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I would love to see more adult only cruise options. They can upgrade the older ships with amenities for adults who don't care about indoor ice skating, etc.
@@keith7046 I love cruising from Galveston. My next cruise is on Virgin out of Miami. I just wish the other lines would repurpose their older, smaller ships for adults since there is little for kids to do. Viking has limited options and flights and hotels out of the country are cost prohibitive.
I was looking for this comment!!! Also let the solo cruisers pay a solo price. First come, first serve when it comes to booking cabins. Solo cruisers shouldn’t have to pay for two people when it’s only them.
Paying $3000 for solo while couples pay $3000 for both. If solo cruisers do not become priority, I'm done with cruising. Baby boomers are not a minority and many are solo travelers.
I agree. I would like to do a solo cruise or two, however when one has to pay nearly double, this makes it not a cost effective choice. Yes, I realise some cruise lines are starting to cater more for solo cruisers which is great, however, to my understanding this is not really wide spread across the cruise industry. I believe if cruise lines made this a more cost effective choice, they might be pleasantly surprised on the demand they will receive as a result.
@@desleycasey7412 The prices are still super high for solo cabins anyways. The lines that have them (that I can think of right now) are Virgin, Celebrity, Ncl, and Holland America. Their cabins can be the same if not a higher price.
@@iandean1112 Many thanks for your response. So even though only a 1 person cabin they still want to charge for an extra person!!!! That's a bit on the rich side isn't it!!!!!
The mega ships are of zero interest to me. Like you said, I don't need all the bells and whistles. People say they forget they are even on a ship. I cruise because I want to know I'm at sea.
I agree, too. The mega ships hold no sway for me. The two best cruises I had were on Carnival Valor and Carnival Elation. Because there weren't 8,000 people, after Day 3, you started to see many of the same people and it felt more cozy and relaxing. I go cruising to CRUISE. I'm in Washington, DC, so if I wanted to be at an amusement park or mall, there are 50 choices within 80 miles of me.
Totally agree. Cruise lines are going to lose loyal customers if they keep going with the mega ships. Invest in the smaller ships by upgrading or building new ones as pointed out in the video.
czcams.com/video/oGYWy1IkRT4/video.htmlsi=bStE6nOv2wjub_YQ I was on this Elation cruise, aka the cruise from hell. Only Gave us 20% credit of our full fare toward future cruise. Not 50% like they advertised! Covid hit and lost the credit!
Loyalty program is useless until you’re a senior who has gone on 100 cruises! Lose the art gallery. Who really buys that expensive stuff Make more on ship stores affordable other than Cartier jewelry etc Non smoking interior! That includes the casino, especially when a ship is designed to where you have to walk through it to get somewhere. Non slam stateroom doors!
I noticed that with HAL, in Bar Harbor. We booked an excursion that starts at 13:30, ends 15:30, and departure time is 16:00, on our upcoming summer cruise. I'm not sure if it includes tender to and from the port, time wise, or if we're allowed to take an earlier tender so we can enjoy the port more. Since we got the Have it All package, and we only wanted 2 excursions, our out of pocket came to a whopping $29. It was only by chance I learned we could book them at least the 6 months in advance by going on the website and finding the best ones were full up and waiting lists only.
That's because these cruise ships want you to stay inside their little bubble at ports. They don't want you going into the economy of ports. They want to keep your $$ in their company owned port shops.
That's the real costs for the ship. Staying in habour (or port as you say). It's extreamly expensive. I used to work on ships, and I knew the costs for different habours. Can't remember right now... And also it's become more and more expensive each year.
Agree!! Taking my first smaller ship cruise this may, my last cruise was on the Allure of the seas 12 years ago it felt like a floating shopping mall/Vegas resort. Not my idea of a dream vacation. So glad I wone it,, would have regretted paying for that experience.
I’m confused why gratuities are not included in the price but i don’t mind alcohol being separate since not everyone drinks alcohol & i do believe that people who don’t drink alcohol deserve a lower fare that seems fine.
Get costs down, make it all inclusive like it used to be, stop nickel and diming and packaging everything, better quality of food, fix the chair debaucle, better internet onboard/cheaper, get that App working!, get rid of fabric shower curtains...and put more hooks on the walls for us so we can stop the magnet shenanigans!
Reliable internet options so everyone can work from the ship if they need to would allow a lot more people to cruise more often since not everyone can time the time off work but some people can work remotely
Those who just place towels and go, when I am in the pool area; I randomly place the towel to the side and sit. Must we have to teach manners, to adults?
I agree with almost all of that, but we did tell our steward that he did not need to service our room 2x a day. One thing that really frustrated us was at the buffet. At busy meal times there were frequently no tables available but there were multiple people using the tables for playing games. There are so many places to do this on the ship, we felt it was pretty rude to use those tables at busy eating times making it so people had to carry their food to another area. Maybe this should be addressed during peak hours.
Hire retired Marine Corps Drill Instructors or Army Drill Sergeants to monitor tables; if people linger beyond a reasonable time or are doing social things like games during peak dining, the DI/DS “dumps” the table and shouts, “You’re done, Thing! You have 10 seconds to get out of here and you’ve already used 7 of them! Move it! Move it! Go-go-go!” 🇺🇸😁 (I’ve often felt some restaurants should do this during peak hours, too.)
Hate the buffet…use a cane, and people are so busy grabbing food they just trample over you in the greedy rush for food…like it’s going to run out! Prefer the MDR when available, and otherwise the Spa Cafe, or Mast Grill(Celebrity)
We leave our Do not Disturb on the door, as soon as the room has been cleaned for the day...usually as we leave for dinner...I don't want people back in my room again for turn down nonsense.
i totally agree with the card playing at peak hours. we just got back from a very cold Bahamas cruise and luckily we did take cards but we drank and played cards in the Red Frog Lounge.
Absolutely agree! - Love the idea of a punch card system since the billing errors are legendary. - Ports are the same old, same old. - Make gratuities REAL gratuities - not pooled fleetwide for compensation (and you still need to bring tip money.) - Make wifi reliable! Stop nickel and dime’ing us to death!!!
Make cruise ship HVAC safe and have the ability to add air filters. (Hint: Fincanteri’s hvac is a real problem.) Make balconies deeper, so you can sit facing forward.
Personally, I don't like "forced gratuity". In my opinion, a tip is deserved for "extra service" and is a way to show you recognize the effort. Not everyone deserves a tip, and it's not my responsibility to make up for the low wages. I am a generous tipper, but I insist on the amount and time to be my choice.
I think the gratuity practice was borne out of necessity. People stuffing on tips they KNEW they should’ve been paying is what led to the cruises imposing them. I’ve watched people try to argue out of a gratuity for a restaurant party of 20 guests…those two waitresses busted their behinds for that party and still they tried to argue about the gratuity. Let’s admit it, there are people (wealthy or not) who stiff on the tip, because either they don’t have it or don’t think the staff are worthy of “free money”. Things like this are created for a reason…just like the “don’t eat” warnings on Tidepods.
I would suggest to the cruise lines to put storage lockers around the pool area where space permits so people can store their stuff rather than tossing it on a chair. I think this might help free up some loungers from the people you just drop thier stuff there and stay in the pools or go on the slides the whole time and when they are done take thier stuff and leave.
@@mpoulin Same thing with my family. We look for a place to drop our stuff to go in the pool. We don't use the lounge chair but there's really no where else to put your things. Plus lockers would prevent people from walking off with your stuff.
I disagree. Ppl go down first thing in the am to “save” their chair..they don’t want to give up their chair. In Dec we went in a 7 night cruise & only got a lounge chair once. It’s very irritating.
ports costs money .... if dont know that... the more you stay, the more you pay... Also, port time depends of the cruise and next ports, because every single ship have their time slot that needs to follow in order to arrive in next port. Before the ships arrives somewhere, local pilot boards the ship. Port authorities doesnt have 1000s of pilots to accommodate everysingle ship arriving...
I would willing pay significantly more for longer port stays and the occasional overnight, specifically for purely beach or private island ports. I am so not a morning person. I am so not a morning person. Even for like a private island stop how nice would it be to be able to have dinner and a dance party on the beach. I love cruising and have no problems getting up for a cool excursion- if I am just going to a private island I don’t want to go to the beach at 9am. 😂🤷🏻♀️
@@LargoViewerI’m with you. I just don’t get the point. If you want the amusement and water park, why not go to an amusement park instead of a cruise? And I have ZERO INTEREST in “sailing” on a “ship” like Icon.
For those that have mobility issues, I agree the cruise ship/port needs to do more to accommodate those passengers. With ports like Bermuda and Nassau, they really should provide the longer golf carts to take those people to the transportation areas to board trams and or taxis. It’s a very long walk to get to those transportation areas. Royal is however very good at providing this type of transportation at CoCo Cay. They come right to the ship 😊
I'd love to see a new small ship. I want to have the feel of being on a ship and not a mall. also, the drink package being per person rather whole room would be amazing!!!
I have a rare disease and another chronic illness, I cannot drink alcohol and I cannot tolerate sugary and otherwise nonalcoholic beverages. Because of this it makes it impossible for my husband to buy a drink package.
Royal Caribbean let us get 1 drink package for my husband and a non-alcoholic drink package for me. they wouldn't do just the one, we had to get both packages and I needed a doctor's note @@lauriejohnson-daley3753
As I neared the end of your video I realized you could summarize a lot of what you’ve pointed out by simply saying “Put cruising back to what it was 20 years ago.” I’ve been cruising since November of 2000, and for you cruise newbies it’s a shadow of its former self. Lots of changes and almost none of them for the better. I’ve got 2 cruises booked for 2024 and after that I’m going to take a step back. It’s not the value and it’s not the special experience it once was. As for the drink packages, I guess I’ll preach this forever, but as I said on your Facebook page, the packages aren’t there to save us money. They’re there to make money for the cruise lines. Any changes they make will NOT be to our benefit. I tell people to create their own drink package by putting down an onboard credit for some amount less than the drink package cost, then drink WHAT YOU TRULY WANT and not just because you can, and I bet most (not all) people will come out money ahead.
This needs way more likes! I tell everyone the same thing about drink package just pay as you go and it’s usually a lot cheaper! I’m jealous that you got to cruise in the golden era! Did you get to experience midnight buffets? They look so cool.
@@lexa_power You I honestly don't remember about the midnight buffet. It's been too long, so I'm going to say it probably wasn't in effect when I cruised. I do remember they had a thing called the "Midnight Chocolate Extravaganza" one night. Perhaps they had the buffets the other nights and I just don't remember.
Just put a little subdued RSA token like device on the chairs that you have to scan your card on and it displays either red or green. Green for 30 minutes after you scan, then turns red. If it’s red and there is a towel in it but not a butt, then it’s fair game.
If I could come up with a solution for chair hogging I'd be rich! These days cruising is more stressful, hustling to get chairs, shows, food, etc.. Not that relaxing any more. AND please more food options.
Longer port days! Having to be back on the ship by 3:30-4:00pm is a bummer. Everything should not have to be purchased for everyone in the cabin, such as wi-fi and drink packages. Better handicapped accessibility is desperately on both the ships amd port days.
Yes, I would like a drink package that includes bottled water, mock tails, specialty coffee, milk shakes and specialty juices. I would also like more Port options in the Caribbean and Mexico. Yes, update the loyalty program too! Thanks for sharing 🛳️🛳️
I know that in Quebec City, Canada (for Princess at least) they do stay overnight in port and it's been a big boost to the nightlife economy for the region. Happy passengers, happy port win-win 💜
Being avid land travellers for many years, the very limited times in ports is what really puts us off of cruising. Cruise lines should seriously consider 2 night stays at major ports of call. There are so many wonderful things to do and see in Europe, the Mediterranean, Australia/New Zealand etc that 8 hours in a port just doesn’t allow. Sightseeing, eating at local establishments, seeing cultural/regional presentations, exploring museums and galleries etc is impossible to do in an 8 hour span, especially when a ship dictates you must be onboard no less than 30 minutes prior to a 5 or 6 pm sailing.
Overnight ports, yes! Why isn't this a thing? This would add so much more value. I would rather have one less stop if I knew it meant an overnight port stop. It just allows for a more relaxed day and the ability to do things at night.
I would have loved a couple days in Naples. After a long flight to Italy, topped off with an early Port call, I was too exhausted to enjoy the time ashore. I cancelled my tour because I was just too tired. What a waste of money.
That's because these cruise ships want you to stay inside their little bubble at ports. They don't want you going into the economy of ports. They want to keep your $$ in their company owned port shops.
The port time can be restricted by the port authorities. Years ago some ships stayed for two days in St Thomas. Also port taxes would possibly increase with an extended port time. If at all possible when taking a cruise from a distant port as with Venice arriving a few days prior will help you adjust to the time difference.
Yes! I'd love to be able to puchase a certain number of drinks that could be shared between cabin members. Like have 30 drinks on your account, and can scan your S&S card for both of you. That would give 2 people 2 or 3 drinks per day, or space them out as you want to. You might not drink much on some days, like long port days or whatever.
This would end up being better for the passenger, and the cruise line, as it would be more popular, and more purchased. I would go for eirher a number for the whole cruise, or a designated amount, on a card. I do like a glass of wine or two daily, like most; and a mixed drink, but these gargantuan drink packages are promoting unruly passengers, with the size of the number allotted.
A punch card would be nice. On Royal we get 4 drinks a day since we are diamond now. It is wonderful! They are loaded on my S&S card and I can use them however I want. My only complaint is they don't roll over if you don't use them each day. But still a great benefit.
If they designed the drink packages as per person, you could just buy what you need based on how many drinkers are in your cabin. Two drinkers would just buy two packages.
Probably your best video yet. I agree with all of them. I am platinum on Carnival but I have sailed on NCL. There is not much of an incentive for me to not try other cruise lines. NCL has that Free at Sea bundle, which was nice when we went to Alaska last summer. We never get the drink package on Carnival, because we don't drink enough to make it worth it. I didn't think it was a big deal when Carnival dropped the table cloths in the MDR, it was really nice having them on NCL. Besides not making you feel you are eating at an Applebee's it also helps control the noise in the MDR. Lack of port selection is also an issue for me. We have done almost all if not all the main Caribbean ports. Since we have been to most of them more than once, we rarely book an excursion through the cruise line. We will either walk off the ship and wing it or use a 3rd party. We have done Carnival's largest ship and NCL's. The only advantage they have for us is, we do get our 10,000 steps in. Our best cruises have always been on smaller ships. With smaller ships, the cruise lines could fix that "Lack of port selection" problem. We pick cruises by the ports offered first, not the ship. Service has sucked since the pandemic. Trying to get a drink has become an Olympic sport. Nothing is worst than being short while trying to get a drink at a bar.
I'm a big fan of your videos, and I agree with your take. I've only taken 5 cruises. My preferred cruise is NCL, but after my last cruise (NCL Viva) I got very delusional about them. I really didn't enjoy it. I felt as I was getting nickel and dimed to death.
I really hope it was just a flook that we went on celebrity and there were never line ups for anything. It was a wonderful cruise! Not so on NCL. It was a nightmare. So many line ups. And unable to make a reservation for fine dining. Cabins had a weird configuration. Line ups at every dining place because all they had was anytime dining. No reserved dining. The differences were unbelievable as far as service and food. Very disappointed.
How about a numbering system for getting drinks at the bars. Nothing more frustrating than standing at a bar for 10 minutes and someone walks up, gets the bartender’s attention and gets a drink before you. Surely is would be easier to have a numbering system like at delis.
Bigger or smaller ships would be fine if they didn’t overbook them. There are just too many people on any size ship these days. It isn’t much of a vacation if I have to fight for the amenities for which I paid. And if you are disabled and can only take elevators, you may as well set aside a couple of hours a day just getting from one place to another. We took my mother-in-law last Fall, who uses a walker, and when we booked, the early dining was already gone, so we had to take the anytime dining or miss the shows because she can’t handle late nights. The elevator situation was THE most frustrating part of the trip. People were rude and would simply jump in front of her into the elevator, put up their hand, and tell her to wait for the next one. We didn’t know which deck we would be on for dining. Once they notified us that the table was ready we had 10 minutes to get there or lose our table. They would not accept part of our party and give my mother-in-law a chance to get there. If it was a one deck dining room, we could have gone to that deck before reserving a table, but we didn’t know which deck it would be. Getting there in time with that elevator situation really put a damper on our trip because of the stress. We skipped the main dining room a couple of nights just because of the hassle. They need one elevator designated for those who cannot do stairs.
We agree with every proposal in this clip, and we think that all Cruise Line CEO's should take note. This is a very important take on the Cruising industry and it clearly reflects the overall point of view of cruisers. Well done, Ilana on yet another excellent presentation!!! G and C.
We paid our tips to the people who we saw giving us service. We don't tip the cook when we eat out. Cruise lines need to change their pay scale and not automatically charge for tips. You tip for good sevice, not to be part of the salaries of the cruise lines.
Absolutely would love to see new or totally refurbished smaller cruise ships… That would be ideal🚢 I am probably in the minority but I prefer to have our cabin serviced once a day… Even if we are on a cruise line that provides twice a day service I do ask for once a day and they are happy to oblige... even though we prefer once a day cabin service we have a great rapport on every cruise with all of our cabin stewards. This has never been a concern at all. Prior to Covid we did have our cabin serviced twice a day but I didn't even love it back then.
I concur about cabin service. And upgrading smaller ships so they have most of the amenities of larger ships should be a no-brainer! Airlines do it, hotels do it… so too should the cruise lines.
@@JBM425I think the problem is people don’t want to pay the prices such a vessel would require. We are going on a 10-day Med cruise in a few months on such a vessel (Oceania), and it has everything I want (except longer port stays)…and it’s 5K per person (not including gratuities). Of course, airfare and shuttles are included as are a generous ship credit and excursion allowance…but still…10k😢. Needless to say, this won’t be a usual thing for us.
Couldn't agree more about the smaller ships. It's not that I'm not interested in the larger newer ships but those ships are just too large for many itineraries so if the destination is more important then you have to make compromises when it comes to the tech available on the older ships. I have heard Royal is looking into making smaller ships but that could be several years away. However I do agree if they could at the very least do a complete refurbish by stripping it down to the studs so to speak and updating the older ship to have things like plugs by the bed and better laid out staterooms that would be great.
The harsh prices for solo travelers is literally keeping me from cruising right now. I want to go on a Celebrity Cruise, but they are the worst of the bunch. Double occupancy PLUS a fee to make up for what they imagine that imaginary second person would have spent on board.
Definitely agree with new smaller ships and new itineraries. My husband and I love the smaller ships. I would love to see some of the smaller ships taken into extended dry dock and refurbished. And I totally agree with more time in ports!
I like most of those suggestions except getting rid of the room keys. I prefer that over the medallions. They should have a drink package where you can purchase 4 drinks per day at a discount or something similar that not both people in a cabin have to buy.
It should be the passengers choice on who to tip and how much. They could include a sheet of paper when the cruise is over for each type of tip you can initial and choose how much. I resent being forced to pay a gratuity when historically, it was meant for showing appreciation for extra service. It's not our job to cover the gap from low wages. If we all stopped allowing this, the cruise lines would be forced to raise wages to a reasonable amount. (Although, it would probably just raise our cost for the cruise)@@donnapee8402
I don't need house keeping 2 times a day! I am very neat and make my bed every day anyway. Some days I tell the cabin steward that I needed no service at all.
On about the third day of time changes our room steward has frazzled and running late, we told him to skip our room as we were running late too. He said he’d get in trouble but we assured him it was at our request and we’d confirm the request. He was about to miss lunch again!
I agree with most of your suggestions/complaints. Yes, to building new, smaller ships. I don't want to feel like I'm at the amusement park or shopping mall. Yes, to better perks/discounts for repeat and solo cruisers. Yes, to more variety of cruise ports and longer stays.
ILANA!!! Great job! I so miss beautiful new smaller ships that go to unique ports. Also, the lounge saving issue is huge and is not being addressed by the ship management. If you go to lunch there is no need to save a chair. Thank you for all your amazing information! ❤
New caribbean ports would be great in addition to more service. The cabin stewards are running all the time and I miss the chocolates at night. It’s bad small thing but makes cruising special. Overnights in ports would be wonderful especially in Europe.
We aren’t big alcohol drinkers, but do enjoy an occasional cocktail, glass of wine or a cold beer. We do like nonalcoholic beverages and are definitely foodies. Packages that cater more towards dining and lite social drinking would be most welcome.
I don't drink alcohol, and I would like to get the soft drink package for a cruise in November, however, my friend who is travelling with me doesn't want to purchase a drinks package as she prefers to drink water. So no soft drink package for me as I would have to either insist she purchase a drinks package (which I'm not about to do) or pay for a drinks package for her which is a waste of $$$ as she's not really into soft drinks. Condunrum to say the least. Why should cruise lines insist if one in the cabin purchases a drinks package then all in the cabin have to? Yes, it would be an honesty system but like many others I don't have $$$ to burn unnecessarily.
Oceania cruises have a drinks package included in their Simply More rates. It doesn’t work for me because I don’t do wine, beer, nor champagne. But if you’re ever in the market for a luxury cruise with all meals in 5 different dining options. (There are 7, but they are excluded), I’d suggest that one.
I do miss the "old way" of cruising..by that I mean during the late 80's through the early 2000's cruising seemed to be more personable. The evening turn down service with the chocolate on the pillow. You got to know alot of the crew, eating in the main dining room each night was always something to look forward to. No where near as much "up selling". Room service was free.. just gave a tip. And yes the cruise lines should build new smaller ships. I like leaving out of Baltimore and a smaller ship is the only chouce dut to the bridges you pass under and it has been my experience that they almost always are fully booked, so there is a market for them.
I agree with making more of the smaller or mid-sized ships. The internet package, that I can do without. I like the idea that I am disconnected from the world if I am on vacation. I know some just have to have that connection but sometimes maybe we all need that time off the phones and to just enjoy that slower pace of a cruse.
My daughter is a teaching professor at a university. She monitors summer classes using the internet. My husband was able to keep up with his church book club. My SIL had News and questions regarding an elderly parent. I’m not sure we would get a summer family trip without the internet.
The thing is, cruise lines are becoming more reliant on technology. Many lines require you to use a phone app onboard for ship services, yet they don’t bother to invest in the technology to make it more reliable, especially when a large number of passengers are using the app simultaneously. I’ve seen complaints on several videos citing frustrated passengers being required to use the app to do something, but the app itself doesn’t work or isn’t connecting.
Can we decide that some/many really don’t carry their QR readers around all day and just provide menus, especially wine lists for passenger without having to the passenger having to beg for them? Of course, listing all the ingredients, or at least the visible ones would be nice too! WHO puts bell peppers in beef stroganoff ! Ans: Royal Caribbean for one!
Our only cruise on Regent before they got so outrageously expensive, was a week to the Caribbean. The price was similar to a suite on most cruise lines. But the main reason we chose that one, it was a chocolate themed cruise!! Yes, we gained a lot of weight on that one! lol😋
back in 1993 and 1998 (our last cruises!) on HAL, we had a midnight chocolate buffet during the cruise... Midnight! The chocolate carvings, chocolate fountains, fondues...chocolate everywhere...like a giant Willy Wonka Chocolate feast!... but honestly,... a bit of a waste as most people were asleep!
NCL stopped the chocolate night that I loved , the towel animals and our steward used to come and meet everyone they were in charge of personally. We also didn’t have to pre sign up for shows. Someone else commented about the rush and stress that you don’t feel like you’re on vacation.
Enforcing the no reserving pool chairs could fall into the hire more crew. Dedicate a crew member to make the rounds and monitor how long the chairs are unoccupied. Doesn’t have to be a full time thing, but at least have a schedule for this job.
Agree, agree agree. We like the smaller ships. Yes to more staff!!! We really don't appreciate paying a lot of money to stand in a long line to get a drink or a coffee at the coffee bar. Our first cruise was 2001 and the service level has gone down since then. We love the twice a day cleaning, especially since somedays you shower after you get back from an excursion, so coming back to a clean room after dinner is amazing. And a big yes to longer in port. We look for cruises with lots of sea days, but when we are in port it would be great to be there longer. This was not in your video, but at least with Holland there is a missing cruise length segment. Tons of 7 day to 10 or 11 day cruises, but after that it seems to jump to 30 plus days. Yes I know the solution on Holland is back to back cruises but instead of going back to Ft. Lauderdale and starting over, how about stops or longer stays to make a 21 day cruise?
Soda dispensers for those with the mid level drink package. So many times I had to wait in long lines just to get a soda. People ordering mixed drinks took a long time while my needs were very quick.
Yes, more drink package options. We don't drink much but would like to see something suitable for us. Perhaps we'll even drink more a they will make some money that way.
The chocolates don’t cost a lot in the grand scheme of things, but those little things can mean a lot. They make the trip more enjoyable and are even good PR for the cruise line.
I like the special touches, too, but did not like my towel animal sporting my glasses that were stored INSIDE a drawer. I really felt that my privacy was invaded.
The punch card for beverages is a great idea! They should integrate it into their cruise apps, that way it’d be tied to your cabin/account and would be updated in real time after every drink. An actual punch card is just something else to remember/carry.
The saving towels on beds is really bad I’d like them to introduce a system. We saw beds reserved and the people had gone out on excursions and were gone most of the day 😮
Yes it’s such a shame to see people not being able to get near the pool due to reserved beds and the people that have put towels on not coming back until 3pm. On ncl we saw crew removing towels but did not on celebrity.
Gratuities are a sore point with me - they are added onto an already pricy vacation (cruise fare, airfare, hotels, transportation, etc.) and we are still expected (and given the "option") to add additional tips! Spas are the worst - 20% gratuity at least, then they bombard you with purchasing extra items plus requesting an extra tip. A nail tech called my cabin more than once during the cruise to again try to sell me items that I "really needed" (her opinion, not mine) - my mani/pedi had been done on the 2nd day of an 8-day cruise. Another time, I told the spa when I arrived for a massage that I preferred no up selling and received a mediocre massage; coincidence? One last thing, since you've got me on a roll, keep kids out of the adult pool & hot tubs! Rotterdam, I'm calling you out - 10 kids between the ages of 8-13 (approximately) jumped into the hot tub where 3 adults were relaxing on a recent cruise. They were splashing and loud, with no parents in sight, but not one employee addressed the situation. I love the turndown service and chocolates on the pillow - makes me feel pampered! :)
I have to agree with the lack of excursions for accessible cruisers- I use a scooter because of mobility issues and generally the only thing you can do is a bus tour.
The concept of new ports in the Caribbean is great but not sure which other islands and cost of building piers. I want the lifeguards to enforce no diapers in the pool - keeps me from swimming.
Agree on these. I realized that I'm almost turned off by a lot of caribbean sailings because they all look the same. Last cruise I barely got off the ship because I've been to the ports several times and the prices of excursion... I decided to enjoy an emptier ship instead. This is amplified by how crowded many of those ports are when the mega ships are there. I gave feedback to one of the premium lines that they should look at different ports, offer something that people would find "different" and worth paying more premium sailing fares for. The reducing of standard items and increasing of up-charges is very annoying.
Longer time at ports, a different tier option for drinks. Have lactose free and gluten free options. New ports to visit. More pool and hot tub areas. I never get to enjoy the pool or hot tub. Too crowded. Better and cheaper wifi I agree.
Thanks again, Ilana, for another timely and well-done episode. The only thing that we would like to add to the list is that embarkation and debarkation are actually very physically taxing in our experience. Thought should be given by the cruise lines to minimize the amount of walking, standing, and queuing up in lines that people have to do to get on and off the ship. This is particularly true for cruise lines with older customer demographics. Our last embarkation at Vancouver, Canada, was absolutely ridiculous in this respect. Thanks!
Better up front cost . I planned a cruis with the family and then had to rethink it after looking more into the other fees and costs so we never ended up going or looking for another cruis. It is just a lot of work to get a tru estimate on what your trip will cost, especially when planning for a family
Even when planning for a solo it’s exhausting that it’s so time consuming and you have to fill our pages and pages of info before you see the real price - especially as a solo since they charge random fee amounts for us
Oh boy! I was so disappointed on my last cruise on the NCL Pearl. The cutbacks were palpable! It was a 7 night cruise & only 3 nights of the production shows that were at best mediocre. Please bring back more evening shows. I felt the cruise was pretty much geared towards gambling & drinking. I don't do either, so I felt like there were very limited options for me. As always, our Stateroom Attendant was wonderful. I always prepay my gratuities before the cruise & give extra for crew members who went above & beyond. With that in mind, I would appreciate them built into the initial cruise fare.
Years ago I was on a cruise and one of our table. Mates said that we really don't go to different Islands. They just cruise to the other side of the island and change the sign. LOL. I got a really big kick out of that joke.
Part of the appeal of a cruise was an all-inclusive price that wouldn’t require anyone to pull out their purse or wallet for every little thing. Perhaps to lower the cost and appeal to a different demographic, they started unbundling services and features; in doing so, they may have tapped into one market but are alienating another.
We just got off Mariner of the Seas. The food was so disappointing compared to past cruises. Food was delivered Luke warm or cold. Ice cream half melted. Servers were wonderful but it was painful to watch. Not near enough vegan choices. Food and drinks took way too long. Buffet nothing like it used to be. The soda machines were down probably half the time. It costs a fortune and they make you walk forever to get to the next machine only to see more out of service signs. Our cabin steward was great but didn't understand English which was frustrating. We only had 1 glass in our bathroom for 5 days. When we asked for another he brought us nice glasses full of water from dining room. This was my 5th time cruising on RC and the change is heartbreaking
I would love to see the gratuities included in the price of the cruise. Medallions would be more convenient. Reinvesting in the small older ships is a great idea!! I don’t mind having housekeeping once a day. Yes, please come up with a way to stop chair saving in the pool area and in the event areas. Saving one or two chairs is fine but anything more than that should not be tolerated.
Agree, we’ve been to almost every port in the eastern and western Caribbean several times. At 84 yrs old, we can’t walk as much as we did younger and usually the dining room is at one end of the ship and the shows the opposite end.
Honestly, I would like a gratuity discount for opting out of Housekeeping. Most land based hotels offer to not Have the room cleaned every day. If a trash can is overflowing, I can put The trash out in a bag for cabin attendant. I am a solo traveler, so I think about this differently.
Nobody wants your litter bag marring the appearance of their corridors. Your attendant prepares your room and will have to clean it after you period of occupancy without daily cleaning. Pay the staff.
You do understand that a bin with paper in it is considered a fire hazard, there is no way anyone is going to let it accumulate wherever it is! Years back now we asked why there weren’t recycle bins around the ship. The answer was simple: fire! They went on to point out that the staff is trained to separate all trash and disposed of it in the most efficient and safest ways possible. I assume you know that even hotels do wellness checks and even go farther to add they will/may enter your room every 2-3 days just to check it.
There has to be a way for folks who want to save diesel and desalinated water to get only a room check. I don’t want my sheets done every day and can use washcloths and towels. Imagine if 300 rooms opt out of full cleaning how much fuel and water isn’t used.
Agree. I drink very little, my spouse drinks more than I do- so being able to customize a bundled drink package is a great idea. Also like the longer port days
Lots of good ideas - too bad the cruise lines aren’t watching. In the past two years, money seems to be a driving force. My wife and I both miss the chocolates on the pillows, chocolate midnight buffet, midnight lido food, etc. we’ve also realized after sailing bigger ships that bigger isn’t better! Keep up the great work.
I don’t. Can you imagine the nightmare at guest services from all of the drunk passengers who “misplace their cards? And if they don’t realize they’ve misplaced it before some other passenger uses it…then what? Refunds? There has to be a better way. Physical cards aren’t it though. Those are high theft items.
Cruise lines should enforce the no shorts policy in the dining rooms at dinner. I, personally, do not want to see the formal nights disappear. I enjoy dressing up, and on non-formal nights, I do dress a little nicer than capris and t-shirts--long pants, a nice dress, and/or a jacket or sweater. When the waiters are all in jackets and ties and even tuxes, it's nice to dress up and feel pampered. Of course, I'm a senior. I don't know how young people feel.
Ilana, so many great topics that do need to be addressed. The pool chairs shpuld be on a reservation system. Say 60 to 90 minutes, at a time. They don't need to charge to reserve them, but number them and assign a number to each reservation. Similiar to arranging yiur time in the main dining room. There is enough time for everyone to enjoy the pool deck, being spread out throughout the day. # 2. Yes-Yes, build more new smaller medium sized ships. Royal Caribbean has actually announced they will start bulding a new " Discovery class" of ships, before the end of the decade. I do however love the older ships, which feel more intimate, and can go to smaller ports.
Celebrity just added and option to choose to forgo the second housekeeping and get extra CC points. We personally got used to on-demand housekeeping in hotels during 2020-2022 and absolutely loved it because everything stayed where we put it without needing to constantly rearrange my office, our toiletries, and where we wanted the trash can.
Some thoughts: 1) Rebates or discounts for declining housekeeping are a nice idea, but not practical. The cruise line must staff to a level that allows all cabins to be serviced at a set level daily-it wouldn’t be practical for them to add/subtract housekeeping staff from sailing to sailing, which is the only way they could afford to offer this. 2) Lounger “reservations” could be done with plastic coated signs issued by a “towel attendant” who would write an ending time on the sign with a grease pencil. If you want to stay longer, you actually need to be there and have your sign “updated”. 3) Gratuities are NOT gratuities if they’re added to the bill… they’re just a fee. I recognize that this fee has now become an important part of the compensation for ALL the staff, so the fee needs to stay. Genuine “gratuities” still need to be earned OUTSIDE the expected level of service, and need to be handed (discreetly) to the individuals that earn them. 4) Vacations should not be rushed, and at least one overnight port stay should be part of EVERY cruise. (I guess the mega-ships could skip this since they have so much on board… maybe they don’t need to make port calls at all?😊). 5) I miss towel animals!
When we travel with the family, the grandkids do love all the extra “toys,” like race tracks and rock walls, but we don’t need them on our trips. We don’t like having to book shows, or missing them because we don’t want to stand in line for an hour. Dinner reservations are harder to get. The pools are so small for the number of passengers, and getting a lounge chair is impossible. My husband I have decided to start searching for cruises on the smaller ships.
I pretty much agree with everything that you talked about. I don’t ever expect to see myself on one of those big mega ships just too many people and too much walking for me. Really miss the twice a day cabin service. Would love to see a drink package for soft drinks, juice, and specialty coffee.
Cruises sold in New Zealand and Australia include gratuities in the fare, following a law implemented in Australia. It meant the cruise lines were not allowed to have “compulsory gratuities” payable separately. They tried to say they abolished these fees, but the reality is they simply boosted fares to cover it. I’m a cruiser who tries to prepay as much as I can, as exchange rates are generally not in my favour, and I come from a non tipping culture.
I don't think you mentioned it specifically, but I LOVE the towel animals. I was on HAL in December and we had to skip Half Moon Cay due to weather and one of the distractions was the staff showing us how to make all different kinds of towel animals. FUN!!
We definitely don't do much of the normal itinerary cruises because there's only so many times you can see Jamaica, Bahamas, Costa Maya ect before you are bored.
I endorse most of your comments. HAL did have a drink card with 15 or so drinks (of wine) on it. They discontinued it. Tell them to bring it back! I hope the cruise industry can stop counting their money long enough to watch your videos and act accordingly.
I agree with all of these topics. Being a solo cruiser it is so frustrating having to pay 100% single supplement. It won't stop me from going, but I might go more often if I didn't have to pay double.
30 minute timers on the lounges. Activate manually, or better yet with cruise card when you leave it. If someone arrives and it’s zero, it’s fair game. How to do it, well, that’s the challenge!
Love your videos! Yes I agree with everything you say. Start removing towels that have been left on the chairs for an hour. Longer in ports and different ports would be awesome we love to cruise on different ships with Carnival but have been to the same ports too many times. More bartenders!! Thank you
True, benefits aren't there so I'm as loyal as they are! And yes would like to see more new ships in the 130k-160k range. Also for all to include more free common space per passenger. Stop jamming us in!
I do love the special things you don’t get anymore like chocolates, towel animals, cabin ready for bed. I looked forward to seeing what our cabin looked like when we came back for the evening. More variety in drink packages also. Thanks for your videos, love them also.
- Service service service. One of the other cruise video-ers (I think Tony from La Lido Loca) said about a week ago that ships are currently running full. So the cruise lines have no excuse for not paying for enough staff to give the service they did pre-pandemic. - Declaring the full cost up-front. I don't personally care whether it's itemised or not, but I accept that others do care. I just want to compare apples to apples when choosing a ship and line. - Drink packages. unlimited non-alcoholic drinks, or at least $X and below. (I don't drink - wine.) - Smaller cruise ships. The big ships scare me. Too many people. But mostly the service. And declaring the full cost.
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Better Food..
I think if you sail solo but have to pay for 2, you should get double loyalty points.
On some lines you do.
Hi cruise with princess a bitch and I always get double points when it’s just me
Princess does this.
So does Royal
Yes, definitely!
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would love to see more adult only cruise options. They can upgrade the older ships with amenities for adults who don't care about indoor ice skating, etc.
Try Viking. Adults only and no water sports or go-kart tracks. All the ships have balconies and twice daily stateroom service with free mini bar.
@@keith7046 I love cruising from Galveston. My next cruise is on Virgin out of Miami. I just wish the other lines would repurpose their older, smaller ships for adults since there is little for kids to do. Viking has limited options and flights and hotels out of the country are cost prohibitive.
I find celebrity cruise ships have more adult options. I don't think you'll be bored or feel excluded.
Great Idea! That's why I normally cruise with Holland America. Very few children.
We have sailed with Cunard as a lot less children and water sports etc
It would be nice if there were more cabins for solo cruisers.
Absolutely
This!!!!
I was looking for this comment!!! Also let the solo cruisers pay a solo price. First come, first serve when it comes to booking cabins. Solo cruisers shouldn’t have to pay for two people when it’s only them.
Yessssss, but don’t charge solo cruisers but don’t charge more than the cost of 2 in a cabin! I have heard some cruise lines are doing this
Paying $3000 for solo while couples pay $3000 for both. If solo cruisers do not become priority, I'm done with cruising. Baby boomers are not a minority and many are solo travelers.
Solo cruising at any type of cabin with not having to pay double
Amen! 🙏
They lose money especially with cruises now being booked at 110%
I agree. I would like to do a solo cruise or two, however when one has to pay nearly double, this makes it not a cost effective choice. Yes, I realise some cruise lines are starting to cater more for solo cruisers which is great, however, to my understanding this is not really wide spread across the cruise industry. I believe if cruise lines made this a more cost effective choice, they might be pleasantly surprised on the demand they will receive as a result.
@@desleycasey7412 The prices are still super high for solo cabins anyways. The lines that have them (that I can think of right now) are Virgin, Celebrity, Ncl, and Holland America. Their cabins can be the same if not a higher price.
@@iandean1112 Many thanks for your response. So even though only a 1 person cabin they still want to charge for an extra person!!!! That's a bit on the rich side isn't it!!!!!
The mega ships are of zero interest to me. Like you said, I don't need all the bells and whistles. People say they forget they are even on a ship. I cruise because I want to know I'm at sea.
Indeed. I love to cruise to relax, and leave the crowds behind. When it becomes like a sardine can,my interest wanes.
No way we will ever cruise in those new Monster ships.
They look horrible to me. I do not want to spend my time in a mall.
I agree, too. The mega ships hold no sway for me. The two best cruises I had were on Carnival Valor and Carnival Elation. Because there weren't 8,000 people, after Day 3, you started to see many of the same people and it felt more cozy and relaxing. I go cruising to CRUISE. I'm in Washington, DC, so if I wanted to be at an amusement park or mall, there are 50 choices within 80 miles of me.
Totally agree. Cruise lines are going to lose loyal customers if they keep going with the mega ships. Invest in the smaller ships by upgrading or building new ones as pointed out in the video.
czcams.com/video/oGYWy1IkRT4/video.htmlsi=bStE6nOv2wjub_YQ I was on this Elation cruise, aka the cruise from hell. Only Gave us 20% credit of our full fare toward future cruise. Not 50% like they advertised! Covid hit and lost the credit!
Loyalty program is useless until you’re a senior who has gone on 100 cruises!
Lose the art gallery. Who really buys that expensive stuff
Make more on ship stores affordable other than Cartier jewelry etc
Non smoking interior! That includes the casino, especially when a ship is designed to where you have to walk through it to get somewhere.
Non slam stateroom doors!
I totally agree with you on the shops and the smoking issue!!
Art West sells $150 million USD in these events. Proof your distasteful comments are not shared for many who are not complaining but happy
My likes say otherwise lol…Not my problem when someone can’t handle criticism and has to insult instead. Do you need a safe space? @@PhD6193
My likes say otherwise lol…Not my problem when someone can’t handle criticism and has to insult instead. @@PhD6193
Do you need a safe space lol? @@PhD6193
Spending longer in the ports. The time spent there now doesn’t allow you to thoroughly enjoy the excursion because you’re being rushed.
Thanks for sharing
I noticed that with HAL, in Bar Harbor. We booked an excursion that starts at 13:30, ends 15:30, and departure time is 16:00, on our upcoming summer cruise. I'm not sure if it includes tender to and from the port, time wise, or if we're allowed to take an earlier tender so we can enjoy the port more. Since we got the Have it All package, and we only wanted 2 excursions, our out of pocket came to a whopping $29. It was only by chance I learned we could book them at least the 6 months in advance by going on the website and finding the best ones were full up and waiting lists only.
That's because these cruise ships want you to stay inside their little bubble at ports. They don't want you going into the economy of ports. They want to keep your $$ in their company owned port shops.
That's the real costs for the ship. Staying in habour (or port as you say). It's extreamly expensive.
I used to work on ships, and I knew the costs for different habours. Can't remember right now... And also it's become more and more expensive each year.
I would love to see more small cruise ships being built and for the older small ships to be refurbished.
Agree!!
Taking my first smaller ship cruise this may, my last cruise was on the Allure of the seas 12 years ago it felt like a floating shopping mall/Vegas resort. Not my idea of a dream vacation. So glad I wone it,, would have regretted paying for that experience.
Transparent, up front, all inclusive pricing so it’s easy to understand and compare vacations before booking.
Agreed !
I'd like truly all inclusive. No surprises
@@lorettastuard5828 Agreed! I think that alot of cruise lines would get more customers if they have set packages at set prices (all inclusive).
@@lorettastuard5828 yes i hate paying extra for gratuities but every single line makes you do that so at least it’s across the board
I’m confused why gratuities are not included in the price but i don’t mind alcohol being separate since not everyone drinks alcohol & i do believe that people who don’t drink alcohol deserve a lower fare that seems fine.
Yes to smaller ships..! And yes to more service.
Get costs down, make it all inclusive like it used to be, stop nickel and diming and packaging everything, better quality of food, fix the chair debaucle, better internet onboard/cheaper, get that App working!, get rid of fabric shower curtains...and put more hooks on the walls for us so we can stop the magnet shenanigans!
Reliable internet options so everyone can work from the ship if they need to would allow a lot more people to cruise more often since not everyone can time the time off work but some people can work remotely
I really hate searching for a lounge chair. Chairs everywhere with a towel and no occupants in sight. That’s incredibly frustrating.
Those who just place towels and go, when I am in the pool area; I randomly place the towel to the side and sit. Must we have to teach manners, to adults?
Recently discovered on my Celebrity cruise that people saved two loungers. One in the sun and one in the shade! no wonder we cant find lounge space!!
I agree with almost all of that, but we did tell our steward that he did not need to service our room 2x a day. One thing that really frustrated us was at the buffet. At busy meal times there were frequently no tables available but there were multiple people using the tables for playing games. There are so many places to do this on the ship, we felt it was pretty rude to use those tables at busy eating times making it so people had to carry their food to another area. Maybe this should be addressed during peak hours.
Hire retired Marine Corps Drill Instructors or Army Drill Sergeants to monitor tables; if people linger beyond a reasonable time or are doing social things like games during peak dining, the DI/DS “dumps” the table and shouts, “You’re done, Thing! You have 10 seconds to get out of here and you’ve already used 7 of them! Move it! Move it! Go-go-go!” 🇺🇸😁 (I’ve often felt some restaurants should do this during peak hours, too.)
@@JBM425 🤣😂
Hate the buffet…use a cane, and people are so busy grabbing food they just trample over you in the greedy rush for food…like it’s going to run out! Prefer the MDR when available, and otherwise the Spa Cafe, or Mast Grill(Celebrity)
We leave our Do not Disturb on the door, as soon as the room has been cleaned for the day...usually as we leave for dinner...I don't want people back in my room again for turn down nonsense.
i totally agree with the card playing at peak hours. we just got back from a very cold Bahamas cruise and luckily we did take cards but we drank and played cards in the Red Frog Lounge.
Absolutely agree!
- Love the idea of a punch card system since the billing errors are legendary.
- Ports are the same old, same old.
- Make gratuities REAL gratuities - not pooled fleetwide for compensation (and you still need to bring tip money.)
- Make wifi reliable!
Stop nickel and dime’ing us to death!!!
Make cruise ship HVAC safe and have the ability to add air filters. (Hint: Fincanteri’s hvac is a real problem.)
Make balconies deeper, so you can sit facing forward.
I don't tip for drinks. they already charge an 18 percent service fee per drink. AKA tip.
Personally, I don't like "forced gratuity". In my opinion, a tip is deserved for "extra service" and is a way to show you recognize the effort. Not everyone deserves a tip, and it's not my responsibility to make up for the low wages. I am a generous tipper, but I insist on the amount and time to be my choice.
I think the gratuity practice was borne out of necessity. People stuffing on tips they KNEW they should’ve been paying is what led to the cruises imposing them. I’ve watched people try to argue out of a gratuity for a restaurant party of 20 guests…those two waitresses busted their behinds for that party and still they tried to argue about the gratuity.
Let’s admit it, there are people (wealthy or not) who stiff on the tip, because either they don’t have it or don’t think the staff are worthy of “free money”.
Things like this are created for a reason…just like the “don’t eat” warnings on Tidepods.
I would suggest to the cruise lines to put storage lockers around the pool area where space permits so people can store their stuff rather than tossing it on a chair. I think this might help free up some loungers from the people you just drop thier stuff there and stay in the pools or go on the slides the whole time and when they are done take thier stuff and leave.
Fantastic idea
I agree and have thought the same in the past. We don't really use the lounge chairs but there is no where to put our stuff.
@@mpoulin Same thing with my family. We look for a place to drop our stuff to go in the pool. We don't use the lounge chair but there's really no where else to put your things. Plus lockers would prevent people from walking off with your stuff.
Leave your crap in your cabin
I disagree. Ppl go down first thing in the am to “save” their chair..they don’t want to give up their chair. In Dec we went in a 7 night cruise & only got a lounge chair once. It’s very irritating.
Agree with the longer port stays. Best port day I ever had was Dubrovnik where we arrived at 8am and stayed until 10pm.
Sounds amazing
ports costs money .... if dont know that... the more you stay, the more you pay... Also, port time depends of the cruise and next ports, because every single ship have their time slot that needs to follow in order to arrive in next port. Before the ships arrives somewhere, local pilot boards the ship. Port authorities doesnt have 1000s of pilots to accommodate everysingle ship arriving...
@@Sailor92 this is why many avid travellers don’t want to cruise, the very limited port hours do not allow for immersive experiences
@@lauriejohnson-daley3753 thats correct.
I would willing pay significantly more for longer port stays and the occasional overnight, specifically for purely beach or private island ports. I am so not a morning person. I am so not a morning person. Even for like a private island stop how nice would it be to be able to have dinner and a dance party on the beach. I love cruising and have no problems getting up for a cool excursion- if I am just going to a private island I don’t want to go to the beach at 9am. 😂🤷🏻♀️
The new giant cruise ships are like going on vacation in a shopping mall with a giant daycare attached 👍
lol, some people really love that
Don't forget amusement park... you'd have to pay me, a LOT, to go on the Icon and those similar. Nope. Nope. Nope.
@@LargoViewerI’m with you. I just don’t get the point. If you want the amusement and water park, why not go to an amusement park instead of a cruise? And I have ZERO INTEREST in “sailing” on a “ship” like Icon.
This is why there are different ships in different sizes and lines and styles. Cruise what you like and others can do the same.
For those that have mobility issues, I agree the cruise ship/port needs to do more to accommodate those passengers. With ports like Bermuda and Nassau, they really should provide the longer golf carts to take those people to the transportation areas to board trams and or taxis. It’s a very long walk to get to those transportation areas.
Royal is however very good at providing this type of transportation at CoCo Cay. They come right to the ship 😊
I agree we need smaller cruise ships
I'd love to see a new small ship. I want to have the feel of being on a ship and not a mall. also, the drink package being per person rather whole room would be amazing!!!
Sounds great
I have a rare disease and another chronic illness, I cannot drink alcohol and I cannot tolerate sugary and otherwise nonalcoholic beverages. Because of this it makes it impossible for my husband to buy a drink package.
American Cruise Lines 👍
@@lauriejohnson-daley3753there are medical exceptions to the drink Pkg rule. Just have to show your medical documents
Royal Caribbean let us get 1 drink package for my husband and a non-alcoholic drink package for me. they wouldn't do just the one, we had to get both packages and I needed a doctor's note
@@lauriejohnson-daley3753
As I neared the end of your video I realized you could summarize a lot of what you’ve pointed out by simply saying “Put cruising back to what it was 20 years ago.” I’ve been cruising since November of 2000, and for you cruise newbies it’s a shadow of its former self. Lots of changes and almost none of them for the better. I’ve got 2 cruises booked for 2024 and after that I’m going to take a step back. It’s not the value and it’s not the special experience it once was.
As for the drink packages, I guess I’ll preach this forever, but as I said on your Facebook page, the packages aren’t there to save us money. They’re there to make money for the cruise lines. Any changes they make will NOT be to our benefit. I tell people to create their own drink package by putting down an onboard credit for some amount less than the drink package cost, then drink WHAT YOU TRULY WANT and not just because you can, and I bet most (not all) people will come out money ahead.
This needs way more likes! I tell everyone the same thing about drink package just pay as you go and it’s usually a lot cheaper!
I’m jealous that you got to cruise in the golden era! Did you get to experience midnight buffets? They look so cool.
@@lexa_power You I honestly don't remember about the midnight buffet. It's been too long, so I'm going to say it probably wasn't in effect when I cruised. I do remember they had a thing called the "Midnight Chocolate Extravaganza" one night. Perhaps they had the buffets the other nights and I just don't remember.
1. Enforce the chair policies
2. Easier process for buying a drink. Waiters need a handheld device. Insert, tip, sign, done.
I like that
Yes, it would save a lot of running around by the staff, if they did not have to take your card back to the bar each time.
Chair hogs need to walk the plank🤭
@@user-qi1rf4ve9u Arggghhh are!
Yes the hand held device would be fantastic so much quicker and easier for the crew. Why is this not a thing already?
Just put a little subdued RSA token like device on the chairs that you have to scan your card on and it displays either red or green. Green for 30 minutes after you scan, then turns red. If it’s red and there is a towel in it but not a butt, then it’s fair game.
As to the pool chair issue? Have them numbered according to room number. Go to the towel stand, show room key and "rent" a chair.
Rent for free but for like a2 hour period.
I also thought of this but there's sooooo many passengers. Not sure there's thousands of loungers. Maybe a couple hours each day per room.
Hand over room key for the pool chair.
If I could come up with a solution for chair hogging I'd be rich! These days cruising is more stressful, hustling to get chairs, shows, food, etc.. Not that relaxing any more. AND please more food options.
More food options included in your price, not extra cost!
Longer port days! Having to be back on the ship by 3:30-4:00pm is a bummer. Everything should not have to be purchased for everyone in the cabin, such as wi-fi and drink packages. Better handicapped accessibility is desperately on both the ships amd port days.
No desire to go on Icon .. way too big for our liking. We're all for newer smaller. ❤
Yes, I would like a drink package that includes bottled water, mock tails, specialty coffee, milk shakes and specialty juices. I would also like more Port options in the Caribbean and Mexico. Yes, update the loyalty program too! Thanks for sharing 🛳️🛳️
HALs Sig Pkg includes everything up to $11/ 15 per day.. We love it!
Princess package has all that. We are on a cruise as I type this. Great wifi too.
Thanks for sharing this
@@MD-px4tg thanks for the info, I’ve only cruised #carnivalcruises and #royalcaribbean
@@MrsDauphinee thanks for the info, I’ve only cruised #carnivalcruises and #royalcaribbean
I know that in Quebec City, Canada (for Princess at least) they do stay overnight in port and it's been a big boost to the nightlife economy for the region. Happy passengers, happy port win-win 💜
So glad to hear it’s been beneficial for the local economy as well. We loved our time in Quebec City!!
NCL had/has that as well. A night ghost tour and then the airport transfer to Montreal including tour.
That would interfere with cruise ship gamblers, which makes money for the cruise line.
Being avid land travellers for many years, the very limited times in ports is what really puts us off of cruising. Cruise lines should seriously consider 2 night stays at major ports of call. There are so many wonderful things to do and see in Europe, the Mediterranean, Australia/New Zealand etc that 8 hours in a port just doesn’t allow. Sightseeing, eating at local establishments, seeing cultural/regional presentations, exploring museums and galleries etc is impossible to do in an 8 hour span, especially when a ship dictates you must be onboard no less than 30 minutes prior to a 5 or 6 pm sailing.
I wouldn’t want more than an over night stay myself. 2 days allows too much of an opportunity for crap to go wrong.
Overnight ports, yes! Why isn't this a thing? This would add so much more value. I would rather have one less stop if I knew it meant an overnight port stop. It just allows for a more relaxed day and the ability to do things at night.
I would have loved a couple days in Naples. After a long flight to Italy, topped off with an early Port call, I was too exhausted to enjoy the time ashore. I cancelled my tour because I was just too tired. What a waste of money.
That's because these cruise ships want you to stay inside their little bubble at ports. They don't want you going into the economy of ports. They want to keep your $$ in their company owned port shops.
They would lose out on casino money!
The port time can be restricted by the port authorities. Years ago some ships stayed for two days in St Thomas. Also port taxes would possibly increase with an extended port time. If at all possible when taking a cruise from a distant port as with Venice arriving a few days prior will help you adjust to the time difference.
I went to Bermuda on a cruise and we stayed in port for 3 days.
Yes! I'd love to be able to puchase a certain number of drinks that could be shared between cabin members. Like have 30 drinks on your account, and can scan your S&S card for both of you. That would give 2 people 2 or 3 drinks per day, or space them out as you want to. You might not drink much on some days, like long port days or whatever.
MSC Divina had the drink ticket system on the first ship in US 2016. Shareable and you could also buy more if needed.
This would end up being better for the passenger, and the cruise line, as it would be more popular, and more purchased. I would go for eirher a number for the whole cruise, or a designated amount, on a card. I do like a glass of wine or two daily, like most; and a mixed drink, but these gargantuan drink packages are promoting unruly passengers, with the size of the number allotted.
A punch card would be nice. On Royal we get 4 drinks a day since we are diamond now. It is wonderful! They are loaded on my S&S card and I can use them however I want. My only complaint is they don't roll over if you don't use them each day. But still a great benefit.
That's a great idea, buying a volume of drinks at a certain price rather than an unlimited package (which is really 15 a day on most ships).
If they designed the drink packages as per person, you could just buy what you need based on how many drinkers are in your cabin. Two drinkers would just buy two packages.
Probably your best video yet.
I agree with all of them. I am platinum on Carnival but I have sailed on NCL. There is not much of an incentive for me to not try other cruise lines. NCL has that Free at Sea bundle, which was nice when we went to Alaska last summer. We never get the drink package on Carnival, because we don't drink enough to make it worth it.
I didn't think it was a big deal when Carnival dropped the table cloths in the MDR, it was really nice having them on NCL. Besides not making you feel you are eating at an Applebee's it also helps control the noise in the MDR.
Lack of port selection is also an issue for me. We have done almost all if not all the main Caribbean ports. Since we have been to most of them more than once, we rarely book an excursion through the cruise line. We will either walk off the ship and wing it or use a 3rd party.
We have done Carnival's largest ship and NCL's. The only advantage they have for us is, we do get our 10,000 steps in. Our best cruises have always been on smaller ships. With smaller ships, the cruise lines could fix that "Lack of port selection" problem. We pick cruises by the ports offered first, not the ship.
Service has sucked since the pandemic. Trying to get a drink has become an Olympic sport. Nothing is worst than being short while trying to get a drink at a bar.
Thanks for sharing your witty & interesting comments 👏
I'm a big fan of your videos, and I agree with your take. I've only taken 5 cruises. My preferred cruise is NCL, but after my last cruise (NCL Viva) I got very delusional about them. I really didn't enjoy it. I felt as I was getting nickel and dimed to death.
I really hope it was just a flook that we went on celebrity and there were never line ups for anything. It was a wonderful cruise! Not so on NCL. It was a nightmare. So many line ups. And unable to make a reservation for fine dining. Cabins had a weird configuration. Line ups at every dining place because all they had was anytime dining. No reserved dining. The differences were unbelievable as far as service and food. Very disappointed.
Oh gosh, I meant to say I hope it wasn’t just a flook. So sorry for the mistake. The absence of lineups was one of the best parts!
How about a numbering system for getting drinks at the bars. Nothing more frustrating than standing at a bar for 10 minutes and someone walks up, gets the bartender’s attention and gets a drink before you. Surely is would be easier to have a numbering system like at delis.
I hear you
Bigger or smaller ships would be fine if they didn’t overbook them. There are just too many people on any size ship these days. It isn’t much of a vacation if I have to fight for the amenities for which I paid.
And if you are disabled and can only take elevators, you may as well set aside a couple of hours a day just getting from one place to another. We took my mother-in-law last Fall, who uses a walker, and when we booked, the early dining was already gone, so we had to take the anytime dining or miss the shows because she can’t handle late nights. The elevator situation was THE most frustrating part of the trip. People were rude and would simply jump in front of her into the elevator, put up their hand, and tell her to wait for the next one. We didn’t know which deck we would be on for dining. Once they notified us that the table was ready we had 10 minutes to get there or lose our table. They would not accept part of our party and give my mother-in-law a chance to get there. If it was a one deck dining room, we could have gone to that deck before reserving a table, but we didn’t know which deck it would be. Getting there in time with that elevator situation really put a damper on our trip because of the stress. We skipped the main dining room a couple of nights just because of the hassle. They need one elevator designated for those who cannot do stairs.
We agree with every proposal in this clip, and we think that all Cruise Line CEO's should take note. This is a very important take on the Cruising industry and it clearly reflects the overall point of view of cruisers. Well done, Ilana on yet another excellent presentation!!! G and C.
We paid our tips to the people who we saw giving us service. We don't tip the cook when we eat out. Cruise lines need to change their pay scale and not automatically charge for tips. You tip for good sevice, not to be part of the salaries of the cruise lines.
Perhaps you don’t realize that you DO tip the cook when you eat out. Restaurant tips are shared among the staff. Not kept by the waitpersons.
Indeed. This is how I tip the crew who I come in contact with personally.
Absolutely would love to see new or totally refurbished smaller cruise ships… That would be ideal🚢 I am probably in the minority but I prefer to have our cabin serviced once a day… Even if we are on a cruise line that provides twice a day service I do ask for once a day and they are happy to oblige... even though we prefer once a day cabin service we have a great rapport on every cruise with all of our cabin stewards. This has never been a concern at all. Prior to Covid we did have our cabin serviced twice a day but I didn't even love it back then.
Thanks for sharing
I concur about cabin service. And upgrading smaller ships so they have most of the amenities of larger ships should be a no-brainer! Airlines do it, hotels do it… so too should the cruise lines.
@@JBM425 totally agree 🚢
@@JBM425I think the problem is people don’t want to pay the prices such a vessel would require. We are going on a 10-day Med cruise in a few months on such a vessel (Oceania), and it has everything I want (except longer port stays)…and it’s 5K per person (not including gratuities). Of course, airfare and shuttles are included as are a generous ship credit and excursion allowance…but still…10k😢. Needless to say, this won’t be a usual thing for us.
Couldn't agree more about the smaller ships. It's not that I'm not interested in the larger newer ships but those ships are just too large for many itineraries so if the destination is more important then you have to make compromises when it comes to the tech available on the older ships. I have heard Royal is looking into making smaller ships but that could be several years away. However I do agree if they could at the very least do a complete refurbish by stripping it down to the studs so to speak and updating the older ship to have things like plugs by the bed and better laid out staterooms that would be great.
Can't imagine what it would be like to have to tender into port from these mega ships.
The harsh prices for solo travelers is literally keeping me from cruising right now. I want to go on a Celebrity Cruise, but they are the worst of the bunch. Double occupancy PLUS a fee to make up for what they imagine that imaginary second person would have spent on board.
Definitely agree with new smaller ships and new itineraries. My husband and I love the smaller ships. I would love to see some of the smaller ships taken into extended dry dock and refurbished. And I totally agree with more time in ports!
I like most of those suggestions except getting rid of the room keys. I prefer that over the medallions. They should have a drink package where you can purchase 4 drinks per day at a discount or something similar that not both people in a cabin have to buy.
+1, I'm a fan of the key card too.
We never buy any drink package, because only one uses it. Why pay for both?
Yes I would like to see updated smaller ships.
I’m a solo senior and have no need for the watersides and amusement rides on a ship.
I just want to know where my prepaid gratuities are going.
I don't prepay, I make it clear to RS/and Dinning staff I will pay with cash
Perhaps just include up front in the cruise price
The tips you pre pay are going to dining room wait staff . Your room attendant.
On some lines some of it goes to behind the scenes staff. I want to know how much to each. @@donnapee8402
It should be the passengers choice on who to tip and how much. They could include a sheet of paper when the cruise is over for each type of tip you can initial and choose how much. I resent being forced to pay a gratuity when historically, it was meant for showing appreciation for extra service. It's not our job to cover the gap from low wages. If we all stopped allowing this, the cruise lines would be forced to raise wages to a reasonable amount. (Although, it would probably just raise our cost for the cruise)@@donnapee8402
I don't need house keeping 2 times a day! I am very neat and make my bed every day anyway. Some days I tell the cabin steward that I needed no service at all.
On about the third day of time changes our room steward has frazzled and running late, we told him to skip our room as we were running late too. He said he’d get in trouble but we assured him it was at our request and we’d confirm the request. He was about to miss lunch again!
I agree with most of your suggestions/complaints.
Yes, to building new, smaller ships. I don't want to feel like I'm at the amusement park or shopping mall. Yes, to better perks/discounts for repeat and solo cruisers. Yes, to more variety of cruise ports and longer stays.
ILANA!!! Great job! I so miss beautiful new smaller ships that go to unique ports. Also, the lounge saving issue is huge and is not being addressed by the ship management. If you go to lunch there is no need to save a chair. Thank you for all your amazing information! ❤
New caribbean ports would be great in addition to more service. The cabin stewards are running all the time and I miss the chocolates at night. It’s bad small thing but makes cruising special. Overnights in ports would be wonderful especially in Europe.
We aren’t big alcohol drinkers, but do enjoy an occasional cocktail, glass of wine or a cold beer. We do like nonalcoholic beverages and are definitely foodies. Packages that cater more towards dining and lite social drinking would be most welcome.
Thanks for sharing
For the cost the alcohol package is only appealing for alcoholics. 80 dollars a day is a joke. Nearly 600 dollars for the cruise. I don't think so.
I don't drink alcohol, and I would like to get the soft drink package for a cruise in November, however, my friend who is travelling with me doesn't want to purchase a drinks package as she prefers to drink water. So no soft drink package for me as I would have to either insist she purchase a drinks package (which I'm not about to do) or pay for a drinks package for her which is a waste of $$$ as she's not really into soft drinks. Condunrum to say the least. Why should cruise lines insist if one in the cabin purchases a drinks package then all in the cabin have to? Yes, it would be an honesty system but like many others I don't have $$$ to burn unnecessarily.
Oceania cruises have a drinks package included in their Simply More rates. It doesn’t work for me because I don’t do wine, beer, nor champagne. But if you’re ever in the market for a luxury cruise with all meals in 5 different dining options. (There are 7, but they are excluded), I’d suggest that one.
I do miss the "old way" of cruising..by that I mean during the late 80's through the early 2000's cruising seemed to be more personable. The evening turn down service with the chocolate on the pillow. You got to know alot of the crew, eating in the main dining room each night was always something to look forward to. No where near as much "up selling". Room service was free.. just gave a tip. And yes the cruise lines should build new smaller ships. I like leaving out of Baltimore and a smaller ship is the only chouce dut to the bridges you pass under and it has been my experience that they almost always are fully booked, so there is a market for them.
Oceania line.
I agree with making more of the smaller or mid-sized ships. The internet package, that I can do without. I like the idea that I am disconnected from the world if I am on vacation. I know some just have to have that connection but sometimes maybe we all need that time off the phones and to just enjoy that slower pace of a cruse.
For some people using internet actually is a form of relaxation
My daughter is a teaching professor at a university. She monitors summer classes using the internet. My husband was able to keep up with his church book club. My SIL had News and questions regarding an elderly parent.
I’m not sure we would get a summer family trip without the internet.
The thing is, cruise lines are becoming more reliant on technology. Many lines require you to use a phone app onboard for ship services, yet they don’t bother to invest in the technology to make it more reliable, especially when a large number of passengers are using the app simultaneously. I’ve seen complaints on several videos citing frustrated passengers being required to use the app to do something, but the app itself doesn’t work or isn’t connecting.
Can we decide that some/many really don’t carry their QR readers around all day and just provide menus, especially wine lists for passenger without having to the passenger having to beg for them? Of course, listing all the ingredients, or at least the visible ones would be nice too! WHO puts bell peppers in beef stroganoff ! Ans: Royal Caribbean for one!
I miss the chocolate festival night with the sculptures and chocolate strawberries on NCL.
Wow!! I can’t recall if but it does sound fabulous
Yes back in 2005 on the newer NCL ship Jewel we had cholate night it was amazing😢
Our only cruise on Regent before they got so outrageously expensive, was a week to the Caribbean. The price was similar to a suite on most cruise lines. But the main reason we chose that one, it was a chocolate themed cruise!! Yes, we gained a lot of weight on that one! lol😋
back in 1993 and 1998 (our last cruises!) on HAL, we had a midnight chocolate buffet during the cruise... Midnight! The chocolate carvings, chocolate fountains, fondues...chocolate everywhere...like a giant Willy Wonka Chocolate feast!... but honestly,... a bit of a waste as most people were asleep!
NCL stopped the chocolate night that I loved , the towel animals and our steward used to come and meet everyone they were in charge of personally. We also didn’t have to pre sign up for shows. Someone else commented about the rush and stress that you don’t feel like you’re on vacation.
All great. I hope the right person hears about and seriously looks into making changes.
Smaller ships for me, too.
Enforcing the no reserving pool chairs could fall into the hire more crew. Dedicate a crew member to make the rounds and monitor how long the chairs are unoccupied. Doesn’t have to be a full time thing, but at least have a schedule for this job.
The crew is trying to avoid any negative by not responding to chair hogs. You can go to guest relations and express your concerns.
Agree, agree agree. We like the smaller ships. Yes to more staff!!! We really don't appreciate paying a lot of money to stand in a long line to get a drink or a coffee at the coffee bar. Our first cruise was 2001 and the service level has gone down since then. We love the twice a day cleaning, especially since somedays you shower after you get back from an excursion, so coming back to a clean room after dinner is amazing. And a big yes to longer in port. We look for cruises with lots of sea days, but when we are in port it would be great to be there longer. This was not in your video, but at least with Holland there is a missing cruise length segment. Tons of 7 day to 10 or 11 day cruises, but after that it seems to jump to 30 plus days. Yes I know the solution on Holland is back to back cruises but instead of going back to Ft. Lauderdale and starting over, how about stops or longer stays to make a 21 day cruise?
Soda dispensers for those with the mid level drink package. So many times I had to wait in long lines just to get a soda. People ordering mixed drinks took a long time while my needs were very quick.
Yes, more drink package options. We don't drink much but would like to see something suitable for us. Perhaps we'll even drink more a they will make some money that way.
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing
The little special touches are what make me feel valued. Chocolates, in room perks, and the such are what will bring me back.
The chocolates don’t cost a lot in the grand scheme of things, but those little things can mean a lot. They make the trip more enjoyable and are even good PR for the cruise line.
I like the special touches, too, but did not like my towel animal sporting my glasses that were stored INSIDE a drawer. I really felt that my privacy was invaded.
The punch card for beverages is a great idea! They should integrate it into their cruise apps, that way it’d be tied to your cabin/account and would be updated in real time after every drink.
An actual punch card is just something else to remember/carry.
The saving towels on beds is really bad I’d like them to introduce a system. We saw beds reserved and the people had gone out on excursions and were gone most of the day 😮
That’s terrible 😞
Yes it’s such a shame to see people not being able to get near the pool due to reserved beds and the people that have put towels on not coming back until 3pm. On ncl we saw crew removing towels but did not on celebrity.
I love the smaller ships. I also don't mind them being older.
Gratuities are a sore point with me - they are added onto an already pricy vacation (cruise fare, airfare, hotels, transportation, etc.) and we are still expected (and given the "option") to add additional tips!
Spas are the worst - 20% gratuity at least, then they bombard you with purchasing extra items plus requesting an extra tip. A nail tech called my cabin more than once during the cruise to again try to sell me items that I "really needed" (her opinion, not mine) - my mani/pedi had been done on the 2nd day of an 8-day cruise. Another time, I told the spa when I arrived for a massage that I preferred no up selling and received a mediocre massage; coincidence?
One last thing, since you've got me on a roll, keep kids out of the adult pool & hot tubs! Rotterdam, I'm calling you out - 10 kids between the ages of 8-13 (approximately) jumped into the hot tub where 3 adults were relaxing on a recent cruise. They were splashing and loud, with no parents in sight, but not one employee addressed the situation.
I love the turndown service and chocolates on the pillow - makes me feel pampered! :)
I have to agree with the lack of excursions for accessible cruisers- I use a scooter because of mobility issues and generally the only thing you can do is a bus tour.
The concept of new ports in the Caribbean is great but not sure which other islands and cost of building piers. I want the lifeguards to enforce no diapers in the pool - keeps me from swimming.
Agree on these. I realized that I'm almost turned off by a lot of caribbean sailings because they all look the same. Last cruise I barely got off the ship because I've been to the ports several times and the prices of excursion... I decided to enjoy an emptier ship instead. This is amplified by how crowded many of those ports are when the mega ships are there. I gave feedback to one of the premium lines that they should look at different ports, offer something that people would find "different" and worth paying more premium sailing fares for. The reducing of standard items and increasing of up-charges is very annoying.
Longer time at ports, a different tier option for drinks. Have lactose free and gluten free options. New ports to visit. More pool and hot tub areas. I never get to enjoy the pool or hot tub. Too crowded. Better and cheaper wifi I agree.
Thanks again, Ilana, for another timely and well-done episode. The only thing that we would like to add to the list is that embarkation and debarkation are actually very physically taxing in our experience. Thought should be given by the cruise lines to minimize the amount of walking, standing, and queuing up in lines that people have to do to get on and off the ship. This is particularly true for cruise lines with older customer demographics. Our last embarkation at Vancouver, Canada, was absolutely ridiculous in this respect. Thanks!
Great points. Something to discuss I think in another video
Better up front cost . I planned a cruis with the family and then had to rethink it after looking more into the other fees and costs so we never ended up going or looking for another cruis. It is just a lot of work to get a tru estimate on what your trip will cost, especially when planning for a family
Even when planning for a solo it’s exhausting that it’s so time consuming and you have to fill our pages and pages of info before you see the real price - especially as a solo since they charge random fee amounts for us
You have no idea how many times i priced out a cruise because the base fare looked good and then had to say lol Nevermind
Oh boy! I was so disappointed on my last cruise on the NCL Pearl. The cutbacks were palpable! It was a 7 night cruise & only 3 nights of the production shows that were at best mediocre. Please bring back more evening shows. I felt the cruise was pretty much geared towards gambling & drinking. I don't do either, so I felt like there were very limited options for me. As always, our Stateroom Attendant was wonderful. I always prepay my gratuities before the cruise & give extra for crew members who went above & beyond. With that in mind, I would appreciate them built into the initial cruise fare.
Years ago I was on a cruise and one of our table. Mates said that we really don't go to different Islands. They just cruise to the other side of the island and change the sign. LOL. I got a really big kick out of that joke.
Agree with all of your suggestions/comments. In summary, charging for every little thing is becoming tiresome.
Agreed. The cruise lines are eliminating one of the features that people liked most about cruising.
Part of the appeal of a cruise was an all-inclusive price that wouldn’t require anyone to pull out their purse or wallet for every little thing. Perhaps to lower the cost and appeal to a different demographic, they started unbundling services and features; in doing so, they may have tapped into one market but are alienating another.
@@JBM425 💯
We just got off Mariner of the Seas.
The food was so disappointing compared to past cruises. Food was delivered Luke warm or cold. Ice cream half melted. Servers were wonderful but it was painful to watch. Not near enough vegan choices. Food and drinks took way too long. Buffet nothing like it used to be. The soda machines were down probably half the time. It costs a fortune and they make you walk forever to get to the next machine only to see more out of service signs.
Our cabin steward was great but didn't understand English which was frustrating. We only had 1 glass in our bathroom for 5 days. When we asked for another he brought us nice glasses full of water from dining room.
This was my 5th time cruising on RC and the change is heartbreaking
That’s too bad. Please fill out the survey so that hopefully these things can improve
I would love to see the gratuities included in the price of the cruise. Medallions would be more convenient. Reinvesting in the small older ships is a great idea!! I don’t mind having housekeeping once a day. Yes, please come up with a way to stop chair saving in the pool area and in the event areas. Saving one or two chairs is fine but anything more than that should not be tolerated.
Little ships make little money and big ships make big money! I'm afraid they're here to stay! SAD
As a repeat cruiser, my top issues are Wi-Fi cost, chair saving and updating older, smaller ships.
I agree with you on the varieties on cruise ports calls.
Right? Seems we think the same on this 😂
Yes I agree as well, however the larger the cruise ship, the more limited to the ports of call.
Agree, we’ve been to almost every port in the eastern and western Caribbean several times. At 84 yrs old, we can’t walk as much as we did younger and usually the dining room is at one end of the ship and the shows the opposite end.
Honestly, I would like a gratuity discount for opting out of Housekeeping. Most land based hotels offer to not
Have the room cleaned every day. If a trash can is overflowing, I can put
The trash out in a bag for cabin attendant. I am a solo traveler, so I think about this differently.
Interesting
@@LifeWellCruisedWe get member points when we skip cleaning at a hotel!
Nobody wants your litter bag marring the appearance of their corridors. Your attendant prepares your room and will have to clean it after you period of occupancy without daily cleaning. Pay the staff.
You do understand that a bin with paper in it is considered a fire hazard, there is no way anyone is going to let it accumulate wherever it is! Years back now we asked why there weren’t recycle bins around the ship. The answer was simple: fire! They went on to point out that the staff is trained to separate all trash and disposed of it in the most efficient and safest ways possible.
I assume you know that even hotels do wellness checks and even go farther to add they will/may enter your room every 2-3 days just to check it.
There has to be a way for folks who want to save diesel and desalinated water to get only a room check. I don’t want my sheets done every day and can use washcloths and towels. Imagine if 300 rooms opt out of full cleaning how much fuel and water isn’t used.
Agree. I drink very little, my spouse drinks more than I do- so being able to customize a bundled drink package is a great idea. Also like the longer port days
Lots of good ideas - too bad the cruise lines aren’t watching. In the past two years, money seems to be a driving force. My wife and I both miss the chocolates on the pillows, chocolate midnight buffet, midnight lido food, etc. we’ve also realized after sailing bigger ships that bigger isn’t better! Keep up the great work.
I like the drink punch card
I don’t. Can you imagine the nightmare at guest services from all of the drunk passengers who “misplace their cards? And if they don’t realize they’ve misplaced it before some other passenger uses it…then what? Refunds?
There has to be a better way. Physical cards aren’t it though. Those are high theft items.
Cruise lines should enforce the no shorts policy in the dining rooms at dinner. I, personally, do not want to see the formal nights disappear. I enjoy dressing up, and on non-formal nights, I do dress a little nicer than capris and t-shirts--long pants, a nice dress, and/or a jacket or sweater. When the waiters are all in jackets and ties and even tuxes, it's nice to dress up and feel pampered. Of course, I'm a senior. I don't know how young people feel.
Ilana, so many great topics that do need to be addressed. The pool chairs shpuld be on a reservation system. Say 60 to 90 minutes, at a time. They don't need to charge to reserve them, but number them and assign a number to each reservation. Similiar to arranging yiur time in the main dining room. There is enough time for everyone to enjoy the pool deck, being spread out throughout the day.
# 2. Yes-Yes, build more new smaller medium sized ships. Royal Caribbean has actually announced they will start bulding a new " Discovery class" of ships, before the end of the decade. I do however love the older ships, which feel more intimate, and can go to smaller ports.
Every one of these points is valid! We love cruising and would like to see a return to the quality we had pre pandemic.
Include gratuities in the fare. It’s a requirement so it should be included.
It is included on Virgin Voyages as well as wifi.
Celebrity just added and option to choose to forgo the second housekeeping and get extra CC points. We personally got used to on-demand housekeeping in hotels during 2020-2022 and absolutely loved it because everything stayed where we put it without needing to constantly rearrange my office, our toiletries, and where we wanted the trash can.
The problem with more cruise ports is that with the bigger and bigger ships, many ports can’t handle those larger ships.
True it seems
Some thoughts:
1) Rebates or discounts for declining housekeeping are a nice idea, but not practical. The cruise line must staff to a level that allows all cabins to be serviced at a set level daily-it wouldn’t be practical for them to add/subtract housekeeping staff from sailing to sailing, which is the only way they could afford to offer this.
2) Lounger “reservations” could be done with plastic coated signs issued by a “towel attendant” who would write an ending time on the sign with a grease pencil. If you want to stay longer, you actually need to be there and have your sign “updated”.
3) Gratuities are NOT gratuities if they’re added to the bill… they’re just a fee. I recognize that this fee has now become an important part of the compensation for ALL the staff, so the fee needs to stay. Genuine “gratuities” still need to be earned OUTSIDE the expected level of service, and need to be handed (discreetly) to the individuals that earn them.
4) Vacations should not be rushed, and at least one overnight port stay should be part of EVERY cruise. (I guess the mega-ships could skip this since they have so much on board… maybe they don’t need to make port calls at all?😊).
5) I miss towel animals!
Concur with 1-4. 5 is nice, but if staffing is an issue, I would rather have a clean room than a towel animal.
I hate our tip culture . just put it into the cost also include port fees in the cost promotion
When we travel with the family, the grandkids do love all the extra “toys,” like race tracks and rock walls, but we don’t need them on our trips. We don’t like having to book shows, or missing them because we don’t want to stand in line for an hour. Dinner reservations are harder to get. The pools are so small for the number of passengers, and getting a lounge chair is impossible. My husband I have decided to start searching for cruises on the smaller ships.
I pretty much agree with everything that you talked about. I don’t ever expect to see myself on one of those big mega ships just too many people and too much walking for me. Really miss the twice a day cabin service. Would love to see a drink package for soft drinks, juice, and specialty coffee.
Cruises sold in New Zealand and Australia include gratuities in the fare, following a law implemented in Australia. It meant the cruise lines were not allowed to have “compulsory gratuities” payable separately. They tried to say they abolished these fees, but the reality is they simply boosted fares to cover it.
I’m a cruiser who tries to prepay as much as I can, as exchange rates are generally not in my favour, and I come from a non tipping culture.
I don't think you mentioned it specifically, but I LOVE the towel animals. I was on HAL in December and we had to skip Half Moon Cay due to weather and one of the distractions was the staff showing us how to make all different kinds of towel animals. FUN!!
Very fun!
They're cute but it wouldn't affect me if they weren't provided.
We definitely don't do much of the normal itinerary cruises because there's only so many times you can see Jamaica, Bahamas, Costa Maya ect before you are bored.
I endorse most of your comments. HAL did have a drink card with 15 or so drinks (of wine) on it. They discontinued it. Tell them to bring it back! I hope the cruise industry can stop counting their money long enough to watch your videos and act accordingly.
I agree with all of these topics. Being a solo cruiser it is so frustrating having to pay 100% single supplement. It won't stop me from going, but I might go more often if I didn't have to pay double.
30 minute timers on the lounges. Activate manually, or better yet with cruise card when you leave it. If someone arrives and it’s zero, it’s fair game. How to do it, well, that’s the challenge!
Perhaps an hour for length of time, but sure like card/room#
Yes, an hour would be more reasonable.
Love your videos! Yes I agree with everything you say. Start removing towels that have been left on the chairs for an hour. Longer in ports and different ports would be awesome we love to cruise on different ships with Carnival but have been to the same ports too many times. More bartenders!! Thank you
Going on my First cruise in 7 days 🎉🎉
Yay!!!! Have a fantastic cruise!!
Once you go you will get the cruise bug 🛳️
As soon as you get back you'll want to book another cruise!
True, benefits aren't there so I'm as loyal as they are! And yes would like to see more new ships in the 130k-160k range. Also for all to include more free common space per passenger. Stop jamming us in!
True we need public space
I do love the special things you don’t get anymore like chocolates, towel animals, cabin ready for bed. I looked forward to seeing what our cabin looked like when we came back for the evening. More variety in drink packages also. Thanks for your videos, love them also.
- Service service service. One of the other cruise video-ers (I think Tony from La Lido Loca) said about a week ago that ships are currently running full. So the cruise lines have no excuse for not paying for enough staff to give the service they did pre-pandemic.
- Declaring the full cost up-front. I don't personally care whether it's itemised or not, but I accept that others do care. I just want to compare apples to apples when choosing a ship and line.
- Drink packages. unlimited non-alcoholic drinks, or at least $X and below. (I don't drink - wine.)
- Smaller cruise ships. The big ships scare me. Too many people.
But mostly the service. And declaring the full cost.