Essential Cruise Tips

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tip. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and subscribe free to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and TuneIn Radio

Who is who on board: Part TwoThere are many hundreds of crew on board responsible for creating your cruise experience. Some you come across every day and others you may never see as they drive operations behind the scenes. Two of the most important ones on every ship are:Executive ChefThe Executive Chef oversees planning and preparation of food for passengers and crew in all of the restaurants, including the speciality ones. They manage a large team of chefs and kitchen staff preparing up to 20,000 meals a day on large ships. You are likely to see them in the various restaurants and events around the ship. They will often host tours of the kitchens which I recommend you attend if they are run to get an insight into the scale and logistics of providing meals at sea.Cruise DirectorThe Cruise Director, sometimes known as the Entertainment Director, is responsible for the successful delivery of all forms of entertainment around the ship. They plan the daily program of activities, and their team run the events. They are able to provide lots of tips and advice on how to get the most of your time at sea and on land.Listen to other episodes for more insights on who is who on boardcruise, cruising, tip, tips, advice,

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tip. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and subscribe free to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and TuneIn Radiocruise, cruising, tip, tips, advice,Who is who on board: Part OneThere are many hundreds of crew on board responsible for creating your cruise experience. Some you come across every day and others you may never see as they drive operations behind the scenes. Two of the most senior ones on every ship are:CaptainThe Captain is responsible for navigation, safety and ultimately for all on-board operations. You should see him or her around the ship frequently and hosting cocktail parties, but are unlikely to be invited onto the bridge or to dine with them. Security changes means few get onto the bridge and only important guests, like celebrities and frequent travellers get invited to either. You will have to satisfy yourself with a photograph taken with them at one of the events.Hotel ManagerThey are responsible for all passenger-facing activities including food and drink, housekeeping, shops, excursions and the casino. You are also unlikely to interact with them other than at cocktail parties but they are the most senior person to speak to if you have a major issue with one of these areas that the department head cannot resolve to your satisfaction. Listen to other episodes for more insights on who is who on board

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tip. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and subscribe free to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and TuneIn Radio

Should you use a cruise agent?Booking a cruise is not the time to be your own travel agent. Anyone new to cruising should use a cruise-specialist agent. They help find the best cruise line to meet your tastes and choose the right cabin from among the different grades and types.

You often get better deals using an agent than going direct as they may offer extra discounts or benefits, like on-board credit. Cruise lines are different and many first-time cruisers do not enjoy their first trip by choosing the wrong cruise line.

For example if you like dressing up, then Cunard has more formal nights and is strict about people sticking to dress codes, even informal nights requires men to wear jackets. If you dislike having children around you then P&O offers some adult-only ships. Carnival is informal and fun focused with lots of activities on deck and so ideal for people that like a party. Agents have the knowledge to navigate you through all the choices.

Cruise fares are complex and ships have dozens of cabin grades and permutations. You need an agent to help you through these to ensure you get what you need. cruise, cruising, tip, tips, advice,

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tip. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and subscribe free to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and TuneIn Radio

Theme cruisesA theme cruise focuses on a specific topic or event and the itinerary, entertainment and on-board activities are centred around it. You are likely to find a themed cruise for almost any topic you are interested in. Themecruisefinder.com usually has at least 500 different options listed at any one time. The three main categories are:

• Private: Clubs, associations and organisations make a block booking on an existing cruise and sell it to their fans, followers or members via a dedicated travel agent. The organisers provide special meet-ups, activities, excursions and entertainment which are closed to other guests on the cruise.
• Charter: Promoters charter the entire ship from the cruise line and everyone on board is there take part. These tend to be cruises targeted at specific lifestyles, like gay and lesbian travellers, business conferences, gaming tournaments and music or religious ones.
• Cruise Line: They dedicate some cruises around themes to attract passengers, especially at slower times of the year and on longer or harder to sell cruises. These often focus on culinary topics, sports like golf, television show tie-ins, anniversaries of major historic events or around a major guest star or speaker.

cruise, cruising, tip, tips, advice,

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tip. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and subscribe free to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and TuneIn Radio

Getting Best Fare: TimingI have many tips for getting the best fare. Here is some more of them:Avoid maiden seasons of new shipsNew ships joining a cruise line fleet receive significant media coverage and are highly sought after, with guests wanting to experience the latest offering and fares are at a premium. During maiden seasons you should find lower and discounted fares on their older ships.Consider less popular or very competitive routesThere are some cruises that the lines find harder to sell and you may find attractive fares on these like:

• Repositioning cruises. At the start and end of the Mediterranean summer season most lines move the ships to areas like the Caribbean and South America. As there is at least seven sea days they have limited appeal. You can get a week cruising either the Mediterranean or Caribbean and an Atlantic crossing at low fares.
• Start and end of the season, especially out of school holidays. While you risk having mixed weather, prices will be lowest during these periods.
• Crossings at start and end of world cruises. These are better suited to people who can cope with rough seas as they usually travel the North Atlantic in the winter months.
• Competitive routes like the Caribbean out of Florida ports and Mediterranean out of Barcelona and Civitavecchia (Rome) will often have good deals as there is lots of capacity and competition.

Listen for more tips on finding good cruise fares in other episodes.cruise, cruising, tip, tips, advice,

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tip. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and subscribe free to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and TuneIn Radio

Getting Best Fare: Be FlexibleI have many tips for getting the best fare. Here is another of them:The more flexible you are, the lower your fare is likely to be. If you are set on going on a specific cruise on a specific date in a specific stateroom, you will probably pay the highest fare as you will need to book it early to guarantee it. If you are completely flexible on where you go, when you go and what stateroom grade or number you go in, you will get the best fare - as you can book late and find the best deal. Most travellers are likely to fall between these two extremes and so I recommend:Booking a guaranteed grade rather than a specific level or stateroom. Cruise lines will usually offer a fare for each grade on their ships (inside, ocean view, balcony or suite) and charge a premium to book a specific cabin within each of these. Book the grade only and let them allocate the cabin. Accept an auto-upgrade option if it is offered. You may find yourself elevated into the next grade.Ask your agent if they can offer added benefits by booking with them versus going direct like on-board credit, complimentary port parking or transfers.Listen for more tips on finding good cruise fares in other episodes.cruise, cruising, tip, tips, advice,

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tip. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and subscribe free to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and TuneIn Radio

Getting Best Fare: eMail NewslettersI have many tips for getting the best fare based on my experiences and from what other passengers and agents have shared with me. Here is one of themSign up for the cruise line and cruise agent emailsThis is the best way to keep up to date on when new itineraries are launched as well as the latest deals and promotions. Most lines, and agents that sell cruises, send regular emails promoting future cruises, deals to sell off excess capacity and slower selling itineraries. Visit websites of lines that appeal to you and join their mailing lists. You should also browse the latest offers which will be displayed on their home page or via links while there.The best deals will usually be for cruises departing within 90 days. This is the deadline for travellers with existing bookings to pay the final balance of their fare. The line then knows with greater certainty the capacity they still need to sell. Most want to sail with full ships as they make significant income from on-board expenditure and offer deep discounts, upgrades or on-board credit to fill the remaining cabins. Listen for more tips on finding good cruise fares in other episodes.

Carry-on luggageGary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tip. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and subscribe free to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and TuneIn Radio

When heading off on a cruise you should assume your suitcase will be delivered to your cabin after the ship has departed, and so I always recommend to cruisers that they should pack the following into a carry-on bag rather than suitcases they hand in at check-in.

• Your cruise tickets, most lines require you to check-in online and print off an eTicket.
• Identity documents including passport and another photo ID, such as a driver’s license.
• Credit card, or cash to cover on-board spend. You have to provide this when checking in. Some cruise lines do not take debit cards, so check in advance.
• Valuables including electronic goods like cameras, tablets, smartphones and laptops and jewellery and watches.
• Important documents like travel insurance documents, emergency contact numbers and copies of visas and vaccination certificates.
• Things you may need before your bags arrive in your cabin, like swimwear if you want to swim or use the hot tub before the ship departs.Prescription medication.

A simple test is to think about what you would least like to go astray and what you want to do on the ship before your regular suitcase to arrives.

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tip. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and subscribe free to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and TuneIn Radio

Things to leave at home when cruisingMost lines allow you to take unlimited luggage but many cruisers are limited by baggage restrictions of the airline they are flying with to get to the ship and want to avoid cluttering up their cabins with too many clothes, items and suitcases.So leave behind items the cruise line are likely provide like:

• Beach towels. These will be provided in your cabin or can be collected by the pool.
• Hair Dryer.
• Shampoo and body wash. Depending on the line you will either be provided these in dispensers or individual bottles of brand-name products.
• Bathrobe. Some lines only provide these in their premium suites.

You must leave the following at home:

• Alcoholic beverages. Most cruise lines do not allow passengers to bring it on board and will hold it until the end of the trip. Check if there is any flexibility with the line.
• Candles, Incense, flammable liquids and fireworks. No open flames are allowed in cabins.
• Coffee Makers, Clothes Irons & Hot Plates.
• Illegal drugs, firearms and weapons. Some countries, including United Arab Emirates, have restrictions on some prescription and over-the-counter drugs like codeine so check on their government websites

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tip. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and subscribe free to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio and TuneIn Radio

Another 6 Money Saving TipsI am always asked how cruisers can save money on board. You can be sure that the line will be working hard to get you to spend money and you need to budget and ensure you monitor and track your spending.The following are another six tips on savings to help you stay within budget:

1. Do not sign up for premium events like art classes, wine tastings, cocktail making and flower arranging. They can be costly!
2. Take your own photographs while boarding and on formal nights rather than buying the costly cruise line ones.
3. Do not buy the special cocktails and champagne on offer at sail- away parties as these are usually at a premium.
4. Avoid using the Internet on board and rely on free Wi-Fi in ports. Ask the crew or follow where they go, as they will know where the closest free ones are.
5. Try not to use your mobile phone on board and disable data roaming to avoid receiving a significant bill on return home.
6. Use the complimentary laundry rooms. You may need to bring or buy washing powder to use in them.

Get more of my money saving tips in other episodes