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    Too Many First-Time Cruisers Still Get This Wrong



    When I started cruising, I made many mistakes and on every cruise I go on I see first-time cruisers still making those very same mistakes I did on their first cruising vacation. This list of the 7 most important things every first-time cruise passenger must know and what to do should help!

    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 85 cruises I have done to date.

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    00:00 Start
    00:31 Best First Cruise
    01:36 Best First Cruise Line
    07:18 Best First Cabin
    09:02 Getting Best Cost
    12:27 Best First Excursions
    14:55 More First-Time Watch-Outs

    39 Comments

    1. TrinkaD on

      I just started watching your channel, and I have lots of questions. I haven't been on a cruise yet, but my partner and I are looking to take our first one together. Is there a cruise line that is more gay friendly than another? Is it wrong to book a cruise that has several sea days, because that is what we most look forward to? For longer cruises, if they stay at port for 24+ hours, are hotel accommodations included in the price of the cruise? Do you recommend expedition cruises? Thanks!!

    2. David Perry on

      Sea days are fun. It’s like a mobile beach. The shows, the food, the onboard nightclub, and the pools and hot tubs are fun. Don’t discount sea days. If you know the events on sea days, you will have a good time.

    3. itrasheditgood on

      I did the Caribbean cruise as my first, it was fantastic. I went through a travel agency and asked a lot o questions. I was going solo and I wanted an experience that didn’t have set meal times with the same people. Norwegian cruise line was awesome for my needs, I didn’t realize how the excursions worked but got into it right away and ended up enjoying everything. They even had gatherings for single people to meet people who are doing the same thing, it was a good opportunity to network and find people to go on excursions and join for meals. My regret was not reading the ships event papers from the start. I missed out on a few things I would have like to participate in on board. Going through an agency may not be the cheapest method, but they are pretty knowledgeable on what type of trip you might be expecting and they make all the arrangements so you don’t have to think about all the different stuff like: cruise tickets, plane tickets, insurance, gratuities, transportation to and from air port. Everything is discussed and worked out upon your interview with agency, makes for smooth sailing as first timers.

    5. Serra do Japi on

      I will never do a cruise! I got claustrophobic just by looking at the images! The lack of control, the fact that you are at their will. It makes me fell helpless! I don’t even like to book hotels that don’t have a kitchenette so I can cook in case I need!

    7. Jim Tough on

      Hi Gary, Thanks for all your guidance, advice and tips, it is most appreciated. Question I have for you is: What is the policy if your cruise fails to call to a port and you have pre-booked an excursion with the cruise operator? Is it reimbursed?

    9. Marge010 on

      11:40 this is not always true. We went on a P&O cruise to the Baltic in 2018 and our inside cabin price dropped by nearly £900 (total price for 2 people) after we had already booked. I contacted their customer service and they refused to do anything. It got to the point where I even asked for a drink voucher or something similar as a good will gesture and they still refused! Because of this I will never travel with P&O ever again.

    10. Ben M on

      You forgot about Australia mate. Pacific Islands should be added to this list.

      Not all Aussies can fly halfway across the world to get on a cruise that costs less than the flights to get us there.

    12. Stream Labs on

      My idea of a nightmare vacation is a cruise. Stuck with the same people every day, always queueing for food and activities, the pool area is packed. What a horrible idea.

    14. Daz555 on

      I've been on 3 cruise ships:

      Thomson Majesty – Eastern Med.
      P&O Aurora – North Sea.
      TUI Discovery – Western Med.

      All three were very different in size, style and formality and the cruises themselves were very very different. I had a different kind of room on each ship too – window, inside and balcony. To be honest I enjoyed them all and had a fabulous time.

      We are booked next year onto Icon of the Seas for a Western Bahamas cruise. It's going to be a wild departure from any cruise we've been on previously but the wife and I, and the kids are really looking forward to it.

      My random cruise tip – if the ship you are on has decent water based facilities (nice pools, slides etc) then pack your swimmers in your carry-on luggage so you can head straight to the water before it starts to get busy on the first day.

    19. S M on

      Thank you so much for your guidance 🙏🏽 I've recently booked our first cruise with P&O, departing from Auckland NZ & visiting the South Pacific (New Caledonia, Vanuatu etc.). I didn't book the balcony room I wanted, Instead settled with the Oceanview room – to allow for the $ difference for a few excursions. I'm very grateful P&O have gifted a complimentary birthday cake & have waitlisted us for a room upgrade (if possible).

    21. JOHN SCHIRLOFF on

      Is Carnival Cruise Lines good to go on?????

      Is Princess Cruiselines????

      Is Celebrity Cruise Lines good Cruise Lines to go on?????

      Is Norgion Cruse Lines good Cruse Lines to go on?????

    24. Camille Szalma on

      I made up my mind years ago as an unattached female that I would never go on an ocean cruise because if anything bad happened to me, there wouldn't be anyone I could rely on for protection. I watched a 60 minutes segment about a young woman and her mother who went on an ocean cruise. According to the segment, a ship employee raped the girl, but no attempt she or her mother made at redress had any effect. While a cruise ship may have security personnel, it doesn't have police and isn't subject to any kind of law like that. That soured the whole idea for me.

    25. Jahber on

      I challenged myself to spend NO extra money on a cruise once. It was our third Disney cruise, or something, so we had been there, done that, and bought the souvenirs. We were doing great until I realized I had forgotten a pen for my daughter‘s character autograph book. We couldn’t get a pen for free for some weird reason, so we bought one for $6.95. I still have that pen, ten years later 😂 But we really did have a $6.95 bill at the end! (We prepaid grats, of course)

    26. Sylvia McQuillan on

      I am going on my first cruise this June. I am going to Alaska on the Cunard . Glad I choose Alaska. Thank You for all you phenomenal information. I don’t like to party. I am 76. 🙋‍♀️🇨🇦

    31. Lev Kaz on

      Question about excursions:
      On a Royal Caribbean cruise, we find a package that costs 100 dollars per person for a train from the port of Civitavecchia to Rome. It's called "Express Train to Rome"
      After a short check I found out that the train station is a 10 minute walk from the port and the price for the train to Rome costs 9 euros per person round trip.
      Until now I don't understand why they charge 100 dollars per person for just transportation and some guidance on places to visit in Rome I guess.
      You can buy train tickets independently and save a lot of money.
      Am I missing something here?

    36. Andrew May on

      I'm going on a cruise for the first time in the Baltic sea with P&O but most of the tours are walking tours so I don't think it ie worth paying £80. My plan is to explore on my own.

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