As far as the older ship tip goes, I was looking at a 7 night cruise on Symphony of the Seas in 2025. However, I ended up finding an 8 night cruise on Oasis of the Seas for cheaper. I got an extra night and port for cheaper because I decided to take a ship that was a few years older. Both have relatively the same amenities that I was looking for.
One of the best ones my dad taught me was to use the gym locker room to shower, it's spacious, usually never busy, always clean, and allows my spouse to get ready in the cabin at the same time. Holland America ships even have private dressing rooms if preferred.
Have the thermal suite on NCL (YES, an upcharge) so love having my shower there. I bought the thermal suite pass like just for itself, which was really great on a December Transatlantic 😊 I didn't realize how much I would appreciate that nice big shower until I was actually on board. Sooo nice 😊
I was on the Carnival Spirit two weeks ago out of Mobile. The AC stayed the same for all 8 days, no matter the setting. Very cold first night as I had a balcony. Tips: Hang lanyard with room card on inside of cabin door. Bring car freshners (trees) to hang in bathroom and room. They do not take up much space in your luggage. Get a waterproof fanny pack for prescriptions, wallet and passport. Great for taking to the beach or while in port.
A as planning first time cruiser I have been checking out lotsa videos. Yours are by far, the most informative, practical, and great use of my time. Thanks for doing a stellar job!
My friend and I went on a Royal Carribean cruise last year and she was ruffied at the pool! She left her drink unattended for a minute to dip her feet, and it didn't take long to take effect. Luckily, I helped her back to the cabin. Lesson learned - if you leave your drink, don't drink it upon return. Order a new one!
@@lightwarrior432 We didn't report it because we weren't sure if it happened by the pool or a hot tub. You should be fine if you don't leave your drink unattended. Just be aware of your surroundings.
My wife was famous for ordering multiple appetizers. Older ships are nicer and give you a good vacation. Newer ships are too crowded. Went on some of the behind the scenes tours. I like to put the key card in my pocket. That way I always have it with me. Only problem, If I change my garments. If the stateroom numbers get smaller then you are walking toward the front. If numbers get larger then you are walking toward the aft.
I always order 2 desserts because there are so many to try. The last night i didnt order one since we were on way to a show. The waiter was very concerned. 😂😂
5 year membership to AARP is $65. We’ve received far more than that in discounts on carnival gift cards. The future goal is $500 for deposit with our Christmas bonus and $100/month from now on and cruise once a year.
Great and unique tips! I've been binge watching cruise videos for our trip in April and many of these I haven't heard anywhere else. You got yourself a new subscriber! 😊
We book newer ships in off seasons. Yes, the kids miss school, but we get the makeup work done and we are able to sail a newer (not newest but newer) ship for half the cost usually and not as crazy of a crowd. Airfare is hundreds of dollars cheaper for us also as we always have to fly to any port.
We’ve never had thermostat issues on our Princess cruises. Often we sail on older ships. The heat and ac have always worked well. We’ve gone on cruises that go from tropical to colder areas and back. Adjusting the cabin temperature is a must.
Something I've never heard anyone point out about knowing where you are on the ship - the numbering convention for naval & commercial ships is that odd numbers are on the starboard side an even numbers on the port side. This certainly goes for staterooms (although I was a a ship somewhere in the world that didn't do this) but also valves, turbine generators, electrical panels, etc. Bonus tip: port & starboard are not left & right. Left & right are directions, port & starboard are a place. Just think the front & the back of the ship as being directions but the bow & the stern being places. Port and starboard are the same. Then you don't have to add "when facing the bow" to what port & starboard mean.
Thanks for the tips! I have a pocket on the back of my phone. At home I keep $20 and one of my ins ID cards for emergencies, and on a cruise I use the ins card to keep cabin lights on and put my cruise card in the pocket so I never forget my card (as long as I remember my phone)!
5:00 I carry a portable room thermometer to know the temperature in my room. The thermostat in the room does change the airflow (like an airplane air nozzle), if it doesn't change the actual temperature. I have found that older ships do not change the temperature measurably if it is very humid outside (most notably, during my cruise up the Asian seaboard from Singapore to Vladivostok) or exceedingly hot. It reminded me of my Swamp (evaporative) cooler in the desert. At 110 degrees outside, it would drop the temp by 20 degrees, but at 90 degrees outside the cooler would drop the inside temperature by twenty-five or thirty degrees, meaning I had to get up and turn it on and off to keep it at a comfortable 72 inside. I have found more often than not, changing the dial to either warmer or cooler actually did it. You waking and the temperature is colder because you do not actually change a degree setting; you tell the thermostat to be warmer or cooler. On a hot, humid day, you set it cooler, and it can't lower it much during the day, but as the ambient air temp lowers at night, it is still making it cooler. So it did what you asked, just not when you asked it. 7:00 The newer ships I have been on are like European Hotels; the key card must be inserted into a slot to bring more than limited power to your room. You cannot put it on your shoes and still watch TV if you are a solo traveler. 13:45 Dozens of sexual assaults are reported each year out of over 30 million passengers (2023 estimate). Even if you divided that by 52 weeks (an estimated average of the number of people on a cruise each week), you still get nearly 600,000 passengers. I cannot think of any city of 600,000 that only had dozens of sexual assaults in a year.
Definitely agree that you cannot control the temp on an older ship. Definitely CAN control the temp on a new ship. Our air broke down on in our Excel Aft Suite on Carnival Celebration. They came and measured the temp, agreed it was not working then sent repair people. We discovered that the three thermostats in the room controlled three different units built into the walls of that suite. 😮
We were on one of the older Carnival ships several years ago, and there was a vent in the ceiling for cool/warm air. For some reason thaat I cannot remember, I reached up to the vent and felt a switch the moved left and right, Left turned on to a cooler temp, and right to a warmer temp. Who woulda known?
We’ve always had the thermostat work on our Princess cruises. No matter whether old or newer ship, we’ve been able to make the room a comfortable temperature.
I would think another reason why the cruise ships offer you a nice discount for pre-purchasing drink and dining packages is they get to use your money interest-free from the time you buy (say, 90 days before the cruise) until they actually have to provide you food or beverages
Yes,called time cost of money and is actually taken into account on the books. Think of interest accured on a high interest account plus loss of purchasing power with inflation
In 1992 the Sovereign of the Seas of Royal Caribbean was one of the most (if not the most) biggest ships in the world.......Today it almost looks like a simple boat, compared to today's huge "floating resorts"! 😊
I went on the Carnival Miracle for a 10-day Alaskan cruise. The miracle is one of the older ships. it was cheap and had heard the older ships are just as good...... it's the worst cruise I've ever been on lol
The AARP cards are a nightmare to use. You can’t just redeem them with RCL. You have to redeem them at a special email and it takes FOREVER to get redeemed. I submitted mine on 12/14/23, and I’m still waiting for them to be applied 20 days later. It also takes 5-7 business days for that email address to respond to emails.
On Disney magic in 2019 the thermostat definitely made a difference in the middle setting it would heat and the lowest the room would freeze though that could be that we were in Northern Europe in the 50 degree range
It may be the best method I've seen yet. Not sure why there isn't one set solution across every ship yet. Seems like there would be a definite winner one way or another.
lol I’m a cheap date on Alaskan cruises - salmon only ! Lox in am ! I don’t eat a lot so maybe some Alaskan crab too. We have lobsters in New England and I find they have no taste
Bathrooms. Then again, on Disney Cruise, the shower and toilet are in separate rooms in most cabins. SHOES and room key card. What happens if you wear a different pair of shoes at different times?
Don't like the idea of the hanging organizer as it would make a small bathroom tighter and being the way in the 'hallway' when the bathroom door is open. There's always enough shelf space to put out the things you use daily. Just keep the things you want handy in a clear toiletry bag & stow under the sink.
Mostly helpful, thanks for the insight, but the crime facts are not something you should gloss over. It is very hard to get functional assistance, litigation, or justice for assaults or other crimes perpetrated on cruise ships. I think to have a section mentioning crime without being genuine about the lack of or sacrifice of legal stability one has while on a cruise ship is either very naive or purposefully misleading. To say “very few serious crimes”occur when the cruise line determines what is legitimate, what to report, what to pursue,and what is considered serious is not a fair and accurate statement. I do very much appreciate your sharing of tips. If you are ignorant of the various real human costs of cruises please do some research.
All cruise lines hire crew from across the globe and don't tolerate hate speech on the ships. If you are anti-"woke" going on a cruise with people from multiple countries is the wrong vacation for you.
I didn’t know AARP was a left winger woke supporter. Lol ! Great now i know to support them more as I don’t like right wingers, anal posture and besides they have supported social security for many years as conservatives right wingers want to stop the program and medicare to boast too.
That’s a shame that you have to be on your best behaviour any time you are out of your cabin (1:39). Are there any cruise lines where you can just let your hair down and relax?
This is the first of these videos that actually provided real secrets/tips I could use. 👍🏼
As far as the older ship tip goes, I was looking at a 7 night cruise on Symphony of the Seas in 2025. However, I ended up finding an 8 night cruise on Oasis of the Seas for cheaper. I got an extra night and port for cheaper because I decided to take a ship that was a few years older. Both have relatively the same amenities that I was looking for.
Thanks for sharing.
One of the best ones my dad taught me was to use the gym locker room to shower, it's spacious, usually never busy, always clean, and allows my spouse to get ready in the cabin at the same time. Holland America ships even have private dressing rooms if preferred.
Have the thermal suite on NCL (YES, an upcharge) so love having my shower there. I bought the thermal suite pass like just for itself, which was really great on a December Transatlantic 😊 I didn't realize how much I would appreciate that nice big shower until I was actually on board. Sooo nice 😊
I was on the Carnival Spirit two weeks ago out of Mobile. The AC stayed the same for all 8 days, no matter the setting. Very cold first night as I had a balcony. Tips: Hang lanyard with room card on inside of cabin door. Bring car freshners (trees) to hang in bathroom and room. They do not take up much space in your luggage. Get a waterproof fanny pack for prescriptions, wallet and passport. Great for taking to the beach or while in port.
A as planning first time cruiser I have been checking out lotsa videos. Yours are by far, the most informative, practical, and great use of my time. Thanks for doing a stellar job!
Glad you like it!
We actually prefer the older smaller ships. I have been on over 15 different ones and I LOVE the more relaxed feel of the smaller ones.
Same. I sign up for the itinerary. The smaller ships often go to more out of the way places.
My friend and I went on a Royal Carribean cruise last year and she was ruffied at the pool! She left her drink unattended for a minute to dip her feet, and it didn't take long to take effect. Luckily, I helped her back to the cabin. Lesson learned - if you leave your drink, don't drink it upon return. Order a new one!
Sounds fun free drugs😊
How horrible! I’m looking forward to having drinks by the POOL! 😬
Did you report it?
If so, what happened?
@@lightwarrior432 We didn't report it because we weren't sure if it happened by the pool or a hot tub. You should be fine if you don't leave your drink unattended. Just be aware of your surroundings.
I don't believe it
My wife was famous for ordering multiple appetizers. Older ships are nicer and give you a good vacation. Newer ships are too crowded. Went on some of the behind the scenes tours. I like to put the key card in my pocket. That way I always have it with me. Only problem, If I change my garments. If the stateroom numbers get smaller then you are walking toward the front. If numbers get larger then you are walking toward the aft.
I always order 2 desserts because there are so many to try. The last night i didnt order one since we were on way to a show. The waiter was very concerned. 😂😂
5 year membership to AARP is $65. We’ve received far more than that in discounts on carnival gift cards. The future goal is $500 for deposit with our Christmas bonus and $100/month from now on and cruise once a year.
Great and unique tips! I've been binge watching cruise videos for our trip in April and many of these I haven't heard anywhere else. You got yourself a new subscriber! 😊
Same binge watching, NCL Transatlantic in April. 😊 Has another new subscriber here as well.😊
We book newer ships in off seasons. Yes, the kids miss school, but we get the makeup work done and we are able to sail a newer (not newest but newer) ship for half the cost usually and not as crazy of a crowd. Airfare is hundreds of dollars cheaper for us also as we always have to fly to any port.
We’ve never had thermostat issues on our Princess cruises. Often we sail on older ships. The heat and ac have always worked well. We’ve gone on cruises that go from tropical to colder areas and back. Adjusting the cabin temperature is a must.
Great presentation most like a cruise director that you have made. My favorite presentation was of the stunning architecture of some of the ships.
That makes so much sense about the fresh wallet. I know it would work with me!
Something I've never heard anyone point out about knowing where you are on the ship - the numbering convention for naval & commercial ships is that odd numbers are on the starboard side an even numbers on the port side. This certainly goes for staterooms (although I was a a ship somewhere in the world that didn't do this) but also valves, turbine generators, electrical panels, etc. Bonus tip: port & starboard are not left & right. Left & right are directions, port & starboard are a place. Just think the front & the back of the ship as being directions but the bow & the stern being places. Port and starboard are the same. Then you don't have to add "when facing the bow" to what port & starboard mean.
Thanks for the tips! I have a pocket on the back of my phone. At home I keep $20 and one of my ins ID cards for emergencies, and on a cruise I use the ins card to keep cabin lights on and put my cruise card in the pocket so I never forget my card (as long as I remember my phone)!
5:00 I carry a portable room thermometer to know the temperature in my room. The thermostat in the room does change the airflow (like an airplane air nozzle), if it doesn't change the actual temperature. I have found that older ships do not change the temperature measurably if it is very humid outside (most notably, during my cruise up the Asian seaboard from Singapore to Vladivostok) or exceedingly hot. It reminded me of my Swamp (evaporative) cooler in the desert. At 110 degrees outside, it would drop the temp by 20 degrees, but at 90 degrees outside the cooler would drop the inside temperature by twenty-five or thirty degrees, meaning I had to get up and turn it on and off to keep it at a comfortable 72 inside. I have found more often than not, changing the dial to either warmer or cooler actually did it. You waking and the temperature is colder because you do not actually change a degree setting; you tell the thermostat to be warmer or cooler. On a hot, humid day, you set it cooler, and it can't lower it much during the day, but as the ambient air temp lowers at night, it is still making it cooler. So it did what you asked, just not when you asked it.
7:00 The newer ships I have been on are like European Hotels; the key card must be inserted into a slot to bring more than limited power to your room. You cannot put it on your shoes and still watch TV if you are a solo traveler.
13:45 Dozens of sexual assaults are reported each year out of over 30 million passengers (2023 estimate). Even if you divided that by 52 weeks (an estimated average of the number of people on a cruise each week), you still get nearly 600,000 passengers. I cannot think of any city of 600,000 that only had dozens of sexual assaults in a year.
Definitely agree that you cannot control the temp on an older ship. Definitely CAN control the temp on a new ship. Our air broke down on in our Excel Aft Suite on Carnival Celebration. They came and measured the temp, agreed it was not working then sent repair people. We discovered that the three thermostats in the room controlled three different units built into the walls of that suite. 😮
Where are the gift cards on AARP? Can you post a link below? I am a member and can not find where to purchase them. Thank you for the great video.
Nice tip about used cards and die. Thanks.
We were on one of the older Carnival ships several years ago, and there was a vent in the ceiling for cool/warm air. For some reason thaat I cannot remember, I reached up to the vent and felt a switch the moved left and right, Left turned on to a cooler temp, and right to a warmer temp. Who woulda known?
That’s a sweet little tip Thankx🙏🏻🤔😉
We’ve always had the thermostat work on our Princess cruises. No matter whether old or newer ship, we’ve been able to make the room a comfortable temperature.
I would think another reason why the cruise ships offer you a nice discount for pre-purchasing drink and dining packages is they get to use your money interest-free from the time you buy (say, 90 days before the cruise) until they actually have to provide you food or beverages
Yes,called time cost of money and is actually taken into account on the books. Think of interest accured on a high interest account plus loss of purchasing power with inflation
I mean, its $2.50 - they give it to the Loch Ness monster so nbd
In 1992 the Sovereign of the Seas of Royal Caribbean was one of the most (if not the most) biggest ships in the world.......Today it almost looks like a simple boat, compared to today's huge "floating resorts"! 😊
5:33 on grandeur of the seas the oldest in royal Caribbean I got sick and I cranked up the heat. It workes
1:00 MSC only allows one appetizer, entree, and dessert. They will charge for more.
I went on the Carnival Miracle for a 10-day Alaskan cruise. The miracle is one of the older ships. it was cheap and had heard the older ships are just as good...... it's the worst cruise I've ever been on lol
On MSC ships no floor 17. They have a 13. 17 is unlucky in Italy.
Strange as the "Night of the long knives" was throughout Europe not that Popes are mass murders
It was only 8% yesterday through AARP but still a deal.
I’m joining AARP TODAY! 😂
Holland America actually advertises that they don't have massive ships. They call them "Right Sized."
The AARP cards are a nightmare to use. You can’t just redeem them with RCL. You have to redeem them at a special email and it takes FOREVER to get redeemed. I submitted mine on 12/14/23, and I’m still waiting for them to be applied 20 days later. It also takes 5-7 business days for that email address to respond to emails.
On Disney magic in 2019 the thermostat definitely made a difference in the middle setting it would heat and the lowest the room would freeze though that could be that we were in Northern Europe in the 50 degree range
Bring magnetic hooks - you can put your shoe orginizer on any wall and just use extra hooks for your hat, robe, charger, and so on.
I kept saying that the thermostat on adventure was just for show.
I'm convinced it does NOTHING.
How did you like the Carnival Horizon and the way the elevator worked?
It may be the best method I've seen yet. Not sure why there isn't one set solution across every ship yet. Seems like there would be a definite winner one way or another.
Great video
Over the door shoe organizers are not allowed on Disney ships.
That’s when I go to the jacuzzi, when everyone is the boat! Lol
I think you are correct about the thermostat on older ships. They aren’t worth 💩.
Thank you!!!
lol I’m a cheap date on Alaskan cruises - salmon only ! Lox in am ! I don’t eat a lot so maybe some Alaskan crab too. We have lobsters in New England and I find they have no taste
How do find listings for oldrr ships?
The aarp discount for princess gift cards is now only 8%, it is no longer 10% unfortunately.
On Royal you can no longer order two entrees at one time.
interesting
I just did!
@@katderose2962 So did I. No hassle, no extra charge.
Hmm I did 1 year ago🤔
Bathrooms. Then again, on Disney Cruise, the shower and toilet are in separate rooms in most cabins. SHOES and room key card. What happens if you wear a different pair of shoes at different times?
I said it was my birthday and I got a spa pass
There's always a spare restroom outside of the casino. The ones I've been on have the restrooms tucked between the elevators and casino.
except when i do that with my shoes and swap to flip flops and get locked out
Set 'em at the door!
Where are the AARP gift cards? I am looking on the AARP website and I'm not seeing them!
7:33 Deck 13 lmao
I’m not sure they don’t just put charges on your card hoping you won’t notice.
I check my princess medallion every day on ship…I now cover the medallion so it can not pick up info..then there is cctv…this will give evidence too
On MSC your missing deck 17
Have a good 2024.
Was that Scat out a washroom ??!!
The shoe/key card is silly
Gift cards now offer only 8 percent savings - but still a nice price break.
Thanks for the update. So with a 2% cash back card, you can bump that up to 10%. Better than a kick in the butt.
Nope only Princess is 8 percent the others are 10 percent still. Just got some.
@@robertabeyers3371 thanks.
Don't like the idea of the hanging organizer as it would make a small bathroom tighter and being the way in the 'hallway' when the bathroom door is open. There's always enough shelf space to put out the things you use daily. Just keep the things you want handy in a clear toiletry bag & stow under the sink.
Since I can never eat the whole meal...I always ask for a smaller serving for the salad or soup and main course so I can enjoy the dessert 😊
Eat desert first
Mostly helpful, thanks for the insight, but the crime facts are not something you should gloss over. It is very hard to get functional assistance, litigation, or justice for assaults or other crimes perpetrated on cruise ships. I think to have a section mentioning crime without being genuine about the lack of or sacrifice of legal stability one has while on a cruise ship is either very naive or purposefully misleading. To say “very few serious crimes”occur when the cruise line determines what is legitimate, what to report, what to pursue,and what is considered serious is not a fair and accurate statement. I do very much appreciate your sharing of tips. If you are ignorant of the various real human costs of cruises please do some research.
Nothing is FREE 9n a ship its 8n your room fee
Please don’t use the public restrooms unless it is an emergency. There is a much better chance of getting a norovirus in a public restroom. Seriously.
Good advice I never thought of
Fear monger
Wash your hands more often, dirtball!
Wash your hands and don't lick door handle, you'll be fine.
Use the restrooms by the buffet to WASH YOUR HANDS.
I will never go on a huge ship like that double decker thing..too many people -in an emergency…forget it. So impersonal
AARP is a left wing woke supporter. Instead consider AMAC. 😊
All cruise lines hire crew from across the globe and don't tolerate hate speech on the ships. If you are anti-"woke" going on a cruise with people from multiple countries is the wrong vacation for you.
@@dchenkin02 you really don't know what woke is. Woke is racist and intolerant of anyone who isn't in your cult.
I’ll just be even more “woke,” what we called “being decent humans” when I was small.
I didn’t know AARP was a left winger woke supporter. Lol ! Great now i know to support them more as I don’t like right wingers, anal posture and besides they have supported social security for many years as conservatives right wingers want to stop the program and medicare to boast too.
On a cruise tips comment section, really?! Nowhere is safe from y’all…
That’s a shame that you have to be on your best behaviour any time you are out of your cabin (1:39).
Are there any cruise lines where you can just let your hair down and relax?
Shouldn't we always be on our best behavior?
Except some people's version of letting their hair down, may Not be relaxing to those you're sharing the space with.
Just stay home and do what you like. You’ll get arrested and/or banned on any ship.