Secrets The Cruise Lines Don’t Like Talking About

[@mistybridges6612]

There are SO many undercover attendees onboard. I realized this when we (my husband, underage son, and myself) cruised in 2015. My son, went missing. Yes, we gave him the freedom to roam in certain areas. Well, we weren't able to locate him. We went and reported him to security. There were 100's of people searching for my child that you would believe were regular passengers. They carried his photo and found him within an hour. I was extremely thankful.

[@bh6246]

@Misty Bridges... I just randomly burst into tears over this. Thank you for sharing this. Was he okay? I'm cruising in July with my two older teenage sons. One is going to be almost 18 and he's a very large and tall young man, so I feel like he's finally aged out of predator territory. But my 14 yo, while also tall and big for his age, still has a baby face. I want to let them roam because they're on vacation too. If you wouldn't mind sharing some details about what happened to you I would really appreciate it. I don't want to make the wrong decision. Thank you.

[@mistybridges6612]

@@bh6246 he was perfectly fine. He made his way to the main deck and was watching a movie on the huge screen outside. Never had a problem. We were just scared because we couldn't locate him quickly enough. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. But, my son is over 18 now. I hope y'all have a great time!!

[@kaylarose9012]

@@bh6246 I went on a school excursion when I was 15. Went on a cruise to the south pacfic. We were allowed to roam the cruise ship wherever we wanted with no adult supervision... we were all also girls. No need to stress

[@Skorpychan]

Could well have been off-duty crew rather than dedicated detective types.

[@mistybridges6612]

@@Skorpychan it could have been, but, it wasn’t. They were dedicated security.

[@vickyburton2434]

On my daughter’s first RC cruise, she had a young man who would not leave her alone. After following her for 30 minutes, a security team took the man away and she was never bothered the rest of the cruise. I am glad they have people who are watching us.

[@cherifurr3935]

I agree!

[@silviaeastonborges5204]

A very hushed item is “how many rodents/animals caught while”. already In the ship! I have a very fine ear for such, so I go to the passenger services and report. On my last “find” I mentioned that I would only hear “the rattle” every 2 hrs or so. The gal at the desk insisted “to come back and report when I heard one next time. “. I insisted that it wasn’t “regular/oft. then for inspection.. So it was the day of disenbarjation when I remembered the issue and then realized what I had been instructed to do was “report if/when you heard it next time because we are going “to take of it and most likely there won’t be a next time” … didn’t hear it for the last 5 days of the sailing…

[@tamarapetrov4990]

I was on one cruise where someone just a few cabins up died and it was kind of interesting in a morbid way. We did hear "operation rising star", and everyone in our section of the deck was asked to stay in our cabins, or away from them, depending where we already were. I was in my cabin (and stayed there as told), so heard the commotion in the hall as the body was removed. But moments later there was so much noise I had to look out.... we had a mainly east Asian crew... they were doing a whole dragon dance through the halls like you'd see at Chinese New Year with the full on puppet dragon, lots of things to make noise. I just had to ask one about it when he stopped to ask how I knew to have a dragon dressing gown on (total coincidence)... I was told it was a ceremony to send the departed soul on their way. The interesting things you come across on ships!

[@isabelperez3967]

Zzz as A

[@bisho1p]

@@noname-JSHow is that horrifying? People die all the time. It’s not like you get to pick and choose where when it’s your time. I’d rather be at sea than in a hospital bed or in a nursing home.

[@revneal]

Regarding crime aboard ship: While serving as a cruise chaplain many years ago, I was witness to a youth throwing some of the ship’s furniture overboard. The youth was incarcerated in the ship’s brig, and the entire family were disembarked at the next port. The Ship’s Hotel Manager told me that the family would be billed for the lost furniture. It happens … it’s rare, but it happens.

[@cherifurr3935]

Glad they caught them and they were punished.

[@nataliajimenez1870]

Not surprising given the number of passengers that become inebriated while on board. Some people just can't handle their alcohol

[@carolynlucca3269]

@@nataliajimenez1870If I had to guess which line it happened on, my guess would be Carnival.

[@jenniferbaldini3527]

On our first cruise on Royal Caribbean, the captain was skirting a hurricane all through the night. Very rough seas. The next morning we were docked at a different island, but had a great time and basically were very happy with how the captain managed the bad weather and still docked us at another beautiful island in the morning. You gotta roll with some things.

[@cherylkoski7184]

It could have been a deadly disaster.

[@chuckoneill2023]

@@cherylkoski7184 In what way? Cruise captains are very, very cautious. If the storm had been bad enough to be dangerous, the ship would never have left port. Or gone a different direction entirely. When Jennifer says they were "skirting" the storm, I believe she meant at a very safe distance. I've never, ever, heard of a modern cruise ship going down due to rough seas.

[@cherylkoski7184]

Grow up.

[@chuckoneill2023]

@@cherylkoski7184 Thank you for your well reasoned response. I shall spend the next few days reassessing my life choices.

[@cherylkoski7184]

You're welcome.

[@maddoglep2127]

Some years ago we sailed from Southampton on a 17 day cruise to the Med. First stop Porto. Before we sailed we became aware of a large extended family causing a lot of upset with their behaviour and foul language. A few days into the cruise we mentioned to another couple that we had not seen them since the first two days. It transpired all 17 of them were thrown off in Porto.

[@ninaelsbethgustavsen2131]

Good riddance. Obviously... 😘

[@druegillis1744]

As they should have been.

[@cherifurr3935]

As they should have been!

[@rfindlay3908]

I have watched many, many of your cruise videos, I am subscribed, and may I just say “Thank you!” I have subscribed and then unsubscribed from several cruise blogs/blogs because I was sick of the ranting. I love how you state what the video will address, and then you proceed to cover the information in an organized, mostly objective manner, with personal opinions inserted in appropriate places. How refreshing!! Well done! 👍🏻😃

[@druegillis1744]

Do you want to be informed about security? ALWAYS assume you are being filmed, with the exception of your cabin and rest rooms. Same on the streets. CCTV is utilized everywhere. Just watch a few crime shows like F.B.I. Most Wanted or Chicago P.D. If you have a cell phone, they can track it. A newer model car? G.P.S. can be followed. Facial recognition is everywhere. The safest way to protect your security is to assume you are on camera EVERYWHERE, Because you most likely are. I am not paranoid, just informed. Stay safe!

[@yvonnetomenga5726]

@Drue Gillis • While it's probably not a bad idea to assume you are on camera or being filmed, cameras are not yet everywhere, nor is facial recognition. Cameras and software cost so placement is a business decision. Just like when traffic cameras were first installed, not every intersection had one. The same is true for cameras today. They are installed first in crime prone areas whether that be streets or stores. As to GPS on phones, that's so old news I'm surprised you mentioned it. They used it on 9/11 to try to find victims and they're using it during the investigation and prosecution of the January 6th seditionists. Unfortunately, the USA mainland has no where near the number of cameras that countries like China, the UK, or cruise ships have. So if you think you're safe from sexual assault, robbery, or even getting lost, because someone will see you and save you, don't count on it.

[@rgruenhaus]

It is in the passengers interest to be able to trace those you came in contact with if you test positive to a deadly disease! I have no problem with tracking a super spreader!

[@absolutehonor141]

just on a cruise ship, I see the value in being able to go back and check what happened, if something were to happen, and I am fully aware that there are cameras everywhere. I'm more worried that there may be hidden cameras in hotel rooms, or the cabin, it's unfortunately becoming more and more common, and there I expect to be able to be private, for example with my partner, without anyone watching and in the worst case posting on the Internet

[@natshatofbeautytrick]

Chicago PD, Most Wanted are not representative. I am a violent crimes & homicide prosecutor. While surveillance is pervasive, it’s generally not nearly as extensive as your comment suggests. A lot of surveillance is bad quality and some of what you reference requires search warrants.

[@fostertennant1257]

Uu

[@gwillis01]

A cruise ship population can be as big as a small town on land. In any town, there are bound to be a few nasty people causing trouble.

[@nicholaslazzari8787]

I have an up coming sailing with carnival on the 4th of December and it was originally supposed to go to Jamaica as well as Grand Cayman and Cozumel. They changed the itinerary to a Bahamas itinerary and gave notice. I found an itinerary that was better as I have recently done the Bahamas and they gladly moved my money to the new booking with no penalty. They made it a fair situation for me.

[@lindsaywright730]

so sorry that you were not able to visit us in Grand Cayman , our port is still closed to cruise ships. Having worked on Ships for six years i understand that it can be quite disappointing , glad things got sorted out for you in the end, Hopefully we can be put back on the itinerary for 2022 . Happy New Year and safe travels

[@melissalawson4512]

Once I was on a Carnival cruise and I lost a diamond tennis bracelet. I reported it lost and was told to go to my cabin so security could speak with me. They were given permission to go through my purse, our safe, our room. They then watched me on video - I went into a restroom with it on and came out without it on. So after searching the restroom they determined it stolen. Only then was I able to file it with our insurance for a replacement. (I no longer bring expensive jewelry on cruises)- but YES they can see your every move.

[@elouise5593]

Too bad the person who stole it didn't have it on leaving the restroom! Then they could have caught her!

[@PatJ61]

I recently sailed on Eurodam. There were various talks done by senior officers. The talk by the security officer and the talk by the environmental officer were particularly interesting. For the most part, they were very open in their answers.

[@pamm3776]

We are on eurodam December 4th. Very excited to get back to cruising.

[@debbie9929]

On Eurodam Dec 10 to Panama. I can honestly say it was the MOST BORING CRUISE I EVER WAS ON. If you are under 80 yrs of age, avoid Holland America.

[@chuckoneill2023]

I was aware of the policies about itinerary changes before I ever boarded my first cruise. Back then, the line literally mailed us an actual copy of the contract. I appreciate that you emphasize the fact that people who go overboard do it voluntarily -- that is to say, suicide (or, occasionally, some really stupid stunt). It's even possible that, unfortunately, some disturbed folks book a cruise with the intent to do that. But --- it's practically never a complete accident. I think some folks who've not sailed much just don't appreciate the safety measures the ships have in place to prevent such things -- such as the surveillance systems. Even without the medallions (which use RFID) the system knows when you enter or leave your cabin. And what you buy or where or when you eat. And, of course a ship needs a mourge -- and a brig. On one of my behind-the-scenes tours, they were practically adjacent. Cruise passengers, in general, skew older than the general population, and sometimes people pass away while at sea. Bottom line -- comparing incidents aboard, to normal actuarial figures -- a cruise ship is at least as safe as anywhere else, and usually safer.

[@clement2780]

which is why passengers should stick to cruise line excursions in case they miss ports and cannot get their museum\art gallery\palace\attraction\concert\theatre ticket admissions refund. now europe is banning all tourism starting 2023(?) with etias visa procedures, a shame, massive disappointment, now covid hit.

[@chuckoneill2023]

@@clement2780 I don't believe your information is correct. Tourism is open again, in most areas, with certain restrictions as needed.

[@imobannon]

I think #1 advice to new cruisers should be: Be prepared for a super small stateroom. A room when on a cruise ship is not a room at a hotel. It is tiny. I've been on 14 cruises, and am still always wanting for space, regardless of the category or class of stateroom. (And also gratuities. Pay them, but the cruise lines need to make that price more obvious in the price.)

[@seanjockel43]

Have you considered doing a segment on cruising for handicapped and wheelchair users?

[@kateaye3506]

A very good idea for a video or two. I'd also appreciate one on how to navigate food with dietary restrictions.

[@bernaclischurchill4463]

The issue about auto-tips came up 3 yrs ago, when I was on board a Norwegian cruise, which by the way, I will never do again. My steward was excellent, and I had a heated argument with management about having all of my tips given to her, and not to the other members of the staff because of her exceptional work. It was not well received, but I don't care, she deserved it, and even more. On my Carnival Cruise; there were 3 incidents that took place; 1: two woman who constantly fighting throughout the entire trip, so they were put off the ship when we reached Puerto Rico, the captain had had enough of them; 2:, a man had a heart attack, and since we were close to the US board, the captain radioed for a helicopter to take him to a US based hospital. We had to stop of course, while the helicopter was overhead, so that the man could be lifted on board for hospital transport. Seeing the helicopter crew do that kind of work, was something that I had only seen done in a movie, it was very interesting 3: Three guys drank so much that they thought that they could fly (frankly, I don't know what that bar tender but in their drinks), so they decided to go overboard. The crew fished them out, and the captain had them locked up while on board for the rest of the trip. All in all a great cruise, though. Ms. B. Churchill

[@cherifurr3935]

I will NEVER cruise Norwegian again either, nor would I cruise Carnival!

[@tckSR71A]

@@cherifurr3935 Pls tell us why. We had a great experience with Norwegian and were considering another.

[@Biker218]

Yes an explanation rather than a blanket statement would be most helpful. Hard to take seriously when no explanation.

[@kimers12660]

I’ve never been on a cruise before, and have always wanted to go on one. I came to this channel to learn more about it. After watching many of these videos, I now have anxiety about booking myself a cruise. I’m newly widowed in my 60s and feel that I would be taken advantage of. I appreciate your information it’s opened my eyes about things I’ve never thought of. Thank you for teaching us what you have learned.

[@SevCaswell]

I'm somewhat younger than you, (not quite 40) and I recently went on my very first cruise with family (it was a 2 for 1 deal, xmas 2019) and I thoroughly enjoyed it but am not sure I would want to do it again. I wasn't involved much in the booking etc, so I naturally had no clue about such small print things as surveillance. (My parents are the regular cruisers) So I would say do your research and give it a try, maybe pick a short 3-4 day cruise to start and just see how it feels.

[@aliciarosem9689]

Some lines have singles cabins, and they come with a lounge that's just for singles. I'm going with my husband this trip, but I think these singles cabins and private lounge look lovely! I'd do it in a heartbeat. Also, I'm 52 and have always been afraid! Of flying, of sailing... after the past few years, working nonstop during the pandemic.... I am determined to live a little and will be flying AND sailing this week. Take a chance! You might be pleasantly surprised!

[@lesliemccormick6527]

I'm 57. You COULD be taken advantage of literally anywhere, but ARE you? Likely not. Cruises are loads of fun. You will be fine. Don't let fear or anxiety rob you of a good time. Choose a smaller ship- 2500 passengers or less- that goes to ports you are interested in and go on guided tours or shore excursions booked through the cruiseline. Stay with a group. Just use your common sense, and behave the way you would if you were alone in your home city. Some tour companies are designed specifically for singles over 45 and some of those arrange cruises, and some will "buddy you up" with another traveller if you so desire. I have a friend who is single, no kids, 68, and has been all over the world on solo trips, even to some places I would never think would be 100% safe, without anything more annoying than you'd expect. She has been pick-pocketed two times, both times over 10 yrs ago, once in Europe and once in the Caribbean. She laughs about it now. Now she has figured out how to pack and conceal necessary things and has had no further issues. Lots of help available for how to avoid problems. Go! You won't regret it! 😊🇨🇦

[@sew_gal7340]

Why would anyone take advantage of you in what way?

[@michaelottinger]

Cruises, advice AND an English person saying the word "brochures?!" This video has EVERYTHING!

[@bluesteel48]

There have been many videos produced on KZbin regarding this subject. This one is the clearest and most concise that I’ve seen. Nice work. 😊

[@patriciag9063]

My first few cruises back in the 80s, we actually handed our gratuities directly to our waiters, bus boys, room attendants, etc on the last night of the cruise. The cruise line gave suggestions, such as $2.50 per person, per day. What was wrong with that? At least you knew the person getting the money was the person intended.

[@peterstudios961]

I had the same tipping procedure on a ‘95 cruise with Royal.

[@konichiwa3744]

Demographics that never tip. Cough cough

[@peterstudios961]

@@konichiwa3744 just that we know that they got it directly.

[@sct4040]

I tipped the cabin guy on top of the required gratuity, an sometimes the same for the waiters.

[@elouise5593]

@@sct4040 My last 2 cruises I left extra for my cabin steward. I decided to start doing that, after I heard how many hours they work. They always do a great job, and are always cheerful and friendly!

[@kvd4345]

I am so glad that you brought up the cruise contract, passenger and cruise lines rights. Whenever I cruise in a group I always have a meeting the evening before the cruise and read the contract highlights outloud. I am always amazed by the shock and disbelief my fellow travelers have at what I read and I always have to remind them that they have already agreed to the terms. Even as a frequent cruiser I am always very careful to read the contract as terms change by line and over time.

[@sashaqueenie]

I like the CCTV throughout the entire ship. I read that people go missing very often on cruise ships. The CCTV is a great tool to fight crimes and solve mysteries.

[@FlamingJuneRuns]

This is the most informative cruise video I have seen in years! Well done!

[@vincewhite5087]

If you read the early autobiography books of early cruise ship industry, the original reason a doctor was on board was because old passengers often died during cruises .

[@dionline88]

As usual, this is an excellent video. I really hadn't thought about a number of these subjects so this is quite thought provoking!! Thank you Gary for opening my eyes - and making me question some practices. I always recommend people watch your videos and subscribe because you never waste people's time. Everything is relevant and concise - thank you sir!!

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks! Great to hear. Really appreciate you watching

[@grondhero]

People have to remember that most of these make sense. _You are on a vacation, not a fact-finding tour._ Companies don't go around stating what they pay their employees outside of the starting wage. Most companies don't advertise how they get rid of trash. If you go into a supermarket, why do you need to know how much crime takes place or how many people have died or been injured in the store that year? The cruise line is offering a vacation away from stress. Most everything can be discovered through research, though. I have been following cruise channels off and on since 2014, so I pretty much knew these now, although a refresher is always nice. I think the biggest concerns for passengers is really about gratuities. If cruise lines would be open with that information (especially informing the crew), most of the others would be a small concern. With technology advanced as it is, ships are able to filter a lot of the black water into gray water and filter most of their gray water into clean water. They can also recycle the gray water into less-essential areas, such as commodes and sinks. (And as an FYI: gray water isn't actually nasty.)

[@mnguymnwater6348]

I loved the medallion on Princess Cruise on the Sky Princess. Such a great feature when ordering food anywhere on ship embarkation and demarkation. Who cares if they know where you are unless you can’t follow laws.

[@brendaelainewaddell1682]

You're so right -- if you're be having... you've got nothing to hide or worry about. 😉

[@bnk091182]

My only concern about the tracking is that you can be tracked by employees who may be up to no good and use that opportunity to rob your cabin. I guess I need to read more about WHO has access to the monitoring. How secure is that part is what I'd like to know since employees may not be subjected to background checks, etc.

[@pretyblkgrl]

If folks are upset about Princess Medallions, wait till they find out about the mobile phones they used to complain.

[@Shaya87]

Just wait until they find out how much data google has on them. I advise everyone to download their Google history at least once. I don't think people understand how much the internet is always tracking you anyway.

[@visionist7]

@@Shaya87 and all for sale to the highest bidder

[@pretyblkgrl]

@@Shaya87 👏🏽 We'll save the conversation about what's captured through Alexa, their robot vacuum, their neighbor's Ring camera (or quiet as its kept, what THEIR Ring camera captures about their neighbors) for another day.

[@cvn6555]

One can always bring an RFID wallet and keep the medallion in there until they wish to open their door or get food.

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Thank you for sharing your advice of cruising. You are really giving me more advice to cruise.

[@dh2266]

Disney most definitely gives you a printout of where your auto-gratuities go. They even give you envelopes to give to your staff of how much they're getting.

[@VIpanfried]

To say that shops have to pay to be recommended is an understatement. The cruise ship shopping “guide” literally shakes down the merchants for payoffs AND steers shoppers away from businesses who do not cough up their protection money! I have experienced this first hand. As I passenger I saw the performance and “guidance” on the cruise ship. A few months later I relocated to one of the same cruise ship destinations that I’d frequently visited. Lo and behold, I found out the “bad areas” and the “untrustworthy merchants” were nothing of the kind!! But the passsengers will listen to them. A business pretty much has to play the game.

[@DMRYeti]

Non-sequitur! Watching your b-roll of those ever-increasing-in-size ships just makes me more determined to save up for a more luxury cruise on a smaller boat. Different video! Love your channel and I appreciate all the inside info! 🚢🛥

[@texasboy5117]

We always go with smaller ships of about 1,000 people or less. The extra cost is well worth it.

[@breadyegg]

Hopefully as the profit margins come back as the effect of the C word diminishes, these smaller cruise ships will thrive.

[@swisstroll3]

We try to stay under 600 passengers. Favorite ship, the Wind Surf, holds 340.

[@chriswilliams6568]

I was interested in an Azamara cruise until I leant that even if one cancels outside of final payment date, they keep $75 p.person as a penalty, whereas with the major lines, one has no penalty usually if cancelling at that juncture. It put me off.

[@lisaspikes4291]

Even though it’s a bit of a hassle, I prefer giving cash gratuities to the crew in person. That way, the people who are doing a good job get compensated correctly.

[@brontewcat]

The problem is those who are behind the scenes are not then given tips if passengers just give tips in cash. Those who behind the scenes just as hard to give you a good cruise, but they would not get compensated accordingly if passengers just give cash tips to those they come into direct contact with.

[@Mike-up6go]

@@brontewcat Absolutely. Why compensate just the waiter who gave you great service and a wonderful meal ? What about the kitchen staff directly below you slaving away in the galley ? You never see them but they keep you fed during your entire cruise. I had the opportunity to take the behind the scenes tour on a Carnival cruise back in 2016 and there are an incredible amount of people that literally work behind the scenes that you will never see. My point is the ones you do see are supported by many you don't.

[@bethcoddington4721]

I love when you say "however". It has that Ian Makellen sort of authority.

[@realcdcruze3558]

Hi Gary, great discussion as always. I was one of those that commented on the Princess tracker. I see your point about the facial recognition so we’re already tracked. Cruise passengers are any members of the public so it’s fair to say crime would be proportionate.

[@jpbpds]

Excellent video. Exactly the kind of “just the facts” information I come to your channel for. (Although I do value your opinion pieces too.)

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks! Great to hear. I try and do and bring a variety and great to hear the mix is liked! Appreciate you watching

[@njjeff201]

Carnival has passed up ports blaming weather as we watched another ship dock in bright sunshine. Crew said he does this constantly. Will never use them again!!

[@teams3345]

I don’t mind if they cancel ports. I could just be on the ship the entire cruise. I book cruises sometime that have the most sea days. My next trip in April has 7 days at sea out of 21. Not bad.

[@JUAN75001]

Excellent work Gary ! Love watching your videos.

[@indiewest7200]

I don't mind if a port is cancelled for weather or other unforeseen circumstance. However when Royal Caribbean cancelled a port and emailed me that it was due to scheduling it was ridiculous. It seemed like human error. They should give some credit back because the total price I paid was to sightsee also. I wouldn't have bought the cruise if I thought we were going to be on the sea all day.

[@debbiehays3824]

Ships are scheduled for slots in each port. If a ship before yours had engine problems or a ship at sea had a medical emergency, it could easily screw up your schedule. They can't just park those ships anywhere.

[@Tigers529]

I think you are the only KZbin podcast that doesn’t get you to subscribe it ring that Bell great stuff

[@ellenriddick2461]

Some thoughts, 1. Windstar is my very, very favorite cruise line. 2. I recently did a Nile cruise with Uniworld. Our guide was super clear on who to buy from and who to avoid. He and our security detail were vigilant at keeping certain sellers from harassing us.

[@lindasnow1497]

Interesting. I was on a Uniworld Nile cruise last October and I don't think we got any of that. I only recall them warning us against buying any kind of "historical artifact" whether real or counterfeit.

[@ellenriddick2461]

@@lindasnow1497 i wouldn't have noticed it. I was happily touring and snapping away. But once the husband pointed it out i realized what they were doing.

[@cherifurr3935]

I didn’t know they were required to have a morgue on board-good to know. My most Regent cruise had three medical emergencies, one evac by helicopter, 2 in ports, and they got him to a hospital so quickly the GM said it saved his life (major stroke), but if course he did not realize the passenger’s name.

[@carolynlucca3269]

On some of the more high end lines that tend to attract older and more monied guests, you have old people dropping dead from time to time.

[@cababyboomerq6012]

I can’t tell you enough how much I like your videos. I really don’t watch anyone else’s anymore. Some of things you mention in this video I certainly suspected, but not all of them.

[@tipsfortravellers]

Thanks so much! Great to hear 😀😀 Really appreciate you watching

[@debra333]

Oh man! You are so sneaky! You end your videos by inviting us to watch a related video "right now," which I have done. For three hours! New fan and subscriber! 🫂

[@hurst-cs2jh]

Hi Debra, how are you doing?

[@billmiller1445]

Another great informative report. You responsibly address important topics. Thank you.

[@l.faraday8767]

Great news Gary, thank you so much for this timely update! ❤️🇨🇦❤️

[@mjgorges1502]

A few years ago, I was on a Princess cruise. There was a singles group enjoying dancing in the Piazza, when one man collapsed. We later learned he died from a sudden heart attack. Life happens, even on cruise ships.

[@jlynnc9559]

Been on several cruises that had an ambulance meet the ship and also a few hearses at disembarkation

[@mikecarter2737]

Almost didn't make it on my first cruise ship because a contract? employee objected to the wording on my sweatshirt - "Bullship" - a traditional Bay Area sailboat race.

[@bigyin2586]

How cute that cruisers would be concerned about their carbon footprints!😂

[@ericericson3535]

when I was a travel agent, I made sure I stressed the fact that the ship can cancel ports, and divert an entire cruise due to various reasons. There have been numerous Bermuda cruises that were redirected to Maritime Canada due an approaching hurricane. Passengers were not happy touring 40F degree Halifax in cargo shorts and tee shirts! Also, remember that the Captain of the ship is God. What he or she says is the law!

[@tipsfortravellers]

Great to hear as so many people I come across are not aware. A good reason for using a knowledgeable agent 👍🏻

[@cvn6555]

That would understandably make people very angry. Booking a cruise to get some sun and warmth then be taken north to Canada? Not cool at all. Guess don't cruise in hurricane season.

[@sct4040]

I now know to ALWAY pack a down jacket for every cruise. It also gets cold on the ship.

[@elouise5593]

@@cvn6555 At least not to Bermuda! Caribbean cruises during a hurricane they can divert from a planned port to another Caribbean port. I guess Bermuda must be too far North to divert to the Caribbean.

[@gingerella7934]

@@cvn6555It was very cool!😂🥶🥶🥶

[@kbintheuk4262]

Hi Gary - superb video (as always) you give such accurate and factual information. I`ve always thought that distribution of gratuities could be something the cruiselines would`nt want to tells us - we are sailing on Symphony of the Seas in February so I think we will opt out of auto grats and give the cash to the crew that service us directly. Keep up the great work and we hope you are enjoying your Antarctica cruise. Cheers Kev & Alison

[@tipsfortravellers]

Great point. I had a great time on the trip, thanks for following it along!!

[@chriswilliams6568]

prob is with that, the folk who work for you behind the scenes will get nothing.

[@amandareiche9083]

@@chriswilliams6568 Giving partial gratuity to the line and direct tips to closely involve service people seems to be a viable option. We do tipping early and late in the cruise--works really well.

[@larry2436]

Good vlog Gaz. I don't have a problem at all to be monitored. If it makes for a safer and better cruise experience then great. Basically, if you have nothing to hide and don't engage in unruly or criminal behaviour, then you wouldn't even know you are being monitored. Really, its not as if they are going to blackmail you through taking pictures of you in the shower or something. I think people get too hung up about this issue.

[@rebeccaboyd3527]

This video answered a lot of my questions about the managing of waste on board cruises. Thank you for that. Also found the info of CCTV on cruises also very interesting.

[@ceciliabrindis3089]

Wow.... thank you so much for the information. Love your Chanel!!!! Please keep up the great service.

[@kentfrederick8929]

We went to a jewelry store in Juneau, because if you mentioned the ship name, you would get a free whale tail pendant. The high-pressure tactics they used would embarrass a car salesman. They were pushing very expensive merchandise, despite my dropping hints that we were replacing the siding on our house after getting back home. Our impatient 8-year-old son got us to move along to a shop that friends had recommended. They were no-pressure and even threw in the free whale tail that we forgot to get at the first shop. That's when we learned not to go to shops recommended on the ship.

[@karlahart_AK]

If you got a free whale tail at the second shop, it is likely owned by the same people as the first. One company, Milano Diamond, owns 45 stores in Alaska, Caribbean and Mexico. They own multiple shops in each of Juneau, Ketchikan, Skagway.

[@kentfrederick8929]

@@karlahart_AK I doubt that. We had the list of shops from the shopping director, and the second store wasn't on the list. Plus, the sales person at the second store didn't ask for the ship's name. There were four ships docked that day. So, they weren't working on the kickback scheme.

[@X0awsome]

Crew member went overboard on my alaska cruise. I don't think he chose to be a newbie on rough seas that didn't know to stay away from the railing when the ship is lurching

[@kevingoodner5672]

Another thing they don't talk about is how much they pay the crew. Or how two employees working next to each other might be making vastly different wages, depending on where they are from.

[@denizalgazi]

Or that the Asian launderers make pennies an hour. Same with the dish washers.

[@jaybe959]

The issue is passengers want a cruise without paying a lot of money. So cruisers low ball or do budget cruises and yet expect crew for crew to make good pay off their budget cruise cost. Passengers expect maximum experiences but don’t want the burden of that equally maximum cost for the experience. Passengers “Don’t tell me about the pain, show me the baby!”

[@kevingoodner5672]

@@denizalgazi How much do they make? How do you know?

[@denizalgazi]

@@kevingoodner5672 Everything you stated is correct! There have been many reports and programmes over the years about the exploitation of foreign crew by the cruise lines. They are the hardest working people. I am always generous to the crew.

[@kevingoodner5672]

@@denizalgazi I'm not so sure it is exploitation though. They pay them relative to where they are from. By that I mean they don't pay them the same salary in currency, but the same in buying power depending on where they are from. They might pay person A $4/hr and person B $8/hr....but in person A's home country $4 might buy dinner whereas for person B it would cost $8. So Person B got paid twice as much, but they have the same buying power (one hour work for a dinner).

[@tacrewgirl]

I learned about the fees that shop keepers have to pay cruise companies to be recommended on their cruises during my Alaska cruise. It's wild to me that people won't shop at or visit places not recommended by the ship. Think about it. The cruise isn't getting paid for the publicity. Shop local. Dine local. Talk to locals to find the real tea. Avoid the cruise ship jewelry chain stores.

[@mistyfly2me]

I saw the cruse ship I was on dumping more than food. I heard cans, saw trash, paper and more being dumped

[@primrosetx9571]

On one of my Carnival cruises in Jamaica, I saw the crew unloaded a bunch of mattresses of the ship and carried them to a big truck. I asked an employee and he said those were old mattresses Carnival donated to charity.

[@yt_energy]

why would a charity want them? theyre prob old and infested. maybe for dogs i suppose

[@williamd9205]

Great episode Gary. Very interesting and informative. Thanks!

[@gallic99]

Very interesting Gary, thanks for the info.

[@TravelWithCeleste]

I sent a couple pictures when arriving at our port to family letting them know we arrived and got a notification from AT&T that my charges had exceeded $150 dollars and to call if I wanted to add a cruise package. I called and for $100 he added it and said it would cover the charges I had just made. Scary what could have happened. Go AT & T for advising me.

[@ericericson3535]

One more thing. I booked a cruise on Oceania for Jan 2022, and they have substituted St. Maarten for Antigua. A vast improvement in my opinion!

[@tipsfortravellers]

I do enjoy St Maarten too! I’ve only been to Antigua once but can’t really remember it (which probably says everything). Which Oceania ship are you on ?

[@ericericson3535]

The Riviera, 14 nights southern Caribbean. It's been two years since our last cruise and we are pulling out all the stops!@@tipsfortravellers

[@MyLife-hl4or]

Pre Paid gratuities are a big plus for the cruise lines, they bolster up wages meaning the line actually pays less as a basic salary and 2, pre paid gratuities are left in the bank until needed thus gaining interest to the cruise line. It's all about profit.

[@454k30]

What I’ve learned about security: you are always on video doing even the most embarrassing things, right up until the point that you get robbed or ripped off. Suddenly no one knows where you were or the cameras don’t work in that area.

[@kcsunnyone]

Love your channel pointing out secret kickbacks and Pay2Play w concessioners. Good job!

[@airmanma]

When I was a cook in the Air Force, i found 2 dead pilots in my freezer one morning upon startup. They had crashed the night before. Scared the begeezus out of me, LOL!!!

[@jamesflames6987]

One sticky question is that if a crime is committed against you in the middle of the ocean, which jurisdiction do you complain to to start criminal proceedings?

[@ajwhite8235]

Very interesting video on what cruise lines don’t talk about. The items that affect passengers directly such responsibilities to avoid fines or being left behind are extremely important. How they handle trash and sewage while interesting, is not something I would expect them to point out. Most people don’t ask about these things when on vacation of the hotel, plane or trains. The rules for handling waste are well defined (or maybe not so much depending on the jurisdiction) and not deviated much from ship to ship. Transparency with the crews’ mandatory tips is a concern for passengers, but much more important for the crew! Secrecy leads to distrust and moral issues among the crew. You mentioned not talking about certain items due to stirring up conversations with passengers. Based on Internet warriors, I can appreciate this sentiment. They may be stirring up very uncomfortable discussions with a very small part of the public, not necessarily passengers. This only leads to poor PR and having to explain at nausea items that were well enough not brought up.

[@whatsname2649]

Thank you so very much. You just convinced me that I never want anything to do w a cruise.

[@dvandkq]

We just completed our eight Disney cruise, and have our ninth, tenth, and eleventh booked for next year. I have never felt encouraged, compelled, or asked to provide an additional gratuity above the baselines mandated by Disney. I have been encouraged to complete the end-of-cruise survey, but I have never been asked by a cast member to provide a positive rating for them.

[@LonieF]

Thanks for the information. People really do need to know this information. But, I never read their contract until they took my drone on princess. I read all of them now.

[@westhavenor9513]

Wow, on the first cruise I took (Alaska, circa 2004) we had to stop TWICE because a passenger had died. I thought this was normal at the time, but only 200 a year and we had two? Must have been a very special cruise! That said, not a bad way to go, really.

[@sarahann530]

Where did they stop ?

[@yt_energy]

the same passenger died twice? was he clinically dead and they revived him and then he died again?

[@vanceb1]

I'm retired from the USCG. I did two tours in the LA/LB area. We would have to go out and look for the people who had fallen overboard from cruise ships. In almost every case it was a younger person who had had a lot to drink. You know, the "hold my beer" routine.

[@dzunglu7184]

Camera and cctv everywhere. While shopping and using the self service to scan your grocery, the camera only caught half my forehead and top head. 😂. Shame there’s camera above filming my front and back poking out. 😂. Darn!

[@riverleigh3251]

Not all crew are employed by the cruise line, on most lines many are subcontractors to a company that leases space. Hair and beauty, dancers, casino, shops etc.

[@riverleigh3251]

That's correct with Marpol regs and then there is IMO for Ballast management although on cruise ships ballast tank function maybe by their fresh water, food stores and people

[@mickmorrison]

My partner was on a cruise with her two daughters. The daughters went ashore to a Channel island and my partner with a bad back condition lay on the bed in the cabin. The Indian cabin employee attempted to touch my partner and she ordered him out the cabin. When the daughters returned and were told of this they went to complain, the Channel police came on board and they took a statement. They told my partner she would have to go to the Channel isle for the court case which was not something she didn’t want to do. The culprit was never seen again and my partner and her daughter were given all sorts of treats and received half the cost of the cruise refunded. On investigation we discovered that this is a problem on cruises but the companies do all they can to cover up these cases.

[@neilbarnett3046]

I think some travel insurance companies will pay out for missed ports. There was an announcement over the PA when our P&O ship couldn't dock in Gibraltar, due to high winds, saying something like "if you need anything signing for your insurance, please come to reception." Or words to that effect. (the ship managed to moor up but then broke a mooring line, which is extremely dangerous, so the captain took us out off the coast of N. Africa instead and it was hot and sunny, so no big loss!)

[@shinichigojir12]

What do you think of cruiselines building their own and bringing guests to company owned private getaway islands, instead of bringing guests to the local communities in the Caribbeans, to let guests disperse spendings in locally owned shops and restaurants? There might be a day where they dont visit those communities anymore and basically confine the guests in a gilded cage in a way.

[@allisonlane1102]

I prefer it that way. In fact, it is the main reason my next cruise will be with Virgin. My first cruise ever (back when I was about 13) was great, except for when we were at port in Nassau. We got lost and it felt like everyone was out to scam my mom (who had little money, we were brought along by our grandparents) at every turn. It felt desperate and predatory and we felt obscenely uncomfortable. We had no money to give them and were terrified the ship would leave without us because no one would point us in the right direction without giving them money. Thankfully we saw other passengers and followed them back to the port, but it was a scary and scarring experience I don't wish to have again. So a private beach club that you're bussed off to by the cruise line sounds FAR more relaxing and enjoyable to me. At least I won't have people trying to scam me every time I blink.

[@elouise5593]

@@allisonlane1102 Most ports aren't like that, and I prefer being able to go out amongst the locals without it feeling so touristy. Why didn't you grab a taxi?

[@deb7518]

My late step-dad was a Captain/Pilot on some of the inland US river cruises. Sometimes my mom would go along. They told me that there were fairly frequent incidences of illness and death, where they'd have to stop to have a patient or body removed. Since their crowd skewed older, she said she thought many instances were due to folks ignoring their usual dietary or drinking limitations since they were "on vacation!". Those boats no sooner finish up serving breakfast than they're setting up lavish in-between times buffets, and same with lunch and dinner. Some folks just ate non-stop because "it's included in our fare!". If they'd been on a restricted diet back home, it could be a quick System Overload. They basically got their money's worth all the way to the hospital or the morgue!

[@lesliemccormick6527]

If I go on a cruise again- and I hope to!😊- I would get the tip envelopes from guest services or bring my own and tip the people I want to directly. We prepaid gratuities ( and gave out a few extra tips) I likely would again, but would also budget in for extra tios for more staff. Some of them were just stellar.

[@jacquelyns9709]

Every cruise brochure I've ever looked at has had a section on changes of itinerary and ports in the fine print. Most of them tell you to read the fine print. Every convenience store and fast food restaurant has cameras. Their ads and commercials don't mention them. I have seen shows from the UK where video cameras are running on the streets and sidewalks (pavement, pathway) in shopping districts. How widespread and publicized are those cameras? Cameras on cruise ships are not that different. I agree that other items are not mentioned much by cruise lines. However cruising guide books do mention them. Read books as well as watch videos.

[@emdxemdx]

Charles de Gaulle was pretty tall, and when the France was being built, they were careful to size the morgue freezers big enough for him... But de Gaulle never set foot on the France, although his wife did...

[@PortsladeBySea]

Excellent review Gary. Very informative. I usually read the cruise companies contract before signing, which can sometimes takes ages due it’s length, complexity and lack of clarity. Basically they are legally protecting themselves from almost everything they want to try and get away with. I totally agree that the cruise industry must clean up it’s environmental problem. Many of the bigger ships burn between 850,000-2,000 000 gallons of low grade fuel throughout their return trip, which is unsustainable, utterly appalling and unacceptable 😢 All cruise terminals should have the facilities to connect up the ships to mainland services whilst in port ie electricity, water and sewage, so that their massive engines can be either switched off, or at least greatly reduced. I suspect with cities facing large fines and prosecution for not cleaning up the air residents, workers and visitors breath, action will be taken to force these services to be provided wether the cruise companies and fissile fuel industry want it, or not 👍

[@patriciagrella1999]

Can biofuel be used.

[@iakazul]

Thank you very much why I have no urge to book a cruise to anywhere but a fishing trip lol.

[@sharontobias3155]

I love the idea that they are tracking where we are on the ship

[@deth2allbutmetal74]

I don't understand why people are getting so upset. Its obvious that people can not behave themselves by not jumping off a ship so something has to be done. I go to a teaching hospital and they give you a badge to track you as soon as you enter the building.

[@karenbryant3923]

Great information of some which I knew and other that was curious about! Love all your videos!!

[@tgd721]

Amazon Prime video has a documentary on the secret life of a cruise that goes behind the scenes. Made Pre COVID and focused more on logistics but quite interesting. Amazing, even!

[@dinola3268]

Data protection is a must! 👍👍👍

[@maddoglep2127]

On one cruise we got very friendly with the staff at one particular bar. We mentioned that we were automatically paying gratuities that would go to the staff. They had never heard of this. Luckily we had the brochure from this very well known company. Bar tender Teddy took it and said he would raise it with management. We suggested that would probably get him fired. We do not know what happened but gave them a separate thankyou envelope on the last evening.

[@juniperdog5523]

Could he have told you this just to get that “separate envelope”? I know that sounds cynical…just wondering.

[@pennwoman]

It would have entailed very quick thinking manipulative thinking on his part-unlikely with that kind of emotional reaction.

[@KINGjackJACKjack]

God i love watching these even though theres no way in hell i can afford to go on one right now

[@amandadean3948]

This was interesting. I didn’t realize some of these things.

[@randomlyentertaining8287]

Did...did people really think they weren't under constant surveillance, fancy cards or not? Like, those camera mounted to the walls and ceilings aren't just for show XD Yeah, about changes. If the Captain says "Yeah, we're not sailing through Hurricane Imma-Wreck-Yo-Shit just to make a stop in Port Kinda-Cool-But-Not-Worth-Your-Life." I'm just gonna be happy. If I REALLY want to see a particular place, I'll make later plans to take a trip there via plane. Now the not allowing cancellations after booking, after change in itinerary, but before the ship sails is scummy and shouldn't be allowed. That's pretty much false advertising. Yeah, I'm gonna try and avoid anything with auto-gratuities. I'm going to make sure Waiter Good-Old-Chap gets his tip and Hostess Spits-In-My-Food doesn't get any of it. I mean, releasing the poo and pee of cruise ships doesn't really affect the oceans that much. The world's oceans combined contain about 352,000,000,000,000,000,000 gallons of water, or about 1,311,420,700,000,000,000 imperial tons (the version of ton used to measure ships' weight). On average, a cruise ship weighs 200,000 imperial tons and as stated 300 of them are sailing at any given time. Even if the ships all released their own weight in sewage at the same time, it would only amount to 60,000,000 imperial tons, or 0.0000000045751909% of the water in the world's oceans. That's pretty much meaningless. Plus where do we think the waste of the sea's creature goes? Magically gets transported to the sun? XD The emissions thing is tied directly to the debate over cars and other vehicles and the answer is the same. Some day, we'll all drive and ride on vehicles that release no harmful toxins into the atmosphere but that day is still a long way off. Until then, all we can do is slowly introduce new tech while continuing to rely on what's propelled man to the place it is today, fossil fuels. To help that day come faster, we need to invest more into nuclear power. Yes, it is safe. Yes, it is more efficient than any other form of power. Yes, it is the way to this pollutant free future we want.

[@randomlyentertaining8287]

I got a heart! :D And yes, I did the calculations for the sewage bit.

[@lnk1124]

Well said!!

[@andreasilk8201]

Even at my restaurant, the servers tip out 4% of their entire sales each day to "the house " it's supposed to be divided evenly between the kitchen and hostesses based on the hours worked...however no total amount is ever declared and the amounts given out do not make sense...I'm positive the managers and owners are taking something from that...based on how much I myself tip out each day and how much the cooks actually recieve....shady. shady. But it's as old as time unfortunately.

[@hurst-cs2jh]

Hi Andrea, how are you?

[@SukottoX]

I remember when i went on a cruise in Europe, me and my parents went outside on the promenade deck to walk around the back of the ship at night, we passed some lifeboats and stuff too, and when we looped around there was a guy in suit with a radio. They totally thought we were fishy

[@cynthiarothrock4255]

Tell him we are stargazing.

[@jenniferhonaker9445]

Questions: is it recommended to prepay gratuities? If so, should we tip on top of those gratuities? Lastly, if we do tip additionally,to whom should we tip?