two. One thing about pre booking everything before you get onboard is the excursions. I have found out that some lines charge you once you pre book your cruise, so if you have an onboard credit you can not use it for your excursions that you have already pre booked. The other thing is about checked in luggage, we only bring carry on luggage, that way we don't have to worry about the airlines or the cruise ship losing them. On one of our first cruises as we were going across the gang way we watched in horror as a fork lift with a fully loaded cage of luggage hit the side of the pier and the cage tipped spilling about half of the luggage into the water. Some of them the workers were able to save, but a lot simply slowly sank. After that we always take our luggage onto the cruise ship and off ourselves. We have found out that when we first started cruising we way over packed and so now everything fits in our carry on and a backpack. If you are worried about dirty clothes all cruise lines will launder your clothes for a cost, this cost will always be much less then what the airlines will charge you for an extra bag. Also some cruise lines do have self serve laundromats. As for us we take some detergent pods and wash out what we need in the cabin sink, usually this is only our undergarments. One more thing about the checked in luggage is that you don't have to wait to check it in once you get to the airport or wait to retrieve it once you reach your destination. This alone has saves us from standing in what could be some very long lines. Thanks for your videos.
I am thinking of doing this for our cruise in August out of Seattle. Many videos showing people just piling their luggage outside the terminal, no porter. So afraid of theft and/or losing things
Given our situation, perhaps rare but not unique, we approach embarkation day a bit differently. Because we live in Florida, we drive to the cruise ports. We have "frequent parker" accounts with off-terminal parking lots in Ft Lauderdale, Miami, and Port Canaveral. As soon as we book a cruise, I look for the most recent discount our favorite parking lots are offering (% off, free days, etc) and pay parking in advance. Even including drivers' tips, that usually saves at least 30% over parking in the terminal garages. And is, in our opinion, easier, as the shuttles drop us right at the door, so we don't have to shlep our luggage down several floors and across the street from a parking place in the garage. We try to be among the last passengers to board, say 2:30-3:00PM for a 4:00 departure. That way, there is never a check-in queue to stand in, and the staff is MUCH less stressed and short with us. Our thought is that this lack of stress in embarkation is well worth the competition for that one extra meal in the Lido that is on everyone else's' minds. As you do, we also arrange as much as we can online prior to the cruise, and find that about the only thing we need to do once onboard is to take one trip each to book specific spa (BW does this) and specialty dining times (I do that) we want. This is usually not available in the smartphone apps, as the spa and specialty dining staffs invariably want to do the old fashioned high pressure upsell in person. (We resist.) We then meet back wherever is necessary to satisfy whatever muster requirements there are, confident that we're prepared to have a great time for the rest of the cruise!
Nice to see my routine is very similar. I now always go a day early. My embarkation day is virtually the same as yours! I always screenshot my e documents( I try and bring printed copies too) as I've run into crappy wifi at the port so many times. I see people so stressed out because they can't bring up their documents. It slows everything down too. Good advice for those not used to Embarkation day!
Having a stress-free pre-cruise period is why, whenever possible I drive to our port of embarkation. Our cruise group lives just outside Pittsburgh, and everybody else flies out on Friday, for a Saturday cruise. I hate flying....not the actual flying, but I find the whole airline experience a pain in the ass. Now I have the luxury of being retired, but I did this even when I was working (nobody minded that I took 3 solid weeks of vacation in March...it left the more desirable weeks open for junior people). I would pack up the car and take of on either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on my destination, and plans for the trip down. This year, on Tuesday, I drove from Pittsburgh to Charleston SC, where I spent the evening with one of my retired buddies and his wife. On Wednesday...Charleston to St. Augustine, where I was also spending all day Thursday, so I could get my Covid test that Carnival required. Then on Friday, St. Augustine to Miami, where I met up with the rest of my group. I paid $10 a day to park at the hotel (not bad for Miami), and the shuttle driver that was taking my friends to the airport on Debarkation Day agreed to stop at the hotel on the way so I could retrieve my car. Coming home, I drove that Sunday from Miami to Tampa, to visit another retired co-worker. Monday, Tampa to Orangeburg SC...Tuesday, Orangeburg to Hillsville, VA...and then Wednesday, I spent part of the morning driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway before I headed home to Pittsburgh. Very nice and stress-free.
Stay at a nice quiet hotel and you wont need a day to rest up to listen to babies screaming on a ship for a week. I have no idea what the allure of the whole cruising thing is. It's not cheaper or nicer or more convenient than any other form of vacationing beyond... say.......... Mt. Everest base camp.
Dropbox, dropbox, dropbox! Make a folder for what you will need and make that folder, and or files available off-line . And it will not matter whether you have Wi-Fi or data, or not.
We use packing cubes whenever we travel, so we don’t find the need to totally unpack. We also pack mostly low maintenance clothing so that we don’t have to spend a lot of time ironing or the like. I agree with being organized and Gary has given us great tips.
Thankfully, we pretty much do everything you mentioned and most of it is already done for our May 7th cruise. I have been known to be detailed to a fault but have found, without fail, that embarkation day is stress free and very enjoyable. You truly are the best cruise vlogger.
Depends on where your getting on board. Cruised out of Miami twice. What a zoo. Took nearly 4 hours to get onboard. Crazy. Hong Kong, Singapore, Rome, 45 min max. Seattle maybe 1.5 hours.
Some really great tips for embarkation day. I totally agree about getting to the port city the day before. My exception to that rule is if the cruise is leaving from either the west side of Manhattan or from Red Hook in Brooklyn because, for me, both are a taxi ride away. My own personal choice on embarkation day is to avoid any “sail away” parties. No thanks. I use that time to stake out a place on the ship that will be “my” spot for the duration of the cruise. I always bring along a book to read so I tend to look for a somewhat quiet spot but I also enjoy people watching on a cruise. A few years ago, I sailed on Princess and that “spot” turned out to be in their coffee and cappuccino bar which happened to be located near the main entrance. Perfect.
We accidentally ended up on the first cruise after a major dry dock, they canceled several sailings before ours so we ended up in the first sailing. The trip wasn’t bad until we got to disembarkation. Customs forgot the ship was arriving and so we had to wait for them to show up. They kept moving us all over the ship as the crew cleaned and prepped for the next cruise. There were even people boarding before we all got off because there was a wedding onboard. We literally refer to that experience as “vacation purgatory” and never joke about wanting to hide onboard when we should be disembarking. We definitely learned to go with the flow though when we travel because stuff goes wrong and it’s not the crews fault and they are doing their best so getting snippy with them is stupid.
We are frequent cruisers and one thing we have found, if you do board early, is that your room might not be ready for you yet so you will have to hang around in other common areas for awhile. Before Covid, and ships were at full capacity, this was fairly common and you could almost count on rooms not being ready until around 1:00 because they were still cleaning from the previous cruise. Post Covid, the ships are not currently at full capacity, and they don't have as many rooms to clean so it is a little bit easier to get in earlier. Keep that in mind.
Another thing to check when you do the initial check of room, if you have a fridge and require one (I had a medication that needed to be refrigerated).
Great information 👍 My husband thinks this is silly, but for over 16 years I taken a highlighter 😆 🤣. Love highlighting daily planner. Cant help myself. Its as important as my passport. Lol
I also pack a post it note cube. I leave notes for my family on them. One one cruise I also made up a daily story for the towel animals that appeared. Kept both myself and our cabin steward entertained!
Hi Gary, we also pack our swimsuits in our carryon bags--and head right to the pool/hot tubs. Thanks for all your tips! I really look forward to your videos!
I spreadsheet the whole trip. Not so much a cruise out of my home port but each part of a multi trip. I recently dragged the kids from Australia to LA then a hire care and we reeled California and then an Amtrak to an Alaska cruise. Then after the cruise an Amtrak to Vancouver. Couple nights then home. In a spreadsheet I can see my costs and prepayments and port options. Even the expected weather. And I use all bonus vouchers and bits I’ve found along the way. For hot and cold sectors I packed relevant clothing for a few days in travel compression bag and that way reduced the luggage. We had 1 hot weather suitcase and 1 cold weather suitcase between the 3 of us. With a car seat and 1 carryon it was enough to manage.
Lots of great tips in here as well as reminders even for people who have cruised before! We haven't cruised in a year and a half so this was a great refresher. Thanks!
You're the best Gary! We will board as early as possible and check the everything is working in our cabin. Great idea! Another thing we do is look for the daily news and events. When we were on Royal Caribbean we would receive a daily events list. I hope this is still being handed out? This really helps plan out things to do and gives you a good idea on what the ship has to offer including spa, dining and shopping specials. I'm with you on the sail away parties! 🎉
Interesting . Lots of good tips there . We usually book fixed dining in a large table (usually 8) so we would never go to a speciality restaurant on first night . I haven’t done a cruise since Covid, so I don’t know if it’s still possible to do that , but meeting people at dinner is a big part of the cruise for us .
Excellent tips, just how we been doing for years. Hard copy of all your documents in a simple file is a great idea that has helped us out on a couple of occasions. Do everything from home on your computer is the only way to go.
Great video. If flying to Port, getting there a day early is key! Would also suggest that if flying opt for a longer layover if transferring flights. We did a cruise one year that sailed out of Barcelona. We decided to get there 2 days early because we wanted to visit Barcelona as part of our vacation. Our flight from Home was delayed which meant when we got the airport to our connecting flight we had to run across the airport arriving to the gate out of breath just as they were closing the door, but they let us on, however, none of our luggage made it. Thankfully because we got to Barcelona 2 days early I was able to go back to the airport the next day and our luggage showed up. Had we not done that we would have to go one the cruise with none of our luggage.
Hi Gary, you’ve got great videos. I’ve traveled all over the world on cruises. What I’ve found to be the case is the embarkation depends on the local facility. For example, leaving out of Southampton on Princess the local port crew dictated everything; when I could enter, where I sat and when I could board despite the pre-check in allotment time you mention. It was extremely frustrating. The same experience happened to me at Boston cruise port “we don’t pay attention to your arrival time “ was said to me. Again the same thing happened on Buenos Aires cruise port, on Princess, it was a debacle (2022). So I guess my point is that other than perhaps Miami & Ft. Lauderdale l, where there are up to 9 ships a day leaving in each port, the process is not well controlled. Pack you patience and maybe a valium. I understand you’ve taken way more cruises than Me, but except for Dover UK on Pacific Princess (2019) & Fort Lauderdale on Princess (2021) it’s been a chaotic mess. Happy cruising 😊
I really enjoy the precruise-planning stage. As soon as I booked a cruise I jump into booking a nice specialty restaurant on the days where we are at sea that way we have something to look forward to in the evening. I love to know everything‘s taken care of ahead of time.
I have been following your channel for a while. I have cruised for decades on many lines. And the information to newer cruisers is spot on. Great work.
At Vancouver Canada there are huge lines with no seating with 3 ships boarding at once. I take a small folding step stool from a dollar store to sit on.
Start to explore the ship from the top down. It is a whole lot easier down than up on the first day. Most cruise lines are breaking down on surge protectors not extension cords. A plain extension cord/power strip is ok just unplug when not in use. Surge protectors can interfere with the ships own surge protection.
We often check our luggage in then spend the rest of the day strolling around the city of departure.. always have paper copies of important forms Always study the deck plans to get to know the ship better. Always prepay or prebook as much as possible 👍
I put my carry on small case in my cabin or outside it's door. Yes..Even though were told it's not ready, you can still put your case outside your door. Then I book my time dining slots and shows. Then go get a snack in a quiet area - not buffet ! Then muster drill. Then a cocktail and sail away party. If its sunny, I go in the hot tub !
One thing we like to do when we first get on the ship, the main elevators always have huge crowds of people in the lobby waiting to go up. If you go to the elevators all the way at the front of the ship or the back, there's rarely anyone waiting there and you can hop right one. We also avoid the buffet on embarkation day, way too crowded. If we're hungry we'll go up to the top deck and get a burger or something like that instead.
Here’s a tip I do . When getting back on the ship to beat the crowd in front of the elevators walk up one flight of steps and catch the empty elevator as it’s going down to the floor below you , ride it down a level and let some of the crowd get on then ride it to your floor
Love your videos mate. Very interesting, balanced and informative. I would appreciate any advice on cruising again - from Australia. Although staunchly against cruising over the past two years, I have changed my mind, principally because of the videos you have produced. (P.S. I’m 70 so I’m after age appropriate cruises mate.) cheers, Paul.
Just did Alaska on Holland America's Zuiderdam. His advice is great. There were small amounts of children who were all well behaved, just 2 isolated push ins and noise at the buffet by 2 family groups, one group of kids without parents. These 2 moments wer easy to tolerate considering this was a 7 day Cruise. It's funny how some cultures just push in everywhere they go and I experienced none of this except as above. Everyone on the boat was quite chilled. Although it's the only Cruise we've done, if I was your age and above if go with them. Definitely not an Aussie booze cruise 🙂
In my personal opinion I prefer boarding about 2 hrs before the ship is due to leave. The lines are greatly reduced, my cabin is cleaned and ready and I don’t check my bags just take them direct to my room.
My wife and I split are cloths between two cases so if one case goes missing there are cloths for each of us in the other obviously full ensemble for each of us.
We recently went to Alaska on Celebrity Solstice. Tips were spot on. One disappointment halfway through our dining server became ill. Now 3 of our 6 travelers have Covid! So disappointed what a let down.
I cannot agree more that it is essential to plan to arrive in your embarkation port at least one day in advance. Weather, flight delays, etc. can really destroy your plans if you wait until Cruise Day to travel. If our embarkation port has a nearby racetrack that is running (Gulfstream in Miami, the Fairgrounds in New Orleans, Sam Houston near Galveston), I'll plan to arrive 2 days in advance, and spend a nice afternoon or evening at the track.
I like the idea of a "bug out bag" for embarkation day and have been doing that for many years for business and personal travel. I would add that one should carry personal hygiene (travel sized), products, underwear and a t shirt. You said that you could buy many of the things that you might need but from my experience that isn't always the case. I've run into situations even in first world countries where a product wasn't available or they didn't have my size. Even though we aren't cruisers I do enjoy your travel tips and suggestions.
Gary, I’m glad God gave you the chance to turn your retirement into a spectacular time with your partner spent cruising all while helping us make better, more informed decisions so that we can get the most out of our vacations! All the best!
...non stop walk on embarkation Regal Princess ... jan 2020 tho ... just get on board before the MDR closes for lunch is good ... everything else was on their Medallion as cruise ready info ... charger cords are so important ...
3:57 It says "Specialty". So at 9:51 he pronounces it "speciality" - with the "i" between the "L" and the "T". I've heard this pronunciation by an American cruise director too.
The digital virtual muster (because of covid) I liked, rather than getting dragged up and down the ship. I hope they keep it. No idea about the big ships I’ve only ever been on the small expedition ships, the big ones really don’t appeal to me at all
Thank you very much for a really helpful and concise review. You go to a lot of trouble in your videos and have some really useful content in them. I have only cruised 8 times but intend to do a lot more and your tips will help enormously.
Thank you for all these amazing tips! Me and my wife will be taking a cruise on the Princess Sky March 4th for a 14 day east and west Caribbean and have no idea what to expect or what to do. I have been spending the past few day's watching all of you're videos and they are full of tons of useful knowledge. Thank you for taking the time to go over everything!
I just love your videos, Gary- I have never been on a cruise before, but having retired 2 y ago, are getting more intrigued by the idea- now to get my husband on board with the idea, (no pun intended).
Go by yourself if hubby isn't interested! That's what I do, and it's fine. Solo cruising has the benefit of your getting to do exactly which activities you want!
Excellent pre-embarkation day prep tips. The key to cruising these days is double and triple checking what documents you'll need at the terminal to get through the embarkation process. Someone embarking aboard on our last cruise put their passports in their checked luggage! The crew had to find their luggage bring it to them so they could get their passports and get on the ship. They arrived at the port with us at 11:30 AM, but didn't get on the ship until almost 4:00 PM! Make sure you have your embark documents, vaccine cards, test results, and passports in your carry on bag.
Always arrive early at checkin, aiming to board before noon. Have a small carryon bag with a few essentials, that will do you for about four or five hours. Go straight to the pool deck, without hesitation, and relax. After that, you can access your stateroom at your leisure, when it becomes available. Then, immediately, ask your stateroom attendant to clear the minibar. You won’t need anything in it and it’s easy to make mistakes and get charged for things that you don’t use.
Thanks for the tips. On my previous cruise, I didn't take anything as a carry on baggage, and the cruise line gave me very late my bag, so I had to wear my jeans all day. Next cruise, I did have some bermudas and other stuff, so it was more enjoyable. On both cases my wife and I had a great time.
Holland America is going to use mBark and Verifly. We have to figure those out before our cruise to Alaska in May. Our check in time is assigned and on the boarding pass.
Good evening. I've never been on a cruise but am giving serious thought to such. This video is like a flashlight in the dark; I thank you so much for offering such great advice to novices such as myself.
Great tips Gary. I do all of them all the time. I also carry my suitcase on and unpack when I go to the room. Off to Papua New guinea Thursday from Brisbane Australia
On larger ships of 2000+ guests early boarding times are crowded and the cabins aren’t ready yet, meaning finding a place to wait with your carry on with all the other cruisers. Better off with the latest boarding appointment. The terminal will be empty and you’ll walk right on plus the cabins will be ready.
These tips are all well and good IF embarkation happens with a ready to sail ship. I’ve yet to walk onto a ship and have the option to go straight to my cabin. There has always been a lengthy wait in a public area on board as cabins are prepared.
I agree with most, though I do prefer to go to the buffet for lunch, for a few reasons. The first being since I'm on board early, I get to the buffet before the crazy mass of people are there. Secondly, I don't like a full sit down lunch anyways. Plus the buffet for lunch just really puts me in the "on a cruise" mood.
What a lucky girl I was. I did Atlantic crossings and cruises on the QE2. None of this nonsense needed. All sounds like a holiday camp these days and ruddy hard work
Shutting off the automatic time adjustment is SO important. And I’ve found that most new cruisers do not understand the e-muster process. They need to find a way to make that more clear IMO.
I disagree with specialty dining on the first night, or at least making any early bookings. I prefer to relax and watch the sail away than checking my watch to get somewhere on time. My first cruise was from Sydney and I had to go downstairs before we exited the heads to get to dinner
I agree, the sail away from Sydney is spectacular and shouldn't be missed. I sometimes just get room service to avoid missing the sail away and to avoid the very busy buffet.
Additionally I always pack my bathing suit in my carry-on. Many times when we boarded a ship you can’t access the rooms yet. So this way we can have lunch if we’re hungry and then go sit in the pool area or the hot tubs.
I agree with almost everything you do on the first day... apart from one. When I've been to the cabin, spoken to my stewart and watched the drill, I go to the pool area for jacuzzi. This is usually the ONLY time I have the Jacuzzi to myself on the whole cruise and no one is waiting for me to leave... THAT is when I feel I'm on holiday. I happily skip lunch for that.
👊👊👍👍👍👍👍👍
And here goes your being alone! From now on there will be at least one more person with your secret in jacuzzi 🤣😂
@@LK-hy5jz Ha ha yes... next time the Jacuzzi will be full on embarkation day, because they had all been reading a comment from some stupid person called Peter Jaro...
Also , it's the cleanest the jacuzzi is going to be for the entire cruise,by about day 3 it's just human soup
This may be obvious, but make sure you pack your swimsuit in your carry-on bag so you're not waiting for it to be delivered to your room hours later.
I am a travel agent and believe "Tips for Travellers" may be the most valuable thing I can do to help my clients find the best cruise for them. Also, really appreciate all the helpful tips. Looking back, I realize all the mistakes I made BEFORE I started viewing his videos on a regular basis. It is impossible to know everything about all cruises but with his UA-cam videos I feel knowledgeable and confident. Sharing the video with my clients is such a great tutorial! Thank you.
Thanks 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Gary is the best cruise vlogger. He is informative, timely, and his topics are spot-on. I cruise every 2 months and he has made my cruising experiences much more enjoyable. His advice is objective and valuable. Thanks Gary...
Thanks ! Much appreciated
Yessss love him
Every two months? Seek help. That aint normal.
I agree. So glad I found him!
I learn so much by listening to his videos
As a highly trained retired bureaucrat I keep a document file with a checklist and paper copies of everything in the order they will be needed including on the way hotel confirmations, airline reservations if I'm flying to the embarkation port, boarding pass, luggage tags, Covid-19 test results, Google maps of areas within walking distance of the ship in ports (to find places of interest I look interesting or the post office) grocery stores (where you buy specialty items and liquor at "locals prices." I also include a list of things I might forget (or have forgot in the past)--my camera, passport book where I also keep my original Covid-19 vaccination and booster cards, spare glasses, reading material, second car key and several other items. As a rudimentary Spanish speaker I have gone to Google Translate to download correctly some Spanish phrases I think I'm going to need--"I'd need a stamp for a postcard to the USA or Where is a supermarket near here?"
On our first cruise almost 30 years ago (a short 4 night), we didn’t explore the entire ship right off the bat. As a result, on the last night we discovered a small jazz bar tucked away that we had missed out the entire trip! Now the exploration of the ship is our embarkation day tradition.
I have watched a few of your videos, and I feel like I have already taken a cruise without leaving my living room, and saved a lot of money!
Putting your phone on airplane mode is a great tip for sure. Our last cruise was to Alaska and only realized I was roaming after 3 days. Got a bill for $418. I was happy I discovered it after 3 days.
Super important tip. I learnt that after my first trip away.
I actually do everything you mentioned except for one thing. I love sitting on my balcony as we set sail. I have never gone to the Sail Away Party on any cruise.
My preference is to go up a deck, or two, or three from the party on the Lido deck and take a bunch of picture, both of the party, and the scenery going past the ship as we leave port. I am an unabashed tourist.
Top deck with an umbrella drink, watching the shore leave us. THAT’S when I’m on vacation! :)
@@russs7574 me too!
Once you become a seasoned cruiser, you learn to avoid "planned activities" at all costs. They attract people who simply can't afford the high-class Cunard cruises but want to annoy people with talk of dragging a freaking tuxedo on vacation. I barely have enough room in my suitcase for all the cheap medicine and bottles of cheap vanilla extract that I am smuggling back in here and got no room for a costume to play "dress up". on a low class cruise ship full of like-minded smugglers. GTF outta here with alll that stupid talk.
One thing we have found useful…..find out if there is a specific spot you can leave your roll-on luggage until your room is ready. Nothing worse than having to lug it around waiting for the cabin to open up.
One thing I do on embarkation day is to get a decent breakfast before getting to the ship. That way, I'm not starving when I get to the ship and can avoid fighting with everyone else looking for food. Instead, I'll find one of the smaller cafes for a light lunch.
Good tip !
We fly in the day before, and eat at the hotel. Some include breakfast, others we have to pay for or 'comped' because I have loyalty points with various hotel chains.
@@tipsfortravellers Gary, when you eat at a specialty restaurant on embarkation day, did you book that ahead of time? Or, is that a meal you wait to book until you are on board?
I’m asking with the first-day discount in mind. Thanks!
Absolutely! Once we realized that skipping that first buffet made life easier it became our standard embarkation plan! :)
Living in Maine and going to Florida for Caribbean cruise, we plan three days out. We drive to a hotel near Boston’s Logan airport on that first of the three days where we leave our car for the duration of the cruise. The hotel buses us to Logan very early the next morning and we fly on the first nonstop plane to Fort Lauderdale. The early plane has most probably flown into Logan the previous evening and is ready to go. It’s much more likely that the plane will take off even in bad weather conditions. Regardless, being very early gives us flexibility to rebook for flights later in the day if necessary. Having a three day window, it gives us the alternative to drive to the cruise if weather prohibits flying.
Mainer here too, we do the same! 🌲
All cruises that I’ve been on lock the access to the cabins prior to a certain time in the afternoon.
Here is my “worst embarkation day” story.
I live about 3.5 hrs away from Cape Canaveral and decided we would just drive the same day. Well everything that could go wrong did and as we pulled into the parking garage, we had to sprint to the doors into the terminal. They were literally about to lock the doors. We were the last ones on board. This was my first cruise and knew nothing about cruising. That feeling as my wife and I were running to the terminal was the worst.
When did you leave home? Around noon?
I haven’t gone on a cruise yet.
But when I fly I get to the airport 4-5hrs early
I mean what time did yal get on the road??!
We are the opposite- closer to PC and about 3 hours from MIA and FLL. We always give ourselves a HUGE buffer when we drive to port for your exact scenario. We have only had car trouble on the way back, fortunately. But we leave Orlando at 8 am to give ourselves plenty of time.
Oh! But once we did forget a suitcase at home, so my husband had to drive back to Orlando from PC. Thank goodness we always give ourselves extra extra extra time. People who fly in the day of give me anxiety.
I’ve done this with running through the airport to our gate with my daughter. Funny now, but at the time! 😫
Old school. We always take paper copies of our boarding passes and our docs.
I take photos of embarkation documents and passports and save to my phone so I don’t have wifi. I also look up the contact info for consulates and embassies of my home country and for local police. Office of the port management team can also be useful if you can locate it.
Great video, Gary. I also always take anti-bacterial wet wipes, and clean all points that can be handled - including the remote for the tv plus of course all door handles, plugs & switches. In our 45 cruises we have never been ill though now in our late 70s.
We usually travel off peak and pick ships with no children aboard. We like going to talks and all the shows.
If you are using digital copies on your phone take and use screen shots of your docs instead. I learned this when flying. The screen shots are retrievable from the photos app so you won't need an internet connection.
I've only been on 2 cruises, both with NCL, and on the first, I just ran around trying to see everything at once. The second cruise, I went in with a plan, and upon getting on board, I started running around trying to see everything at once. Lol. Couldn't help myself, its just so exciting boarding a ship bound for an exotic location.
first night of cruise, we have made sure we have packed evening wear for the main dining room in our carry on bag, and clothes for the next morning, and unpack the other items from the suitcases the first day as usually we at sea.
My tip on trip planning in general based on what my wife does for EACH trip.:
1) Lists out everything that needs to be done to close up our home.
2) Lists out everything that we will need for that particular trip.
3) Specialty lists of things to bring along for the cruise or Las Vegas. (specialty list)
This is done on a MS Excel spreadsheet and she prints it out. At the end of the trip, she will edit the list so that it is ready for the next trip. When you know upfront that you have everything you need, you are relaxed when you get to the ship.
What a perfectly timed video! One week till I embark on my first ever cruise. Watching your videos will hopefully save me from making too many mistakes that might stress me out on my vacation!
Have a great trip!!
Absolutely 😂
Have a great time.
Enjoy!!
The main thing is to not bring much beyond flip flops couple pairs of shorts a couple tshirts and some underwear. Don't get stupid and waste your space with "play dress up clothes" or anything stupid and pointless like that. The Oscars do sell tickets if you want to play "dress up". Sunblock is key, the cruise ship canteen gets a little gougy when it comes to needed things like sunblock, very expensive. Bring your own. I dont go running to customer service looking for free vouchers because someone farted in the elevator. They have. They are funny. grab a chair near customer service and watch the "professional anglers' at work trying to get a free cruise. lol. Too funny watching them. Everyone on the cruise ship is always deserving of a free follow-up cruise for no good reason. Just listen around the ship. You will be laughing. You will hear: " I am speaking to customer service about this" about three hundred times. Too goofy. Those cruise lines created their own monsters. Most of them cant evem afford a week at the motel six and act like it too. Nice they can get out though, I mean it. I am at the Hilton by the way. lol. suckers.
Most of what you have discussed we do and have found out like you that it makes the cruise so much better. Our last curies we went on, one of the couples we were cruising with booked an airfare the day of the cruise. Needless to say they had some major delays at the airport and just barley made it to the ship with only 10 minuets to spare. There are a couple of things I don't really disagree with but would like to add a point or two. One thing about pre booking everything before you get onboard is the excursions. I have found out that some lines charge you once you pre book your cruise, so if you have an onboard credit you can not use it for your excursions that you have already pre booked. The other thing is about checked in luggage, we only bring carry on luggage, that way we don't have to worry about the airlines or the cruise ship losing them. On one of our first cruises as we were going across the gang way we watched in horror as a fork lift with a fully loaded cage of luggage hit the side of the pier and the cage tipped spilling about half of the luggage into the water. Some of them the workers were able to save, but a lot simply slowly sank. After that we always take our luggage onto the cruise ship and off ourselves. We have found out that when we first started cruising we way over packed and so now everything fits in our carry on and a backpack. If you are worried about dirty clothes all cruise lines will launder your clothes for a cost, this cost will always be much less then what the airlines will charge you for an extra bag. Also some cruise lines do have self serve laundromats. As for us we take some detergent pods and wash out what we need in the cabin sink, usually this is only our undergarments. One more thing about the checked in luggage is that you don't have to wait to check it in once you get to the airport or wait to retrieve it once you reach your destination. This alone has saves us from standing in what could be some very long lines. Thanks for your videos.
I am thinking of doing this for our cruise in August out of Seattle. Many videos showing people just piling their luggage outside the terminal, no porter. So afraid of theft and/or losing things
Given our situation, perhaps rare but not unique, we approach embarkation day a bit differently. Because we live in Florida, we drive to the cruise ports. We have "frequent parker" accounts with off-terminal parking lots in Ft Lauderdale, Miami, and Port Canaveral. As soon as we book a cruise, I look for the most recent discount our favorite parking lots are offering (% off, free days, etc) and pay parking in advance. Even including drivers' tips, that usually saves at least 30% over parking in the terminal garages. And is, in our opinion, easier, as the shuttles drop us right at the door, so we don't have to shlep our luggage down several floors and across the street from a parking place in the garage. We try to be among the last passengers to board, say 2:30-3:00PM for a 4:00 departure. That way, there is never a check-in queue to stand in, and the staff is MUCH less stressed and short with us. Our thought is that this lack of stress in embarkation is well worth the competition for that one extra meal in the Lido that is on everyone else's' minds. As you do, we also arrange as much as we can online prior to the cruise, and find that about the only thing we need to do once onboard is to take one trip each to book specific spa (BW does this) and specialty dining times (I do that) we want. This is usually not available in the smartphone apps, as the spa and specialty dining staffs invariably want to do the old fashioned high pressure upsell in person. (We resist.) We then meet back wherever is necessary to satisfy whatever muster requirements there are, confident that we're prepared to have a great time for the rest of the cruise!
Nice to see my routine is very similar. I now always go a day early. My embarkation day is virtually the same as yours! I always screenshot my e documents( I try and bring printed copies too) as I've run into crappy wifi at the port so many times. I see people so stressed out because they can't bring up their documents. It slows everything down too. Good advice for those not used to Embarkation day!
Having a stress-free pre-cruise period is why, whenever possible I drive to our port of embarkation. Our cruise group lives just outside Pittsburgh, and everybody else flies out on Friday, for a Saturday cruise.
I hate flying....not the actual flying, but I find the whole airline experience a pain in the ass. Now I have the luxury of being retired, but I did this even when I was working (nobody minded that I took 3 solid weeks of vacation in March...it left the more desirable weeks open for junior people). I would pack up the car and take of on either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on my destination, and plans for the trip down.
This year, on Tuesday, I drove from Pittsburgh to Charleston SC, where I spent the evening with one of my retired buddies and his wife. On Wednesday...Charleston to St. Augustine, where I was also spending all day Thursday, so I could get my Covid test that Carnival required. Then on Friday, St. Augustine to Miami, where I met up with the rest of my group. I paid $10 a day to park at the hotel (not bad for Miami), and the shuttle driver that was taking my friends to the airport on Debarkation Day agreed to stop at the hotel on the way so I could retrieve my car.
Coming home, I drove that Sunday from Miami to Tampa, to visit another retired co-worker. Monday, Tampa to Orangeburg SC...Tuesday, Orangeburg to Hillsville, VA...and then Wednesday, I spent part of the morning driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway before I headed home to Pittsburgh.
Very nice and stress-free.
Stay at a nice quiet hotel and you wont need a day to rest up to listen to babies screaming on a ship for a week. I have no idea what the allure of the whole cruising thing is. It's not cheaper or nicer or more convenient than any other form of vacationing beyond... say.......... Mt. Everest base camp.
Dropbox, dropbox, dropbox! Make a folder for what you will need and make that folder, and or files available off-line . And it will not matter whether you have Wi-Fi or data, or not.
Unpack, unpack, unpack your luggage. Get organized and it makes the rest of your trip more enjoyable!
Good point !!!
We use packing cubes whenever we travel, so we don’t find the need to totally unpack. We also pack mostly low maintenance clothing so that we don’t have to spend a lot of time ironing or the like. I agree with being organized and Gary has given us great tips.
Thankfully, we pretty much do everything you mentioned and most of it is already done for our May 7th cruise. I have been known to be detailed to a fault but have found, without fail, that embarkation day is stress free and very enjoyable. You truly are the best cruise vlogger.
Enjoy your trip. I hope today has gone smoothly!
How is ur cruise going ?
Depends on where your getting on board. Cruised out of Miami twice. What a zoo. Took nearly 4 hours to get onboard. Crazy. Hong Kong, Singapore, Rome, 45 min max. Seattle maybe 1.5 hours.
Lane
Lane
My wife and I pack 2 days worth of our clothes in each other's suitcases, so if a bag goes missing we have 2 days worth of clothing.
Some really great tips for embarkation day. I totally agree about getting to the port city the day before. My exception to that rule is if the cruise is leaving from either the west side of Manhattan or from Red Hook in Brooklyn because, for me, both are a taxi ride away. My own personal choice on embarkation day is to avoid any “sail away” parties. No thanks. I use that time to stake out a place on the ship that will be “my” spot for the duration of the cruise. I always bring along a book to read so I tend to look for a somewhat quiet spot but I also enjoy people watching on a cruise. A few years ago, I sailed on Princess and that “spot” turned out to be in their coffee and cappuccino bar which happened to be located near the main entrance. Perfect.
We accidentally ended up on the first cruise after a major dry dock, they canceled several sailings before ours so we ended up in the first sailing. The trip wasn’t bad until we got to disembarkation. Customs forgot the ship was arriving and so we had to wait for them to show up. They kept moving us all over the ship as the crew cleaned and prepped for the next cruise. There were even people boarding before we all got off because there was a wedding onboard. We literally refer to that experience as “vacation purgatory” and never joke about wanting to hide onboard when we should be disembarking. We definitely learned to go with the flow though when we travel because stuff goes wrong and it’s not the crews fault and they are doing their best so getting snippy with them is stupid.
We are frequent cruisers and one thing we have found, if you do board early, is that your room might not be ready for you yet so you will have to hang around in other common areas for awhile. Before Covid, and ships were at full capacity, this was fairly common and you could almost count on rooms not being ready until around 1:00 because they were still cleaning from the previous cruise. Post Covid, the ships are not currently at full capacity, and they don't have as many rooms to clean so it is a little bit easier to get in earlier. Keep that in mind.
Thanks for the tips. My husband and I just came from 18 Day Panama Canal Cruise with Caribbean Princess. It was a amazing trip. Love Princess.
Something I do for QR codes, booking numbers etc. is screenshot them on my phone so they're in my Photos if I can't get online.
Another thing to check when you do the initial check of room, if you have a fridge and require one (I had a medication that needed to be refrigerated).
Great tip !
Great information 👍 My husband thinks this is silly, but for over 16 years I taken a highlighter 😆 🤣. Love highlighting daily planner. Cant help myself. Its as important as my passport. Lol
Agree! I’m a highlighter packer too 😂
@@tipsfortravellers ❤️❤️❤️👊
I also pack a post it note cube. I leave notes for my family on them.
One one cruise I also made up a daily story for the towel animals that appeared. Kept both myself and our cabin steward entertained!
@@tipsfortravellers Try having a different colour for each men we of your party, that way you can keep track of who is going where/doing what.
@@vanessacarter6342 thats a great idea. Cheers to "THE SILLY, but fun"🍷
I think you make a great point about having both physical and digital copies of everything. My kids make fun of me, but that way I know I am covered.
I’ve never had the battery go flat on a piece of paper
Hi Gary, we also pack our swimsuits in our carryon bags--and head right to the pool/hot tubs. Thanks for all your tips! I really look forward to your videos!
Thank you for using the correct term "first-come, first served" and for the many cruise tips
GREAT TIPS, I appreciate your advice about having a paper copy as well as a digital file.
I spreadsheet the whole trip. Not so much a cruise out of my home port but each part of a multi trip. I recently dragged the kids from Australia to LA then a hire care and we reeled California and then an Amtrak to an Alaska cruise. Then after the cruise an Amtrak to Vancouver. Couple nights then home. In a spreadsheet I can see my costs and prepayments and port options. Even the expected weather. And I use all bonus vouchers and bits I’ve found along the way.
For hot and cold sectors I packed relevant clothing for a few days in travel compression bag and that way reduced the luggage. We had 1 hot weather suitcase and 1 cold weather suitcase between the 3 of us. With a car seat and 1 carryon it was enough to manage.
Lots of great tips in here as well as reminders even for people who have cruised before! We haven't cruised in a year and a half so this was a great refresher. Thanks!
Completely agree! this is pretty much how my husband and I do embarkation day, as well. We've learned along the way
You're the best Gary! We will board as early as possible and check the everything is working in our cabin. Great idea! Another thing we do is look for the daily news and events. When we were on Royal Caribbean we would receive a daily events list. I hope this is still being handed out? This really helps plan out things to do and gives you a good idea on what the ship has to offer including spa, dining and shopping specials. I'm with you on the sail away parties! 🎉
Interesting . Lots of good tips there . We usually book fixed dining in a large table (usually 8) so we would never go to a speciality restaurant on first night . I haven’t done a cruise since Covid, so I don’t know if it’s still possible to do that , but meeting people at dinner is a big part of the cruise for us .
Excellent tips, just how we been doing for years. Hard copy of all your documents in a simple file is a great idea that has helped us out on a couple of occasions.
Do everything from home on your computer is the only way to go.
Great video. If flying to Port, getting there a day early is key! Would also suggest that if flying opt for a longer layover if transferring flights. We did a cruise one year that sailed out of Barcelona. We decided to get there 2 days early because we wanted to visit Barcelona as part of our vacation. Our flight from Home was delayed which meant when we got the airport to our connecting flight we had to run across the airport arriving to the gate out of breath just as they were closing the door, but they let us on, however, none of our luggage made it. Thankfully because we got to Barcelona 2 days early I was able to go back to the airport the next day and our luggage showed up. Had we not done that we would have to go one the cruise with none of our luggage.
Hi Gary, you’ve got great videos. I’ve traveled all over the world on cruises. What I’ve found to be the case is the embarkation depends on the local facility. For example, leaving out of Southampton on Princess the local port crew dictated everything; when I could enter, where I sat and when I could board despite the pre-check in allotment time you mention. It was extremely frustrating. The same experience happened to me at Boston cruise port “we don’t pay attention to your arrival time “ was said to me. Again the same thing happened on Buenos Aires cruise port, on Princess, it was a debacle (2022). So I guess my point is that other than perhaps Miami & Ft. Lauderdale l, where there are up to 9 ships a day leaving in each port, the process is not well controlled.
Pack you patience and maybe a valium. I understand you’ve taken way more cruises than
Me, but except for Dover UK on Pacific Princess (2019) & Fort Lauderdale on Princess (2021) it’s been a chaotic mess.
Happy cruising 😊
I really enjoy the precruise-planning stage. As soon as I booked a cruise I jump into booking a nice specialty restaurant on the days where we are at sea that way we have something to look forward to in the evening. I love to know everything‘s taken care of ahead of time.
Gary is my go to guy for all kinds of cruise information. I sell cruises for a living and I find his videos invaluable!
Photos of important documents on your phone work great. For example I take a photo of my boarding pass and then don't have to worry about internet.
One thing that I do on the first day is after the drill I go back to my cabin for a shower and a nap.
I have been following your channel for a while. I have cruised for decades on many lines. And the information to newer cruisers is spot on. Great work.
I agree. A good embarkation can set up a better cruise. In this current environment being sure you have everything is critical.
At Vancouver Canada there are huge lines with no seating with 3 ships boarding at once. I take a small folding step stool from a dollar store to sit on.
Start to explore the ship from the top down. It is a whole lot easier down than up on the first day. Most cruise lines are breaking down on surge protectors not extension cords. A plain extension cord/power strip is ok just unplug when not in use. Surge protectors can interfere with the ships own surge protection.
We too do about 90% of these items on our first few hours after getting to the pier. It’s worth the planning. Job well done.
Great to hear this works for you too. And these work for others too
We often check our luggage in then spend the rest of the day strolling around the city of departure..
always have paper copies of important forms
Always study the deck plans to get to know the ship better.
Always prepay or prebook as much as possible
👍
I put my carry on small case in my cabin or outside it's door. Yes..Even though were told it's not ready, you can still put your case outside your door. Then I book my time dining slots and shows. Then go get a snack in a quiet area - not buffet ! Then muster drill. Then a cocktail and sail away party. If its sunny, I go in the hot tub !
One thing we like to do when we first get on the ship, the main elevators always have huge crowds of people in the lobby waiting to go up. If you go to the elevators all the way at the front of the ship or the back, there's rarely anyone waiting there and you can hop right one. We also avoid the buffet on embarkation day, way too crowded. If we're hungry we'll go up to the top deck and get a burger or something like that instead.
Don't forget tear-off jersey, revealing your golden chains and sunlamp tan ASAP, when music starts around the pool
Here’s a tip I do . When getting back on the ship to beat the crowd in front of the elevators walk up one flight of steps and catch the empty elevator as it’s going down to the floor below you , ride it down a level and let some of the crowd get on then ride it to your floor
Absolutely correct plan early then just relax the rest of the tour
Love your videos mate. Very interesting, balanced and informative. I would appreciate any advice on cruising again - from Australia. Although staunchly against cruising over the past two years, I have changed my mind, principally because of the videos you have produced. (P.S. I’m 70 so I’m after age appropriate cruises mate.) cheers, Paul.
Just did Alaska on Holland America's Zuiderdam. His advice is great. There were small amounts of children who were all well behaved, just 2 isolated push ins and noise at the buffet by 2 family groups, one group of kids without parents. These 2 moments wer easy to tolerate considering this was a 7 day Cruise. It's funny how some cultures just push in everywhere they go and I experienced none of this except as above. Everyone on the boat was quite chilled. Although it's the only Cruise we've done, if I was your age and above if go with them. Definitely not an Aussie booze cruise 🙂
In my personal opinion I prefer boarding about 2 hrs before the ship is due to leave. The lines are greatly reduced, my cabin is cleaned and ready and I don’t check my bags just take them direct to my room.
My wife and I split are cloths between two cases so if one case goes missing there are cloths for each of us in the other obviously full ensemble for each of us.
Do you have a video of what to check in your cabin on that first day? That would be so great to see!
Not yet! But will make one on my next cruise !
We recently went to Alaska on Celebrity Solstice. Tips were spot on. One disappointment halfway through our dining server became ill. Now 3 of our 6 travelers have Covid! So disappointed what a let down.
I cannot agree more that it is essential to plan to arrive in your embarkation port at least one day in advance. Weather, flight delays, etc. can really destroy your plans if you wait until Cruise Day to travel.
If our embarkation port has a nearby racetrack that is running (Gulfstream in Miami, the Fairgrounds in New Orleans, Sam Houston near Galveston), I'll plan to arrive 2 days in advance, and spend a nice afternoon or evening at the track.
I like the idea of a "bug out bag" for embarkation day and have been doing that for many years for business and personal travel. I would add that one should carry personal hygiene (travel sized), products, underwear and a t shirt. You said that you could buy many of the things that you might need but from my experience that isn't always the case. I've run into situations even in first world countries where a product wasn't available or they didn't have my size. Even though we aren't cruisers I do enjoy your travel tips and suggestions.
I screen shot QR codes on my phone. I also print. Just easier! As always: good information!
And that’s just day one!!! Thank god for caravans and freedom.
Gary, I’m glad God gave you the chance to turn your retirement into a spectacular time with your partner spent cruising all while helping us make better, more informed decisions so that we can get the most out of our vacations! All the best!
Really informative. My biggest problem was taking notes. You could probably make a little extra by selling check sheets.
For me, sending people to your channel makes my life easier! I LOVE to travel and cruise! Your videos are excellent!
All good. We have booked Royal Caribbean 8 day cruise in Sept. Told can not enter cabin till 1:30 with luggage.
...non stop walk on embarkation Regal Princess ... jan 2020 tho ... just get on board before the MDR closes for lunch is good ... everything else was on their Medallion as cruise ready info ... charger cords are so important ...
Hopefully with the new tech the fast getting on board remains !
you give the best and most detailed advice. love your channel
Glad you like them! Thanks for watching !
3:57 It says "Specialty".
So at 9:51 he pronounces it "speciality" - with the "i" between the "L" and the "T". I've heard this pronunciation by an American cruise director too.
The digital virtual muster (because of covid) I liked, rather than getting dragged up and down the ship. I hope they keep it.
No idea about the big ships I’ve only ever been on the small expedition ships, the big ones really don’t appeal to me at all
Thank you very much for a really helpful and concise review. You go to a lot of trouble in your videos and have some really useful content in them. I have only cruised 8 times but intend to do a lot more and your tips will help enormously.
Thank you for all these amazing tips! Me and my wife will be taking a cruise on the Princess Sky March 4th for a 14 day east and west Caribbean and have no idea what to expect or what to do. I have been spending the past few day's watching all of you're videos and they are full of tons of useful knowledge. Thank you for taking the time to go over everything!
today is march 14
hope you and your wife are havin' a great time!
:)
I just love your videos, Gary- I have never been on a cruise before, but having retired 2 y ago, are getting more intrigued by the idea- now to get my husband on board with the idea, (no pun intended).
Go by yourself if hubby isn't interested! That's what I do, and it's fine. Solo cruising has the benefit of your getting to do exactly which activities you want!
Excellent pre-embarkation day prep tips. The key to cruising these days is double and triple checking what documents you'll need at the terminal to get through the embarkation process. Someone embarking aboard on our last cruise put their passports in their checked luggage! The crew had to find their luggage bring it to them so they could get their passports and get on the ship. They arrived at the port with us at 11:30 AM, but didn't get on the ship until almost 4:00 PM! Make sure you have your embark documents, vaccine cards, test results, and passports in your carry on bag.
They must not have had their coffee. Poor souls. LOL
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Always arrive early at checkin, aiming to board before noon. Have a small carryon bag with a few essentials, that will do you for about four or five hours. Go straight to the pool deck, without hesitation, and relax. After that, you can access your stateroom at your leisure, when it becomes available. Then, immediately, ask your stateroom attendant to clear the minibar. You won’t need anything in it and it’s easy to make mistakes and get charged for things that you don’t use.
If weather at your port is warm enough!
Thanks for the tips. On my previous cruise, I didn't take anything as a carry on baggage, and the cruise line gave me very late my bag, so I had to wear my jeans all day. Next cruise, I did have some bermudas and other stuff, so it was more enjoyable. On both cases my wife and I had a great time.
Get FTTF if on carnival
Holland America is going to use mBark and Verifly. We have to figure those out before our cruise to Alaska in May. Our check in time is assigned and on the boarding pass.
Living here in Florida, a day early is never needed Other than that- great tips
Good evening. I've never been on a cruise but am giving serious thought to such. This video is like a flashlight in the dark; I thank you so much for offering such great advice to novices such as myself.
Great tips Gary. I do all of them all the time. I also carry my suitcase on and unpack when I go to the room. Off to Papua New guinea Thursday from Brisbane Australia
On larger ships of 2000+ guests early boarding times are crowded and the cabins aren’t ready yet, meaning finding a place to wait with your carry on with all the other cruisers.
Better off with the latest boarding appointment. The terminal will be empty and you’ll walk right on plus the cabins will be ready.
These tips are all well and good IF embarkation happens with a ready to sail ship. I’ve yet to walk onto a ship and have the option to go straight to my cabin. There has always been a lengthy wait in a public area on board as cabins are prepared.
2:33 i was on the regal princess just 2 weeks ago. june 2023, 7 days around the med. mediocre food lousy internet.
Thinking about going to a cruise with a facemask gives me shivers… no way.
I agree with most, though I do prefer to go to the buffet for lunch, for a few reasons. The first being since I'm on board early, I get to the buffet before the crazy mass of people are there. Secondly, I don't like a full sit down lunch anyways. Plus the buffet for lunch just really puts me in the "on a cruise" mood.
What a lucky girl I was. I did Atlantic crossings and cruises on the QE2. None of this nonsense needed. All sounds like a holiday camp these days and ruddy hard work
Shutting off the automatic time adjustment is SO important. And I’ve found that most new cruisers do not understand the e-muster process. They need to find a way to make that more clear IMO.
Sorry. What do you mean. ?? Haven’t cruised for over 2 years
We always cruise 2nd weekend of October. First place I go is to the sports bar to watch OU BEAT UT!
I disagree with specialty dining on the first night, or at least making any early bookings. I prefer to relax and watch the sail away than checking my watch to get somewhere on time.
My first cruise was from Sydney and I had to go downstairs before we exited the heads to get to dinner
I agree, the sail away from Sydney is spectacular and shouldn't be missed. I sometimes just get room service to avoid missing the sail away and to avoid the very busy buffet.
Gary is wonderful ... he is a treasure!