…going to the shopping talks. This tends to happen more in places like the Caribbean or Alaska where duty free shopping is a really big thing. On board there will be shopping advisors and they have lots of free gifts and incentives to get you to go into the shops. Again, you don’t normally have to buy anything, but by simply going to the talks you’ll get free gifts and then by going to some of the stores you can redeem vouchers for free gifts. It’…
…does work out better. If you’re on one of those cruises, particularly the Caribbean, where the cruise line goes to one of their own islands, check if the drinks package applies when you’re on the island. That’s not always the case, and you might find that your drinks package when you’re on the island you can’t use. Think about the mix of sea to port days, and realistically how many drinks are you going to be having when you are on board the ship…
…ard Seabourn, particularly in the summer in tropical destinations like the Caribbean, and you do also find people on their honeymoon. One thing you won’t see is families coming on board. In the key summer holiday months, you will find some kids on board, but they tend to be slightly older kids because there aren’t any kids’ clubs and the shows. Additionally, the excursions and dining do not cater specifically for children. The whole Seabourn exper…
…ships are going to be in port. You could be going to some ports, like the Caribbean, where there could be 15,000 to 20,000 passengers coming off ships and making the place far too busy, so it might actually feel nicer to stay on board rather than fighting the crowds. #4 Enjoy the facilities The fourth reason for staying on board depends on the type of ship you are cruising on. If it’s a big resort ship which has huge amounts of facilities, like r…
…a on a land-based trip. They cruise everywhere – you will find them in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, Australia, the South Pacific, Mexican Riviera, they go through the Panama Canal, Canada and New England and World Cruises. You can do anything from a three or four-day cruise to up to over 100-day cruises on Princess. So, there’s a huge range in terms of ships and itineraries and pretty much anywhere in the world you want to go you’re probably…
…ple of exceptions, and that does change over time (with Carnival and Royal Caribbean you can often use cruise onboard credits) so just double check if you’re going on those other lines. You also can’t use the onboard credit to book your next cruise, unfortunately! I hope the above helped. You can also watch my cruise onboard credit tips video by clicking the link below. Watch My Video About On-Board Credit https://youtu.be/oJWoCwdv24E Watch on You…
…er time again in the Mediterranean, and the kind of the equivalent for the Caribbean. The reason for that, is you’ll find that’s when the best deals are. So even if you’re going on a cruise line that has a larger surcharge, the prices overall are not going to be as great. Also, you’re more likely to find that’s when you have deals taking place, because the cruise lines find it harder to fill the ship. You’re probably going to find there’s more sol…
…h cruise line is sympathetic to your child’s needs. So, for example, Royal Caribbean actually have various programs within the kids’ programs that deal with kids on the autism spectrum, so there are specific toys and activities to help them enjoy their time. #6 Mobility Issues So, the sixth thing you shouldn’t hide from the cruise line is if you have any mobility issues. Also make sure that you’ve booked an accessible cabin, if that’s what you nee…
…rd thing to ask yourself is how developed is the port? Particularly in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, the ports are modern, and experienced at dealing with tourists, so there’s the infrastructure in place to deal with people travelling independently and possibly looking for alternative excursions. If you are in one of those regions, and the ports are very popular cruise ports, don’t feel worried that you’re not going to find something to do…
…you can spread them across a number of different cruises, however on Royal Caribbean, for example, I’ve seen them issue certificates via email. So, make sure that you really understand how it works when you’ve received future cruise credit if you’ve had a cruise cancelled. In many cases what is frustrating is that in a lot of cases, you’re going to have to phone the call centre – which of course is crazy busy with cancellations – to try and book c…
…ell packages where you can buy a lot of those perks. For example, on Royal Caribbean they have The Key, and on Carnival they have “faster to the fun” where you pay to get lots of extra things bundled in like priority embarkation, disembarkation and seating at restaurants, Wi-Fi, maybe some laundry, etc. So, it’s going to cost a lot less to book an ocean view cabin and pay for the perks. And especially if you’re really clever, you can buy fares whe…
