My Solution To The Biggest Issue With Cruises These Days!

With cruise lines now pretty much able to sell their ships out completely at a hundred percent or higher capacity, I want to tell you how you can hunt down and find cruises and cruise ships that are not going to be completely packed to the rafters and will have the best cruise experience. This is the techniques that I use.
For bonus & exclusive content (including videos, articles, eBooks and more) become a channel member or patron:
---------------------------------------------------
* Patreon Patron: www.patreon.com/tipsfortravellers
* KZbin Channel Member: kzbin.info/door/_qE-Obs2ocdmPXY0TIU-cwjoin
Check out my cruise-themed T-shirts and products:
---------------------------------------------------
* T-Shirts: bit.ly/TFTStore
* Mugs, notebooks, hoodies etc: www.teepublic.com/stores/tipsfortravellers?ref_id=22354
My social media:
---------------------------------------------------
* Blog: www.tipsfortravellers.com
* Twitter: garybembridge
* Facebook: tipsfortravellers
* Instagram: www.instgram.com/garybembridge
* LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/bembridge
ABOUT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS: If you want to get cruising right, Tips For Travellers makes it easy to plan and have the incredible cruise experiences you dream of every time. All my Tips For Travellers advice, tips and tricks tips draw on everything that I have learnt on the 101 cruises I have done to date.
#cruisetips #CruisingTips #cruisetipsandtricks
00:00 Start
02:33 Avoid These Dates
03:16 Shoulder Periods
04:03 Reposition yourself
05:07 Avoid Local
06:03 Be Adult About It
07:10 Follow The Singles
08:00 Downsize

[@michaeltoma1023]

One of the simple tips we found is to simply book 10-13 day cruises rather than the standard 7 days. Even during holiday time, parents filter these out of their searches and makes for more of an enjoyable time.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Yes! Definitely a great tip. Thanks for adding this one 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@susancook1448]

Wish I could but I’d miss my felines too much.

[@minnesotamiki]

That’s our plan this year… cruise is now sold out but we’ll see lol😂

[@triktrak_1451]

Great tip!

[@druegillis1744]

A long repositioning cruise like a transatlantic worked for us. We left from FL and had a 16 night REPO to Rotterdam. Then we bussed to Amsterdam for an 11 night cruise to Norway. Originally we were supposed to disembark from one ship in the AM and embark on the other one in the PM of the same day, but HAL switched ports after we had booked but provided the bus gratis. We hit a great deal on the REPO for $840 total for both and the Norway costs 4 times that amount but it was a deal all around. The REPO was a casino/Mariner special and we had an inside cabin, but we enjoyed the cruises.

[@marilynmcphail9221]

I am a teacher and am so looking forward to sailing during the shoulder seasons next year when I retire!!!

[@Retiredtraveler1961]

Hey Gary, those are great points. I always try to avoid kids out of school & holidays. Remember that that also includes college “kids”on spring break, which is in my opinion is a disaster if you’re trying to relax on a cruise. For those of us paying for cruises the last thing we want to do is get stuck behind slow people and long lines. Regrettably my recent Hall in America New England cruise was just that. Lines, lines, and more lines on the Zuirdam out of Boston for seven nights. Cheers!

[@roundandroundmyworld]

I took one holiday season cruise, and it actually worked out well and the ship wasn't even full! It was a two-week swing all around the Caribbean, and took in both Christmas and New Year's. I suspect it was the length that made it less popular with families with kids. I'd do it again, but the cost of such a cruise is prohibitive now.

[@scottmatthew3101]

Here's my strategy to minimize the kids I encounter. Firstly, look for longer sailings. That's not perfect, but it will thin the herd. Second, look for a smaller ship without a lot of roller coasters, go-karts, or water slides. Again, there'll still be a few kids, but not nearly as many. As a bonus, the smaller older ships are usually noticeably cheaper. There's really no sure way to completely avoid unless you're willing to go with Virgin...which I don't think I will.

[@owensmith7530]

Viking Ocean does not allow kids on board, adults only.

[@ilenegallo6406]

Yes, I choose longer cruises during school terms. I don’t cruise on RC, NCL, or Carnival. I don’t need all the slides and other rides! 🥰

[@beverleyevans3262]

I always thought I would love a cruise , so during the first lockdown I sorted to watch Gary’s videos and Emma Cruises. Was I encouraged to book ? No, on the contrary, I realise that I would absolutely hate it. The crowds the queues are faffing about and fiddling, looking for somewhere to eat every day, the endless, noisy entertainment, and so on. I was however, really attracted to the smaller ship cruises such as Viking and Silver Sea. Will we ever go? I doubt it and I doubt we’ll ever do a river cruise either. I really appreciate watching this video because it’s giving me some ideas as to how I might find a possibly suitable cruise.

[@rosemaryf8177]

I think that choosing a less popular itinerary could result in the ship being less crowded. My recent North-West Passage Expedition cruise was less than 50% Full (only 86 passengers). One factor was likely because it is shoulder season, but I think that the main reason is because not too many people are interested in visiting the Canadian Arctic.

[@owensmith7530]

My biggest problem with cruises these days is most of the staff are inexperienced, having never worked in the cruise industry prior to covid. All the staff left/were sacked during covid and did not come back, so all the staff had to be hired and trained from scratch post covid. None of my post covid cruises have been anything like as good as pre covid on the same cruise lines.

[@kays749]

As long as the lines keep building mega ships and retiring their smaller ships, finding an affordable relaxed cruise will become more difficult. Princess is the worst, IMO. When will we see the tipping point when people tire of those massive ships?

[@redhatbear1135]

I agree but have less hope. The newer ships have better “green” abilities: power from shore and other fuel conservation features. I can’t see with the cost of builds any being smaller ships so we are stuck with expensive retrofits if they even can be done!

[@tipsfortravellers]

Yes!

[@druegillis1744]

Well, when the time comes, we will be switching to all inclusive land -based vacations at adult venues.

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

The time will come when people stop cruising and they stop being able to fill the ships. Not anytime soon in other words, unless some major global catastrophe befalls us (god forbid). Economy of scale and the ability to pack more features and restaurants into a hull means the mega ships are going to dominate the market until something unforeseen shifts the market. Smaller ships aren't going to disappear completely however for several reasons. 1. There are some rather popular ports the largest ships simply can't get into under any circumstances. 2. As ports become more overrun with cruise passengers many are starting to restrict the numbers of passengers allowed or the size of the ships or length of their stay. 3. Not just certain ports but certain parts of the world have an upper size limit they can accommodate. The largest ships can't fit through even the new Panama Canal locks for instance. 4. There is still a market for smaller ships because of passenger preference or because a local/regional market can't fill out all the berths available on a larger ship. 5. There are still niche markets like luxury, expedition and sailing that will always consist of smaller ships.

[@littleeva]

These cruise companies want to make cruises attractive to children because they want them to get used to cruising early. But, they don't realize that eventually these children will get older and might not want to be on a ship with 7 thousand other people.

[@barbaralazier8352]

I took my first repositioning cruise this year from Ft Lauderdale through the Panama Canal to Los Angeles. I travel solo and my single supplement was very reasonable. I will definitively be taking these type of cruises in the future. Great value for your money

[@wyplum]

What cruise line?

[@barbaralazier8352]

@@wyplum Celebrity

[@capriciousjenn]

What types of activities did they offer? I’m contemplating a transatlantic in 2024. I saw on Princess they offer lectures and dance lessons but I’m also a foodie so Celebrity appeals to my soul.

[@lulubelle2009]

​@@capriciousjennif you're a die hard "foodie" I suggest you visit the celebrity chat boards before you book, people are very unhappy with celebrity food offering. I'm not a foodie, so I'm happy with the food offering on celebrity

[@marilynnkadan7948]

I had booked SF to nyc 2020, of course got canceled. So i may go on another. I do Miami PC transit 2 So America ports back Miami Feb 2024😊

[@JoeTourist]

Taking cruises with more sea days than port days usually means less crowds, which dovetails with your recommendation for repositioning cruises.

[@lulubelle2009]

I did the Spain & France cruise on MSC from Southampton, in June. I was shocked that there were just under 1k kids onboard outside the school holidays. I think the cruise director was shocked as well, he mentioned it every night 😊

[@allip4226]

The prospect of thousands of screaming kids is what really puts me off going with MSC despite the unbeatable prices. Everyone complains about English not being spoken as the main language on MSC but I speak several foreign languages including some Italian, so I don’t mind that. But dealing with the products of so-called “gentle parenting” 🙄 in droves is not my idea of a holiday!

[@petshopgirl39]

We’ve just disembarked P&O Iona today. Despite sailing at full capacity the ship didn’t feel crowded (with the exception of the buffet which we avoided completely as it was bedlam and the quality of food on offer somewhat poor). We never felt hemmed in or unable to find a space to relax. With that said, we had a balcony cabin so a space to relax and retreat to and 85% of our dining was speciality dining which was spacious and comfortable. Both a balcony cabin and speciality dining were well worth paying for. It was our first cruise. We’d rather cruise less often but be able to have a balcony cabin or suite and do speciality dining.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks for adding this. Good to know as I’ve not yet been on Iona though my sister-in-law loves it. Good tips on how to manage on big ships like that

[@petshopgirl39]

@@tipsfortravellers you’re welcome. Iona is also well designed with huge atrium windows, a complete wraparound promenade deck and lots of seating inside and out. That was a big plus. We looked at MSC as they had a Fjords itinerary too but were put off by the lack of space and complaints of overcrowding. Premium wifi was excellent on Iona. Expensive at £250 for the week for 2 people but worth it.

[@Mrs.S-uk]

Thanks is for this comment. We are looking at our first cruise and looked at Iona & Arvia but I was worried it would be overwhelming with so many people. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@suntanman99]

I actually prefer going on cruises during holiday periods and peak seasons and I am glad to pay premium prices to do so. First I have 20 paid vacation days per year and if I book vacation during times like 4th of July, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, I don't have to utilize as many of them versus just taking a trip during a random week in October. Thus I can take more cruises and longer cruises each year. Second, there are benefits of crowds like more people involved in trivia, dance classes, deck parties, greater ability to offer more excursions people watching, etc. Third, it is just more pleasant to go places like Alaska when the days are longer and weather is warmer or to the Caribbean when the storm/hurricane threat is lower rather than travel during the less popular times. Fourth, it is just less disruptive to my work schedule and I am not allowed to take vacation time at all in January through March. Fifth, holiday periods include specialty themed events, meals, tributes, costumes, appearances from Santa, etc. that you won't see during generic shoulder season times. Sixth, repositioning cruises often are heavy on sea days and create logistical difficulties regarding travel to/from different destinations. To save money instead I always go with inside cabins/staterooms.

[@kestag2110]

My son has turned 18 yo this year and is his last year of high school, so we are doing Virgin Voyages in Australia, January. Hubby and I have also booked a future Viking cruise. It is so good to now not have to plan around school holidays. 🙏

[@robertsammons1]

He will love virgin !

[@bobcarr5497]

My wife and I are leaving on a cruise December 30th 2023 over the new years holiday for 10 days into January 9th. We have never cruised in this time frame before as we usually cruise in April or October but being we are sailing on Oceania for the first time on there newest ship Vista with only 1200 guests capacity and no kids programs we believe it will be a adults only cruise and we will not be overwhelmed with crowds.

[@Remember_when]

Our August 7th Alaska cruise was packed. Kids bumping into you from every side, two weddings and a religious gathering that took over the buffet area by the solarium and pool. So frustrating.

[@RhymesWithSpark]

My husband and I did a Christmas cruise once and only once. I couldn't handle the insanity, the crowded pools, families everywhere, bars and restaurants overflowing, etc. It wasn't the relaxing experience we had hoped for!

[@Remember_when]

We did Odyssey of the Seas RC years ago on New Years. It was fabulous. Almost not children. Our recent Alaska cruise was packed with kids. Kids are cute but they bounce off of you like balls on a cruise ship. I don't know if it's a change in people's traveling habits or we just got lucky on the New Year's cruise.

[@Remember_when]

@U2_U I'm getting older and slowing down. I like seeing the children having fun in the pool area but some of them didn't look where they were going and ran into us. I suppose that I'm becoming a fuddy duddy, lol.

[@joolsspav3891]

I have been trying to decide on a Christmas cruise, mind made up now. I will leave it until January. 😅

[@littleeva]

My mom and I used to go on the Caribbean Celebration, Christmas and New Years cruises for years, from 2009 to 2012, but it's just not worth it anymore. There were kids on the cruise but most were pretty cool.

[@janaynmelis5250]

I try to cruise when school is back in session and never going on the newest or biggest ships. I had a very pleasant experience cruising Voyager of the Seas two weeks ago.

[@TracyKMainwaring]

I wish the big lines would have some ships be adult only, or even just certain sailings

[@denizalgazi]

Disney's transatlantic and Panama Canal full transit cruises have the least children onboard. A recent PC full transit had about a dozen children and a transatlantic crossing had less than a hundred out of over 2000 passengers! Less than 5%. They're also some of the best value DCL cruises. Disney does an excellent job of keeping them in their clubs and letting them out to rejoin their families at meal times.

[@traceybartlam7737]

We’ve been on Celebrity and Princess and there was one child on Celebrity (I think crew family) and a couple on Princess. We always go out of school holidays and have never had more than this

[@dand5829]

But that’s WHY the big lines are big - because they welcome everyone. Families are by far the biggest spenders on cruises. Adult only cruise lines are small because there’s far far less demand for that. If the big lines had an adults only ship they would have to jack up prices because limiting their customer base isn’t profitable.

[@JBM425]

Then you will love Virgin Voyages! Nobody under 18 is allowed onboard.

[@allip4226]

@@dand5829Very much doubt that families outspend singles and couples on a cruise. Parents have far less disposable income than the childfree and generally drink far less alcohol, spend less at the casino, less on speciality dining etc.

[@hollypotter6989]

My only issue with repositioning cruises is the cost of the airfare to either get to the ship, or get back home. The cruises themselves are very well priced for sometimes a 10 to 14 or longer cruise. The problem is the thousands in airfare and the awful cramped hours long flight. Too bad there isnt a way to catch another ship back during its repositioning. Id love to do a NY to South Hampton, then catch a South Hampton to Florida ship back to the US. Flights within the US are cheap enough. Unfortunately they don't seem to work like that.

[@ChristianLehrer]

I am doing two repositioning cruises this year and only paid $678. for one RT airfare. The cruise lines also offer discounted one way fares to or from Europe. Princess is quoting me $485. for a one way non-stop from London to SFO. I also found cheap one way fares on Air Lingus through Dublin from many cities in Europe to a number of US gateway cities. There are ways to get a reasonable airfare, yes the flights are long, but the cruise is well worth it. 😎

[@marilynnkadan7948]

Tks for idea depart US, get back to US port! Not do other mini cruise that year, for a REPO

[@nancycurtis3964]

We love Sea Dream. Very small ships, wonderful staff who know your names (before you get on the ship!), and all inclusive. We've spent our last two Christmases with Sea Dream, and have a booking for next December as well. We also love Hebridean Princess, that cruises mostly around the British Isles. 45 passengers on our last trip. Top notch service, excellent food, interesting ports (Shetland and Orkney Islands for our last trip). I don't care where she goes. I just enjoy the experience.

[@ashleighelizabeth5916]

Sailing in the Caribbean in September and October is also quite viable. US students are all back in school by the beginning of September and because it is hurricane season many travelers are skittish about traveling in the Caribbean. Flexibility is of course important as itineraries may be changed or even cancelled at a moments notice. Aside from your actual cruise be sure to book airfare, hotel and other reservations that are changeable with out penalties or refundable if necessary. Something not mentioned here that I'd like to add is to book older, smaller or both. Ships that have been out for some time are far more likely to sail less full than the newest latest greatest. For the same reason smaller ships that might lack the newest, latest and greatest amenities are often in lower demand. In the US at least it is not always true that local or regional sailings will automatically be more full. Often such ports only get the older smaller ships of the line and some of them are not in regions that are extremely urban. San Diego is one of the largest cities in Californian and indeed all of the West Coast but cities like Mobile Alabama, Norfolk VA and Jacksonville Florida are not especially large and they are not in especially populace regions. Additionally the cities mentioned do not have very large or active airports and flights into them can be correspondingly more expensive thus keeping some travelers away from those cruises. Again a city the size of San Diego would not be in the same situation.

[@jamesbm971]

You’d be a brilliant teacher! well explained and always easy to listen to you.

[@dionline88]

Gary I always love your videos but that short outtake at the end was priceless! Thanks for including that!!

[@xavierm3415]

I wonder is it's interesting to book last minute cruises : maybe the ones with the biggest discount are below average capacity and the almost full ones are not discounted. You would need to be pretty flexible though...

[@denizalgazi]

MSC's repositioning cruises are some of the best value cruises as low as 20pp/not and often no single supplement! You just have to be mindful that it's MSC and have the lowest of expectations LOL!

[@davidfarmer7397]

All good information Gary. My wife and I are 68 and we like to sail to Alaska. We usually go the first few cruises or the last few. School is back in and there are just less people cruising. Also those tend to be cheaper so we can book a Neptune suite on HAL.

[@sqgallacher]

We find cruise without kids and family’s like floating senior homes . Believe me we have been on all lines . We like high energy combined with luxury . Our favs are Silversea and the Retreat

[@Benjamin.Jamin.]

This is the main thing that puts me off the whole idea. Its the main reason why normal ferries are so nice. All that space is taken up by cars and lorries!!! Nice relaxing trips acroas the med and across the North sea.

[@yvonnetomenga5726]

@Tips for Travellers • Gary: I loved the tip to look for solo promotions. Vacations & holidays are fairly standard to avoid but I never thought to use the line's promotions as a method to judge how crowded the ship would be. You're always coming up with great advice. Thanks! 👍

[@deborahcross1051]

Always keep learning

[@dchenkin02]

One trick my best friend found for us last year is to look at cruises which have not sold out within sixty days of sailing. We were on a four night Pacific coast cruise from Long Beach, CA starting Labor Day; cruise was low price and well below full ship. Often these cruises do overlap with the tip of sailing when kids and college students are in school.

[@FraserAtSea]

Oh, I wish sometimes that we could go back to the ‘half full’ ships. Them being full is one of the reasons that I decided to come off ships and spend July in the U.K. - they’re just too busy sometimes!

[@tipsfortravellers]

Agree!! I knew at time we were super spoilt as also ports were not so crazy busy. I’m not sure I appreciated it enough. As also upgrades were offered more too !!!

[@FraserAtSea]

@@tipsfortravellers yeah, upgrades are about as rare as a free cruise these days, haha!

[@tipsfortravellers]

Enjoyed following your Cunard and now VV trip by the way 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@FraserAtSea]

@@tipsfortravellers thanks very much - I’m exhausted after this one! Haha

[@paulkoza8652]

First of all, I really like your advice. Secondly, I've never been on a cruise, so your hints are appreciated. Finally, after viewing this video, I'm not sure I want to go on a cruise that is dominated by kids age 0 - 25. I've traveled extensively on my own. This video reinforces my modus operandi. Why cruise when I have to put up with spoiled parents and their bratty kids. I suspect that even the smaller ships will be subject to this, and believe me, there is nothing worse than a bored kid.

[@RickFarris]

Most likely to get a decent singe supplement add-on for ship reposition voyages, too. A lot of singles on those voyages.

[@steveross129]

We try to book cruises longer than seven days. Passengers who can go on those tend to be retired, thus no kids, and perhaps a bit more sedate.

[@warpedweft9004]

Last week in September and first week in October are school holidays in Australia. Hawaii is one of our closest destinations other than Pacific Islands and New Zealand. The cost of getting to Hawaii sky rockets at the time when repositioning occurs. It can be up to 3 times what you'd pay out of school holiday time. I checked! The reverse occurs in March-April depending on when Easter falls. For Australians they aren't such good value, because even flights to Europe skyrocket at that time. The only time we could really consider one is if we tacked it on to the end of a longer trip to the USA. The others are not attractive because you're paying for a peak period flight there and back, or at least one direction is peak period unless you can afford to go for a few weeks either side of the cruise.

[@travelcampexplore166]

We dont mind some kids on board but I do agree with trying to avoid cruises that are way over normal capacity, and they do tend to be because of a lot of families onboard. Some good tips Gary. Longer cruises are a good option. We just got off a 12 day Celebrity cruise which was sold out in terms of cabins but you could tell the ship was not over capacity. It was an unusual cruise going to Halifax NS, St Johns Newfoundland, Greenland, and Iceland. Great great cruise.

[@kvom01]

I did 2 RCL transatlantic solo cruises in the past 2 years, and I will be doing a third on Princess in November. All three have very reasonable prices comparable to a business class airfare.

[@TheCed5000]

Trans oceanic cruises are the best. The current cruise that the QE is doing is 100%. Heard from a friend.

[@sl4193]

Informative and useful, thank you Gary. I appreciate folks comments, practical advice from experienced travellers is always welcome.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching !!!

[@CarboneCat]

Very useful information Gary. Also, loved the blooper at the end. 😊

[@denizalgazi]

Best tip if travelling as a couple and there is no single supplement, book two adjoining staterooms so you have his and hers loos!

[@katem4365]

Giggle w that blooper at the end Gary 🤭 I have Alaska in May, Cunard mid Dec, then Celebrity mid January - i think i should be ok and miss the kiddy swarms 😂

[@claudialepori9832]

I live in one of the mediterranean cruise port and may is our busiest month of the season. If you come in May everything will be packed. It is better to come in April.

[@marilynnkadan7948]

Hi Gary i just saw and appreciate your report. Great ideas & your complete coverage😊

[@bonniekuhl1003]

Gary, always love your suggestions. Thank you for doing this channel.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Glad you like them! Thanks for watching !

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

I am thinking that it is good to factor in local holidays. For example in the UK/USA winter it is summer here in Australia so the ships sailing locally here may be crowded with our school holiday people? Thank you for the video!

[@bebreyes4766]

Totally enjoy your videos! You’re the champ of cruises! 😅😅

[@LoreeVanderWerf-si8sn]

We always book during school and not on major holidays. It tends to be less expensive too.

[@HeatherTravels]

Interestingly, I think some of these can actually cancel each other out. For example, the cruise we took on Disney Wonder out of San Diego was the quietest, emptiest cruise I've ever been on. I think my son was literally the only teenager on board. It was during school, so the only "kids" were babies and toddlers; there weren't any school age kids, just lots of older couples!

[@tedsgirluk736]

Re avoiding school holidays, doesn’t seem to matter now as we found out earlier this year, they just take them out of school 🤷‍♀️

[@reececollison5101]

We didn’t find that on our P&O one in April. There were a handful, not a huge amount. May/June when exams are, it’s very unlikely kids will go on holiday out of school apart from the really young ones

[@tedsgirluk736]

@@reececollison5101 Arvia May/June. Overrun with them but not exam age. Friend’s experienced same last year. Luck of the draw I think! Lol

[@elisaastorino2881]

I noticed that years ago and not just on cruises - basically when my married friends were starting families. When I was in school, it was unthinkable. I've taught in various capacities and I honestly don't know how parents think that it's no big deal to miss a week or two in the middle of a term.

[@reececollison5101]

@@elisaastorino2881 money talks. Too good to resist when P&O offer third and fourth beds for £99 extra. In summer holidays/half term you pay full price per person for extra beds. Probably also the sort of parents to tell the school they’re off ‘ill’ for the week to avoid the fine for taking the kids out of school

[@rakeshgupte3252]

Always great content on your channel. Thank you. Any suggestions on websites for finding solo cruise deals?

[@nrussiang]

I like all these tips! Unfortunately we are on the Beyond Nov22 the day before Thanksgiving. It is a 9 day cruise so I’m wondering if it will just be jammed packed with a younger crowd but no necessarily children? Curious about which ship/cruise line and class of room you filmed this segment in. Looked very nice. Thank you for your videos. I really like the way you present topics. Clean, lots of info without extra added gibberish! Thank you

[@Aristodama]

Lol, I love Gary's bloopers at the end. Nice use of that horn. 😄😄

[@ChewiiCrumbz]

Definitely the school holidays or breaks! Really just the months in general.. I remember I had quite a few friends who'd be taken out of school for the week or so for a cruise vacay or the like "Cruise?! What about our tests!?!" (They were fine, they'd asked our teachers to complete it before, it was a take home project they'd completed early, or they had the grades to exempt) But still, while certain cruises may not be completely child free, really pay attention to the months/holidays

[@redhatbear1135]

I loved Alaska in late May. We had a pre tour that also wasn’t full.

[@scruff520]

Great content as usual

[@kono9460]

I'm not a fan of crowds or loud noise, being a very sensitive and quiet person (and also a solo traveler), but with time flexibility on my time I've tried to purposefully book at times that aren't school holidays, like mid January or end of April. Still, I was surprised by how full my cruise was when the travel agent informed me of the lack of availability for room changes, so will have to see how that goes. As much as longer cruises might be nice, it'll be my first cruise and I don't want to overburden myself with it mentally or financially.

[@crimlarksSteve]

Love the bloopers at the end, Gary! Good tips, too...

[@tipsfortravellers]

Glad you like them! The I record without script and more to talking points I have these and have started adding them....

[@warpedweft9004]

Until now we have had to book in our school holidays, to begin with because our children were at school and we were teachers ourselves. Now we're retired, and have grandchildren who need looking after during school holidays, its the reverse. We're doing our first out of school holidays cruise soon, the first since covid, so it'll be interesting to see if there's any difference. We booked about 80 days out and there were lots of cabins left. Now all ocean view have gone, but there's still plenty of interior, balcony and suites available to book.

[@LackosleepYT]

I've watched quite a few of your videos and love the perspective you bring. One question keeps coming to mind when I listen to you talk about all your vast and varied cruise experience... How much do you spend per year on cruise travel? And what did you do for a living that allows you to now take such great advantage of your success?

[@maryjanekolesar8325]

We ONLY travel in shoulder seasons because we don't have children and don't want to put up with other's! However, last Spring, Karma had other plans for us as we thought we'd be safe going to Befmuda in April... turns out Easter week is a school break in NY and NJ. 😂 moral of the story check school breaks in the state/country.

[@monkeyb1820]

Interesting. We do have two teens, and did Hal over Christmas and didn't notice much wrt crowds. And the kids on a hal will tend to overall be pretty well behaved (i.e. not leaving food on elevators, etc). But I can definitely see the appeal of being on a ship with a bit fewer people (regardless of age). Obviously, for anyone with the ability to cruise at *any* time of year (like yourself), you will get the best rates and slightly less crowded ships when kids are in school. If we were in your shoes, we'd take advantage of these lower rate cruises (we have another 4 years or so to go before we can do that). I've not been on a single cruise where I felt the crowding was really unpleasant b/c most of them know how to spread out the crowd. We've not done msc, which is one of the few that does not have little complimentary food venues scattered around, which would help spread crowds to different areas.

[@Ash-at-Sea]

As a younger cruiser, I personally don't like the busy, packed out cruises. I found the older p&o ships to the fjords/Scandinavia more suited. Although the demographic is much older than myself it's a lot more relaxed

[@marthawolfsen5809]

A repositioning cruise in late September into October is traveling at the worst of the hurricane season. You probably won't get hit; hurricanes aren't as common as regular storms. But if you do get caught in a hurricane the outcome will be terrifying and even-- possibly-- fatal.

[@JoeFrohlich]

My wife and I are taking an Alaskan cruise during the shoulder season.

[@barnum4244]

Being married to a teacher means we're stuck with school holidays. May half term from Southy on Anthem of the Seas was rammed with kids. Curiously, Sky Princess in August less so. Our one Sailing on Iona, she was packed with out of control kids. The adult only P&O ships have a habit of either starting or ending cruises during term time - other than the odd taster cruise.

[@simonerapple9751]

Lovely to see Mark in the video

[@user-up9iq7ic8z]

Yes We don't think of HOLLIAN AMERICAN as a Kids Line and have Cruised around the Holidays You Mention.

[@minnesotamiki]

Love the outtake at the end lol😂

[@mikeeno104]

As a teacher it is not possible to plan a cruise when students are in school 🙂

[@edspace.]

I remember somebody who worked in a travel agency told me that theme cruises are a good one to avoid crowds. The reason being that if a cruise is specifically advertised at people with a particular interest; (they told me common ones are Nudity, Game of Thrones, Super Heroes, Gambling, Christianity, Islam, LGBTQIA+, Drag, Environmentalism etc.) they tend not to sell as many tickets and you can usually avoid the theme if you want (and usually don't have to be part of any group to go on the cruise itself but may need to be a part of the theme's community to join in events). That said they did say that the 3 main downsides of this are; 1) They tend to be more expensive, 2) They are usually adults only (although not everyone will consider that a downside), 3) Avoiding the theme usually results in staying in your cabin and the buffet as most of the ship's venues will have pre-arranged events around the theme (especially the specialty restaurants).

[@DeerLetsplayCrysiser]

Love the bloopers in the end

[@RosemullionView]

It’s pretty obvious as you say - book a quality ship or cabin, book a kid free cruise line, book a small ship {Windstar, Sea Dream, Pandaw…), avoid school hols..voila!

[@ladyj6641]

Loved the blooper!

[@travelingwithmikeandpam9074]

We went on Christmas of 2022 on Holland American. It was pact, & a lot of kids! Our 2 nephews had no problem finding & making friends!

[@tipsfortravellers]

was it Koningsdam out of San Diego? That was what we did and there were so many kids and teens - 400 I believe

[@travelingwithmikeandpam9074]

@@tipsfortravellers It was the Rotterdam, loved that ship!

[@Semiam1]

Love the outtakes 😂

[@cruisingforone]

I agree follow the “cruising for one” crowed. ;)

[@tipsfortravellers]

Yes :-) :-)

[@marydeceptishroom9351]

Me not really caring about rides and parties im just like ooooo big boat. Ive always been fascinated with heavy machinery and large vehicles so i just want to see one of these ships in person one day Maybe one of the ones that give tours through the engine room

[@owensmith7530]

Kids on Seabourne? What a strange concept. I've always considered ultra luxury lines as adults only. I'm so glad my next cruise is booked on Viking Ocean which only allows adults.

[@mikea.8633]

The really difficult part is to find out WHEN are the school breaks. Obvious ones like Christmas and Easter are easy, however reading weeks vary greatly by school, by district, and by country.

[@garthf9609]

yes exactly my thoughts, I would have thought that there would be a school or public holiday somewhere in the world at any point in the year

[@KeithOutWest]

What's the best 50+ cruise line? I'd like to RELAX on my cruise. lol

[@abbymoore3760]

Have you sailed on Hurtigruten? They look to be small and very reasonably priced for solo travelers. I’m looking at the cruises in Norway on Hurtigruten.

[@garthf9609]

thankyou, will look at their cruises

[@volvacations2186]

Couple of questions. 1). How do you this information about how full a cruise is? 2). What about rough seas? If seen videos where the ship was transitioning and very wavy.

[@SamSitar]

i am planning a cruise either from Boston to Montreal or the other way. how busy is that in May?

[@ChristianLehrer]

I got off Radiance after a 7 night cruise on Dec 17th, we had some families with children and teens, but only one family let them run wild and most were well behaved. The cruise departing after we debarked had hundreds more children! 🙂

[@juliatarrel1674]

Welcome to Australia, Gary! (Tip #7)

[@GeoLover]

not always possible to avoid school holidays... :D I have a son at school with who I travel, so holidays time only unfortunately... But not sure exactly same time in all countries

[@si2829]

Good video but as a Teacher times are restricted to school holiday times. Adult only cruises could be the way forward.

[@pudellvr]

What brand of selfie stick do you use?

[@bellesass]

how do I find all the different cruise lines to compare price.

[@kazaabitboll2026]

MSC is a giant bus that goes around the Mediterranean, ppl get on and off at every port. I’ll never forget it, impossible to move on the pool deck let alone find a chair, every elevator was packed for 5 or six openings of the doors. But the Italian shows were the best ever. P.S just did a Regent cruise for 16 days, it’s boring overpriced and the quality has dropped so much

[@coachab100]

Is there a way to see how full a cruise will be or have sold so far? Thanks

[@tipsfortravellers]

The only way is looking at how many cabins are available - which can be done looking at what grades they have on sale and doing a "dummy" booking to see how many they throw up when you go to chose a cabin. Though travel agents often are able to see the amount of cabins that are available and on sale for a sailing on their cruise line booking systems too

[@DrivingFree]

My question: how do you determine which ships are repositioning?

[@iowa_don]

6:17 - What Gary!!?? 👀👀

[@tuliomeza1]

At 3:05 in the video you said you’d have tips for people traveling with kids and can’t avoid school holidays. What are those tips? Thanks!

[@krasberg]

The tip is; stay away from cruises.

[@reececollison5101]

Depends where you live. My mum works in a school and loves a cruise, so books the P&O Aurora or Arcadia in the summer holidays. Adults only so it avoids the kids even in holidays!

[@portlandrestaurants]

I try to wait for a recession. Sometimes thats a long wait though!

[@33Jenesis]

I don’t want to cruise with kids teens and 40 younger set. I like elderlies. They are quiet retired early not drunk and eat more sensibly.

[@peepshowtube]

How to avoid school holidays then kids could come from all over the world? Is there an online list of all countries' school holidays please? Good vid as usual