Essential Cruise Tips
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:
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Cruise lines are packing their ships full these days. They're admitting that they're selling at 100% or higher capacity. So, ships are really, really full, and I've seen this firsthand on a recent cruise, like MSC Cruises, Norwegian, or Caribbean, even Princess in Alaska. So, I want to share with you proven techniques to deal with managing crowds and avoiding crowds. 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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On my last cruise, a Windstar Fjords cruise, I posted clips on Instagram of the best attended event of my entire cruise. It immediately ignited a fiery, lively, and divided debate about if the event was a good idea or not. It got me thinking about other things that I talk about on social media or in my videos, that spark heated debates and where cruisers fall into “for” or “against” camps, with few on the fence. So, let's find out where you stand on these right now as I suspect that, like me, your stand is shifting as we face a new world of cruising. Become a Tips For Travellers...
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After loving recent cruises on 600 and 700 passenger ships, like Oceania Insignia, Azamara Quest and Seabourn Encore, I wanted to see if going ever smaller was even better, so I booked myself on an 11-night Windstar Star Pride “Lands of the Midnight Suns”. Now this ship only holds 312 passengers, and they claim to be the market leading small ship line and have both these yacht style engine-driven ships that I went on, but they also have sailing vessels as well. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For...
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It took me 26 hours, three flights, and a time change of 12 hours to get to my French Polynesian cruise in one of the remotest parts of the world. It was brutal, and so how did it go once there – and do I recommend putting yourself though all that? I explore all of this in this video 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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I am often asked about river cruising and find many people do not fully understand what it is and is not, and this are the 6 things that I have come to appreciate about river cruising around the world that people need to know before they consider one 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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I test out cruising in Yacht Club, a limited access “ship-within-a-ship” on MSC Cruises, to see if it really is better than cruising as a “regular” passenger and if it is worth paying the premium for the experience and the perks. 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 so many rumours, beliefs, stories, and misconceptions about MSC Cruises with many drawn by their great fares but worried about the reports about the ships, food, service and entertainment. I cruised with them to uncover the latest 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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I expose and looks at common scams that I have seen cruisers, including my friends and even myself, fall for when in a port on their cruise so you can avoid falling for these... 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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Seven out of ten travellers told me they really want to do a Nile River cruise. But almost all said they were unlikely to do it, because they had too many questions and concerns. Having done one, I have discovered the answers to those questions, and a few they should be asking but aren’t. Become a Tips For Travellers Patron: and get exclusive Patron-only content, downloads and livestreams Visit my Tips For Travellers YouTube:
info_outlineGary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tip. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and subscribe free to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and TuneIn Radio
Getting Best Fare: Timing
I have many tips for getting the best fare. Here is some more of them:
Avoid maiden seasons of new ships
New ships joining a cruise line fleet receive significant media coverage and are highly sought after, with guests wanting to experience the latest offering and fares are at a premium. During maiden seasons you should find lower and discounted fares on their older ships.
Consider less popular or very competitive routes
There are some cruises that the lines find harder to sell and you may find attractive fares on these like:
- Repositioning cruises. At the start and end of the Mediterranean summer season most lines move the ships to areas like the Caribbean and South America. As there is at least seven sea days they have limited appeal. You can get a week cruising either the Mediterranean or Caribbean and an Atlantic crossing at low fares.
- Start and end of the season, especially out of school holidays. While you risk having mixed weather, prices will be lowest during these periods.
- Crossings at start and end of world cruises. These are better suited to people who can cope with rough seas as they usually travel the North Atlantic in the winter months.
- Competitive routes like the Caribbean out of Florida ports and Mediterranean out of Barcelona and Civitavecchia (Rome) will often have good deals as there is lots of capacity and competition.
Listen for more tips on finding good cruise fares in other episodes.
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