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 http://www.tipsfortravellers.com/cruise-travelers-handbook Subscribe free to the podcast on iTunes and Stitcher Radio

Disembarkation off a cruise ship at the end of your cruise can be a long and frustrating experience, especially if you are travelling on a large ship carrying several thousand other passengers. Unless you are cruising in a premium suite or have high status in the cruise line frequent traveller program, you could find yourself sitting about in public rooms for many hours after 8am, when you have to vacate your cabin, waiting for your turn to disembark. Many cruise lines offer a self-disembarkation option where you carry all your luggage off the ship yourself and can get off the ship first. You can be off the ship within half an hour to an hour after docking and being cleared by the local authorities using this option. I like this as it means less time hanging about, a chance to miss the crowds and ability to catch earlier transfers and flights home. When packing plan to take clothes and suitcases that you can comfortably carry. For example use four-wheel cases and hand luggage you carry on your back, like a rucksack, as there could be lot of walking through the ship and port terminal.

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tip. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and http://www.tipsfortravellers.com/cruise-travelers-handbook

Subscribe free to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

Passengers with mobility issues wanting to do a river cruise should discuss their needs and limitations with the line before booking to see if it is suitable for them. It is not as obvious a choice as it may seem. Some key factors to consider include: Wheelchair access can be problematic on river ships. They are restricted in length, height and width to pass under bridges and through locks and so the cabins and bathrooms are compact. Ships usually do not have specific wheelchair accessible rooms and bathrooms. In port passengers need to navigate ramps on and off the ships, which can be steep and narrow. Ships will also often dock side by side and require crossing through or over other ships to reach land adding to the difficulty of getting around. Towns along the rivers are historic and tours involve walking on cobblestoned streets and hills. You need to be able to comfortably explore towns this way. Cruise lines like Uniworld include "gentle walking options" for less mobile passengers and transportation to the entrances of less accessible sites where possible but what you can explore can be limited.

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tip. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and http://www.tipsfortravellers.com/cruise-travelers-handbook

A common thing to do when cruising is to go through the excursion list and book one for each port stop. However, staying on board while in some ports is a much underused option by most cruisers. The ship is usually empty and quiet when in port as most passengers will get off for some or all of the day on an excursion or to self explore. A lot of the crew will also get off to go shopping, find free Wi-Fi and to have a break from their confined living space on-board. It means the pools, spas and other activities are less crowded and busy. The cruise line will run special offers and promotions for services on port days for this reason, making it cheaper and easier to get a reservation than on sea days when there is more demand. You are unlikely to want to stay on board every port as you miss seeing new places, but if you have a hectic port every day cruise I recommend building in some days to stay on board to take advantage of all the ship has to offer.

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tip. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and http://www.tipsfortravellers.com/cruise-travelers-handbook

One of the risks with the daily port-to-port schedule on most cruises, especially in the Caribbean, is that the stops can start to blur into each other. So while you get an overall Caribbean experience of glorious weather and beaches, you do not get to appreciate each island beyond getting a taste for what could be on offer. So approach every cruise with this in mind. I recommend using your cruise as a "sampler platter" where you go to destinations with a view to finding those you want to return to for longer land-based trips. In each port choose an excursion that you think will give you the best feel for the experience that you would enjoy on a longer trip. So if you like beaches then do them, if you like hiking then do one, if you like activity sports then do some, if you like history do those excursions. A cruise can provide an excellent way to help chose the perfect place to visit at a later stage as it provides a side-by-side comparison in a short space of time.

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tip. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and http://www.tipsfortravellers.com/cruise-travelers-handbook

Mass-market cruise lines now usually only provide non-branded shower gel and shampoo in large refillable pump dispensers in your stateroom bathroom. This is instead of smaller individual bottles of branded products you may be more familiar with if you have been cruising before or stayed in land-based hotels. Many lines will not even provide individual bars of soap. Therefore, you should consider bringing your own preferred brands of personal cleansing products when heading off on a cruise. While luxury cruise lines still provide premium branded toiletries, and often give you a choice between two different brands, the trend towards bulk product dispensers of everyday toiletry products is growing across the cruise industry. This appears to be an example of how cruise lines are finding ways to reduce costs without completely withdrawing products like these. You will still find prestigious brands like Bulagri on Silversea, L'Occitane on Uniworld River Cruises and Penhaligan of London on Cunard ships. However, if you are cruising with mass-market lines like Carnival, Costa and MSC Cruises then remember you will only be receiving pump-dispenser bulk toiletries and decide if you want to bring your own instead.

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tips. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and http://www.tipsfortravellers.com/cruise-travelers-handbook

Seabourn is a small ship cruise line that is part of the Carnival Cruise Organization. It promises passengers an intimate and luxurious alternative to the large ships used by their other brands like Carnival, Princess and Costa. Seabourn calls itself the "World's Best Small Ship Cruise Line" regularly winning industry accolades, including prestigious Conde Nast Magazine Awards. Travellers who enjoy staying in boutique and Five-Star Hotels should enjoy it, as they offer similar experiences and service. The small ship size means they visit destinations that large cruise ships cannot. Like, cruising up the Thames into Central London and docking at small towns on the Greek Islands. Passengers tend to be couples over 45, although honeymooners looking for that special vacation will be found on board. They do not have extensive child facilities, although in vacation times they bring resources on-board to entertain children. It is a good choice for solo travellers both due to size, which makes it easier to meet and engage with people, and they make a point of welcoming them. For example, Senior Crew host tables in the dining room to ensure they will have people to eat with.

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tips. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and http://www.tipsfortravellers.com/cruise-travelers-handbook

Swan Hellenic is a UK based cruise line who promises "small ship cruising, with country house style" for "people with a mind to travel". What does that mean? Their flagship is the "Minerva" that holds a maximum of 350 passengers. Its itineraries and on-board program is focused on arts, cultural, history, architecture and current affairs. It visits unusual destinations, has more unique ports than mainstream cruise lines operating larger ships and its daily program is heavily slanted towards educational programs and cultural activities. Swan Hellenic has been offering cruises for over 60 years. It was launched in 1954 in a period of post war austerity. It was revolutionary at the time as it was offering an all-inclusive cruise, on-board speakers and cultural itineraries. These principles remain today, although it has evolved to meet the changing expectations of passengers. For example, they responded to passenger needs and added balcony cabins, more extensive internet access and created more open public spaces. Swan Hellenic is part of the All Leisure Group, which is a collection of cruise lines that also includes Hebridean Island Cruises and Voyage of Discovery.

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tips. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and http://www.tipsfortravellers.com/cruise-travelers-handbook

With the growth in cruising destinations are likely to have multiple ships in port at the same time as yours. As the towns, attractions and sights can get crowded when multiple cruise lines are visiting, planning your time on land in advance is important. The website I use to help plan my port activities is called CruiseTimetables.com. The site has details of which ships will be in port each day. You input the port and date and it shows the ships and maximum passenger numbers that will be there. For example, using the site I knew that around 15,000 people would be in St Thomas on one stop and so I booked a quiet day exploring the coastline on a catamaran instead of fighting traffic and crowds on land tours. Knowing the volume of people in port may also be a good reason to book a private tour or to self explore to get you to key attractions earlier than regular excursions. For example in St. Petersburg it led me to book a private early-morning tour which finished touring the Hermitage as the hoards arrived.

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tips. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and http://www.tipsfortravellers.com/cruise-travelers-handbook

If you a traveller that likes to tailor and personalise your travel experience, or want to be able to be spontaneous day-by-day as the mood takes you, then Norwegian Cruise Line is likely to appeal to you. You do not have to follow a fixed pattern of main dining room and times nor follow a dress code. Norwegian is suited for people that want to be able to chop and change as the mood takes them and need lots of options to be able to do that.While many cruise lines focus on set formats and regimes on board, Norwegian believes everyone has different needs and interests and aims to provide as much choice and options as possible to let people create their ideal vacation. They build choice into every aspect of the on-board offering. For example the bigger ships have over 20 dining options, more than 20 bars that range from martini bars, Irish pubs, to beer and whiskey focused bars. They have no dress codes and so no matter how informal or formal you like to dress there is a place on board for you.

Gary Bembridge author of "The Cruise Traveler's Handbook" provides another 60-Second Cruise Tips. For more visit http://www.60secondcruisetips.com and http://www.tipsfortravellers.com/cruise-travelers-handbook

Excursions will add significant amounts to your cruise budget. A family of four can easily spend over $200 a day on cruse line excursions. With even basic three-hour coach-based tours around a port of call costing about $50 per person, cruisers always ask me for ways to save money without missing out on seeing the best that a port has to offer.I use and recommend taking the local hop-on hop-off bus tour. Virtually every port I have been to has one of these. Most seem to be run by global operators like “City Sightseeing” and “Big Bus Tours” with reliable standards, quality and good prices.Hop-on Hop-off buses usually stop at, or close to, the port and sell tickets as you disembark the ship. The tours provide a helpful map of the city, take you to the key sights, provide multi-lingual recorded commentary and run frequent schedules - enabling you to hop off at the sights you want to without worrying about long waits for the next bus. Visit city-sightseeing.com and bigbustours.com to check if your ports are covered before cruising.