Tips For Travellers
We are only ever likely to go to Japan once in our lives and so it's important to get it right. While I didn't get everything 100% spot on, I now know what future cruisers to Japan need to know to avoid my mistakes, work around downsides, and ensure they have the best time. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers YouTube:
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The cruise I'm on right now has inspired me to make this video. I'm an Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas, and I've met many first time cruisers and repeat cruisers who have tripped up and fallen for 6 traps that are out there right now that cruisers are falling for that I want to make sure that you know about so you don't fall into those traps. Links to fare tracking mentioned in the video: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com/cruise-ship-fare-tracking/ Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers...
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When I think of Royal Caribbean, I think of feature-packed mega resort ships, with good value cabins. However, I have seen Royal Caribbean now has some of the biggest and most expensive suites money can buy at sea. So, instead of using some savings to book a smaller luxury cruise line that I usually would, I decided to splash that cash on a Royal Caribbean suite to see if I would get all the service, glitz, and glamour they promise in their “Royal Class Suites”. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For...
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The “cruise bible”, the authoritative Berlitz “Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships”, has for years said this line has the best ships in the world, but almost no cruisers outside its home country have ever heard of it, even though it's 50% owned by Royal Caribbean, a line everyone’s heard of. So, I decided I should test the line out to see if they were better, and if I would recommend that cruisers like you consider taking a risk and cruising a line you’ve never heard of. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams...
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At the start of my recent Greenland Arctic expedition cruise, an ominous notice appeared in the daily program. It required us to attend a mandatory (written in capital letters no less!) meeting at 5pm. Having been on four previous expedition cruises to Antarctica, the Arctic and Galapagos I knew to expect this meeting. But most did not, and many were confused as we’d had the muster drill which they thought was the only mandatory requirement on cruises. Concern grew when the Expedition Director made an announcement saying failure to attend would have significant implications for the cruise....
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I like cruising on small and medium-sized ships that aren’t busy, and a bit laid back. But I also love going to Vegas, with its big brash shows, buzz, and excitement. So, I decided, to see if a big resort ship would work out for people like me, so I nervously booked myself on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, which at the time was the second-biggest ship in the world, holding up to 6,680 passengers. Now that I've experienced the best and worst of a mega ship resort cruising, I now know who should or shouldn't be booking themselves on one of these. And why! Become a Tips For...
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I’ve been diving into the latest cruise line reviews, reviewing all the comments and messages I receive and comparing that with my own recent cruising experiences, and from all that I came across five cruise lines that passengers seem to agree are the hottest cruise lines right now, ones rising with the tide and floating above all others, so ones perhaps you should consider more than ever before right now. Here’s what I found. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers YouTube:
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As none of us want to waste our precious vacation time and money on anything but those cruise lines on top of their game, I've been diving into the latest cruise reviews, pouring over the thousands of comments and messages I get, and been cruising on many cruise lines to see which are hot - and which are not - right now. Based on all that here are the lines I think you may need think about carefully, and why. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers YouTube:
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There are things I no longer pack for a cruise as things have changed, others I pack different things to do the same task, things I have always packed for a cruise vacation and still do and some things I don’t understand why people pack for a cruise at all. Find out what they are and why you should rethink what you pack for a cruise Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers YouTube:
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With cruise lines now pretty much able to sell their ships out completely at a hundred percent or higher capacity, I want to tell you how you can hunt down and find cruises and cruise ships that are not going to be completely packed to the rafters and will have the best cruise experience. This is the techniques that I use. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers YouTube:
info_outlineIn this episode of Tips for Travellers I explore the family-based entertainment, kids' programs and dining on MSC Cruises. Towards the end of 2014 and into 2015, the line started to renovate four of their smaller and older ships (Armonia, Lirica, Sinfonia and Opera) which included slicing them into two and inserting a 25-metre section full of new facilities and cabins. They called it the "Renaissance Programme".
I went on the first of the ships to go through the process, MSC Armonia,after she came out of dry dock and embarked on her inaugural voyage. Whilst on board I was able to view the changes first hand, hear more about the unusual engineering project and find out why they undertook such drastic action. But more importantly what it all means for passengers choosing to cruise on the ships.
While one of the objectives was no doubt to increase the number of guests the ship can carry to leverage costs and make them able to keep offering value fares and still make a return, passengers benefit in at least four areas from what I observed:
1: Improved facilities for families, especially in the Kids' Club areas with more options and partnerships with brands like Chicco baby toys and equipment, Duplo and Lego.
2: Improved dining options and choices including a special restaurant for Spa Suites and an anytime dining restaurant in addition to the fixed seating one.
3: More balcony cabins, something increasingly sought by modern cruisers.
4: Refreshed and updated public areas and cabins with new carpets, reupholstered and new furniture.
To find out more about changes in entertainment, family facilities and dining, which I thought would be of most interest to listeners, I interviewed three key MSC crew and management.
- Matteo Mancini, Youth Activities Coordinator for the entire MSC fleet. He told me about their approach to families and kids’ programs, the five different clubs, partnerships and more about the specific facilities and what is different to other cruise lines.
- Alessandro Molinari, the Cruise Director, who spoke about how the changes in the ship have influenced the entertainment options and program, and how it is different to other ships in the fleet.
- Massimo Lazzari, Food and Beverage Manager who explained the new dining choices and how the menus change based in the region.
The line is so focused on their family and children programs they invite people to email the head office team focused on the area with suggestions and questions, which Matteo Mancini personally answers.The email is [email protected]