I was once on HAL. After booking the travel agent called me back and said: "Ehm.....I saw your date of birth. Are you sure you wanna go on that ship?!" LOL! However: On the entertainment level there were fantastic bands and there was party every evening with high class music! Soul, R&B, pop, rock and duelling pianos. Every day. Live! And the guests had been mixed in age! Alaska - it was really a wonderful cruise by all means!
@pietersleijpen36625 ай бұрын
I have always found it irritating when it is just about age. I have never liked partying, always been a morning person. 10 pm lights out? Great. Instead of focusing on age, just say for quieter, more subdued cruiser? 😉
@KenS-z6r24 күн бұрын
Totally agree! Some of us old farts like to party more than the youngsters!! I've done many cruises on HAL and always had fun. LOTS of music! Most of the other cruisers were fun with a little bit of "class".
@alanjames78775 ай бұрын
I’ll add my two cents about Holland America, my favorite cruise line. The reasons you mentioned are exactly why I want to cruise on this line. BUT kids sail free promotions and an influx of younger cruisers is changing HAL. Especially on short cruises. I can assure you HAL stays busier and louder than you might think. A big fail is they’re trying to get families with kids on board without enough infrastructure to keep the kids happy.
@PsychGirlRaven5 ай бұрын
I think I may stay away if kids sail for free. I don’t want my vacation swamped with kids.
@stcrombie5 ай бұрын
We've cruised on HAL six times so far, and the total amount of kids we've seen on all six cruises was about a dozen. Perfect.
@sarahj.59705 ай бұрын
Looking forward to taking Hal cruises sometimes,,,thanks will watch for that, only have gone on a weekend trip with them way way back. Sis and hubby in mid fifties went this past year on a 2 week back to back and loved it..the duelling pianos were the best part to them and they booked again on the ship.
@alanjames78775 ай бұрын
@@stcrombie we’re on Koningsdam to Hawaii in April. I fully expect this 17 day cruise to be kid free!🤞
@alanjames78775 ай бұрын
@@PsychGirlRaven I think a lot depends on the length of the cruise and the time of year. We usually have to cruise during holidays and that’s going to bring in more families with kids.
@RBickersjr5 ай бұрын
I take ginger pills every morning of the cruise just in case of motion sickness. I haven't had a problem when I have and it doesn't have any side effects. 😎
@jayde435 ай бұрын
Eeeek my next cruise is on HAL, lucky 13. My bestie and I will happily have the dance floor to ourselves 🤘🏻🎸🎶. We will bring the party hehehehe 😂
@susanbolton-hk5yn3 ай бұрын
Live in hope
@MomsTravelTeam5 ай бұрын
No matter how many times people are told: 1 - they won't fly the day before and will ask "why didn't anyone tell me?" 2 - they won't get a passport, an emergency will require flying and will ask "why didn't anyone tell me?". Thanks for the content ❤
@cruisecrazy70665 ай бұрын
If the cruise is from Europe, Asia or Australia, fly two days before the cruise.
@carolynnowak38235 ай бұрын
I find the cruises we’ve taken where things went wrong are the ones I remember most! Sailing in a cyclone, looking for passengers of a ferry that went down, a rescue at sea of a small boat, emergency landing of our flight home, a storm so rough all the furniture went flying, etc. fun times!
@Fiftyliciouss5 ай бұрын
Oh my goodness
@feelosophy19213 ай бұрын
Either you've been on a hundred cruises or I don't ever want the misfortune of seeing you board the same ship. Lol 🏃🏽🚢
@carolynnowak38233 ай бұрын
@@feelosophy1921 our friends feel the same way😂
@julieb78825 ай бұрын
We've never had a bad cruise. Our first we did it wrong. We sailed HAL after flying in the day of the cruise during hurricane season. Did I mention we took our teenage daughters? It was 2004, so there was no research and only ship excursions. We had a wonderful time. The girls didn't know what they were missing. They had Cedar Point season passes. This year, they're taking us on a transatlantic, so flying in early and lots of research. Never had sea sickness but always take medicine along, just in case.
@sarahj.59705 ай бұрын
So sweet...they are taking you now...just wonderful.
@julieb78825 ай бұрын
@sarahj.5970 they're great women. Of course they didn't object when dad said he would pay for all our flights.
@sarahj.59705 ай бұрын
@@julieb7882 Wonderful...
@elainehill65045 ай бұрын
I take the regular (not non-drowsy) Dramamine at night, starting the night before the cruise. I sleep great and the drowsiness is worn off by morning but still works for seasickness.
@daynacjones5 ай бұрын
I’ve cruised for years and my 2 cents is that you can always ignore and not do any activities you aren’t in interested in, but you can’t make a tame cruise have more activities. Big ships usually have adult only areas and if you go to bed a 10, make sure there are cabins to all sides of your cabin. You don’t want to be under a dance nightclub. We almost missed a cruise (think we were the last on). We drove down so had plenty of time….. husband forgot his insulin which he had just filled. Lucky he was a pharmacist at Walgreens so they hooked him up, costing us $400 because he had just filled it a day before. We did get reimbursed but it put a damper on spending.
@MomsTravelTeam5 ай бұрын
Wow - literally a deadly mistake if it hadn't gotten resolved.
@feelosophy19215 ай бұрын
I cruised a larger Norwegian ship the first time thankfully, although Carnival and Royal were closer. There's nothing wrong with either, I just think the first cruise sets future expectations. My 7 day itinerary was just the right mix of relaxation, socializing and partying with a multigenerational and multiracial group. A shorter itinerary (booze cruise) probably would have turned me off cruising all together!
@noeljohnson65615 ай бұрын
I was thinking about avoiding seasickness, I usually use the patches that you put behind your ear. If you put it on an hour before you get on the cruise ship, it doesn’t make you feel weird and you only have to change it every three days…just saying! Love you Morgan❤
@gerrilarsen295 ай бұрын
No better line than HAL for Alaska! Been going for 75 years and stay in the ports longer….also hard to beat their food!
@michaelgunney11835 ай бұрын
Our first cruise was a Baltic cruise with NCL. I had done some research and pre bookings esp. for St Petersburg as you can only disembark if going on a booked tour unless you have gone through the lengthy process of getting a Russian visa (it was 2019). A couple of Irish guys we got speaking to knew nothing of this and had nothing booked which meant they would have had two days sat on the ship instead of touring St P. Luckily I gave them our tour information and they got booked but given it was the star port of the sailing it was shocking how little they knew!
@mereniecrosby71205 ай бұрын
Koniption is a great word
@mpb34815 ай бұрын
What’s a koniption? Or do you mean conniption?
@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides5 ай бұрын
@@mpb3481 Or is it kenniption?
@mpb34815 ай бұрын
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides I seem to have missed an inside joke. Sorry.
@pewpewlazers57024 ай бұрын
The very first cruise when i was a teenager with my parents they planned us flying the day of the cruise and we had an early flight. Our flight was delayed several hours, and by the time we arrived our ship had already left. So instead of spending money on a hotel for the night before, we had to still get a hotel for the night of, then take a charter plane to the Caribbean island and catch the cruise. Was NOT FUN
@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides4 ай бұрын
OMG what a nightmare!?!
@pewpewlazers57024 ай бұрын
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides safe to say we learned our lesson RIGHT AWAY 😂😂😂
@daynastithem35765 ай бұрын
We drive but we always get there the day before and spend the night because I am not missing that ship for any reason. Plus it gives me time to rest the day before and boarding day is not stressful.
@Hawkeye20015 ай бұрын
Yes: I've missed a sail-away trying to fly in the day of the cruise. Holland America is not as depressing as you've painted it, I've done 10 cruises with them. It tends to be a bit more civilized, but there is a party atmosphere, especially in their "Music Walk" areas. - I love the pre-cruise research, often finding gems that aren't advertised.
@dacallahan15 ай бұрын
There is always a significant probability that something will go wrong when you travel. I always try to remind myself that the best stories come from those times (getting stitches on a cruise ship for example 😂)
@ruthbrady67163 ай бұрын
Well I'm going to say your way off base with Holland America very great active music scene that goes well till 12:30 or 1:00 ... So probably if you have an experienced it you should knock it
@Remianen5 ай бұрын
Wait a minute. What did you call Civitaveccia? 🤣Another word for hissy fit: tantrum. Great advice! I remember before my first cruise (NCL Windward), I was deathly afraid of seasickness, despite having spent the previous three years working on aircraft carriers (and a frigate).
@cyberi4a5 ай бұрын
Every cruise I've been on except one, I arrived day of departure with no issues. But I agree the farther you are from where the ship departs should be considered. I've taken sea sick pills every day of every cruise and it didn't effect me, so each person is different. It's rare that I've purchased a shore excursion. I either just walk around on my own or stay on the ship. The best time on the cruise is staying on the ship when just about everyone else gets off.
@suelelievre55135 ай бұрын
Great video! We have 83 days till our first cruise, and we've been preparing as you've described. Top of our minds is we're going to have a great time! We know, as you do, that some of our best memories on trips come from the unexpected. Things we laugh about, even many years later. Chuckled so much on your bike trip!😅😅
@lorenadugan63555 ай бұрын
It’s always good to be reminded..patience. ✌️
@heatheradair73384 ай бұрын
Since you haven’t been on a Holland America cruise, it’s understandable that you wouldn’t know that there is plenty of music and nightlife.
@susanbolton-hk5yn3 ай бұрын
No there isnt
@heatheradair73383 ай бұрын
@@susanbolton-hk5yn okay - I must have been hallucinating. Thanks for letting me know. Actually, since there were 4 of us dancing in the rock and roll lounge and the BB king venue on the music walk, we must have been experiencing a mass hallucination- i will let the cruise line know - maybe commence a suit against them.
@theresemotard39293 ай бұрын
The music walk on HAL is fantastic, lots of games and night life with dancing to great bands, Jazz bands were excellent and Classical music very high calibre indeed!!!
@joangroothuis40315 ай бұрын
Thanks so much for this video. We have a family cruise planned for next year and 90% of the group are first time cruisers. I plan to send them a link to this video because everything you said was "Spot on".
@NZer-t2i4 ай бұрын
Me and my wife are going on the Celebrity Edge from Auckland NZ to Fiji return in Feb 2025. Our first cruise.
@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides4 ай бұрын
Sounds great to me!
@carolynearles75443 ай бұрын
I cruised HA last summer to Alaska . I didn’t choose this cruise a friend did . I was shocked at how many families were on this ship. It was multi generational families . Great music venues . Nice casino . . I was my first time with them . I think it depends where and when you are sailing
@bradpeterson52995 ай бұрын
Thank you for great advice. I've been on 21 cruises. Only 4 days were rough seas, but it didn't bother me. I've never been seasick, but I did catch a cold once. Only once did I feel like complaining. That was on the Norwegian Jewel. The dining room was very dirty. It felt like I was in a Denny's restaurant that hadn't been cleaned for a few days. It was not up to cruising standard.
@douglasbray35635 ай бұрын
We live in Vancouver BC and unless we are going to Alaska we fly to a cruise port as it is over 2100 kilometers to drive to Long Beach CA which would be like you driving to Madrid.
@kenyattaclay76665 ай бұрын
All excellent points. I would add to your second one, at least in the US, do not take Amtrak to your cruise port even if you live in the most ideal location like I do. Amtrak’s on time reliably is just too uncertain and even for me living in the DC area it I were to sail out of Baltimore I’d still drive & just pay the extra cost of parking over trying to save a few bucks. I’ve heard of people taking Amtrak from North Carolina to Florida (I can’t remember which port) & almost missing their cruise because of delays and they left the day before. Also to your first point, if I had taken a Carnival cruise as my first and if it were anything like my first Carnival cruise then it’s likely that I would’ve ever cruised again. My first two cruises were on RC & I lived them and decided to try Carnival & my first experience was not a good one with them. However I did give them a second chance & that one was a better experience. I’m not as much into partying so RC, Celebrity, Princess & NCL are more to my taste.
@frankcutronijr5 ай бұрын
I live in Miami and South Beach is one of the more expensive areas.
@AnonyMous-nl7ig5 ай бұрын
OMG, you did not mention cruising from New York 😮
@lynnrush71664 ай бұрын
All great points. I’m flying in the day before my British Isles cruise and very hopeful all goes smoothly, since driving from North America is not an option.
@Jilltoons5 ай бұрын
I fly from Seattle to Los Angeles the morning of the cruise. There are so many flights. It's a 3-hour flight, in the same time zone. Always get in by 10:30 am. I usually make my boarding time at 12:30 pm. 4 times so far. Our weather on tgecwest coast is pretty good.
@BikerBabeNiloy5 ай бұрын
Our first cruise was on HAL and it was perfect for us! Lots of things to see and do, and yes, we did tuck in early around 10 ;) Good luck in the tournament Morgan!
@sherinash-braun5205 ай бұрын
I was so excited to book our Alaskan cruise on HAL’s Koningsdam last fall as I was ready to join the walker brigade that I had heard about from practically every comedian on other lines. Imagine my surprise as I looked around and saw what looked to be a ship full of Gen Xers, Millenials and a few Boomers here and there. A screwed up knee replacement has rendered me mobility challenged for the last 3 years but here I was on a ship full of party people. I tend to park in the casino in the evening but you could hear the music and partying from the incredible variety of music venues. HAL has been sailing Alaska for 150 years and it was obvious they get the best berths in ports so thought I’d try again this spring with an Alaskan land and cruise tour on an older ship, the Nieuw Amsterdam. I think I was the only one in a wheelchair during the land portion, for sure. If someone can point me to which ship actually has this older demographic, I’d be grateful!
@nascarmadman5 ай бұрын
We are hardly cruise vets we've only be on 7. HAL was the best of the lot but that was in 1999. We are about to do HAL again and we hope it is AS good if not better. We are at that point that we are looking for our forever cruise line. I have never felt seasick on a cruise. We did have ONE night from about 6p-12m that it was pretty rocky - oddly from Miami to Nassau - and a LOT of people were sick.
@pgijoy50374 ай бұрын
We hated out 74 day on HAL. our TA recommended the, imagine All those days with no entertainment. We played games a lot!
@andreagriffiths35125 ай бұрын
A tantrum will stop as soon as the person gets what they want. A meltdown because of change of plans will not. And you can’t always tell the difference.. But the best advice I’ve gotten from watching all the cruise vlogs is ‘a cruise is what you make it.’ I was utterly positive I wouldn’t enjoy Virgin Voyages because I’m a really quiet Aspie and, whilst I’m open to many things, it all seemed like it would be too much and I’d meltdown. But VV sailed out of Melbourne and I put my money where my mouth was. It turned out to be one of the best cruises I’ve done. It was over Christmas and I was sailing solo. Everyone was very kind. I found a quiet spot to sit and read and it was just perfectly awesome. The only activity I did was Scarlet Night but didn’t do the after party. The only thing I hated was a ‘long black’ was an ‘Americano’ and cost a ridiculous amount because it was all in USD. I’d do another in a heartbeat.
@davidyoung32375 ай бұрын
All fantastic tips Morgan I agree very much with doing enough pre playing to know you’ve got your basics covered but also leaving time w to relax- my top is only plan one shore excursion a day ding try to do two half day trips and your bound to end up both tired and the risk of loosing the later one if the first returns late so always a possibility. With the seasickness issue I’d probably say to do a short 3-4 day cruise to start with ( that way if you find you hsve a lot of problems your only on for a few days.)
@TIFFandDRETV5 ай бұрын
Hey Morgan. You nailed it with this video. A must see for all cruisers. Hugs from Tiff and I. Still reading your book and it’s awesome. It feels like you’re in the room as I read it. I can hear your voice page by page. ❤. Happy cruising.🚢
@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides5 ай бұрын
Thanks so much!!
@akeolsson80205 ай бұрын
We very nearly missed our first cruise (Alaska with Princess) as there was a problem with some electronics on the plane taking us from San Francisco to the cruise port. A bit discomforting to see the plane and a guy with some glue and a hairdryer going in to repair it. Luckily the flight was booked through the cruise line so they took care of shuttling us to the ship as soon as we got out luggage at destination airport. So we made it. Just...
@stellawiltshire80075 ай бұрын
Morgan, 1 exception to planning is the RCL oasis class ships...because of the number of passengers if you don't do precruise planning and reservations you will definitely miss out on some of the events, restaurants and shows...currently on a 7 day Alaska cruise on HAL Eurodam...this cruise is sold out and their is a good mix of all ages...unlike the previous HAL Caribbean cruise I took in May of 23 which was extremely tilted to the senior category I'm Medicare eligible and I felt young compared to some of my fellow cruisers. I purposely choose HAL over Princess because the Eurodam is smaller than the Discovery. I feel the larger the ship the more difficult it is to approach the glaciers. I shall see on Tuesday. I will be leaving a copy of your book, "Getting Stitches on a Cruise Ship" in the library on the Eurodam. I purchased my copy from Amazon. It is an enjoyable read and perfectly suited to a 7 day cruise.😄
@lawrencerobinson32655 ай бұрын
Thanks!
@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides5 ай бұрын
Thank YOU, Lawrence!
@douglasbray35635 ай бұрын
Good Morning Morgan
@lawrencerobinson32655 ай бұрын
Loving the videos from Hawaii. All the uploads are great lately.
@sarahj.59705 ай бұрын
Absolutely...me too on Hawaii.
@rallegra4 ай бұрын
RE Expectations: I had all these plans to play games, go to shows, read, etc on the ship. I ended up watching people dancing in the piazza on Discovery Princess most days and thoroughly enjoying that. 😂 I was like my dog, when he hangs over the balcony watching rabbits.
@marywinter82162 ай бұрын
😂😂😂 Me too. Best laid plans…
@adrianlea839623 сағат бұрын
Vancouver is in Canada not the US. How do you not know this!
@booboolips60535 ай бұрын
I hadn’t been on a cruise during the Pandemic. I finally went on Royal Caribbean a week before this past Christmas and contracted COVID. So I spent Xmas, and NewYear in isolation. It’s going to be a while before I go on another “COVID Of The Seas.”
@habracken80045 ай бұрын
On our first cruise after things started back was November 2022 on Disney. We both were fully vaccinated but got Covid when we were home. We attributed it to the plane because people were nasty.
@bettychan93132 ай бұрын
We love Holland America! It’s not just for ‘Old People.’ SO WRONG! We had various age groups and its multigenerational families. I will definitely book again with Holland America!
@billsnyder10215 ай бұрын
Always fly to cruiseport a day or two before embarkation. HAL, Celebrity, Princess YES. Carnival, Royal, Disney NO😅
@travelwithdebandnick5 ай бұрын
i do not like the motion sickness tablets, i also feel stoned on them, they make me feel horrible. i now get the same brand as the original motion sickness tablets called travelcalm, but i get them in the natural ones, which are just ginger tablets and with them each day as well as the seabands/ wristbands i seem to stay fairly well on the cruises that we have done :)
@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides5 ай бұрын
It's good to know that the natural remedies also work for some people.
@Steve_in_NJ5 ай бұрын
There are two types of people: those who plan everything themselves, and those who do not. Those who would rather not plan every detail outright would do better to use a cruise travel agent. Yes, travel agents are a dying breed, but those still doing this profession usually are planning cruise vacations and are better at working with a cruiser who needs help on which cruise line, which cabin, what time of year to cruise (and where), and so forth. I plan my vacations myself from A-Z, but my vacations are land-based. I would like to go on a cruise again someday (two years from now?) and will definitely use a cruise travel agent when the time comes. Virgin Voyages or Celebrity? As boomers hitting that 65-year-old milestone, we're probably more Celebrity than Virgin now.
@juliewilson32375 ай бұрын
Our next cruise includes a flight which is obviously on the same day . What would happen if the flight is delayed/ cancelled? Would the cruise wait or would it just sail without us ? I would really appreciate knowing , just incase . 🤞🏽😉
@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides5 ай бұрын
Unless you booked the flight through the cruise line, the ship will definitely NOT wait for you. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news! How much time do you have? What time do you land?
@juliewilson32375 ай бұрын
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuidesI’m not sure yet as just booked it , the last cruise was with TUI and the flight was with them too but this is P and O and just says flights included in the cost 😬. I should know this stuff as I’ve been watching your channel for years lol 🤦♀️.
@winterwhitechocolate5 ай бұрын
1) Motion sickness tip: We take Dramamine just before going to bed. We get great sleep and it is still in our system the next day - but no drowsiness. 2) We were flying from Wichita to Miami in for a cruise scheduled the last week in November. We sat in the plane for at least 2 hours while it was de-iced. Of course we missed our connection. We had to wait for another plane. Then the one they put us on had a mechanical problem. We had to get off that plane and get on another one. That was another 4-5 hour delay. We never fly in the day of a cruise, but the poor guy who got on in Wichita with us did. It was horrible to watch. Needless to say, we got to Miami after his sail away time. I don't know what happened after that, but I felt so bad for him. I am sure some people do just fine flying in the day of, but it is a risk we are not willing to take.
@TracyKMainwaring5 ай бұрын
Our first cruise, in 2007, we flew down the day of. My inlaws were staying with our kids so we didn't want to impose more on them. Since then, we go the day before. Right now, we're concerned about our flight back-- what if it's cancelled, we end up in a different port, different day, etc. We were stunned that for an extra $12 we could pay for baggage tracking on this flight. Crazy! My husband asked last night if Barcelona was near Russia. He's very concerned as it WW3
@SoloonaCruise5 ай бұрын
Hi, let your husband study the European map 😊 He should be fine.
@TracyKMainwaring5 ай бұрын
I did sort of ruin our first trip by getting giardia two weeks before, but not knowing that's what it was. It got nasty right as we were set to leave. Took another month to get diagnosed.
@TracyKMainwaring5 ай бұрын
@SoloonaCruise he has looked at it. He just doesn't care to learn. He's supposed to be going to Slovenia on a work trip, and he's clueless about where it is too.
@burningisis5 ай бұрын
I havent had an "awful" cruise but usually when things dont go the way I expect them to go, I have to start looking at myself first. Is my dissatisfaction in something due to setting my expectations far too high and then not compromising those expectations, or it something truly a bad experience. For me its "is this poop cruise levels of dissatisfaction or is this someone didnt give me a lemon wheel garnish on my drink" Also... "is my reason for dissatisfaction because I didnt do something" Such as reason for dissatisfaction "I had to wait to eat dinner" was it my fault by not booking a reservation and I'm now queued up at 6pm for dinner? Is the reason for dissatisfaction "I really wanted to see the show on Icon of the Seas" is the cause of that my not making reservations for the show on the packed cruise ship? Is my dissatisfaction "I couldnt see a sunrise!" and is the cause of that dissatusfaction "I couldnt drag myself out of bed" Temper your expectations. Its one thing if something is severely wrong (broken AC, raw sewage coming up through your commode, no entertainment, etc) its quite another if you're the architect of your own demise, or... if its an act of nature. The cruise line doesnt control the weather.
@goofball1114 ай бұрын
I partied almost all night on HAL You should not review a cruise line you have not been on. There Blues Club was rocken!
@evelynlivingston6761Ай бұрын
So funny 😁
@Tarrbot5 ай бұрын
My wife says your hair looks cute today. Big fans.
@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides5 ай бұрын
Thanks, wife!
@m.m.46455 ай бұрын
We are booked on HAL for next week, ex Reykjavik. I really do hope there are hardly any kids on board. We booked HAL because we want Peace and Quiet after a long and exhausting illness. If that *Kids sail free* policy is their plan for the future then it is "farewell HAL" for us.
@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides5 ай бұрын
Please let me know how it goes!
@jackredmond60235 ай бұрын
I would like for you to do a video on how many ways to say “Civitavecchia”! 😂
@endashproductions5 ай бұрын
If you haven't seen his video on Civitavecchia - kzbin.info/www/bejne/oInahJ2hnNeFfM0 has quite a few! I will say he gets lazy towards the end and the stuff doesn't even start with C! :)
@jackredmond60235 ай бұрын
@@endashproductions Yes, I’ve seen this one too. Thanks!
@Ivehadenuff4 ай бұрын
There is only one way. Italian is rule based. Ci sounds like ch in English and ch sounds like k. Every vowel is a syllable, so Chee-vee-tah-veh-kee-ah. Vecchia means old.
@sylvievandenhaute86365 ай бұрын
Living in Brussels and the cruise leaving from Amsterdam, we thought just take the train on the day of the cruise. What could go wrong? It’s a train weather does not affect it right! WRONG We never had so many problems getting to a cruise port that is so close to home: 1 train was cancelled months in advance because it was a very hot summer and the Thalys trains were not coping well with the heat 2 there was a train strike in the Netherlands on the day of the cruise, so we had to reschedule for the day before and find a hotel close to the train station. Last minute so overpriced. 3 day of the cruise we go to check out of the hotel and ask for a taxi to take us to the cruise port, we were told that due to the train strike all the taxis were at the airport😮 Lucky for us the port was a 20 minutes walk and our suitcases have wheels 😊
@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides5 ай бұрын
OMG. It's like the universe was trying to tell you, "DON'T GET ON THIS CRUISE!!!"
@sylvievandenhaute86365 ай бұрын
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuidesyeah, even the universe can not keep me from going on a cruise :)
@DenaInWyo5 ай бұрын
Have a co-worker who did her first cruise last year. Now, not trying to sound like a snob, but she is not someone who travels much and has some, errr, irrational fears and generalized ideas about other countries. They tried to book places like the beach resorts in Cozumel the day before, were too afraid to venture off on their own, thought excursions were too expensive. They stayed on the ship the whole time, and came back to report that cruising was not for them. No, no it was not for them. LIVE A LITTLE. Plan ahead. Explore through KZbin and google while planning. We have the collective knowledge of the whole world on a little 8 inch pocket computer. Also: Unrelated to that, but related to what you were saying about ports...Dover is not London!
@rjsams0015 ай бұрын
I disagree with you about the HAL demographic. HAL draws the passengers it does because those passengers are interested in the ports, good food and music. HAL does a wonderful job educating about the ports (and the mid-size ships can get into the smaller ports), the music walk on the bigger ships is fabulous. What the ships don't have is ice-skating rinks, ropes courses, roller coasters, flow riders, acrobatics shows, etc. Yes, if that's what you want, you need one of the mega-ships. I think HAL gets the reputation for "older" passengers because what they're good at draws a less-party-oriented, less kid-oriented demographic.
@Remianen5 ай бұрын
HAL has been like that since the '90s. I went on the Norway, Ryndam, and Nieuw Amsterdam and it felt like I was cruising with my grandparents (I was in my 20s). Even in my 50s, I still wouldn't cruise with them.
@TeeCee4eva1381Ай бұрын
Ex"cruise" me! Lol hilarious 🤣
@mesenteria5 ай бұрын
Have we ever missed a cruise due to travel interruptions? Nope, got to the cruise with two hours to spare...and sweating. CBSA in Montreal were doing rotating walk-outs and did so as we were coming up to the customs wickets. We had to stay over night, and then fly as early as we could to Ft. Lauderdale. We made it, but by the skin of our teeth. Do NOT, under any circumstances....EVER....plan to fly to get on a cruise ship the morning of the day in which it leaves. You'll be sorry.
@JuneRaeder-MacKinnon5 ай бұрын
I've never had a bad criose. It's always what you decide to focus on. If the food is not that good...well...I'm not going to gain any weight this cruise...or not many activities...put yourself out there and meet others. Go to the casino or do other things you might not do or even sign up for WiFi and watch KZbin...I don't think you can search the entire internet on a boring cruise...LOL
@ashleygrove9835 ай бұрын
Theres a cruise where it lights out at 10! Just tell me they have matinee shows and a 4 pm dinner and I am in!
@mattiemathis95495 ай бұрын
Sounds like Cunard might be your line. They have a library of over 10,000 adult books too! 😂😂😂
@judycater28325 ай бұрын
All things considered, I would not choose one less olive than requested as the hill upon which i would die.😂
@michellewentzell92895 ай бұрын
They should tell you it’s a triathlon bike riding very strenuous
@sarahj.59705 ай бұрын
yes!
@sarahj.59705 ай бұрын
Just loving your channel. As I get ready to hopefully at 65 go. go. go. more often you just make me remember things from my very fortunate early travels and a few milife ones but only have been on a few shorties and a couple 5 to 7 day ones...but they all COUNT..lol. Loved your music and pictures with educationals..you are just great and so excited you love Hawaii. every Island and every hotel makes it a different experience but your first trip you usually know if you are a soul Hawaii lover..I am and you are too...sigh...loved those vids. !n 1980...I got to travel after study in France...and well loved how you put the Cultural Cruise of a lifetime and my main cruise was on a really old Epirotiki 4000 ton tiny 50's ship but it was part of this then American Express Budget and more realistic immersion in mostly nice tourist class situations and it was land and sea for Greece, Egypt and Cairo and we had a historian and ages were18 to 65 or so and you had to be able to walk and stand a while and the leader was a wonderful 30ish Greek woman who was fluffy not fat...and really tied all the history and what happened where with the nice things and relax things well planned and for me...I can not imagine any better way to do it when first in Middle East that way then age 20 then or 65...and I think now even on bigger ships fancier cruises and tours etc,,,you need real planned tours on land parts especially with the Jerusalem and Cairo part of things...you miss less and are far safer. Also, the bus rides into both places were as much of an education as the places..WOW. I was soooo lucky with sea sickness...I can NOT even ride a baby roller coaster but I adored the rough seas and I am sure that is because they were only so rough but once on a Costa ship.Ii sat on the window ledge of those round inside windows and watched the wves and felt the up and down like a see saw and lights on the waces at night and loved it. But i will take the sea sickness remedies in case so many years later,,,things chane a little. Great stories!!!
@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides5 ай бұрын
Oh wow those are some great stories!
@sarahj.59705 ай бұрын
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides Oh gosh thanks for putting up with my "longwindedness"... I love yours too!!
@arribaficationwineho324 ай бұрын
Guy at tour desk TRIED to tell you without being rude about bicycle trip but you refused to listen
@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides4 ай бұрын
That’s exactly correct.
@MrJJSimonds5 ай бұрын
Hissy Fit.... Kniption.. Tantrum.... blowing a gasket.... Karening..... My sugg for 1st cruise (and life)- You *will* encounter people that *will* annoy you in some way. Do not expend brain power on this situation. Instead, do a Dorothy! Click your heels, turn around. and be somewhere else. Let it go, don't fight it... take back your space and time, take control and remove yourself... spending any energy on changing or removing them is taking time away from *your* vacation. The ship (life) is massive and there is a space somewhere else that will allow you to enjoy the passage of time... ;) I had Holland coming out of my mouth before you said it!!!!
@machellep15 ай бұрын
Tantrum ! I’ve seen way to many tantrums at guest relations. It’s just embarrassing to think these people were allowed to come out in public.
@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides5 ай бұрын
I just read that "hissy" fit comes from "hysterical". Isn't that interesting?
@merytsitmaat93085 ай бұрын
My first cruise was on Carnival, and I cruised with a bunch of people who would have made Ronald Reagan look like a long-haired hippie. It was a 7-Day Cruise though. I think the shorter Carnival cruises tend to be rowdier.
@pattyolson38425 ай бұрын
Great video Morgan! I wouldn't take motion sickness pills unless i needed them, but i guess i can see what some people do take them daily. For example, if they get motion sickness riding in a car and on amusement parrk rides 🎡🎢
@karenmoonah6705 ай бұрын
Sagrada famiglia
@justm885 ай бұрын
Vancouver is not in the US…😂
@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides5 ай бұрын
But do you think that a large part of the United States can drive there within one day? That was my point. 😇
@justm885 ай бұрын
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides ha thats not what I thought you said 👌🏻
@merytsitmaat93085 ай бұрын
Actually, there's a Vancouver in Washington State that's not too far from Portland, but there aren't any cruises out of there though.
@lanimorgan23795 ай бұрын
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides Vancouver, BC is closer to Seattle than Portland, Oregon. Amtrack train leaves at 7:30 AM from Seattle and gets to Vancouver, Canada at 11:30 AM. We used to use a cruise travel agent who arranged the same day train tickets and transfer to port. If you book the train yourself, once there, you can take a taxi, Skytrain, or walk about 1/2 mile to the cruise port. The train is seasonal. Lucky for us, if the train isn't running, we have friends who can drive us up. We can drive the same morning and be dropped off at the port or spend the night the day before.