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#22 - wifi - Princess wifi doesn’t work if you have your VPN on.  You have to turn it off in order for it to work.

There is so much here that at least applied to Princess is not accurate. I'm not going through it all but to just pick a few points, gratuities can always be contested. I have never been charged for moving something in the fridge mini bar. The drink packages only change price once - pre cruise and onboard, vpn does not work on board most ships, if you pay attention to your travel insurance they will reimburse med expenses, my travel insurance has always included up to $150,000 for evac. and separate policies can also be obtained reasonably. For instance a Spot Overwatch Plan with regular yearly annual subscription and additional Rescue Plan costs less than $300 annually. i do agree that they design life on board to part you from your money - if you are rich enough to nor care or have little spending discipline. I have from cruise one always ignored that background noise. Ya know, a little common sense and awareness avoids all these pitfalls.

I always like to board as soon as I can so I can have time to walk around the ship and get my bearings. As for the many dozens of ships photos you can always turn down the photos. If I like a photo I might buy it but nothing forces you to make a purchase. I always bring my own water containers with me ashore and whenever possible eat aboard ship. Sometimes I even make myself a sandwich to take ashore if I'm going to be out for the day. I always have my medications and any specialty drugs I may need (aspirin, antacids, etc.) with me on the ship. I always watch the charges on my bills and if something isn't correct I challenge them.

Packing snacks from the buffet and taking them off the ship violates agricultural laws. You can only take packaged snacks.

Most onboard shops are NOT open on port days.

Seniors…young people too.

Awesome video. This video really helped me.

Thanks for information

Group of 10 just returned from a cruise on Royal Carribean Star of The Seas - Flew into Sanford, Fl - small airport versus flying into the larger airport - approx  50 minute drive to the port -  cruise ship is so organized handling people boarding - not their first rodeo - our room was ready when we stepped on the ship - even if we had to wait no problem - walk around and get acclimated to the layout of ship - everything was perfect - all the guest were so pleasant - food was wonderful - purchased a bottle of wine for dinner- dining room will recork what you don’t drink  and will have it waiting on your dining table when you arrive for dinner.
beautiful ship - this guy is wearing me out listening to him -
One suggestion I have is not to overpack - don’t place your luggage outside your door the day of departing - roll it out yourself - if you have a late flight home don’t be in a hurry to get off the ship when it is the most crowded. We didn’t purchase a drink pkg - we paid per serving
there is a $2 charge for a bottle of water like hotels charge.  Eating areas furnish water, tea etc - if you enjoy drinking a lot I would purchase the alcohol pkg or if you like sodas, etc you can purchase that pkg too. Pack a water bottle in your luggage and just fill it up with water while on the ship. Also, you can bring certain amount of alcohol onto the ship when boarding. You can purchase it offsite and bring on board -
You can spend as much as you want on board or be thrifty -
Enjoy your cruise ❤

Thanks

😂 I totally get it! Sometimes cruise advice makes cruising sound more stressful than it really is. Your first cruise might actually surprise you—you may end up relaxing more than you expected! 🚢😊

Why are the YouTube commercials so long??

Thanks for the advice

After 20 cruiss i learn that if you have on board credit like
$ 50 on your first day that is switch to unpaid gratitude  without asking you

We always use outside vendor excursions. All of them are rated online so you can get much better deals, often more than half off. Always get back at least two hours before the ship leaves for safety.

If you miss your boarding times to board last beware. You may be denied boarding if there is congestion. All those with later boarding times windows will be allowed to board. If you try and board after the ships designated close of boarding time you may be denied by the port authority. Not the cruise line. The staff at the dock don't work for the cruise company.

Right after settling into our cabin I go straight to Guest Services and have them remove the DISCRETIONARY "crew appreciation".

Sailing next week.  I just checked the current price and its $936 less (for 2 of us, $468 pp) I just emailed the agent we booked with and used your comment. I also indicated i expected nothing less than an onboard credit.. as a platinum member, with many previous cruises, they would honor it. Wish me luck LOL
I was aware of many of your tips prior. Was not aware of the monitored mini bars. Have never had an issue BUT, a good practice to not find yourself in a situation to have to dispute it. Also, the thermostat. I'll take note this trip and see how it works.
Additionally, i'm a senior and don't find any of your suggestions overwhelming or cumbersome. It takes very little effort to make a mental note and avoid the headaches.
Thanks!

Shops on board are never open on port days.