I have been cruising for 40 years now and it's certainly not the same experience it was back then. It was something special. One dressed for dinner at 8. Dancing in the lounge beforehand to the quartet playing Cole Porter. Horse races and a show followed by dancing after dinner, first in the lounge, then in the club until the wee hours. We used to overnight in ports as well. Ask the crew what's the best club in town and dance and party ashore until the last tender at 3 am. One night would be a tropical theme on the pool deck aft...a BBQ Buffet with lobster and steaks as well. Palm fronds for decor and colored lanterns strung up overhead for festive lighting. And Captain's night (2 on a seven nights cruise) The men in their dinner jackets and the ladies in their floors, best jewelry, and scent. The ship would be quiet between 5 and 7. Everyone resting after a day of sun and fun, poolside drinks, and afternoon tea. At 7, the ship would come alive again with music, the shaking of a martini from behind the bar, laughter from the group of new friends at the corner table, a steward accidentally allowing a champagne cork to pop aloud and no one minding. Everyone looking their best and anticipating a lovely dinner. The steward would announce dinner with chimes as he went from one end of the Promenade deck to the other announcing "Dinner is served in the dining saloon". Then everyone would make le grande descent to their table. Their steward in his crisp white jacket, ready to receive and his commis eager to anticipate your wants. Would you have the shrimp cocktail or the caprese salad with a touch of caviar...it's easy, order both. These new ships are fun, but certainly don't represent the original idea of what cruises were when they started just one generation ago. I'm only sorry that most people won't ever get to have that wonderful experience.
I imagine that the relative cost was also a lot higher those days. Seems like you're describing a fairly upper class event, whereas modern cruises are geared to middle class customers.
1 generation ago? 1830's signalled, they want to know if their Mediterranean cruise doesn't count. What you're referring is to more the... Mega cruise ships where the ship is as much the appeal as the destinations.
Debarkation Day, we always called that get the hell off my boat day. That Stewart, Waiter or Bartender that was your new best friend now just wants you to get off their dam boat.
Assigned dining also serves another purpose not mentioned: On ships with assigned dining, you'll find that all shows are performed twice per evening, usually at 7pm and 9pm. For the Broadway shows, they don't do this -- They run the show one per night, but on two separate nights (most of the shows are nearly two hours long -- performer contracts have minimum mandated rest periods between shows to avoid injury).
I've been on a cruse 2x's and I don't believe I will ever be on another. Their price gouging and insistent money gouging is why. So they are just as happy to not see me again.
I stopped eating and just went to the Spa ...eating w strangers was just tooooooo strange lol 😆😂😅for me. And...the Spa was almost empty each night. I orderd a smoothie from the Spa nd was very happy w my choice.
Personally don’t like the anytime/private table movement. I’ve met some really cool people over the years cruising with shared tables. Still keep in contact with them. If you are stuck with a party you don’t get along with a quick chat with the host or Mater D’ and you will be moved in no time.
I am not a people person but on a cruise I like to have dinner with strangers. It's kind of exciting to me. It usually makes dinner an adventure. I have made amazing life-long friends and I have met some real nuts. My husband and I only went on one cruise without our children and we had another couple that was sitting with us and we almost immediately made instant friends on the first night and we basically did everything together. However there was another couple that were older newlyweds and the husband was soooooo strange. The wife was too but nowhere near as bad as him. When they first sat down they asked if any of us would be eating any type of shellfish because he had a deadly allergy to shellfish. So we all changed what we were going to eat to accommodate and were perfectly fine with it. Fast forward to the second night and we were seated at our table with our new friends and the other couple didn't come to dinner so we all ordered shellfish in some form or another. The third day we are walking around to go to the art auction and we see the husband eating a huge shrimp cocktail. We were like WTF I thought you were allergic to shellfish. He proceeded to tell us that his allergy comes and goes. Now I'm no expert but my son and I have severe environmental allergies and it doesn't come and go. By the fourth day we were all in Costa Maya and run into the strange couple at a restaurant and she was eating crab cakes and he is eating a whole fried fish. Thankfully they didn't come to dinner with us again. It was just odd.
17 years ago I met a young lady at our table. Four years later she introduced me to the woman I would marry. We still have friends that we met on subsequent cruises because they sat near us at dinner. I avoid NCL because they don't have assigned dining.
Great video but I don't fully agree with the first item. If you travel alone, having dinner with other people is a great way to meet other guests and have more fun. If you travel with other people you can ask for a table just for your group. Having the same waiter means that he'll get the chance to know you likings and serve you more efficiently. And having a designated schedule allow you to plan the most out of your cruise, including the shows, cocktails and others. Besides... if you don't like it, you can always go to the buffet.
I agree but the idea of sitting with others you don't know can be bittersweet! I've done that in the past and let's just say I met some great as well as some questionable people at my table. Especially uncomfortable when there is a language barrier.
When I sail solo I meet up with other solos I have met on the roll call boards in advance. We do my time dining so we can vary the time for port days vs sea days.
Let me point something out you failed to mention under the "Alcohol" area. Princess Cruise Lines allows you to purchase a bottle of whichever liquor you want, then you pick it up on embarkation day. It's yours for the cruise to keep in your room. I did this on a T/A crossing a few years ago. Price to buy at their "Princess Cellars" is close to what I would pay on the outside. As for tenders, some ports do not allow dredging as they are surrounded by living coral. Bermuda is an example. As for debarkation, comparing checking out of a hotel compared to debarking a ship are two totally different animals. A ship gets into port at about 6am. They must feed the debarking passengers, get the passengers off, have them go through customs, have their luggage ready to be retrieved and have the cabin stewards clean thousands of rooms as so to accept new passengers by as early as 11am. Hotels, you don't have thousands of guests and check in time is usually no earlier than 2pm. The hotel guests deal with their own luggage. No customs.
On NCL we found that finding one restaurant with a good waiter was the ticket. We give that person a pretty good tip the first night, we then can order off of any menu on the ship from him and retain the same table.
Tenders in port is also about the environmental impacts of having ships dock close to land, they create massive currents with their movements and can destroy marine habitat. I've heard some people genuinely expecting chicken tenders when they get to Deck 0.
We’ve always done anytime dining. We never know what we will do day to day. Almost anytime we talk to other passengers that do the set times for dinner are the older crowd and that do not do any excursions at port. Whatever makes you happy.
Another fact about the law to hit a foreign port before returning to USA is the ship must have been made in the USA, no matter where it is registered / flagged. Only one big ship AFAIK was built here and it sails around Hawaii.
Those foreign port rules are very similar to the aviation industry, obviously with some more modern variations. This is why you will never see a British Airways flight offering service between two US cities, except when the route starts or ends in a foreign city with a layover in America, before proceeding to its final destination. (Of course, you could still technically book a ticket for only the domestic leg.)
"Debarkation"?? Is that a real word or is this bloke making them up as he goes along? To the best of my knowledge, when you go aboard a ship about to leave port, you are 'embarking' and when you leave the ship at the end of the trip, you are 'disembarking'. 'Debarkation' sounds like a surgical procedure used to shut up a noisy dog!
The verb to debark, meaning to leave a ship, dates back to at least the 16th Century. I imagine the noun debarkation, meaning the act of leaving a ship, came about soon after.
There are still people who want assigned dining (I'm not one of them, but still). On my last two Princess cruises, one dining room was set aside for the assigned dining crowd, while the other two were free for anytime diners.
This is a ridiculous video. These 6 items make perfect sense, the person making the video is crazy. 1) Princess for example has assigned and anytime dining. Its your choice. No one is sticking a gun to your head to sit with strangers. My wife and I like the assigned as we get to know the people and in many instances they become life long friends. If you want a break, go to the buffet, the unassigned, a specialty restaurant, or room service. 2) Alcohol, most cruise lines allow each person to bring a bottle of wine or champagne to say celebrate a special occasion. The cruise line basically breaks even on your cruise fare. They profit from drink sales. Cruise lines often allow you to buy a bottle of wine or spirits at a bar or gift shop. 3) Tenders, Some ships are to big to tie up, to deep a draft, or all the berths are full so you tender in. Why is this crazy? It is completely sensible. 4) the ship needs to turn around to embark new passengers as early as 11 am. I have been on ships until 10:30 before disembarkation. Some people have early flights or excursions. We have a leisurely breakfast. Your choice. 5) The James Act protects US shipping and passenger lines by requiring all foreign flagged ships to stop at a foreign port before returning to the US. NCL's Pride of America based in Honolulu is US flagged and therefore is not required to stop at a foreign port. Therefore subject to US labor laws. Interestingly enough, a reflection on the US workers, the pssengers complained so much that the government relented and allowed a certain % of foreign workers to improve the service onboard.
i avoid ncl specifically because they don't offer "traditional dining"...i like sitting with new friends, and also having waitstaff that is familiar with my desires and preferences
All of these make sense (although I hate getting the bum's rush on debarkation day, I can understand it), EXCEPT assigned dining times. I LOVE that Norwegian doesn't do this and it's one of their primary selling points. ...I know many cruisers talk about how they like assigned dining, but those people are nuts. They talk about "inconsistent" service but a lot of times I wind up with consistently bad service when it's the same waiter every night. All I need is for them to bring me the food--that's it. It doesn't really need to be a relationship unless you're very lonely or something. ...I recently took a Disney cruise and they didn't have the dinner Buffett AT ALL, only the main dining room(s) at the exact same time with exact same lousy waiter each night. There were other things we would've loved to do at our assigned dining times and with kids it was a huge pain.
Just like on airplanes, there is always an armed marshal on board. Obviously, this person will be dressed as a civilian. Yes, cruises have private security personnel with military backgrounds, packing blackjacks, batons, guns with non-lethal ammo, and live ammo to mainly guard the casino, jewellery shops, art galleries and the bridge. Pirates?? on a 1000 ft, with thousands of passengers?? HAHAHAHAH. Even Somali pirates have no chance. The ship's vault is hidden somewhere in that monstrosity. I am pretty sure it cannot be opened until it has reached the original port. I was watching the sun rise from my balcony when 5 armored trucks loaded white bags into them. There has never been a situation or EMERGCONS higher than a four. It was not portrayed to the media. Been on 5 cruises throughout my life. I was once lost, on the maiden voyage of the Allure of the seas. It was only my second day, all I knew, It was a suite, starboard side, close to the front. During my drunken state, I recognized the part of the ship. Then I realized I was at the back of the ship. FUCK. But I saw security, managerial staff co-coordinating some kind of operation. I asked one of them, what was going on. Just a drill. getting acquainted to this floating city. Touche...I am lost, I said. So he scanned my ticket and called me a golf cart. when we arrived, I almost got it right buy one deck. But it was a killer work out. By the grace of God it was a day cruising. For you people who like booze and Irishmen. Buy the drink package. It is def worth it. Lastly, PLEASE, tip your waiter and maid. They will greatly appreciate you. It is almost next to slavery. I made friends with our waiter, Antonio Fontana from the Philippines. very cool dude. Here is a tip, pun intended. On your first night, slip a hundy, bend it like and tuck it between your fingers. Shake your waiters hand. They will know what it is. YOU will come first out of many other stingy ass pass angers. Before the drink package. There were two bars I frequented the word. I would make small talk. Tuck in a hundy or a little more. They will add extra booze, to forgetting to charge you. Trust me, you take care of them, you will literally be treated like royalty.
Why do ships charge so much for non-alcoholic beverages? The cost of flavoring syrup, carbonated water, ice, and a paper cup is less than ten cents. On Carnival, the soft drink package is $8.50 a day - the cost of eighty five sodas???
If you can bring a bottle of wine. But no liquor. What stopping you drinking the wine on shore. And filling it with whisky/brandy/rum. Bit sneaky granted. But it will work..
Call me weird, but I really do enjoy dining with other people the way it’s done on a cruise ship. Unless of course you get seated with a bunch of assholes you make new friends that way.
who wants to go on a ship with 4,000 or more other people? Then get nickle and dimed by the cruise ship? Stay home or vacation locally instead of getting on a floating petri dish of who knows what diseases are floating around.
What still does not make sense to me is how cruise lines and people who talk about them seem to think Americans and the US are the only ones who cruise and they seem to forget that other regions have cruises and cruisers. I have no problem pointing out why cruises have to stop off at an international port. but why not inform your viewers off non-US issues.
How does a repositioning cruise work How do disembark at the New Port And how do you get transportation from the new port of debarcation to the homeport where the crews left from the 1st
advertizing destinations three hours one way drive from actual port is a big disavantage for ocean cruises compared to either river cruise or bus tours, wifi is crazy slow and expensive
We love anytime dining. Having to plan everything around when we eat can be a hassle. For example on fancy nights when we want to take all our photos first before they all close, or we want to not miss a show. Glad cruises are making this option more available.
I just commented this but reason they don't allow hard liquor is many incidents of drunkards in cabins. So only hard liquor you can find on cruises are at controlled places to avoid those.
The ability to bring a bottle of wine on board is there because often people celebrate an occasion on board like an anniversary, birthday, etc. and have a special bottle they want for the occasion. It seems unkind to not allow that, so they do. Nobody is wanting to celebrate their anniversary with a 6 pack. LOL
In the old days you could buy liquor in the future free store and take it to your room for consumption. I heard that they do not let you bring liquor on board is that they cannot monitor your drinking and or cut you off. People would get extremely drunk in the cabins and blame or sue the cruise line.
All drinks onboard were always duty free until the US crui lines took over such as P&O, Cunard, HAL etc then the cruise lines kept all that duty free for themselves.
In most cases they don't charge you anything unless you are planning on opening the bottle in the restaurant or bar. Fee is 10$ - 15$ but if you bring your own opener and open your bottle in the room, no charge.
A few times when we knew we were having 'beach days' we brought Sangria and used the fruit from room service (free) , ice and the Sangria to fill our leak proof carabiner water containers to bring the drinks to shore.
What you missed is that you board around two pm and the ship leaves at say seven pm then the ship arrives back at home port at six thirty am. Those two waisted days are considered two cruise days! So a seven day cruise is actually a five day cruise. Kinda like bait and switch or to say the least it’s misrepresented
No you get off on the 8th day in the morning and we are normally on the ship on the first day around 11 or 12 at the latest. Bait and switch is the beach house we just rented for a week. Check in was Saturday at 5pm and check out the following Saturday at 10 am.
Depends on the cruise line. Norweigan started boarding at 11am; you could stay on the ship as long as your luggage was out of the room until 10:30am. Departing at last call literally had zero line when I sailed a ship of less than 3,000 passengers out of Boston.
Cruises are counted as nights. A 7 nights cruise. And if you aren't off by 10 am and the ship leaves at 5 pm, just when do you expect the crew to clean the ship for turn around? Hotels are worse. Check in rooms are ready at 3 pm and check out is at 11 am. You are only getting 20 hours there a day.
After you board the ship you have access to most of the amenities. You can get lunch & snacks, get spa treatments, swim in the pools, soak in the hot tubs, use the gym, play card games with your friends, explore the ship, look at all the art work, enjoy fancy beverages, etc. How is this a rip off? Also, Many cruises depart around 4:30 or 5:00 PM not 7:00 PM. Depends on ship traffic and tides.
I have to interject on the video about the stop on the Alaskan cruise. At the 7:06 mark the person narrating the video goes to say that the stop in British Columbia is usually Victoria BC but in fact the stop that is used the most by virtually all the cruise lines that go to Alaska the Canadian stop is predominantly Vancouver not Victoria
NCL has two ships with US flag. To get the US flag at least the steel hull must be built in US, but there are no shipyards building cruise ships in US. There is also one disadvantage with the US flag, you cannot use cheap crew from far East for example, only US citizens and green card holders.
I've cruised recently only on small ships (one to Antarctica, another on a river), both with around 100 passengers. While meal times were fixed, seating was not. I enjoyed meeting new people.
Even bigger reason for the always visiting a foreign port is that US Ports only cruise would have to follow US wage and working hour laws. Just not possible at the prices the cruise ships charge.
To visit all American ports require that the ship be built, flagged, and crewed by Americans. We haven't built as passenger ship since the United States in the early 1950's. Even the Pride of America sailing around Hawai'i was 49% built in Germany. Only because she was 51% "built" (finished) here is she allowed to sail the route she does because of the Passenger Services Act. #1 We can't build a passenger ship here. No skill and the cost would be twice the cost as to build in Europe. #2 American Flagged and American crew together mean the price of a passenger ticket would go up 300% in order to cover the higher union wages and the extra staff needed: A 40 hour work week for an American vs a much longer work week for a European would mean an American ship would need a lot more staff to cover the same number of shifts/duties.
I'm pretty sure it'd be more profitable for the ship to allow a 6 pack of beer rather than a bottle of wine. I doubt anyone would even bother going out of their way to bring it along. The wine exception is probably so that people like couples can bring some exotic special favorite wine that they want during their vacation that the cruise line doesn't offer
@@williamhaynes7089 Only if you bring the bottle to the restaurant. I bring my own wine, pour a glass in the room, and then take it with me to dinner. Better than paying their outrageous prices for wine ,lol.
Since passengers are checked for guns, at least they don't need security to protect passengers from passengers. And any security is just a private man, shooting around in a foreign country can cause a lot of trouble.
Most lifeboats are of the inflatable kind and account for a large percentage of the carrying capacity in an emergency. They are those large round cylinders on deck and can be deployed in seconds .
Yes, be it inflatable or the tenders modern ships are required to have everyone fit into the life boats.. Granted, you're not allowed personal space for everyone to fit, but what's that compared to going down with the ship?
Something that has never made sense to me is why some cruise lines allow the sale/consumption of alcohol BEFORE the muster drill. On every cruise that I've been on so far there has always been at least a small handful of people in my muster group who wreaked of alcohol at the drill. One would think that if the cruise lines wanted everyone's undivided attention during the safety drill that they would ban the serving of alcohol until AFTER the drill, but I guess that would make sense, which would be taboo.
Here is what does not make sense on alcohol. We stopped in Mexico and a buddy heard how low Johnnie Walker Blue sold for so said get him a bottle (750ml). I bought myself the Johnnie Walker gift box, 4 different 250ml bottles. The cruise line had a policy of taking the 750ml bottles until the last day. But the let me keep the gift box as it was just 250ml bottles. For those of you in Rio Linda that means I could bring on more booze as long as the bottles were smaller.
1:00 - no, I love this. It's a good way to meet other people and I love the tradition. I know some hotels and retreats where this is done and it is great.
I actually enjoyed assigned dining. I didn't have to eat with strangers because there were 6 of us on the trip, but having the set time made it easier for us to plan activities for six people we just planned around our dinner. Plus I enjoyed having the same table and server
Carnival, owner of Princess, has its headquarters in Italy. Other cruise lines have captains from Greece as well. It actually is for the same reason US airlines always flight crews from the US Air Force; the least training is needed for military veterans.
Bringing hard liquor on board will result in a drunken disaster and bringing beer on board would be similar. A cruise ship has a standard . Beer guzzling doesn’t fit the image. Wine is a beverage that is consumed with meals and fits the image of cruising. Also, set dining times is a preference for most cruisers. I have tried anytime dining many times and have been disappointed each time. We usually make friends with the people we dine with each night. This is something I love
Cruise lines should do away with tendering altogether. If a port of call does not have a dock, hey tough luck, better build one. I cannot tell you how many times I have a seen a port of call cancelled because the seas were too rough for the tenders.
Nothing makes sense on a cruise ship. It's one of the strangest and most expensive things in the world. But people like to have their vacations that way. Your choice!
Is not THAT easy: a ship needs at least 4 MW (I am talking about small cruise ships) to operate. If you have 2 or 4 ships docked you may need at least 25 MW of power just for a few hours.
I dont get why they waste so much space on art galleries and libraries. The square footage feels like it would be so better utilized on casino or bars. Even if you love art or reading ... you likely don't go on a cruise for those two hobbies
Oh how I would hate life in a boat with nothing but casinos and bars. Actually, the ferry between Bergen, Norway and Denmark has such a layout. I fecken hate traveling on that shit boat. I'd sold some random dudes right leg for a library in that boat. I hate casinos and bars!
I ALWAYS get the premium alcohol packages... being 24 and Irish .. means I always get my money worth by like the 5th day hahahha
SLAINTE!
I really like the idea of the unlimited drink package, but 6 drinks every single day is a little much for me
Disney Cruise Line allow bringing aboard 6 small beers (350ml/12oz) or 2 bottles of wine per person.
I have been cruising for 40 years now and it's certainly not the same experience it was back then. It was something special. One dressed for dinner at 8. Dancing in the lounge beforehand to the quartet playing Cole Porter. Horse races and a show followed by dancing after dinner, first in the lounge, then in the club until the wee hours. We used to overnight in ports as well. Ask the crew what's the best club in town and dance and party ashore until the last tender at 3 am. One night would be a tropical theme on the pool deck aft...a BBQ Buffet with lobster and steaks as well. Palm fronds for decor and colored lanterns strung up overhead for festive lighting. And Captain's night (2 on a seven nights cruise) The men in their dinner jackets and the ladies in their floors, best jewelry, and scent. The ship would be quiet between 5 and 7. Everyone resting after a day of sun and fun, poolside drinks, and afternoon tea. At 7, the ship would come alive again with music, the shaking of a martini from behind the bar, laughter from the group of new friends at the corner table, a steward accidentally allowing a champagne cork to pop aloud and no one minding. Everyone looking their best and anticipating a lovely dinner. The steward would announce dinner with chimes as he went from one end of the Promenade deck to the other announcing "Dinner is served in the dining saloon". Then everyone would make le grande descent to their table. Their steward in his crisp white jacket, ready to receive and his commis eager to anticipate your wants. Would you have the shrimp cocktail or the caprese salad with a touch of caviar...it's easy, order both. These new ships are fun, but certainly don't represent the original idea of what cruises were when they started just one generation ago. I'm only sorry that most people won't ever get to have that wonderful experience.
I'd buy a copy of this book
You make history come alive
@@Ellis01234567890 Thank you.
I imagine that the relative cost was also a lot higher those days. Seems like you're describing a fairly upper class event, whereas modern cruises are geared to middle class customers.
1 generation ago? 1830's signalled, they want to know if their Mediterranean cruise doesn't count.
What you're referring is to more the... Mega cruise ships where the ship is as much the appeal as the destinations.
I always pick assigned dining. I missed that relationship with our servers on our last NCL cruise. Not to mention the service was hit or miss.
You can try to make reservations on board even though there is free style dinning on NCL.
Another crazy thing is calling it 'debarking'. That's what you do to a tree! Disembarking is what you do on a ship.
Debarkation Day, we always called that get the hell off my boat day. That Stewart, Waiter or Bartender that was your new best friend now just wants you to get off their dam boat.
indeed..
Damn boat, a dam boat is useful to a beaver.
LOL!!!
Assigned dining also serves another purpose not mentioned: On ships with assigned dining, you'll find that all shows are performed twice per evening, usually at 7pm and 9pm. For the Broadway shows, they don't do this -- They run the show one per night, but on two separate nights (most of the shows are nearly two hours long -- performer contracts have minimum mandated rest periods between shows to avoid injury).
I've been on a cruse 2x's and I don't believe I will ever be on another. Their price gouging and insistent money gouging is why. So they are just as happy to not see me again.
I stopped eating and just went to the Spa ...eating w strangers was just tooooooo strange lol 😆😂😅for me. And...the Spa was almost empty each night. I orderd a smoothie from the Spa nd was very happy w my choice.
I love the freedom dining 100% I hated having a set time to eat and sitting with strangers.
Personally don’t like the anytime/private table movement. I’ve met some really cool people over the years cruising with shared tables. Still keep in contact with them. If you are stuck with a party you don’t get along with a quick chat with the host or Mater D’ and you will be moved in no time.
I am not a people person but on a cruise I like to have dinner with strangers. It's kind of exciting to me. It usually makes dinner an adventure. I have made amazing life-long friends and I have met some real nuts. My husband and I only went on one cruise without our children and we had another couple that was sitting with us and we almost immediately made instant friends on the first night and we basically did everything together. However there was another couple that were older newlyweds and the husband was soooooo strange. The wife was too but nowhere near as bad as him. When they first sat down they asked if any of us would be eating any type of shellfish because he had a deadly allergy to shellfish. So we all changed what we were going to eat to accommodate and were perfectly fine with it. Fast forward to the second night and we were seated at our table with our new friends and the other couple didn't come to dinner so we all ordered shellfish in some form or another. The third day we are walking around to go to the art auction and we see the husband eating a huge shrimp cocktail. We were like WTF I thought you were allergic to shellfish. He proceeded to tell us that his allergy comes and goes. Now I'm no expert but my son and I have severe environmental allergies and it doesn't come and go. By the fourth day we were all in Costa Maya and run into the strange couple at a restaurant and she was eating crab cakes and he is eating a whole fried fish. Thankfully they didn't come to dinner with us again. It was just odd.
I agree. I've met many great people this way. It's a lot of fun!
17 years ago I met a young lady at our table. Four years later she introduced me to the woman I would marry. We still have friends that we met on subsequent cruises because they sat near us at dinner. I avoid NCL because they don't have assigned dining.
Great video but I don't fully agree with the first item. If you travel alone, having dinner with other people is a great way to meet other guests and have more fun. If you travel with other people you can ask for a table just for your group. Having the same waiter means that he'll get the chance to know you likings and serve you more efficiently. And having a designated schedule allow you to plan the most out of your cruise, including the shows, cocktails and others.
Besides... if you don't like it, you can always go to the buffet.
Agreed. My husband and I met some really good people that we cruise with regularly now our first couple of cruises by dining with strangers.
I agree but the idea of sitting with others you don't know can be bittersweet! I've done that in the past and let's just say I met some great as well as some questionable people at my table. Especially uncomfortable when there is a language barrier.
When I sail solo I meet up with other solos I have met on the roll call boards in advance. We do my time dining so we can vary the time for port days vs sea days.
Let me point something out you failed to mention under the "Alcohol" area. Princess Cruise Lines allows you to purchase a bottle of whichever liquor you want, then you pick it up on embarkation day. It's yours for the cruise to keep in your room. I did this on a T/A crossing a few years ago. Price to buy at their "Princess Cellars" is close to what I would pay on the outside. As for tenders, some ports do not allow dredging as they are surrounded by living coral. Bermuda is an example. As for debarkation, comparing checking out of a hotel compared to debarking a ship are two totally different animals. A ship gets into port at about 6am. They must feed the debarking passengers, get the passengers off, have them go through customs, have their luggage ready to be retrieved and have the cabin stewards clean thousands of rooms as so to accept new passengers by as early as 11am. Hotels, you don't have thousands of guests and check in time is usually no earlier than 2pm. The hotel guests deal with their own luggage. No customs.
On NCL we found that finding one restaurant with a good waiter was the ticket. We give that person a pretty good tip the first night, we then can order off of any menu on the ship from him and retain the same table.
LOVE THE VIDEOS Very professional
Tenders in port is also about the environmental impacts of having ships dock close to land, they create massive currents with their movements and can destroy marine habitat.
I've heard some people genuinely expecting chicken tenders when they get to Deck 0.
We’ve always done anytime dining. We never know what we will do day to day. Almost anytime we talk to other passengers that do the set times for dinner are the older crowd and that do not do any excursions at port. Whatever makes you happy.
Assigned dining is only done by some Cruise Lines, not all. NCL and Virgin, for example, do not have it.
Actually....all of these items DO make sense.
Another fact about the law to hit a foreign port before returning to USA is the ship must have been made in the USA, no matter where it is registered / flagged. Only one big ship AFAIK was built here and it sails around Hawaii.
Those foreign port rules are very similar to the aviation industry, obviously with some more modern variations. This is why you will never see a British Airways flight offering service between two US cities, except when the route starts or ends in a foreign city with a layover in America, before proceeding to its final destination. (Of course, you could still technically book a ticket for only the domestic leg.)
So sad. I'm still upset 2 cruises were canceled today but I am here watching more cruise vids lol
Seriously you bebark a tree, you "disembark" from a ship
"Debarkation"?? Is that a real word or is this bloke making them up as he goes along? To the best of my knowledge, when you go aboard a ship about to leave port, you are 'embarking' and when you leave the ship at the end of the trip, you are 'disembarking'. 'Debarkation' sounds like a surgical procedure used to shut up a noisy dog!
I donno if a “real” word or one made up by the cruise lines, but it’s written on every itinerary.
The verb to debark, meaning to leave a ship, dates back to at least the 16th Century. I imagine the noun debarkation, meaning the act of leaving a ship, came about soon after.
There are still people who want assigned dining (I'm not one of them, but still). On my last two Princess cruises, one dining room was set aside for the assigned dining crowd, while the other two were free for anytime diners.
If a cruise line has a partnership with a casino. You get get free beer at the casino while gambling only if you have that casino's rewards card.
"incident" is the diplomatic way of saying "murder".
This is a ridiculous video. These 6 items make perfect sense, the person making the video is crazy. 1) Princess for example has assigned and anytime dining. Its your choice. No one is sticking a gun to your head to sit with strangers. My wife and I like the assigned as we get to know the people and in many instances they become life long friends. If you want a break, go to the buffet, the unassigned, a specialty restaurant, or room service. 2) Alcohol, most cruise lines allow each person to bring a bottle of wine or champagne to say celebrate a special occasion. The cruise line basically breaks even on your cruise fare. They profit from drink sales. Cruise lines often allow you to buy a bottle of wine or spirits at a bar or gift shop. 3) Tenders, Some ships are to big to tie up, to deep a draft, or all the berths are full so you tender in. Why is this crazy? It is completely sensible. 4) the ship needs to turn around to embark new passengers as early as 11 am. I have been on ships until 10:30 before disembarkation. Some people have early flights or excursions. We have a leisurely breakfast. Your choice. 5) The James Act protects US shipping and passenger lines by requiring all foreign flagged ships to stop at a foreign port before returning to the US. NCL's Pride of America based in Honolulu is US flagged and therefore is not required to stop at a foreign port. Therefore subject to US labor laws. Interestingly enough, a reflection on the US workers, the pssengers complained so much that the government relented and allowed a certain % of foreign workers to improve the service onboard.
i avoid ncl specifically because they don't offer "traditional dining"...i like sitting with new friends, and also having waitstaff that is familiar with my desires and preferences
All of these make sense (although I hate getting the bum's rush on debarkation day, I can understand it), EXCEPT assigned dining times. I LOVE that Norwegian doesn't do this and it's one of their primary selling points. ...I know many cruisers talk about how they like assigned dining, but those people are nuts. They talk about "inconsistent" service but a lot of times I wind up with consistently bad service when it's the same waiter every night. All I need is for them to bring me the food--that's it. It doesn't really need to be a relationship unless you're very lonely or something. ...I recently took a Disney cruise and they didn't have the dinner Buffett AT ALL, only the main dining room(s) at the exact same time with exact same lousy waiter each night. There were other things we would've loved to do at our assigned dining times and with kids it was a huge pain.
Just like on airplanes, there is always an armed marshal on board. Obviously, this person will be dressed as a civilian. Yes, cruises have private security personnel with military backgrounds, packing blackjacks, batons, guns with non-lethal ammo, and live ammo to mainly guard the casino, jewellery shops, art galleries and the bridge. Pirates?? on a 1000 ft, with thousands of passengers?? HAHAHAHAH. Even Somali pirates have no chance. The ship's vault is hidden somewhere in that monstrosity. I am pretty sure it cannot be opened until it has reached the original port. I was watching the sun rise from my balcony when 5 armored trucks loaded white bags into them. There has never been a situation or EMERGCONS higher than a four. It was not portrayed to the media. Been on 5 cruises throughout my life. I was once lost, on the maiden voyage of the Allure of the seas. It was only my second day, all I knew, It was a suite, starboard side, close to the front. During my drunken state, I recognized the part of the ship. Then I realized I was at the back of the ship. FUCK. But I saw security, managerial staff co-coordinating some kind of operation. I asked one of them, what was going on. Just a drill. getting acquainted to this floating city. Touche...I am lost, I said. So he scanned my ticket and called me a golf cart. when we arrived, I almost got it right buy one deck. But it was a killer work out. By the grace of God it was a day cruising. For you people who like booze and Irishmen. Buy the drink package. It is def worth it. Lastly, PLEASE, tip your waiter and maid. They will greatly appreciate you. It is almost next to slavery. I made friends with our waiter, Antonio Fontana from the Philippines. very cool dude. Here is a tip, pun intended. On your first night, slip a hundy, bend it like and tuck it between your fingers. Shake your waiters hand. They will know what it is. YOU will come first out of many other stingy ass pass angers. Before the drink package. There were two bars I frequented the word. I would make small talk. Tuck in a hundy or a little more. They will add extra booze, to forgetting to charge you. Trust me, you take care of them, you will literally be treated like royalty.
Why do ships charge so much for non-alcoholic beverages? The cost of flavoring syrup, carbonated water, ice, and a paper cup is less than ten cents. On Carnival, the soft drink package is $8.50 a day - the cost of eighty five sodas???
🙋🏾♀️🙋🏾♀️🙋🏾♀️Going on an All U.S Alaska Cruise 🤷🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️
If you can bring a bottle of wine. But no liquor. What stopping you drinking the wine on shore. And filling it with whisky/brandy/rum. Bit sneaky granted. But it will work..
Call me weird, but I really do enjoy dining with other people the way it’s done on a cruise ship. Unless of course you get seated with a bunch of assholes you make new friends that way.
who wants to go on a ship with 4,000 or more other people?
Then get nickle and dimed by the cruise ship?
Stay home or vacation locally instead of getting on a floating petri dish of who knows what diseases are floating around.
What still does not make sense to me is how cruise lines and people who talk about them seem to think Americans and the US are the only ones who cruise and they seem to forget that other regions have cruises and cruisers. I have no problem pointing out why cruises have to stop off at an international port. but why not inform your viewers off non-US issues.
How does a repositioning cruise work How do disembark at the New Port And how do you get transportation from the new port of debarcation to the homeport where the crews left from the 1st
advertizing destinations three hours one way drive from actual port is a big disavantage for ocean cruises compared to either river cruise or bus tours, wifi is crazy slow and expensive
Another argument for assigned dining is no waiting to be seated. After the first night, you know which is your table. You just got straight there.
Disney cruises allow one six pack of beer to be brought in or two bottles of wine.
And that is at each port stop!
We love anytime dining. Having to plan everything around when we eat can be a hassle. For example on fancy nights when we want to take all our photos first before they all close, or we want to not miss a show. Glad cruises are making this option more available.
The have cameras at the mall even enough in grocery stores. No big deal.
Disney allows 2 bottles of wine or a 6pack of beer per adult
I just commented this but reason they don't allow hard liquor is many incidents of drunkards in cabins. So only hard liquor you can find on cruises are at controlled places to avoid those.
And that is at each port stop!
The ability to bring a bottle of wine on board is there because often people celebrate an occasion on board like an anniversary, birthday, etc. and have a special bottle they want for the occasion. It seems unkind to not allow that, so they do. Nobody is wanting to celebrate their anniversary with a 6 pack. LOL
In the old days you could buy liquor in the future free store and take it to your room for consumption. I heard that they do not let you bring liquor on board is that they cannot monitor your drinking and or cut you off. People would get extremely drunk in the cabins and blame or sue the cruise line.
plus they cant sell you any, now you buy in duty free store, they deliver it to you on way off ship
All drinks onboard were always duty free until the US crui lines took over such as P&O, Cunard, HAL etc then the cruise lines kept all that duty free for themselves.
Are there cruises that you do not need a passport?
I'm fine with the Assigned dining time, waiters get to know what you like and treat you better
Cruse lines charge a "corkage fee" when you bring your own bottle of wine
How much do they consider a corkage fee per bottle?
I don't like the fact that they force everyone in the cabin to have the same drink package.
In most cases they don't charge you anything unless you are planning on opening the bottle in the restaurant or bar. Fee is 10$ - 15$ but if you bring your own opener and open your bottle in the room, no charge.
A few times when we knew we were having 'beach days' we brought Sangria and used the fruit from room service (free) , ice and the Sangria to fill our leak proof carabiner water containers to bring the drinks to shore.
What you missed is that you board around two pm and the ship leaves at say seven pm then the ship arrives back at home port at six thirty am. Those two waisted days are considered two cruise days! So a seven day cruise is actually a five day cruise. Kinda like bait and switch or to say the least it’s misrepresented
No you get off on the 8th day in the morning and we are normally on the ship on the first day around 11 or 12 at the latest. Bait and switch is the beach house we just rented for a week. Check in was Saturday at 5pm and check out the following Saturday at 10 am.
Depends on the cruise line. Norweigan started boarding at 11am; you could stay on the ship as long as your luggage was out of the room until 10:30am. Departing at last call literally had zero line when I sailed a ship of less than 3,000 passengers out of Boston.
Cruises are counted as nights. A 7 nights cruise. And if you aren't off by 10 am and the ship leaves at 5 pm, just when do you expect the crew to clean the ship for turn around? Hotels are worse. Check in rooms are ready at 3 pm and check out is at 11 am. You are only getting 20 hours there a day.
@Rob how many years were you at school? Because that was several years of education _wasted_ on you!
After you board the ship you have access to most of the amenities. You can get lunch & snacks, get spa treatments, swim in the pools, soak in the hot tubs, use the gym, play card games with your friends, explore the ship, look at all the art work, enjoy fancy beverages, etc. How is this a rip off?
Also, Many cruises depart around 4:30 or 5:00 PM not 7:00 PM. Depends on ship traffic and tides.
I have to interject on the video about the stop on the Alaskan cruise. At the 7:06 mark the person narrating the video goes to say that the stop in British Columbia is usually Victoria BC but in fact the stop that is used the most by virtually all the cruise lines that go to Alaska the Canadian stop is predominantly Vancouver not Victoria
I want to know who the narrator is
Reservations for dining is nothing new to restaurants. So why doesn't it make sense on a cruise ship?
I love the idea of US itineraries. I would book those in a heatbeat.
You can get hard liquor on board but refilling empty wine bottles.
Maybe one exception to the foreign port rule. We did a cruise of the Hawaiian islands on NCL several years ago. All ports were within the US.
NCL has two ships with US flag. To get the US flag at least the steel hull must be built in US, but there are no shipyards building cruise ships in US. There is also one disadvantage with the US flag, you cannot use cheap crew from far East for example, only US citizens and green card holders.
Great video - what cruise line serves the crab legs?
I've cruised recently only on small ships (one to Antarctica, another on a river), both with around 100 passengers. While meal times were fixed, seating was not. I enjoyed meeting new people.
your point is
super cool video thanks for sharing
Even bigger reason for the always visiting a foreign port is that US Ports only cruise would have to follow US wage and working hour laws. Just not possible at the prices the cruise ships charge.
To visit all American ports require that the ship be built, flagged, and crewed by Americans. We haven't built as passenger ship since the United States in the early 1950's. Even the Pride of America sailing around Hawai'i was 49% built in Germany. Only because she was 51% "built" (finished) here is she allowed to sail the route she does because of the Passenger Services Act. #1 We can't build a passenger ship here. No skill and the cost would be twice the cost as to build in Europe. #2 American Flagged and American crew together mean the price of a passenger ticket would go up 300% in order to cover the higher union wages and the extra staff needed: A 40 hour work week for an American vs a much longer work week for a European would mean an American ship would need a lot more staff to cover the same number of shifts/duties.
I'm pretty sure it'd be more profitable for the ship to allow a 6 pack of beer rather than a bottle of wine. I doubt anyone would even bother going out of their way to bring it along. The wine exception is probably so that people like couples can bring some exotic special favorite wine that they want during their vacation that the cruise line doesn't offer
most ships charge a "corkage fee" when you bring your own bottle
@@williamhaynes7089 Only if you bring the bottle to the restaurant. I bring my own wine, pour a glass in the room, and then take it with me to dinner. Better than paying their outrageous prices for wine ,lol.
Do cruise ships have armed security ? After 10 ship's we have only seen such on one 5 guys in full black !
Yes, cruise ships need to have security on the open sea in the case of pirates.
Since passengers are checked for guns, at least they don't need security to protect passengers from passengers. And any security is just a private man, shooting around in a foreign country can cause a lot of trouble.
If they have guns onboard they will not tell you.
If everyone had to abandon ship, could all passengers and crew fit into such few lifeboats? I know they're larger than they used to be but............
Yes, even few hundreds more
Most lifeboats are of the inflatable kind and account for a large percentage of the carrying capacity in an emergency. They are those large round cylinders on deck and can be deployed in seconds .
Yes, be it inflatable or the tenders modern ships are required to have everyone fit into the life boats.. Granted, you're not allowed personal space for everyone to fit, but what's that compared to going down with the ship?
Yes. I think the lifeboat capacity issue was finally resolved in 1912.
Norwegian is the best. Assigned dinners are dumb.
Table-sharing with strangers is a great way to meet people. It's one of the joys of cruising.
That happened to me a few times on my cruises Now we usually get a private table
8
Something that has never made sense to me is why some cruise lines allow the sale/consumption of alcohol BEFORE the muster drill. On every cruise that I've been on so far there has always been at least a small handful of people in my muster group who wreaked of alcohol at the drill. One would think that if the cruise lines wanted everyone's undivided attention during the safety drill that they would ban the serving of alcohol until AFTER the drill, but I guess that would make sense, which would be taboo.
really?? you don't know the reason ???? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Laura Of course I knew the reason! Sometimes sarcasm can’t be READ - only heard.
I wanna apologize because I’m one of those who reak of alcohol! Lol, I love cruising and being able to drink and take naps randomly throughout the day
I saw someone faint from the heat and alchohol during the muster drill.
If you fainted from alcohol, you might have gone a little to hard
Here is what does not make sense on alcohol. We stopped in Mexico and a buddy heard how low Johnnie Walker Blue sold for so said get him a bottle (750ml). I bought myself the Johnnie Walker gift box, 4 different 250ml bottles. The cruise line had a policy of taking the 750ml bottles until the last day. But the let me keep the gift box as it was just 250ml bottles. For those of you in Rio Linda that means I could bring on more booze as long as the bottles were smaller.
1:00 - no, I love this. It's a good way to meet other people and I love the tradition. I know some hotels and retreats where this is done and it is great.
The well-to-do's have specific kinds of wine they like, that's why its allowed.
I actually enjoyed assigned dining. I didn't have to eat with strangers because there were 6 of us on the trip, but having the set time made it easier for us to plan activities for six people we just planned around our dinner. Plus I enjoyed having the same table and server
every large ship still have blind spots for human falls into water
Jumps. You can't fall overboard. You either jump or are pushed.
or people dropping their baby out a window, that was on camera and hope guy loses law suit as he was dumb.
why are all cruise captains italian? lol
They’re not
Carnival, owner of Princess, has its headquarters in Italy. Other cruise lines have captains from Greece as well. It actually is for the same reason US airlines always flight crews from the US Air Force; the least training is needed for military veterans.
@@dchenkin02 No, Carnival’s HQ is Miami, Fl. Princess HQ is Santa Clarita, Ca.
I’ve been on at least two Princess ships that had English captains
@@susan7775 i’ve been on three carnival, one royal caribbean and one norwegian and all the captains were italian.
ncl started anytime dinning over 10 years ago and most ships offer some form of this type of dinning
Bringing hard liquor on board will result in a drunken disaster and bringing beer on board would be similar. A cruise ship has a standard . Beer guzzling doesn’t fit the image. Wine is a beverage that is consumed with meals and fits the image of cruising. Also, set dining times is a preference for most cruisers. I have tried anytime dining many times and have been disappointed each time. We usually make friends with the people we dine with each night. This is something I love
Cruise lines should do away with tendering altogether. If a port of call does not have a dock, hey tough luck, better build one. I cannot tell you how many times I have a seen a port of call cancelled because the seas were too rough for the tenders.
I absolutely HATE sitting with strangers....HATE HATE HATE !
So why do you go on a cruise ? Take a sailboat, charter a Yacht.
Why is being seated with strangers crazy. What a good way to meet people!
Have never been forced to sit with strangers! We always had a dining time but just the two of us.
Nothing makes sense on a cruise ship. It's one of the strangest and most expensive things in the world. But people like to have their vacations that way. Your choice!
Actually..... cruising is comparatively inexpensive.
all ports should have mandatory ship-to-shore plug-in power instead of running engines 24/7 for energy
Is not THAT easy: a ship needs at least 4 MW (I am talking about small cruise ships) to operate. If you have 2 or 4 ships docked you may need at least 25 MW of power just for a few hours.
@@LuigiRosa Vancouver, BC have full capacity for ships for the Alaska and Hawaii runs
After 10 Cruises we very much like picking where and when we eat! Even like AM in white !
I dont get why they waste so much space on art galleries and libraries. The square footage feels like it would be so better utilized on casino or bars. Even if you love art or reading ... you likely don't go on a cruise for those two hobbies
Oh how I would hate life in a boat with nothing but casinos and bars.
Actually, the ferry between Bergen, Norway and Denmark has such a layout. I fecken hate traveling on that shit boat. I'd sold some random dudes right leg for a library in that boat.
I hate casinos and bars!
I sure wouldn’t go on a cruise for alcohol or gambling
A lot of adults go on a cruise and choose to read while sunbathing. Same as any beach you see people reading.
Maybe its a place you can get away from your drunk gambling partner for a while.
It's called contemplation.