As a highly experienced cruiser (38 separate cruise bookings so far), I can tell you that this gentleman knows exactly what he is talking about. One of few posters that actually does. Thumbs up!

One of the things I love about cruises, is NOT being online at all. My phone is in airplane mode the entire time and it's amazing

As somebody who worked onboard for several years this is sound advice. Also be aware that in many ports the taxis that have access into the port are paying a premium to be there and charge more. Often just walk outside the port and a taxi can be significantly cheaper

I've never been on a cruise nor are planning to go on one. But your videos are so entertaining as well as educational, I can't stop watching!

I fly, but if I cruised,I would use this guy's advice like crazy.I still enjoy this site a lot.

The spa would be on the top of my list. Overpriced and hard sell tactics.

mini bar , I remember when we went on our first cruise with mini bar, we nearly fell in the trap of drinking the drinks provide in the cabin,

Excursions: he speaks truth! For a group of 4 (mom, dad, 2 kids) the cost adds up. In Aruba, it would have cost over $75 each (this was in 2002) to go to the beach! A local cabbie took us to the Radisson, where we used the beach, had a lovely lunch under a palm-leaf canopy, 2 went parasailing, cabbie picked us up promptly at the designated time: all for $50! (We tipped him very well). On the same trip, in Curacao, the tour prices were outrageous, so we took our chances with the cabs at the port. We lucked out big time! A local, saving up to buy property (on the island, there is the landed wealthy and abject poverty, without much middle ground) took us in his van, which he had outfitted with speakers and a microphone. He took us to the Curacao liqueur distillery, which we hadn't planned but the kids enjoyed it and even got to taste! Then he drove us on a full tour of the island, and he arrived within 5 minutes of the cave tour we wanted to do; tickets were cheap! He drove us back, got us there in plenty of time for departure, and the whole thing for 4 was well less than the $100+ EACH that ship-based tours would have cost. Plus we avoided the crowds. And yes, we tipped him very well too; I hope he is enjoying his own property by now.

We were on a cruise which stopped in Greece and we wanted to go to the Acropolis, the tour price from the ship was about a hundred dollars each. We got off the ship walked to the train station, paid one euro each for the train ride, about five euros each to enter the Acropolis, and when we had finished our tour of the building it cost one euro each back to the ship, we also bought an ice cream for three euros each, so all in all a good day out for both of us cost approximately twenty euros, bargain 👏👏

I used to work for one of these cruiselines, and what the gentleman says it's real: a regular coke for example can cost you various times more than in a regular market. They offer you mostly occupancy and food, what you spend in the ship's bar will be their earn... Thank you sir for guiding the new(and why not, no so new either) travelers...👍

Another item I found to be a ripoff- the exchange rate given by the purser if I wanted some local currency. Also, on a cruise where one of the perks was 5 specialty dining dates, I had to wait in a long line to reserve the dinners. In general waiting in lines for anything while on a cruise is the biggest negative I encounter.

Also, be careful of the shops directly near the ports you are going to, most of them if not all are owned by the cruise ship companies. Grand Caymen downtown souvenir shops for example.

I've been to 6 cruises and all the points mentioned confirm 100% to my experience.

For a first time cruiser- I truly appreciate your videos… especially this one! Thank you so much

Always wonderful information. Gary you are so warm yet direct and clear. I’ve enjoyed and recommended / shared many of the videos. I’m on the celebrity silhouette in March.

Thank you for the tips.. i really appreciate them.. helpful as always my friend.

If you plan to spend most off the day off the ship when it is in port, time a mid-day break so you can get lunch on board your ship. You have already paid for that meal as part of your fare. A brief return to ship will give also you a chance to drop off those heavy shopping bags, wet swimsuits, take a quick shower and change into fresh clothing before going back on shore. Never buy "art" onboard your cruise ship when they are hosting an art auction on board, if you want to be sure you are buying genuine art and that the artist is actually getting paid. Those limited edition prints are not so limited. If you must buy art on vacation, buy originals directly from the local artist in the port or buy local art from an onshore art galley. Many of the foreign art galleries in the tourist areas will package and ship the art to your home and help you with any customs paperwork so you do not have to deal with excess baggage on your flight home or surprises with your county's customs officers. Instead of buying expensive cocktails, wine or beer onboard your ship, buy much less expensive drinks in one of the many bars within walking distance of where your ship or tender docks -- get that drink on the way back to the ship while keeping a close watch on the time so your ship does not sail without you. If you want to have candy bars, cookies/biscuits or other commercially packaged snacks when onboard, buy these items onshore instead of in the cruise ship gift shop. Some of those foreign snacks are both tasty and inexpensive. Be aware that any bottles of wine or liquor you buy onshore at those great foreign prices will be taken from you by the ship's crew when you go through the security screening to board your ship and will be returned to you with your luggage at the end of the cruise. You will have to declare the liquor and other foreign purchases when going through you county's customs screening as well as possibly being charged for excess baggage by your airline. Never pay for teeth whitening treatment onboard your cruise ship. The whitening with leave your with a mouthful of sore teeth for a day or two and diminish your enjoyment of those cruise buffets. Also, if you get teeth whitening done back home by a licensed dentist, you have some guarantee of a quality job and the opportunity for legal recourse if there is a bad outcome. If you absolutely must have a t-shirt or other souvenir with your ship's logo on it, wait until the last day of the cruise when the unsold merchandise in the ship's giftshop will be deeply discounted.

You are simply the best! I continue to learn so much from you. Thank you for another excellent video.

Really good info! Thanks for your tips!

Thank you for your tips, planning my first cruise for a big birthday.Very helpful.

I actually work in travel, and I have to say a lot of the things you mentioned I had no idea about. Thanks for the information.

Good tips Gary. Regarding the medical centre, although expensive they may be the only option. My wife and I were on a 40 night cruise from Australia to the UK via Sth Africa. My wife had heart problems when we were sailing along the West coast of Africa with no scheduled stops for many days. The ships doctor and nurse were fantastic. It cost around $2500 for a stay in the on board hospital but it was completely covered by travel insurance. I would never travel without insurance.

Great information, thanks for sharing your video with us!!!! Have a good weekend

Great Suggestions! Thank you so much

A Scottish couple on one of our cruises latched onto me as I am as tight as a duck's arse. In port at Casablanca, he changed a fiver and had change left over afterwards. But at the end of the cruise when we had to settle up our cruise cards, he outdid me. They were held back because they had spent exactly NOTHING.

Great list...I would also include specialty restaurants. For every one that is truly exception, there's two that are not really different from the main dining room. For example, Norwegian has really pushed specialty dining with their most recent boats often having nearly 10 specialty dining restaurants--some of them quite expensive. I have had a $50 steak in their specialty dining room and then gone to the Haven Suites restaurant or main dining room and had a similar steak for free.

Great video,keep it up! Never be in a long cruise but watched "The Love Boat"🤗

Excellent. This was the most useful to me, of all your cruise videos. Thank you very much.

Gary, as always you are spot on. I'm continually amazed at the "revenue generators" the cruise ships have ongoing. For instance, Carnival offers their Cherry On Top shop--why oh why would you spend many dollars there when just a short walk will get you the same thing on the Lido deck??? All your other points are exactly correct. Well done. Love cruising, hate rip offs.

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Very helpful tips, thank you👍

Sir, you're so knowledgeable about cruises. Thanks for sharing this information. God bless!😊🙏😊

This was perfect! Thank you

Best advice ever. Clear, concise advice.!

Thank you for all your episodes, knowledge, tips and advice!!!🙏👍😎

This will be our first cruise and I really appreciate good information like this. Thanks.

Gary, Another Outstanding Cruise Video. I've done 15 cruises, I wish I had watched this before I stepped aboard the first one. You are an excellent blogger!

Best cruise videos, period! Thank you again!

Excellent tips and practical. Thank you.

Excellent video & informative. Thank You!! Blessings

Great tips, Gary! Hope you're having a great time on your cruise!

Bring a mini flashlight. You'd be surprised how often you could use one.

Awesome information. Thank you! I’m going on my first cruise next week. A seven day Alaskan cruise.

Great video and you are spot on. I rarely book shore excursions with the ship, much better deals are available with a minimal amount of effort to find them.

We did Havana hop on and off bus tour, even though we have been to Havana twice whilst we were holidaying in Cuba, the trips we did with the hotel company only took us to some of the sites, it did not matter the hop and off tour the running commentary was in Spanish, we saw a few things we did not see during our day trips in Havana, plus with the added bonus of the cruise ship stopping in Havana overnight it gave me and my parents the chance to have a few drinks in Havana in one of the local bars.

My wife and I are traveling from Argentina to Antarctica in February 2020 and have bought a Wi-Fi package that is costing us $400 USD for the 14 night cruise. We are leaving our 19 year old, autistic son at home and its vital we have contact with him the whole time we are away. It's a small price to pay for peace of mind.

Agreed specially the excursions, spa, buying perfumes on the ship.

Everything you said is true and thanks for informing those who haven't cruised yet !

I developed a desire to start cruising just recently, and I’m really enjoying these videos. They are very different then the others I’ve seen.

We got ripped off once and it was upsetting to the point of spoiling the holiday 😐

Thank you again excellent information. Jenny from Sydney

Preparing for my cruise next year and your videos are invaluable! Enjoying them all

Another great video. I agree with all of them. But I never went the single route, the wife would be a tad pissed. Good video as usual.

Thank you, Gary. I have never been on a cruise. I am learning quite a lot from you.

This is great, well done. Thank you very much!!

Great advice!

Great advice! I learned about all of them over several cruises.What I did not know was that there are land based clinics at many ports! One other thing I have recently been experiencing is pressure from the bartenders for tips. I was told not to tip them (unless they gave excellent service) because of the large fee already added to each drink.

Chock-full of great tips! Appreciated the Solo Traveler tips.

Thank you for your video .Very informative .

To some extent I would agree on the single supplement charge. For ships with solo cabins, my experience is that they go quickly and are generally in less desirable locations: above the theatre, near the anchor/winch machinery etc.

After 13 Cruises I feel I can say, Gary is SPOT ON with this advice ❤️❤️❤️

Thank you, very sensible tips!

Thanks for the Tours By Locals tip! We hadn't heard of that website before but we're definitely going to look into it now

I purchased a $2,000 art onboard a cruise ship once, only to cancel 3 days after disembarking. We discovered the same artist in a gallery in Las Vegas, and purchased a one of a kind original for $2,200, far more detailed and personal than the one on the ship, which was meant for mass production (metal art). The gallery owner had a 2nd home in my city, so we even got free shipping the following weekend.

I agree with the photographs , we only bought two on ship and this was on our first cruise

These are very good videos. Keep u the good work!

Excellent information. Thank You.

I agree with everything except the Spa and Excursions. I agree there is an upcharge for both but you are paying for convenience with the Excursions, as mentioned. I have done tours from the ship and independent tours. Really just depends on the size of the group I'm going with and length of tour. There is a sense of comfort knowing you won't be left by the ship if something happens with a long tour. I will do a spa treatment every once in awhile as a treat and I usually do it on a port day. Again, more of a treat for me.

This is the second video I've seen. I just love your channel.

Thank you for your concise and informative video

It took me a few cruises to learn some of these, you’re spot on

We had a medical emergency where my son had a severe alleric reaction on his 16th birthday. It was indeed quite expensive to be treated on board, but our travel insurance covered all of it except for the epi-pen.

The shops have good deals on inexpensive ladies evening bags. I always pick up 2 or 3 for gifts for my girl friends.

All that u stated....100% truth! Thx u for sharing!!!!

Great info, thank you Sir.

I have recently returned from a 14 day cruise and your advice is spot on. The problem of solo travelling is not well catered for yet on Australian cruise lines.

Some would say gambling on the cruise line can be a rip off with low payouts and high table limits.

Great advice! Especially on the tours!!

Great info! Thank you!!

Great tips, I totally agree with the spa. We spent alot at the spa, and were suckered in with the hard sell on products. It was our honeymoon and first time cruising so we just decided to enjoy the whole experience and vowed next time, we avoid the spa all together 😄

I’ve only cruised a couple of times - I hated being on the ships for the most part - but the one thing I found to be universally true was that the official excursions were the worst, both in terms of cost and quality. The best excursions I took were either booked in advance by me, where I booked excursions from a land-based tour company, or when I just got off the ship and paid a local to take me and my friends on a sightseeing tour.

Thanks for the tips!

Thanks for the info! I will definitely make a mental note. 😊😊

That Wi-Fi tip is spot on. Went on a seven night cruise to Alaska and inadvertently left my phone on roaming for 4 days before I noticed. Got a bill for $460 from my carrier. Ouch! My own fault but I am definitely more careful now.

So, glad I found your channel! Great info for novices like me who plan to retire and enjoy life!

Great advice Gary!

Great video. Thank you!

Great tip about the excursions! The hop on hop off bus is always the way to go. Also, I didn't realize how expensive it is to use wifi on board! So crazy! Thanks for another great video!

I wish I had seen this before I booked my first cruise. I’m a solo traveler and I was wondering why my booking went from the per person price to double. Now I know. Thank you!

I've been on dozens of cruises and always good to visit this site for updates in the industry. Great information.

Thanks, great video 😊

A big reason why we always use Princess is because we are now Platinum members (or higher) so we can get a certain amount of free wifi.

Gary...You are always cruising. I'm so JEALOUS!!!

Excellent advice!! As a frequent cruise passenger l totally agree🙏

We are about to book our very first family cruise 🚢 and your videos are amazing. It helps us greatly. Thx.

Excellent tips and they are true. I've been on several cruises mostly toward Europe and the only thing that I did that is on your list of things to watch for is the excursions. I feel safe and secure knowing that you will be back on time on board the ship. I did try the hop on hop off and saved some cash but not all countries have them. What are your thoughts on Asian cruises? and by the way I also travel solo most of the time. Thank you and keep on cruising :)

I've done the match on solo cabins. One time it was a difference of a dollar between the cabins w/single supplement and the solo cabin. Re: the water, I have found that the bottled water people can NOT be re-trained. They don't even drink tap water at home and I don't even try. I always grab a teabag (fruit ones are great) and put it in my water bottle. You get iced tea.

Some really great and interesting advice.

Thank you learned so much from this video

My wife and I had not had a Formal Photo taken since our Wedding. We had a 20th Anniversary Cruise, so, we factored in the cost. It was cheaper than the local photographer.