These Cruise Insiders Want Us To Know About These!

When I learned that three quarters of all cruises are booked by cruise travel agents, I asked them to reveal the things they see cruise passengers repeatedly get wrong or make mistakes about and the 9 things they want us to know as they are guaranteed to make our cruising experiences so much better
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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 96 cruises I have done to date.
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00:00 Start
00:40 Getting Best Cruise Fare
02:36 Cruise Deposit watch outs
03:23 All Inclusive Bundles must knows
04:26 Passport and Cruising
06:31 Cruise Arrival Timings
07:25 Missing Out Cruise Ports
09:06 Being Late
10:05 Cruise Requirement Issues
10:53 Cruise Insurance
12:00 Asking Cruise Agents

[@laurafromhuddleadventures916]

We like going in a day or two before because when you arrive the day of the cruise you're so exhausted you kind of lose that first day. Arriving the day before, gives you the opportunity to rest and enjoy that first day of your cruise. Not to mention, if there's any delays in your travel plans... you're not going to miss your cruise!

[@lindalacampagne5436]

8:18 Depending on the port a few extra days are good. We have found having our agent arrange the trip is less expensive than ship pre-trips. Or if your cruise doesn’t have a pre trip.

[@samuelcollins1331]

@@lindalacampagne5436 totally agree. We live in Maryland and usually cruise out of South Florida. So a cruise line guaranteed day-of-cruise flight is far less hassle than the day before/motel/multi cab ride/ shuffle complete with sleeping on strange beds, etc. But longer travel to, say, Europe or the West Coast would be less stressful than long flights the day of the cruise.

[@paulbrungardt9823]

Bingo !

[@philipdouglas5911]

Some UK cruise lines don't give that option as they run fly cruises as part of a package. Means that you fly from your local airport and the ship is more likely to wait if there is a delay to a feeder flight. For those who are sailing from Southampton it may be worth staying over night if the journey to the port is more than 4 hours. I could get down there in around 3 hours and could pick up an early evening sailing and that would either be driving or by train.

[@neilscutt]

While it’s nice to have a couple of days before the cruise, I’m surprised that people enough annual leave to do this, especially people from the US, as using additional days for this uses up days. Also, any cruises that are in school holidays that sail on Saturday and Sunday will be very difficult for families to do this for as the earliest you can fly is about 7-8pm once they finish school on the Friday. That makes it very late for children to arrive, although we’ve done it, but more than one day before is very difficult. We always fly the day before unless it’s a fly cruise deal, but more than that isn’t really possible with kids.

[@l.faraday8767]

Living in Canada and cruising in February means we can’t be guaranteed good weather so we always fly out the day before the cruise. On cruise day we arrive rested and ready to enjoy the day! 😎🇨🇦

[@roundandroundmyworld]

Two examples of the importance of getting in early if you want to book cruise line excursions or specialty dining. [1] On my recent transatlantic cruise, the excursions which included the Normandy beaches from the D-Day invasion of 1944 were sold out three months before sailing, and the wait lists were closed. [2] On my upcoming Caribbean cruise in February, the specialty dining restaurants were all booked up and full for February 14 over a month ahead -- no surprise there!

[@BillPeschel]

Asking for advice is a great tip, because I can understand why travel agents (or anyone else who works with the public) are reluctant to offer without asking. People can get very defensive, as if admitting you don't know something makes you look foolish. What's more foolish is not asking and discover too late that you should have.

[@esseil]

My only cruise so far was back when Cunard was super special and I was sailing New York to Southampton. I lived in the Chicago area and this was in April, so I certainly didn't want to chance the weather! I actually took the train to arrive the day before my cruise, and since this was a special trip I treated myself to the Brooklyn Marriott, a much higher class of hotel than I would normally pick. Of course, then they changed my departure port from Brooklyn to Manhattan... The point, though, is that I didn't see the extra night as an extra cost; I saw it as a night to indulge myself.

[@davidtomasetti8520]

We live close to Port Canaveral, it really erks me that they call it Orlando. They do the same thing with Melbourne Airport. I guess they think people are too dumb to learn.

[@jeffreywagner5234]

We usually fly in 1 day early for domestic (usa) and 2 days early for international cruises. It also helps with the JET-LAG.

[@chuckmeadows1581]

Excellent video, Gary! All of your points are dead bang on! I would also suggest that travelers should not underestimate the importance of a good, experienced travel agent. That, in my opinion, is critical to a successful and stress-free trip.

[@pxn748]

We saved on our next cruise deposit by booking our next cruise while aboard the cruise we just go off of (Holland America) it is fully refundable and was only $100 per person. The cruise we booked isn't until summer of 2024 and is transferrable to a different cruise!

[@Jon5031]

You have to be very careful with your wording. You said that the list of countries for a closed-loop USA trip would accept your government ID instead of a Passport. This is only partially true. The website that you showed mentions that you can do that, BUT you must have your Birth Certificate as well as the ID. Don't leave your viewers believing that they can substitute a passport with just a government ID.

[@ruthfitzjohn4756]

Matching names exactly on cruise company, airline, credit card and passport can be an impossibility if you’ve got an apostrophe - say O’Reilly or O’Hara or O’Neill. Many businesses’ systems can’t handle apostrophes and refuse to accept them as valid characters or hold them differently in different parts of their own systems. For example you may be able to book as O’Hara but the business may actually store it as OHara or or Ohara or O Hara or Hara or more than one of these variants (or even Orion occasionally). When you come to log in next, you will have to guess how it was stored - if you just use your real name that you typed in, it often doesn’t recognise it. Of course sometimes you are forced to use an untrue variant to create the booking in the first place as the apostrophe isn’t an acceptable character, but then it won’t match your passport which is a future world of pain. Imagine for example arriving to pick up a hire care with a passport, credit card, driving licence in your correct name, and booking paperwork that have a variety of spellings of your surname despite them all having been entered correctly. Examples of businesses that this is an issue for are numerous, but Ryan Air, Nat West and Holland America are three recent examples for us: it’s not just small or local businesses that have the issue. This is a lifelong problem Gary in all areas of name usage, but is a nightmare for travel when name matching is crucial.

[@karenvonbargen4472]

My last name is von Bargen, the possible spellings (and pronunciations) are endless. Documents will never, ever match for us.

[@eminiarvii]

Well the last cruise i took the Princess plus, it was only 300 dollars more, individually TIPS would have been 150, wifi 75 which came to 225 so in essence It was 75 dollars total for a 10 day alcohol pkg.. i do not drink much but I do drink 1 alcoholic drink per day, specialty coffees and soda which would come to more than 75 dollars. Well that is a great deal for me 🚢😊

[@dwayne7356]

Our TA expects a full report on the trip with pictures when we return. This in turns gives her current conditions and recommendations and any issues to warn others about. All our major trips are booked through her unless we do drive ourselves.

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

I struggle to understand how anyone could be crazy enough to travel without insurance. It is amazing to me! Thank you for the video.

[@dwayne7356]

Just booked a cruise last Friday. We are flying in a day early. The cruise line insurance would not cover the flight since we booked the flight a day early. Our travel agent had a 3rd party flight insurance available for us to buy. The airlines have been screwing up so badly lately, how can you not have insurance because the airlines might not make it right.

[@barbarakhan5275]

I am a travel advisor and I cannot tell you how many people decline insurance. It’s mind boggling!

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

@@barbarakhan5275 And then when an accident or illness happens they want everyone to help them!

[@barbarakhan5275]

@@danielintheantipodes6741 oh yes! I have an advisor friend who was abused by a women who did not purchase insurance and then her husband was killed in a traffic accident. She was threatening the travel advisor and strong arming the hotel and tour operator involved. Terribly abusive behavior.

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

@@barbarakhan5275 It is a good idea for the cruise advisor to keep proof that the insurance was recommended. An email at the very least. Personally, I would not want to book someone who was not insured but I suppose legally, that is not enforceable. A pity.

[@cbpd89]

I booked a cruise for later this year and just bought the plane tickets. We ended up getting to our departure part several days early because flying on a Wednesday saved us a couple hundred dollars per person. With a family of five, it cost more to fly out the day before than to pay for food and hotels and fly out four days before. And I suggest you always clear your cookies before you buy plane tickets! The tickets I was looking at had gone up in price over a few days, but once I cleared my cookies they dropped back down to the price I found them at. Clearing the cookies saved nearly $100 pp!

[@rodgussman4275]

Old guy here, how do you clear cookies on an iPhone, please.

[@robinpeppin]

i'll tell my son that! thanks.

[@robinpeppin]

@@rodgussman4275 yup, old lady here. my son will have to show me.

[@laurafromhuddleadventures916]

Gary!! What a great vlog!! Thank you!

[@KMA66]

Excellent content, Gary. Thank you.

[@desireeb9395]

My husband and I went to west bay beach hondurus to snorkle. We were told we had to pay a group tour to snorkle there. We did our research before we went and knew we could snorkle right off the beach. We saw tour groups snorkeling in the same places we were. I could only imagine how much it cost to have the same experience.

[@ChrisFrameOfficial]

Thanks for sharing this information.

[@gratefultube]

Many, many thanks for sharing this important cruise wisdom. Much appreciated. "Eye-watering!" Yoiks!

[@skylineuk1485]

As ever a fantastic video Gary!

[@fascinationmama]

You speak the truth thank you for giving us this sage advice

[@ZyciewKanadzieAnitaBeataVlog]

Thanks Gary for always advocating for us - the hardworking travel agents❤

[@janiekcarney5482]

I just got off Allure of the Seas and it was Not good. The ship is shabby. Needs to be redone. There are 6,000 people on the ship but only three shows off Mamma Mia!! There were three elderly ladies in the stand by line on the last performance of Manna Mia. All three ladies were in motorized vehicles and they didn’t know how to make a reservation on the Royal Caribbean app!! Not everyone will see the shows!! The reservations go to the fastest people. The tech savvy people. The people who own a smart phone. There is no help provided to the customers. People don’t know that they are paying for cruise but there is not guarantee that they will see the shows.

[@KateandBree]

Please PLEASE ask your TA's questions. It's the only way to know if you have a lemon TA (and they exist out there.) A good TA is going to answer even the most inane of questions and will hunt down that question of what fragrance soaps are on the ship (because you have allergies to soaps and need to know if you have to pack your own.) A good TA will even hunt down what kind of laundry detergent is on board and see if you need to pack your own. A good TA is hard to find but they are like Cinderella's fairy godmother. I love my TA.

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Thank you fir your great travel tips. They are so nice.

[@chriswilliams6568]

Thx Gary, very good.

[@barbarakhan5275]

Great tips! As an experienced travel advisor, I am grateful that you made this video.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks ! Great to hear. I’m a big advocate for (good) agents and love working with mine. She’s saved me time, stress, money , and more!

[@wongfeihung9724]

Excellent advice and tips for cruises.....as usual 😊👍

[@cherifurr3935]

Good advice, as always, Gary.

[@wongfeihung9724]

Gary has become my 'go to' source for cruise and holiday advice.

[@2GringosOnTheGulf]

Great content guys ✌️🥰 Thanks for sharing your time with us 2 Canadians 🇨🇦 living in Mexico Yucatan J&D ✌️👫🐶

[@n0bl3hunt3r]

I just got back from a cruise and flying out the day before let us find a fault in my companion’s CPAP machine’s power cord. Much easier to get a replacement in Florida than on the ship or the islands

[@travelwithdebandnick]

Hi Gary :) we don't live near any ports for departure, so we have to fly to the state that the ship leaves from, so we usually fly to the port 2 days prior to leaving, but will at least fly 24 hour earlier than leaving

[@cliffnorman178]

Thanks for another great video. We actually always arrive two days before the cruise. We then have a great time touring the embarkation city. 1

[@tipsfortravellers]

Agree, I am making sure it is all not 2 days as on this trip the day before as I was flying the FAA shut everything down so was very tense....

[@juliewatson7954]

Thanks!

[@jessbronfield3483]

I have commented similar on other cruise pages that things are obviously very different over seas compared to Australia. Most of my cruises prices didn't change much with the exception they were much cheaper closer to the cruise date with pack and go fares. The only issue is there is a much greater reduction in room options. Also I have found booking myself rather than through a travel agent has always worked out much much cheaper. Mostly due to direct sales from cruise loyalty programs. My travel agent even admitted there was no way they could even get close to matching the price I got for my last 3-4 cruises.

[@janiekcarney5482]

This is an excellent video.

[@richardhutcheson9730]

Anyone considering their first cruise should definitely watch this video. And everyone else too.

[@travelwithdebandnick]

It's the same here in Australia, we can choose non refundable deposits or refundable but the refundable always cost more

[@debbieboswell5785]

We booked our flights to arrive a day early to Rome. Then the airline (Lufthansa- which we will NEVER use again) bumped us to arriving the same day as our cruise! This was through Celebrity Air. Our mistake was not getting a refundable flight. We did not know that was an option, now we do! Hopefully, we will not miss our cruise in May.

[@cydneystephen2814]

Sir Gary. Thanks for the insight. Hope you are enjoying your 100th cruise 🚢

[@kirbydavis3466]

Majority of countries don’t stamp passports these days. Haven’t had mine stamped since ePassports came out.

[@helloyall4355]

What's an ePassport? I'm fixing to get my passport in a week.

[@rbrachmann]

I booked an 11 day May/June 2023 Cruise of the Western Med (Barcellona - Lisbon). Even 1 year in advance, I found one of my desired excursions waitlisted. So I put myself on an alternate, but also put myself on the waitlist. Two weeks ago, I was informed the waitlist had a vacancy and I was automatically added to the excursion and all I needed to do was go back and cancel the alternate. I suspect this type of thing happens a fair amount as plans change and then some people who book these (all excursions were included), just decide last minute to cancel as there was a lot more walking or climbing than they could manage.

[@kevintunnicliffe2181]

As usual, your advice is always good and I recommend your vlogs to anyone thinking of cruising. This latest offering has some excellent advice, however, I would point out that not all "package" deals are what they say and potential customers should check the facts, including visiting the cruise line's own site to see what is and is not included before making a leap of faith. We used a well-known site which advertises to readers of a lot of magazines and newspapers a couple of times but soon found that they were not as good as they make out in their literature.

[@deborahsheldon9951]

Be careful when a line says 75% off, they just increase the original price. I know this because I keep the original print outs. Also a major cruise line charges between 100. to 200. per person to make a change, even when I purchased the cancel offer. Cruise lines aren't going to like this, I actually think it is better to wait until last minute, if you are flexible, check all cruise lines and select the best deal. This is important especially for families.

[@graceb9628]

I've been thinking of going on a solo cruise as a possibility for a future vacation, so your channel has been very helpful and interesting to me. I'd be curious to know your thoughts on the best and worst things about cruising to Hawaii, as I've heard mixed reviews about the destination.

[@marilynnkadan7948]

I solo traveler, I Luke your request for Hawaii. I have solo cabin ocean view on HAL & Oceania thus year.

[@VickysCottageCrafts]

In the USA Squaremouth 3rd party is great place to find insurance quotes….😉

[@travelwithdebandnick]

Ive found that cruises booked a year or two out are very expensive. But if you book the same cruise under a month out you can save hundreds of dollars. Also found when they have the 60 per cent off second guest or third and fourth guest free, that it's not really cheaper. They just charge double for the first guest which in the end makes the cruise the same price or at times more expensive

[@davemihalic256]

Excellent advise, as always! These tips are subtle but true. Take your last one (at 12:00) about "ask for advice." We recently changed TAs because when we asked about "port hotels" (one example you cited) she simply said, "I don't do port hotels..." We also learned she didn't airlines, transfers, local or pre/post cruise tours -- simply referring us to the websites most of us already know. Our new TA is so knowledgeable! So your tips work BOTH ways, too!

[@victoriasmith1897]

Yes I have recently used a TA who booked the cruise but did nothing else. I had to book the flights, hotels & find out all the Covid info. Never again!

[@cherifurr3935]

Wow! You were SMART to change TA’s!

[@barbarakhan5275]

As an experienced travel advisor I think any advisor should offer air and pre and post hotels. Plus excursions if their clients need/want. I do it all!

[@tipsfortravellers]

Good point 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@tipsfortravellers]

Agree! It needs to be one stop and all connected seamlessly

[@ericharkins4468]

Hi Gary, love your channel, I look at all your videos. How do I get info on the group cruises you offer and their corresponding lower prices?

[@danjennings5068]

Your bringing up package deals like Celebrity All Included made me go doublecheck how it's handled. We do all included and upgrade to the premium drinks package, which we only have to pay the difference, not the entire package. Of course if you weren't going to use one of them like you do, it's probably not a good deal like you point out.

[@1980Invasion]

I made my cruise vacation in August 2022 for July 2023 got a great deal

[@JJSmith1100]

I just came off a 4 night cruise between Cape Town and Walvis bay. Unfortunately within the first few hours of the trip a passenger got injured and the ship (MSC Sinfonia) had to turn back to Cape Town to drop off the injured passenger. We lost about 12 hours on the cruise resulting in the ship not being able to make the trip to Walvis Bay, but stopped at Lüderitz. All booked excursions via MSC were refunded, although people lost a bit of money due to fluctuations in the exchange rate, but people that booked their own excursions lost their money. Fortunately travel insurance was included in the price of the tickets so I hope those people can claim their losses.

[@jeffreyclinard2002]

I'm only willing to do same day flights to ships embarking in San Francisco or the Los Angeles area. There are lots of daily flights between Las Vegas and those destinations. I hedge it more by taking an early flight, so I also have hours of extra time to allow for flight departures or other issues. I was once willing to do red-eye flights, but I no longer want to arrive exhausted. I recall being at a "Welcome Aboard" theater show and wondering if I was hallucinating or dreaming the experience. Nope; just a side effect of having been up for around 40 hours straight.

[@cherifurr3935]

Same between Charlotte and Miami or Ft. Lauderdale.

[@jeffdinter600]

Well see if you can do your ship Shore Excursion without using the cruise line. I'm sure that you should be able to book it and save some money as well.

[@cherifurr3935]

I wouldn’t travel anywhere without a passport, even a closed loop from the US, because if you have a medical emergency and have to fly home from a foreign country, you cannot fly without one.

[@nvccru]

Thank you so much for letting us know about the ETIAS! (The European ESTA). From its website, it looks like we will have to have one starting in November 2023 to travel to Europe and the Schengen countries. That would mean yes for Norway but no for the UK. Are we getting this right? It would be great if you did a video specifically on this (we get out best cruise and travel information from you!).

[@inthegreatwide]

How do you find a good travel agent?

[@fascinationmama]

which is the best insurance for on board and ports thank you for bringing this up

[@KimBarboo]

This was super helpful! Do you happen to have a video with what cruises provide passengers who get covid mid-cruise? We just got home from a cruise where we got it, had to isolate in our cabin, and we had to fight with the cruise lines for every little thing (like internet so we could change our post cruise travel arrangements). And the medical costs were outrageous onboard. I'm just curious if you had some kind of cruising with covid video, haha. Thanks for all your great content!

[@cherifurr3935]

In most cases, if you have proof of a negative COVID test within 24-48 hours before you board and get Covid on the ship, you can reimbursed by your travel insurance. Regent specifies this on their web site.

[@Lucia-pb2ot]

We got covid on a RC cruise in Australia. Free medical and medicine, free internet and free room service

[@Amira-ir6sb]

Thank you Gary If allowed do you recommend a TA knowing that I don’t live in UK Thanks

[@noname-JS]

Yes, I saw that Virgin Voyages discount too. Viking was too good to pass up. The US driver's license marked with a federal star in the far right top corner is accepted in many countries! Replacing a lost US passport is a tedious process, Gary!

[@cherifurr3935]

Called the “Real ID” in the US.

[@StreakyP]

In support of your "don't travel on the day" suggestion.. couple we know due to fly from Newcastle to Southampton in the morning to pick up the cruise in the afternoon but that was the day of the Icelandic volcano grounding all planes so get back to car parking & pick up car.. then drive the length of England & arrange new car parking at Southampton.. they made it JUST! but frazzled... Not the restful start of the cruise they had planned.... ALWAYS EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED!

[@rickcudmore8156]

Celebrity has changed our port itinerary for our Sept Med cruise but still lists the original ports in the shore excursions menu. I contacted them and they were unaware of the issue. Still waiting to see what's offered and book as of today.

[@loumello8813]

Excellent video, Gary, although we are both experienced cruisers, it's always good to check now and then to see what the experts are saying as situations do change from time to time.

[@Nrustica]

I renewed my passport in 2020, there is now an option to include extra pages. Also some countries give you an option not to get a stamp which saves you a blank page

[@cherifurr3935]

Good to know!

[@jturie]

I'm flying into Fort Lauderdale the day before my cruise. I have to get up at 2am to get to the airport for my 5:30am flight. If I tried that on cruise day, I think I would be asleep in my cabin by dinnertime on day 1. Then there's the stress factor on top of it all. Not for me.

[@maryfettig3378]

We like early flights. Less chance of delays and other problems

[@chriswilliams6568]

@@maryfettig3378 true, but a killer, and then one is so tired, we have to get to bed earlier that same night.

[@jturie]

@@maryfettig3378 yes, I learned that during my 30 years as a road warrior consultant. Unless the weather is bad at that moment, no delays. Winter is a crapshoot, however.

[@redhatbear1135]

Before COVID and thus staffing issues we would fly same day to Ft Lauderdale early with 3-4 other back up flights available. However, time of year matters, we didn’t do that in mid winter, for sure!

[@sircharlesmormont9300]

Could you do a video on how, exactly - which websites, even - to find a quality travel agent? Bonus points for U.S. based travel agents. I'm also interested in tips on what to expect when traveling internationally to and from the ship.

[@admranger]

I have annual travel insurance through Allianz. Very inexpensive if you just want the evac/medical insurance.

[@rickcade1474]

I have been to Europe several times and through the Panama Canal and have never had my passport stamped. Not a problem with blank pages as I see it.

[@JanealJohnson]

The prepaid gratuity helps for the autistic travelers anxiety

[@pamelaschumacher5471]

Regarding Passports. It's cheap insurance to make sure you're allowed to enter your final destination. Don't forget those "letters" if needed to enter. Now, if I was going from NY to PA, of course no passport, but I'd certainly carry my driver license as ID. If you are planning ahead, just make sure you check your passport expiration dates and get it renewed asap.

[@arianejoordens3146]

Great video. Spent thousands of $$ on travel insurance and I'm yet to use it... Barely any travel agents in Oz are very experienced with cruising. Sometimes I have to teach them! And on Carnival, you can't book excursions in advance... weird!

[@valeriebelmonte9556]

I’m aspiring to be you when We retire in a couple of years! Can you do a video on how to find a good reliable travel agent?

[@irenegryziec8052]

Gary - I greatly appreciate your videos and advice. Happily reporting that I received today a 13% price adjustment for a July Alaska cruise first booked in late Dec. The significant savings were the result of your counsel to track prices for which I am most appreciative. Thank you!

[@JaniceCrowell]

If you can get into a group, usually the deposit is refundable

[@kathiyu7007]

While it always a good idea to travel with your passport, the issue for the 300 or so passengers without passports is that the U.S. posts have a limited amount of blank Emergency passports. Transporting these is rather difficult-- a blank US passport has enormous street value. Someone with a security clearance must have eyes on the package at all times. The ordinary couple can be accomodated quite easily.

[@GregAllison]

I feel like Gary is like my internet uncle who I go to for vacation booking guidance.

[@xispa7364]

you should try mein schiff I really like them

[@tipsfortravellers]

Agree! Though I believe I need to chose which ship as not all are “international” and some less ideal for non-German speakers. I’ve been on Hapag Lloyd in Europa 2 which does and going later in year on one of their expedition ships which also does. What do you recommend for best Mein Schiff ship?

[@Zeferet.]

Heya, Im a new viewer on your channel and I was wondering just how often you cruise in a year?

[@FraserAtSea]

Some good advice here re: how to get the best fares - I used to hold off for 'last minute deals', then often found I'd pay through the roof to get onto ships instead of getting a good deal. The topic of 'getting in early' is just SO important now that the ships are back to being really busy again - I found this to be the case in Alaska, where there aren't a huge amount of options and sometimes 3-4 ships in a small town port each day! Really enjoyed this video, Gary!

[@tazman572]

When we went to Alaska in 2019 with HAL, we were supposed to stop in Skagway, but our ship's Captain informed us that there were 4 ships docking there that day with more than 20,000 passengers in all. He diverted to Haines and it was one of the prettiest and interesting towns that we stopped at during our trip.

[@marilynnkadan7948]

I always carry my USA passport& put copy in my bags I case u need carry leave book in cruise safe. I solo traveler

[@helenorgarycrevonis2022]

Gary thank you for all your great work! Could you please talk about tipping or gratuities for NCL. The issue of cash vs credit card. Also, when do you provide the gratuities to the cruise personnel at the end of the cruise or at the time of service. Thank you!

[@karenvonbargen4472]

We tip our room steward immediately upon arrival and cash tip as we receive good service because you may never see that person again.

[@helenorgarycrevonis2022]

@@karenvonbargen4472 Thank you for your advice. Do you tip your cabin steward for the week on day 1, I assume that cabin steward or butler is there for the duration. I also assume you tip in cash?

[@robertbulot5625]

Didn’t understand the concept of booking in January when booking levels are high. Prices best when demand highest? Hmm….

[@LinusCello75]

Any tips if using a cruise branded credit card is worth it?

[@LisaMoad]

Great video. We’ve booked rooms for a future cruise while on board. Do you have any tips for large families traveling together. We have a variety of six rooms booked.

[@tipsfortravellers]

When booking a group you should check on a group rate and perks. You usually need to look between 8 - 16 berths but ask the line or your agent!

[@peterericainnes1270]

Would you know what a cove balcony on ptincess is?

[@paulalderson6920]

Does the January period for best booking time also apply to Southern Hemisphere ie. Australia? I have this weird idea that like the seasons it may be reversed.

[@irishinusa1615]

Question. Have you found booking a cruise when on a cruise, great offers? Example shipboard credits!

[@tipsfortravellers]

Yes it is a plus if you do plan to cruise on that line, as also you can associate the booking with your travel agent and so they can do all the follow ups etc. The main perks are often a much lower deposit than usual, ability to move a booking without penalty (this is a big plus as a UK based as booking here is only usually with non-refundable deposit) and then extra OBC. I also have had for example where booking a future Holland America trip got the "have it all" package at the without price. The benefits vary but ( as you suggest) usually mostly added on-board credit

[@salvatorem4045]

Gary, what is your favorite cruise line/ship????

[@sashh2263]

You probably know this but you can request a passport with more pages, you are also allowed to have a duplicate passport, so you could apply for a new passport now and keep your old one. Just be careful of the passport number.

[@charliedurham4248]

One thing I noticed sailing out of New Orleans is that most people sailing on Carnival do so with a birth certificate. Most people sailing on NCL sail with a passport. I wonder if that is a first time cruisers demographics difference

[@cherifurr3935]

I think a lot of Carnival cruisers are inexperienced, younger, want to spend less money, and don’t know any better than to travel without a passport.

[@clarityofthought]

Going on my first cruise with the misses and would like to ask if anyone knows which line has the best food other than Oceania? Cheers.

[@judithlocke3094]

Norwegian

[@fantasticvoyages-sg8sw]

Never seen a reason why we in the UK have such draconian rules on the non refundable deposits. I think US passengers get much more flexible options regarding prices going down ( where they can get cabin upgrades or cruise credit ) whereas in the UK we just have to accept the price when we pay out deposit. Why is that?

[@emb74]

If you get the cruise line travel insurance policy and the cruise line goes bankrupt, you may not get your money back. I always buy a 3rd party policy.

[@annettegregson5381]

I would rather go to the cruise owned island than Nassau, Bahamas. We couldn’t enjoy the beach because of the aggressive vendors bothering us every few minutes.

[@tipsfortravellers]

good point! Some islands, like Barbados, are now limiting them and require permits and have beach police monitoring. But it is a big issue on most I agree!

[@whopaul]

NCL back friday sales an 50% off deal are just a marketing scam. The price dont give you those discounts. I cruise on ncl all the time an the price are still the same, no discounts

[@mohammedhadi2232]

Hello, I am about booking cruise from Saudi Arabia to Jordan and Egypt then back to Saudi Arabia. I am in Saudi Arabia on visitor visa therefore I don’t know if I need visas to Jordan and Egypt or not? Please answer my question here or make a video regarding the visas for cruise travelers ?

[@6yjjk]

How does a ship not anchor in Anchorage?!

[@loeschzone6876]

Based on your videos I now feel I need to use a TA to book my first cruise. But.. how do you choose a good TA. I have stressed myself out looking at reviews and website. Any tips or a list? I have a smaller budget (I am a teacher) and I feel like maybe a TA won't feel it's worth their time.