Essential Cruise Tips

In this epsiode of Essential Cruise Tips Gary Bembridge, travel author and expert, answers a question often asked: is a cabin on the port (left) or starboard (right) side better and why....

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In this episode of Essential Cruise Tips Gary Bembridge, cruise author and expert, share six activities that are no longer allowed on cruise ships.

These were covered in an article on CruiseFever.net and include:

1. Messages in a bottle.
2. Streamers at sailaway.
3. Hitting golf balls into the ocean.
4. Smoking in the dining rooms and staterooms.
5. Visits from friends and family on embarkation day.
6. Skeet shooting.

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In this episode Gary Bembridge, cruise expert and author, shares another Essential Cruise Tip.

Four First-Time Cruise Tips

I was asked by "Cruise International Magazine" to provide 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 deciding which line to travel with. Most key itineraries are covered by multiple cruise lines but they offer very different on-board experiences. If you want a party atmosphere you don't want to find yourself on a line focused on traditional and quiet enrichment programs. If you want to avoid children you don't want to be on a line that caters mostly for families.

(2) Use a cruise agent. Booking a cruise is complex. You need to select the right line, the most suitable cabin and understand what is included and excluded in your fare. There are many permutations and so work with a cruise travel agent. They will also know the latest and most appropriate promotions and offers for your needs.

(3) Check the deck plans when selecting a cabin. Review the layout of the ship you have selected using the brochure or online deck plans. Look what will be above and below you to make sure you have a quiet and calm vacation. Avoid those with public rooms, lido restaurants and decks above or below - and stay away from likely noisy areas like laundry rooms.

(4) When budgeting work on the total cost from leaving home to returning. There can be many extra and hidden costs on a cruise vacation. Understand in detail what the fare covers. The key additional costs are usually excursions (which can cost up to £50 to £100 per person), gratuities (which may be added automatically), Wi-Fi, drinks, and specialty dining. Make sure you have taken into account transfers to and from the ship and good travel insurance that includes cruise cover.

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In this episode Gary Bembridge, cruise expert and author, shares another Essential Cruise Tip.

How to become a cruise on-board guest speaker

It is not easy and it is not a dream job as you will find most speakers have to pay a fee for each day they are on board to the agency that finds them assignment, cover their own travel to the ship and costs whilst on the ship like gratuities and drinks. They will, however, be given accommodation, food and be able to bring a guest with them. In return they usually have to give one talk per sea day at most.

There are three main types of guest speakers: destination experts, enrichment experts (talking about a topic like history, crime etc) and workshop hosts (e.g. bridge or painting).

Most assignments are obtained through agents that specialise in finding speakers for the cruise lines and include:

• CruiseShipSpeakers.com http://cruiseshipspeakers.com
• CruiseShipSpeakers.net http://cruiseshipspeakers.net
• CompassSpeakers.com http://www.compassspeakers.com
• SixthStar.com http://www.sixthstar.com

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In episode 101 of 60-Second Cruise Tips, cruise expert and author Gary Bembridge shares another cruising tip.

This one he talks about the nine tips that an article by CruiseFever.net suggested you use to get a cabin upgrade on a cruise.

The tips are:

1. Choose the slow season for better chances of an upgrade.
2. Book through a travel agent.
3. Get a more expensive cabin in the first place.
4. Hope for the chain reaction effect.
5. Mention your special occasion for cruising.
6. Wait until the second day of the cruise before asking.
7. Choose your ship wisely.
8. Go cruising more often on same line.
9. Go for the TBA (To be Assigned) booking.

Find out more and to review the original article visit http://cruisefever.net/how-to-get-cabin-upgrades-on-a-cruise-ship/

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In episode 100 of 60-Second Cruise Tips, cruise expert and author Gary Bembridge shares another cruising tip.

This one is for a new and different cruise excursion option called resortforaday.com

Their sell day passes to beach resorts across many of the main Caribbean ports including Jamaica, Cozumel, Bermuda, Cabo San Lucas, Curacao, Spain, St. Thomas, Nassau, Freeport, St. Maarten, Grand Cayman, Barbados, Roatan, San Juan & Tobago.

The passes must be booked before you head off on your cruise as they are not sold on board or on arrival. You can cancel up to 11 days before your departure and will get a full refund if the ship does not call at the destination.

Find out more and review their FAQs at resortforaday.com. They have a Live Chat customer service online to also answer queries.

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In another episode of 60-Second Cruise Tips, cruise expert and author Gary Bembridge shares another cruising tip. This episode is: Avoiding Group Cruises I have had travellers contact me saying they have been on a cruise and found that there has been a large group or themed event taking place that swamped the ship, affected their access to amenities and changed the atmosphere of the ship. Leading to a less enjoyable trip. Cruise lines are not obliged, nor inclined, to let people know that a large group has taken out a booking on their ships. With themed cruises and interest groups arranging cruise-based events, there is a growing risk that you could be affected. So how can you check if a large motorbike enthusiast event or other activity is going to be taking place on your cruise? There are three things you can do:

1. Use the site http://themecruisefinder.com, as it has the largest database of forthcoming events, from small to large and is the best resource. Check on here for your planned cruise. To make it easy I suggest simply typing into Google "http://themecruisefinder.com and name of ship". That should show up any pages covering the event.
2. Search for the dates of the cruise and the cruise ship name in Google and see if that throws up anything other than the regular cruise.
3. Ask your cruise agent and get them to check with their contacts. With the rapid growth in themed cruise events I recommend checking always!

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In another episode of 60-Second Cruise Tips, Gary Bembridge, author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook", "Essential Cruise Tips" and "River Cruising Essential Tips and Tricks" shares another cruise tip. This time it is: Seasickness Seasickness is unpleasant and cruise lines do everything they can to reduce the probability of you suffering from it. Steps they take include scheduling and sailing itineraries that minimise the chance of encountering rough seas, using ships equipped with stabilisers to help keep the ship steady in rough seas and swells and taking advantage of modern radar systems to avoid poor weather. If you are concerned or prone to seasickness there are a number of steps you can take such as traveling in a cabin in the middle of the ship and low down as movement is least here and take over-the-counter motion sickness pills like dimenhydrinate (marketed as Dramamine, Gravol, etc.) in North America and cinnarazine (marketed as Stugeron or Stunarone) in Europe. You must buy them before you go. They may make you drowsy for a few hours, but resolve the problem. If you do not want to use medication here are some other tips:

• Try the pressure pads behind the ears or wrist bands. Both are available at drugstores and pharmacies.
• Eat ginger.
• Look at the horizon and get fresh air.
• Go on a river cruise as you will not suffer from motion sickness.
• If none of the above work, visit the medical centre as they will offer an injection which will make you sleep usually but will solve the problem fast. Do not let the fear of sickness put you off a cruise!

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In another episode of 60-Second Cruise Tips, Gary Bembridge, author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook", "Essential Cruise Tips" and "River Cruising Essential Tips and Tricks" shares another cruise tip. This time it is: Independent Provider Excursions If you only consider the shore excursions sold by your cruise line you may be missing out on saving money and discovering exciting alternatives by using independent providers. There are a number of large companies, including ShoreTrips.com and Viator.com, that offer comprehensive programs alongside those for sale on board. You need to make the final choice on which is right for you. The following are some reasons for booking an excursion with an independent provider:

• They have tours that may not be available through the cruise line, especially when addressing special interest, hobby and sport excursions.
• They often provide day passes to local resorts where you can use all the swimming, water sports and land-based sport facilities.
• When they have similar tours for less money.
• Tours often have less people on each tour than the cruise line equivalent.
• When the cruise line one is sold out, or you are wait listed.
• Ability to read detailed reviews and photographs from previous travellers that have done them. Cruise lines tend not to have any, or many, of these available.
• Most guarantee to get you back to the ship in time for departure, or they will fund and get you to the next stop to pick up the ship. I do, though, recommend booking excursions with third parties that provide morning departures, are due back well before your ship departs and confirm the guarantee in writing.
• Most will meet and depart from ship side, as the cruise line tours do too.

In my experience, most passengers book cruise line tours as it is the simple and easy option. However, always take a look at what independent providers are offering in your ports as you may find something that is more adventurous, unique and cheaper too. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher Radio

In another episode of 60-Second Cruise Tips, Gary Bembridge, author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook", "Essential Cruise Tips" and "River Cruising Essential Tips and Tricks" shares another cruise tip. This time it is:

Cruise line Excursions If you only consider the shore excursions sold by your cruise line you may be missing out on saving money and discovering exciting alternatives by using independent providers. There are a number of large companies, including ShoreTrips.com and Viator.com, that offer comprehensive programs alongside those for sale on board. You need to make the final choice on which is right for you. The following are some reasons for going with cruise line excursions:

* They have run the tours many times and know passengers like you enjoy them. * They have validated and verified the quality and reliability of the operator and guides. * It is convenient and easy to book online through the cruise line's site before the voyage or on board. * You can apply any on-board credits you have against the cost. * A crew member escorts the tour, in addition to the guide, for added security and reassurance in the event of issues. * The ship guarantees to wait for your return even if it is delayed or late getting back to the ship.

In my experience, most passengers book cruise line tours as it is the simple and easy option. However, always take a look at what independent providers are offering in your ports as you may find something that is more adventurous, unique and cheaper too. Listen to the next episode to find out more.

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