Planning a cruise? Get The Ultimate Cruise Planner. It's a 47 page printable cruise travel planner with packing checklists, shore excursion planning forms and much more! ($10 off for a limited time). Details here: lifewellcruised.com/ultimate-cruise-planner/
Hi I am going on a cruise in July 2022. If there is a casino on board , will Carnival Conquest take regular money or does the funds need to be on a card? Thanks for the great video!
I am from Boston. A co-worker went on a Boston to Bermuda Cruise. She made friends with a women from Canada. It was the fall and the weather took a bad turn and they ended up in Nova Scotia. Her new friend, who had flown into Boston, said "Well Edie, I'm walking home to get a sweater, do you want me to get one for you?"
Was on a flight from Brussels to Philadelphia and we were flying into a very bad head wind. Force to land in Banger Maine to take on extra fuel and nobody was allowed off the plane. Landed in Philadelphia and a couple missed their connecting flight back to Banger Maine. They had been travel for over 24 hrs from Nepal.
I highly recommend purchasing the insurance. My family friend is young and healthy and usually NEVER buys the insurance and cruises often. This last cruise they went to Bermuda and he felt an inkling to get the insurance. Well he had a massive stroke on the cruise. The doctors did their best to help him on the cruise, and he stayed in the infirmary for a few days until they got to land . He ended up at a small island for a few weeks until he was well enough to fly home. Had he not bought the insurance it would’ve been literally hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Thanks for the great information. I strongly suggest getting the INSURANCE - my husband fell off his rented scooter while attempting to go down the walkway. His side hurt and they took him to the medical center. He was unable to stand up straight for the X-Ray machine that they had. They made us go to the hospital on the island. We had to take our important paperwork and a change of clothes, because they were LEAVING us on the island! The cruise had to go to the next port. We were taken by an ambulance to the hospital. It was dirty; no nurses. He had his xray but they didn't see anything. He was told that the xray machine was not as good as the American xray machines because theirs is OLD. That was it... I tried to get him released and finally was let out. We actually walked out. (We received the bills and the INSURANCE paid for everything, even the ambulance) The cruiseline had a person on the island make arrangements for a hotel room.... that's all! We took a cab to a bar/restaurant for dinner. We took a cab to the hotel. Let me tell you, those wonderful happy sunny islands get very scary at night. No street lights with all the shops closed. Even the cab driver had to check if we were legit! When we went to the "hotel" the gate was LOCKED and we had to wait for someone to unlock it. We were told that WE had to make our own arrangements to get to the next Port where we could get back on the ship!! We called the airport and found that only "1" plane was going to the next island. We woke up early and went to the airport, stood online and bought the LAST TWO TICKETS!! The plane was so small that People and Luggage had to be weighed and distributed evenly so that the plane would fly correctly. It was just like a roller coaster ride. We flew so low over the water that the small inhabited islands were easily seen. Well, we did make it to the next port safely. The cruise ship was there. No one checked for us, etc. We will never go on that Cruise Ship again. So the message of our saga is to BUY THE INSURANCE. We were reimbursed for ALL of our expenses. It was well worth the $139 each.
@@lauradefriez9061 I bought it through the cruise line. it was better since they have someone on each island that was a liasion and helped us with the hotel booking but NOT the travel. which was awful as you read. Thank God for miracles! This time Royal Caribbean cruise lines travel insurance is NOT good enough for New York laws, which is where I live. So we had to purchase coverage from a NY recognized travel insurance company.
This is scary. I am going on a Carnival Cruise next month and I bought insurance through the Cruise line. They made it sound like everything is taken care of if we ever ran into trouble. Hopefully it's the difference in insurance. 😮
Read the fine print! WE had excellent coverage through a third party insurance company. My husband needed emergency surgery just before we left home. Our travel insurance covered everything down to the penny - our airfare, prepaid hotel and cruise. WE were able to go six months later, but I will never travel without it. Most cruise company policies will not cover pre-existing conditions. Some will use a pre-existing condition (say high blood pressure) to get out of paying for anything at all, even a broken leg that has nothing to do with your pre-existing condition. Make sure to read the fine print! Phone the insurance company is you have any questions. The cruise lines each use an insurance company and the cruise telephone folks don’t know the details of the policies. Make sure you have what you need in writing!
We ended up on a cruise with a large polka group. We were celebrating my bilaw’s 40th. Since he was a Chicago Firefighter/medic, it was a blast. There so many parties beginning at 11am. They welcomed everyone. It was a P-A-R-T-Y!! Bonus, we polka’d our calories away.
My family has a cruise with NCL Jade in August of 2023. We originally booked a 7 day cruise. Then we were notified that our curie line was extended to a 10 day cruise as the ship was chartered for a portion of the following week. Very excited to learn this.
This happened to me with a flight trying to leave Venice. Due to strikes Europe-wide, we had an extra 3 days there… messes with my husband’s work days though
My group of 11 got bumped due to a charter about 5 years back. We all were moved to another cruise with an upgrade in cabin and cruise credit. Then our 2nd cruise was chartered as well. All 11 of us got a 2nd upgrade to another cruise with another credit. 🤣😂😀. Unbelievable deal.
To your point about possibly encountering niche groups on a cruise, the last cruise I took with Princess in Alaska, had actually been booked by a bunch of "furries" and there were people in animal costumes running around everywhere on the ship. They were super friendly and cool though, so there wasn't any problems I was aware of. But man do I have some great photos of me with giant dogs/wolves etc. against the Alaskan scenery LOL
My niece is a "furry". She is an outer space puppy. I have been with her to 1 convention, in Dallas. I didn't know about furry cruises. We will have to check it out
First thing I learned, is to just go with the flow when cruising and things can change. I was just told that Venice still doesn’t have a permanent cruise port there and that we’ll be leaving from Ravenna. So we plan on getting there a day in advance to travel and then stay an extra day so we won’t be rushed.
We were on a cruise out of Galveston TX in February. Cold front hit warm air. We were stuck on ship 11 miles out from Galveston for 8 hours before we could dock. Yes - there was a line of the next cruisers since we didn’t dock until 4 pm - the time they were supposed to sail away. We had to leave our rooms at 8 am as planned. Everything was closed up. Around lunch time, they did bring sandwiches out & other food. Luckily we drove to port so no big deal. Friends had flights that they had to change. That taught us to go in a day early and stay a day later if we fly in.
I've cruised with an affinity group multiple times. Between 70 and 400 people depending on the musical artists that year. Are private parties tend to start around midnight and during the day when spaces are typically not being used by regular passengers. We always tip our wait staff extra since they are working outside of their normal hours.
I spent some time in Santorini a couple of years ago - we dreaded the hours the numerous cruise ships were in port. The quiet little lanes suddenly jam packed, restaurants and shops overflowing, photo op spots quite spoiled. You could, quite literally, not turn around in some of the narrow lanes. Frankly, I don’t see how it could have been much fun for the cruisers. Ferried in on those little boats, climb those endless stairs to the town, only to have to line up and wait for everything, then back down those stairs and back to the ship, possibly without lunch as you couldn’t get in anywhere. I think many of the cruisers would have been very disappointed - their day would have been nothing like the expected Santorini experience. I think it would really pay as a potential cruiser to have a careful look at ports of call ahead of time to see how large the town is and how many different day excursions are on offer to various places. If they are like Santorini - very small tightly-packed towns with no other options for day excursions to spread out over several locales - know what you are in for, and don’t let picture-postcard expectations spoil your day.
We arrived a day in advance of departure and another day after we got back so plenty of time to spare for arriving and departing. That way there's no panic moments.
I've booked my flight through the airline for the first time. It's a learning experience and you are 100% correct. I paid a fee to fly in the day before. I'm still on the fence but in C19 world, I figured booking through the cruiseline might give me added benefit. 1. Check the luggage allowance "suggestions" or rules. Carnival only allows checking bags up to 2 hours before sailing and weight limit 50 pounds per bag. And unlocked... so read EVERY POLICY.
I remember when soda was included. Now its not. I guess there is 18% gratuities tacked on as well. There was Drink of the Day and you could save but now 18% is tacked on to everything. Glad I did cruises years ago when it was truly an experience. My fav Princess Cruises to South Pacific Tahiti and islands and no nickel & dime. Awesome cruise. Ty for a great video too.
I purchased cruise insurance (the Universal Cruise Plan from Nationwide) which apparently will pay us $100 pp in the case of a change in cruise ports. I was mainly looking for insurance against a covid shutdown and evacuation and wasn't even thinking about a rerouting when I bought the insurance, but I have already received notice that our upcoming cruise has been rerouted due to the Cayman Islands refusing cruise ships, so I plan to claim for this.
My sister was late on embarkation day for a Disney cruise and they waited for her cuz she was on cruise line transportation. It wasn't too terribly long, which is probably why they allowed it. They pulled away as soon as she boarded. We were so relieved.
I actually had a cruise ship wait several hours for us on embarkation day! We were delayed on our connecting flight when one of the baggage handlers fell from the baggage compartment and broke his leg in Toronto! We were delayed for over 4hrs while every possible agency came to investigate. It was Sunday so we had to wait as they all came from home! Anyways I call trip interruption and was resigned to flying to the next port. Ended up being about 20 of us on the same flight & there was a delay with departure, so the ship decided to wait for us. We sailed at 7:30pm instead of 5:00pm. The 14 day cruise was later cut short by an outbreak of Norwalk. The ports were skittish as Covid was just emerging, so I spent the last 3 days in Ft Lauderdale! It was Feb.2020 Quite the trip!
One can also check the port schedule to see how many cruise ships will be in port they day you are scheduled to be there. This maybe helpful in determining the excursions you might want to take and their departure times.
@@cyhomer Sorry it's taken so long to get back to you. The answer just do in internet search for whatever port you want example: Miami cruise port schedule for Dec 4th or Roatan cruise port schedule for whatever date. Hope you find my answer helpful.
When travelling to certain Caribbean ports, be prepared to see some impoverished areas outside of the tourist areas on the islands. It was quite a shock when I visited St. Kitts and Maartens.
The only major itinerary change in the 10 cruises I've done: I did a transatlantic cruise that when I booked it the original itinerary was Azores and three stops in Ireland - Cork, Waterford, and Dublin with 8 days crossing…..and only one day in Cork. A few weeks before the cruise, I started looking at excursions and noticed the itinerary had changed to Azores, two days in Cork, Liverpool England, and Dublin with 7 days crossing --- I was so excited, I called them to make sure it wasn't a mistake on the website --- when the lady I spoke with confirmed that we were indeed going to Liverpool, I told her she made my day - no made my year!!! I'm a huge Beatles fan!!! LOL So....it was a wonderful change!
Hi Illana, we love watching your very informative videos. Just wanted to mention something many cruisers may not know about. My husband, Chris wears prescription glasses. We were able to get his prescription from his eye doctor and sent it into the company he ordered his snorkel gear from, they were able to build his prescription into his snorkel goggles...he really enjoys snorkeling more now that he can actually see under water. Ok enjoy your day and we look forward to all your viideos
They won’t tell you that there is a class system on the ships. They also won’t tell you that there is not enough time or availability to partake in every activity offered during a sailing. There is limited capacity for taking elevators, booking specialty restaurants, cabanas, nightly shows, etc. If you wait until embarkation day to schedule your activities, you will most likely spend your cruise a little disappointed.
Do you mean the suites and the suite only area on some cruise ships? Good point about making sure to reserve what you can before the cruise or and/or show up early to shows and events
I always reserve certain venues ahead of time, except this up coming cruise they have not figured out what is wrong with my app…it is not the app itself it is something with Princess as the solutions navigator and IT people can not resolve the issue…so i am nervous as i cannot oder medallion or anything…especially at this point no one can book the Thermal suite and i am thinking there will be a mad rush and because my app is not right i might be left out😖
We used a cruise line air option one time and never again. They did not believe in customer service. Our return air trip got canceled by the airline and the cruise air staff would not do anything. We did make it home thanks to being Skymiles members. Thank you Ilana for what you do.
Was that NCL by any chance? After consulting with their air department for my upcoming cruise, I felt uneasy as they said if there are delays, I would need to work with the airline to get to the next port. I decided to book my own air with a two-day pre-cruise stay. Not worth the stress.
MSC has there own private small island. I am “older” and while on the island I had to walk a great distance to the bar to ask them to refill my water bottle. I had mistakenly left my room key back with my belongings. The bartender refused and said I had to buy water. Absolutely no customer service and they don’t care. Water is a necessity and would have not cost them a single penny to refill my water bottle. I will never go with MSC again for this reason. A little bit of kindness goes along way. Too much penny pinching
We flew in to Puerto Rico 2 days early because so many ships were leaving the same day and we were glad we did. Had a great time and no problem getting to the cruise on time
Thank you for posting your videos, it really helped us to get ready on our first cruise. Ok the thing the we did not made sure was the free specialty dinning,free premium beverage, free excursion, free flight for 2nd person, free wifi. When got onboard, first hour of the ship I ordered a cocktail drink and was told by the bar tender that it's not showing that we have that package. He suggest to go to the service desk and we were told that those offer are free but we have to choose for one only. But before the cruise, we saw that the beverage package was purchased, so we assumed that's what they do when they say it's free. They said it showed that we chose the free excursion, we did not, but we did book an excursion and what happens is in every excursion $50 is discounted on my wife's fee because she was the one that book it and I pay full price. So no free wifi, no free beverage package, no free excursion, no free flight because we did not have to fly, no free specialty dinning. We should have talk to someone before the cruise. We learned.
Oh My Lord!! Thank You Ilana for putting the Cruise Planner together!! Absolutely 💘 it!! I have 12 cruises under my belt and this would have definitely made it much easier. I'm sure it took a lot of adventures and goof ups to get this materialized!! Thanks for all you do! We sure do benefit from your "pain"😅
Thanks Roberta! Lol I think the planner started off at about 25 pages and just grew over the year+ we were “paused” 😂. So glad that you find it helpful, especially as a seasoned cruiser!! Would it be ok if I use your comment in future as a testimonial. I’m gathering a few to use in a little while :)
They don't tell you that all ships are not the same. Some people love the "mega ships" with all the extra attractions on board but others hate all the crowds (maybe not currently an issue with reduced capacity) and space taken up by those attractions. For some a mid size ship is better with more personalized attention from the staff and space to just relax and be away from it all. Some people like either one. It's important to know you're preferences and expectations before you book.
My wife and I are setting sail on our first cruise this November. We’re 23 and 25 and don’t like super big crowds. Vision is a smaller ship, but I think the more personable experience from staff will be nice.
Not cruising related, but sea shipping. In my import/export class, the professor asked the class if they should read the shipping contract. Of course the class answered. No the prof replied. No need to. You can’t change anything in it. Every line has been in it forever and adjudicated long ago.
When hurricane Sandy happened, our trip to Roatan got canceled. We were refunded a small amount but it was because our trip was shortened by a day due to delay.
I agree with #1! My last cruise was in 2014. I took a cruise to Mexico, in the middle of the cruise the itinerary was switched, we went to Nassau, Bahamas....The problem is, I am from Nassau, Bahamas 🇧🇸...I took a plane to Miami, to take a ship back to Nassau ON MY BIRTHDAY....I was pissed! Hence 2014 was my last time cruising...
My cellular provider actually blocks the use of cellular data on cruises. And all streaming except CZcams is blocked once in international waters, and that is only if you use the premium option. I did get the premium package and it was well worth it. There are no plans that support Disney Plus, Netflix or Apple TV unless you download shows before you leave.
I've gotten the hang of it now but when I was new to cruising. I think The thing that surprised me the most was that it advertised places as stops when actually they could be several hours away from where the cruise ship actually stopped. For instance it might list that the stop is in Florence italy but it's actually in Trieste and that's several hours away and there may or may not even be an excursion going there. Parentheses make a difference when seeing where your cruise is going. 😅❤
Yes ... I will only book air with a cruise if I can have input on the selection of my flights. Connections (especially in foreign countries) give me anxiety so I always do a long connection window in the event of a delay. I also fly at least 1 day prior.
good tips and i remember when boarding the pacific dawn ship during the pacific islands east of australia, the captain was announcing about anzac day service in the morning and also said: "in these area if you like, you can stay up to watch some active volanco and night and may see some orange glow but i cannot guarantee these mountains may erupt at anytime" we all were in shock when the captain said and everyone was surprised what he said and we did see some active volcano spewing lava, it was awesome to see it first time
We also had to do early self disembarkation and run for our plane because my sister that books everything for us had booked our plane tickets too early at the end of our cruise.
This year will be our 3rd attempt to get to Curacao on a cruise. The last two times we got rerouted because of weather and because of that, we got to see Grand Cayman 3 times now. It's beautiful and we're thankful for the opportunity many don't get, but there's SO many islands in the Caribbean we still haven't seen.
I'm really enjoying the tips and tricks you've given during the videos. As much as the river cruise hubby and I took (St. Lawrence Cruise Lines Ottawa to Kingston) was an adventure and neither of us had expectations of grandeur, we've booked a Boston to Montreal on board the MS Volendam this summer and i can say for sure it's an upgrade from our previous accommodations. Your videos have shown there are definite differences, but a few similarities. Thank you for sharing your advice.
My parents just got back from a cruise and missed quite a few days of it. First, the waters were too rough to port in Jamaica so they missed that day there. Then, when they were out to sea the next day a man had a heart attack and needed to get to shore for help. They flipped the boat around to the nearest island (Jamaica) and had to have a smaller tug boat come out to get him because the waters were still a bit rough. They missed their second port of call too. 🤷♀️
Knock on wood, haven’t had many issues with changes. We did experience not being able to get into a Caribbean port because of rough seas. Was disappointed but Princess had so many activities on the ship we still had a great day & Princess refunded our excursion price.
I've just recently started flying to the ship vs driving, but we are "dare deviling" it by flying in day of. We did Atlanta to Nassau without problems and now will be doing Atlanta to Miami next month. I will ONLY fly Delta nonstop, so with a 2 hour flight, I make sure we land 6-8 hours before sail away. I just can't afford the extra time off from work and hotel stay in order to arrive the day before. I do book via Air2Sea as well.
I bet I have watched just about every one of your videos & some twice & I take notes. This will be our 1st time cruising and I'm learning so much valuable information. I did purchase your "Ultimate Cruise Planner" and it is very helpful. Little problem though; I paid twice for it. I couldn't get it transferred from my phone to my pc, so I just ended up ordering it again. Anyway, thank you so much!
Just wanted to say I’m about to go on my first cruise soon and I am finding your videos SO helpful! You are so well-spoken and give great info! Also i am so jealous of your hair! 😀
Yes WiFi is via satellite connection also know as VSAT and it is not cheap for the cruise ship or any ship. The larger the bandwidth (overall speed) the more money they need to pay. I am just a guy that manages a VSAT on a ship, but doesn't buy the service, I can't speak on actual pricing, just rumors. On trip was reported over $20,000 a month for 15Mb up and 5Mb down.(we are pushing live real time feeds to shore) for a non-profit. Even ours,, which is 3 Mbps down ans 1Mbps up is reported over $10,000 a month.. For a cruise ship both would be no internet slow. As for cell service, after a few miles away from land, cell towers don't reach, so yes, unless the ship allows WiFi calling, turn cellular off and save the battery.
I have enjoyed your videos. They are very helpful and not do long. 10-13 minutes has been very practical and not too much information at one time.👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Great video and tips! Am familiar with most of these tips (thanks to you!) but always good to have a refresher. Also, I love the tip about group cruises - always wondered about that! Thanks!
Hi Ilana, the helpful tips you give are always educational for long time cruisers, as a refresher course, and as a check list to help new cruisers. Hope to see you and Frank on the Lido deck one day. Hi from Bob and Jill in Connecticut
No one talks about older, disabled , cruisers. I had a stroke and walking is now , more difficult. When I go into a store, I always use the electric cart. I have never seen one on any video. Would maybe make a good topic.
Thanks for the topic idea. Have you seen the channel “cruising with wheels”? I’m not sure if they have this topic in particular, but I mention in case there may be some helpful info for you
This is a really good suggestion. I have videos with cruise tips, packing, embarkation and more, but not really how it works. You may find the playlist “first time cruise tips” has some helpful info in the meantime
Very good list Ilana. Yes I read some of the fine print the first few times we cruised. The one you didn't mention that on embarkation day people think they have till the published departure time. It is actually 1 hour before rgatbtime and you are supposed to be on board. Had a friend whose flight was delayed get the port about 15 minutes before departure and was denied boarding. Look lastly I sometimes go up on deck to watch the late returners run to the ship as they return from an excursion. Always surprised by how many there are. Why we use cruise excursions then don't have the worry and anxiety about being late and the ship leaving without us.
Yes Ive watched people running for the ship. Everybody heckling from the Ledo deck. The lines were off and a board plank was across the gap for them. They werent left because they were on an excursion booked through the cruise line. :)
I have also had to hurry back to the boat but during the almost mile walk from the gate to the ship I could see the lines were still attached and others were still returning. The lady at the port gate was letting the ship know as people came through the gate via radio. My husband was freaking out lol
Hi, I’ve learned so much from your channel while planning our cruise! Have you ever had a problem with putting your chargers, surge protectors and/or converters in your carry-on while flying on a plane?
I booked my own cruise and flight (with the help of my wife) for our first cruise- the only mistake we made was not booking the same hotel for disembarkation as for embarkation;other than that,it went smooth.
California Linda shares great newsletter. 👍 The 75 travel hacks are tools that many cruisers have heard or use, however having these tips in one blog location is an awesome and extremely helpful reminder for cruisers.
We had a stop cancelled before a cruise because the crime had gotten too bad on one of the Islands we were supposed to stop at, so the cruise line cancelled all stops to that Island until they could get their stuff together. So we had an extra sea day on that cruise.
Just came back from norwegian joy very disappointed over crowed could even get in pool canceled a port canceled a show 😢 almost 2 hours to get off ship
Twice I got an extra day on a cruise because of fog. Personally it was a win/win for me (free extra day), but some people who have lives were NOT happy.
I will always carry travel insurance. Not necessarily through the cruise line. That will cover illnesses or accidents on a cruise and pay for me to get brought back home. My sister had a strike on an Alaska cruise. Spent the night in the cruise medical facility then was taken to a hospital in Vancouver. She had to stay there for a couple weeks then was able to go to a hospital at home via medical flight. All together over $30,000.00 out of pocket. I could not afford something like that so I will definitely have insurance for all cruises
Hello! I just bought your Cruise Planner, and was REALLY looking forward to having a hard copy sent! I was very surprised when I received a 48 page download file instead! I get to use my own paper and ink! Won't be able to print it right away as I will need to buy a new color ink cartridge, as well as buy a better quality paper for the printer! I wish I had known this was a file download instead of hard copy before purchasing.
Hi Douglas, yes it’s a digital printable planner. I do have that on the sales page and info, but I’m sorry it wasn’t what you expected. What some people do is print the pages that they’ll need, and even multiples of it. You can also use it several times for multiple cruises
I’d rather pay for a package, get drinks, ice cream, wifi or whatever matters to me as a deal. Isn’t it great that *we* aren’t all the same. How boring would that be?
Itenary changed, well it did not really bother me, as I had been on the same cruise previously, so it was a different nice change What I did feel upset about/for was the cruise was THROUGH THE SUEZ CANAL and a visit to the Pyramids, as I said no bother to me, only we had met people on the cruise who had saved up for years and on retirement booked their first and last cruise to see the Pyramids So sad
I am new to the cruising scene. I went on-line and booked my first trip, unbeknownst to me I picked a pack and go months before my trip. I am so bummed because I am now going to get a stateroom that is left over. I am not very hopeful that it will be a good room😢😢
Thanks, You are well informed. I enjoyed watching your video. It's a lot to retain, but necessary. I'm planning a cruise soon! Haven't cruise in over 10 years. Thanks for the tips!God bless you and your family!😍🙏😍🙏
They will not tell you if the shore excursion you book through them sucks. There should be a cruiser rating for each excursion. I took a reef snorkel excursion that literally took place in the cruise port channel about 100 meters from the ship. There was no corral reef nor any fish. I felt completely taken. The only fun part was the free drinks on the catamaran afterwards.
I’m having some cold sweats worrying about the cruise provided flight that is getting us to the ship the same day. Oh my word, what if we miss the ship!?
Surge protected power strips *are not allowed onboard* if you take a protected strip, it _will_ be confiscated. The protection means it causes issues for the ships onboard power supply.
Here's something we got surprised with that the cruise line didn't inform us about until weeks after we were booked and all paid up, you are required to apply for travel authentication at $40 per person when entering Bermuda, even if you don't plan to go ashore.
Get a comprehensive medical coverage. A person on my cruise had to be medi-vacced by the US Navy and was not an American citizen. I can’t even imagine what the bill would have been. And the person was critically injured/ill ( we weren’t given details) so they had no option to choose their health care needs.
Check with your cruise line! Most only allow you to bring soda aboard at embarkation port. Not at ports of call. I have heard that some ships do allow you to replenish during cruise. So check. Do it for each cruise since policies do change. Also make sure you know what packaging drinks can be in. For instance Carnival allows you to bring soda in cans only. No bottles. On most ships, you have to bring you own soda and wine with you on to the ship. You can't put it in checked luggage. (Some people cheat and don't get caught. But why take a chance?) Explore all your options. That soda package may be the best option over all. Length of cruise, how much you drink, your physical capabilities, budget etc. all affect your final decision.
Planning a cruise? Get The Ultimate Cruise Planner. It's a 47 page printable cruise travel planner with packing checklists, shore excursion planning forms and much more! ($10 off for a limited time). Details here: lifewellcruised.com/ultimate-cruise-planner/
Hi I am going on a cruise in July 2022. If there is a casino on board , will Carnival Conquest take regular money or does the funds need to be on a card? Thanks for the great video!
@@movingforward743 hello mam
I am from Boston. A co-worker went on a Boston to Bermuda Cruise. She made friends with a women from Canada. It was the fall and the weather took a bad turn and they ended up in Nova Scotia. Her new friend, who had flown into Boston, said "Well Edie, I'm walking home to get a sweater, do you want me to get one for you?"
what a lovely story about Canadian hospitality
That’s funny and unfortunate for the friend who ended up going on a cruise to her own backyard
😆
Was on a flight from Brussels to Philadelphia and we were flying into a very bad head wind. Force to land in Banger Maine to take on extra fuel and nobody was allowed off the plane. Landed in Philadelphia and a couple missed their connecting flight back to Banger Maine. They had been travel for over 24 hrs from Nepal.
Love this. Good time to do a load of laundry!
The last cruise that my sister and I went on had a Santa Claus convention, great fun!
I highly recommend purchasing the insurance. My family friend is young and healthy and usually NEVER buys the insurance and cruises often. This last cruise they went to Bermuda and he felt an inkling to get the insurance. Well he had a massive stroke on the cruise. The doctors did their best to help him on the cruise, and he stayed in the infirmary for a few days until they got to land . He ended up at a small island for a few weeks until he was well enough to fly home. Had he not bought the insurance it would’ve been literally hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Thanks for the great information. I strongly suggest getting the INSURANCE - my husband fell off his rented scooter while attempting to go down the walkway. His side hurt and they took him to the medical center. He was unable to stand up straight for the X-Ray machine that they had. They made us go to the hospital on the island. We had to take our important paperwork and a change of clothes, because they were LEAVING us on the island! The cruise had to go to the next port. We were taken by an ambulance to the hospital. It was dirty; no nurses. He had his xray but they didn't see anything. He was told that the xray machine was not as good as the American xray machines because theirs is OLD. That was it... I tried to get him released and finally was let out. We actually walked out. (We received the bills and the INSURANCE paid for everything, even the ambulance) The cruiseline had a person on the island make arrangements for a hotel room.... that's all! We took a cab to a bar/restaurant for dinner. We took a cab to the hotel. Let me tell you, those wonderful happy sunny islands get very scary at night. No street lights with all the shops closed. Even the cab driver had to check if we were legit! When we went to the "hotel" the gate was LOCKED and we had to wait for someone to unlock it. We were told that WE had to make our own arrangements to get to the next Port where we could get back on the ship!! We called the airport and found that only "1" plane was going to the next island. We woke up early and went to the airport, stood online and bought the LAST TWO TICKETS!! The plane was so small that People and Luggage had to be weighed and distributed evenly so that the plane would fly correctly. It was just like a roller coaster ride. We flew so low over the water that the small inhabited islands were easily seen. Well, we did make it to the next port safely. The cruise ship was there. No one checked for us, etc. We will never go on that Cruise Ship again. So the message of our saga is to BUY THE INSURANCE. We were reimbursed for ALL of our expenses. It was well worth the $139 each.
Did you buy the insurance from the cruise line or from a 3rd party?
@@lauradefriez9061 I bought it through the cruise line. it was better since they have someone on each island that was a liasion and helped us with the hotel booking but NOT the travel. which was awful as you read. Thank God for miracles! This time Royal Caribbean cruise lines travel insurance is NOT good enough for New York laws, which is where I live. So we had to purchase coverage from a NY recognized travel insurance company.
This is scary. I am going on a Carnival Cruise next month and I bought insurance through the Cruise line. They made it sound like everything is taken care of if we ever ran into trouble. Hopefully it's the difference in insurance. 😮
@@ilovebonjovi1992 I just booked my first cruise with Carnival and i too bought the cruise line insurance. 🤞
Read the fine print! WE had excellent coverage through a third party insurance company. My husband needed emergency surgery just before we left home. Our travel insurance covered everything down to the penny - our airfare, prepaid hotel and cruise. WE were able to go six months later, but I will never travel without it. Most cruise company policies will not cover pre-existing conditions. Some will use a pre-existing condition (say high blood pressure) to get out of paying for anything at all, even a broken leg that has nothing to do with your pre-existing condition. Make sure to read the fine print! Phone the insurance company is you have any questions. The cruise lines each use an insurance company and the cruise telephone folks don’t know the details of the policies. Make sure you have what you need in writing!
We ended up on a cruise with a large polka group. We were celebrating my bilaw’s 40th. Since he was a Chicago Firefighter/medic, it was a blast. There so many parties beginning at 11am. They welcomed everyone. It was a P-A-R-T-Y!!
Bonus, we polka’d our calories away.
Love this!! Glad you could make the best of it and even have a ton of fun 💃
That would be a nightmare for me! I hate polka music!
I would love that! I was raised on polka music. No wedding was without it. Reminds me of younger, and awesome times!!!❤❤❤
My family has a cruise with NCL Jade in August of 2023. We originally booked a 7 day cruise. Then we were notified that our curie line was extended to a 10 day cruise as the ship was chartered for a portion of the following week. Very excited to learn this.
This happened to me with a flight trying to leave Venice. Due to strikes Europe-wide, we had an extra 3 days there… messes with my husband’s work days though
First cruise, hurricane changed Eastern Caribbean to a Western Caribbean. Still loved it enough to have cruising as our go to vacation.
That’s awesome! I had a hurricane itinerary change too on my first cruise and it definitely didn’t deter me either
My group of 11 got bumped due to a charter about 5 years back. We all were moved to another cruise with an upgrade in cabin and cruise credit. Then our 2nd cruise was chartered as well. All 11 of us got a 2nd upgrade to another cruise with another credit. 🤣😂😀. Unbelievable deal.
Haha crazy!! At least that worked out well for you all 👌
To your point about possibly encountering niche groups on a cruise, the last cruise I took with Princess in Alaska, had actually been booked by a bunch of "furries" and there were people in animal costumes running around everywhere on the ship. They were super friendly and cool though, so there wasn't any problems I was aware of. But man do I have some great photos of me with giant dogs/wolves etc. against the Alaskan scenery LOL
What an odd experience 🙃
I’ll bet that was one of those “surreal yet amazing” moments in life you only get a few of..! What FUN!!
My niece is a "furry". She is an outer space puppy. I have been with her to 1 convention, in Dallas. I didn't know about furry cruises. We will have to check it out
First thing I learned, is to just go with the flow when cruising and things can change. I was just told that Venice still doesn’t have a permanent cruise port there and that we’ll be leaving from Ravenna. So we plan on getting there a day in advance to travel and then stay an extra day so we won’t be rushed.
This is the best advice! It’s very true, things can change and if it’s out of your control, no point in stressing
We were on a cruise out of Galveston TX in February. Cold front hit warm air. We were stuck on ship 11 miles out from Galveston for 8 hours before we could dock. Yes - there was a line of the next cruisers since we didn’t dock until 4 pm - the time they were supposed to sail away. We had to leave our rooms at 8 am as planned. Everything was closed up. Around lunch time, they did bring sandwiches out & other food. Luckily we drove to port so no big deal. Friends had flights that they had to change. That taught us to go in a day early and stay a day later if we fly in.
I've cruised with an affinity group multiple times. Between 70 and 400 people depending on the musical artists that year. Are private parties tend to start around midnight and during the day when spaces are typically not being used by regular passengers. We always tip our wait staff extra since they are working outside of their normal hours.
I spent some time in Santorini a couple of years ago - we dreaded the hours the numerous cruise ships were in port. The quiet little lanes suddenly jam packed, restaurants and shops overflowing, photo op spots quite spoiled. You could, quite literally, not turn around in some of the narrow lanes. Frankly, I don’t see how it could have been much fun for the cruisers. Ferried in on those little boats, climb those endless stairs to the town, only to have to line up and wait for everything, then back down those stairs and back to the ship, possibly without lunch as you couldn’t get in anywhere. I think many of the cruisers would have been very disappointed - their day would have been nothing like the expected Santorini experience. I think it would really pay as a potential cruiser to have a careful look at ports of call ahead of time to see how large the town is and how many different day excursions are on offer to various places. If they are like Santorini - very small tightly-packed towns with no other options for day excursions to spread out over several locales - know what you are in for, and don’t let picture-postcard expectations spoil your day.
🤠 Wait! What? Cowboys on a cruise! Sign me up! 🤠 🚢 🍹 ♥️ 😂
😂😂😂
And here I wasn’t sure if it was referring to the Dallas football team!
Me too
Booked our first cruise in April 22. I am leaning so many things I need to know watch your videos. Big thank you :)
We arrived a day in advance of departure and another day after we got back so plenty of time to spare for arriving and departing. That way there's no panic moments.
I've booked my flight through the airline for the first time. It's a learning experience and you are 100% correct. I paid a fee to fly in the day before. I'm still on the fence but in C19 world, I figured booking through the cruiseline might give me added benefit.
1. Check the luggage allowance "suggestions" or rules. Carnival only allows checking bags up to 2 hours before sailing and weight limit 50 pounds per bag. And unlocked... so read EVERY POLICY.
How interesting- I wasn’t sure if carnival enforced the luggage policy, but true good to check
@@LifeWellCruised I fly into the port so I'm essentially compliant so not sure. I'd say that being more restrictive or adhering to policy is coming.
Llĺ
@@jmr1703 9os9
I’m leaving my bag unlocked. They can call me down to open it.
I remember when soda was included. Now its not. I guess there is 18% gratuities tacked on as well. There was Drink of the Day and you could save but now 18% is tacked on to everything. Glad I did cruises years ago when it was truly an experience. My fav Princess Cruises to South Pacific Tahiti and islands and no nickel & dime. Awesome cruise. Ty for a great video too.
20 percent now, as far as I understand.
I purchased cruise insurance (the Universal Cruise Plan from Nationwide) which apparently will pay us $100 pp in the case of a change in cruise ports. I was mainly looking for insurance against a covid shutdown and evacuation and wasn't even thinking about a rerouting when I bought the insurance, but I have already received notice that our upcoming cruise has been rerouted due to the Cayman Islands refusing cruise ships, so I plan to claim for this.
Great to know. Thanks for sharing the info
My sister was late on embarkation day for a Disney cruise and they waited for her cuz she was on cruise line transportation. It wasn't too terribly long, which is probably why they allowed it. They pulled away as soon as she boarded. We were so relieved.
I’ve found 3rd party insurance is not only cheaper but covers more.
Absolutely - you’re so right
I actually had a cruise ship wait several hours for us on embarkation day! We were delayed on our connecting flight when one of the baggage handlers fell from the baggage compartment and broke his leg in Toronto! We were delayed for over 4hrs while every possible agency came to investigate. It was Sunday so we had to wait as they all came from home! Anyways I call trip interruption and was resigned to flying to the next port. Ended up being about 20 of us on the same flight & there was a delay with departure, so the ship decided to wait for us. We sailed at 7:30pm instead of 5:00pm. The 14 day cruise was later cut short by an outbreak of Norwalk. The ports were skittish as Covid was just emerging, so I spent the last 3 days in Ft Lauderdale! It was Feb.2020 Quite the trip!
Oh my goodness!! Very eventful!! Crazy but lucky start and what a finish
One can also check the port schedule to see how many cruise ships will be in port they day you are scheduled to be there. This maybe helpful in determining the excursions you might want to take and their departure times.
This is an amazing tip!!!
How do we find our cruise line’s port schedule…(NCL…). Ty
@@cyhomer Sorry it's taken so long to get back to you. The answer just do in internet search for whatever port you want example: Miami cruise port schedule for Dec 4th or Roatan cruise port schedule for whatever date. Hope you find my answer helpful.
@@chemreger ..thanks much!
As Floridians, we KNOW to roll with itinerary changes... hurricanes. 🥴🙃
I’m sure you must!! I hope you stay safe the next few weeks
When travelling to certain Caribbean ports, be prepared to see some impoverished areas outside of the tourist areas on the islands. It was quite a shock when I visited St. Kitts and Maartens.
The only major itinerary change in the 10 cruises I've done: I did a transatlantic cruise that when I booked it the original itinerary was Azores and three stops in Ireland - Cork, Waterford, and Dublin with 8 days crossing…..and only one day in Cork. A few weeks before the cruise, I started looking at excursions and noticed the itinerary had changed to Azores, two days in Cork, Liverpool England, and Dublin with 7 days crossing --- I was so excited, I called them to make sure it wasn't a mistake on the website --- when the lady I spoke with confirmed that we were indeed going to Liverpool, I told her she made my day - no made my year!!! I'm a huge Beatles fan!!! LOL So....it was a wonderful change!
Hello. Do you have any advice for a 1st time cruiser....are port stops added to the bill on leaving the ship...thank you.
Hi Illana, we love watching your very informative videos. Just wanted to mention something many cruisers may not know about. My husband, Chris wears prescription glasses. We were able to get his prescription from his eye doctor and sent it into the company he ordered his snorkel gear from, they were able to build his prescription into his snorkel goggles...he really enjoys snorkeling more now that he can actually see under water. Ok enjoy your day and we look forward to all your viideos
They won’t tell you that there is a class system on the ships. They also won’t tell you that there is not enough time or availability to partake in every activity offered during a sailing. There is limited capacity for taking elevators, booking specialty restaurants, cabanas, nightly shows, etc. If you wait until embarkation day to schedule your activities, you will most likely spend your cruise a little disappointed.
Do you mean the suites and the suite only area on some cruise ships? Good point about making sure to reserve what you can before the cruise or and/or show up early to shows and events
I always reserve certain venues ahead of time, except this up coming cruise they have not figured out what is wrong with my app…it is not the app itself it is something with Princess as the solutions navigator and IT people can not resolve the issue…so i am nervous as i cannot oder medallion or anything…especially at this point no one can book the Thermal suite and i am thinking there will be a mad rush and because my app is not right i might be left out😖
@@eminiarvii uggh that’s annoying. It sounds like you’ve called them, but can they manually reserve you to help?
We used a cruise line air option one time and never again. They did not believe in customer service.
Our return air trip got canceled by the airline and the cruise air staff would not do anything. We did
make it home thanks to being Skymiles members. Thank you Ilana for what you do.
Oh no! That sounds like an awful experience. Thanks for sharing
Was that NCL by any chance? After consulting with their air department for my upcoming cruise, I felt uneasy as they said if there are delays, I would need to work with the airline to get to the next port. I decided to book my own air with a two-day pre-cruise stay. Not worth the stress.
@@madchatteress We sailed with Captain Kate on Celebrity.
MSC has there own private small island. I am “older” and while on the island I had to walk a great distance to the bar to ask them to refill my water bottle. I had mistakenly left my room key back with my belongings. The bartender refused and said I had to buy water. Absolutely no customer service and they don’t care. Water is a necessity and would have not cost them a single penny to refill my water bottle. I will never go with MSC again for this reason. A little bit of kindness goes along way. Too much penny pinching
We flew in to Puerto Rico 2 days early because so many ships were leaving the same day and we were glad we did.
Had a great time and no problem getting to the cruise on time
Thank you for posting your videos, it really helped us to get ready on our first cruise. Ok the thing the we did not made sure was the free specialty dinning,free premium beverage, free excursion, free flight for 2nd person, free wifi. When got onboard, first hour of the ship I ordered a cocktail drink and was told by the bar tender that it's not showing that we have that package. He suggest to go to the service desk and we were told that those offer are free but we have to choose for one only. But before the cruise, we saw that the beverage package was purchased, so we assumed that's what they do when they say it's free. They said it showed that we chose the free excursion, we did not, but we did book an excursion and what happens is in every excursion $50 is discounted on my wife's fee because she was the one that book it and I pay full price. So no free wifi, no free beverage package, no free excursion, no free flight because we did not have to fly, no free specialty dinning. We should have talk to someone before the cruise. We learned.
Oh My Lord!! Thank You Ilana for putting the Cruise Planner together!! Absolutely 💘 it!! I have 12 cruises under my belt and this would have definitely made it much easier. I'm sure it took a lot of adventures and goof ups to get this materialized!! Thanks for all you do! We sure do benefit from your "pain"😅
Thanks Roberta! Lol I think the planner started off at about 25 pages and just grew over the year+ we were “paused” 😂. So glad that you find it helpful, especially as a seasoned cruiser!!
Would it be ok if I use your comment in future as a testimonial. I’m gathering a few to use in a little while :)
@@LifeWellCruised Absolutely!! Glad to help!
@@robertasinift1555 thank you!! 😊
They don't tell you that all ships are not the same. Some people love the "mega ships" with all the extra attractions on board but others hate all the crowds (maybe not currently an issue with reduced capacity) and space taken up by those attractions. For some a mid size ship is better with more personalized attention from the staff and space to just relax and be away from it all. Some people like either one. It's important to know you're preferences and expectations before you book.
Absolutely!! Good advice 👏
My wife and I are setting sail on our first cruise this November. We’re 23 and 25 and don’t like super big crowds. Vision is a smaller ship, but I think the more personable experience from staff will be nice.
Not cruising related, but sea shipping. In my import/export class, the professor asked the class if they should read the shipping contract. Of course the class answered. No the prof replied. No need to. You can’t change anything in it. Every line has been in it forever and adjudicated long ago.
Lol it’s true for cruising too. You’re right you can’t really refuse
I’m thankful our captain took us away from the hurricane. We missed Belize but had an 8 day cruise with an extra sea day instead of a 7 day!
When hurricane Sandy happened, our trip to Roatan got canceled. We were refunded a small amount but it was because our trip was shortened by a day due to delay.
I agree with #1! My last cruise was in 2014. I took a cruise to Mexico, in the middle of the cruise the itinerary was switched, we went to Nassau, Bahamas....The problem is, I am from Nassau, Bahamas 🇧🇸...I took a plane to Miami, to take a ship back to Nassau ON MY BIRTHDAY....I was pissed! Hence 2014 was my last time cruising...
My cellular provider actually blocks the use of cellular data on cruises. And all streaming except CZcams is blocked once in international waters, and that is only if you use the premium option. I did get the premium package and it was well worth it. There are no plans that support Disney Plus, Netflix or Apple TV unless you download shows before you leave.
I've gotten the hang of it now but when I was new to cruising. I think The thing that surprised me the most was that it advertised places as stops when actually they could be several hours away from where the cruise ship actually stopped. For instance it might list that the stop is in Florence italy but it's actually in Trieste and that's several hours away and there may or may not even be an excursion going there. Parentheses make a difference when seeing where your cruise is going. 😅❤
Some “included air” you can not choose your own flight like NCL. RCCL air2sea let’s you choose what is right for your family
That’s true. I wouldn’t take it if I couldn’t choose my flights and fly in a day early
Yes ... I will only book air with a cruise if I can have input on the selection of my flights. Connections (especially in foreign countries) give me anxiety so I always do a long connection window in the event of a delay. I also fly at least 1 day prior.
Me and my Hubby is going on a cruise in two week. This is our first cruise and we are on a budget.
We recently sailed on Celebrity and we were so happy they started the “everything included” fares.
good tips and i remember when boarding the pacific dawn ship during the pacific islands east of australia, the captain was announcing about anzac day service in the morning and also said: "in these area if you like, you can stay up to watch some active volanco and night and may see some orange glow but i cannot guarantee these mountains may erupt at anytime" we all were in shock when the captain said and everyone was surprised what he said and we did see some active volcano spewing lava, it was awesome to see it first time
We also had to do early self disembarkation and run for our plane because my sister that books everything for us had booked our plane tickets too early at the end of our cruise.
This year will be our 3rd attempt to get to Curacao on a cruise. The last two times we got rerouted because of weather and because of that, we got to see Grand Cayman 3 times now. It's beautiful and we're thankful for the opportunity many don't get, but there's SO many islands in the Caribbean we still haven't seen.
I'm really enjoying the tips and tricks you've given during the videos. As much as the river cruise hubby and I took (St. Lawrence Cruise Lines Ottawa to Kingston) was an adventure and neither of us had expectations of grandeur, we've booked a Boston to Montreal on board the MS Volendam this summer and i can say for sure it's an upgrade from our previous accommodations. Your videos have shown there are definite differences, but a few similarities. Thank you for sharing your advice.
My parents just got back from a cruise and missed quite a few days of it. First, the waters were too rough to port in Jamaica so they missed that day there. Then, when they were out to sea the next day a man had a heart attack and needed to get to shore for help. They flipped the boat around to the nearest island (Jamaica) and had to have a smaller tug boat come out to get him because the waters were still a bit rough. They missed their second port of call too. 🤷♀️
I’m lucky my bestie owns a travel agency and he got us a great package including beverages and Wi-Fi for each of us for one device
Knock on wood, haven’t had many issues with changes. We did experience not being able to get into a Caribbean port because of rough seas. Was disappointed but Princess had so many activities on the ship we still had a great day & Princess refunded our excursion price.
I've just recently started flying to the ship vs driving, but we are "dare deviling" it by flying in day of. We did Atlanta to Nassau without problems and now will be doing Atlanta to Miami next month. I will ONLY fly Delta nonstop, so with a 2 hour flight, I make sure we land 6-8 hours before sail away. I just can't afford the extra time off from work and hotel stay in order to arrive the day before. I do book via Air2Sea as well.
Sounds like you’ve got a good plan. You’re really not too far away :)
I bet I have watched just about every one of your videos & some twice & I take notes. This will be our 1st time cruising and I'm learning so much valuable information. I did purchase your "Ultimate Cruise Planner" and it is very helpful. Little problem though; I paid twice for it. I couldn't get it transferred from my phone to my pc, so I just ended up ordering it again. Anyway, thank you so much!
Just wanted to say I’m about to go on my first cruise soon and I am finding your videos SO helpful! You are so well-spoken and give great info! Also i am so jealous of your hair! 😀
Yes WiFi is via satellite connection also know as VSAT and it is not cheap for the cruise ship or any ship. The larger the bandwidth (overall speed) the more money they need to pay. I am just a guy that manages a VSAT on a ship, but doesn't buy the service, I can't speak on actual pricing, just rumors. On trip was reported over $20,000 a month for 15Mb up and 5Mb down.(we are pushing live real time feeds to shore) for a non-profit. Even ours,, which is 3 Mbps down ans 1Mbps up is reported over $10,000 a month.. For a cruise ship both would be no internet slow. As for cell service, after a few miles away from land, cell towers don't reach, so yes, unless the ship allows WiFi calling, turn cellular off and save the battery.
Thank you so much for this information!! I didn’t realize how the cell phone “towers” wouldn’t even reach for service
Another thing I do is bring bedbug spray. That’s the first thing I do when I go to the cabin. I spray the bed and carpet
Never heard of bed bug spray ... Where can you purchase that?
Thank you so much for segmenting your videos! You do such a great job of allowing us to focus on the portion we find important.
SIMPLE ; NICE HEADS UP !!
I have enjoyed your videos. They are very helpful and not do long. 10-13 minutes has been very practical and not too much information at one time.👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Great video and tips! Am familiar with most of these tips (thanks to you!) but always good to have a refresher. Also, I love the tip about group cruises - always wondered about that! Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed the video Mary :)
Hi Ilana, the helpful tips you give are always educational for long time cruisers, as a refresher course, and as a check list to help new cruisers. Hope to see you and Frank on the Lido deck one day. Hi from Bob and Jill in Connecticut
Thanks so much Bob & Jill! We’ll definitely meet one day on a celebrity cruise 😉
No one talks about older, disabled , cruisers. I had a stroke and walking is now , more difficult. When I go into a store, I always use the electric cart. I have never seen one on any video. Would maybe make a good topic.
Thanks for the topic idea. Have you seen the channel “cruising with wheels”? I’m not sure if they have this topic in particular, but I mention in case there may be some helpful info for you
Thank you! #3- cruise airlines, and #8- non surge protector plugs.....EXCELLENT advise, thanks Ilana!
Having never been on a cruise or not knowing what actually happens on a cruise, do you have a video that talks about how a cruise vacation works?
This is a really good suggestion. I have videos with cruise tips, packing, embarkation and more, but not really how it works. You may find the playlist “first time cruise tips” has some helpful info in the meantime
Do you have a video about travel insurance? Any particular Co you prefer?
Very good list Ilana. Yes I read some of the fine print the first few times we cruised. The one you didn't mention that on embarkation day people think they have till the published departure time. It is actually 1 hour before rgatbtime and you are supposed to be on board. Had a friend whose flight was delayed get the port about 15 minutes before departure and was denied boarding.
Look lastly I sometimes go up on deck to watch the late returners run to the ship as they return from an excursion. Always surprised by how many there are. Why we use cruise excursions then don't have the worry and anxiety about being late and the ship leaving without us.
Very true! People have to be so careful with embarkation time. I guess it’s like flights when the gates close 😢
Yes Ive watched people running for the ship.
Everybody heckling from the Ledo deck.
The lines were off and a board plank was across the gap for them.
They werent left because they were on an excursion booked through the cruise line. :)
I have also had to hurry back to the boat but during the almost mile walk from the gate to the ship I could see the lines were still attached and others were still returning.
The lady at the port gate was letting the ship know as people came through the gate via radio.
My husband was freaking out lol
Going on msc in April 2023..been watching your videos like binge level 😆🤪😃
Hi, I’ve learned so much from your channel while planning our cruise! Have you ever had a problem with putting your chargers, surge protectors and/or converters in your carry-on while flying on a plane?
Wow. New things I've just learned. Thanks, Ilana.
So glad you enjoyed the video Virginie 🛳
I booked my own cruise and flight (with the help of my wife) for our first cruise- the only mistake we made was not booking the same hotel for disembarkation as for embarkation;other than that,it went smooth.
California Linda shares great newsletter. 👍 The 75 travel hacks are tools that many cruisers have heard or use, however having these tips in one blog location is an awesome and extremely helpful reminder for cruisers.
Thanks Linda!!
Please send a copy of these travel hacks. Thanks 😊
Thank you so much for these tips!! They help out so much. As a first time cruiser there was a lot I was no mt aware of.
I’m so glad these “tips” are helpful Jessica!
We had a stop cancelled before a cruise because the crime had gotten too bad on one of the Islands we were supposed to stop at, so the cruise line cancelled all stops to that Island until they could get their stuff together.
So we had an extra sea day on that cruise.
Sounds like it would be wise to leave a day after the cruise arrives back in port.
Just came back from norwegian joy very disappointed over crowed could even get in pool canceled a port canceled a show 😢 almost 2 hours to get off ship
Twice I got an extra day on a cruise because of fog. Personally it was a win/win for me (free extra day), but some people who have lives were NOT happy.
I will always carry travel insurance.
Not necessarily through the cruise line.
That will cover illnesses or accidents on a cruise and pay for me to get brought back home.
My sister had a strike on an Alaska cruise.
Spent the night in the cruise medical facility then was taken to a hospital in Vancouver.
She had to stay there for a couple weeks then was able to go to a hospital at home via medical flight.
All together over $30,000.00 out of pocket.
I could not afford something like that so I will definitely have insurance for all cruises
Hello! I just bought your Cruise Planner, and was REALLY looking forward to having a hard copy sent! I was very surprised when I received a 48 page download file instead! I get to use my own paper and ink! Won't be able to print it right away as I will need to buy a new color ink cartridge, as well as buy a better quality paper for the printer! I wish I had known this was a file download instead of hard copy before purchasing.
Hi Douglas, yes it’s a digital printable planner. I do have that on the sales page and info, but I’m sorry it wasn’t what you expected. What some people do is print the pages that they’ll need, and even multiples of it. You can also use it several times for multiple cruises
Well I found out that if you change cruise consultants, and your promised something in your room, say a bottle of wine, they can remove it.:(
If my cruise has a clown convention onboard I’ll literally die 🤡
Thank you for the tips and advice Ilana. Greetings from sunny South Africa.
I really like this realistic view of cruising. It's very helpful to hear these things. Thank you!
I'd rather be charged for some of the extras than have it added on to the price and making it unaffordable.
I’d rather pay for a package, get drinks, ice cream, wifi or whatever matters to me as a deal.
Isn’t it great that *we* aren’t all the same. How boring would that be?
Itenary changed, well it did not really bother me, as I had been on the same cruise previously, so it was a different nice change
What I did feel upset about/for was the cruise was THROUGH THE SUEZ CANAL and a visit to the Pyramids, as I said no bother to me, only we had met people on the cruise who had saved up for years and on retirement booked their first and last cruise to see the Pyramids So sad
This is sad. Unfortunately it does sometimes happen
I am new to the cruising scene. I went on-line and booked my first trip, unbeknownst to me I picked a pack and go months before my trip. I am so bummed because I am now going to get a stateroom that is left over. I am not very hopeful that it will be a good room😢😢
Could you please do a fun video on insane cruiser complaints? 😳🤪🤗
Thanks, You are well informed. I enjoyed watching your video. It's a lot to retain, but necessary. I'm planning a cruise soon! Haven't cruise in over 10 years. Thanks for the tips!God bless you and your family!😍🙏😍🙏
They will not tell you if the shore excursion you book through them sucks. There should be a cruiser rating for each excursion. I took a reef snorkel excursion that literally took place in the cruise port channel about 100 meters from the ship. There was no corral reef nor any fish. I felt completely taken. The only fun part was the free drinks on the catamaran afterwards.
I’d like to know more about drink packages and what upgrading your room gets you
Thanks Ilana Canada has your good self and here in the UK we Have Emma cruising both impeccable sources of top class information
Awe you’re so sweet!! Thanks John 😊
Thanks for the heads up!
I actually didnt know about the itinerary change, I wont be going to Puerto Rico and Labadee 😳
When is your cruise?
Good Video
I’m having some cold sweats worrying about the cruise provided flight that is getting us to the ship the same day. Oh my word, what if we miss the ship!?
What is the importance of a “non surge protected” power board?
Surge protected power strips *are not allowed onboard* if you take a protected strip, it _will_ be confiscated.
The protection means it causes issues for the ships onboard power supply.
Loved the fact you packed in a lot of information in a sort time
I didn't realize Congress had group cruises, as seen in Minute 5:29 . Is there a port in Washington DC area???
Here's something we got surprised with that the cruise line didn't inform us about until weeks after we were booked and all paid up, you are required to apply for travel authentication at $40 per person when entering Bermuda, even if you don't plan to go ashore.
Wow I didn’t know this. Was it a covid protocol? I never had this in the past for Bermuda
@@LifeWellCruised apparently it just started as of March 7th this year
Get a comprehensive medical coverage. A person on my cruise had to be medi-vacced by the US Navy and was not an American citizen. I can’t even imagine what the bill would have been. And the person was critically injured/ill ( we weren’t given details) so they had no option to choose their health care needs.
If I was supposed to go to Bermuda and went New England area, I’d be pissed. It would be to cold to swim and I’d have to find clothes to wear.
I love the Cruise Planner you made, QUESTION; can you bring soda in unopened bottled on board at destination ports?
So glad you like it Bette! I’ve brought a single bottle before without a problem, but I’m not sure if they’ll allow a larger quantity
You can usually take a 6/12 pack of canned soda, but check with cruise line...
Check with your cruise line!
Most only allow you to bring soda aboard at embarkation port. Not at ports of call. I have heard that some ships do allow you to replenish during cruise. So check. Do it for each cruise since policies do change.
Also make sure you know what packaging drinks can be in. For instance Carnival allows you to bring soda in cans only. No bottles.
On most ships, you have to bring you own soda and wine with you on to the ship. You can't put it in checked luggage. (Some people cheat and don't get caught. But why take a chance?)
Explore all your options. That soda package may be the best option over all.
Length of cruise, how much you drink, your physical capabilities, budget etc. all affect your final decision.