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Cruise Captain Reveals: 13 Cruise MISTAKES He’d Never Make as a Passenger!

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Ever make one small mistake that ruins your entire cruise? A cruise captain reveals the 13 cruise mistakes — and insider cruise secrets — that cost travelers thousands.

cruise secrets | cruise mistakes to avoid | cruise hacks | cruise tips | senior travel

Think you know how to cruise? Most passengers lose money and stress over avoidable cruise mistakes they never saw coming. In this guide, a cruise captain pulls back the curtain with the cruise secrets the cruise lines don't advertise — the insider cruise tips that separate savvy travelers from the ones overpaying and exhausted by day three.

In this video, we break down the 13 cruise mistakes that trip up first-timers and seasoned cruisers alike — from flying in on departure day and booking a "guarantee" cabin, to overpaying for drink packages and WiFi, skipping real travel insurance, and never checking your folio for errors. These are the "what not to do on a cruise" warnings every smart passenger should know before their next sailing.

0:00 - Intro
0:40 - Fly In Day Before
1:41 - Wrong Cabin Location
2:40 - Skipping Real Travel Insurance
3:32 - Booking a Guarantee Cabin
4:37 - Excursions Need Time Buffer
5:27 - Never Skip Muster Drill
6:19 - Auto-Buying the Drink Package
7:17 - Check Your Folio Early
8:08 - Always Ask Price Drop
9:13 - Prepaying for Specialty Dining
9:56 - Overpaying for WiFi
10:34 - Always Carry Your Passport
11:34 - Trying to Do Everything
12:15 - FINAL POWER TIP

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Disclaimer: The information in this video is based on general cruise knowledge and personal insights. It may not reflect every cruise line or situation. Always double-check policies, requirements, and details with your cruise provider to ensure accuracy and safety.

19 Comments

@LetsBoard69 Creator 1 month ago Pinned

📌 Have you ever stepped off a cruise not knowing you'd made a mistake — and only realized it later? Drop your number below and let's see which one is hitting passengers the hardest.

@JJfooter77 1 day ago

I love higher decks, can see farther and better. I sleep better with motion, sleep better on ships then at home.

@louisem6295 1 day ago

Make sure you and your children would be on the same lifeboat. It might seem ok for a practice but can you imagine not being with your children in an emergency. We couldn’t believe that our rooms were split in such a way.

@paulready8897 2 weeks ago

A Captain would never go to the wrong port to board a ship and would never go to the wrong airport to catch a flight.

@kenmohler4081 1 month ago

What happened to never sit here?

@lindyduree2229 12 days ago

The cruise line kindly upgraded us, at no charge, from an inside room to a room with an obstructed view window. We did not request the upgrade. Our new room was right above the theater. We had them move us. There were no more inside rooms so we got a room a couple of decks above the theater. It was still obstructed, but we could sleep.

@ChrisCooperXmarksthespot 6 days ago

Oh God, please drop the endless background music loop!!

@Rkay421 8 days ago

I tend to get a center of the ship balcony cabin

@bkmartin1958 13 days ago

If you miss the sail away, flying to the first port will be a wasre of time and money. Embarkation is only done at the home port. Also, if the ship sails at 4:30, you must be on the ship by 3:30 or you do not get onboard.

@billmiller1445 1 month ago

A most excellent and comprehensive video. All the tips are spot on. Photographing passport is easy and truly helpful. Yes, get the outside travel insurance. I'm looking forward to more of your work.

@JannelleCT 3 days ago

They don't drop the prices until after the 90 day mark!

@Parlortricks76 2 weeks ago

2:00 have to put a caveat there... I pick a balcony cabin 1 ) for fresh air and I don't gotta go out in the crowds, 2) i also choose mid-forward or forward AND higher up because my motion sickness is BETTER there than mid lower. the lower i am the more i feel the movement of the ship. And floating in a hot tub certainly helps with that.

@indybob770 1 month ago

At these prices I can't see why people go on these cruises. WOW had no idea.

@neilbarnett3046 2 weeks ago

Don't carry your passport in ports. You only get one, and stolen ones are worth money to criminals. We have been advised to carry photocopies and leave the real ones on board. If someone in authority REALLY wants the original, when they've already seen all the details on the copy, then it can be shown to them, but they have to make an effort to get us to the port and come onboard.

@crazy4dariver 1 month ago

Retired Captain here as well. Center(Midships) to Aft of the ship is best. In heavy weather the Bow can become the "Zero Gravity Chamber" IF bow is all you can get. As low to the waterline as possible.
In the last 10 years, you can pull up your bill on your TV. If you have a dispute go to guest services in the middle of the night or very early before sunrise.

@norberteng9496 5 days ago

I booked a GTY club suite balcony on NCL, a junior suite on Royal Caribbean, and a concierge class room on Celebrity. I got a very favorable location all 3 times. I guess it all depends on the category of stateroom.

@jaybodner4189 1 month ago (edited)

I drink A LOT on a cruise! I always get the drink package. Plus, I HATE being "nickeled and dimed" to death. I drop a $10 early in the cruise where I know that bartender will be coming back. They remember me, and I get awesome drinks every time!

@Jermz1979 1 month ago

People argue against the drink pack all the time. Reality is that if you pay cash and the drinks average $15 per + 18-20% gratuity, you're paying $18 per drink. Drink 5 of those and you're at $90 per day. That's not including the water, juices, smoothies, sodas and coffee as well. If 5 drinks isn't something you'll do on average and you don't plan to drink anything that costs money on the ship, sure...it's not worth it. However, I average 5-10 drinks per day while cruising. It's really the only time I drink actually. A Mojito in the morning along with juice or a smoothie, 2-3 drinks throughout the afternoon on sea days, along with sparkling water, soda, coffee or tea, maybe a smoothie. A couple drinks at dinner and a couple cocktails between dinner and bedtime along with another coffee, and more sparkling water is normal for me on a cruise. At around 3 per day I'd be breaking even with all the rest of the juices, smoothies, sodas and sparkling waters I drink throughout the day. 5-10 and I'm coming out ahead without even trying to game the system.