5 Things That Could Ruin Your 2024 Caribbean Cruise!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 มิ.ย. 2024
- I’ve just returned from back-to-back Caribbean cruises on two very different ships, the massive 6,000 passenger Symphony of the Seas and the smaller 1,200 passenger Oceania Vista. And on both, despite their dramatic differences, I was amazed how many people were still getting the same five things wrong that I’ve seen on every Caribbean cruise I’ve done over the years. I want to warn you about them, so you can avoid them.
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ABOUT TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS: If you want to get cruising right, Tips For Travellers makes it easy to plan and have the incredible cruise experiences you dream of every time. All my Tips For Travellers advice, tips and tricks tips draw on everything that I have learnt on the 101 cruises I have done to date.
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00:00 Start
01:02 All Caribbean cruises are the same?
03:40 Skip Cruise Line private islands?
05:09 Cruise lines not important?
06:50 Depart from Florida?
09:19 Caribbean ports are safe?
If you've cruised the Caribbean multiple times, the ship you sail DOES become more important. I don't even get off the ship in a lot of the ports anymore.
Wonderful advice. Totally agree that the Eastern & Southern Caribbean islands are far more scenic, and the cruises are more relaxing.
I knew a travel agent who sewed thin velcro strips to close his pockets.
That's a smart idea!
@@julieDJTFP I have all my essentials on lanyards (wallet, keys, eyeglass case, passport pouch0 phone) clipped to my purse so I don't have to worry about anything falling out and being lost.
We are 25 year veterans of cruising, dozens of cruises. We are 100% destination cruisers - no cruise line loyalty. Once we decide on an itinerary, we attempt to book the smaller/medium size ships over the larger ships. Of the 'major' cruise lines we enjoy the Celebrity Solstice Class the most. Next weekend we are taking our first cruise on a Celebrity Edge Class ship ' 'free' through the casino. Love the content you provide - thank you!
did that for active holidays for a different reason... if you are in a situation where you are traversing a slippery area, or when changing into gear (scuba or climbing) it is easy to lose stuff... Velcro keeps things inside better...
another thing is neckless style pouches... for both reasons.
this does not however help in any way if the other side is pocket cutting or willing to use open force *(a mugging or hostage situation)... which can be an issue in some ports.
@@stanislavkostarnov2157 thank you for your VERY comprehensive reply. that is so kind of you.
Though somewhat artificial, the private islands provide many of the draws of the Caribbean without the sadly increasing risks to safety and security on so many islands. There is only so much authentic culture that can be experienced on each island anyway, with the visits being so short and the cruise ships being so targeted with inauthentic money-making endeavours that bear such a resemblance across many islands.
On your private island point, I've only visited Half Moon Cay while cruising with Holland America last year. I was actually really impressed with it - it felt as though it had been restored and 'looked after' without being ruined with loads of tourist stuff.
I actually spoke to a few of the staff, who explained that nobody lives on the island, but they're taken to the island each day by ferry from a neighbouring island, so I guess that you ARE technically supporting the economy just by visiting!
Great video, as always!
We sailed out of New Orleans a few years ago, aboard Carnival Glory. This was definitely very cost effective, besides which, our pre-cruise stay was very enjoyable. It is possible to find reasonably priced hotels in the French Quarter (which is actually adjacent to the cruise terminal).
Nicely presented. Just a comment on the Galveston port, NCL operates the newer Prima through next year, then Viva from 2026. MSC is bringing Seascape to Galveston soon. It’s a great opportunity to visit NASA.
Sorry to say, but doing a "partial transit" of the Panama Canal, up to Gatun Lake and back, is (based on my experience) a bit like taking a tour of Switzerland that goes nowhere near the Alps. The most striking engineering challenges, the most spectacular views. are found past Gatun Lake and through the Continental Divide to the Pacific Ocean. Sadly, many passengers on my ship missed the most eye-catching parts because, when going westbound, they coincided with the period after lunch when many people get the urge to lie down and have a snooze. Solution? A Pacific-to-Atlantic full transit will solve both issues.
You nailed it once again! I choose the destinations first, the size of the ship second and then my cabin third. Great job!
I was shocked to see that it was no more costly to fly from Phoenix to Barbados than to Miami or Fort Lauderdale. I like some of the smaller ships like Windstar which visit six ports on a seven day cruise. Great video.
A great number of points worth thinking about and a video to watch again - thank you, Gary.
Thanks for watching ! Great to hear
I’ve started cruising from SanJuan - more enjoyable than the Florida ports - as you stated, they are crazy busy.
I was booked on a cruise from PR but a hurricane hit, but I still would like to do this
In the 80's, I went to what I suspect was one of the first private islands. Can't remember the cruise line, but the island was off Samana in the Dominican Republic. In addition to the vendors set up near where passengers disembarked, many rode on the tenders to the island, selling souvenirs, and other had gone to the island itself. They lined the path leading to the cruise line's beach. There were many food vendors - a favorite was to purchase live lobster then prepared and served by the vendor, trade apples (which the itinerary director had told us were valued delicacies) for trinkets, and support local residents in that way. I'm pretty sure it's not that way now, but I'll never forget the fun of being able to interact with locals, especially the kids who loved when we took their photos with a polaroid and handed them out. My biggest regret was not know about that and having a dozen more packets of film.
We sailed on Celebrity Beyond in January - February this year. The itinerary included the Panama Canal (partial transit), Colon, Panama and the ABC islands. We got off the ship in each port. We cruise the Caribbean every winter - have been on at least 20 Caribbean cruises. Since we live in a cold winter climate, the purpose of the cruise is to enjoy warm weather and see blue water, while sailing on a premium cruise line. On most other Caribbean cruises we chose to stay aboard the ship for most of the day, other than taking a walk just off the ship and looking at a few shops.
Personally, with the increased prices on some of the newer ships in the premium lines, I am starting to look at the smaller luxury lines like Windstar that will stop at smaller less crowded ports. The fares are not that much different.
I find it interesting that Caribbean ports are viewed as "safer," while ports in Mexico (Baja side) are feared as hot beds of crime and kidnapping. After a dozen or so Mexico cruises, I'm still here, safe and sound. I'd like to see you do more about Mexican cruises.
Largely because the cartels aren't as active in other Caribbean countries...but they ARE active on the Mexican mainland.
Just another comment. We live on Longboat Key which is an island 2 miles off Sarasota on the Gulf of Mexico. It's the 4th major port out of which you can sail to the Caribbean. Most do Western Caribbean cruises but you can go east, too.
Here’s a tip. We sail regularly to the Caribbean on Royal Caribbean. But only once have we gone there on a megaship, that was the Oasis of the Seas. Every one of the other cruises has been on smaller Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships holding 2000 passengers or less. For people want the Caribbean experience without the crowds this is the best of both worlds.
Gary, we always sail the Caribbean every year. Very fortunate to have vises just about every island. We generally go for 10-14 days. The ship is our destination. We usually do Regent , Oceania. We tried Silver Dawn this February, never again on that Lorne. Food & service was awful although the ship was very beautiful.
Gary, one mistake; Tampa is in Florida, just the Gulf Coast western side of Florida. I have heard Tampa and Jacksonville, on the north Atlantic Florida coast are smaller and less expensive than Miami.
Yet another great video full of information that some people may just gloss over.
Extra credit for showing the white house on the left at 1:05 in Nassau that I think every early cruiser is like "We should buy that house and live here." as they pull into port. Even though it's been in the same condition for so many years. :)
Thanks for the review and tips.
Just a comment. I've been cruising since the 1980's and had a long subscription to a now defunct magazine called 'Caribbean Travel & Life'. One of the things I loved about the magazine is that they would give you the correct pronunciation of Caribbean words. So: the word 'cay' and the word 'caye' are both pronounced the same as 'key'. Just remember, no matter how it's spelt, it's always 'key'. Just saying...
Thank you for sharing that! It's good to know.
Providing excellent knowledge, as always. Thanks for the info.
We've done cruises out of Miami, but more often out of San Juan, PR. Easy flights to San Juan, the airport is close to the port, and it's very easy to get around. We typically fly in a few days in advance, spend some time on the island before the cruise, always plenty to keep us busy. And then the real bonus: cruises from San Juan get to all those southern Carib islands: we typically see five islands (some combo of St Thomas, St Croix, St Maarten, St Kitts, St Lucia, Barbados, Antigua, Dominica) on a 7 day cruise, and one time we saw six (i.e. zero days at sea, every day at a new island.)
I prefer the Southern itineraries. But I have been traveling to the Caribbean for 40 years. For most itineraries I wouldn’t be bothered to get off the ship at most ports.
There are other Florida cruise embarkation ports. Tampa serves several cruise lines. Jacksonville is Carnival only for now.
Our last cruise was on the Celebrity Apex to the Eastern Caribbean and we loved the ship and itinerary. Our next cruise is a Bahamas cruise on the Symphony. In this case, the sailing will be about sailing with our good friends on a mega ship. We always have fun no matter where we go.
We sailed out of NOLA in 2016 on an older Carnival ship. Best decison ever. I'd do it again anytime.
Thank you Gary! A super video, so imformative!
Thanks for watching and great to hear!
While I'm mostly going to more exotic places these days, I've been on a few Caribbean cruisers recently. One was a Panama Canal-less cruise (the ship did not even make a partial transit, instead docking), one was something of an alternative to going to Disney World, instead going on a four day Disney Wish cruise to see if I liked the line (I did), while the third was a group / theme cruise (again on Disney Wish, though a three day one).
I am likely to do the Caribbean next winter (January most likely), but I need the right price, on the right line, on the right dates. I have enough points from my Royal Caribbean branded credit card for a free cruise; either a 7-8 night on Celebrity or 9-12 nights on Royal Caribbean. The limitations on the redemption (notably the price) and my available dates are the restricting factors. While Diamond Plus on Royal Caribbean, I have not sailed on any of their most recent 14 ships. I see this as a chance to see if I like their megaships, as well as to see if they have fixed any of the problems I've had with the line over the last few sailings.
Have you got one of the best jobs in the world or what 🙂 love your videos, you're a wealth of good information! Thank you
They need to add New Orleans and New York to their list. I hate we have to be much more careful
Thank you😊
Sailing to the Caribbean out of San Juan is awesome!
Last one. We almost bought an estate on Dominica. It's not pronounced like the Dominican Republic, as in Dom-in'-i-ca. It's actually Dom-in-ee'-ka.
If that was true, it would be a shame that most locals mispronounce the name of their own country. If you had bought the estate, you would now know that "Dom-in-EE-ka" is pure fiction, invented by the local tourism authorities to make it easier for foreigners to distinguish Dominica from the Dominican Republic. It is based on the Creole word for the country, "Dominik", which indeed ist pronounced "Dom-in-EEK".
I almost always cruise the Caribbean out of San Juan. 7 day cruise with only 1 day at sea.
Interesting video. Am curious why you didn't talk about MSC at all.
Thanks
Big Thanks from a stranger that see’s a big heart. And I to offend give more than I need to. Stay Safe
You can do the ABC Islands out of San Juan Puerto Rico on a 7 day cruise.
The one cruise line you fail to mention is Princess cruises and their private island Princess Cay .. is there a reason for this? Lots of good info on ports and itineraries. 👍🏻
Where did you get your camera? Or how do you take your selfie pic?
Very objective . Thank you Gary. Yes, not all islands are the same. We love Curacao and Punta Cana(Dominican Republic ). Klein Curacao is out of this world, that was , 12 years ago! Another ‘fact’ about the Caribbeans: drugs. It’s allegedly the transfer point between s and central America to N America and afar. So, be vigilant to your surroundings.
I have never run into any problems in Roatan. I left my cell phone by the pool at the hotel we were staying at, and I left my kindle accidentally in the gift shop. (I have some autoimmune brainfog.) Both were there when I went back for them. I think travelers can get themselves into trouble if they are not careful, but I feel like the danger has been over-hyped.
I have only cruised based on itinerary as the main decision factor.
Dates is #2
Ship is factor #3
Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Port Canaveral and... Tampa?
We got robbed boarding the train from our home town to the Airport, enroute to our caribbean b2b transatlantic vacation!
So much to safety.
What a way to start the vacation.
Great guide. That partial-Panama Canal gig was the big surprise.
Company-owned islands? Pass.
No love for the Florida port of Tampa?
And. You said before you can pick a big ship just pick a 10+ day cruise
Do you ever take Carnival cruises?
I’ll stick to DownUnder cruises going to friendly destinations
Too many people getting sick on cruises.!!
more people get sick on land.
I suspect it's much more a case of the media paying more attention to illnesses when they happen, since the Covid pandemic. The three cruises I've been on since the pandemic have had no outbreaks of norovirus, whereas the last four I took before the pandemic all had norovirus outbreaks.
Sorry for the typos typing too fast
❄️❤️❄️🇨🇦
Unless you experience the danger, you don’t experience the port.
Nawice.
Maybe a stupid question - do the buses in the "ABC islands", which are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, accept the OV-chipkaart and are there machines to top up such a card (as one might expect in e.g. Rotterdam)?
Haiti is now closed at the moment.
it's no wonder millions want to come to Australia, with its 1000's of miles of better than Caribbean beaches.
I always debate about spending my money in countries that do not have LGBGT rights. Why would any Gay man want to spend money supporting a country that doesn't accept us for who we are? I have no doubt this comment will generate a lot of hate, but I have friends living in the Caribbean that have to hide their relationship because they would be prosecuted. Yes I know Puerto Rico, Dominica is Gay friendly and are a few others, but Cayman islands, Jamaica, Barbados, etc are not.
Gary, what's your thoughts on this? I should add that in the 1990s I lived in a country that Homosexuality was illegal and had severe penalties, so I know first hand how local people have to find ways to be themselves and have some sort of life.
All just a matter of opinion, not a right or wrong.
Jamaica and LGBTQ - I've heard horror stories.
Indeed. For just that reason, I will never go ashore in Jamaica. It's not just the occurrences, it's the fact that for many years the government and the police tacitly and even actively encouraged and enabled the attacks. No, thank you.
@@roundandroundmyworld I lived there in the 80s and it was exactly as you describe. A couple of people I knew were murdered for their sexuality, and their cases were almost certainly pushed to the bottom of a shockingly large pile of homicides. After all, the killers were "doing God's work" as I was told on many occasions. You'd hope it would've got better in the nearly 40 years since, but nope.
I got out, I've no particular desire to go back... and I'm straight. The only place in this video I fancy less right now is Haiti.
Bahamas is not Caribbean
You forgot to mention that RC operates modern slavery on Labadee, actively supports the dictatorial state of Haiti and is currently not sailing there because they fear that the angry people would disturb the "paradise" of the cruise guests.
Those huge ships should be banned from the small Caribbean islands - 6000 people getting off at once - totally ludicrous.
They don't all get off at once. It takes a while to disembark that many people. By the time the last ones are getting off, it's pretty much time to get back on.
Besides... at places like Cozumel, where they can have a dozen cruise ships -- each with 2000 to 3000 people -- in port on midweek day, an extra few thousand people (i.e. difference between a megaship and a regular ship) doesn't really even move the needle. And when the megaship is at a port by itself, it's just the same as a day when two regular ships are in port. So no... not really a big deal.