I have done over 12 cruises. Now that I am over 55. My cruise experience now looks very different. Have enjoyed huge mega ships and all night partying, casinos etc. . Now I enjoy smaller ships and destination matters cruising. Enjoy no kids , more relaxing experience . To each their own. Emma enjoy your site and videos, keep up the good work.
I was kinda hoping you'd say "cruising is awful, I don't even like boats" for the comedic value. Alas, here I am, sat in bed after binge watching about 10 videos. I didn't even want to cruise but I came across your channel through recommended and now I'm hovering over book now.
The cons that come up in my mind as someone who's never been on a cruise is the way the workers are treated and the ecological issues. Edit: Also there's the problem of the effect the cruises have on the places they visit and the lives of people that live there (Venice comes up to mind). Basically, the cons that I think of are the ethical ones not necessarily how the cruise is for the people enjoying it. But for some reason, I keep watching this channel... 🤷🏼♀️😁
I love your accent. You are so easy to listen to and you are so knowledgeable. I find so many tips and yes cruising is insanely addictive. First cruise at 56, waited my whole life to be financially able to cruise as well as time available. I dreamt of it my whole life and I have three booked. Mexico , US west coast and Alaska. All because we live in WA state and ports are close to us. Either a 2 hour flight or a two hour drive. We received full refund from Princess as we were booked in May for Mexico and with FCC we rebooked 3 trips for the cost of one. We are thrilled ! Thank you for sharing and your lovely videos.
You can prevent a weight gain by using the gym, free to use and eating Salads and fish and chicken, we usually walk about 4 miles in between breakfast and lunch, we used to do the treadmill but some ships limits you to have an hour, I have yet to get sick sick in a cruise, have done about 20 of them, but like you said not everyone is the same, we are going to be on Costa for the first time this coming Sunday and we already booked a Transatlantic from Fort Lauderdale to Venice, the price was real bargain and couldn't pass it up. Great tips as usual Emma.
Am in Dec on NCL Encore, first transatlantic, and first one longer then 7 days. The lre-cruose Facebook group and Friends of Dorothy group, and huge amount of Solo travellers, all make me sooooopp excited for this fabulous trip!
As a child we had our own ship, but now I have found cruising. Relaxed travelling. Only did one and it was a themed cruise (Star Trek), set to do another next year, but looking into more cruises and find your channel the best for information.
I started off backpacking in my twenties, then taking city breaks (because of the stressful travel and never getting to spend enough time in a single place) and then because of a friend's generosity I got bitten by the cruise bug. It was a rocky start -- my husband got cancer and had a brain operation while my friends were preparing for a cruise, so we had to cancel one in 2018, but we got a short one in two months before he died, and our casual cuddle selfie is my Facebook page avatar. I have a travel-sickness problem, but like you more on land than on a cruise. I have an anxiety disorder though, and the first time we were in a storm (on the Skaggaratt in 2016) it was a nightmare. But the staff were wonderful and soothed both my husband and me and handed out seasickness pills. St Petersburg was great because we were only worried about getting back to the ship before dinner, rather than cast-off! We were on a private tour and you're heavily discouraged from going solo into Russia even if you get their visa, but the thing is on Baltic cruises is that the adjacent ports -- Tallinn, Riga, parts of Helsinki -- give you some of the flavour of Russia if you can't get on an official excursion or book a private tour. (I'm a Russophile but Putin is squeezing the life out of the country :(.) And being on a floating version of Centre Parks was a magic feeling. I totally agree with the book thing -- I took my cross stitch work and got a lot done while relaxing in the lounge and then the library after hours.
Hi Emma. This is a well put together video and extremely informative especially for those who may be considering a cruise for the first time. I am happy to remain on the ship in some ports because for me the ship is the destination.
I have quite bad anxiety and until this year I haven’t even been able to go into a restaurant and eat on my own. I’ve been pushing myself to first order in a food court and get comfortable with that and then, after years, I finally ate out on my own. So given my issues with ordering food and eating on my own in public, a cruise was perfect. I didn’t manage to eat in one of the restaurants but I did eat in the buffet and it was perfect for me. And the travelling is all organised for you too (yes I did the cruise port excursions cos anxiety).
Hi Emma, thanks for a really good and balanced summary. When you get to cruise regularly it's pretty certain you'll get the cruise 'bug' and maybe overlook some of the downsides, so it's nice to see a well considered overview which I'm sure will be invaluable for anyone considering cruising.
Great video. Informative and to the point. I especially agree with the relaxation part. We have spent plenty of vacations by lakes and it was relaxing but not the same as sitting in a lounge chair watching the ocean go by.
Great summary Emma but a major con can be the massive crowds. Crowds onboard the ship like the pool, etc. Then you get off at a port and you're in a swarm of 1000's of other people from your own ship and potentially other docked cruise ships. If this isn't your thing, then pick your cruise very carefully. (ex: maybe river cruises)
This is a great overview of all the pros of cruising - well done! Agree so much! I sent it to an about to be first time cruiser. We r on Oasis in Nov. can’t wait!
That has o be one of the best cruising videos I've seen. I agree with everything you said on there especially the comment about rude cruisers, there's just no need. I love cruising but I haven't been on many yet but I'm working on it.
I have a sailing buddy (as in sailboats) who took his 1st cruise with his wife on a Princess Alaska cruise. He didn't like it. I was surprised. When I asked if he show the shows, went to the pools or did other actives, he said no. ;-) Very puzzling. I guess there are personalities that just aren't suited for cruises.
So much agreed! I know I've posted on your FB page that one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen was the Caribbean Coast of Guatemala. Never would have (or even could have, since there's really no other easy way to get there) been there other than on a cruise. And yep, totally great value. For barely the cost of a hotel room per night (in New York anyway), we get the whole trip including lodging, meals, speciality dining package, drink package, and shore excursion credits!
Hi Emma, love your videos. I think the best cruises are those where it would be impossible to get to the destinations any other way. My favourite ones were Spitsbergen ( twice ), both on Fred Olsen’s Black Watch, and Greenland with Voyages of Discovery, both amazing value considering the places visited, about quarter the price of an expedition cruise. Spitsbergen was the most intense,stark and beautiful wilderness, highlight was a polar bear swimming past the ship. Greenland is also mind-blowingly spectacular. We went up to Illulissat and Disco Bay, sailing past cathedral sized icebergs in the midnight sun. Essential for me on any ship is a wraparound prom deck, stepped decks at the stern with a bar on the top one. Heaven! Hope you make it to Greenland, if you have’nt already. Cheers!
A well explained video. A few comments. Cruises are a little of a lot and land tours are a lot of a little. Cruises you see more diverse a lot faster. Many cruise lines are doing overnights to give you more time in interesting ports. People complain about bussing from livorno to Florence but try doing it across Europe. Up at 6 am every morning. I get motion sickness. I get a balcony midship, mid deck. I take medication. Your cruise fare is the breakeven for a cruise ship. Its a great value and you have a choice of cabin. If you want to save money, just don't buy anything. I don't like the mega ships, a ship like the Royal Princess is big enough but I prefer smaller. Internet, its much faster now. Also many ports have free wifi zones or go to a Starbucks or McDonalds.
Aloha luv the info im going on my 1st cruise ever ill be 61 in April 6-13 2024 for moms 80th birthday to carabean islands keep up the great info, mahalo
I didn't realize this video was from 4 years ago but it caught my attention when you said you can have as much food as you want because that's not the case anymore LOL 😅
@@EmmaCruises What I mean is many of the big lines are now limiting entrees in the MDR to 2 then you have to pay a nominal fee if you want more than 2 whereas when you shot that video you could still order the entire menu as much as you wanted at no additional charge lol 😉
Great list of Pros and Cons. I have a tip for Seasickness issues. I try to book a cabin with a window lower desk, mid ship. Shouldn't "Too Much Food" be a Con? Yes, I am addicted to cruising, hopefully they will never find the cure,
My preferred size of cruiseship is around 3000 people... even if I loved to go on the Costa Smeralda and would like to try the Symphony or Oasis of the Seas. Right now I should be doing my second cruise on Smeralda and 10th cruise... I should normally be in Barcelona right now :) wonderful city where I have pleasure to go several time...
If a cruise changes their itinerary, they are also obligated to refund your port charges. Sometimes they forget so check your statement! And don't take food from the children's buffet on MSC Cruises, you will get yelled at by the staff! That happened to me a couple times but their buffet food was so awful, that was the only section that had anything decent to eat LOL! You couldn't pay me to cruise with MSC again! It is getting better with the single supplement for solo travellers. P&O has recently added solo cabins, some with a verandah! Their solo cabins are very comfortable. Cunard has some of the nicest solo cabins. NCL's 'studio' cabins are basically a bed in the middle of a bathroom! (I am not kidding!) But if you book last minute, many cruise lines have greatly reduced the single supplement, some as low as 0%! NCL often has the best last minute deals for solo travellers in a standard cabin. Their studio cabins often sellout early. Unfortunately, Disney Cruise Line NEVER discounts for solo travellers. And DCL is my favorite overall. Their entertainment is tops! If you are prone to seasickness, begin taking the meds a day before embarkation. RCI's VOOM is the best internet service I have used at sea. But RCI ships often feel like you're staying at a shopping mall, no wraparound Promenade Deck to connect with the sea, just interior views for the week. A cruise holiday is definitely one of the best values!
Emma, how do cruises support handicapped people in ports? I'm very, very slow. I do have a walker, but it makes mobility possible - it doesn't make it fast! I'd love to go on a cruise and visit all the great places you've listed. I'd love that you've listed activities I can be involved in. (Though if I try to dance, it'd better be ballroom or latin, and my partner would have to be strong!) On the ship it'd be no problem. I have my walker. Off the ship, I might make the entire group late. And frankly, I *won't* let other peoples' land visits get ruined because of me. Do they already have that problem covered?
They Julia, they have special tours that are marked as accessible . They’re used to having guests with mobility issues so it’s not usually a problem. Those tours do sell out fast though so you do have to be organised ❤️❤️
so if you have 13-16 hours in port of warnemunde for berlin, you waste six hours getting to and getting back fromberlin, how much actual sightseeing time do you have? one maybe two museums, or exterior only hop on hop off bus loop? same goes for london, paris, milan, florence, rome, seville, etc
main con, ports are soooooo far from advertised city : florence ( livorno), rome ( civitavecchia), milan( genova), paris ( honfleur or le havre), london (southampton harwich dover), seville (cadiz or huelva), cordoba ( malaga), granada ( motril almeria or malaga), berlin ( warnemuende), etc
@@chriswilliams6568 true, but just the way the cruise lines advertise destinations when the ports are soooo far away from them, i would much prefer you list the port in the promotions, advertising, and mention that the optional add ons (excursions, experience, port adventures whatever your cruise line calls them) are much over priced and rushed experiences though most budget friendly coach\bus tours are the same way with lots of hostage shopping...for kickbacks\commission.
Could find places with few people on a ship. Prefer smaller to midsize ships. I like to wonder off and do my own thing. If I take a shore excursion it is with the cruise line. At least they will wait until we get back. When on a cruise I like to be not connected. Cruising Solo can get expensive. Celebrity Cruise Line charges solos about three times as much as a double occupancy. Solo staterooms are expensive.
two three hours one way from main city means five six hours of your day is spent transport rather than in the city. almost no way to go there without excursions
It’s definitely something I’m looking into more. It’s so tricky! I’m in a great Facebook group called cruises for solos if you’re on Facebook, lots of good deals :-)
I am considering a cruise, yet I love the adventure of exploring. I am afraid that a cruise will feel like being disconnected, on a floating "mall" and not give the exploration of learning another culture. Perhaps it's not for me?
biggest con for me is time wasted because of distance from port to featured destination: berlin warnemuende, paris le havre, brussels zeebrugge, london harwich or southampton, cordoba or granada malaga, seville cadiz or huelva, milano from genova portofino or savona, florence la spezia or livorno, rome vatican civitavecchia, etc, which makes excursions with ships almost mandatory. excursions at least guarantee you will make it back in time and skip loooong lines at vatican uffizi louvre orsay accademia last supper castello sforzesco pinacoteca brera teatro alla scala, so think carefully. visas required for st petersburg russia can be skipped through an excursion and likewise for turkey and i believe certain asian nations too....? big pro for cruising. river cruises combine unpack only once, with actually arriving in vienna or budapest on danube, dresden prague on elbe, nuremberg wuerzburg on main, .... however many destinations are still only accessible by bus train land tour. some tour companies offer land and sea combo so you can in fact visit more, enjoy performances of classical orchestra piano opera ballet etc which is never possible for most ocean cruisers. madrid, leipzig, bergamo, cremona, halle, zwockau, neuschwanstein, pesaro, busseto, chenonceaux, vaux vicomte, fontainebleau, cheverny, chambord, are almost never available by cruise only by land. consider destination first then best method of travel, then budget accordingly. depends on your age, the older you are , the more generous you should be, if you are young you can save money, if you are old, you might not have that much time left . islands are excellent destination for cruisers. land locked less so. costa is exceptional except it does have less destinations but even excursions are fair or cheaper than many, norwegian is expensive when cruise excursions are considered, oceania has oLife flights and excursions included,
The entire itinerary can change. I was traveling from Boston to Bermuda 16 years ago with my terminally ill mom. Hurricane season turned a tropical vacation into a leaf peeping Canadian tour. It was still very nice, but the cruise line didnt let people know until the ship started moving. I had been keeping tabs on the weather, and had called ahead of time. They wouldn't confirm the change. I told the agent how I needed to prepare and why. While she couldn't confirm, she did bend the rules and told me to pack warm clothes. No complaints.
Pro #8 about the children is actually a major con in my eyes. I HATE kids and they’re the last thing I want to deal with on my holiday!! I go to such lengths to try and cruise in holiday times or ships that are more adult oriented. When I’m on holiday trying to relax and have a nice time the last thing I want to be dealing with is a screaming child running around and behaving badly 🤬 as you said cruise lines are catering more to families now than ever, so now I see it that it’s becoming harder to avoid the little sh*ts😤
best cruises for relaxing are caribbean, south pacific, islands whether greek, spanish, italian, transatlantic or transpacific, ... south american, asian, african...
@@chriswilliams6568 You are probably right. But are not things I appreciate that much. And after 12 years in the Navy I do not find being at sea intetesting any more 😉
@@chriswilliams6568 To each his own 😀. I may be strange, but I have seen a lot of Emma's and other cruise videos, and I have studied a lot of cruise brochures, and so far I have not come across any activities on a cruise ship that I want to take part in. My idea of a great 4 week vacation is to define a start and an end point, get in my car and improvise along the way. Like when my son and I drove from Seattle to New York City. Along the way we deviated a bit from the direct route and visited, Colorado, Texas, Florida and more states. That's what relaxation is to me. 😀
@@chriswilliams6568 Actually I live in Denmark. My favorite vacations are road trips in USA with my 40 something son. And I don't look for suitable restaurants 😀. I just look for a place to eat. Accomodation and restaurants are not essential to me on a road trip.
3000?! I've never found a cruise that expensive what on earth are you looking at, ha ha. £100pp per night is my ideal but £200 is normal. Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
@@EmmaCruises some Iceland cruises, but its mostly the Caribbean cruises tbf... I looked again after watching and they aren't as expensive as I once thought, but strangely Turkish and Greek cruises are the cheapest I've found aha
vienna budapest danube river cruise or land; prague dresden hamburg warsaw(?) elbe river cruise or land; Bonn Cologne Amsterdam Rhine river or land; Nuremberg Wuerzburg Main river or land; madrid leipzig halle zwickau leon burgos bergamo pesaro cremona busseto roncole Land only; Paris London Florence Milano Rome Seville Cordoba Granada Berlin Land River or Ocean Excursion; Athens Turkey Russia Scandinavia Holland OceanCruise
Some are much better than others or course, if you look at Virgin and Celebrity they have a lot of interesting things to say on the topic. Generally older ships = less tech, worse. But of course lots more to it 😂❤️
Fortunately, the really rude people are few and far between. Happiness is a choice, and if you are cruising, why make yourself unhappy? Makes no sense at all.
C'mon Emma. You know you can't fatten a thoroughbred (me) no matter how much you feed it. My last cruise I went on I think I put on less than half a Kilo over 7 days.
Roflmao you don't eat dead animal. Dead animal has a lot of calories. 1 lb a day is probably close to a reality if you eat a burger and a steak everyday. Vegetarians have a great advantage on a cruise and I am envious. But not enough to give up my dead animal.. Thanks for the great info. Very entertaining.
@Hercule Poirot exceptions- places accessible both by river and ocean include Hamburg (Elbe), Amsterdam(Rhine), Venice(Po). place only accessible by land- Madrid (or excursion from Douro river), Leipzig (rare excursion from Elbe), Warsaw, Halle, Bergamo, Pesaro, Busseto, Zwickau, Weimar... river or land- Vienna, Budapest(Danube), Cologne(Rhine), Wuerzburg Nuremberg(Main or Rhine-Danube); ocean Excursion or River cruises- Granada, Cordoba(malaga), Sevilla(cadiz) Guadalquivir; Milano(Genova) Po; Paris(cherbourg\honfleur) Seine ; London (southampton\tillbury\harwich\etc) is land or ocean excursion; Brussels (zeebrugge\antwerp) is ocean excursion or river or land. Cambodia Angkor Wat- mekong river or land; India Taj Mahal Ganges river or land. Turkey or Russia were good places to visit by cruise skipping visa plus language requirements. Israel is land in depth but also available from excursion ocean cruises likewise Egypt, Jordan. Islands- Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines (if you can afford the visa), Japan, South Korea are all available by ocean cruise or land tour. Has anybody tried river cruises in Burma(Irrawaddy sorry spelling) China(Yangtze)?
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I have done over 12 cruises. Now that I am over 55. My cruise experience now looks very different. Have enjoyed huge mega ships and all night partying, casinos etc. . Now I enjoy smaller ships and destination matters cruising. Enjoy no kids , more relaxing experience . To each their own. Emma enjoy your site and videos, keep up the good work.
Thanks John! 😍♥️👏
I was kinda hoping you'd say "cruising is awful, I don't even like boats" for the comedic value.
Alas, here I am, sat in bed after binge watching about 10 videos. I didn't even want to cruise but I came across your channel through recommended and now I'm hovering over book now.
Yay!! Thanks Jonathan, appreciate you watching 😀👏🏼
The cons that come up in my mind as someone who's never been on a cruise is the way the workers are treated and the ecological issues. Edit: Also there's the problem of the effect the cruises have on the places they visit and the lives of people that live there (Venice comes up to mind). Basically, the cons that I think of are the ethical ones not necessarily how the cruise is for the people enjoying it.
But for some reason, I keep watching this channel... 🤷🏼♀️😁
Amen
I love your accent. You are so easy to listen to and you are so knowledgeable. I find so many tips and yes cruising is insanely addictive. First cruise at 56, waited my whole life to be financially able to cruise as well as time available. I dreamt of it my whole life and I have three booked. Mexico , US west coast and Alaska. All because we live in WA state and ports are close to us. Either a 2 hour flight or a two hour drive. We received full refund from Princess as we were booked in May for Mexico and with FCC we rebooked 3 trips for the cost of one. We are thrilled ! Thank you for sharing and your lovely videos.
You can prevent a weight gain by using the gym, free to use and eating Salads and fish and chicken, we usually walk about 4 miles in between breakfast and lunch, we used to do the treadmill but some ships limits you to have an hour, I have yet to get sick sick in a cruise, have done about 20 of them, but like you said not everyone is the same, we are going to be on Costa for the first time this coming Sunday and we already booked a Transatlantic from Fort Lauderdale to Venice, the price was real bargain and couldn't pass it up. Great tips as usual Emma.
Yes! Ooo, I'm really excited for you! Some real bargains to be had with Costa. Thanks for your comment 😁❤️
Am in Dec on NCL Encore, first transatlantic, and first one longer then 7 days. The lre-cruose Facebook group and Friends of Dorothy group, and huge amount of Solo travellers, all make me sooooopp excited for this fabulous trip!
As a child we had our own ship, but now I have found cruising. Relaxed travelling. Only did one and it was a themed cruise (Star Trek), set to do another next year, but looking into more cruises and find your channel the best for information.
I started off backpacking in my twenties, then taking city breaks (because of the stressful travel and never getting to spend enough time in a single place) and then because of a friend's generosity I got bitten by the cruise bug. It was a rocky start -- my husband got cancer and had a brain operation while my friends were preparing for a cruise, so we had to cancel one in 2018, but we got a short one in two months before he died, and our casual cuddle selfie is my Facebook page avatar.
I have a travel-sickness problem, but like you more on land than on a cruise. I have an anxiety disorder though, and the first time we were in a storm (on the Skaggaratt in 2016) it was a nightmare. But the staff were wonderful and soothed both my husband and me and handed out seasickness pills.
St Petersburg was great because we were only worried about getting back to the ship before dinner, rather than cast-off! We were on a private tour and you're heavily discouraged from going solo into Russia even if you get their visa, but the thing is on Baltic cruises is that the adjacent ports -- Tallinn, Riga, parts of Helsinki -- give you some of the flavour of Russia if you can't get on an official excursion or book a private tour. (I'm a Russophile but Putin is squeezing the life out of the country :(.)
And being on a floating version of Centre Parks was a magic feeling. I totally agree with the book thing -- I took my cross stitch work and got a lot done while relaxing in the lounge and then the library after hours.
Yes! So glad you’ve found something that suits: that’s the wonder of cruising. Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
@@EmmaCruises You're welcome!
Hi Emma. This is a well put together video and extremely informative especially for those who may be considering a cruise for the first time. I am happy to remain on the ship in some ports because for me the ship is the destination.
What a lovely comment! Thank you so much 😁❤️
Yes, the cruise itself is the thing.
I have quite bad anxiety and until this year I haven’t even been able to go into a restaurant and eat on my own. I’ve been pushing myself to first order in a food court and get comfortable with that and then, after years, I finally ate out on my own. So given my issues with ordering food and eating on my own in public, a cruise was perfect. I didn’t manage to eat in one of the restaurants but I did eat in the buffet and it was perfect for me. And the travelling is all organised for you too (yes I did the cruise port excursions cos anxiety).
Yea! I totally understand this. Cruising is brilliant in that way. So glad you enjoyed it 😀❤️
Thank you for the great video Emma and for the reminder to use manners 😊
That was what happened to me. I cruised for the first time this year and now I am hooked.
Hi Emma, thanks for a really good and balanced summary. When you get to cruise regularly it's pretty certain you'll get the cruise 'bug' and maybe overlook some of the downsides, so it's nice to see a well considered overview which I'm sure will be invaluable for anyone considering cruising.
Thanks Malcolm! What a lovely comment. I hope it will help convince people to try cruising 😍❤️
Great video. Informative and to the point. I especially agree with the relaxation part. We have spent plenty of vacations by lakes and it was relaxing but not the same as sitting in a lounge chair watching the ocean go by.
Thanks Glock! It's brilliant isn't it? Nothing quite like it 😍♥️
I may be ready to try cruising after watching you for past month! Thank you.
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Loved your pros & cons - and great delivery! (Let's hope not too many RUDE people go cruising and get addicted!!)
Haha! So true. Thanks for your comment 😁❤️
Great summary Emma but a major con can be the massive crowds. Crowds onboard the ship like the pool, etc. Then you get off at a port and you're in a swarm of 1000's of other people from your own ship and potentially other docked cruise ships. If this isn't your thing, then pick your cruise very carefully. (ex: maybe river cruises)
Totally agree, Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
This is a great overview of all the pros of cruising - well done! Agree so much! I sent it to an about to be first time cruiser. We r on Oasis in Nov. can’t wait!
Thanks John! 😃👏🏼
We’ve cruised for years. These are all so true!!
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
That has o be one of the best cruising videos I've seen. I agree with everything you said on there especially the comment about rude cruisers, there's just no need. I love cruising but I haven't been on many yet but I'm working on it.
Thank you so much Peter! 😍❤️ I massively appreciate your comment.
I love cruising, very good pro/con list. Well done Emma. See ya on the high seas😎
Thank you! See you 😁❤️
I have a sailing buddy (as in sailboats) who took his 1st cruise with his wife on a Princess Alaska cruise. He didn't like it. I was surprised. When I asked if he show the shows, went to the pools or did other actives, he said no. ;-) Very puzzling. I guess there are personalities that just aren't suited for cruises.
So much agreed! I know I've posted on your FB page that one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen was the Caribbean Coast of Guatemala. Never would have (or even could have, since there's really no other easy way to get there) been there other than on a cruise.
And yep, totally great value. For barely the cost of a hotel room per night (in New York anyway), we get the whole trip including lodging, meals, speciality dining package, drink package, and shore excursion credits!
Hi Emma, love your videos. I think the best cruises are those where it would be impossible to get to the destinations any other way. My favourite ones were Spitsbergen ( twice ), both on Fred Olsen’s Black Watch, and Greenland with Voyages of Discovery, both amazing value considering the places visited, about quarter the price of an expedition cruise. Spitsbergen was the most intense,stark and beautiful wilderness, highlight was a polar bear swimming past the ship. Greenland is also mind-blowingly spectacular. We went up to Illulissat and Disco Bay, sailing past cathedral sized icebergs in the midnight sun. Essential for me on any ship is a wraparound prom deck, stepped decks at the stern with a bar on the top one. Heaven! Hope you make it to Greenland, if you have’nt already. Cheers!
Sounds good! 😁🥳 Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
A well explained video. A few comments. Cruises are a little of a lot and land tours are a lot of a little. Cruises you see more diverse a lot faster. Many cruise lines are doing overnights to give you more time in interesting ports. People complain about bussing from livorno to Florence but try doing it across Europe. Up at 6 am every morning. I get motion sickness. I get a balcony midship, mid deck. I take medication. Your cruise fare is the breakeven for a cruise ship. Its a great value and you have a choice of cabin. If you want to save money, just don't buy anything. I don't like the mega ships, a ship like the Royal Princess is big enough but I prefer smaller. Internet, its much faster now. Also many ports have free wifi zones or go to a Starbucks or McDonalds.
Love the room service for food too.
Aloha luv the info im going on my 1st cruise ever ill be 61 in April 6-13 2024 for moms 80th birthday to carabean islands keep up the great info, mahalo
I didn't realize this video was from 4 years ago but it caught my attention when you said you can have as much food as you want because that's not the case anymore LOL 😅
What, yes it is?
@@EmmaCruises What I mean is many of the big lines are now limiting entrees in the MDR to 2 then you have to pay a nominal fee if you want more than 2 whereas when you shot that video you could still order the entire menu as much as you wanted at no additional charge lol 😉
Thank you so much for this videos, I’m so glad I found your channel. ( my friend is going on a cruise and wanted info about it)
Yay! Thanks so much. Any questions just ask 😁🥰
A cruise that went nowhere , what a great week we had last year .
Great lists, thank you.
Great list of Pros and Cons. I have a tip for Seasickness issues. I try to book a cabin with a window lower desk, mid ship. Shouldn't "Too Much Food" be a Con? Yes, I am addicted to cruising, hopefully they will never find the cure,
My preferred size of cruiseship is around 3000 people... even if I loved to go on the Costa Smeralda and would like to try the Symphony or Oasis of the Seas. Right now I should be doing my second cruise on Smeralda and 10th cruise... I should normally be in Barcelona right now :) wonderful city where I have pleasure to go several time...
If a cruise changes their itinerary, they are also obligated to refund your port charges. Sometimes they forget so check your statement! And don't take food from the children's buffet on MSC Cruises, you will get yelled at by the staff! That happened to me a couple times but their buffet food was so awful, that was the only section that had anything decent to eat LOL! You couldn't pay me to cruise with MSC again!
It is getting better with the single supplement for solo travellers. P&O has recently added solo cabins, some with a verandah! Their solo cabins are very comfortable. Cunard has some of the nicest solo cabins. NCL's 'studio' cabins are basically a bed in the middle of a bathroom! (I am not kidding!) But if you book last minute, many cruise lines have greatly reduced the single supplement, some as low as 0%! NCL often has the best last minute deals for solo travellers in a standard cabin. Their studio cabins often sellout early. Unfortunately, Disney Cruise Line NEVER discounts for solo travellers. And DCL is my favorite overall. Their entertainment is tops! If you are prone to seasickness, begin taking the meds a day before embarkation. RCI's VOOM is the best internet service I have used at sea. But RCI ships often feel like you're staying at a shopping mall, no wraparound Promenade Deck to connect with the sea, just interior views for the week. A cruise holiday is definitely one of the best values!
Wow! I'm impressed you clearly know your cruise stuff 😁❤️
Thanks for your comment, I really appreciate it.
I like your positivity.
Great video as always Emma.
Thank you! 🥳❤️
Emma, how do cruises support handicapped people in ports? I'm very, very slow. I do have a walker, but it makes mobility possible - it doesn't make it fast!
I'd love to go on a cruise and visit all the great places you've listed. I'd love that you've listed activities I can be involved in. (Though if I try to dance, it'd better be ballroom or latin, and my partner would have to be strong!)
On the ship it'd be no problem. I have my walker. Off the ship, I might make the entire group late. And frankly, I *won't* let other peoples' land visits get ruined because of me.
Do they already have that problem covered?
They Julia, they have special tours that are marked as accessible . They’re used to having guests with mobility issues so it’s not usually a problem. Those tours do sell out fast though so you do have to be organised ❤️❤️
I would also reccomend avoiding large ships or choosing a cabin in a good location as these large ships can be alot of walking.
so if you have 13-16 hours in port of warnemunde for berlin, you waste six hours getting to and getting back fromberlin, how much actual sightseeing time do you have? one maybe two museums, or exterior only hop on hop off bus loop? same goes for london, paris, milan, florence, rome, seville, etc
Very informative. Thank you.
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Thanks! Informative video.
I could listen to you all the time 😁
Thank you! 😁❤️
main con, ports are soooooo far from advertised city : florence ( livorno), rome ( civitavecchia), milan( genova), paris ( honfleur or le havre), london (southampton harwich dover), seville (cadiz or huelva), cordoba ( malaga), granada ( motril almeria or malaga), berlin ( warnemuende), etc
@@chriswilliams6568 true, but just the way the cruise lines advertise destinations when the ports are soooo far away from them, i would much prefer you list the port in the promotions, advertising, and mention that the optional add ons (excursions, experience, port adventures whatever your cruise line calls them) are much over priced and rushed experiences though most budget friendly coach\bus tours are the same way with lots of hostage shopping...for kickbacks\commission.
Missed pointe Delgado a few times due to the weather .
Where on earth are these 100-150 pound per night cruises you mention? This is without taxes and port fees, I assume. And inside cabin for that rate.
And no jet lag...unless you fly into port
Could find places with few people on a ship. Prefer smaller to midsize ships. I like to wonder off and do my own thing. If I take a shore excursion it is with the cruise line. At least they will wait until we get back. When on a cruise I like to be not connected. Cruising Solo can get expensive. Celebrity Cruise Line charges solos about three times as much as a double occupancy. Solo staterooms are expensive.
cities are three hours one way from port making those expensive excursions almost mandatory
yes i can agree i am addicted to cruising
Glad to hear it Will! 😁❤️
Princess does great with kids now, especially with the technology that the medallions use
two three hours one way from main city means five six hours of your day is spent transport rather than in the city. almost no way to go there without excursions
Can you do a video on how single cruisers could save money.
It’s definitely something I’m looking into more. It’s so tricky! I’m in a great Facebook group called cruises for solos if you’re on Facebook, lots of good deals :-)
I am considering a cruise, yet I love the adventure of exploring. I am afraid that a cruise will feel like being disconnected, on a floating "mall" and not give the exploration of learning another culture. Perhaps it's not for me?
biggest con for me is time wasted because of distance from port to featured destination: berlin warnemuende, paris le havre, brussels zeebrugge, london harwich or southampton, cordoba or granada malaga, seville cadiz or huelva, milano from genova portofino or savona, florence la spezia or livorno, rome vatican civitavecchia, etc, which makes excursions with ships almost mandatory. excursions at least guarantee you will make it back in time and skip loooong lines at vatican uffizi louvre orsay accademia last supper castello sforzesco pinacoteca brera teatro alla scala, so think carefully. visas required for st petersburg russia can be skipped through an excursion and likewise for turkey and i believe certain asian nations too....? big pro for cruising. river cruises combine unpack only once, with actually arriving in vienna or budapest on danube, dresden prague on elbe, nuremberg wuerzburg on main, .... however many destinations are still only accessible by bus train land tour. some tour companies offer land and sea combo so you can in fact visit more, enjoy performances of classical orchestra piano opera ballet etc which is never possible for most ocean cruisers. madrid, leipzig, bergamo, cremona, halle, zwockau, neuschwanstein, pesaro, busseto, chenonceaux, vaux vicomte, fontainebleau, cheverny, chambord, are almost never available by cruise only by land. consider destination first then best method of travel, then budget accordingly. depends on your age, the older you are , the more generous you should be, if you are young you can save money, if you are old, you might not have that much time left . islands are excellent destination for cruisers. land locked less so. costa is exceptional except it does have less destinations but even excursions are fair or cheaper than many, norwegian is expensive when cruise excursions are considered, oceania has oLife flights and excursions included,
The entire itinerary can change. I was traveling from Boston to Bermuda 16 years ago with my terminally ill mom. Hurricane season turned a tropical vacation into a leaf peeping Canadian tour. It was still very nice, but the cruise line didnt let people know until the ship started moving. I had been keeping tabs on the weather, and had called ahead of time. They wouldn't confirm the change. I told the agent how I needed to prepare and why. While she couldn't confirm, she did bend the rules and told me to pack warm clothes. No complaints.
Pro #8 about the children is actually a major con in my eyes. I HATE kids and they’re the last thing I want to deal with on my holiday!! I go to such lengths to try and cruise in holiday times or ships that are more adult oriented. When I’m on holiday trying to relax and have a nice time the last thing I want to be dealing with is a screaming child running around and behaving badly 🤬 as you said cruise lines are catering more to families now than ever, so now I see it that it’s becoming harder to avoid the little sh*ts😤
Go Viking cruises no kids
Very interesting
....notice they're are always green apples around ... their perfect if you stomach feel uneasy .. eat the right foods ...
Yep! 😀❤️
I counted 16 cons, still waiting for the pros.
best cruises for relaxing are caribbean, south pacific, islands whether greek, spanish, italian, transatlantic or transpacific, ... south american, asian, african...
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
I like your videos even if I would never go ona cruise myself. To me it would be a lot of wasted time at sea between destinations 😁
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
@@chriswilliams6568 You are probably right. But are not things I appreciate that much. And after 12 years in the Navy I do not find being at sea intetesting any more 😉
@@chriswilliams6568 To each his own 😀. I may be strange, but I have seen a lot of Emma's and other cruise videos, and I have studied a lot of cruise brochures, and so far I have not come across any activities on a cruise ship that I want to take part in. My idea of a great 4 week vacation is to define a start and an end point, get in my car and improvise along the way. Like when my son and I drove from Seattle to New York City. Along the way we deviated a bit from the direct route and visited, Colorado, Texas, Florida and more states. That's what relaxation is to me. 😀
@@chriswilliams6568 Actually I live in Denmark. My favorite vacations are road trips in USA with my 40 something son. And I don't look for suitable restaurants 😀. I just look for a place to eat. Accomodation and restaurants are not essential to me on a road trip.
Wait 100 per night? But everything I've seen has been 3000pp
3000?! I've never found a cruise that expensive what on earth are you looking at, ha ha. £100pp per night is my ideal but £200 is normal. Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
@@EmmaCruises some Iceland cruises, but its mostly the Caribbean cruises tbf... I looked again after watching and they aren't as expensive as I once thought, but strangely Turkish and Greek cruises are the cheapest I've found aha
food can be pro and con . weight gain is serious concern. yes no need to find restaurant.
They do overnight stops ... in St Petersburg
Me in 2022: 😬
Ok
15:23
vienna budapest danube river cruise or land; prague dresden hamburg warsaw(?) elbe river cruise or land; Bonn Cologne Amsterdam Rhine river or land; Nuremberg Wuerzburg Main river or land; madrid leipzig halle zwickau leon burgos bergamo pesaro cremona busseto roncole Land only; Paris London Florence Milano Rome Seville Cordoba Granada Berlin Land River or Ocean Excursion; Athens Turkey Russia Scandinavia Holland OceanCruise
Here in the USA folks have started to get this attitude of self-entitlement
What do you mean "started". US folk have ALWAYS been like that, you're only just seeing what everyone else has been seeing for years 😂
there are people that love cruising, and people that hate cruising. Thankfully, I am one of fte latter.
Why are you happy to hate cruising?
What about the sustainability of cruises? I am really struggling with that
Some are much better than others or course, if you look at Virgin and Celebrity they have a lot of interesting things to say on the topic. Generally older ships = less tech, worse. But of course lots more to it 😂❤️
Perhaps I'm older, but I don't find cruises all that appealing
Fortunately, the really rude people are few and far between. Happiness is a choice, and if you are cruising, why make yourself unhappy? Makes no sense at all.
Yep!! So true. Some people like to complain though, I think.
angkor wat cambodia mekong river or land; taj mahal ganges river cruise or land; ocean would never reach these places
C'mon Emma. You know you can't fatten a thoroughbred (me) no matter how much you feed it. My last cruise I went on I think I put on less than half a Kilo over 7 days.
entertainment i find least important aspect
Roflmao you don't eat dead animal. Dead animal has a lot of calories. 1 lb a day is probably close to a reality if you eat a burger and a steak everyday. Vegetarians have a great advantage on a cruise and I am envious. But not enough to give up my dead animal..
Thanks for the great info. Very entertaining.
rarely is any given destination accessible Both by river and ocean cruise
@Hercule Poirot exceptions- places accessible both by river and ocean include Hamburg (Elbe), Amsterdam(Rhine), Venice(Po). place only accessible by land- Madrid (or excursion from Douro river), Leipzig (rare excursion from Elbe), Warsaw, Halle, Bergamo, Pesaro, Busseto, Zwickau, Weimar... river or land- Vienna, Budapest(Danube), Cologne(Rhine), Wuerzburg Nuremberg(Main or Rhine-Danube); ocean Excursion or River cruises- Granada, Cordoba(malaga), Sevilla(cadiz) Guadalquivir; Milano(Genova) Po; Paris(cherbourg\honfleur) Seine ; London (southampton\tillbury\harwich\etc) is land or ocean excursion; Brussels (zeebrugge\antwerp) is ocean excursion or river or land. Cambodia Angkor Wat- mekong river or land; India Taj Mahal Ganges river or land. Turkey or Russia were good places to visit by cruise skipping visa plus language requirements. Israel is land in depth but also available from excursion ocean cruises likewise Egypt, Jordan. Islands- Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines (if you can afford the visa), Japan, South Korea are all available by ocean cruise or land tour. Has anybody tried river cruises in Burma(Irrawaddy sorry spelling) China(Yangtze)?
If you like mass tourism in all its variations, go cruising.
Thanks for watching 😀👏🏼
Really disappointed
Blah, blah, blah
Thanks for your comment 😁❤️