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    CRUISE TRAVEL ALERT: 9 New Rules, Changes & Bans Beginning May 2026



    CRUISE TRAVEL ALERT: 9 New Rules, Changes & Bans Beginning May 2026

    🌟Use code LIFEWELLCRUISED at the link below to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan: https://incogni.com/lifewellcruised || Before your next cruise vacation, it’s important to be aware of new cruise rules and travel changes that could affect your trip! There are new travel requirements that have just started, very important if you’re traveling now until summer 2026.

    This video shares essential cruise news & cruise information, including updates from Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, NCL & Royal Caribbean, to help you prepare. These cruise tips will help you understand what to expect regarding packing, costs, and pre-travel knowledge, making your embarkation day smoother. You’ll also learned about a new banned item on Carnival cruises & clarify information about another.

    Going on a European cruise? I explain the details of the EES, ETA & Etias travel requirements cruise travelers must know as not planning in advance will impact your trip! Airlines have also made changes when it comes to portable phone charges beginning right now.

    This cruise travel video includes all the updates cruisers must know for cruising, so that your vacation is smooth sailing ahead!

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    FTC LEGAL DISCLOSURE – Some links found in the description box of my videos are affiliate links, meaning that I will make a commission on purchases you make through my links, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and services that I personally like and trust.
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    *Business inquiries & media: please contact Ilana at lifewellcruised@gmail.com

    Please note that I am unable to give personal cruise and travel advice. If you leave a comment I try my best to answer.

    ABOUT ME
    Hi! I’m Ilana! I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband Frank. We can often be found dreaming about and planning future cruises, ideally to hot and sunny destinations! I believe in having fun, being kind and that you are never too old, or too young, to live the life of your dreams!

    Please note that I do not sell cruises on Life Well Cruised. This and all other videos are for entertainment purposes only. I share my own opinions, personal experiences and information with other cruise travellers, which I hope can be helpful. Please contact your travel agent or the cruise line directly for advice and any information specific to your booking.
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    Music Credit: Surf Time by Lux-InspiraMusicMusic

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    50 Comments

    6. @HPabc123-d4t on

      Thank you for your wonderful videos. In Civitavecchia on April 24, the biometrics equipment did not work for many people; we had to line up in another line and information was taken manually, no stamp. I am flying out of Toulouse at the end of May and apparently people must do the biometric procedure again to exit the EU. I am told to get there earlier than normal as things are still not running smoothly!!! Oh boy!! 🇨🇦

    10. @haydenmueller3595 on

      HATE that you can now bring non-Haven guests into the dining room!! Why should I have to possibly wait for a table because people who didn't pay for the luxury are eating!! Really negates the concept

    11. @bcombs31 on

      Cruising NCL this September. What are the critical dates for signing up for dining, excursions, etc. And when the day arrives, is it 12am MIDNIGHT EST or GMT?

    14. @michelepineau9657 on

      For the EES system, I just came back from Europe via Frankfurt and it was a nightmare. There were too few people to help when the machines malfunctioned and we still had to go through passport control and get the passport stamped. Two and a half hours in line and my back was screaming. Some countries have suspended it temporarily because they haven't got all the kinks out and clearly are not prepared for the volume of travellers coming through.

    17. @jamieroberts900 on

      I collect those fans hand held with the name of country on my fan, but I don’t ever bring them out. I think it’s worth the $30 depending the location of the cabin.

    20. @Miminini79 on

      Thank you for your wonderful piece of information. I just decided to book a trip to Europe again. Cruises is on a hype rogth now and there’s so many adds-on that the pricing for a 7 days vacation is being the same as a 10 days vacation in Europe. I’ll pass cruising for now. 😂

    24. @chrismele5214 on

      Royal Caribbean and that $30 fee is definitely a money grab! I suppose $30 is not out of the world but it's not cheap either, not in my opinion. Maybe $15 is reasonable

    27. @kenjones4139 on

      Just returned from a Mediterranean Cruise. I found that the EES biometrics collection was fairly smooth. Approx 20 minutes at Barcelona airport. There are citizenship dependent lines, so others may have had a different experience. However, you only get so many attempts to register the information before you get referred to a manual collection lane. It is the same for the outbound flight. We left from Milan, and the self service line was very fast, but the manual line was long and slow. We had two from our group get referred to the manual lane, so make sure to leave extra time just in case.

      Saying that you only need to do the biometrics once is not entirely true. From what I understand, you need to update your biometrics every three years. Once you're at the kiosk, the data collection is fairly straightforward and only takes a couple of minutes.

      But if you're cruising, you need to get used to lines anyway 😂

    29. @traveler8254 on

      I'm going on Haven Soon. We paid full price for our entire party to be together. Will we be getting a discount when we wait on a table because someone in a lesser cabin was able to eat in the restaurant? Nope. It is not fair to Haven guests. My next cruise will not be in the Haven if this rule holds.

    32. @julierueff7226 on

      I understood the change for the NCL Haven a little differently than you explained it. There are Haven suites that are outside the Haven complex and some of those suites have adjoining rooms that are not Haven rooms. The change no allows the guests in the non-Haven rooms that are adjoining a Haven rooms to have access to the Haven restaurant if they are on the same booking.

    35. @kylegray738 on

      Allowing someone who didn't pay for Haven dining to access it diminishes the value. I can see this turning into a mess like the issues that came up with people sharing their drink packages. I recently sailed on Princess and paid for a Reserve Collection Mini-Suite as Reserve Dining was included. My sister, niece, and I loved our experience; a smaller and quieter dining experience. The entire wait staff in the dining room worked together as a team so if our main waiter and asst. waiter couldn't do something one of the other wait staff just stepped in and helped. I saved and paid extra for this book this category; I don't see giving it away for free.

    36. @Lenivec07 on

      5/8/26 I'm back from Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas ship. Before i was on Anthem and Victory of the Seas. My worst experience was from Oasis of Seas. No more Royal Caribbean cruises for me. They get worst and worst every year😡

    38. @lktp7208 on

      We always pay cash for gratuties. We go to the desk and tell them to take off the gratuities off my card. Will they still take it off?

    41. @lorimasterson8427 on

      I would only consider the $30 fee for RC if when you are given your cabin, you can change it to whatever is still available, not if you are randomly assigned another one.

    45. @markfischer3626 on

      Many years ago I went on 23vcruises. You'd choose your cruise, you'd choose your cabin, you'd pay, you'd show up for embarkation, sign your contract, show your passport, get s boarding pass. Once on board your only choice was early seating or late seating for dinner and that was all.

      Today there are 128 rules, each line is different,. Break a rule because you didn't know it and each one vosts you morre money. You feel like you're on the SS Mall of America. You have to pick grom 28 specialty dining rooms. Everything costs extra. Move a bottle out of the way in the refrigerator in tour cabin and you get charged. Everythinh you do and every unknown rule you didnt know about you break costs you money. The advertised cruise ticket is the least part of your cost. THE WHOLE THINGBIS A SCAM. DIE CRUISING DIE. I was going to take another cruise but learning the changes, never again. This is an industry that is a horrible parody of what it once was. A gigantic ripoff. My advice, if you're looking to get away from crowds, noise, someone with their hand out all of the time for more money, don't go on a cruise. You'll get the same thing you were trying to escape in a different form.

    48. @S1MPLEM1NDS on

      Speaking of banned items, I accidentally brought on 6 rounds of gun ammunition but my father had his small speaker confiscated. I'm happy to see that security is doing its part to keep people safe on board.

    49. @SusieBeck-l1c on

      Hi
      First I want to tell you how much I enjoy your videos. They were very informative last year when my adult daughter and I went on our 1st cruise. We were on Celebrity Beyond and this summer we are going back to the Beyond and my mom and sister are joining us.
      I have to say Miami international was not my favorite airport, but we are using them again.
      Next summer we are considering driving to Philadelphia and trying the Norwegian Jewel which is using that port. We live in southwestern Ohio and are able to drive there.
      I was wondering how you feel about the Jewel and if you have been on it recently.
      Thank you so much,
      Susie

    50. @dentholden1083 on

      The last time I renewed my passport and sent in my old passport all my stamped pages were taken and not returned with my new passport. I was so upset because those stamps were memories of my travels.