My wife and were artisan shopping in Aruba and found some driftwood art. The artist told us the price, lower than I expected. She looked tired, anticipating my negotiation. I handed her about 40% more, held the money between us and smiled until she made eye contact. Her face went from confusion to appreciation, she thanked us as we left. Sometimes it’s the little things that makes a persons day.
yes, I think you should buy at the ports if you want sellers their, and to be fare, they are poor, hard working and pay a bunch of money to sell and have a set up.
Sometimes this works the opposite way, though. Some people, especially on the mainland Mexico/Central America, actually LIKE to haggle. Personally, I'd rather have a fixed price, but if you pay the original asking price, many vendors will lose interest, and not try to sell you anything else. The trick is to read the seller's personality. If they seem willing to haggle and are following you around the shop, ask if they'll make a deal on several items. They realize that, at the end of day, they're going to make a lot of money off of tourists, and they make a sort of game out it. It can be fun to play along, and you can come home with some really cool souvenirs.😊
My tip is go to everything that offers a free drink and look out for day 1 and 2 offers. I recently went to a Princess Packages promotion for the free drink and walked away with a free Premium Package each for everyone in the cabin for the entire 22 night cruise.
Heavy on buy hygiene products before your cruise. I caught covid last year on my Alaska cruise. The cruise didn’t even have what I needed. Bring meds on with you just in case. I went to a pharmacy in Sitka. Prices were pretty high. I also got some local honey sticks for a few scents. Bring meds even if you don’t think you will need it. I learned my lesson!
When I was a kid, I racked up quite a bill at the cruise ship arcade. 9 year old me had no idea that every time a swiped my room key at the machine, it was charging my mother. I just thought "hey, the game works after swiping, cool!" When I got back to my cabin, I was in a lot of trouble.
I could understand that from a kid point of view. My 5-year-old has an Oculus headset and we would purchase him a game on there and then remove the card. But one time we forgot to remove the card after purchasing him a game. So he wrapped up quite a lot of in-app purchase charges. My husband was mad about it...... and I said absolutely not. This fell on us. Because at the end of the day to a 5 year old he doesn't understand that he's knowingly spending his mom's money that he should not be spending..... he just realized that the game was letting him get stuff. We recently went on our first cruise and I put a 15.00 limit on both of my boys. After the $50 they couldn't charge anymore
If you are flying in the day prior to your cruise, book your accommodation well in advance, as hotel prices also rise over time. We saved $80 on our last booking.
I made that mistake on my first cruise 2 years ago. Waited until about a week before to make my hotel reservation in Tampa, the only options under $300 without going to at least Sarasota or the Orlando area were Motel 6 or Econolodge type places, and those were still over $200. I even did several web searches to try to figure out what special event was inflating the prices but there was nothing.
One thing both my wife and I drink is a Premier Protein drink each morning. You can get 18 of them for $29.95 @ Costco & each one is just under 12 ounces and is in cardboard packaging. Each one has 30 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar, and 25 vitamins and minerals. Finally they fit wonderfully well in the Carnival mini-fridge. Great way to feel better each morning and i did not see them anywhere on the ship.
Snacks on a cruise ship? I have never considered buying snacks on a cruise ship because I eat my fill at the buffet and dining room that the daily allowance of calories is way overboard anyway and don't need snacks to add to it. Besides, there are so many options for "free" food on the ship, why would you need to buy anything else! Love the little ice cream cones on Princess.
Unless you know for absolutely certain, don't assume everything/anything is included, or that something is the same price as you pay at home: ask first, unless you don't mind paying whatever they want to charge you.
@@CarlosCruz-ll5ez Don’t remind me - I am a Dollar Tree regular now still trying to make up for my carelessness at forgetting to pack an adequate amount of toothpaste back then. 😂
I was wondering why the prices in the ship’s shop were so high. Thanks for explaining it and what to do. Next time I visit the shop, I will definitely use your tip and haggle. If they say $100, I will start at $25 and we can haggle from there. Also I will haggle on the excursion prices. You could have just saved me hundreds of dollars!
Planning ahead is a must for us. We pre-purchase our drink package and specialty dinning. We like to go to Costco and stock up on snacks and water. We prefer to get our airfare and hotel as early as possible.
Yes if you need to buy sunscreen etc. You can always get that on one of the islands at a CVS etc. We have done that. At least you can do it if it's on an island that has those types of stores.
One time I needed a belt. I went ashore and found a little leather goods booth and he had several nice ones. Price? $30 I handed him the money and he almost looked surprised I didn't haggle the price. I still have it, ten years later. It would have cost more in a store so I was happy not to barter. 😊
At one time a cruise was considered a once in the life or special occasion vacation. Due to the travel glut created by Covid the higher demand for cruising and travel in general has given cruise lines the impression that this windfall will last forever. However as cost of cruising keeps getting more and more expensive I feel the cruise lines are once again pricing themselves out of the normal vacation category. The average person will start searching for other venues to spend their limited disposable income. The cruisers who would have normanly travel on multiple cruises a year will go back to the special occasion concept.
FYI cruise finder free app you can see price of all cruises worldwide to compare prices. Search by date save hundreds. Same cruise a week later or earlier different prices can check for 18 months in advance. I personally use to find what I want call cruiseline directly and see which is cheaper. Usually through cruise finder by icruise. Absolutely hands down best cruise app ever
at 08:40, an understatememt "put your plane in airplane mode". I sur hope the pilot does that for every flight otherwisethe plane would just be a bus or boat with wings 🙂 A better way to protect is to disable roaming in the settings. Leaves wi-fi usable. And remember that the conrol centre buttons on an iPhone only last 24 hours before it reverts so there is danger your setting there won't stick and you end up with fees anyways. Disabling roaming means your phone will not try to negotiate access with a network that is not consider "home" as per your SIM card settings.
Exactly! I advise people to do this as well. Do not trust airplane mode and turn off data roaming in Settings. I have prepaid service so don't have to worry about roaming and can keep my phone as is. No extra or surprise charges no matter WHAT my phone decides to do, but most people still have contract service and these phone companies LOVE when they go on cruises and leave roaming on and/or Airplane Mode off, ESPECIALLY T-mobile. If you have T-Mobile then you more than anybody else NEEDS to turn off data roaming in Settings. I've seen too many people get billed that were in Airplane mode and had T-Mobile. Idk if they turned off of for a few minutes or not. I just know they got billed and they left data roaming on in Settings.
On our first cruise with kids we didnt know their card could charge they did. We also didnt follow up daily in expenses. So end of cruise the kids spent on everything. The bill was $4,000. We laughed we laughed what else could we do....we dodhave fantastic stuffed memories
One time going through my invoice part way through the cruise I saw a drink ordered from a bar I had never even heard of. I looked at the ship map and I hadn't even been near that part of the ship. I also don't drink alcohol. So I went to the front desk and had it taken off. Definitely look at the charges as they come in throughout the cruise. One time going on a Caribbean cruise I tossed some mosquito repellent in my bag. Ugh, it was more than the amount of liquid allowed on a plane and it got confiscated at the airport. At our first port I went to a drug store and bought some. If you can wait till you get to a port, buy your items in port.
Two weeks ago we were in Halifax. I thought I would just ask the cost of the Hop on/Hop off tour bought directly. They wanted to know which ship I was on as they charged whatever the ship did. So, you don’t always get it cheaper on shore.
HAL guarantees this actually, similar excursions must have the same price. For regular excursions there is the fine print (must be the same), but that doesn't work for Hop On Hop off tour busses. They have no little extras.
If paying with cash, always make sure to have bills of various denominations so you don't need change. We've found you usually lose money if you need change from vendors or taxi drivers.
I am so on board with you on gratuities-pre pay them as soon as possible. Bringing snacks with me is something that I have never done. This cruise I will do so. I put the phone and IPad on Airplane mode for the whole time I am away. I learned the hard way-$800+ one time
I would caution against paying pre-cruise Gratuities. Once you do that, you may not be able to cancel those Gratuities once onboard. On our last cruise with Royal Caribbean (Anthem of the Seas) many people were cancelling these charges either because the service was mediocre or that they thought $18 per person per day was far to high. This included USA guests who appeared fed up with these charges. I fact we tip many people, but feel that Gratuities are now over the top, and in comparison to resort hotels in Europe, ridiculous.
As I have experienced a shortage of food,water and power on a cruise, I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS pack sustaining snacks like trail mix, Jerky, plenty of extra water, flashlight and power pack full for phone. Not fun when you only get wet bread and 2 sips of water. However, we truly enjoyed our cruise still. No complaints because things happen. We just learned a valuable lesson.
I was thinking about buying some chios one time and looked at one of the half-size Pringles tubes and it was close to 8 dollars I just went river to cafe promenade and got some free cookies
Loyalty programs offer significant discounts on drink packages / internet / shore excursions / spa services / duty free shops, free dining / laundry, etc. as you build seniority. Take advantage of them. WiFi calling often works on American cruise lines for US cell phone customers, as does iMessage - so internet packages may be beneficial. And many cell phone providers offer “cruise ship” packages. Or use your device in port. Often free or cheap.
Also check your credit card after you get off the ship. I was in the bathroom when the person came to check the items in the fridge. I went and found him several cabins down the hall and told him I was out of the cabin so he could check the fridge. On my way home I got message from my credit card company with a different charge than my onboard account showed. When I called the cruise line I was told that I was charged for everything that was in the fridge when we didn't use anything from the fridge. They corrected the statement. If I hadn't paid attention I would have paid for what I didn't use.
Instead of liquid detergent I order the sheets so I'm not adding to my quart sized bag for TSA. My goal is to get rid of all liquids even though I have pre-check.
We are Diamond plus and receive 5 drinks a day as loyalty perks. Only one of us drinks alcohol that is why we have never ever bought a drink package. Before the Drink Voucher times, we would always buy any drinks by the glass, never a whole bottle.
1. On many cruise lines if YOU buy a drink package, ever adult in your cabin has to buy it. 2. Pictures from the ship photographers are very expensive. Use your phone. 3. We usually take local taxi tours rather than ship tours. We always plan to be back 1-2 hours before the sailing time or just do a tour in the morning and stay on board in the afternoon.
I did that flying into JFK into NY for a cruise. But, the construction around JFK makes get around there just terrible. I would fly into La Guardia next time.
If you want to order a "safe" red wine, order a red blend. They are not only tasty, but economical too. If no blends are on the wine list, go for an Italian chianti or a rose wine. White wine blends do exist, but are not as common or easy to find in restaurants. There is such a thing as a "periodic wine table" that illustrates all wines according to their sweetness, dryness, color, and flavors. It's a visual way to learn more about wine and it is even better to do the taste testing to compare!
My feelings only. But there is no way I go on another cruise, ever! Some people like driving, day after day in their RV’s or Off Road Vehicles. Some people such as yourself love being at sea. Then others like flying across the sea to tour Europe (Me). It’s great we all have different tastes and ideas of relaxation. Enjoy yourself. It’s fun watching your videos! 😊 PS. Airfares have gotten crazy to Europe too ! And every single seat is full! I book early to get a window with just one seat next to me! I like traveling and getting the most for my dollar for planes, trains, automobiles & hotels. I enjoy the planning as much as the trip. Other people hate that part of travel!
I am a snack taker, and if possible, yes, take a 12 pack of soda. It sure is easy to spend on things not necessary if we have the insight like you are giving. Thanks for the info, Don. Good reminders.
Booked our last cruise on cyber Monday. $20.00 downpayment, ½ price cruise fare, daily service and gratuities charge waived, $75usd credit for each of us. So guess why I am waiting tp book my next cruises.
great video don :) when we cruise i always look at our account statement , multiple times a day as have had major issues with our onboard account before
Great info! Didn’t know the ‘drink of the day’ wasn’t on sale! We don’t get the drink package as we don’t drink that much (and usually have dou in the casino) and didn’t know it wasn’t included. You’re absolutely right about the crazy pricing of those medical supplies - that’s if they even have them in stock! Good to know about those private beach excursions - we wondered. We had the same negotiation tableau in Cartagena- our taxi driver stepped into the negotiation lol. $1700 wine??!! Good lesson! This was all great info Don!
I would leave the cheap traveler at home, they can go with one of their kind. Nothing worse than bringing someone who is afraid to spend a couple bucks..just no fun at all.
I needed an antacid about 1am. My only option if I wanted one was to see the doctor. That cost seemed to much for me so went without and survived with some milk from the lido coffee area.
We often see crew members in the buffet at lunch offering discounts on specialty restaurants. THESE ARE NEGOTIABLE! They offered 25% off and we got them to 50%! Talk with them, be nice, keep them engaged and they will tell you their best offer.
Another tip for the pre-cruise hotel:Make sure your rate is locked. When my wife and I cruised out of Baltimore, our first hotel choice was within walking distance of Camden Yards. The fine print noted that the rate could change even after booking. As the Orioles were leading their division at the time, I didn't feel lucky enough to pick that one.
thank you for explaining why someone would pay the gratuity cost upfront. I couldn't figure out what difference does it make because it is still 18% per person per day.
On NCL cruise last year a man boarding in front of me from one of the ports had a case of water and they didn't say anything to him about it. I was very surprised.
@@lindabaca9057 I'm surprised because I only travel on ncl been on all their ships. Just got back in April. My co worker as well and she wasn't allowed to bring in water.
Good note about the double tipping. In general, I am put off by how tipping is handled on cruise lines. I am not going to bring my own snacks and sodas onboard. Cruising is a rare treat for me, and I am very happy with a drinks package and free dining to cover my thirst and munchies. About beaches: how do you protect your ID and credit cards while you go for a swim. I suspect the thieves have sussed out the old, "hide the goodies in the shoe under a sock" ploy?
Check out Parodeejay as they have talked about this in some of the vlogs because they often snorkel. One thing they use is double water-proof bag they take in the water. Another is a locking device they attache to their sun bed.
All great advice Don! Thanks! My advice is to buy all or most of your pre cruise, travel size stuff and snacks at the Dollar Tree! Most things are $1.25 each!
When our kids were kids and on the cruise with us I programmed their cards to ONLY pay gratuities. And if they talk us into a product like chatting. I transfer the $5 from my account to thiers.
My dad and I went on a Viking cruise last year. I bought him a bottle of ibuprofen and it was 98 cents…I don’t think it was called ibuprofen but it was a pain reliever.
My wife and were artisan shopping in Aruba and found some driftwood art. The artist told us the price, lower than I expected. She looked tired, anticipating my negotiation. I handed her about 40% more, held the money between us and smiled until she made eye contact. Her face went from confusion to appreciation, she thanked us as we left. Sometimes it’s the little things that makes a persons day.
That was very nice of you to do that. You put a smile on her face today.
yes, I think you should buy at the ports if you want sellers their, and to be fare, they are poor, hard working and pay a bunch of money to sell and have a set up.
Sometimes this works the opposite way, though. Some people, especially on the mainland Mexico/Central America, actually LIKE to haggle. Personally, I'd rather have a fixed price, but if you pay the original asking price, many vendors will lose interest, and not try to sell you anything else. The trick is to read the seller's personality. If they seem willing to haggle and are following you around the shop, ask if they'll make a deal on several items. They realize that, at the end of day, they're going to make a lot of money off of tourists, and they make a sort of game out it. It can be fun to play along, and you can come home with some really cool souvenirs.😊
My tip is go to everything that offers a free drink and look out for day 1 and 2 offers. I recently went to a Princess Packages promotion for the free drink and walked away with a free Premium Package each for everyone in the cabin for the entire 22 night cruise.
Heavy on buy hygiene products before your cruise. I caught covid last year on my Alaska cruise. The cruise didn’t even have what I needed. Bring meds on with you just in case. I went to a pharmacy in Sitka. Prices were pretty high. I also got some local honey sticks for a few scents. Bring meds even if you don’t think you will need it. I learned my lesson!
When I was a kid, I racked up quite a bill at the cruise ship arcade. 9 year old me had no idea that every time a swiped my room key at the machine, it was charging my mother. I just thought "hey, the game works after swiping, cool!" When I got back to my cabin, I was in a lot of trouble.
I could understand that from a kid point of view. My 5-year-old has an Oculus headset and we would purchase him a game on there and then remove the card. But one time we forgot to remove the card after purchasing him a game. So he wrapped up quite a lot of in-app purchase charges. My husband was mad about it...... and I said absolutely not. This fell on us. Because at the end of the day to a 5 year old he doesn't understand that he's knowingly spending his mom's money that he should not be spending..... he just realized that the game was letting him get stuff. We recently went on our first cruise and I put a 15.00 limit on both of my boys. After the $50 they couldn't charge anymore
@aprilsmith5980 yeah I had the same mentality as a 9 year old. I just kept swiping the card cause the game kept working.
Happy Father's day Don!! Thank you for all your info!!
If you are flying in the day prior to your cruise, book your accommodation well in advance, as hotel prices also rise over time. We saved $80 on our last booking.
I made that mistake on my first cruise 2 years ago. Waited until about a week before to make my hotel reservation in Tampa, the only options under $300 without going to at least Sarasota or the Orlando area were Motel 6 or Econolodge type places, and those were still over $200. I even did several web searches to try to figure out what special event was inflating the prices but there was nothing.
I'm finding it is cheaper to go direct to the hotel line, join the rewards group for better prices compared to Booking for example.
One thing both my wife and I drink is a Premier Protein drink each morning. You can get 18 of them for $29.95 @ Costco & each one is just under 12 ounces and is in cardboard packaging. Each one has 30 grams of protein, 1 gram of sugar, and 25 vitamins and minerals. Finally they fit wonderfully well in the Carnival mini-fridge. Great way to feel better each morning and i did not see them anywhere on the ship.
Snacks on a cruise ship? I have never considered buying snacks on a cruise ship because I eat my fill at the buffet and dining room that the daily allowance of calories is way overboard anyway and don't need snacks to add to it. Besides, there are so many options for "free" food on the ship, why would you need to buy anything else! Love the little ice cream cones on Princess.
These are very helpful tips - thank you!
Unless you know for absolutely certain, don't assume everything/anything is included, or that something is the same price as you pay at home: ask first, unless you don't mind paying whatever they want to charge you.
I will never forget my $7 tube of toothpaste on one cruise. Expensive lesson.
Yes it's crazy expensive
for $7 dollars You could buy 4 tubes of toothpaste in a dollar tree store
@@CarlosCruz-ll5ez Don’t remind me - I am a Dollar Tree regular now still trying to make up for my carelessness at forgetting to pack an adequate amount of toothpaste back then. 😂
I pay 10 for my natural toothpaste.
I was wondering why the prices in the ship’s shop were so high. Thanks for explaining it and what to do. Next time I visit the shop, I will definitely use your tip and haggle.
If they say $100, I will start at $25 and we can haggle from there. Also I will haggle on the excursion prices.
You could have just saved me hundreds of dollars!
Planning ahead is a must for us. We pre-purchase our drink package and specialty dinning. We like to go to Costco and stock up on snacks and water. We prefer to get our airfare and hotel as early as possible.
Wow guess you really have to be on your toes on a cruise! Thank you for things to look out for.
I always enjoy MDR
Getting nickel and dimed everywhere else it's good to know it's included..always good service
Yes if you need to buy sunscreen etc. You can always get that on one of the islands at a CVS etc. We have done that. At least you can do it if it's on an island that has those types of stores.
One time I needed a belt. I went ashore and found a little leather goods booth and he had several nice ones. Price? $30 I handed him the money and he almost looked surprised I didn't haggle the price. I still have it, ten years later. It would have cost more in a store so I was happy not to barter. 😊
At one time a cruise was considered a once in the life or special occasion vacation. Due to the travel glut created by Covid the higher demand for cruising and travel in general has given cruise lines the impression that this windfall will last forever. However as cost of cruising keeps getting more and more expensive I feel the cruise lines are once again pricing themselves out of the normal vacation category. The average person will start searching for other venues to spend their limited disposable income. The cruisers who would have normanly travel on multiple cruises a year will go back to the special occasion concept.
Omg I'm scrolling through the comments, saw your handle, and had to ask my husband if this is him! Surprise coincidence.
My fear is that as well.
Cruising is the least expensive way to take a vacation. You can always find a cruise less than $1000 / week. Everything included
FYI cruise finder free app you can see price of all cruises worldwide to compare prices. Search by date save hundreds. Same cruise a week later or earlier different prices can check for 18 months in advance. I personally use to find what I want call cruiseline directly and see which is cheaper. Usually through cruise finder by icruise. Absolutely hands down best cruise app ever
Cruise finder. Free app. Best app ever
at 08:40, an understatememt "put your plane in airplane mode". I sur hope the pilot does that for every flight otherwisethe plane would just be a bus or boat with wings 🙂
A better way to protect is to disable roaming in the settings. Leaves wi-fi usable. And remember that the conrol centre buttons on an iPhone only last 24 hours before it reverts so there is danger your setting there won't stick and you end up with fees anyways.
Disabling roaming means your phone will not try to negotiate access with a network that is not consider "home" as per your SIM card settings.
Exactly! I advise people to do this as well. Do not trust airplane mode and turn off data roaming in Settings. I have prepaid service so don't have to worry about roaming and can keep my phone as is. No extra or surprise charges no matter WHAT my phone decides to do, but most people still have contract service and these phone companies LOVE when they go on cruises and leave roaming on and/or Airplane Mode off, ESPECIALLY T-mobile. If you have T-Mobile then you more than anybody else NEEDS to turn off data roaming in Settings. I've seen too many people get billed that were in Airplane mode and had T-Mobile. Idk if they turned off of for a few minutes or not. I just know they got billed and they left data roaming on in Settings.
On our first cruise with kids we didnt know their card could charge they did. We also didnt follow up daily in expenses. So end of cruise the kids spent on everything. The bill was $4,000. We laughed we laughed what else could we do....we dodhave fantastic stuffed memories
Hi my husband has taught me over the years! His first word ar HOW MUCH,
Great tips, Don! Thank you!
Thank you for all your tips.
One time going through my invoice part way through the cruise I saw a drink ordered from a bar I had never even heard of. I looked at the ship map and I hadn't even been near that part of the ship. I also don't drink alcohol. So I went to the front desk and had it taken off. Definitely look at the charges as they come in throughout the cruise.
One time going on a Caribbean cruise I tossed some mosquito repellent in my bag. Ugh, it was more than the amount of liquid allowed on a plane and it got confiscated at the airport. At our first port I went to a drug store and bought some. If you can wait till you get to a port, buy your items in port.
We pretty much just use what's included! Book our excursion before the cruise.
That was great tips Don 😅 Thanks from Down Under 🤗🎶
always such good reminders/tips
Two weeks ago we were in Halifax. I thought I would just ask the cost of the Hop on/Hop off tour bought directly. They wanted to know which ship I was on as they charged whatever the ship did. So, you don’t always get it cheaper on shore.
HAL guarantees this actually, similar excursions must have the same price. For regular excursions there is the fine print (must be the same), but that doesn't work for Hop On Hop off tour busses. They have no little extras.
And I checked for the cruise I take in a few weeks. The HAL ticket is the same as buying it directly through internet.
We saved $500 on a helicopter tour we booked directly vs the price onboard RCCL for the same tour.
My husband drinks and I don’t, but for him to get the drink package we both have to buy it. It wasn’t like this before the changes, total scam
If paying with cash, always make sure to have bills of various denominations so you don't need change. We've found you usually lose money if you need change from vendors or taxi drivers.
Thank you for the savings advice.
I am so on board with you on gratuities-pre pay them as soon as possible. Bringing snacks with me is something that I have never done. This cruise I will do so. I put the phone and IPad on Airplane mode for the whole time I am away. I learned the hard way-$800+ one time
I would caution against paying pre-cruise Gratuities. Once you do that, you may not be able to cancel those Gratuities once onboard. On our last cruise with Royal Caribbean (Anthem of the Seas) many people were cancelling these charges either because the service was mediocre or that they thought $18 per person per day was far to high. This included USA guests who appeared fed up with these charges. I fact we tip many people, but feel that Gratuities are now over the top, and in comparison to resort hotels in Europe, ridiculous.
As I have experienced a shortage of food,water and power on a cruise, I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS pack sustaining snacks like trail mix, Jerky, plenty of extra water, flashlight and power pack full for phone. Not fun when you only get wet bread and 2 sips of water.
However, we truly enjoyed our cruise still. No complaints because things happen. We just learned a valuable lesson.
Great tips. Thanks
I was thinking about buying some chios one time and looked at one of the half-size Pringles tubes and it was close to 8 dollars I just went river to cafe promenade and got some free cookies
Loyalty programs offer significant discounts on drink packages / internet / shore excursions / spa services / duty free shops, free dining / laundry, etc. as you build seniority. Take advantage of them. WiFi calling often works on American cruise lines for US cell phone customers, as does iMessage - so internet packages may be beneficial. And many cell phone providers offer “cruise ship” packages. Or use your device in port. Often free or cheap.
Thanks for all these money saving tips.
Also check your credit card after you get off the ship. I was in the bathroom when the person came to check the items in the fridge. I went and found him several cabins down the hall and told him I was out of the cabin so he could check the fridge. On my way home I got message from my credit card company with a different charge than my onboard account showed. When I called the cruise line I was told that I was charged for everything that was in the fridge when we didn't use anything from the fridge. They corrected the statement. If I hadn't paid attention I would have paid for what I didn't use.
Instead of liquid detergent I order the sheets so I'm not adding to my quart sized bag for TSA. My goal is to get rid of all liquids even though I have pre-check.
Thanks for the tips!!
I always stick with what's included in my pkgs. I never go to the spa as they arexwayy overpriced and just not as good as what I can get at home.
We are Diamond plus and receive 5 drinks a day as loyalty perks.
Only one of us drinks alcohol that is why we have never ever bought a drink package. Before the Drink Voucher times, we would always buy any drinks by the glass, never a whole bottle.
1. On many cruise lines if YOU buy a drink package, ever adult in your cabin has to buy it.
2. Pictures from the ship photographers are very expensive. Use your phone.
3. We usually take local taxi tours rather than ship tours. We always plan to be back 1-2 hours before the sailing time or just do a tour in the morning and stay on board in the afternoon.
Thanks for the tips everyone! Never too travelled to learn new things!
Booking airflights: Also check other nearby airports. I used an alternative airport only a few miles difference but saved almost $200.
I did that flying into JFK into NY for a cruise. But, the construction around JFK makes get around there just terrible. I would fly into La Guardia next time.
If you want to order a "safe" red wine, order a red blend. They are not only tasty, but economical too. If no blends are on the wine list, go for an Italian chianti or a rose wine. White wine blends do exist, but are not as common or easy to find in restaurants. There is such a thing as a "periodic wine table" that illustrates all wines according to their sweetness, dryness, color, and flavors.
It's a visual way to learn more about wine and it is even better to do the taste testing to compare!
I will bring my own since it’s allowed to bring up to 750ml.
Great advice, thank you! 🍷
My feelings only. But there is no way I go on another cruise, ever! Some people like driving, day after day in their RV’s or Off Road Vehicles. Some people such as yourself love being at sea. Then others like flying across the sea to tour Europe (Me).
It’s great we all have different tastes and ideas of relaxation. Enjoy yourself. It’s fun watching your videos! 😊
PS. Airfares have gotten crazy to Europe too ! And every single seat is full! I book early to get a window with just one seat next to me!
I like traveling and getting the most for my dollar for planes, trains, automobiles & hotels. I enjoy the planning as much as the trip.
Other people hate that part of travel!
These are great tips!!! Never been cruising. Just loading up on info before I take the plunge.
Excellent suggestions, thank you. 😅
Great advice, Don.
Wow, double tipping. Thanks Don for the tip🙃
Thanks for your money saving tips
On Royal Caribbean ships, the "drink of the day" is a $14 drink on sale for $11 and is covered by the DBP.
That bottle of wine story sounds scary. Don if you could almost be fooled imagine a rookie or even tipsy cruiser.
I am a snack taker, and if possible, yes, take a 12 pack of soda. It sure is easy to spend on things not necessary if we have the insight like you are giving. Thanks for the info, Don. Good reminders.
Booked our last cruise on cyber Monday. $20.00 downpayment, ½ price cruise fare, daily service and gratuities charge waived, $75usd credit for each of us. So guess why I am waiting tp book my next cruises.
Anybody remember travelers cheque's 😂
When I was in basic training that was what we got paid with. 😂😂
I heard a few new great tips, thanks!
great tips as usual Don then should watched by all cruisers new as well as seasoned.
Thanks for these great tips. I hope I can remember them all.
Thank you for the tips
great video don :) when we cruise i always look at our account statement , multiple times a day as have had major issues with our onboard account before
Great info! Didn’t know the ‘drink of the day’ wasn’t on sale! We don’t get the drink package as we don’t drink that much (and usually have dou in the casino) and didn’t know it wasn’t included. You’re absolutely right about the crazy pricing of those medical supplies - that’s if they even have them in stock! Good to know about those private beach excursions - we wondered. We had the same negotiation tableau in Cartagena- our taxi driver stepped into the negotiation lol. $1700 wine??!! Good lesson!
This was all great info Don!
The cruise lines I have been on, such as NCL, don't allow you to bring packs of soda or water.
Great tips Don!
The more you save, the sooner you get on the next cruise.
YES!
I would leave the cheap traveler at home, they can go with one of their kind. Nothing worse than bringing someone who is afraid to spend a couple bucks..just no fun at all.
Thank-u for posting. I would never pay 1700 for wine.
I needed an antacid about 1am. My only option if I wanted one was to see the doctor. That cost seemed to much for me so went without and survived with some milk from the lido coffee area.
We often see crew members in the buffet at lunch offering discounts on specialty restaurants. THESE ARE NEGOTIABLE! They offered 25% off and we got them to 50%! Talk with them, be nice, keep them engaged and they will tell you their best offer.
I appreciate the information Don 👍🙂
The best tips I wouldn't think of.
Spa treatments always cheaper on port days.
This is one of the videos I've watched great tips. Some videos are a bunch of stuff you already know. Outstanding video
Good information Don.
thank you
Another tip for the pre-cruise hotel:Make sure your rate is locked. When my wife and I cruised out of Baltimore, our first hotel choice was within walking distance of Camden Yards. The fine print noted that the rate could change even after booking. As the Orioles were leading their division at the time, I didn't feel lucky enough to pick that one.
Big cruise fan here!! Thanks for all your tips and tricks Don!!
Great tips. Learning so much.
thank you for explaining why someone would pay the gratuity cost upfront. I couldn't figure out what difference does it make because it is still 18% per person per day.
Great tips!
I always remove auto tipping, if staff stand out yes i tip, but im not putting extra money into the company.
Always appreciate the info!❤
I have asked cruise staff, they do not receive any portion of the gratuities in addition to their prearranged contract payment.
enjoyed meeting you on sun princess in europe😊
Keep an eye out for free play in casino, some lines have a free play amount for $5 - only time we gamble - have walked out with a few $ in the pocket.
Good tips. Happy Father's Day
Great suggestions! We always prepay gratuities and WiFi too. We bring a few healthy snacks too.
Really great info
Black Friday is a good time to find good sales
Happy Father Day Don Hope you are having a great day. Thank you for the great tips.
I always prepay gratuity!
I bring my snacks. 😊
Thanks for tips, I wasn't aware you can bring snacks!
Ncl you're not allowed to bring water or soda. He should mention that
On NCL cruise last year a man boarding in front of me from one of the ports had a case of water and they didn't say anything to him about it. I was very surprised.
@@lindabaca9057 I'm surprised because I only travel on ncl been on all their ships. Just got back in April. My co worker as well and she wasn't allowed to bring in water.
@@bettyb1581 I was too
I usually only drink bottled water but knew I couldn't bring it on the ship.
Good note about the double tipping. In general, I am put off by how tipping is handled on cruise lines. I am not going to bring my own snacks and sodas onboard. Cruising is a rare treat for me, and I am very happy with a drinks package and free dining to cover my thirst and munchies. About beaches: how do you protect your ID and credit cards while you go for a swim. I suspect the thieves have sussed out the old, "hide the goodies in the shoe under a sock" ploy?
Check out Parodeejay as they have talked about this in some of the vlogs because they often snorkel. One thing they use is double water-proof bag they take in the water. Another is a locking device they attache to their sun bed.
I used a double waterproof waist belt to take my phone and cards with me while snorkeling. It worked flawlessly.
Thanks for the great tips Don
All great advice Don! Thanks! My advice is to buy all or most of your pre cruise, travel size stuff and snacks at the Dollar Tree! Most things are $1.25 each!
Good tips
When our kids were kids and on the cruise with us I programmed their cards to ONLY pay gratuities. And if they talk us into a product like chatting. I transfer the $5 from my account to thiers.
Fantastic Sunday 🎉
My dad and I went on a Viking cruise last year. I bought him a bottle of ibuprofen and it was 98 cents…I don’t think it was called ibuprofen but it was a pain reliever.