I look at 5 biggest mistakes that cruise passengers make with cruise excursions, often ruining not only their time in port but putting a huge dampener on their total cruise.

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After listening to what cruise lines are telling investors they're doing this year, I'm convinced that in 2024 we are going to be facing five new and unwelcome challenges. But I also have some suggestions on how to work around these and get ahead of them, including one solution that you may not even realise is possible.

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I'm going to show you how seven of my friends paid nothing, or next to nothing, to go on cruise vacations in the last year, and how I've been offered 11 free, or almost free, cruises in that same period too. Some may not work for you today, but may one day, some will once you know how, but I can guarantee the last one you can do for sure. 

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I was having a great time on my recent Regent Seven Seas cruise before I started speaking to fellow guests. Some first-timers as well as long-time regulars raised issues which made me wonder if I was being too forgiving. After all, the trip had cost me a lot and it is worth being picky!

So, after digesting it all and taking on board their thoughts, here’s what I believe the line does well, differently, and what doesn’t work for everyone - and why.

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We are only ever likely to go to Japan once in our lives and so it's important to get it right. While I didn't get everything 100% spot on, I now know what future cruisers to Japan need to know to avoid my mistakes, work around downsides, and ensure they have the best time.

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The cruise I'm on right now has inspired me to make this video. I'm an Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas, and I've met many first time cruisers and repeat cruisers who have tripped up and fallen for 6 traps that are out there right now that cruisers are falling for that I want to make sure that you know about so you don't fall into those traps. Links to fare tracking mentioned in the video: https://www.tipsfortravellers.com/cruise-ship-fare-tracking/

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When I think of Royal Caribbean, I think of feature-packed mega resort ships, with good value cabins. However, I have seen Royal Caribbean now has some of the biggest and most expensive suites money can buy at sea. So, instead of using some savings to book a smaller luxury cruise line that I usually would, I decided to splash that cash on a Royal Caribbean suite to see if I would get all the service, glitz, and glamour they promise in their “Royal Class Suites”.

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The “cruise bible”, the authoritative Berlitz “Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships”, has for years said this line has the best ships in the world, but almost no cruisers outside its home country have ever heard of it, even though it's 50% owned by Royal Caribbean, a line everyone’s heard of. So, I decided I should test the line out to see if they were better, and if I would recommend that cruisers like you consider taking a risk and cruising a line you’ve never heard of.

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At the start of my recent Greenland Arctic expedition cruise, an ominous notice appeared in the daily program. It required us to attend a mandatory (written in capital letters no less!) meeting at 5pm. Having been on four previous expedition cruises to Antarctica, the Arctic and Galapagos I knew to expect this meeting. But most did not, and many were confused as we’d had the muster drill which they thought was the only mandatory requirement on cruises. Concern grew when the Expedition Director made an announcement saying failure to attend would have significant implications for the cruise. This got me thinking I should talk about this and 5 other things that I only found out about after boarding when I started going on expedition cruises.

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I like cruising on small and medium-sized ships that aren’t busy, and a bit laid back. But I also love going to Vegas, with its big brash shows, buzz, and excitement. So, I decided, to see if a big resort ship would work out for people like me, so I nervously booked myself on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, which at the time was the second-biggest ship in the world, holding up to 6,680 passengers. Now that I've experienced the best and worst of a mega ship resort cruising, I now know who should or shouldn't be booking themselves on one of these. And why!

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