…be spending a $120, or more a day, on drinks. That’s $840 for a week-long cruise. Some cruises cost less than the drinks package could be costing you! It can be pretty expensive. If you want to control your budget and make sure that you spend less, not having a drinks package is probably a good idea because you can keep an eye on what you’re spending every day, either on the ship’s App or by checking in with guest services. You’re probably going…
…ith varied sailing times each day. And unlike ocean cruising where usually cruise ships are in port for the entire day and sailing at night, this is less likely when river cruising. The sailing schedule is more varied. So, there may be a stop in one place in the morning, then sailing to another to explore in the afternoon. But the next day totally different. There is often little time to self-explore in the program, to try local restaurants or bar…
…is having on which lines do well and those that don’t. Best & Worst Small Ship Luxury Cruise Lines The lines in the small ship luxury category, like Azamara, Oceania, Viking and Saga, mostly operate ships between 700 and 1,200 passengers, although some, like Windstar, are much smaller. Most have a wide range of cabin types starting from Inside and Oceanview, up to suites and make a big deal of being able to call into smaller ports than bigger shi…
…urse, you can switch things up by choosing different cruise lines, smaller ships or bigger ships to try and shake it up a bit, but there’s always a risk of experiencing repetitive itineraries. Itinerary changes One of the other downsides of cruising is that you’ll find that the cruise lines can change or cancel a port at any time without giving you compensation. Of course, cruise lines aren’t going to do this because they want to, but they’re goin…
…hough the ones worth visiting is not. I count 45 Mediterranean ports where cruise ships can dock. But there are many more places where ships can anchor and tender guests. Especially around the Greek islands. Most Mediterranean cruises are 7-nights and call at no more than 6 ports. I told Winnie she must make sure the cruise she chooses calls on as many must-visit ports as possible. Surprisingly, only a few of the most beautiful ports in the Medite…
…ne level of stateroom. They seem especially popular when new brochures and cruises are announced, and then when cruises some time off but they trying to encourage early booking. Tip #2: The More Flexible You Are, The Lower the Fare. The more flexible you are, the lower the fare is likely to be. If you are set on going on a specific cruise on a specific date in a specific stateroom, you are most likely going to pay the highest fare as you will need…
…ren’t your thing, you might like my cruise apparel and products store. The Cruise Travel Guide The Cruise Travel Guide makes it easier and more fun to discover, plan and enjoy the unforgettable cruise vacations that you and your family dream of. This is my collection of some of the most popular and insightful tips and advice from my Tips for Travellers YouTube Channel. It draws on my various videos which make it fun and easy to discover, plan and…
…or have a broad basic region you want to go to, and you are flexible about cruise line and ship you are on, this is going to give you the greatest chance of finding a deal. Focus on local ports from where you are, as getting a flight last minute is often expensive. Flight prices tend to go up the closer it gets to departure. So, while you might get a great cruise deal the savings may be negated by the cost of the flight to the port. So, I recommen…
…included. They sell a package covering all of them or by trip prior to the cruise. The ships will usually dock in the heart of the destinations so self-touring is possible in most places if you want to keep down costs. However, you are likely to get more from the region and see more by buying their excursions as often these go further inland to key sights and attractions you would miss otherwise. Gratuities. At the end of the cruise you will be gi…
…ruise to, and who they are best suited for. How to chose the right type of cruise, cruise line and cabin. How to budget and ensure you get the best fare. How to get the most out of your time on-board. Buy the paperback version in the USA at Amazon.com , BarnesandNoble.com ; in the UK from Amazon UK and WH Smith; in Canada from Amazon.Ca . Buy the eBook version in USA Amazon Kindle Store ; in the UK Amazon Kindle Store ——————– Essential Cruise Tips…
…ise Tip. Listen to the tip using the audio player below: Four First-Time Cruise Tips “Cruise International Magazine” asked me to give a few tips for first-time cruisers for an article they were doing with suggestions from different cruise writers and bloggers. These are the four that I provided: (1) Chose your cruise line very carefully. Think about, and ideally write down, what is important to you on a vacation and use that as a checklist when…
