Why people shouldn't cruise on some cruise lines and ships

 

It is just as important to know what you don't want in a cruise as what you do want.  In my case, I do not want to go on "Booze Cruises" or cruises catering to families with children.  So I have learned to pick my cruises very carefully to avoid going on trips on which I would feel I've wasted my money.

Avoiding booze cruises is relatively easy.  Think of a typical long weekend.  It's usually 3-4 days long.  When I see a cruise which lasts less than 5 days, I assume that the cruise will be filled with young adults who want to party - and hard.  Yet, they may be perfect for some people.  I see them for what they are and avoid them like the plague.   There are exceptions to this rule of thumb.  For example, if Disney offered a 4 day cruise, I'd bet that it would cater to a family friendly clientele, and that one would rarely see anyone who is three sheets to the wind.

Often, people do not want to be on a cruise that will have families with children,  As a result, many in this demographic avoid cruise lines such as Disney, avoid cruises during school vacation periods, and avoid cruises of less than 10 days.  Additionally, they may choose to cruise on cruise lines such as Virgin or Viking (adults only lines) to ensure that they do not bump into children while on the cruise ship.

Many people like to gamble and smoke on cruise ships.  Many others do not.  If I wanted to gamble, I'd avoid ships like the Pride of America, or cruise ships from Disney which do not have casinos onboard.  In general, finding ships without casinos is a little bit more tricky, as most major cruise lines' ships have some sort of casino.   Unfortunately, to get from one place to another on the ship, one will need to walk through the casino area, an area which is usually smoke-filled, as it is one of the few areas where one can smoke on a mainstream cruise ship.  So, if one wants a tolerably smoke-free journey, one may want to avoid older ships which do not have a closed off casino area for smokers.

The larger the ship, the fewer the number of ports where it can dock.  Although this isn't important to that many people, it can be important to people who want to travel to more exotic places.  Many ships use tender boats to reach small ports, which means that mobility challenged people may not be able to get off the ship and enjoy the port.  If one falls into this category of cruisers, one should contact the cruise line to find out whether the ship uses a tender boat to bring people to/from the shore.  On many of the cruises I've been on, at least one of the ports requires tendering to go ashore, making it impossible for the wheelchair bound to enjoy the port.  Why is this important?  There are many destinations that can only be reached by tender boat, and mobility challenged people would be advised to avoid cruises that are tender boat port intensive.

There are so many things that turn people off from cruising, many of which are having the wrong expectations of a cruise before it sets sail.  The best thing one can do is to be careful in selecting a cruise, making sure that the cruise fits one's needs as well as possible.

Cruising - Miscellaneous Items

 Revised on 02/07/26

Miscellaneous Items - Potential Gotchas.

Most people do not know of the tricks up the sleeves of the cruise lines to watch out for, nor do they understand why the cruise lines do things in what seems to be in an illogical way.  This entry is an attempt to warn the reader of potential "gotchas" as well as explain what seems to be illogical to a casual observer.

1. Paying for the cruise.
   
   Most cruise lines will let you book a cruise months (or even years) in advance, and allow the cruisers to pay for the cruise over time.  Cruisers are required to complete paying for the cruise at a point in time of 3-to-4 months before the cruise sets sail.  Cruisers not having paid for their cruises in full at this point will often have their bookings cancelled, and will forfeit any monies paid for their cruises. This 3-to-4 month point before a cruise also affects refunds.  Often, one can get a complete refund of all monies spent on a cruise before this point.  After this point, only partial refunds are made. The 3-to-4-month complete payment date does not prevent people from making last minute choices to take their cruises.  It only means that complete payment for their cruises must be made at the time of booking.  
   
   Cruisers must take care when booking add-ons to their cruises after the 3-to-4-month payment date. In one widely reported case, a cruiser went to the cruise line site, started the process to find out what an airport transfer would cost, and accidentally triggered a situation where the cruise line cancelled a $5,000 booking over a non-payment of $135.  I would advise making all arrangements before the final payment date, and not changing any arrangements with the cruise line after that date.
   
   
2. Cabin Selection
   
   Most cruisers will need to make a cabin selection before booking a cruise.  Do they want an inside cabin, an ocean view cabin, a balcony cabin, or a mini suite? If an ocean view cabin, balcony cabin, or mini suite is selected, are they willing to accept an obstructed view cabin for a lower cost?  
   
   Assuming the cruiser knows what type of cabin is desired, then other decisions must now be made.  For example, does the cruiser need an “Accessible Cabin?” If so, then this is a requirement that must be stated during the booking process, as there are a limited number of these cabins on the typical cruise ship.  And then, does the cruiser have a requirement for where a cabin is located?  For example, I want a cabin that is surrounded by other cabins (left, right, floor below, floor above, and across the hall).  This way, I am less likely to be bothered by noises coming from places such as the ship’s theater, the ship’s restaurants, the ship’s pool, and other public amenities.  If a specific cabin is required, the cruiser will need to pay extra to get the desired cabin.  However, one can often save money by buying a “guaranteed cabin”.  This means that the cruiser will get a cabin in the category selected, and possibly get upgraded if others buy all the cabins in the selected category.
   
   Be careful of cabin upgrades.  Many lines will offer cruisers the chance to bid for a cabin upgrade, or to allow for automatic upgrades to a more expensive cabin class.  If one has selected a specific cabin which fits one’s needs, then one should not bid on a cabin upgrade or allow for an automatic upgrade.  If one is not careful, one can get “upgraded” to a higher cabin class, but one that does not meet one’s needs – such as a wheelchair bound person getting upgraded to a non-accessible cabin.
   
   
3. Bedroom Setup
   

   Most cruise lines have cabins that can accommodate 2-4 people. Typically, most cabins have a pair of twin beds that can be put together to make a single large bed if desired. (From what I understand, this is not the case on Disney ships, as their large beds cannot be split into separate beds.)  

   Additionally, some family cabins have “pullman” beds that drop down from the ceiling, and others have sofas that can be converted into beds.  This is something easily managed by one's room steward.

   Sometimes, the bed may feel a little too firm, or that you may need an extra pillow to sleep.  In these cases, the room steward can often supply a mattress topper if needed, as well as the extra pillows the cruiser may need for a restful sleep.

4. Phone service (Voice and/or Data).
   

   Marine voice and data charges incurred on a ship are very expensive.  To avoid them, I always place my phone in Airplane Mode.  This way, my phone cannot connect to the outside world unless I am using the ship’s onboard wi-fi. 

   Given that I often buy wi-fi data service for my time spent on a cruise ship, not having voice service is not much of an issue.  However, one must be careful on how one’s wi-fi connection is used.  On one of my cruises, I purchased 300 minutes of wi-fi data.  To use this data, I had to log on to the ship’s wi-fi and log off when I was done.  One person I met on a cruise forgot to log off, and burned off all of his expensive minutes needlessly.

   Wi-fi service on ships tends to be much slower than on land due to the need to transmit/receive data via satellites.  In regions with poor “line of sight” to these satellites, the quality of the ship’s internet can be less than impressive.  Therefore, unless I had a need to stream video, I would not pay for premium wi-fi unless I absolutely needed it.  Starlink™ internet is being installed on many cruise ships to improve data connectivity while at sea.  This promises to be a boon for many internet users at sea, as it can handle higher volumes of data at a faster speed than in the past.  

5. CPAP Machines (and other durable medical equipment).
   

   Many cruisers need CPAP machines in order to have a healthy sleep.  Not all rooms are configured with electric sockets near the bed.  For these rooms, the room steward can supply an extension cord (and tape it safely to the floor), as well as the distilled water needed for the unit.

   Once one has set up his/her CPAP machine, the room steward will usually be able to supply distilled water upon request.  However, not all room stewards are at ease using the English language (or other on-board languages), and one may need to go to Guest Services for help with a translation issue.

6. Smoking
   

   Virtually all US Based (and many foreign) cruise lines impose limits on where passengers can smoke on a ship.  Often, smoking is allowed in a ship’s casino, or some other area designated by the cruise line.  With one or two exceptions (which I will not note here), virtually all major cruise lines prohibit smoking in a ship’s cabins or the ship’s balconies. This is not without reason, as a fire in 2006 on the Star Princess left one passenger dead, 11 people injured, and another 100+ rooms scorched.

7. Gambling.
   

   Many people like to gamble onboard the ship.  If one enjoys playing these games of luck, remember to have your gambling recorded by the cruise line.  This way, if you gamble long enough over the length of a cruise, you may qualify for some bonuses provided to cruisers such as free drinks while gambling on future cruises.  I know a person who, because of her gambling, was able to go on a cruise paid for by the cruise line.  (All she had to do is pay the taxes and port fees for the cruise.)  

   Most ocean cruise ships have casinos.  A notable exception is the Pride of America which does 7-day Hawaiian Island cruises. This ship does not have a casino because it is an American flagged ship sailing in a state that officially prohibits gambling.  On those ships which have casinos, all casino related activity will be closed when the ship is in port, and will stay closed until the ship reaches international waters.  One drawback to onboard gambling is the odds for each game.  They are not as generous as that in land-based casinos, as there is no competition for games of chance while on the ship.  As I always say: Bet with your head, and not over it.

8. Medical Issues.

   Do not expect too much from a ship’s medical department.  Although I had to use its services on my first cruise to Alaska, it is something to be avoided for its cost alone.  Yet, for simple conditions such as a broken bone or a sprained ankle, it can supply an essential service when needed.  For things that are more complex, or out of its league, it will make the decision whether the passenger needs services it cannot provide and act accordingly.

9. Insurance.

   A smart person does not travel without travel insurance.  Ideally, money spent on insurance is for insurance that is not needed.  However, it will be needed one day, and then the money spent for it will have been a wise investment in the future.  Recently, several cruise bloggers reported that one cruiser (and wife) were both being careful when they bought travel insurance for their 5-day cruise.  The man had a heart attack and was evacuated to a hospital, then later Med-Evac’ed back home after a 2-week hospital stay.  For what this insurance cost the couple (probably under $250 total), they received $74,000 in benefits.  Getting insurance is relatively cheap.  Needing medical care in a foreign land is not.

   Often, when cruises are sold, the cruise line (or a travel agent) will ask if you want to buy insurance.  It will often be priced based on one’s age, the length of the cruise and the price of the cruise.  These policies will only cover events related to the cruise, and may not be what is needed by a cruiser.  Please note that each state regulates the type of travel insurance that a cruise line or travel agency can sell.  Prior to 2023, both cruise lines and travel agencies would try to sell me travel insurance for my cruises. However, since I live in New York State, all they can do is sell me basic trip insurance. They are no longer able to sell me “Platinum” or “Premium” insurance policies.  Therefore, I have relied on sites such as TravelInsurance.com to find and purchase an insurance policy appropriate for my needs.  So, be sure to know what insurance you have, and buy more if you think you need it.

10. Back-to-Back Cruises.

    Sometimes, one might want to book two cruises as one long trip.  I have considered doing this for a Northbound Alaska Cruise from Seattle (or Vancouver) through the Inside Passage, and onward to Seward (or Whittier), coupled with a Southbound cruise with a similar itinerary.  This makes it possible to avoid an “Open-Jaw” airplane trip, which might result in more convenient flights.

11. LGBT Issues.

    Most cruise lines are LGBT friendly. However, the conditions at some ports may be hostile to the LGBT traveler. On some Caribbean islands, same sex couples that show any public displays of affection are looked at as if they committed acts of bestiality. On others, obviously transgender people are considered criminals.  Therefore, it is best to research each port carefully before taking any shore excursions on these islands.
    
    Note: Some countries (e.g. Qatar and the U.A.E.) do not accept passports with "X" for a gender id, and deny these people the ability to enter or transit through these countries.

12. Clothing Issues not related to cruise line dress codes.

    Some ports have laws regarding the clothing that can be worn on land. For example, several Caribbean islands ban Camouflage clothing and will arrest visitors that do not obey their laws in this area.  When in doubt about what clothes to wear in any port, one should contact their travel agent to double check whether one’s desired clothing is allowed in port.

    Even if the laws in a port may allow for selected garments, many tourist attractions do impose dress codes.  For example, many churches require that all women dress “modestly”, and require that women wear a head covering, as well as a garment that keeps the legs above the knees covered. When in doubt, one should research dress requirements for each attraction to be visited before packing for a cruise.  

13. Laundry.
    
    Virtually all cruise provide laundry services.  One can stuff a bag with clothes to be laundered, and have it come back the next day cleaned and folded.  But there is a problem with this: Most cruise lines charge several times more than the same laundry service would cost on land.  
    
    However, there are ways to avoid these excessive charges.  The first is to sail on a ship which has self-serve laundry service.  (That is, cruisers load their clothing into washers and dryers, then fold their own garments.)  We have used this on ships in both Princess and Cunard lines.  Unfortunately, most cruise lines do not make self-service laundry facilities available to their cruisers.  Some lines, such as NCL, provide their cruisers with higher loyalty status a free bag of laundry during their cruises.  We have taken advantage of this service as well.  Yet, we have often had to resort to laundering small items (i.e. Underwear and Socks) in the sink to avoid laundry service charges.
    
    Laundry service is something to be considered for longer trips (8 days or longer), as it is often impossible to go for more than a week without having to get some of one's clothes cleaned at one point or another.

14. United States Passenger Vessel Services Act.

    Simply put, American law prohibits foreign flagged vessels from transporting people between American ports unless the vessel docks at a foreign port.  In theory, this protects Americans from competing against low wage foreign labor and preserve an American ship building industry.  Sadly, for the most part, this has been a failure for the American cruise industry.  There is only one large American cruise ship left in the world, and cruises on this ship cost more than twice as much as cruises of the same length on foreign flagged ships.
    
    Why is this important?  There are small boutique cruise lines sailing with small ships built in the United States.  They sail routes not served by mass market cruise ships, but charge a hefty price for their product.  If one has the money, their small ships can take the cruiser places where the mainstream cruise lines cannot go.

Cruising - Bargain Hunting

 Revised on 02/12/26

Bargain Hunting - A brief overview.

One might be amazed by this, but many cruise line price their cruises below the costs incurred to provide many cruisers with the services they’ll get while on cruising.  Food, Housekeeping, Entertainment, and Security are some of the expenses incurred by the cruise line on every sailing.  To find bargains, one must first answer the following question:

How does a sailing make money for the cruise line?

Areas where the cruise line makes money on  the ship.

Virtually all goods and services sold on the ship have significantly higher profit margins than the same goods and services sold on shore.  To avoid spending money that one doesn't need to spend, one has to plan accordingly.

• Drink Packages.
  
  In most cases, only heavy drinkers can break even with the prices charged by most cruise lines for their drink packages.  When I last examined the prices these lines charged for drink packages, they ranged from $65 to $105 per day.  (Not all of these lines serve unlimited alcohol beverages, as they impose a 15 drink per day limit for cruiser safety.)  Even on NCL, which has one of the lowest day costs for drinks (when purchasing the "Free at Sea" package and paying for beverage gratuities) One would have to consume at least 4 alcoholic beverages to break even on the deal.  If one is a light drinker, it makes sense to purchase drinks one at a time and save money.
  
  Please note that I factor in the price of sodas in the package, as I consume a lot of Diet Cokes and Diet Pepsis along with 2 alcoholic beverages (usually wine with dinner).  Given my non-alcoholic drink consumption, I usually do well by choosing fare packages which include alcoholic beverages.  
  
  
• Photo Packages.
  
  On their own, I find photo packages almost worthless.  I pose this question for those considering a package: How often do you look at your photo albums online or on photo stock?  However, I will occasionally buy formal photos on a cruise - but only individual photos, and not a package.  In my case, I like getting a nice photo of myself and my cruising partner now and then, and I pay a small price for it.
  
  
• Spa Treatments.
  
  To use the price of a manicure as a base line, my partner can get a manicure in the outer boroughs of New York City for $30 or so.  Contrast this with some sample prices charged by the spas on different cruise line ships (based on 2/12/26 research):
  
  - Royal Caribbean  - $59 
  
  - Norwegian (NCL) - $50
  
  - Princess               - $49
  
  - Carnival                - $50
  
  - Holland America   - $59
  
  Unless one needed a touch-up, or had some non-refundable cruise credits to burn, it makes sense to do one's own nails.  
  
  Recently, my cruise partner asked me if she could burn off some of my extra non-refundable cruise credits at the spa.  At the session (which cost $75), she got her treatment with a lot of upselling for products which cost half as much when bought onshore.   Given that most spa employees come from low-wage nations, I can only imagine how much money is generated by the spas on the ships, and feel that the spas should be avoided if one wants to save money.
  

• Casino Games.
  
  Almost all the standard land based games can be found in a ship’s casino, as well as a few more games not found on land.  Since I do not gamble much, I walk through this area on the way to somewhere else.  When I do gamble, I always remember that the odds are often not as good as would be found in a land based casino.  The slots are often very tight, and some of the table games may have different payouts than found on land.
  
  Cruzely.com has a good article about how cruise ship casinos differ from those on land.  Although I will occasionally play the slots in a ship's casino, it is an infrequent indulgence for me, and one which I rarely spend more than $50 per cruise.  (I'd rather drive to the slot machines in the "Racinos" in the NYC area, than to play the slots on a ship - and I rarely do that.)
  
  

Finding Bargain Cruises.

Now that we have addressed how not to waste money on a cruise, we now have to address how to get the cruise at the lowest possible cost. 

How do we find bargains before booking the cruise?

 

Using Cruise Information and Booking Sites.

I recommend using sites such as vacationstogo.com and cruiseplum.com to track cruise prices and hunt for discounts.  For a recent cruise on NCL, I found a cruise which had pre-paid gratuities included in the price.  By booking this cruise, I saved $140 on the net total price of the cruise.  

Checking fare options.

One should check to see if the services I want from “premium” fare options (such as NCL’s “Free at Sea” or Princess’s “Premier” upgrade options) are priced low enough to make them worth buying instead of the basic cruise fare with add-ons. A while back, I booked a cruise where the basic fare and the “premium” fare option was being sold at the same price. 

Cabin Selection.

Assuming one is willing to risk being assigned a sub-optimal cabin, selecting a "Guaranteed" cabin can be a good option.  On one of our cruises with MSC, we were assigned what we expected to be a sub-optimal cabin below the entrance to the ship's buffet.  And yet, the noise from above didn't bother us much. 

If one wants a selected cabin type, but is willing to make sacrifices, consider an “Obstructed View” cabin.  On one cruise out of Brooklyn, my then cruise partner got us a balcony with an obstructed view.  We could see the New York City skyline, but couldn’t see Governor’s Island due to the lifeboat in front of us. 

 

Off-Peak / Shoulder Season Cruises.

 

Instead of cruising in peak seasons, one should look for cruises in shoulder seasons.  For example, peak season for Alaskan cruising is in June, July, and August.  Consider an Alaskan cruise in April, May, September and October. Not only does one avoid the headaches of peak season, but one can cruise at a much lower price.  Each region has peak and shoulder seasons, so a bargain hunter will continually track fares for both peak and shoulder seasons and choose a cruise that meets the selected price point. 

 

Repositioning Cruises.

 

If one doesn't mind spending most of a cruise at sea, one should consider repositioning cruises to save money.  However, one must ask whether the money saved on the cruise is lost in airfare.  In many cases, the price for a one-way flight can be more than a round trip ticket.  So, this may not be a cost saving option for all cruisers.

Strangely enough, one can find cruise line websites to be quite useful.  For example, Holland America currently identifies "Early Booking" cruise selections where one can get "Free Gratuities" with their "Have it All" fare package.  

With the above being said, one should use an independent travel agent to book any available cruise, as they have access to fares (e.g. Group Rates) not always available through the cruise line.

Cruising - Sea Days

Revised on 01/30/26

Sea days are when the ship is most alive.

One of the things I like about Sea Days on a ship is that all the services, entertainment venues, stores, and restaurants are open for business.  For those interested in things like onboard gambling, a sea day is the perfect time to enjoy oneself. For people like me, I like knowing that all the ship's restaurants are open for business, and that I will not need to go to the buffet for lunch.

Reading the daily Program.

(MSC Seaside Daily Program - Courtesy of Cruise Critic)

One of the best ways to find out what activities are available while at sea is the daily bulletin which is usually placed by the door or in one’s room the night before. In it, one usually finds the ship’s activity schedule for the day.  (Sadly, some cruise lines are phasing out paper copies for digital versions that are accessible only via one's mobile device.)

The daily program will list the open times for each onboard restaurant, the entertainment available during the day, and other events scheduled that day. Some of the events that took place on my Hawaiian cruise included: “Canvas by U!”, “Basketball Shoot-Out”, and “Psychedelic Bingo”. I advise bringing along a highlight marker, so that one can mark the activities one wants to attend to help make the most out of a sea day.

Spending the day.

Each Cruise line has its own unique activities which its cruisers can enjoy.  The following is a list of typical daily activities available to the average cruiser on Sea Days,

One doesn't have to spend money to enjoy a day at sea.  One can spend the day lounging at the pool, read a book in the ship's library on many ships, or enjoy the other free entertainment available on the ship.  The following list (from Google) should give the reader an idea of what one can do on the ship on sea days.

Typical Daily Activities by Category:

Morning/Active:
- Morning stretch, walking group, yoga, jogging track, pickleball, basketball,
  gym.

Daytime/Interactive:
- Trivia (music, movies, general knowledge), dance classes, bingo, cooking
  demos, towel folding, card games, arts & crafts.

Pool/Outdoor:
= Live music, pool games, water slide, hot tubs, outdoor movies,sunbathing.

Evening/Entertainment:
- Production shows, live bands, comedy club, piano bar, karaoke, nightclub,
  casino tournaments.

Specialty/Unique:
- Wine tasting, martini tasting, sushi making, spa seminars, scavenger hunts. 

In addition, on many newer ships, both amusement park and resort amenities are available to cruisers. Amusements such as go-cart race tracks, roller coasters, and flow riders may be found on these ships, along with the traditional spas and casinos. The stores will be open and one can buy jewelry, liquor, cigarettes, clothing, and other  sundries when the ship is at sea.  

Gala / Dress to Impress / Formal nights.

(Cunard's Gala Night Dress Code - Courtesy Cunard)

Some evenings at sea are gala nights (or formal nights), where people are encouraged to (or expected to on some lines) dress to impress. On these nights,  one will find the ship’s photographers available to photograph cruisers wearing their finest outfits.  Not all Cruise lines are as formal as Cunard.  NCL tends to be the most informal of the mainstream Cruise lines, with its "Freestyle" cruising philosophy.