Frequently Asked First Time Cruise Vacationers Questions
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Everybody. How you doing today it's Bruce here with traveling with Bruce welcome to my youtube channel, I'm. Here to talk to you about cruise ship vacations, and today I'm, gonna talk to you about the, most frequently asked questions and I get on, my live streams that I do Monday to Friday at five o'clock Eastern, and on Saturday, at 2:00 p.m. Eastern these. Are the questions I get past most often, from newbies, from people who are thinking of going on a cruise for the first time you've. Decided you want to try it you're. Looking into it and you want to know a couple of answers to some basic questions and the number one question I get asked all the time what's. The best Cruise Line to take for, a new Cruiser and it's a the answer is quite, simple, in a way it, depends, on what you want from the cruise and the. The, typical, new first-time, Cruiser can. Be aged generally. Speaking from, say thirty to sixty years of age may be forty to sixty years of age. Typically, they fall into that bracket. These. Folks are not looking, for a. Very. Strenuous, type. Vacations, or looking for a relaxing, vacations. If you're, traveling without children, you, are going, to look at cruise. Lines that offer relaxing. Great. Dining, option, type cruises, with some nice entertainment, but, not necessarily, action-packed. Rock Climbing Walls and that kind of thing if you're, with children, you're, looking for the, cruise line that can keep those kids busy during the daytime keep them entertained and, engaged and. That might be something like a Disney line with all the Disney characters or it, might be on something like a Royal Caribbean with, all of the the various toys, that they have on board like the wave writing machine the flow writer or the, rock climbing wall or the, water slides and on it goes. For. For, mom and dad or grandma grandpa who are now in their 60s and, want. A quiet cruise for the two of them you. Might be interested in something like a celebrity, haul in America, or even Viking. Cruise Lines Viking, ocean cruise lines where. No. Children are allowed on Viking for example no one under 18 and this is where you get a cruise ship with 930, passengers, max all rooms. Are balcony rooms if included. Including the specialty dining, drinks. At dinner are included, makes. For a very relaxing. And stress-free vacation, although, it's a little pricier, than a basic, base, vacation, vacation. Cruise vacations, are like cars you, can buy the basic, model of a Chevrolet or you can go right up to a Cadillac, and you've, got everything in between and, this is the thing about cruising, that works for so many people because, the cruise lines have figured out that they don't have to just appeal. Only to the seniors anymore, they can appeal to Millennials they. Can appeal to country. Music fans, rock-and-roll. Fans fans. Of peace, and quiet, there's a cruise for you, so. There's a short answer to a complicated, question generally. Though I recommend, the first cruise you want to take should, be you should consider strongly, a one-week cruise the, reason I say one week instead, of maybe a three-day cruise or some people say well just want a little taste of it a three-day. Cruise might. Be too active for you might be too ruckus for you might. Be too much of a booze cruise for, you folks, who are on a 3d, Cruise have very little time to party, but they want a party now and if, you've got a if you've got a little longer schedule, you want to take it on a cruise say a seven-day, cruise where you can see three or four different ports of call and you. Can relax between the ports of call when you come off that ship after day seven you'll, have a full appreciation of, what cruising is really about and what it really can do for you it is, a great way to get a mental break from the real world and it's, a great way to really. Unwind and, relax and, get a tan and see, a few sights have, some great food enjoy, some entertainment you, in other words you get a little of everything but, when you come off the ship you're less stressed than when you got on big. Time and that's, where you want to really focus your energies for. The budget minded people out there you. Want to look at cruises like that are offered from say Carnival but. Don't. Limit, yourself to Carnival you, go to a place called vacations, to go calm, it's one of my favorite websites to find cruise deals vacations.
To Go calm, I'll put, that in my description down below after this video airs and you. Can go on that site and you can look for cruises. From any Cruise Line at any, time of the year you want in any locale. You want and if want to know how to operate your computer for, that website you can go to one of my other, videos. That I've done how, to find a cheap cruise I've already done a video on how to use fake ages to go calm. Booking. A one-week cruise and looking. Out a few months is a good idea if, you're looking out say six months to a year you may find sales that are you know fairs that are offered at a good price now if to book early but. Don't let that scare you you might find a cruise that has six weeks to go before it's, going and there, are some deals available for, that cruise if you're, a first-timer, I would recommend, that you want to strongly, consider a balcony suite, or a balcony room for, your first cruise you, want to get the full experience of the cruise ship don't limit yourself to an inside room you want to get yourself into a balcony where you can enjoy your own private space and you, can see the the, sea in the in the afternoon, first, thing in the morning and, get some fresh air into your room anytime you want it it's a it's a great experience and it's a great way to go cruising you'll, note that as you do more research on cruise ships you'll find that 85%. Of all rooms are balcony rooms only 15%, of rooms now have, just windows or are inside, rooms cruise ships are almost eliminating, the cheap inside type rooms because, they're just not as popular, as the balcony suites and of course the dollars are higher for the, cruise line but, that gives you a quick, answer as to which Cruise Line to consider I go from Carnival to Hall in America, to Princess, Royal, Caribbean Norwegian. Those are some of the top lines right there certainly, for Caribbean cruising if your first Cruise is gonna be an Alaska cruise all, those lines also serve the Alaska, market and the Mexican, Riviera market, as well I'm talking mainly to North Americans, here if you're in Europe you're, looking at P&O cruise lines you're looking at Norwegian, Royal Caribbean you're, looking at Carnival you might be looking at Aida cruises. There's, a number of lines that service the the European market MSC. And also, with Viking cruises again for the no children cruises, that's, the first question I hope I've helped you helped, you a little bit there what. Room should I get balcony. Next, question, shall. I get the drink package people. Are hearing now about how, cruising used to be all-inclusive at, one time and it's not that anymore. 15-20. Years ago it started off really that cruise. Ships no longer went of all all, first class only type environment, they, really started bringing the price of cruising down but, then they started ass adding, adding, charges, for extra services, alcohol, of course is one of those add-ons so, if you're on a cruise, say with a carnival.
Or Royal, Caribbean or, Norwegian you're, gonna be paying extra for alcohol. You. Have an option you can buy a package, where it's so much a day a flat rate per day that, can run you from 50 60 80 up, to 100 plus dollars a day. For, a drink package some, of the deluxe drink packages, might include the. Cappuccino latte type coffees at the coffee Bistro, inside, the ship like a Starbucks. Right. To the soft drinks and to the alcohol package the, trick of it is though that if you're paying one hundred hundred ten dollars a day for that kind of a package you got to do the mathematics, and ask yourself, can I drink, that much for all seven, days knowing. That for three of those days I'm not even on the ship I'm gonna be off the ship from 9:00 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon because I've got some tours booked, and I'll. Be you know eating offshore off, the ship or drinking alcohol, on shore at some of those Shore, bars or whatnot I won't even be on the ship to drink those drinks on that drink package am I really gonna lose money on that deal am I better off just. Paying a la carte if I want a latte. I'll just buy the latte charge it to my room if I want to ride Coco just order right charge it to my room now. You're under no pressure to drink too much or too fast or too hard you, just drink what you like when you like it new. Cruisers, you have to know you're allowed to bring two bottles of wine onto your cruise, one for each passenger and the cabin adult of course and you're, also a lot to bring soft drinks aboard so if you're if you like like, I do caffeine, free diet coke, you can bring cases of caffeine free into your luggage on ship I don't know one week crew celebrate three dozen colas, with me my, wife and I'll share those and we'll we'll save, ourselves two bucks a can on 70. On one 36 cans a 72 bucks we don't spend on Cola, although. I will buy a Cola at the dinner table when I'm in the main dining room I won't bring a can with me I'll buy one there and pay the 250 for the coke and that'll, be fine so, drinking alcohol, and getting an alcohol package is really a judgment, call if it's, a one week cruise I. Be careful, that because if on date for the seas are a little rough and you're, not feeling too well because of the motion you're not gonna be drinking anything and now you've lost 110, bucks that you didn't use it's non-refundable and, you, talk 110 dollars times seven days it's seven hundred and seventy dollars an alcohol per, person, I wouldn't. Be going with a drink package if I didn't have to I really, wouldn't another question people ask me all the time is the, specialty, restaurants. Should. I buy these specialty restaurant, - should I get a dining package that are offering me that even before the cruise is on and I, can pay so much a day for a specialty dining package, do I want to do that or, should I just do, a la carte when, I go my answer to that question is ala carte don't, fall for the the, deal where they're trying to sell you a deal on the, dining package because.
Remember. The, buffet, at the back of the ship which is a huge buffet with a lot of selection that's included, in your fare the. Main dining room is included, in your fare and so, you may find that out of the seven, nights three. Nights you're going to do the buffet and you're going to do the the main dining room on the, other four nights you, might you, might hit, up to a place like Johnny Rockets, on the Holland the Royal Caribbean ships. Seven. To ten dollars is the cost per person for a Johnny Rockets, on. The other hand you might have an Italian night while the Italian restaurants, are twenty. To forty dollars per, per meal you, might hit that up one time and on one other day you might, hit up the steakhouse, the premium, Steakhouse onboard, and that's the one day you spend the most on the other hand I have talked to passengers, who will say to me my. Big meal isn't dinner what, I'm doing is I go on shore say I'm in the Cayman Islands I'm gonna have a big lunch I'm gonna have a big lunch around three o'clock in the afternoon or, two in the afternoon and, I'm gonna go to the. Margaritaville. Or to the Hard Rock Cafe, I'm going to order their steak there I'm gonna have their best cut of steak, on. Shore and between, my wife and I we're gonna spend $75. And. Get the best of the best rather than paying $120. On the ship for the same meal and if we're still hungry you know five hours later we'll nibble in the buffet for something to top us up but I got the best meal on shore and I avoided, that ship cost this, is something new cruisers don't know that. When you leave the ship for, three or four days depending on your itinerary, you're, gonna probably nibble on something on shore and you can take advantage of the local street vendors that, you know they're delightful, in some of these places or you're gonna hit up a Starbucks, on shore and you might grab my latte, and a piece of cake or a muffin or something like that and, you. You don't need lunch now and for. Dinner and you might not feel like you're really hungry at seven o'clock for, a 100, dollar meal and, so you're better off just going to the buffet and check. That out and enjoy, and enjoy whatever you like there I feel, only like having dessert just, have dessert, and forget dinner altogether it's, up to you and you can you can play it by ear another, thing I'll tell you about the main dining room a lot of people think that all for breakfast I got to go to the buffet every morning no you don't can, go to the main dining room every day for breakfast, lunch or dinner so. If it's a CD and you've. Got time on your hands and you want to have a nice leisurely 1-hour, breakfast, go to the main dining room and let them serve you they'll bring you whatever you want off that menu and it'll, be cooked to order serve, by the waiter and you can sit back they'll bring you a carafe. A coffee or whatever and you can just enjoy and. You'll be just fine so the food side of it you'll love exploring, it and the. Main dining room food is is pretty darn good any, any meal you want. What. Happens if I get sick on board good question if you get ill on board it depends on of course the sickness but if you're suffering from seasickness, something, like that you can easily pick up some remedies in the souvenir. Shops right on the retail. Floor level there's a retail floor level on all cruise ships where, they'll sell you a t-shirts, they'll sell you a. Bottle, of Cola bottle, of water. Aspirin. They'll have seasickness remedies, there and they work rather well and some of some of them are simplest like a band-aid that goes behind your ear here I want, on each side some, of the ships they'll have a lot of them will have these wristbands, that you put on one on each wristband and they're. More like an acupuncture, thing a lot of people swear by those they'll. Have other recipes, there but if you really are under the weather I mean the seasickness is really getting to you you, head down to the medical level which, is thinking on usually level, four or level five it'll be on every, map, on the ship by the elevators, they have the map of the floor plan you, can always find the medical room any staff member can direct you there the, unsure, the on ship doctor can take care of you they'll either give you some, gravel or or they'll, leave they'll if they have to they'll give you an injection and that, will help stabilize you pretty quickly if the medical, issue is much more serious than that.
Heart. Attack or. Circulatory. Problems, you're feeling dizzy or you know whatever. The issue is they. Can, remedy, it pretty quickly, or, look after you as best they can until you get to the next port of call if you're if, your medical condition is life-threatening. The. The doctor, will contact the captain about it and then, they will go over the options if your ship, is scheduled to be at a port of call the. Next morning and the doctor feels that you're well enough to stay, in the medical wing. You. Know medical room with it with the nurse fine. Otherwise, you'll stay in your suite but, it can, happen that there are evacuations. Made at sea by medical, evacuation. Helicopters, but, that all depends where the ship is and how close to shore it is and, whether there's a helicopter available, my. Recommendation, to first-time cruisers, if you're cruising, and you have a history of medical issues you're taking medication, for a lot of ailments. You, cannot, think of going on a cruise ship without medical insurance you've, got to be covered for everything from from. Emergency. Medevac, coverage. To, hospital, coverage you, name it it may cost you quite a penny to get it but boy it'll save you so much more I've, heard people who've been flown. Off of the deck of a cruise ship on a helicopter, to, a hospital and they've received a bill for. $50,000. And a. Lot, of them don't have insurance for that and now these, companies are coming to get that money and they'll put liens on your property, your home you name it to get it it. Is serious, a serious, issue so if you're suffering from medical, ailments already, you, want to have medical insurance if you're young and you're healthy or if you're in your 40s and 50s you have no issues of any serious medical issues of any kind then. Then, the likelihood of you coming to something serious is extremely, extremely, slight. Accidents. Can happen obviously maybe, you fall and. Twist. Your wrist or sprain your wrist or twist your ankle I mean people, get injured, on cruise ships of course but. These. Kinds of issues can be dealt with pretty quickly. Pain, medication can, be provided, you'll be fine as you get to the export a call if you need to evacuate the ship and go to a hospital and it happens to be in Jamaica or the Cayman Islands or or it's st. Thomas then that's the way it is on the other hand if, you're a two or three days away from getting home back to Maine to Sage back to Miami, where you came from. Then you'll you'll tough it out with medication, and hopefully, and then you'll make it to a hospital there or or, work your way home. Every. Case is their own unique case but for my own minor illness, you'll be fine I always recommend when you go on a cruise as far as the medic medications, go you, take, from, what you have at home with you on a cruise so you take your tylenol, with you you, take, all your your, you know what advils. That you take take some bandages, take four cuts and scrapes augments. You. Know any anything that, that you have at home that is portable you bring that along with you you don't want to pay for it from the medical room if you get it all avoid it because it's highly marked up and keep. The cost of any treatment down and hopefully whatever. Your ailing from can be dealt with on your own or, long enough until you can see a doctor on on shore, again. Through insurance, and and. What, have you that's. A quick recap there. Should. I book the cheapest room when I see a carnival, like a sail on a Carnival, cruise or another cruise line I say, no I say don't book the cheapest price you can find right away do, your homework find, out if, you can find a cruise, for $499.
For One week find. Out why that cruise is only 499. Dollars instead of eight hundred ninety nine dollars find. Out if that includes all the charges it probably doesn't also. Find out what kind of room you're talking about you might be dealing with the inside, room right next to the laundry chute on one, side and the freight elevator on the other side of your room and you, won't have a peaceful, night's sleep at all for all seven nights you don't want to be there for. $50. More you might be able to get an ocean view room that's, just down the hallway looking, out over out to the sea and for. $100, more for the entire cruise you might find out that the lowest cost balcony, room is available three floors up with, your own private balcony. The cheapest, cruise is the cheapest, room, on the ship and might be the one that nobody wants, the cruise lines are trying to get you to try to entice you to jump at an offer and they're, hoping that you'll go to their website and once you're in their website you'll be lost in a myriad of choices and you'll, forget all about that $4.99, special that got you there in the first place and the next thing you know you're looking at $1,800, for two people or, $1,500. Each $3,000, expenditure, because they showed, you all these add-ons, and it just sounded so great and by the time you do the math you're going whatever happened to that $4.99 deal I was looking at and so, you want to be careful about that, again, go to vacations, to go calm, check, out my video watch, that video and see how how, you can operate the site and it'll help you find deals that are truly deals for, in other words the best room you can get for the money that's really, what you want out of a cruise okay. Now. I hope I've helped you with some of these questions some of these questions are the most frequently, asked questions I get from cruisers, especially. New cruisers, but. Those of you who haven't cruised at five or ten years I've, got a surprise for you things have changed things. Are changing every, week on the cruise lines and, you, really want to stay on top of this because some. Of the new charges that are that they've come up with kind, of reminding me of airlines, and hotels, we, never used to hear about resort. Fees at hotels, they had a pool they. Had the Sun Deck why. Is it a resort for you you built at 25 years ago now you're charging me an extra fee because you had it there for 20 years ridiculous. Cruise, ships are coming up with all kinds of novel ways to do add-ons and you have to be careful that when you see a super. Super special deal, advertised, on the, wherever else you find it so, do your homework do some research, check out vacations, cocom but check out my my.
Youtube Site I have got a hundred fifty videos out there I do a live stream every day Monday to Friday where, I taught cruise ships it's an open Q&A anyone. Can ask me anything they want to know of what going on a cruise what's, going on in the cruise business any, new rumours that we've heard are, going on and if, I don't have the answer one of my viewers I'll be watching we'll probably have the answer and we'll have the answer pop up on the screen in mere minutes so, I welcome you to join me Monday to Friday 5 o'clock Eastern Time Tuesdays, at 2 o'clock Eastern, and will set you straight I hope this video was helpful for you today if you liked it give me a thumbs up there should be a button here there with a little thumb up on it and if, you really like this video subscribe to my channel there's a button here there's a button there hit, the subscribe button else, there's another button a little bell icon I think it's over here and if, you click on that you'll get notifications, every time I load up another video and I'm gonna keep these videos coming on, cruising. And how to find a good deal on a cruise what you can pack what you shouldn't pack I got way more products, more, information. For you coming up on these videos and I, invite you to join me and and, the tag along you have any questions just drop. Them below here in the comment box just. Below this video you'll see an area there where you can ask me anything you want or comment on my video I love, to hear from you and I'll try to reply as best I can as quick as I can ok if, I don't see it on the live streams I'll see another time thanks for joining me today this, is Bruce with traveling with Bruce saying so long for now we'll, see you next time bye bye.
2018-03-04 01:14
Was that you in the video lounging Bruce? What room comes with that balcony?
Yup I was on the Norwegian Epic in the Spa. That is the Spa balcony in the back of the ship. So nice.... Bruce. I'm live twice today 5pm et and 8pm et should be fun...
Im planning on taking a cruise in Nov. When should (can) check in on line. can i do it months before the cruise or wait till about a week before we leave?
Hey Jerad! You can check in now if you want. Plus you don't have to make every decision now for your cruise, but you can get a start on the check in process now if you want. I'm live today at 5pm et 8 mins from now got to go! Bruce
Awesome video, your answers were clear and easy to understand.
Thanks Wes
YOU REALLY DO A GOOD JOB OF EXPLAINING THE FEATURES OF PRETTY MUCH ANY TYPE OF SHIP AND CRUISE...YOU SHOULD WRITE A SMALL BOOK WITH PHOTOS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF THE TYPES OF EXCURSIONS. OH, DON'T FORGET TO ADD A "TIP, AND SUGGESTION" AREA TO YOUR BOOK. MAKE A "MASTER COPY",AND JUST PRINT IT UP AS YOU NEED THEM.. IT WOULD HELP OUT SO MANY "NEWBIES"...IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THE CRUISE LINES START GIVING YOU FREE CRUISES BECAUSE YOU ARE HELPING TO PROMOTE THEM..SERIOUSLY, THINK ABOUT DOING A BOOK. I WOULD CHARGE AROUND $10. $15 . EACH. THEN OFFER IT ON YOUR "YOUTUBE" CHANNEL, AND GIVE A $3. DISCOUNT FOR YOUR SUBSCRIBERS..GOOD LUCK...JUDY ANSTESS SEE YA ON YOUR LIVE SHOW, AS USUAL..LOL
Thank you Judy for your kind words today, the cheque is in the mail.... lol.....Bruce
Is it better to stay with one cruise line to gain more points for more discounts or is it better to just use all cruise lines and not worry about being a returning guest on any line?
Debbie I like this question so much it's going on today's show. I could answer this question either way......
Hey Bruce - see you at 5:00 - ahoy
Great information thank you my friend
Thank you too
If you do decide to do the book, make sure to tell them that they will receive a $3 discount IF THEY SUBSCRIBE to your channel.