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There are two things that a lot of cruise passengers forget (or don't know to begin with): 1. When you step aboard the ship you are in a foreign country and you have to follow their laws. 2. Ditto for the ports the ship goes to. Their laws may be radically different from ours. This is especially true of things like CBD products.
@@vanceb1 That’s absolutely correct in the host nation you’re docked at (or their territorial waters. I’m retired Navy, the Captain is 100% accountable & responsible for all onboard consequences, actions, and inactions at sea. That reason is why cruise lines don’t play…..any misbehavior is met with severe consequences to protect the ship, fellow passengers/ crew, & the company reputation. The latest example is the fight on Carnival where chairs were thrown. Carnival Corp owns 7 or 8 cruise lines such as Princess. I’ll bet you’ll be banned from all of them once this kind of behavior is discovered.
I have never booked a guaranty cabin because I always want MY cabin in the place I want it. I always renew my passport 6 months before it’s due. I would rather spend the extra money than not be able to board. These are just simple things an experienced traveler does. Good video!! ❤
My wife has always gone by first name-maiden-married name. But her passport has first-middle-married. We found out when we checked in for our flight. It got straightened out at the airport. But we learned our lesson. GO WITH THE NAME ON THE PASSPORT!
We had to cancel our upcoming cruise in September due to my wife having had surgery on her left foot and her mobility would have been severely limited. We did rebook 2 cruises for fall and winter of 2025, so that should give her plenty of time to heal. That said, with the HUGE demand for cruising right now, ships sold out months in advance, ships sailing over capacity, and fewer people (or sometimes none at all) canceling, the last thing you would want to do is having a ship "guaranteeing or assigning" you a cabin. I had heard about the Carnival guests actually having to go on a different ship due to their ship having no cabins available but i also heard about RC sending out several emails to passengers telling them not to come to the cruise terminal because no one canceled their booking and they had no cabins available. It may save a few $$ to let the cruise line assign you a cabin, but you could be vastly disappointed if the cruise line overbooks and no one cancels.
Concur! It’s one thing to risk booking a “guaranteed cabin” if you live within a four-hour drive of the port; if you are flying in, the risk of being bumped and having essentially wasted the flight and your vacation time isn’t worth the potential savings. Book the room and get peace of mind.
If you are a grandparent with legal custody, make sure you bring your court documents. Upon checking in, even though we have the same last name, the representative looked at me over the top of her glasses. Mind you I am 65 years old traveling with an 8 year old. I told her that I was his legal guardian but she wanted to see the papers. Luckily, I carry the papers with me every where I go. I surely would have been denied boarding if I did not have those papers.
This can apply to divorced parents traveling with their children too - good to have a letter from the other parent giving permission to travel with the child, and sometimes even the divorce documents.
Good idea. I bring a copy of my daughter’s adoption order. I’m a single mother so I do not want an issue because there’s no travel letter from a dad ( because there in none). Better safe than sorry.
I had booked a cruise on Regent with a guaranteed suite which came with only a 25% solo supplement. Because those suites were in high demand, I got upgraded to a wonderful concierge suite for my 37 day cruise. ❤
Thank you for this timely story! While I was completely aware of the six month rule for passports and I had an alert set to order a replacement passport as soon as we got back from our trip on the weekend, with all of the stress and hassles since we were booked on Westjet for returning from our wedding in Vegas, I missed the notification to remind me to get a replacement passport. Needless to say I had my OMG moment about 2:30 into the video and immediately paused it to renew my passport. Yesterday was 6 months before the expiry date and we have a major cruise at the end of September. Thank you thank you thank you.
Re Name matching on Documentation... even simple things like putting "Nick" in your Cruise Booking but your legal documentation says "Nicholas" can be enough to prevent boarding (fortunately that has NOT happened to me) Also double check Auto-Correct does NOT change your name... I have a friend who has a similar name to mine -- Nicolas -- the French version of Nicholas... auto correct will often try and add the H
When I booked our honeymoon, I had my travel agent enter my fiancée’s maiden name. That way we didn’t have to worry about the documents not matching the reservation.
My name is two names jammed together with no space. But some people insist on making it two names, even though I tell them, it’s one name. I have been denied boarding on aircraft, which was straightened out so I could fly. I’ve had insurance claims denied because of that extra space. I’ve had reservations denied because of that space. I’m incredibly picky now and check and double check to be sure they didn’t accidentally stick a space in the names. All official id is one name. Just make sure the reservation and the id match. That space has caused me many problems in the past including when they only put the first part of the name and leave off the rest of the name and start calling me by the first part and then wonder why I don’t answer.
My first name has an apostrophe, and when we booked, the Carnival customer service told us the apostrophe couldn't be added because their computer system wouldn't allow it. This happens to me a lot. Cruise is in August, hopefully this won't be a problem, as my passport shows the correct spelling.
I’m surprised people by now. Don’t know you have to have six months left on your passport to board the ship. That’s pretty common practice not only on cruises, but the airlines too.
This has puzzled me too. Logically you'd think the expiration date printed on the passport was indeed an expiration date of the passport. Usual gov't idiocy. 🤔
@@leblancjeffery It’s not a stupid rule for other countries. They just don’t want to risk having travellers or tourists overstaying their passport validity. For example, many would-be immigrants stay on illegally in a foreign country in the hopes of establishing residency and eventually applying for citizenship. And by the way, it’s the country you’re visiting that enforces the rule, not the country that issued the passport. Be happy if your country of origin keeps you from travelling with a nearly expired passport because that saves you from making a trip that will only end in you getting denied entry at your destination.
Once the cruiselines started sailing at full capacity after COVID, there were a Lot of first time cruisers who were confused by all the rules. You used to be able to bring an official copy of your birth certificate instead of a passport sometimes, but I think a passport is always required now. And add time for processing!
I waited to change my last name after marriage until after we returned from our honeymoon because my passport was in my maiden name. No big deal having to wait a few extra weeks to do it in order to ensure I could travel without issue!
Love your videos. I got off my cruise last month but still love watching and keeping up with all your knowledge. This also rekindles positive memories of pre voyage research and for me has made the overall experience continue on to this day. Thank you so much!
My wife and I have gotten Guaranteed rooms a couple of times and worried about getting bumped, but figured it might be the same as with an airline...first come first served. So, each time we booked such a room we'd get there early enough to watch the prior passengers disembark. No issues! 😎👍
We almost missed boarding for our honeymoon cruise. 😬 It was my first cruise and we were blissfully unworried about things we should have worried about. 😅 We flew in the day of our cruise, with a layover, and our flights were delayed. We arrived before departure time, but there was literally no one else in the cruise terminal besides us and the employees. Everyone was really nice and said things like, "You made it!" I thought they were just being nice, but I think it was more because they figured we knew we almost didn't make it (we still had no idea). 😂 Pretty sure we were the last to board.
Very informative video Ilana. The passport expiration date issue was new to me on a cruise many years ago when we checked in though we barely had enough left to complete that cruise. The agent was just let us know the rule. Yes the departure time and must be on board time can be very different. One cruise not long ago it was 90 minutes, but generally I have beenbtold it is 60 due the cruise line transmitting the final passport info for passengers actually onboard. Had not heard about the name change issue though we have been married a very long time so never has been an issue. Happy cruising Ilana!
It's (probably) not an issue with cruises, but with airlines, being dead. Some years back a family found it would be really expensive to return their grandmother's body to Puerto Rico for burial, so one of them tried to fly with an unusually large garment bag. It didn't work.
12 of my cruises have been inside guarantee cabins and never had a problem. I dont have a special need to sleep in certain areas, i can snooze with no issues. So far i have always had my cabin numbers assigned within days of booking and almost all my sailings have been booked within 30 days or less. Ive also been upgraded on a 26 day to balcony. PTL!!
When I sailed 22 yrs ago I used my birth registration...apparently its different than a birth certificate. My mom came over to the lady giving us a hard time and said that's what I got from the hospital and they did let me on. We got passports after that. I didn't have any issue submitting that same birth registration for my passport but my mom had to go get a new birth certificate because the hospital had filled hers out in pencil (in 1951) but the cruise people never questioned it...glad we use passports now to avoid the drama.
I messaged Illana on another Video about the Handicap issue. What I heard from either Tony or Don (La Lida Loco & Family Vacation) that the Cruise Line needs to know of Any Handicap issue. From Hearing, Sight and or walking. Reason is, they (cruise line) will have a crew member assigned to you in case of an emergency, ex: Fire. They cannot assign someone to you at the time of boarding. We also learned just before our last cruise, you need to advise them well ahead of the cruise. My wife's issue, Stroke had to have a letter from her doctor saying she was fit for travel and all documentation sent in time for a "Review" by the cruise line. In our case, Viking.
I've booked gty cabins on RC and never an issue not getting them and getting on ship but rooms have been AWFUL!!! Remember these are rooms nobody else wanted for a reason! There were 8 of us on my last cruise and while nice that we were all together, we all were deck 2 forward on vision of seas. The seas were soooo rough at night ....you could feel the ship coming out of water and slamming back down. It felt like the ship was going to break in half. I couldn't even sleep in my room a few nights. Had to go to higher deck. Also the AC was not functional at all in the room. It was badddd...won't do it again!
For me, this "exact match" requirement is _always_ a source of stress. I'm Scottish. I have a capital letter in the body of my name. Although it has not (yet) been a problem, it irks me to no end that some websites won't allow me to spell my name correctly, or do and then change it. (Yes, I really have had people tell me that I'm not allowed to spell my name correctly.) As a result my booking is not an exact match with our passports.
I hear you. I have seen that accents and dashes are not typically considered to be required. I’m sure if you’re following the airline & cruise recommendations you’ll be fine :)
That's like a friend of mine whose name is Kaytlen (I may be misspelling it myself, her Scottish parents gave her the Scottish spelling). She's forever being told, "That's not how you spell Caitlin!"
My husband has an umlaut in his name in the original spelling. He sometimes had to argue with the airlines that the correct spelling if ö wasn’t available on the form would be oe, not o.
I have two of the German letters with dots on them in my name. Ö and ü. When I book online with my travel agent in the confirmation email they always mention that these will converted to oe and ue and that this is known and will not cause trouble. The price we pay for different alphabets or conventions than the standard american ones
I do need to pack extension cords, even if I don't use them on the cruise ship. Cruising almost always involves staying in a hotel before and/or after a cruise. As a CPAP user, I can't leave it to chance that the hotel would not have an extension cord. BTW, I didn't realize I was supposed to tell them about my CPAP machine. However, nobody questioned it.
You can reserve an extension cord for your CPAP the same as you request distilled water. I have had an extension cord I brought confiscated. I get it. It is a potential fire hazard.
@@cherylhigh8716 - I still need to have the extension cord for the hotel before and after the cruise. I don't need to use it on the ship if they provide one or if the socket is close enough that I don't need an extension cord.
We once booked a sort of last-minute cruise (maybe a month out?) and all they offered was a guaranteed cabin. It was way forward on the ship, not a location we would have chosen, but worked out fine and it was quite a savings from Vacations To Go. Our two cruises this year we've chosen our cabin.
My wife is not yet a US citizen, we booked a flight to Greece, hotel and a cruise thinking we would be able to get the required visa for her. However, we’ve been trying since March to get a Schengen visa out of the New York Greek consulate to no avail. We have all the required documents, medical insurance etc…just cannot get an appointment to meet with someone at the embassy. They are booked until mid-September & our cruise is in 2 weeks. We’ve called, emailed & even gone in person only to be told essentially without an appointment to get lost. It seems as if the appointment slots are taken by bots & there’s never a cancellation. It’s extremely frustrating so I recommend if you need a visa try making an appointment as early as possible once you have all your travel documents ready. If there’s something different that I need to do please inform.
This doesn't classified as denied boarding, but very delayed boarding. My in laws and our family went on a Carnival cruise last June. Everyone was able to check in successful, but not my in laws which was very odd since they are seasoned cruises. The staff kept walking back and forth to some secured area for about about 20 minutes. Come to find out their booked room had flooded and was not ready so they finally checked them in, escorted them to guest services where they received a $100 cruise credit for our trip.
Guaranteed means they guarantee a certain class of cabin (inside, balcony, sure, etc.) But they pick the actual cabin location. It costs a bit more to select a specific cabin but I think it's worth it.😊
Booking a guaranteed stateroom means you’re giving the cruise line the right to put you in any room they choose as long as it falls within the category you chose or higher. Main pro is it’s usually much less expensive so good for budget-conscious cruisers. A nice but rare pro is if all the rooms in the category you chose sold out, the cruise line might upgrade you if there are any higher category rooms available. Or they could simply bump you off as mentioned in the video. Major con is you can be assigned a stateroom with an undesirable location (under or above noisy venues, near the smoking section, beside crew service areas) or layout (obstructed view in an oceanview/balcony stateroom, connecting rooms, oddly configured cabins). The cruise line waits until the last minute and assigns the leftover, probably least desirable rooms to guaranteed cabin guests. You won’t be able to complain because you waived the privilege of choosing a cabin you prefer. If you’re lucky, your cruise won’t be sold out so you might wind up with a nice stateroom but it’s really a gamble. Another con is, depending on the cruise line, you won’t get some or any of the perks offered to those who paid to choose their stateroom in the same category as yours (e.g NCL doesn’t offer its Free at Sea perks to guaranteed cabin guests).
Were on crown princess right now in Alaska it's 49 today in Juneau alaska and it's beautiful. Went to see the raptors and bears yesterday it was amazing. It was $258 a piece on the ship app last month we got off and got it at a tour booth $20 each plus $15 each to get in to see the bears and $16 each to see the raptors eagles...total was $100 off the ship and $585 on the ships. We did the same exact tour we saw the people who booked on board the ship who were with us and we all went to the same places. Just goes to show you you were right to shop around and get it off the ship. They had plenty of tickets left too I think the guy said they still had over 100 tickets still and 2 more ships were coming in. Anyways you saved us almost $500 😊😊 thank you.
@LifeWellCruised I believe it was...I'm not really sure. They dropped us off picked us up gave us a sighting seeing tour and they were always on time. Our bus driver was so nice. I can't belive how much money we saved. We're in Juneau right now we're getting off to go find another tour excursions ticket booth now to go see the glaciers.
@@bigguy1403Just be really careful and get back to the ship on time. Unless it's a excursion set up by the cruise line, the ship won't wait for any late passengers.
@user-ew8vt1ur7j oh yes I know. It's only a short distance and they 100% guaranteed us on time back to the ship we didn't have to be back till 8pm so we had 5hrs to kill.
I have never sailed with a guaranteed cabin. However, I have a 24 day cruise for next year, where I have a guaranteed cabin. I spoke to my travel agent about it, and there are available cabins but not one cabin for the entire cruise as some other passengers will get off and on for shorter duration. I am told it should not be a problem for sailing.
I’m surprised people by now Don’t know you have to have six months left on your passport to board the ship. That’s pretty common practice not only on cruises, but the airlines too. I never ever book a guaranteed. You never know what you’re gonna wind up with and having a quiet location is of upmost importance to me. Given the fact that carnival Incorporated owns eight different cruise lines, I’ll bet anyone of those eight will ban you if you’ve had violence recorded on any of their vessels. A very wise point regarding your passport and your married name. That could be very very tricky. Your best bet is to travel onto your maiden name and take care of it when you get back.
I just ordered the magnet hooks from Amazon, they arrived in a box with a sticker that says, Magnetic, DO NO SHIP BY AIR...Can I take them on an airplane to the Mediterranean????
I’ve heard people say this before, but I don’t think it’s for these size magnets (in the small quantity you have). Many people have flown with them, including me, but of course please do what you think is best
@@Placement239Generally speaking, small magnets with a very limited magnetic field (like souvenir fridge magnets or magnetic hooks) can be brought on board a plane. But it’s always prudent to contact the airline directly for their rules regarding items they do or don’t allow on board.
If you are sailing MSC, you need to fill out a Special Needs form for the scooter, and in regards to the sail time, passengers need to arrive 2.5 hours before the sail time or they will not let you board.
QUESTION: My first cruise ever is in 3 weeks from now and I’m TERRIFIED of being denied boarding. Both my husband and myself have our first middle and last name on our passport AND our drivers license. However, when I put our names on the cruise reservation, I put just our first and last name. Is this important? Do I need to call the cruise line or can I change it on the online official check in? Please help, I’m panicking here 😢
2018 departing from Galveston aboard a Carnival cruise 🛳,, while waiting for my uncle and his lady to board, they called me from the terminal to say that my uncle had forgotten his passport and wasn't able to board, he was allowed to join us 2 days later in Cozumel, he flew in and boarded
@@Ramguy530 it’s a good idea to check specifically what is required as they may have a form or in some cases need something notarized (I mention only because I’ve seen this several years ago)
I saw that a USA citizen was denied boarding because his cruise stopped in Canada, and he had a DUI record. It that true? DUI records do not mean much to US citizens.
Confused. How does the classification term "Guaranteed room" NOT guarantee you a room? Its literally in the name. Its literally the reason id book it. Bump someone else who picked their (NOT GUARANTEED) room number not the GUARANTEED one.
The take away is that you need to first read the cruise ship policies before signing the dotted line and making sure you read them yet again well in advance of embarkation day.
I was stuck behind a young couple, where she was not American but had her country’s passport and the documents to be able to sail all in order, but her American boyfriend did not have a certified copy of his birth certificate and was not allowed to board. I don’t know if she boarded anyway, or not, but he only had a photo copy of his B.C. and his license and as I walked away, he was still arguing with customs.
As far as Gummies - and we don’t know passengers behavior- I think that should be collected and destroyed. Not denied boarding. That is to easy mistake. Heck in Astoria I purchased a cream with it at the cruise port mall and didn’t think about it they treated it like liquor and I got it at end of cruise
Wondering how much of your name on the cruise boarding pass has to match your documents. Airlines can’t accept anything that doesn’t exactly match all your names in the passport. Is just your first and last name on the cruise boarding pass okay for getting on board?
ID issues are the most common cause for denial. One thing that pops up is REAL ID drivers license. REAL ID doesn’t mean a DL is enhanced. For closed loop cruises from US ports passengers without a passport can travel with a government ID and a U.S. Birth certificate (the BC should have a raised seal). Some folks think that all they need is real id when they actually need an enhanced DL. Enhanced DL’s are only issued in certain border states, bring a government issued birth certificate with real id license.
Are ALL CBD products not allowed, or are the ones with under 0.3% THC ok,? These are ones that can be purchased anyplace, even in states where THC is not legal.
@angelsanchez8344 it's good you talk about this, because it seems like something you can buy in the grocery store would be ok. I may have made this error.
I never understood the 6 months expire date thing, I mean its still good, its not like we are going to stay in the country for 6 months, this suggestion by any country is stupid...... Great vlog as usual!
It’s not a stupid rule for other countries. They just don’t want to risk having travellers or tourists overstaying their passport validity. For example, many would-be immigrants stay on illegally in a foreign country in the hopes of establishing residency and eventually applying for citizenship.
Planning a cruise? Get The Ultimate Cruise Planner. It's a 47 page printable cruise travel planner with packing checklists, shore excursion planning forms and much more! ($10 off for a limited time). Here are the details: lifewellcruised.com/ultimate-cruise-planner
There are two things that a lot of cruise passengers forget (or don't know to begin with): 1. When you step aboard the ship you are in a foreign country and you have to follow their laws. 2. Ditto for the ports the ship goes to. Their laws may be radically different from ours. This is especially true of things like CBD products.
@@vanceb1 That’s absolutely correct in the host nation you’re docked at (or their territorial waters. I’m retired Navy, the Captain is 100% accountable & responsible for all onboard consequences, actions, and inactions at sea. That reason is why cruise lines don’t play…..any misbehavior is met with severe consequences to protect the ship, fellow passengers/ crew, & the company reputation. The latest example is the fight on Carnival where chairs were thrown. Carnival Corp owns 7 or 8 cruise lines such as Princess. I’ll bet you’ll be banned from all of them once this kind of behavior is discovered.
@@Retiredtraveler1961 As I understand it, that is the policy. They don't play around. One mistake and you're are gone forever.
I have never booked a guaranty cabin because I always want MY cabin in the place I want it. I always renew my passport 6 months before it’s due. I would rather spend the extra money than not be able to board. These are just simple things an experienced traveler does. Good video!! ❤
@@jimwisnieski6355 thanks for sharing this 👏
I’m leaving in 4 days for our cruise, it’s our first one! I can’t wait!
Very exciting!! Have an amazing time & let us know how you enjoyed
You literally think of everything to tell new and veteran cruisers. Your tips and vast knowledge is much appreciated. Thank you ❤
Have a wonderful time!!!
My wife has always gone by first name-maiden-married name. But her passport has first-middle-married. We found out when we checked in for our flight. It got straightened out at the airport. But we learned our lesson. GO WITH THE NAME ON THE PASSPORT!
@@richardgotshall2703 wow, thanks for sharing
I would never give up the ability to choose my own cabin. Location can make or break an expensive vacation.
1000% agree.
Guaranteed cabins are often "bumped." It happened to my friend.
We had to cancel our upcoming cruise in September due to my wife having had surgery on her left foot and her mobility would have been severely limited. We did rebook 2 cruises for fall and winter of 2025, so that should give her plenty of time to heal.
That said, with the HUGE demand for cruising right now, ships sold out months in advance, ships sailing over capacity, and fewer people (or sometimes none at all) canceling, the last thing you would want to do is having a ship "guaranteeing or assigning" you a cabin. I had heard about the Carnival guests actually having to go on a different ship due to their ship having no cabins available but i also heard about RC sending out several emails to passengers telling them not to come to the cruise terminal because no one canceled their booking and they had no cabins available. It may save a few $$ to let the cruise line assign you a cabin, but you could be vastly disappointed if the cruise line overbooks and no one cancels.
@@stevengolden9009 thanks for sharing- some good points
Concur! It’s one thing to risk booking a “guaranteed cabin” if you live within a four-hour drive of the port; if you are flying in, the risk of being bumped and having essentially wasted the flight and your vacation time isn’t worth the potential savings. Book the room and get peace of mind.
If you are a grandparent with legal custody, make sure you bring your court documents. Upon checking in, even though we have the same last name, the representative looked at me over the top of her glasses. Mind you I am 65 years old traveling with an 8 year old. I told her that I was his legal guardian but she wanted to see the papers. Luckily, I carry the papers with me every where I go. I surely would have been denied boarding if I did not have those papers.
This can apply to divorced parents traveling with their children too - good to have a letter from the other parent giving permission to travel with the child, and sometimes even the divorce documents.
@@JackiLampley thanks for sharing this
Good idea. I bring a copy of my daughter’s adoption order. I’m a single mother so I do not want an issue because there’s no travel letter from a dad ( because there in none). Better safe than sorry.
I had booked a cruise on Regent with a guaranteed suite which came with only a 25% solo supplement. Because those suites were in high demand, I got upgraded to a wonderful concierge suite for my 37 day cruise. ❤
@@rosebrenner8146 that’s awesome 👏
Thank you for this timely story! While I was completely aware of the six month rule for passports and I had an alert set to order a replacement passport as soon as we got back from our trip on the weekend, with all of the stress and hassles since we were booked on Westjet for returning from our wedding in Vegas, I missed the notification to remind me to get a replacement passport. Needless to say I had my OMG moment about 2:30 into the video and immediately paused it to renew my passport. Yesterday was 6 months before the expiry date and we have a major cruise at the end of September. Thank you thank you thank you.
@@DonLekei wow, well than this video was good timing 😂
I wanted a room number. That way they can't say they overbooked my room.
I see what you mean
Thats not a guarantee
@@baldone60it is they wont cancel assigned rooms.
Re Name matching on Documentation... even simple things like putting "Nick" in your Cruise Booking but your legal documentation says "Nicholas" can be enough to prevent boarding (fortunately that has NOT happened to me)
Also double check Auto-Correct does NOT change your name... I have a friend who has a similar name to mine -- Nicolas -- the French version of Nicholas... auto correct will often try and add the H
When I booked our honeymoon, I had my travel agent enter my fiancée’s maiden name. That way we didn’t have to worry about the documents not matching the reservation.
That's what I worry about. Although I have included my middle name when booking, the travel docs for the cruise didn't include it.
My name is two names jammed together with no space. But some people insist on making it two names, even though I tell them, it’s one name. I have been denied boarding on aircraft, which was straightened out so I could fly. I’ve had insurance claims denied because of that extra space. I’ve had reservations denied because of that space. I’m incredibly picky now and check and double check to be sure they didn’t accidentally stick a space in the names. All official id is one name. Just make sure the reservation and the id match. That space has caused me many problems in the past including when they only put the first part of the name and leave off the rest of the name and start calling me by the first part and then wonder why I don’t answer.
My first name has an apostrophe, and when we booked, the Carnival customer service told us the apostrophe couldn't be added because their computer system wouldn't allow it. This happens to me a lot. Cruise is in August, hopefully this won't be a problem, as my passport shows the correct spelling.
I’m surprised people by now. Don’t know you have to have six months left on your passport to board the ship. That’s pretty common practice not only on cruises, but the airlines too.
This has puzzled me too. Logically you'd think the expiration date printed on the passport was indeed an expiration date of the passport. Usual gov't idiocy. 🤔
@@leblancjeffery It’s not a stupid rule for other countries. They just don’t want to risk having travellers or tourists overstaying their passport validity. For example, many would-be immigrants stay on illegally in a foreign country in the hopes of establishing residency and eventually applying for citizenship. And by the way, it’s the country you’re visiting that enforces the rule, not the country that issued the passport. Be happy if your country of origin keeps you from travelling with a nearly expired passport because that saves you from making a trip that will only end in you getting denied entry at your destination.
I never knew that 😮
Once the cruiselines started sailing at full capacity after COVID, there were a Lot of first time cruisers who were confused by all the rules. You used to be able to bring an official copy of your birth certificate instead of a passport sometimes, but I think a passport is always required now.
And add time for processing!
I waited to change my last name after marriage until after we returned from our honeymoon because my passport was in my maiden name. No big deal having to wait a few extra weeks to do it in order to ensure I could travel without issue!
I went on my honeymoon 28 years ago with my maiden name also.
Love your videos. I got off my cruise last month but still love watching and keeping up with all your knowledge. This also rekindles positive memories of pre voyage research and for me has made the overall experience continue on to this day. Thank you so much!
@@Kattakam I’m so glad!! Thanks for your lovely comments
As someone who’s a snow bird up north in New England cruising is the PERFECT getaway
My wife and I have gotten Guaranteed rooms a couple of times and worried about getting bumped, but figured it might be the same as with an airline...first come first served. So, each time we booked such a room we'd get there early enough to watch the prior passengers disembark. No issues! 😎👍
Your hair look fabulous!
We almost missed boarding for our honeymoon cruise. 😬 It was my first cruise and we were blissfully unworried about things we should have worried about. 😅 We flew in the day of our cruise, with a layover, and our flights were delayed. We arrived before departure time, but there was literally no one else in the cruise terminal besides us and the employees. Everyone was really nice and said things like, "You made it!" I thought they were just being nice, but I think it was more because they figured we knew we almost didn't make it (we still had no idea). 😂 Pretty sure we were the last to board.
@@heathrusty haha I’m glad that story ended well. Thanks for sharing it 😂😊
Very informative video Ilana. The passport expiration date issue was new to me on a cruise many years ago when we checked in though we barely had enough left to complete that cruise. The agent was just let us know the rule.
Yes the departure time and must be on board time can be very different. One cruise not long ago it was 90 minutes, but generally I have beenbtold it is 60 due the cruise line transmitting the final passport info for passengers actually onboard.
Had not heard about the name change issue though we have been married a very long time so never has been an issue.
Happy cruising Ilana!
@@rickk6700 thanks for sharing this! I know I almost got stuck with the expiry date a few years ago & was close to expediting an emergency passport
In advance notice on Overbook is usually well compensated.
It's (probably) not an issue with cruises, but with airlines, being dead. Some years back a family found it would be really expensive to return their grandmother's body to Puerto Rico for burial, so one of them tried to fly with an unusually large garment bag. It didn't work.
@@R32R38 that’s one I haven’t heard before
This could be funny if it wasn't so sad.
...and think that there are no X-ray devices at the airport? Quite unbelievable
@@hughbryant898 One presumes that is how they got caught.
Fake news??
12 of my cruises have been inside guarantee cabins and never had a problem. I dont have a special need to sleep in certain areas, i can snooze with no issues. So far i have always had my cabin numbers assigned within days of booking and almost all my sailings have been booked within 30 days or less. Ive also been upgraded on a 26 day to balcony. PTL!!
When I sailed 22 yrs ago I used my birth registration...apparently its different than a birth certificate. My mom came over to the lady giving us a hard time and said that's what I got from the hospital and they did let me on. We got passports after that. I didn't have any issue submitting that same birth registration for my passport but my mom had to go get a new birth certificate because the hospital had filled hers out in pencil (in 1951) but the cruise people never questioned it...glad we use passports now to avoid the drama.
I messaged Illana on another Video about the Handicap issue. What I heard from either Tony or Don (La Lida Loco & Family Vacation) that the Cruise Line needs to know of Any Handicap issue. From Hearing, Sight and or walking. Reason is, they (cruise line) will have a crew member assigned to you in case of an emergency, ex: Fire. They cannot assign someone to you at the time of boarding. We also learned just before our last cruise, you need to advise them well ahead of the cruise. My wife's issue, Stroke had to have a letter from her doctor saying she was fit for travel and all documentation sent in time for a "Review" by the cruise line. In our case, Viking.
That’s a very good point, thanks for sharing that
BEAUTIFUL hair today!
I've booked gty cabins on RC and never an issue not getting them and getting on ship but rooms have been AWFUL!!! Remember these are rooms nobody else wanted for a reason! There were 8 of us on my last cruise and while nice that we were all together, we all were deck 2 forward on vision of seas. The seas were soooo rough at night ....you could feel the ship coming out of water and slamming back down. It felt like the ship was going to break in half. I couldn't even sleep in my room a few nights. Had to go to higher deck. Also the AC was not functional at all in the room. It was badddd...won't do it again!
@@tduck828 oh no!! Thanks for sharing
For me, this "exact match" requirement is _always_ a source of stress. I'm Scottish. I have a capital letter in the body of my name. Although it has not (yet) been a problem, it irks me to no end that some websites won't allow me to spell my name correctly, or do and then change it. (Yes, I really have had people tell me that I'm not allowed to spell my name correctly.) As a result my booking is not an exact match with our passports.
I hear you. I have seen that accents and dashes are not typically considered to be required. I’m sure if you’re following the airline & cruise recommendations you’ll be fine :)
That's like a friend of mine whose name is Kaytlen (I may be misspelling it myself, her Scottish parents gave her the Scottish spelling). She's forever being told, "That's not how you spell Caitlin!"
My husband has an umlaut in his name in the original spelling. He sometimes had to argue with the airlines that the correct spelling if ö wasn’t available on the form would be oe, not o.
I have two of the German letters with dots on them in my name. Ö and ü. When I book online with my travel agent in the confirmation email they always mention that these will converted to oe and ue and that this is known and will not cause trouble.
The price we pay for different alphabets or conventions than the standard american ones
I do need to pack extension cords, even if I don't use them on the cruise ship. Cruising almost always involves staying in a hotel before and/or after a cruise. As a CPAP user, I can't leave it to chance that the hotel would not have an extension cord.
BTW, I didn't realize I was supposed to tell them about my CPAP machine. However, nobody questioned it.
You can reserve an extension cord for your CPAP the same as you request distilled water. I have had an extension cord I brought confiscated. I get it. It is a potential fire hazard.
@@cherylhigh8716 - I still need to have the extension cord for the hotel before and after the cruise. I don't need to use it on the ship if they provide one or if the socket is close enough that I don't need an extension cord.
Great advice
We frequently book guarantee cabins and have never had an issue. We currently have two guarantee bookings and 4 assigned cabin bookings.
Thanks for sharing. I still would too 😉
We once booked a sort of last-minute cruise (maybe a month out?) and all they offered was a guaranteed cabin. It was way forward on the ship, not a location we would have chosen, but worked out fine and it was quite a savings from Vacations To Go. Our two cruises this year we've chosen our cabin.
My wife is not yet a US citizen, we booked a flight to Greece, hotel and a cruise thinking we would be able to get the required visa for her. However, we’ve been trying since March to get a Schengen visa out of the New York Greek consulate to no avail. We have all the required documents, medical insurance etc…just cannot get an appointment to meet with someone at the embassy. They are booked until mid-September & our cruise is in 2 weeks. We’ve called, emailed & even gone in person only to be told essentially without an appointment to get lost. It seems as if the appointment slots are taken by bots & there’s never a cancellation. It’s extremely frustrating so I recommend if you need a visa try making an appointment as early as possible once you have all your travel documents ready. If there’s something different that I need to do please inform.
On another subject.. your hair looks really nice!
As a solo cruiser I pay almost double, so I want to choose my deck and cabin. I don’t want to end up above the bar or under the buffet or pool deck.
Love your dress llana
Thanks so much! That’s one of my new Amazon ones 😉
@@LifeWellCruised love amazon some cute clothes on there
This doesn't classified as denied boarding, but very delayed boarding. My in laws and our family went on a Carnival cruise last June. Everyone was able to check in successful, but not my in laws which was very odd since they are seasoned cruises. The staff kept walking back and forth to some secured area for about about 20 minutes. Come to find out their booked room had flooded and was not ready so they finally checked them in, escorted them to guest services where they received a $100 cruise credit for our trip.
Recently off a Alaska cruise where we missed a glacier view because supposedly a lady gave birth to a full-term baby
@@millercv oh my!
What exactly is a guaranteed cabin and when is it an option? What are the advantages and disadvantages?
Guaranteed means they guarantee a certain class of cabin (inside, balcony, sure, etc.) But they pick the actual cabin location. It costs a bit more to select a specific cabin but I think it's worth it.😊
Booking a guaranteed stateroom means you’re giving the cruise line the right to put you in any room they choose as long as it falls within the category you chose or higher. Main pro is it’s usually much less expensive so good for budget-conscious cruisers. A nice but rare pro is if all the rooms in the category you chose sold out, the cruise line might upgrade you if there are any higher category rooms available. Or they could simply bump you off as mentioned in the video.
Major con is you can be assigned a stateroom with an undesirable location (under or above noisy venues, near the smoking section, beside crew service areas) or layout (obstructed view in an oceanview/balcony stateroom, connecting rooms, oddly configured cabins). The cruise line waits until the last minute and assigns the leftover, probably least desirable rooms to guaranteed cabin guests. You won’t be able to complain because you waived the privilege of choosing a cabin you prefer. If you’re lucky, your cruise won’t be sold out so you might wind up with a nice stateroom but it’s really a gamble. Another con is, depending on the cruise line, you won’t get some or any of the perks offered to those who paid to choose their stateroom in the same category as yours (e.g NCL doesn’t offer its Free at Sea perks to guaranteed cabin guests).
Were on crown princess right now in Alaska it's 49 today in Juneau alaska and it's beautiful. Went to see the raptors and bears yesterday it was amazing. It was $258 a piece on the ship app last month we got off and got it at a tour booth $20 each plus $15 each to get in to see the bears and $16 each to see the raptors eagles...total was $100 off the ship and $585 on the ships. We did the same exact tour we saw the people who booked on board the ship who were with us and we all went to the same places. Just goes to show you you were right to shop around and get it off the ship. They had plenty of tickets left too I think the guy said they still had over 100 tickets still and 2 more ships were coming in. Anyways you saved us almost $500 😊😊 thank you.
So glad this worked out. Was this with Shore Excursions Group?
@LifeWellCruised I believe it was...I'm not really sure. They dropped us off picked us up gave us a sighting seeing tour and they were always on time. Our bus driver was so nice. I can't belive how much money we saved. We're in Juneau right now we're getting off to go find another tour excursions ticket booth now to go see the glaciers.
@@bigguy1403Just be really careful and get back to the ship on time. Unless it's a excursion set up by the cruise line, the ship won't wait for any late passengers.
@user-ew8vt1ur7j oh yes I know. It's only a short distance and they 100% guaranteed us on time back to the ship we didn't have to be back till 8pm so we had 5hrs to kill.
@@bigguy1403 That is awesome
Back in 1976 our wise TA contacted the church and had us sign 2 certificates at the altar so we could take one with us and one was used to file
The link to the Level8 luggage isn’t working. I’d like to buy new luggage before my cruise. Thanks.
I just changed it - btw,,I have a 20% off code I added :)
Does anyone know if you can bring liquid makeup and perfume - large size in carryons? Is this something that can get you banned? Specifically on MSC?
Why would liquid makeup get you banned 😅😅
Of course you can no more then 4.oz
The liquid size is for flying. If you're not flying in, it should be okay. Even if you're flying, you can take full-size liquids in checked baggage.
I have brought liquid make up onto cruise ships with no problem. There has never been a size restriction.
You don’t have restrictions for liquid on cruises
I have never sailed with a guaranteed cabin. However, I have a 24 day cruise for next year, where I have a guaranteed cabin. I spoke to my travel agent about it, and there are available cabins but not one cabin for the entire cruise as some other passengers will get off and on for shorter duration. I am told it should not be a problem for sailing.
@@bethbowen4612 it seemed like the couple of situations were extremely rare, so I don’t think you’ll have an issue
I want to know where my cabin is located. I choose one away from the noise & not a busy corridor. Sometimes i book an interior cabin because of this.
I’m surprised people by now Don’t know you have to have six months left on your passport to board the ship. That’s pretty common practice not only on cruises, but the airlines too. I never ever book a guaranteed. You never know what you’re gonna wind up with and having a quiet location is of upmost importance to me. Given the fact that carnival Incorporated owns eight different cruise lines, I’ll bet anyone of those eight will ban you if you’ve had violence recorded on any of their vessels.
A very wise point regarding your passport and your married name. That could be very very tricky. Your best bet is to travel onto your maiden name and take care of it when you get back.
I just ordered the magnet hooks from Amazon, they arrived in a box with a sticker that says, Magnetic, DO NO SHIP BY AIR...Can I take them on an airplane to the Mediterranean????
I’ve heard people say this before, but I don’t think it’s for these size magnets (in the small quantity you have). Many people have flown with them, including me, but of course please do what you think is best
@@LifeWellCruised thank you so much for your response
@@Placement239Generally speaking, small magnets with a very limited magnetic field (like souvenir fridge magnets or magnetic hooks) can be brought on board a plane. But it’s always prudent to contact the airline directly for their rules regarding items they do or don’t allow on board.
If you are sailing MSC, you need to fill out a Special Needs form for the scooter, and in regards to the sail time, passengers need to arrive 2.5 hours before the sail time or they will not let you board.
QUESTION:
My first cruise ever is in 3 weeks from now and I’m TERRIFIED of being denied boarding. Both my husband and myself have our first middle and last name on our passport AND our drivers license. However, when I put our names on the cruise reservation, I put just our first and last name. Is this important? Do I need to call the cruise line or can I change it on the online official check in? Please help, I’m panicking here 😢
2018 departing from Galveston aboard a Carnival cruise 🛳,, while waiting for my uncle and his lady to board, they called me from the terminal to say that my uncle had forgotten his passport and wasn't able to board, he was allowed to join us 2 days later in Cozumel, he flew in and boarded
@@carolfrank1020 oh no!! Thanks for sharing
So glad to I hear you mention I have to get a document from my ex wife to bring my teen daughter on my cruise.
@@Ramguy530 it’s a good idea to check specifically what is required as they may have a form or in some cases need something notarized (I mention only because I’ve seen this several years ago)
I saw that a USA citizen was denied boarding because his cruise stopped in Canada, and he had a DUI record. It that true? DUI records do not mean much to US citizens.
Confused. How does the classification term "Guaranteed room" NOT guarantee you a room? Its literally in the name. Its literally the reason id book it. Bump someone else who picked their (NOT GUARANTEED) room number not the GUARANTEED one.
@antza7954 that's not nice...lol
@@antza7954 it actually does guarantee you a room of that category or higher, but the cruise line picks the cabin. It’s rare to not get a cabin
Yep. Its happened that gty rooms have been denied but super rare.
Have never had an issue with our Guarantee cabin availability.
I'm guessing it's the same as airlines who overbook. So it sounds like cruise lines routinely overbook.
The take away is that you need to first read the cruise ship policies before signing the dotted line and making sure you read them yet again well in advance of embarkation day.
Can you be denied if you have a felony that is 22 years old on your record the felony is from a driving infraction
@@kennycunningham8721 not sure, but best to ask
So if passport has first, middle and surname your booking has to have the same? Or just first and surname?
It should match exactly
Thanks
@@marynieve5640 you can ask when making your booking to be sure
else. Not book a guarantee room. I like to book the cabin I want.
Makes sense
I was stuck behind a young couple, where she was not American but had her country’s passport and the documents to be able to sail all in order, but her American boyfriend did not have a certified copy of his birth certificate and was not allowed to board. I don’t know if she boarded anyway, or not, but he only had a photo copy of his B.C. and his license and as I walked away, he was still arguing with customs.
Customs or immigration? If he was arguing with customs, he was entering and not exiting the country.
@@mpb3481 Whichever one wouldn’t allow him to go on the cruise because he didn’t have his certified birth certificate.
@@pdallen5801 Immigration then. You stated he was arguing with customs.
@@pdallen5801 wow, crazy for people not to arrive with the right documentation
Would not book a guaranteed room
As far as Gummies - and we don’t know passengers behavior- I think that should be collected and destroyed. Not denied boarding. That is to easy mistake. Heck in Astoria I purchased a cream with it at the cruise port mall and didn’t think about it they treated it like liquor and I got it at end of cruise
Wondering how much of your name on the cruise boarding pass has to match your documents. Airlines can’t accept anything that doesn’t exactly match all your names in the passport. Is just your first and last name on the cruise boarding pass okay for getting on board?
You should register with the sa.e name ad it appears on your passport
@@MAB_Canada typically it’s the same, but I’d call & ask or use a travel agent to help
@@LifeWellCruised Thanks😊 I’ll do that.
Do cruises require vaccination for Covid?
No
I will Never cruise Princess or Carnival
ID issues are the most common cause for denial. One thing that pops up is REAL ID drivers license. REAL ID doesn’t mean a DL is enhanced. For closed loop cruises from US ports passengers without a passport can travel with a government ID and a U.S. Birth certificate (the BC should have a raised seal). Some folks think that all they need is real id when they actually need an enhanced DL. Enhanced DL’s are only issued in certain border states, bring a government issued birth certificate with real id license.
Are ALL CBD products not allowed, or are the ones with under 0.3% THC ok,? These are ones that can be purchased anyplace, even in states where THC is not legal.
All CBD products on all major cruise lines are banned because CBD products are illegal in many / most of the places they stop.
Yup, all CBD products are banned.
@angelsanchez8344 it's good you talk about this, because it seems like something you can buy in the grocery store would be ok. I may have made this error.
@@melanieschloemer1622 according to what I have seen on cruise line websites, not allowed. That said best to check as this could change
This sounds like a re-run of a former release.
Nope, this isn’t something I’ve talked about on my channel before. Topics do come up though & some individual elements may be repeated
My apologies.
My apologies.
# notification Squad
I never understood the 6 months expire date thing, I mean its still good, its not like we are going to stay in the country for 6 months, this suggestion by any country is stupid......
Great vlog as usual!
@@nmraidernation.6092 I know its annoying, it’s actually not every country, but many
It’s not a stupid rule for other countries. They just don’t want to risk having travellers or tourists overstaying their passport validity. For example, many would-be immigrants stay on illegally in a foreign country in the hopes of establishing residency and eventually applying for citizenship.
Even USA requires a passport to be valid for at least 6 months before allowing entry!
@smrp5 and?
Doesn't make it any better, still a silly rule, it's like tossing out ones milk 6 days sooner, silly...
Since this is the case, they should tack on 6 months to each passport sold. You pay for a 10-year passport it should be good for 10 years, 6 months!
Pregnant people??
Common sense isn’t always present.
@@LoreeVanderWerf-si8sn lol true
How dumb can you be to leave your passport in your luggage
Given how many people are still ignorant of a passport’s purpose… It sometimes makes me wonder how the human race is still around.
That's the one thing I quadruple check that I have on my person before I leave for the cruise port!
Stupidity has no limits.
Some of those cruisers need a Gym Membership not a cruise [=
How are any of these reasons "shocking"?
Clickbait.