16 сағат бұрын
Пікірлер
@CruiseLife22 11 сағат бұрын
Hey guys, new to your channel so Hello! We plan to sail MSC in 2025. SEASCAPE looks a great ship! 👋👍
@FamilyAtSea 11 сағат бұрын
@@CruiseLife22 The Seascape is fantastic... We're neck on her again in January and on the brand new World America in May! Happy sails!
@michelleweintraub945 19 сағат бұрын
Right from the beginning I was hooked after seeing the WVU wall plaque. Great video, spot on with all the hacks. Another hack I tend to use is to book on older ships as they tend to be less expensive as the newer ships with the bells and whistles.
@FamilyAtSea 19 сағат бұрын
I love coming across random Mountaineers in the wild (internet)! Great advice and you're definitely right! Let's Go Mountaineers!
@Khellendross Күн бұрын
Im judging your lack of chopsticks :-p. Just kidding. Great vid. Plus you two looked great after the message. I will have to book one when we go in December.
@FamilyAtSea Күн бұрын
@@Khellendross I'm also judging my chopsticks skills! I should have just gone for it 😂 Thank you for watching!
@LChatmanFL Күн бұрын
A hack I learned was to create your own suite by booking two adjoining rooms with a balcony. Did this once and they removed the partion that usually exists between balconies. Also, it was like having a 2 bdrm, 2 bath suite. Of course do the math to make sure the savings are there.
@FamilyAtSea Күн бұрын
@@LChatmanFL That's a great idea if the numbers work!!
@GeeBee212 16 сағат бұрын
If connecting staterooms costs the same as a suite, I'd take the suite. Suite passengers get perks that you wouldn't get otherwise. When I travel in a suite, I get free alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks in the suite passenger lounge. There are also many other advantages.
@FamilyAtSea 16 сағат бұрын
@@GeeBee212 Agreed, if the prices are the same I'd rather have access to the private lounge and restaurant vs more room but often times the suites are more than 2x the cost of a balcony room so I would say it just depends on the price!
@LChatmanFL 16 сағат бұрын
@@FamilyAtSea Exactly, gotta do the math. Unless you place high value on private pools and lounge areas. Which is fine of course.
@GeeBee212 9 сағат бұрын
@@LChatmanFL Oh but it's so much more than private pools and lounges! Try it on a short journey but be careful because you may get hooked!
@KM-cv5px Күн бұрын
Good Stuff, Thank you. Let's Gooooo Mountaineers...Cue Country Roads!
@FamilyAtSea Күн бұрын
Love finding another Mountaineer on here! Football season will be here before we know it!
@KM-cv5px Күн бұрын
😀 🏈💛💙💛💙
@intherockies Күн бұрын
Just Subscribe!
@FamilyAtSea Күн бұрын
Thank you, we truly appreciate it... Smooth seas and happy sails!
@andrenamcevoywilson3913 Күн бұрын
Check out Venture ashore they guarantee back to ship if not they get you to next port of call. Also pick up at port. Very professional never had a problem and would recommend
@awfulmaddenplays.8264 Күн бұрын
Miamis best water park??? Well that’s because there is no water parks 😂
@FamilyAtSea Күн бұрын
@@awfulmaddenplays.8264 Appreciate you watching... Thanks!
@Nancy-nx9cf 2 күн бұрын
February 16, 2024, there were 500 children on the ship. Make sure there are no school vacations if you are expecting a child free cruise.
@FamilyAtSea 2 күн бұрын
@@Nancy-nx9cf Yes, the best way to avoid kids are to sail when kids are in school (so avoid summers, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Break). Or you can just sail on Virgin Voyages since they're adults-only!
@clking5316 2 күн бұрын
You can’t bring water on board unless you have water in the can
@FamilyAtSea 2 күн бұрын
@@clking5316 It depends on the cruise line... Several you can! For example, here is Royal Caribbean's policy on this: "Royal Caribbean allows guests of drinking age to bring non-alcoholic beverages as carry-on items, including distilled water for medical, dietary, or infant use. Each stateroom can bring up to 12 standard (17 oz.) bottles, cans, or cartons of non-alcoholic beverages."
@PokeyJr12 2 күн бұрын
Let us know as soon as possible about kids sail free events so families can get the best for them and singlescan be advised not to book that cruise! Thanks!
@FamilyAtSea 2 күн бұрын
@@PokeyJr12 We are currently sailing through Alaska on the Norwegian Encore with a sold out solo studio section + 1,000 kids onboard... We can and do coexist! There's always Virgin Voyages if kids are a deal breaker though!
@itsmetee369 2 күн бұрын
So I watched this yesterday and you talked about seeing if the price for the cruise drops and to email the line and see if you can get a price adjustment before your last payment. My last payment is this week but I decided to email Virgin as I was watching the video and was able to get a price adjustment within 2-3 hours! THANK YOU! I'm unable to do it for my cruise for next month, but I will definitely continue to keep this in mind!
@FamilyAtSea 2 күн бұрын
@@itsmetee369 That's awesome... Congrats!! So happy this saved you some money!
@tiberiajames5997 3 күн бұрын
I've tried to use travel agents and their pricing was no different than what I found.
@FamilyAtSea 2 күн бұрын
Sometimes that's the case but that's why you need to specifically find their group discounts (or ones who offer onboard credit).
@SarinaWheatman 3 күн бұрын
Hi, thanks for all the tips, I'm a rookie solo cruiser first time was last year, and even tho I knew zero I had a lovely time and fell in love with the experience and have booked again for this year. Some of your ideas could have been very useful last year, but we live and learn don't we? You have introduced some great ideas to me - thank you
@FamilyAtSea 2 күн бұрын
So happy you enjoyed your first cruise enough to book another... Happy sails friend!
@margheritagenovese5874 3 күн бұрын
Thanks! Great video! Looking forward to see you soon in Cinque Terre and La Spezia. Maggie😊
@FamilyAtSea 2 күн бұрын
Great to see you here and happy you saw the video... We look forward to touring with you again!
@sct4040 3 күн бұрын
Definitely, cruise during school is in session.
@FamilyAtSea 3 күн бұрын
We cruise with our kids but even we prefer the sailings during the school year when there are less kids! I think even our kids appreciate well-behaved kids 😜
@blissfuljoy6049 Күн бұрын
Your schools don't mind?@@FamilyAtSea
@LChatmanFL Күн бұрын
100% agree, the price difference is huge. We did this and all we really did was check with the school teachers to make sure there were no scheduled exams. 🎉
@guiltysparkmusicofficial 3 күн бұрын
I've missed a couple videos I think, but as always, this has been great to watch while working ^_^ I hope your wife is ok from that head bump lol
@FamilyAtSea 3 күн бұрын
@@guiltysparkmusicofficial She's recovering nicely 😜 Thank you for the kind comments as always ... Hope all is well with you!
@toneybeasley2390 3 күн бұрын
#13 always and you can book online before you even leave on your cruise.
@FamilyAtSea 3 күн бұрын
Good call... Thanks for watching!
@MarthaC-H74 3 күн бұрын
We're taking this cruise in reverse in October (Barcelona - Rome). I'm so happy you had such a great experience.
@FamilyAtSea 3 күн бұрын
@@MarthaC-H74 I appreciate that, thank you! I hope you guys have as great of an experience as we did!
@kyls73 3 күн бұрын
We've booked a couple of 3rd party tours for our trip in NZ later this year, already paid. Others are with the cruise. Haven't set a budget per se as yet. But the plan was not to do any specialty dining, although we have paid for one now. Our 30th wedding anniversary dinner, as the itinerary changed and we will be at sea. But with drinks and food paid for, and hubby hates shopping I think we're going to be ok. It's only our pre-cruise stay in Sydney I'm worried about (accommodation paid for).
@FamilyAtSea 3 күн бұрын
It sounds like you are going to have an amazing anniversary! Congrats on 30 years... We're not even halfway there yet but it's amazing how fast the years go by!
@biancamarch7934 4 күн бұрын
What are some key things to look for when trying to find a reputable third-party excursion company? I think a lot of people are worried about being scammed ( me included).
@FamilyAtSea 4 күн бұрын
That's probably something worth it's own video! But I think the biggest would be if people are willing to vouch for them. If you ask in FB group if anybody can recommend an agent and 6 people recommend them, that's probably a good sign. The agents I see offering the best deals typically have a lot of loyal clients because they've helped so many people. I'll have to put some thought into this though, that's a valid and important question!
@elissajones5154 4 күн бұрын
@@biancamarch7934 I always read TripAdvisor reviews. 👍
@kenised 4 күн бұрын
Thank you for the in-depth tour of your trip! We will be heading out on the exact same ship and same itinerary (only in reverse) in just a few weeks so it's definitely been very helpful to see your videos.
@FamilyAtSea 4 күн бұрын
@@kenised You are going to have an amazing time! Anything the Equinox lacks in modern technology, she makes up for with her timeless cruise charm! Smooth seas and happy sails!
@kenised 4 күн бұрын
@@FamilyAtSea We purchased a trio dining package that gives us 2 dinners and a lunch at Specialty dining. We do have our embarkation dinner scheduled for the Tuscan Grill but we are still trying to decide if we want to try all the others or if we should skip La Petit Chef in favor of doing a repeat somewhere. Did you think La Petit Chef was worth it for someone who doesn't eat lobster?
@FamilyAtSea 4 күн бұрын
@@kenised Le Petit Chef is a neat experience but the food itself wasn't as good as the other specialty restaurants. If you do want to do it for the experience, they have three different menus through the week (days 1-3, 4-6, and 7-9), so you can choose one of the other two menus if you don't like lobster but still want to do the experience! I would rank the specialty restaurants (by food): 1) Tuscan 2) Murano 3) Sushi on 5 4) Le Petit Chef (but this was the most unique experience)
@gavinnaylor1428 4 күн бұрын
Great video subscribed from the UK still trying to get the best time to book a cruise.Have you ever done a transatlantic
@FamilyAtSea 4 күн бұрын
@@gavinnaylor1428 We have not a transatlantic yet but there's a FB group called "Repositioning Cruises" specifically for finding deals on sailings like the TAs!
@rayhill5767 3 күн бұрын
One year in advance
@FamilyAtSea 3 күн бұрын
@@rayhill5767 Or even longer in some cases! I would say the most expensive time is probably 2-3 months in advance before the urgency of filling last second cabins kicks in.
@rayhill5767 3 күн бұрын
You can get last minute deals but usually they are not desirable itineraries .
@FamilyAtSea 3 күн бұрын
@@rayhill5767 Right you are!
@dalebetts5658 4 күн бұрын
Great hack ideas. I appreciate your advocacy for using a travel agent to get the best price, it is true that agencies do quite often have better rates than booking direct with the cruise line. But you made one comment about some agents will discount their commission to lower your price, well actually cruise lines frown upon travel agents doing this and will even ban an agent from selling their product if caught doing this. Asking a travel agent to discount the price of a cruise by cutting into their commission is like asking a waiter in a restaurant to pay for part of your meal from thier pay check, it just isn’t right to do. 😊
@FamilyAtSea 4 күн бұрын
@@dalebetts5658 I appreciate you sharing your perspective! I've never personally asked for anything but I do see your fellow TAs doing that pretty frequently so I had no idea it was against regulations! That's good to know... Thank you for watching!
@markcluff7104 4 күн бұрын
Ty
@FamilyAtSea 4 күн бұрын
@@markcluff7104 You're welcome... Thanks for watching!
@danm6695 4 күн бұрын
Great information. Looking forward to your future videos
@FamilyAtSea 4 күн бұрын
@@danm6695 I appreciate that, thank you!! Happy sails!
@joegalka1 4 күн бұрын
Your Hack #13 is spot on...the exact type thing occurred to us in Belize - we took a private company, they took us to the same location the ship was going, served us wine on the bus, fed us a small lunch after the event and even carried our tubes ( about 2/3 of a mile) through the tour until we arrived at the river - one more thing the tour guide loved his country and explained so much to us and kept us laughing a lot...when we were at the river, we saw our cruise ship passengers carrying their tubes and not looking like they were having fun. Most importantly, the private tour was about 60% of the cost of the ship tour and we were very happy to give our guide an additional tip
@FamilyAtSea 4 күн бұрын
@@joegalka1 It sounds like you guys had an amazing excursion! We will be in Belize for the first time later this year... Would you mind sharing who you booked with? I'd like to look them up!
@elissajones5154 4 күн бұрын
I totally agree! We ALWAYS book our excursions directly through the Tour company. I pay about half of what the cruise line charges. Plus, if you do end up running late, there is a number you can call to the ship to let them know you are running late and they may wait for you.
@FamilyAtSea 4 күн бұрын
@@elissajones5154 It seems like we're in the minority, but the excursions are so much better doing them independent!
@nancysauer2470 Күн бұрын
@@FamilyAtSea 18:00
@nancysauer2470 Күн бұрын
I too would love to know what your company that was ! We are going to be tubing there for 3rd time in Jan.
@richshaffer985 4 күн бұрын
I ask my clients "Do you want a CHEAP CRUISE" or a "GREAT CRUISE"?
@FamilyAtSea 4 күн бұрын
@@richshaffer985 So true! On a personal level - we try to find the best value (vs purely the cheapest), but there's opportunities for both!
@johnd.9 4 күн бұрын
One hack that I do for vacations in general is to pack everything I bring in one suitcase which i pack inside the next larger size suitcase. This way I have plenty of room to bring souvenirs back and only have to pay for the extra suitcase on the return trip. Great for cruise vacations as well. A hack my friend uses is to bring mostly socks and underwear that will be "retired soon" and then throw them in the garbage instead of bringing them back home. Creates room for more souvenirs. Interesting.
@FamilyAtSea 4 күн бұрын
These are both great hacks I haven't come across before... Thank you for sharing!
@johnd.9 4 күн бұрын
@@FamilyAtSea Sharing is caring. If the vacation is 7 days or less, I will use the small and medium suitcases. However, for my 14-day Norwegian Star cruise from Lisbon in Nov/Dec, it will be medium and large. Especially with 4 days in Porto before and 5 days in Dublin afterwards.
@FamilyAtSea 4 күн бұрын
@@johnd.9 That sounds like an incredible itinerary! I worked for a company based out of Dublin earlier in my career and I'm hoping to make it back there sometime soon on a cruise ship. Happy sails!!
@sct4040 3 күн бұрын
I use old clothes and slippers, so I can toss them, instead of taking them home.
@FamilyAtSea 3 күн бұрын
@@sct4040 That's an idea I hadn't considered! I would feel bad not donating them but depending on the condition that may be a better option!
@Amdamguy 4 күн бұрын
Love your positive style. Thank you!
@FamilyAtSea 4 күн бұрын
I appreciate that... Thank you!
@ljones6767 5 күн бұрын
Positano, Sorento, etc, are on my tourist bucket list. 😀 Starting at 51:36, I noticed you got shorter (or your wife got taller.) It must be the couch.
@FamilyAtSea 4 күн бұрын
We loved Amalfi! And yes, when I watched that I realized I must have had pretty bad posture at that moment! Something for me to me more conscious of as we continue to create more content. Thank you for watching!
@MikeRheannasAdventures 5 күн бұрын
Great video guys we are new to your channel and have subscribed to your channel and shared your channel out on our community tab
@FamilyAtSea 5 күн бұрын
@@MikeRheannasAdventures Thank you!! We just subscribed!
@Jlux823 5 күн бұрын
What third party excursion booking did you use in Jamaica?
@FamilyAtSea 5 күн бұрын
@@Jlux823 Marvyn's Paradise Tours... We've used them twice and they were amazing both times!
@Jlux823 5 күн бұрын
Thankx!!!! Did you take a cab or is it included in the excursion to get picked up at the port?
@FamilyAtSea 5 күн бұрын
@@Jlux823 They will meet you right at the port. They're basically a private chauffeur for the day (but it's very reasonably priced... Our trip was cheaper than a similar trip through the cruise line).
@weirdnomad8868 5 күн бұрын
Man these hacks are good but WAAYY too long
@FamilyAtSea 5 күн бұрын
@@weirdnomad8868 I appreciate the feedback, I'll see what I can do to shorten them next time around!
@timmyblackwell3561 6 күн бұрын
My wife and I are going on a cruise in April 2025 on Carnival Mar Gras for our 25 Anniversary. My question is I already booked a handicap room and I only made a deposit for it. We got the Balcony room can I get a lower price on the cabin that we got?
@FamilyAtSea 6 күн бұрын
@@timmyblackwell3561 Yes, check the price for the same category of cabin and if you see the price drop, call in to Carnival and they will price match! Enjoy your cruise... Happy 25th!
@NextLevelLiving-LG 7 күн бұрын
Great tips! I've always found better flight deals than even the BOGO. I've never used the cruise lines flights or hotels.
@FamilyAtSea 7 күн бұрын
@@NextLevelLiving-LG You can sometimes get lucky with the package deals, but I'm sure you're right! Thank you for watching!
@whitpettrey 7 күн бұрын
Great tips! Thanks for sharing!
@FamilyAtSea 7 күн бұрын
@@whitpettrey Thank you!!
@guiltysparkmusicofficial 7 күн бұрын
I might be out of order video wise, but I still like these small tours like this personally. Granted, as you know, I've not been on a cruise yet, but it's nice to have an idea of things like this ^_^
@FamilyAtSea 7 күн бұрын
@@guiltysparkmusicofficial I appreciate that, thank you! The vlogs from the Equinox should be more fun as we are getting more comfortable on camera... Not something I ever thought we'd be doing so that's taken a bit of time since I'm usually the guy behind the scenes vs on camera!
@vincentnnyc 7 күн бұрын
16:28....are there complimentary ice water or juices in those buffet area or beach shack hut?
@FamilyAtSea 7 күн бұрын
@@vincentnnyc I should have gotten some more close up shots of the buffet! Something to get on our next visit... To answer your question - they have glasses with water/ice/juice stations (just like the buffet on the ship). If you have the drink package, you can also grab a bottle of water at any bar. Enjoy your time at Ocean Cay!
@vincentnnyc 7 күн бұрын
@@FamilyAtSea how about those beach shack hut? do they have complimentary water/juices there or do you need to go to a buffet area on the beach for the free water?
@FamilyAtSea 7 күн бұрын
@@vincentnnyc I don't think the Beach Shack had drinks unfortunately.
@TshaninaPeterson 9 күн бұрын
Great tips - makes me want to take a cruise!
@FamilyAtSea 9 күн бұрын
@@TshaninaPeterson Thank you, I truly appreciate that! You definitely should take a cruise... The best value in vacations!
@LukeDenisFinn 9 күн бұрын
Great video, Evan! Thanks for sharing!
@FamilyAtSea 9 күн бұрын
@@LukeDenisFinn Appreciate that, thank you!!
@alanabroad3471 10 күн бұрын
Surprisingly nice room.
@FamilyAtSea 10 күн бұрын
@@alanabroad3471 Everything we need for sure! Thanks for watching!
@guiltysparkmusicofficial 11 күн бұрын
Glad to see one of your videos after a week of no power and cruddy heat :) Hurricane Beryl did a number on us in Houston 😅
@FamilyAtSea 11 күн бұрын
@@guiltysparkmusicofficial A week of no AC in this heat just have been horrible, I'm sorry! Glad you got through it... I'm sure that was a very long week.
@supersimplemarketing 13 күн бұрын
What an amazing time on an amazing ship! Super cool, and thanks for showing us around and sharing your adventure!
@FamilyAtSea 12 күн бұрын
Thank you for watching and for the encouragement, you are appreciated!
@kellyrutherford2147 14 күн бұрын
This is fun reliving this cruise! Sorry you two didn’t join us on the Provence wine tour. So beautiful! However, you managed to catch my husband and I at the view point overlooking Positano. We were right behind you😂😂. We did a Rome in Limo also.
@FamilyAtSea 13 күн бұрын
We were bummed as well but we were definitely exhausted by the end of the cruise so we needed the day to relax! I hope you guys enjoyed the cruise as much as we did... What an amazing journey!
@Bchams2012 15 күн бұрын
By the way...Celebrity can't cook steak right...LOL
@FamilyAtSea 15 күн бұрын
@@Bchams2012 They really do struggle with that... We had the same issue on the Ascent! Celebrity does so many things right, but they consistently struggle with steaks!
@Bchams2012 15 күн бұрын
We board the Equinox in 4 months--Our 18th cruise
@FamilyAtSea 15 күн бұрын
@@Bchams2012 You are in for a treat! It may not have the fancy gadgets and technology of the newer ships, but she's stunning from aft to bow! Enjoy your cruise!
@BerryBerryLife 15 күн бұрын
The Amalfi coast is on our bucket list. Your trip looks so much fun
@FamilyAtSea 15 күн бұрын
Thank you! I hope it wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime trip for us as it was amazing and we'd love to go back and spend more time there!