The fact that they used a travel agent who had NEVER BEEN ON A CRUISE before to book their VERY FIRST CRUISE is just bananas!!!

When we booked our first cruise back in 2005, I knew NOTHING about cruising, and there were very few sites online offering advice, so it was a step into the dark. Mercifully, after a lot of checking and comparing, we booked with Princess. Good choice! Since then we've been with numerous others companies-including Cunard-and the differences are pretty startling. I've got to say, the older I get, the more I like the formal ships. Perhaps it's because I've acquired more cufflinks and bow ties and want to use them.

Never done a cruise, but your videos are making me think about it! This was a very good video to do, because, as someone who has never cruised i had no idea there were so many differences.

I am so glad they tried again! As a travel advisor, it pains me to hear when people have gotten horrible advice from a so-called professional!

I have a severe seasickness problem so I go to my doctor and get a patch. I apply it behind my ear, it's good for 3 days and if I am on a long cruise I get enough to last the whole cruise. They are perfect.

you more than likely already know why lol, but the reason for Magellan (and most of the original Carnival vessels) having those weirdly angled windows near the bow is because that was where the stage/theater was, and it was angled like a traditional...well...theater (with seating and whatnot leading down to the stage itself (also I wish the Marco had survived...she was pretty much the LAST vestige of a bygone era of "Soviet Cruising", even if she was WAY overdue for her retirement :( )

For a cruise on a smaller ship, I enjoy the experience but it definitely is different than a mid-size or mega-size cruise ship. What I really like about the smaller ship experience is that I find it to be more of a personal and relaxing experience with more opportunities to get to know both the passengers and the crew. Since the crew does not seem to be as overwhelmed by their roles, they seem to have more time and energy to interact with the passengers on a direct level. I really appreciate meeting people from around the world, so this is a key plus for the smaller ships. Thanks for the explanation of Tannoy. I'm embarrassed to say that I didn't know this company name! 😆

This video highlights what I feared most about cruising. It's one of the reasons besides being frugal (cheap) that I enrolled in your course. I sort of view ships as mobile hotel rooms within a mobile town going to stationary towns. Since I haven't cruised my knowledge was based on what friends or acquaintances told me and sales brochures. From this I was under the impression that all cruise lines were basically the same other than itineraries. Your course and video's almost from the very beginning informed that although cruising can be for everyone, it is important to a cruise line that both suits your esthetic and the ports you wish to visit. Ships are not like hotels. You just can't switch to the one across the street if the one you're booked on doesn't suit you. Things I would never of thought of prior to your course is that ship A makes port in X is actually in X. Another ship Y who makes port in X actually docks in Z, which is a two hour train or bus ride to and from X. However, in the itinerary it says both make port at X. Both ships have ten hours in port but one has ten hours in X, the other you have five hours at X and five hours of travel. This alone would affect your feelings about the cruise and the port. One thing about some travel agents is they'll book you on anything you think you want, but your lack of knowledge means you may be totally wrong in your assessment. However, many travel agents know little about the place you wish to go and how long it will take to get there. They will book whatever comes up first on screen. I almost never use travel agents for land/air travel, but at this point for a cruise, I'd want a travel agent who specializes in cruising to help me get the right cruise for me. What you don't know, you don't know.

I’ve been on cruises with CMV , in fact I has one booked for the Baltic when they went bust .. I’ve also done Royal Carribean and various other more modern ships … I liked them all ! I tend to look at the itinerary and what’s best value for money as I prefer the destinations rather the the ship

We love the sea days. But I will say we do sail with NCL. The ship is more our holiday not necessary where it goes. My wife is disabled so sometimes going around different port can be hard for wheelchairs

We cruised on cmv magellan to the Baltic and it was fabulous. We didn't feel the dress code was too formal at all my hubby just wore a normal suit and tie ( a bit of duress) on formal night but plenty didn't. However we did choose the cruise for specific reasons, the destinations and leaving from a local port! We knew the risks of the arranged dining but hit very lucky with fantastic table mates which really enhanced the holiday. It's the same with any holiday, you need to pick the area, hotel or resort that's right for you.

My first cruise was in 1994 on the Carnival Sensation. We went with a large group and had a blast. It was also where I proposed to my wife of 26yrs now.

As a travel agent specializing in cruising, it behooves me to try as many lines, and ships, as possible (and besides, it's fun!) I suppose this means I may go on a cruise I don't like at some point, but so far I haven't. I am glad your friends did not give up on cruising. Do they come to you for advice now?

Marco Polo sailed until 2020?! Wow! I remember that ship from my childhood! And I'm 54!

Thanks for sharing! Would love to see a video about seasickness aboard cruise ships ⚓️

If your friends had eaten more cookies at the buffet, maybe they would have enjoyed the cruise more haha

Enjoy these videos much more than live, which is much too long so I tend to skip them. Thanks for sharing.😎

I went on the Magellan in 2017 as my first cruise too. I was sailing solo so had an inside cabin but I fully enjoyed it. Yes the ship was tired and old but I spent a lot of time outside at the back reading and watching the sea go by. I've since sailed on the Queen Elizabeth and that's the ultimate contrast:) I believe Ambassador cruise line has been born from the ashes of Cruise and Maritime but I could be mistaken.

Smaller, English cruise lines can be great, as long as you know what to expect. Worth trying them if the deal is good. Just booked Fred Olsen’s ‘new’ ship Bolette for a 13 night cruise round trip Dover to Spain. They have much cheaper than usual, late saver prices until early October and I got it with only a 25% single supplement. It’s the best prices I’ve seen in the last few years!

My 1st cruise was my honey moon and besides for my new bride being sick, it was horrible. A smaller ship and we were at the very front of the ship in a “closet” cabin when all I knew of cruising was from the Love Boat. 10 years later we did an Alaskan cruise with Princess and have been hooked ever since.

I am American, I like like small ship cruises. To me the worse cruise for a first timer is a weekend cruise (a three day cruise is awful if you are over 28 yo).

A video about sea sickness would be interesting. How do you overcome it? Treat it? Tips and tricks.

I always watch video tours of ships before booking.

The cruise line, size of ship, itinerary, ratio of port-calls versus sea days, number of days… price point are all factors to consider. We did a cruise to Hawaii- return from San Diego- 17 days and there was a couple at out table who were on their first cruise…Well, the gentleman was seated at our table while his wife was sick in their room. He told us that she was not a fan of the motion of the ocean…and being out on the open seas. She suddenly realized that cruising was not for her. They disembarked in Hawaii. Lesson of the day: Take a shorter cruise on your first taste of cruising. Good one, Emma.

I'm sorry to hear about your friends first time cruise experience, but it's good they learned from that experience. As for being sea sick, I took my first cruise in 1986 on Carnival and it was a Carribean cruise, and I got sea sick on the way back to Miami as the whether and ocean was rough.

I would say 4 days is the sweet spot for NEW cruisers. If they don't like it, they aren't "trapped" and miserable. If they do like it, then they can start going longer. Even on a short cruise they can get a feel for what they do and don't like about it and use it to guide their future cruise bookings.

Always good to be reminded to look for a ship and itinerary that are best for that person.

Great video. We have booked our 1st cruise and we have done OK then as we are going with Royal Caribbean on a very large ship, not many sea days and only 7 nights. Plus we are mid ship with balcony. Fingers crossed we love it. Would love to see your seasick video as that's my main worry x

I love sea days! Next I want to do a repositioning cruise, the more sea days the better!

I used to sell cruises and I always tried to get to know my customers so that I could recommend a cruise line that would fit them. I sometimes miss small cruise ships and have considered going on one of the older ships, but certainly not one from the 60's! I also love sea days, but I learned that on my first Royal Caribbean cruise in 1974. It's good to first try a cruise that's 50/50 sea days & ports, or at least 2 sea days out of a 7-day cruise, I think.

Did 6 cruises with CMV and was due to go on the last sailing of the old lady, Astoria, built in Gothenburg in 1944. They were very much passive cruises, just sit down, be looked after and get taken to interesting places. My sister in law remarked, "sometimes you could be forgiven for thinking you were in a care home". Except, care homes are much more expensive, the food is not the best and just try to find the bar, impossible. Going on my first cruise with Marella tomorrow Emma. Booked after I saw your enjoyable videos.

We did a CMV transatlantic cruise and we enjoyed it very much, the staff was very attentive and the food was very good and the itinerary was great. We are a very seasoned cruiser with over 80 of them and you have to choose a ship and cruise that will fit your interest.

Great shots of my beloved little ASTOR...such a fun little ship. We did a few trips on her out of Fremantle.

A vid on sea sickness and cruising would be great. Many folks shy away for this single reason.

I went on a Caribbean cruise back in 1985 on the Mardi Gra owned by Carnival Cruise Line.The ship was old built I believe in 1937 and had been restored. However, it wasn't fancy still had early 1960s decor,but there was entertainment and free food,and different port of calls.Had fun,and it was only for 7 days.

Too bad. They must not have done any research at all. That's a shame since so much good information is available. Glad they finally had success.

This is definitely one of the reasons I subscribed here. I haven't been on a cruise yet, but making sure you talk to people who have is vital to booking the right cruise for you. A travel agent that hasn't been on a cruise shouldn't be booking anyone on them. Or at least learn about them more from those who have in their office, etc. Awesome info!! And a new word for me too....Tannoy. Haha.

I have always cruised with Viking. As a solo traveller it fit me well. I just took a cruise with Celebrity through the Panama Canal. It was terrific. Now am looking at cruise lines where the fit is best. I get sea sick on a glass sea so I take meds each morning and night-all is well

I would love to spend 2 weeks on a just see days cruise with my favorite Aida Nova cruise ship. 🙈

Oh the old Holiday from Carnival. I cruised on that ship more than a decade ago! It’s in the scrap yard now.

I cruised on Oasis of the Seas last month. I took sneakers and sandals. I wore black jeans and cheap shirts to dinner. No carrying dress clothes and extra shoes. I took one sun dress which I wore over my bathing suit and it was also worn to lunch and dinner. It was great to not take too much clothes.

My first cruise was in 1991 on Regent Seven Seas, formal, assigned seating and time every night. The ship was so old it still had the bulk head doors down the corridors you had to step over. It didn't stop me from cruising, but I did learn how to pack smarter!

I haven't done a cruise, my wife and acquaintances have several times. I just can't see it being any more fun than drinking, eating and sight seeing on dry ground in St. Augustine. Florida. Still I enjoy your presentation, Thank you.

Tannoy is a British manufacturer of loudspeakers and one of the oldest in the world, I have a lovely set of Tannoy M3s for my home theatre system. Brits have a lot names for things that come from the best known manufacturer at the time the item was becoming popular, Hoovering, Sellotape, Biro, Perspex etc

Our first cruise was booked by a travel agent (Carlson Wagonlit as I remember) and the agent did an excellent job. That was how we got on QM2 in its inaugural sailing season and on its first voyage from Southampton to NYC. That was also my wife's first time out of the US/Canada so we also booked a week in London with a tour company. The value was phenomenal. No way we could have gotten everything for that price individually. Our second cruise was also a package deal with a different agent as we had moved. My wife has booked all our cruises since then herself just using the Internet and phone. It does pay to do research, though. I think you said that some people had booked a cruise and didn't realize there was a buffet and that the dining room and shows were included. Sad...

Gosh Emma, it sounds like your friends didn't do any research into the type of cruise line they were cruising with. It's such a pity for them when it's so easy to just checkyour KZfaq for all the info. I'm researching for my own first cruise for next year or 2023 and as a very young at heart 41 year old I know I'll be looking for a fun, lively cruiseline that caters for couples amongst other demographics with loads of entertainment, great food, loads of relaxation etc. I don't mind busy and noisy places, I like to people watch and enjoy the buzz so I think RCCL or NCL is the way to go for me, once I can get a good fly cruise out of Ireland. Roll on!

My first cruise was on the P&O Fairstar in 1991. The ship was old, even for that era. It started with 5 seadays, and there was not much to do on board back then but eat and sunbathe. No balcony cabins, and we had an inside 'berth' that you could not move in. I remember the morning we pulled into our first port, being SO glad to get off the ship! I had a nice time, but swore I'd never cruise again. Fortunately cruising changed. I still dont ever want to go on the mega ships, but Princess's Grand class is my best fit.

Magellan and Astor both received low scores in Douglas Ward’s Berlitz Cruising and Cruise Ships guide. I hope your friends follow your advice and give it another go on an more modern ship.

It’s cool your friends gave it another shot. So many people book an old ship cruise and never give it another try.

Yes would definitely appreciate an episode abour the sea day, sea sickness thing

Very disappointed in your posting this as Cruise and Maritime have not traded for over a year. They were a great little company and had many loyal and happy passengers.

Totally off topic - I love the world map you have in the background.

I heard you say another British-ism! “It’s not the done thing.” First time I heard that was on Bluey and second time was on this video! 😂

Thanks for the nice video! I liked your new Celebrity Silhouette Video a lot, too. You are a very nice & charismatic person and I like your honest & down-to-earth cruise reviews! Keep 'em coming :-)

the only thing I would caution people about a sea day is go easy on the weed so smoke in small amounts if your someone that gets paranoid, I smoked some ditch weed and felt like jumping off the bar roof into the pool

Seems to me that with some decent Google-fu you can view ship layouts, room layouts, and the dress code for a particular ship/cruise, even before purchasing a ticket or getting on board. Research and some planning beforehand can make any vacation better.

If they sailed the Astor, there’s a KZfaq channel Exploring the Unbeaten Path where they get to board the Astor in the Turkey breaking yard and did a tour. Really interestedly to see what it looks like just before scrapping.

Must admit my least favourite cruise ship was QM 2 too formal for me and and not very good entertainment great kids club though .I prefer Royal carribean or P&O .

Lived in England for 9 years, and I never heard of Tannoy. LOL. Learn something new everyday.

I recently booked a solo cruise on Celebrity Edge. But I feel I was fortunate and lucky as I did very little research about companies and ships prior to booking. In fact I started looking on a whim and 30 minutes later I was booked. However I did look at the star ratings and made my choice based on the 5.5 stars for Celebrity. Since that time I have done a deeper dive and have heard only fantastic feedback for this Ship. Not sure how cruising solo will turn out but I see in movies and TV shows of people traveling by themselves and thought I’d give it a go.

My first two cruises were on the Dawn Princess. Loved it. As long as you wore a suit and tie that is okay. My next cruise is 11 nights from Freemantle to Sydney on Queen Elizabeth

Tannoy makes some very good hifi loudspeakers. They are famous for their innovative speaker that combines the woofer and tweeter into a single unit. I had never heard their name used as a descriptive noun and, furthermore, didn’t know that they made public address (PA) systems. I Love the English expressions of teh week!

I'd love to hear of your experiences with and tips regarding seasickness. On my very first cruise, I was sick in bed for 2 days and it was horrific!

Former US Navy, once spent 8 months at sea without hitting a port, we only had one place to eat, the mess deck, and this was before email and cellphones, reading and listening to music and the ship played movies in the evenings. Sea days on a luxury cruise lIner? Not a problem. Also the more days at sea you the sooner you will get over your seasickness, not all Navy personnel are immune to seasickness, your body adjusts and adapts and it usually takes about 48 hours so if your still seasick after 48 hours it’s probably because you’re thinking about it too much.

I like the days at sea vs port visits. I love the gentle rocking of the ship and just watching the water go by. Never got seasick when I was in the US Navy even when we went through typhoons so no worries there. Port visits just seem like a hassle. Excursion planning, getting back to the ship on time, etc. Meanwhile, the ships themselves have so much to see and experience. I much prefer cargo ship cruising however. Less people, plenty of sea time. You eat with the officers and most have a small pool. Plenty of time to just relax, read, watch movies, whatever.

I hope your friends try a cruise again. Royal Caribbean is a really good ship I feel they might enjoy it

Oddly enough I’ve never cruised but exploring a first cruise on the QM2 transatlantic. All sea days, very formal, no amusement park type rides. Perfect for us! Lol

I truly enjoy your honest, forthright approach, but I'm a little disappointed this time that you seem to emphasize big, new ships. I've cruised on several older, less fancy ships--small ones with fewer amenities and activities--and loved every one. Each had superior food and service, interesting port visits, and fun activities on board. I hope you'll mention sometime in the future that the cruise is what you make it--and doesn't have to be the "latest and greatest"!

CMV had an even older ship than 1965 - namely the Astoria built in 1948 as the SS Stockholm. It collidedwith the Italian flagship Andoria near New York in 1956 and sank it ! I sailed on her in 2006 as the Athena to Canada and New York. She was very unstable in rough weather and when I last saw her it appeared to have had a stern modification. It was small but beautiful with lots of mirrors, glass and marble. I can't imagine what life is like on the modern very large ships but expect a lot of queueing

Never heard of it being called a Tannoy, but the fact that it was the name after a big company does make sense. I took a gamble on my first cruise with Princess, possibly not my age group, but the relaxed style was perfect, personally I love the sea days... Something calming about looking at the water and hearing the sloshing noises as the ship pushes through it. Never got seasick... Well I have been once, it appeared after 1 hour journey on a norwegian ferry crossing in bad weather... Carts with plates were rolling with the ship and banging into the walls so I suppose it was expected.

I cruised once and CMV because it allowed Irish people board in Cobh. Unfortunately the food was dire. The Indian cooks did great savory food but potatoes were badly cooked and they were unable to do anything sweet.

Our first cruise, if you can call it that was a DFDS mini break to the Hamburg Christmas Markets over 20yrs ago. Crossing the North Sea on a car ferry in December was something else, but what a laugh. I figured if we’d enjoyed that experience then we could handle anything. Best cruise to date was on the Pacific Princess from Sydney to Auckland via French Polynesia. Unforgettable!

Love doing tannoy announcements.

BTW I learned about the Tannoy reading Ian Fleming's James Bond books.

I would really like to see the video on sea sickness. This video gave me a different perspective on cruise ships.

First cruise was a 12 night P&O and although the sea was a bit rough on night one it never put me off , 2nd cruise the sea was worse but still loved it

Think we shouldn't be afraid to admit mistakes- based on my past experiences I would avoid trips with lots of sea days & any risk of stormy weather, while I'd never use an agent again. Not everyone likes the large resort ships which can be overwhelming. Would agree that a 7 night fly cruise in the Med or Caribbean is a great intro for someone used to beach holidays.

In Australia your Tannoy is called a Squawk Box.

Born in the 1950s, my vision of a cruise was being on a transoceanic trip, a classic style boat, with not much to do except relax, read, eat, and be at sea. Are there merchant marine based experiences that are closer to my 1960 vision here in the 21st century?

Any holiday is what _you_ (the traveler) makes it! I’m gutted my Cunard transatlantic has just been cancelled. I actually cried at that as it will be 2023 before we can do that as we have lots of travel plans in place for 2022 and we don’t have an infinite amount of cash (New York to Southampton has gone up by 40% too) Just remember, only boring people get bored.

At 0:55 the ship has the Union Flag upside down. If a British ship can't get that right, it doesn't bode well for any thing else

In the US a Tanoy is a guy with a Cowboy hat who’s REALLY really Tan

Really enjoy your channel. We were reluctant cruisers but decided we had to try. Was concerned about being stuck at see for many days. We chose a cruise to New Zealand from Sydney with 2 sea days each way, but port days for the rest of the trip. Radiance of the Seas was a great introduction to cruising as we had a balcony, who wouldn’t going to NZ and relatively small in passenger numbers.

In Jan im booking QE2 going to Quebec.and back

Hi Emma our first cruise was also on cruise Maritime to the fjords, we had a great time. The first night we ate in the MDR but we’re not impressive, next night my other half was not a hundred percent so I went to the buffet and it was really nice. We had a fantastic time if we were not on shore we were at the buffet in the stern admiring the scenery, it was only while waiting to disembark we found out that there were bars and entertainment below.

I think our first was jewel of the seas? Brand new ship at the time and a short cruise! We were amazed at the time and it was fantastic! Got the bug and done about 12 cruises now! Iona next I hope, in November! 😎

Ive never been on a cruise but dramamine would be a must

6:17 my first cruise will be 7 nights, but if i had the money i would immediately take the 120 days world cruise 😁😁

Our first cruise was on the Magellan. In fact we did three cruises in a row on her. She was a great starter ship - I don't know that I would like to have started on a giant ship. We did six cruises with CMV and we enjoyed them all apart from one to Amsterdam and Ghent where we had rotten weather. There were balcony cabins on the Magellan but they were suites and expensive. We did have a few rough nights. We liked the Columbus better. We love formal nights. Our next cruise after that was on Queen Mary 2 where we really had to dress up. Since then we have only been on big ships - we were on the Iona last week. I do prefer bigger ships.

My first cruise, we were in a tropical depression on the way out and we were delayed over 24 hours coming in due to a hurricane. We were locked out of our rooms and had to stand, standing room only, with our bags for 12 hours, no food, beverages and getting to the restroom was near impossible. Take Bonine to prevent sea sickness, 1 tablet lasts 24 hours and works well with no drowsiness like dramamine.

Thank you for clearing up a question I’d always meant to research but it always slipped my mind: why do the British call the public address the tannoy? I knew that’s what you called the PA, but now I know why!

My question, when looking for cruise options, would be about the ship's decor. I like the delicate, vintage look. This sounds bad, but it's the best way to describe it...I liked the background in the movie Titanic. I don't know if you can still find elegance like that in a safe, modern cruise ship, but maybe there is one out there that comes close.

Love sea days. Sleep in and no rush buffet before the excursion. PS, ASDA is no Walmart!! Walmart’s are amazing in the US. Wish we had those here.

Used to love cruising , cruised for over 20 years , then made the mistake of booking a cruise on RCCL, from Cape Liberty NJ. Nearly ruined my life,. The sight of a cruise ship now makes me sick.

Strict dress code would be totally up my alley. I don't understand why people dislike getting dressed up

It's was criminal what happened to Marco polo, something still doesn't sit right about how it ended up on the beach

I personally love cruising but it's definitely not for everyone. This is why I also stick to Princess. I'm curious about Royal Caribbean and Holland America as well as Cunard but I know that I like Princess so I stick with them but I can't cruise atm because of my cat (also ginger). I also love sea days.

I had pretty much the same situation with a work colleague who wanted to try cruising after I raved so much about it. But she chose the worst possible cruise for a first timer, a pre Christmas two nighter on P&O's Oceana. I don't think two nights can give a true impression of a cruise, they are two frenetic and often a bit boozy. Plus being December there was awful weather and my friend and her husband spent the whole first night throwing up in their bathroom. Me and my daughter were on it too, but knew a bit more what to expect. We were only bothered that the theatre show was cancelled because it was so rocky! Needless to say, she said it was her first and last cruise which is a shame because I know how fantastic it can be.

Been loving your videos, though sea day's are what are drawing me and wifey to cruising. Booked our 2nd ever cruise for next year on another Disney cruise. Port day's don't seam enjoyable for my wifey due to her disability. Possibility of not getting of the boat if the ship is using life boats, wifey can't get off (In an emergency we would make it work), if a gangway that has a steep slope is used it could restrict my wife's breathing, on land potential of not having an accessible toilet. Even little thing's like the pavement. We had it in Amsterdam where her front tyre popped off her wheelchair due to the cobble stones, this was on the first day. Panic ensued from me, luckily I got it back on. In summary, sea days are the best for us.

Hammocks should be standard on all balconies. I don't know what all these cruise lines are waiting for...