After figuring out how much it costs to park at the cruise terminal in Orlando, I found a car rental that has a free shuttle to the cruise terminal. Saved the cost of both vehicle rental and parking fees. Then I used an airport shuttle back to the airport. Discovering port excursions are a waste of money. Just walk along the port terminal shops, or take a taxi to downtown area, and return to ship for the included lunch.
As a Princess Employee, we offer price match for shore excursions... If you see the same exact shore excursion for a lower price you can submit a form after you purchase a princess shore excursion and if it’s the same shore excursion our shore excursion department will proceed with the form
The catch is the "exact same" part tho. For example in Gibraltar, I decided to join a local dolphin watch tour that is 10 min walk from the port and cost €10, because the Princess tour costed like $60@ or something. Imagine my surprise when my dinning room friend who is with the Princess Tour showed up onto the exact same ship I was on! Turns out the only difference is they drive you ther so you don't have to walk that 10 min both ways. They tried to get a refund for the huge price difference but was told since it's not exactly the same with the ride, theg won't price match. For that price differences with 2 people, they could have easily taken a taxi with plenty of money to spare.
Answer me this and in another 6-7 years princess cruise line will appeal more to me than now but why if princess cruise line is owned by carnival why is it that princess cruise are more expensive than carnival base price is it that princess bakes in the price where you may not have the frills carnival does but you also don't have all the special dining and nickel and dime type stuff
Amanda, sounds wonderful but have you ever seen this actually happen? I imaging that it would be difficult to prove to Princess. They certainly would not believe that you talked to a person selling excursions at the port. If you could find something printed or on the internet I am sure there would be something different, e.g. they took you in a van but Princess takes you in a bus. Please tell me I'm wrong.
That was so helpful - thank you. I specifically came here for tipping advice as my husband and I both were bartenders and waiters in our younger years so we want to take care of that service but we did pre-pay for gratuities but know we'll go extra. Thank you! I did do the insurance on the cruise and airline so am happy too hear I didn't waste my money.
I may have missed this bit. In addition to your comment about booking your post cruise flight the afternoon of the cruise's end you should also stress not trying to fly to the port the morning the cruise sails! ALWAYS fly the day before and spend the night in a hotel near the port. Finally if you are traveling several time zones from your home, for example you live on the east cost of the US and fly to Hawaii for a cruise, we recommend you fly at least two days before the cruise sails. You need time to adjust to the six hour time change otherwise you may be sleeping in the day and be up at night for a few days!
Can I just say how much I love and appreciate you being a big proponent of Travel Agents. Thank you for respecting our profession and appreciating the value we bring to travelers.
Great tips! To your last point about that line at guest services, I think that's the best argument for drink packages/prepaid gratuities that can be made lol! Those are probably the two biggest reasons why the line is so long!
Ship organised excursions are more expensive period. However, you are kind of paying a premium for certainty, convenience and less stress. However, the best excursions I've been on are ones I've arranged myself, especially private ones.
One big bonus tip if you are cruising with Princess - use their EZ Air service. The fares are cheaper, they have a "get you there" guarantee, and you can cancel and rebook your airline tickets at any time if the price goes down with no change fee.
Great information. Travel Insurance is a must for any trip. As for tours off the ship I very seldom make those unless it is just for a few hours in the morning. I do not want to be a dock runner trying to make the ship paying more from the cruise line just make me feel safe from being left behind . Thanks
i like watches and on our second cruise i purchased 3 during a on board "sale".. after returning home i checked amazon for the watches i bought and was devastated to learn i could have saved A LOT of money by buying the same watches on-line...
Thx a lot. I've been on 2 cruises and never thought about travel insurance. A lot of advice u gave I just did not know. I'm definitely gonna take ur advice for my next cruise(on many of ur points).
I've been on nearly 40 cruises and have never bought the insurance. Only lost out once (maybe), back on March 1st we elected not to cruise because of Covid19. It's unlikely that the insurance would have covered that anyway since it was our decision not to sail. Also most cruise ports charge for 8 full days on a seven day cruise so in many ports that comes to $160.00! I can usually find offsite parking with shuttle service for under $60, so you can save $100 there minus whatever you're tipping the shuttle driver.
Nice tips. Thank you. One thought: I while I can certainly appreciate the guarantee that a non-cruiseline excursion company offers to guarantee getting me to my next port, I'd rather have the ships guarantee that they are not going to leave at all. I've already paid for all inclusive food, my clothes are onboard, etc... Nothing wrong with booking outside of the ship, like you said, but I think it should be well reasoned, based on the excursion and the distance from the port.
Gr8 advice about tipping staff. I read in one review that many cruise staff work 14 hours a day x 7 days week and if they come from Indonesia, or the Philippines, they get lower wages which is disgusting 🤭
Thank you, I keep hearing about tips but no one has ever said how much to tip or when to tip. You touched a little bit on this topic and it's a great help. I wished you went more in to it though.
This is very good advice. We were those who booked our flight at noon, so we panicked when it took us three hours to get through customs. We ended up taking an Uber to the airport that we hadn’t called so they charged us double the amount we would’ve paid for our scheduled ride. Don’t use those guys just hanging out in front of the cruise ports. Ugggg
We sail Royal Caribbean a lot and always pre-pay the tips, but we almost always tip extra when the service warrants it; I budget for this well before the cruise. I find that the extra gratuities and a friendly attitude can go a long way towards making my cruise much better. I've been comped many drinks and specialty dining experiences and my wife always gets off-menu dinners in the MDR. The staff works hard and tips go a long way towards making their life better. On average, I tip an extra $200 in cash on a week-long cruise. BTW - your tip to check your ship-board account is right on, especially if you have checked out beach towels.
Been cruising for ten years....about 20 cruises. Never did we pay for cruise insurance. Never also, did we fly in or out on the morning of our cruise departure date. We go at least a day early or buy refundable airline tickets.
Great tips! Another tip is to listen to the CrusitipsTV podcast on having a positive attitude while cruising. That will make your cruise more enjoyable no matter what life throws at you! 🙂
Sheri this is a great video i am glad I subscribed to your channel my alternative to parking at the port is that i will often times rent a car from a branch or airport and drop off at another airport that offers a free shuttle or i will drop off the car at a branch near the facility where I could take a cab or lyft or uber to the port or the rental company i rent can give you a ride to the port. After the cruise i will rent a car at either the airport or a branch nearby and once i rent the car i will either return it at a local branch or an airport closer to me.
I know that the cruise lines need to make money but i think the nickel and diming us for every read cent between the specialty dining which never used to exist charging for the waterpark at coco cay i think its time to squeeze back a little and don't stop cruising but instead of cruising for a once a year vacation or every 2 years instead especially with little kids go to great wolf lodge or some other indoor outdoor water park
You just need to remember that most of the things that cost extra did not exist in the past. You didn't used to get them free because they did not exist. If someone chooses to do some new extra thing and pay extra for it then why get mad. That helps keep the cost of the basic cruise down. The cost of a cruise is cheaper now than it was 20 years ago. I heard some cruise line is wanting to charge extra for a second entree. If that happens to me I will be upset.
I have been on more than a dozen cruises and never seen a pier runner- disappointed. We found the number one money saving option is to book early. We have book several cruises 24 months in advance and have always gotten some price reductions and on board credit. For Carnival they will match the prices on excursions.
Very nice video Have you ever thought about the making a video about the raffle tickets that are sold at various events on cruise ships? I have cruised often and I have never seen the top prize won until the last day of the cruise. Just how rigged are those raffle tickets?
@@CruiseTipsTV I hope they had a great trip. We actually celebrated our Honeymoon on that trip 10 years ago, seen one update about 5 years ago, and we hear they just updated it again so we are curious to see how it is now.
My sister knows something that suffered a heart attack during a cruising experience and hadn't bought insurance. He had to pay some thousands of dollars to be aired off the ship. NOT a good idea to not buy insurance.
With regards to using a shuttle or uber to the ship - don't forget to factor in that you'll be paying to get home too - so double that cost. For our group, considering that, and all the luggage needing a bigger shuttle, it was actually cheaper to drive and park.
We just got off our first cruise and I will say I will tip more. I know it sounds funny but even with prepaid gratuities a lot of the wait staff make under $100 a month and $48 without gratuities. Just some food for thought
I booked my airline tickets through Princess will they guarantee my flight home if the ship is late? I will also add I priced the best price before getting the tickets through Princess and they were a better deal.
Yes, They sure will guarantee your flight home at the ship is late. We had a similar experience with our tickets on princess round trip to Asia. The princess prices were much better and came with incredible protections.
I hadn't seen one of your videos in a while.. Thanks for the tip on the flight back on disembarkation day I have a cruise coming up next Feb, and most of the flights I saw were morning flights.. I'l need to be careful
@@CruiseTipsTV Wow, I'm impressed you remembered that! We haven't been to sea since we moved back east to NJ. I'm going on "The Golden Girls at Sea" cruise in Feb (Celebrity Infinity) .. My first theme cruise :)
I have always flown in on the same day of my cruise, never had any issues but it’s NOT WORTH THE ANXIETY! Not the way to start a vacation. Next cruise, I’m flying in the day before!
✅ Travel Insurance is Exactly and Equal to my home 🏠 Fire 🔥 Extinguishers 🧯🧯🧯. I hope that I never need to utilize or put these items into operation ! However,, if I need those items they automatically become MY MOST PRIZED POSSESSION.
I'll be cruising out of Lon Beach in September, and I was wondering what your alternative parking options are for that port? I know you have stayed at a local hotel in the past, but I wondered if you had any suggestions for parking.
Unfortunately that is one ports we generally pay the daily fee for convenience sake. There are a few park and cruise type hotels but they are not necessarily going to be cheaper. You could ask the hotel Maya and at the Hilton Long Beach if they have any park and Cruise packages during your visit
Hotel Current has a park n cruise hotel. It’s an older remodeled hotel, but they have great services. Think like a 3 star hotel. For one night it’s great.
Can anyone suggest the best place to get travel insurance and which company to use it’s all very confusing but know my family needs it. Thank you in advance!!
Cherlyn Riley ...a good place to start is here www.insuremytrip.com/ They represent several trip insurance companies and help you tailor a plan to suit your needs & budget They’re recommended by finance/travel guru, Clark Howard The cruise ship insurance might be a good option, but sometimes only covers you while on the ship. If you have pre- & post- cruise trip plans & travel, you won’t be covered during those times. Every situation is different based on your health, travel plans, existing medical insurance, total trip costs, etc. Starting with www.insuremytrip.com/ will answer some of your questions.
Has anyone packed wine to take on their cruise. I'm flying so the wine will have to be in checked bag then transferred to carry-on bag before boarding ship. Did you have any problem with the wine in a checked bag How did you pack it?
Hey Patsy! We recommend that you buy your wine in your embarkation port. The airlines probably will not allow you to take the wine in your checked bag. However the cruise line will allow you to take it in your checked bag. I hope that makes sense. There are some great bubblewrap wine containers that work well to keep it safe
What if u checked ur onboard account before the disembark day, all was fine, THEN the last printout of the account shows an error 🤷 you still will have to be in a long line right?
For the plane ride thing and don’t book on the same day I can’t remember the cruise line or who we booked with ( I’ve been on 10 cruises with many different cruise lines and I’m only 14) all I know we got the plane with British airlines or whatever it is called the plane tickets came with the booking so we were lucky . This just happened to be the exact flight before the whole ba system broke down however this means many of the passengers on this plane had their bags missing also we are a family of four having this been our second flight to a cruise we decided to say what could go wrong a packed the suitcases according to person let’s just say that we the first and last time we did that even though we only had one bag missing ( my mums with my dads formal wear) . My parents got new clothes for free though so they got kinda lucky we got our bag 2 ports later and was still allowed to go into the formal restaurant we never have and never will go into the buffet for dinner and since we found out breakfast either lunch is just a staple in the buffet though
Another tip - take a small bag that can be packed in your embarkation luggage in case you need it for souvenirs or other items. Buying another bag on the ship can be extremely costly!
$27 a day for parking in Seattle. I didn't know you can check your ship account as you go. How do you do that on Princess? Leaving in Sept. for next cruise.
Hey ! You can either go to the front desk and ask them to print off a copy of your onboard statement account or you can use the app that princess offers to take a peek at it. On some ships you can also look at it on the television
Great information. Do you have sites that offer excursion information and bookings that you might suggest or are familiar with? I really like you shorter....less than 10 minutes videos 👍
I bought cruise insurance with according to the travel agent "Covered Any Cancelations"..I end up having to cancel..!! Then the cruise line refused to return any of my money..!! Any suggestions..??
I buy my clothes at Macy's, Express, Target and places like TJ Maxx. The top in this video is from Target. I am also obsessed with Stitch Fix, a monthly subscription service. If you want to give it a try, you can get $25 off your first fix using this link: www.stitchfix.com/invite/sherigriffiths?sod=i&som=c I like to request off shoulder tops and dresses, and while it too me a while to find a stylist who really got my style, I now love every fix!
@@LexieDawn97 If a waiter thinks he won't get a tip, he may not provide good service. In those countries, if the doctor does not get a good tip, does he botch your surgery? The US is probably the biggest proponent of tipping but tipping a doctor would be considered highly unethical and unprofessional. A doctor accepting (expecting) tips to perform medical service would certainly get into trouble with the Board and may lose his/her license.
I was just looking up an airport shuttle time and saw that our local airport shuttle now offers drop offs at the cruise port (and it's $25 for the week to park there). Yay! I second the dont book an am flight after debarkation. We made it in on time, had priority disembarking, had a ride waiting (it was almost an hour to airport), pulled up to airport with big sigh of relief (it was quiet) ran to porter to check luggage and we were literally 5 minutes too late to check our bags. The guy was so apologetic and said he couldnt do anything about it. We ended up staying another night in a Houston airport hotel! Fortunately we were able to check in at 10 am! sigh.... AND flight back wasnt non stop and was about 7 hours longer... double sigh!
Yep and nearby parking garages are even more. Ended up staying at a hotel near the Newark airport the night before with a park and stay package and even with dinner and splitting Uber to and fro with another couple ended up about the same money and got an extra night of vacation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating if fake alcohol caused the deaths of three American tourists in the Dominican Republic earlier this year.
You didn't mention that some cruise lines such as Carnival have price match guarantees for excursions. Carnival's is a refund to your Sail and Sail card of 110% of the cost of the excursion. That is a good reason to do your research for outside excursions. Who wouldn't want that refund!
Don;t be cheap and not give additional tips. I always carry cash and tip room attendants, waiters, bartenders, etc. These are people from 3rd world counties and work very hard. The gratuities you pre-pay is really not that much when it is divided up. Don't encourage cheapness !!!
If you are only giving tips and additional tips then you are cheap. Everyone should give tips, additional tips, and bonus tips. We should all tip three, four, or more times for the same service. It is not really that much when it is divided up. Don't be tight!!!
If you plan too many things too tightly, you are sending an invitation to Murphy to come pay you a visit. He’ll bring his three cousins - broke, dumb & desperate.
After figuring out how much it costs to park at the cruise terminal in Orlando, I found a car rental that has a free shuttle to the cruise terminal. Saved the cost of both vehicle rental and parking fees. Then I used an airport shuttle back to the airport. Discovering port excursions are a waste of money. Just walk along the port terminal shops, or take a taxi to downtown area, and return to ship for the included lunch.
Good to know. Which rental offers free shuttle to the cruise terminal?
As a Princess Employee, we offer price match for shore excursions... If you see the same exact shore excursion for a lower price you can submit a form after you purchase a princess shore excursion and if it’s the same shore excursion our shore excursion department will proceed with the form
The catch is the "exact same" part tho. For example in Gibraltar, I decided to join a local dolphin watch tour that is 10 min walk from the port and cost €10, because the Princess tour costed like $60@ or something. Imagine my surprise when my dinning room friend who is with the Princess Tour showed up onto the exact same ship I was on! Turns out the only difference is they drive you ther so you don't have to walk that 10 min both ways. They tried to get a refund for the huge price difference but was told since it's not exactly the same with the ride, theg won't price match.
For that price differences with 2 people, they could have easily taken a taxi with plenty of money to spare.
Thank you for sharing this Amanda. That is wonderful information.
Answer me this and in another 6-7 years princess cruise line will appeal more to me than now but why if princess cruise line is owned by carnival why is it that princess cruise are more expensive than carnival base price is it that princess bakes in the price where you may not have the frills carnival does but you also don't have all the special dining and nickel and dime type stuff
Amanda, sounds wonderful but have you ever seen this actually happen? I imaging that it would be difficult to prove to Princess. They certainly would not believe that you talked to a person selling excursions at the port. If you could find something printed or on the internet I am sure there would be something different, e.g. they took you in a van but Princess takes you in a bus. Please tell me I'm wrong.
That was so helpful - thank you. I specifically came here for tipping advice as my husband and I both were bartenders and waiters in our younger years so we want to take care of that service but we did pre-pay for gratuities but know we'll go extra. Thank you! I did do the insurance on the cruise and airline so am happy too hear I didn't waste my money.
I may have missed this bit. In addition to your comment about booking your post cruise flight the afternoon of the cruise's end you should also stress not trying to fly to the port the morning the cruise sails! ALWAYS fly the day before and spend the night in a hotel near the port.
Finally if you are traveling several time zones from your home, for example you live on the east cost of the US and fly to Hawaii for a cruise, we recommend you fly at least two days before the cruise sails. You need time to adjust to the six hour time change otherwise you may be sleeping in the day and be up at night for a few days!
Perfect timing! Leaving tomorrow for another venture on Carnival! Thanks for the tips!
Can I just say how much I love and appreciate you being a big proponent of Travel Agents. Thank you for respecting our profession and appreciating the value we bring to travelers.
Great tips! To your last point about that line at guest services, I think that's the best argument for drink packages/prepaid gratuities that can be made lol! Those are probably the two biggest reasons why the line is so long!
Ship organised excursions are more expensive period. However, you are kind of paying a premium for certainty, convenience and less stress. However, the best excursions I've been on are ones I've arranged myself, especially private ones.
One big bonus tip if you are cruising with Princess - use their EZ Air service. The fares are cheaper, they have a "get you there" guarantee, and you can cancel and rebook your airline tickets at any time if the price goes down with no change fee.
Park and cruise hotels are a great option. We did that last time in Port Canaveral and will do it again next time.
Nice! Do you remember which hotel you used?
Great information. Travel Insurance is a must for any trip. As for tours off the ship I very seldom make those unless it is just for a few hours in the morning. I do not want to be a dock runner trying to make the ship paying more from the cruise line just make me feel safe from being left behind . Thanks
Leaving on my first cruise today, watching last minute help videos. Thanks Sherri!!
Hope you enjoyed!
crystal Hawkins How was your first cruise?
If you book your flights through the cruise company you wouldn’t have change fees if the cruise is late (or if your incoming flight is late, either).
i like watches and on our second cruise i purchased 3 during a on board "sale".. after returning home i checked amazon for the watches i bought and was devastated to learn i could have saved A LOT of money by buying the same watches on-line...
Thx a lot. I've been on 2 cruises and never thought about travel insurance. A lot of advice u gave I just did not know. I'm definitely gonna take ur advice for my next cruise(on many of ur points).
I've been on nearly 40 cruises and have never bought the insurance. Only lost out once (maybe), back on March 1st we elected not to cruise because of Covid19. It's unlikely that the insurance would have covered that anyway since it was our decision not to sail. Also most cruise ports charge for 8 full days on a seven day cruise so in many ports that comes to $160.00! I can usually find offsite parking with shuttle service for under $60, so you can save $100 there minus whatever you're tipping the shuttle driver.
Nice tips. Thank you. One thought: I while I can certainly appreciate the guarantee that a non-cruiseline excursion company offers to guarantee getting me to my next port, I'd rather have the ships guarantee that they are not going to leave at all. I've already paid for all inclusive food, my clothes are onboard, etc... Nothing wrong with booking outside of the ship, like you said, but I think it should be well reasoned, based on the excursion and the distance from the port.
Gr8 advice about tipping staff. I read in one review that many cruise staff work 14 hours a day x 7 days week and if they come from Indonesia, or the Philippines, they get lower wages which is disgusting 🤭
Thank you, I keep hearing about tips but no one has ever said how much to tip or when to tip.
You touched a little bit on this topic and it's a great help. I wished you went more in to it though.
This is very good advice. We were those who booked our flight at noon, so we panicked when it took us three hours to get through customs. We ended up taking an Uber to the airport that we hadn’t called so they charged us double the amount we would’ve paid for our scheduled ride. Don’t use those guys just hanging out in front of the cruise ports. Ugggg
We sail Royal Caribbean a lot and always pre-pay the tips, but we almost always tip extra when the service warrants it; I budget for this well before the cruise. I find that the extra gratuities and a friendly attitude can go a long way towards making my cruise much better. I've been comped many drinks and specialty dining experiences and my wife always gets off-menu dinners in the MDR. The staff works hard and tips go a long way towards making their life better. On average, I tip an extra $200 in cash on a week-long cruise. BTW - your tip to check your ship-board account is right on, especially if you have checked out beach towels.
Been cruising for ten years....about 20 cruises. Never did we pay for cruise insurance. Never also, did we fly in or out on the morning of our cruise departure date. We go at least a day early or buy refundable airline tickets.
Love watching all your videos from down under in preparation for my next cruise 😀 keep up the great job.
Thank you so much for all the awesome tips. Cruising next year 2020. We already paid a total amount for gratuity for the whole week.
Great tips! Another tip is to listen to the CrusitipsTV podcast on having a positive attitude while cruising. That will make your cruise more enjoyable no matter what life throws at you! 🙂
Ah, thanks friend! We feel passionately about taking control of any travel situation. Appreciate your comments, always!
Sheri this is a great video i am glad I subscribed to your channel my alternative to parking at the port is that i will often times rent a car from a branch or airport and drop off at another airport that offers a free shuttle or i will drop off the car at a branch near the facility where I could take a cab or lyft or uber to the port or the rental company i rent can give you a ride to the port. After the cruise i will rent a car at either the airport or a branch nearby and once i rent the car i will either return it at a local branch or an airport closer to me.
Thank you very much for all of your helpful tips on all of your videos. Keep up the amazing work hope to see you soon
I know that the cruise lines need to make money but i think the nickel and diming us for every read cent between the specialty dining which never used to exist charging for the waterpark at coco cay i think its time to squeeze back a little and don't stop cruising but instead of cruising for a once a year vacation or every 2 years instead especially with little kids go to great wolf lodge or some other indoor outdoor water park
You just need to remember that most of the things that cost extra did not exist in the past. You didn't used to get them free because they did not exist. If someone chooses to do some new extra thing and pay extra for it then why get mad. That helps keep the cost of the basic cruise down. The cost of a cruise is cheaper now than it was 20 years ago. I heard some cruise line is wanting to charge extra for a second entree. If that happens to me I will be upset.
I have been on more than a dozen cruises and never seen a pier runner- disappointed. We found the number one money saving option is to book early. We have book several cruises 24 months in advance and have always gotten some price reductions and on board credit. For Carnival they will match the prices on excursions.
Good advice!
Very nice video Have you ever thought about the making a video about the raffle tickets that are sold at various events on cruise ships? I have cruised often and I have never seen the top prize won until the last day of the cruise. Just how rigged are those raffle tickets?
Veterans have free parking, at least in Galveston tx
#3 cheack out to see if renting a car to the port and renting one back to your home.
Good tip!
Cruising on Celebrity Summit tomorrow! Can't wait! Your advice is always helpful for planning our cruises. Thanks.
Have a wonderful time! I have a friend getting off that ship as you get ON!
@@CruiseTipsTV I hope they had a great trip. We actually celebrated our Honeymoon on that trip 10 years ago, seen one update about 5 years ago, and we hear they just updated it again so we are curious to see how it is now.
My sister knows something that suffered a heart attack during a cruising experience and hadn't bought insurance. He had to pay some thousands of dollars to be aired off the ship. NOT a good idea to not buy insurance.
Great tips Sheri! Thanks so much!
Our pleasure Nora.
With regards to using a shuttle or uber to the ship - don't forget to factor in that you'll be paying to get home too - so double that cost. For our group, considering that, and all the luggage needing a bigger shuttle, it was actually cheaper to drive and park.
Great point!
We just got off our first cruise at 930 am and now we are sitting in the airport because our flight don’t leave until 3.
We just got off our first cruise and I will say I will tip more. I know it sounds funny but even with prepaid gratuities a lot of the wait staff make under $100 a month and $48 without gratuities. Just some food for thought
I booked my airline tickets through Princess will they guarantee my flight home if the ship is late? I will also add I priced the best price before getting the tickets through Princess and they were a better deal.
Yes, They sure will guarantee your flight home at the ship is late. We had a similar experience with our tickets on princess round trip to Asia. The princess prices were much better and came with incredible protections.
I hadn't seen one of your videos in a while.. Thanks for the tip on the flight back on disembarkation day I have a cruise coming up next Feb, and most of the flights I saw were morning flights.. I'l need to be careful
hey Joseph it’s wonderful to hear from you. Weren’t you the wonderful person who told us all about the MSC yacht club?
@@CruiseTipsTV Wow, I'm impressed you remembered that! We haven't been to sea since we moved back east to NJ. I'm going on "The Golden Girls at Sea" cruise in Feb (Celebrity Infinity) .. My first theme cruise :)
@@CruiseTipsTV Did you get to check the YC out? The staff to passenger ratio is enough to justify it :)
GREAT Tips!! About to leave for Alaskan Cruise in 12 days! Tips NOTED👍🏼💕
LOVE Your Dress!! (Blouse?)
Nice brief reminders for what NOT to do on a cruise!!
I have always flown in on the same day of my cruise, never had any issues but it’s NOT WORTH THE ANXIETY! Not the way to start a vacation. Next cruise, I’m flying in the day before!
Good point Christopher! It can be done, but it comes at a price.
✅ Travel Insurance is Exactly and Equal to my home 🏠 Fire 🔥 Extinguishers 🧯🧯🧯. I hope that I never need to utilize or put these items into operation ! However,, if I need those items they automatically become MY MOST PRIZED POSSESSION.
Im a first time cruise Leaving in 4 days 🤗. Great tips thanks, but how do you check your cruise check early?
Who are the people disliking these videos? I curse all of them!
Outstanding Tips
Thank you 🙏🏻
I'll be cruising out of Lon Beach in September, and I was wondering what your alternative parking options are for that port? I know you have stayed at a local hotel in the past, but I wondered if you had any suggestions for parking.
Unfortunately that is one ports we generally pay the daily fee for convenience sake. There are a few park and cruise type hotels but they are not necessarily going to be cheaper. You could ask the hotel Maya and at the Hilton Long Beach if they have any park and Cruise packages during your visit
Hotel Current has a park n cruise hotel. It’s an older remodeled hotel, but they have great services. Think like a 3 star hotel. For one night it’s great.
Can anyone suggest the best place to get travel insurance and which company to use it’s all very confusing but know my family needs it. Thank you in advance!!
We have always purchased it through the cruise line.
Cherlyn Riley ...a good place to start is here www.insuremytrip.com/
They represent several trip insurance companies and help you tailor a plan to suit your needs & budget
They’re recommended by finance/travel guru, Clark Howard
The cruise ship insurance might be a good option, but sometimes only covers you while on the ship. If you have pre- & post- cruise trip plans & travel, you won’t be covered during those times.
Every situation is different based on your health, travel plans, existing medical insurance, total trip costs, etc. Starting with
www.insuremytrip.com/ will answer some of your questions.
Has anyone packed wine to take on their cruise. I'm flying so the wine will have to be in checked bag then transferred to carry-on bag before boarding ship. Did you have any problem with the wine in a checked bag How did you pack it?
Hey Patsy! We recommend that you buy your wine in your embarkation port. The airlines probably will not allow you to take the wine in your checked bag. However the cruise line will allow you to take it in your checked bag. I hope that makes sense. There are some great bubblewrap wine containers that work well to keep it safe
@@CruiseTipsTV Thanks I love all your tips. I'm cruising in Jan 2020 (last cruise was many years ago)
Great tips!
Could not agree more!
What if u checked ur onboard account before the disembark day, all was fine, THEN the last printout of the account shows an error 🤷 you still will have to be in a long line right?
First time cruiser Nov 2019
Great tips Sheri!
Thanks so much Isabel!
BUY 1 UP PACKAGE AND SHARE THE WHOLE PACKAGE WITH THE FAMILY 🤣🤣🤣🤣, MONEY SAVED
Good luck getting an independent tour operator to get you to next port. Promises are easy.
For the plane ride thing and don’t book on the same day
I can’t remember the cruise line or who we booked with ( I’ve been on 10 cruises with many different cruise lines and I’m only 14) all I know we got the plane with British airlines or whatever it is called the plane tickets came with the booking so we were lucky . This just happened to be the exact flight before the whole ba system broke down however this means many of the passengers on this plane had their bags missing also we are a family of four having this been our second flight to a cruise we decided to say what could go wrong a packed the suitcases according to person let’s just say that we the first and last time we did that even though we only had one bag missing ( my mums with my dads formal wear) . My parents got new clothes for free though so they got kinda lucky we got our bag 2 ports later and was still allowed to go into the formal restaurant we never have and never will go into the buffet for dinner and since we found out breakfast either lunch is just a staple in the buffet though
Another tip - take a small bag that can be packed in your embarkation luggage in case you need it for souvenirs or other items. Buying another bag on the ship can be extremely costly!
Excellent tip Gina - thank you so much!!
$27 a day for parking in Seattle. I didn't know you can check your ship account as you go. How do you do that on Princess? Leaving in Sept. for next cruise.
Hey ! You can either go to the front desk and ask them to print off a copy of your onboard statement account or you can use the app that princess offers to take a peek at it. On some ships you can also look at it on the television
Really good tips
Great information. Do you have sites that offer excursion information and bookings that you might suggest or are familiar with? I really like you shorter....less than 10 minutes videos 👍
You might try doing some research on TripAdvisor. We like to book through the ShipMate app.
Try Shore Excursions. Com ☺
I like booking with Viator. They can have great savings for the exact same/better tours sometimes.
I bought cruise insurance with according to the travel agent "Covered Any Cancelations"..I end up having to cancel..!! Then the cruise line refused to return any of my money..!! Any suggestions..??
The insurance company should be reimbursing you, not the cruise line. Would definitely contact the insurance company.
#6 - Try to get someone else to pay for your cruise! ;-)
Crystal Cruiser Guys lol cute!
That's what I'm talking about honey!!! 😂😂🤣🤣
Good tips thank you
Even though I've paid gratuities through the drink package, I always tip the bartender again, a buck a drink generally, service is VERY good lol
What does nerdy mean
What and where do I get travel insurance?
Michelle Burke you can get it through AAA or check if you have a credit card with travel rewards.
I grt it through my travel agency in Canada
Thank you so much😊
Our pleasure
"Luggage Handlers" are actually Longshoremen and make 50 to 100 thousand dollars a year, why should we give them a tip???
Because they can make your bags disappear if you make them mad.
@@allent1034 they can also make them appear in your cabin first if you make them happy.
Not a tip then.I can think of other words for it.
VERY helpful! I’m going on my first cruise next month 🤩 Thank you for the valuable info
Off topic...Where do you buy your clothes, i know you are petite like myself and every i i watch i want one of everything you wear....
I buy my clothes at Macy's, Express, Target and places like TJ Maxx. The top in this video is from Target. I am also obsessed with Stitch Fix, a monthly subscription service. If you want to give it a try, you can get $25 off your first fix using this link: www.stitchfix.com/invite/sherigriffiths?sod=i&som=c I like to request off shoulder tops and dresses, and while it too me a while to find a stylist who really got my style, I now love every fix!
We Love cruises
I can see tipping for a service but not a doctor
EDWARD BENKOVIC in other countries you do tip health care workers..
@@LexieDawn97 If a waiter thinks he won't get a tip, he may not provide good service. In those countries, if the doctor does not get a good tip, does he botch your surgery? The US is probably the biggest proponent of tipping but tipping a doctor would be considered highly unethical and unprofessional. A doctor accepting (expecting) tips to perform medical service would certainly get into trouble with the Board and may lose his/her license.
I was just looking up an airport shuttle time and saw that our local airport shuttle now offers drop offs at the cruise port (and it's $25 for the week to park there). Yay! I second the dont book an am flight after debarkation. We made it in on time, had priority disembarking, had a ride waiting (it was almost an hour to airport), pulled up to airport with big sigh of relief (it was quiet) ran to porter to check luggage and we were literally 5 minutes too late to check our bags. The guy was so apologetic and said he couldnt do anything about it. We ended up staying another night in a Houston airport hotel! Fortunately we were able to check in at 10 am! sigh.... AND flight back wasnt non stop and was about 7 hours longer... double sigh!
$40/day for parking in NYC :(
Ouch!
CruiseTipsTV I know right?!
10 euroes for parking a day in genova or venice
I would avoid driving into NYC it at all possible.
Yep and nearby parking garages are even more. Ended up staying at a hotel near the Newark airport the night before with a park and stay package and even with dinner and splitting Uber to and fro with another couple ended up about the same money and got an extra night of vacation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating if fake alcohol caused the deaths of three American tourists in the Dominican Republic earlier this year.
You didn't mention that some cruise lines such as Carnival have price match guarantees for excursions. Carnival's is a refund to your Sail and Sail card of 110% of the cost of the excursion. That is a good reason to do your research for outside excursions. Who wouldn't want that refund!
They do! The only caveat is that the excursion must be pretty much identical in order for them to price match.
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Try $40 a day at the NYC cruise port....eeek
woo hoo! almost 3,000 likes on this one!
That's wild! Thanks for noticing that Karyn! Wow!
Don;t be cheap and not give additional tips. I always carry cash and tip room attendants, waiters, bartenders, etc. These are people from 3rd world counties and work very hard. The gratuities you pre-pay is really not that much when it is divided up. Don't encourage cheapness !!!
Maybe ppl arent walking banks....
If you are only giving tips and additional tips then you are cheap. Everyone should give tips, additional tips, and bonus tips. We should all tip three, four, or more times for the same service. It is not really that much when it is divided up. Don't be tight!!!
Travel insurance has saved me thousands. All had to do with our health or health of parent.
First
If you plan too many things too tightly, you are sending an invitation to Murphy to come pay you a visit. He’ll bring his three cousins - broke, dumb & desperate.
You’re so pretty :)
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Really enjoyed watching this video! Awesome advice and tips.
Thanks Steve!!
Nice tips Sheri!