Use door markers to tell your cabin steward when you don't want them in the room. Problem solved. If you're planning on needing to be in your cabin, just mark it "Do Not Disturb" and they'll stay out. Leave it unmarked when you'll be out of the cabin for a significant amount of time, and they'll be in and out before you need to be in the cabin again.

Our last cruise this past August was on Carnival Vista and our steward did something I have never had happen before. After saying our initial hello's, he asked us what time WE prefer to have our cabin cleaned......simple.great idea! Worked like a Charm!!!

I think shopping and spa treatments are hugely overrated and specialty dining is somewhat overrated. The wasted real estate being used for race courses, roller coasters, etc. are overrated. Hot tubs are vastly overrated. I do think that the main dining room(s) are underrated and underappreciated. As an aside, I do love the trend of outdoor seating for dining and drinking such as The Waterfront on NCL ships.

I think it is overrated that you have to pay a premium if you’re traveling alone. All of the cabins, except for a few on the new ships, are geared towards double occupancy. As a widower, this keeps me from cruising.

As a solo traveler cruises are overrated because I'm charged for an imaginary friend that left me when I was 2 yrs old. If it wasn't for the ridiculous Solo penalty then sure, I'd love to cruise more.

I call the pools & hot tubs on cruise ships, at hotels pee pee pools. The last cruise I was on I watched a group of 6 people drink multiple drinks each & they never left the pool. 🤔

Agree with so many. We have largely switched to Virgin Voyages--room service once a day, and you press a switch to indicate that your cabin is ready for service. They have a team on call for other needs throughout the day; just send your request on the app. Steward doesn't come in unless you turn on the "service" light. VV doesn't have a buffet--they have a "food court" concept where the food is fresh made when you order, other than breads and desserts. Passengers don't touch any food other than what belongs to them. You sit and scan a QR code to order, again other than breads and desserts which you can walk up and tell a crew member what you want and they will plate and hand it to you. People don't understand that, of necessity, the pools on a ship are small. No, I don't swim either. Sometimes "adult only" pools on lines that allow kids are good for swimming. Loyalty--VV is matching any status with another line. They gave me "deep blue extras" including a bag of complimentary laundry, $10 credit at the fancy coffee/tea outlet daily, and many smaller perks on my FIRST cruise based on my previous sailings on another line. Love that Virgin has NOT embraced the "ship within a ship" concept. The only perks for suite sailing are included alcohol (how much depends on the level of suite) and a reserved sundeck with complimentary champagne each night. And you have a special host who will make your reservations, Bottom line, the person in the inside cabin has access to the same restaurants, activities, etc. with the exception of "Richard's Rooftop," and can buy more alcohol than they can drink for what a suite would cost! I, too, dislike the lines that essentially designate a separate ship with separate restaurants, etc. for suite guests. Yes, I could choose to spend that much to be "special," but I still prefer lines where I don't have to! No, I don't work for the line and I'm not a TA. THey are just my "new favorite" cruise line. I'm not a fan of many of the newer "all inclusive" packages, primarily because most lines include an alcohol package in this and we are light drinkers. Generally, if I remove the "value" of the alcohol package from the newer "all inclusive" packages, I'd be paying more. Lines that don't give you the option, but just charge a higher fare for everyone are even worse....again, except for VV. Their fares include wifi, gratuities, basic beverages (brewed, good coffee, tea, sodas, and regular juices), virtually all food (some restaurants have a single upcharge item in addition to plenty of items with no additional charge). They even include gratuities on alcohol and spa. Bottom line, they include the costs of what I want, and what most people likely want. I even like their "bar tab" system rather than a drink package. You buy a bar tab in advance of the cruise and for every $300 you buy, they add a bonus of $50-$125 depending on current special. Alcohol prices are the same or less than other lines, and remember that the tips are already included. A $10 glass of wine will cost you $10, not $11.80 or $12 like on other lines. Your tab is good on any beverage that has a cost--smoothies, specialty coffee or tea, cold pressed juices, virgin drinks. You can share your tab with anyone you choose--a cabin mate, or whomever. If you have extra money on the last night, use your tab for a round for your "new best friends" or buy a bottle of wine to take home. I've never encountered ugly drunks on VV, likely because there is no one trying to "max out" the limits of their drink package. Very few people appear to over-indulge. They also offer solo cabins in every non-suite category, and are currently running a "no single supplement" special where a solo cruise gets a 2 person cabin for half of the two person price!

You hit the nail on the head with several of these! I agree that the buffet, cruise cabin cleaning, and loyalty programs are all overrated. I also agree that cruising is such a great value. Excellent video!

I just got off a Celebrity cruise with a group. They had magnetic “deep sleep” /do not disturb signs with 1 side white and 1 side black. We all agreed with our room Stuart that if we had our sign on the white side, we were in our room and awake (you can knock) the black side meant we were sleeping and do not disturb. And, when we took the sign off the front of the door it meant that we were not in our cabin and the Stuart could enter. We and the Stuart loved it.

I agree with the comments of the solo sailer. I am doing my first sail . And Solo is very expensive. I like doing things alone so just have to pay the premium for peace and quiet.

We have made the decision to only sail on Holland America. We enjoy their attention to detail and no self serve buffets.

I adore swimming, but the only time I really enjoyed it on a cruise was on the Caribbean Princess out of San Juan. I lived in the aft adults only pool, which was usually empty because of how deep it was, and also because it rarely got any sun (being blocked by a deck overhang above it). 😎

The biggest waste people do on a cruise is drink,get drunk,spend too much doing it and my favorite is after all that sleep till 10-12 and ruin a whole day you paid for. You can do that at home just no ship. My wife and I are ready to roll by 7am or maybe earlier for sunrise and no we are not 90 we are middle aged

Underrated - repeating voyages. You're on a ship you know, going to places you've been before and getting to experience something different. Maybe not booking an excursion and instead venturing out on your own to find your own favorite spots or adventures that the cruise line didn't offer. Repeat voyages can be a great time.

Overated: The dining with strangers. I recently went with my wife and simply didn't click with the other couple we had to share a table with. We explored different dining options 5 of the 7 nights. Underated: The ease of payment with sign and sail cards. I locked my wallet and everything else in my safe and just used my card while on the ship.

I love cruising and stayed with one cruise line, royal....so now i get 5 free drinks a day (actually 10 because my wife doesn't drink)....free laundry, free 8×10 pictures, reserved seats for shows (no waiting on line), wifi, etc etc etc....being loyal to one cruise line is the smart thing to do....certainly better that cruising on 6 different lines and getting no loyalty reward

My friend at work booked a beach front condo for his family of 4 for about $4000, Plus then he had to pay for the food they ate and pay for ALL of the activities. We figured out that a 7 day cruise with 4 ports would have cost him about $2800 for the same time frame. This way they could have gone and seen so many different places they they had only dreamed about or less money.

I actually think the dinner buffet is UNDERRATED. Relatively low crowds, you can see and choose your own food, you can pick your own seat, and some lines have the same food items there as in the MDR. But I can understand why you and others avoid it.

I hate classes on a ship. This is one of the big reasons I won’t sail with Cunard. I prefer everything is open with the opinion to pay as you go if you want an elevated dining experience. For me the biggest selling point of a cruise is consistency. I know the food and service will be excellent. I find resorts can be hit or miss especially if you use non chain resorts.

I completely agree with value. I'm booking my first cruise (through a cruise specialist travel agent, who's worth his weight in gold!). I'm significantly disabled. If I were to visit some exotic place, followed by a lovely three-course meal, then a theatrical show ... well. I just couldn't. My body would flat-out fail me. However, on a cruise: I visit the exotic place. I go to my cabin and take a much-needed rest. I dress up a bit, and go to the restaurant. Then back to the cabin to de-compress. Then a short trip to the theatre. Where else can I have excellent food, entertainment and explore a special place, all with a 'security haven', without having to travel more than half the length of a cruise ship? I can't. THAT is what cruising seems to be for me. I'll find out if I'm right by the end of the year!

I travel solo and it sucks since I have to pay as if I was traveling with another person and pay for their cruise.

I’ve cruised dozens of times and have never had to ask if I could come into our cabin. Simple. You walk in, say hi to your Steward, go about your business, and head back out. I have even told them I’m taking a shower, come on back in an hour. I tip them very well. I’m not overly demanding. I just treat it like it is my room which it is.

We embark on my 10th, hubs 9th, and our daughters' 5th cruise in 20 days! We've only done carnival, but we love it! Unbeatable value for almost inclusive travel to beautiful locations. This time, we booked 2 cabins(2 bathrooms with teen girls!) for a 7 night , for only $1170!

I refuse to dine at a buffet on land, and thus refuse to do so at sea. I find, like on land, the buffet is the lowest quality food on board ship, even on a cheap cruise. MDR minimum for me. I dislike crowds at the best of times, so avoiding the buffet, and pool for that matter, work best for me, but then I'm not also a sun seeker, so he ship pool is miss for me. Besides I can't be stuffed getting changed into swimwear, then showering and changing back to eat a meal. Edit: One underrated item I'd like to add is accessibility. Cruising offers people with disabilities, especially those with sensory or mobility issues, an option to holiday, free from hassles, that no other holidays offer. You can take a wheelchair on board a ship, for example, without needing to transfer, something if you fly, especially to multiple destinations, is a real hassle and just not worth the trouble, or booking accessible accommodation and transportation.

I completely agree about cabin stewards and have started putting the “do not disturb” out regularly to lessen disruptions. I will say HAL is now deliberately at 1 time per day and evening is optional for room refresh. Good move! Buffet…..ughhh, I like service! I don’t find buffets relaxing or enjoyable. Now that ships are back to capacity….I run away from the buffet! Also, watch Bev packages,,,if you don’t drink heavily you can be pleasantly surprised at what you end up spending without that package! Cruising is a great bang for the buck!

I am a first time cruiser. I'm set to go to the Western Caribbean in March. What I experienced so far as the most overrated thing, balcony cabins. I reserved a solo cabinbecause I like the idea of being in the middle of the ship in the middle of the deck. It's to be the most stable and the most quiet. I like the private key card access, the solo lounge and the concierge. People have been trying to sell me on getting a balcony. But for me it's a waste of money and wasted space. I will plan to be in my only for the 4 "S." So paying for a space that will be utilize perhaps a quarter of the time is simply crazy to me. If I ever travel with people other than myself, I may consider it. I highly doubt it since I love traveling alone. But people need to quit romanticizing balcony rooms. I rather have the peace and quiet over the view of water the solo cabins can offer.

Totally agree about the value of cruise compared to land cruises. We always book inside cabins to help on the costs. We never stay in our room other than to sleep and shower. You made another good point regarding cruise lines like NCL blocking off parts of the ship for exclusive suites passengers. For old time cruisers like us, it is a bit off-putting.

Overrated = some of the entertainment Underrated = some of the specialty restaurants we've been to. We like the buffet but it may be because a lot of times we don't want a big meal and just a salad or a soup with a roll is plenty.

I just got off Carnival Splendor out of Sydney. The pools were shoulder to shoulder with kids. The cruise director said the pool will be mostly urine by the end of the cruise

The water slides, in my opinion, are way overrated. I wouldn’t mind a more gentle slide that is not a tube, but what they put on the ships now, I can’t make myself go on. I also am not enthusiastic about all the alcohol on board. I feel it just invites too many problems when people get overly drunk. It would be ok if there were limits and/or people drank responsibly. For me, I think the complimentary dining is way underrated. There are always great food included in the fare, I don’t need to pay a ton more for speciality restaurants.

The thing that bugs me is people putting their towels on pool chairs and be gone half the day, maybe saving that seat all day for a night time movie.

As someone that watches what they eat, it is nice to just enjoy some mindless buffet food on vacation. it is partly why I like cruises, the food mostly included.

Just put the sign on your door if you don't want the steward bothering you.

The zip line onboard the ship. It takes longer to get in and out of the harness than the actual zip line experience. Close second…flowrider.

If things line up right with the cabin steward… it is magical to have a fresh room all the time. I will admit if things don’t it can’t drag, but still a believer in twice daily cleaning.

I still think the buffet is a great benefit.

I totally agree about the buffet. I have trouble enjoying the food for worrying about everyone touching the same tongs. We do, however, enjoy the line dancing. We are cruising with kids in 2 weeks and have been practicing the line dancing. The kids cannot wait!!

That’s why I love MSC, I’ve only ever been on 2 cruises and with their status match they also match for hotel status. I’m already at Gold. I will get a free drink, 1 hour pass to the spa, a free gift left in my cabin, free photograph print and a birthday cake in my cabin on embarkation day. There are other perks too such as discounts and priority stuff but those are the main tangible free things. Not bad considering I’ve only spent a total of 19 days at sea!

Most cruise lines have kids camps, pools and arcade type fun but entertainment for families to attend together that doesn’t revolve around bumper cars or ropes courses are not widely available.

I think veteran cruisers can forget that the buffet is a HUGE novelty for many new or infrequent cruisers. There really aren't many places like it outside of Vegas. I'm taking 2 of my kids on their first cruise this summer and the buffet is probably the thing they are most excited for about the whole trip other than Perfect Day at Coco Cay. They are both picky eaters, too, and will only eat a small fraction of what is served at a massive buffet. But they've just never experienced a dining scenario anything like that, and it it's exciting to them that they can run in and grab delicious snacks (not just deserts) throughput the day, and combine some of their favorite foods into the same meal, and nobody will tell them it's too expensive. A lot of adults are the same way.

Twice daily service is a thing of the past. You'd be lucky to find cruise lines that still have it, unless they're luxury lines. Sail away from the initial cruise port is fun, but not every port! Small pools or really large hot tubs???? Loyalty programs are for those who found a favorite cruise line and sail that line only. I like transition cruises. Cheaper prices, longer times on board, good ports of call. Yeah, weather can be iffy, but still worth it. Definitely under-rated cruise.

Hi. I disagree on the loyalty program. DH (47) and I (45) have been cruising off and on for years. We have cruised on CCL, X, NCL, and Royal. We never chased the status, it did happen organically over 18 years. We are now Diamond Plus on Royal and love the perks. They do enhance the sailings we take and having a bill that is under $100 for each sailing really is nice. The drinks and specialty coffee are wonderful and staff to recognize that you have sailed in the past. It makes it special.

Yeah but think about it. they clean so much to keep up with the rooms because they have such a short time to clean it after everyone disembarks before the new guests arrive. I'm grateful.

I think the enormous tv screens on the Lido Deck are hugely overrated… mostly, the screens have lots of broken pixels ( bird strikes?) they are always way too loud and half the time it’s just a gigantic advertorial that you can’t turn off🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Overrated: Pro Pictures( I mean we still do them because they look great and it's memories but at about $20 an 8x10 it a bit high. Overrated: Bingo it's $40 on average a session Underrated: Sea Day Brunch

You are correct about the class system. They are definitely on the way to reinstituting that! Right down to the best muster stations!

We have never eaten in the buffet for 27 cruises.

I loved my Alaska cruise. But by far the most overrated aspect of it was the whale watching excursion. It was like $90, saw a few tails above the water from 75 yards away and that was it. Colossal waste of time and money

No pools for me. Yuck. Not real crazy about all the hoorah on the Lido. Just give me my balcony or the Casino. Im happy. Cruise on!!

Carnival, once a day cabin service, love it. Carnival always has different items on the buffet most days and I enjoy it for bfast and lunch, love it. Love the dancing at sail away, but not me in it. Love to watch people. Benefits are nice with status. Free drinks, free laundry, etc. Love it! Cruselines don't love me. I book the 7 day cruises for $50 max $100 not more. I don't drink much and rarely do excursions.

Agree with most of your issues but still love cruising; it's the ultimate escape. I find it offers more entertainment than any other venue!!

Agree that cruising can be an incredible bargain if you're careful & do your research first.

I felt the same way you did about buffets UNTIL we sailed on the Celebrity Eclipse this September on our Alaska cruise. Every evening the buffet offered foods from a different country along with other foods. Everything was fresh and not anything like what I seen on other cruises. As a Sous Chef I can say.. Celebrity is far better. As a fellow germaphobe.. I so get your dislike for crowded pools. And I did notice on Celebrity the seem to change out the utensils on a regular basis and wipe them down a lot . ✌🏻

I think the specialty dining is overrated. You pay for a cruise where the meals are covered…and then pay MORE to dine in a specialty restaurant? As my wife says, what was the point? We’re not cruising to pay more for food. We’d rather just fly to our destination and pay for dining if that’s the case.

Omg I hope they do the conga line on my cruise lol I was just thinking today about how I’ve never got to do it! I’m sailing carnival next year (first time) so I think the chances are high 😋

Agreed about the constant cabin service; once a day would be perfectly fine. I WISH the pools were bigger; we couldn't even get in them on our last cruise because they were so full of people. What I personally think is overrated are the suites. Why go on a cruise if you're going to spend a bunch of time in your room, and why spend so much on your room if you're not spending a ton of time in there? Once you have a balcony, I don't see any sense in going bigger. It doesn't make sense to me.

I think the loyalty programs need to change to a whole cruise company group. I.e all the brands Carnival cruise owns. It'll give passengers more variety of different types of cruises, while keeping within that company.

I slightly disagree with one point - classes on cruising. I'm not made of money but like the idea of paying a little more to be separated somewhat from the partying and rowdy crowds. Just the number of fights on ships recently has made this something I've thought about. I just spent extra for the Havana area for example. The pool isn't as crowded, the bar is easier to get to and quicker to get a drink from.

Love the cabin service!!! 🤷🏻‍♀️

Great video. I agree with everything you mentioned. Look forward to more of your videos.

Underrated: adult only areas. Overrated: go carts, massive waste of space.

I'm a watcher of those dance parties. more fun for me. When it comes to swimming, I keep it to actual beaches. on Mardi Gras, I might try the new serenity pool area.

Elevators are such a pain, but it all comes with the experience!

I just wanna chill by the pool and eat and drink whatever I want

My favorite parts about the buffet, at least on most ships, is omelette bar in the morning and cookies in the afternoon.

We've done 15 cruises. Never once used the pools. Way too crowded and unhygenic. Admittedly a few cruises were in the far northern European area, way too cold, but we've done a fair few warm weather cruises too. But then I rarely use the pool in the backyard at home either. Unfortunately it came with the house we wanted and as it is blasted out of bedrock, it's almost impossible and incredibly expensive to remove. We would if we could. It's just an expensive, time wasting water feature atm. Perhaps the grandchildren will use it when they are old enough.

I received platinum level on NCL (75 days) one free laundry, priority boarding, and two free upcharge meals.

Overrated: gee wiz features with low ride capacity or extra cost. This would include things like the go karts on ncl or the north star on royal Caribbean. Underrated: variety of entertainment on a ship.

Great vlog 😮

At least cruise ship pools don’t have “swim up bars”. I never understood the idea of those. Spilled drinks or barf in the water is what I think of when I see a swim up bar.

I agree about cabin stewards always in my room when I need to change or nap

My last cruise, Carnival Radiance in September, the stateroom steward only cleaned the room once a day; if you needed clean towels or needed a problem fixed you had to call housekeeping and request additional cabin service. One point I will add is underrated is the number of places in the world you can see on a cruise. While Alaska is less popular than the Caribbean to most Americans; it is just the start I learned on my first cruise. Cruises go to many parts of Europe, Japan and Southeast Asia, New Zealand and Australia. There are even cruises which take you around the world.

Guys, if you can- go on a cruise to Alaska. I loved it so much and so did the people I was with.

I swim when they open the pool.first hour of day it's not crowded

So true! I’m always thinking, when is the best time to have Cabin Stewart clean rooms? Thanks for sharing

Seriously, I’m not staying “loyal “ for a free bag of laundry- which, by the way, I don’t understand why people get so excited about it- I mean, underwear takes no room in your suitcase so pack a few extra pairs.

Can someone help with my question. If you have a shore excursion planned let's say at Nassau bahamas at blue lagoon island it's a 5 hour excursion when my excursion is over am I allowed to stay at the island until the last ferry leaves the island to head back to the ship. Please let me know if that makes sense. I would like to know how to plann.

Part 2 sounds better 😅I was beginning to wonder why you cruise 😊

I expected to disagree with your list . Nope . The only one that I partially disagree with is your cafeteria take only because in most ships also on the lido deck are pizza , burger, taco, ice-cream etc. etc. spots . They aren't usually attached to the buffet but greatly enlarge the options available . Between them , I don't get bored with the lunch options .

Coastal Kitchen is most definitely overrated, imo. The fancy locked doors that require a suite card is the best part about it's exclusivity. once inside, it's just a room with so-so "snack" foods.

hello Thank you for a detailed video

Drinks packages and WiFi are overated. You have to have 5 drinks a day for the drinks package. Starlink is a faster WiFi but most Cruise Ship.Wifi is slow and unreliable.

What is the best ship for Alaskan cruise and combination with train?? Thx 🙏

Carnival stopped doing twice daily cleaning. Not sure when this guy cruised last. Since COVID, many cruise lines changed to just once a day. I also don’t know who goes on cruises for conga lines.

I also loath the ‘conga line’. Reminds me of Club Med in the 90’s

The drink package is overated, I can never drink the amt of drinks to cover the cost. If you do have all those drinks you will loose a day recovering.

Sorry but I feel you’re comparing apples to oranges when talking about the conga line dancing. I can’t sing and am very shy so I won’t get up on a stage but conga dancing is pretty anonymous compared to the other two activities. In conga line dancing, you’re part of a crowd. No one notices a single person in a conga line.

The perks for earning points for travel can be very generous depending on the line. Special adult areas are underrated. The pools are overrated because of crowding and sanitation concerns.

i see myself line dancing in this video lol!

We’ve done Alaska three times, 2 on cruises, one on a cruise line railroad. We are currently looking at a third cruise. Miss those biews

Wife and I like river criusers. But large vessels are just not for us at all

I couldn't agree more about the loyalty programs, by and large, they're complete jokes, unless as you said you have the very highest tier.

I would love the pool just not with all the people in it and some shade cloth would not go astray 😊

I’m with you Congo and , I don’t do sail away party I don’t do pool , I agree with all you said

Those human soup pools gross me out. And I've swapped spit with half the planet. But it's just too many people in my space at once

What cruise line cleans twice a day ?

We loved our two Celebrity cruises.

ridiculously overrated and no doubt underused: go cart tracks on ncl ships!! gotta be something much better that space can be used for!!

I totally agree that the buffet and public pools are really overrated. I feel that way about buffets and public pools in general. The cruise line benefit programs are terrible compared to hotels and airlines. They’re definitely not good enough to make me go after loyalty.

Our first cruise was to Alaska and we loved it!