Best Time to Board Your Cruise Ship on Embarkation Day

Best Time to Board Your Cruise Ship on Embarkation Day
August 23, 2017 by Jonathan Mark

We already have a previously written post on embarkation day tips, but here we will just talk about when you should try to get on the ship and the best times to board to avoid long waits in line.



Most cruisers agree.  By the time you get to the port you have already paid for your cruise, so the sooner you get on the ship the sooner you can start enjoying your vacation.  You don’t want to waste ½ a day just waiting and waiting when there is free food aboard that vessel that you could be eating.  And yes, that wait can be long, especially if you are not a frequent cruiser and you have to wait in the long line like everyone else.  So the best advice is simply to get there as early as possible.

So what is early?  Usually if you get there around 10:30-11:00 am you will be pretty close to being first in line.  But this does not mean that your wait is over.  You still have to wait for them to actually start boarding the ship, but when they do you will be among the first to get on the boat and start enjoying a buffet lunch in port.  But from my experience, it’s much better to wait for your ship to leave the dock while you are pigging out at the buffet and getting a self-guided tour of the ship than standing in line behind 300 other anxious people.

If you don’t get there at 11:00 am you might have a little wait ahead of you.  So some people like to get to the port around 1:00 pm or a litle later because by then most of the lines have died down and you can usually just get right on the ship after a brief wait.  If you get there right at noon then you can expect some delays ahead of you.
Always be mindful of the boarding times according to the website of the cruise line you are sailing with, but you can even try to board the ship as late as 2:30pm in some cases and you will practically not have to wait at all.  After all, who wants to feel like they are at the DMV to get their vacation kicked off?

Keep in mind that you will not be able to go to your rooms as soon as you get on board, unless you do get on the boat at the last minute.  If you get on early like 11:00 am or so you will have to wait a couple hours until you can go to your room and settle in.  So whatever carry-on luggage you have will have to be toted around for a few hours.  This is why you should send as much as you can straight to your room.

If you sail with Princess, Cunard, or Holland America you can go to your room as soon as you get on board your ship, but with the big 3 like Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival you will just have to enjoy walking around the ship for a while until your room is ready for you.
The majority of cruises leave port at 4 or 5:00 pm.  If your cruise leaves at a different time than this, check with your cruise line to see what time embarkation begins.  Most ships will begin boarding 4-5 hours before sailaway.

Courtesy: CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association).

Buying Unsold Cruise Cabins and What Happens to Them

Buying Unsold Cruise Cabins and What Happens to Them
July 25, 2017 by Jonathan Mark

If you have done some research on getting an unsold cruise cabin a week or two before a cruise, it’s probably because you are hoping to score a ridiculous deal on your cruise stateroom.

But gone are the days of just walking up to a cruise port and asking if any cabins rooms are available on that morning’s cruise.  After 9/11, cruise lines have to submit their passengers manifest to homeland security 3 days before the actual cruise.  This means those last minute cruise deals need to be nabbed up before this 72 hour deadline.

I have read some reports of people being able to book a cruise 48 hours before the cruise date, but technically this is not supposed to happen and you should not expect to be able to book a cruise this close to the cruise date.

So what happens to all those unsold cruise cabins?

Cruise lines try to sell them as fast as they can.  But with cruising becoming more and more popular with vacationers there are fewer instances of cruise ships having vast amounts of cruise staterooms to unload to the public.  In fact, if you wait too long to try to get a last minute deal, hoping to grab an unsold cruise cabin, you may find yourself not being able to get a room at all.

If some cabins are still unsold before a cruise, some passengers might get a call from the cruise line offering a discounted upgrade to a higher category cabin.  They do this to both cut their losses on the rooms and to also try to get you hooked on that higher category stateroom.   And often…. it works. But what a cruise ship does with the leftover cabins depends on a few factors.

Even if some cabins are empty a cruise line may not be able to sell them to you.

A cruise ship is considered at full capacity when there are twice as many people as cabins on the ship.  Since a portion of cabins can house more than 2 passengers, many cruise ships operate at over 100% capacity. The target goal for cruise lines is around 107% capacity.
One thing a cruise ship is not allowed to do is have more passengers than their lifeboats can hold.  So that’s why some cruise ships will have empty staterooms even if they are not offering any more cabins for sale.

Why do some cabins magically become available before a cruise?

Travel agents have the ability to hold a certain amount of cabins on a cruise ship.  If some of their customers cancel or do not put down their deposit, these cabins will become available to everyone else.  The same goes for people who book a cruise online but do not pay their deposit on time.  When that date passes without the deposit being paid, those cabins show up as available inventory.  Cabins may also appear around the date of final payment due to some canceling their cruise.

Things to consider when looking for unsold cabins
By waiting to see what cabins are unsold when booking a cruise you are also taking a risk here.  You could easily end up with the stateroom in a noisy area or a highly undesirable location.  Of course there is always a chance you could end up with a very nice cabin, but it’s a bit of a gamble.

How to find those unsold rooms on a cruise ship

There are a couple of ways you can go about this.  If you are on a cruise line’s email list you may get a message about last minute deals for particular ships.  You can also visit their websites every day and multiple times a day, because yes, the prices can change that fast.  Quite a few travel agencies also offer email newsletters with some of the best deals on these unsold cabins for last minute cruisers.

A note on price-control

Some cruise lines have implemented tight price-controls in recent years.  This means that even travel agents aren’t allowed to sell the cabins for less than what the cruise line states.  Some will offer on-ship credit to still give you a good deal, but certain price-controls have made it more difficult to find those bargain basement prices. Even in this tough economy cruise ships are leaving their ports at 100% capacity.

Cruising is only getting more popular as people find out how amazing it is to cruise the open seas and as more people get “Cruise Fever”. In general it’s good for a few cabins to be available on a cruise just in case something happens to one of the cabins and they need to move passengers to a new room.

Do you have any tips on buying or finding unsold cruise cabins?  Leave a comment below and let us know.

Courtesy: CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association). 

Cheapest Weeks of the Year to Take a Cruise

Cheapest Weeks of the Year to Take a Cruise
July 22, 2017 by Ben Souza

While we believe that there are no bad times to take a cruise, certain weeks of the year are often cheaper than others.  A good rule of thumb is that prices are likely to be higher around any holidays or when kids are out of school.




What causes prices to change from week to week?  It is all based on supply and demand.  While some weeks (especially Christmas) are notorious for having high rates due to an increase in demand, the following weeks are generally the cheapest times to take a cruise. It is worth noting that any week can have high prices if a specific sailing is selling well, even if it is during a week listed below.

• 2nd week of January through early February – Great rates can often be found right after the extremely popular Christmas through New Year’s Eve season.
• Last week of February – Prices are often higher for Valentines Day week, who doesn’t want a Love Boat cruise?  However, prices tend to drop after Valentines Day until Spring Break.
• Early May – After the popular Spring Break weeks, there tends to be a slight lull in early May before kids get out of school for summer.  Once Memorial Day comes around, prices will go up.
• September after Labor Day – With kids back in school and hurricane season in full swing, great rates can normally be found from the week after Labor Day through October.
• First two weeks of December – Sandwiched between the popular cruise weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas, the first two weeks of December will often have great rates.

Our recommendation?  Book early and take advantage of price drops, guaranteeing that not only will you get the best selection of staterooms, but also the best price.

10 Things You Should Not Worry About On a Cruise

10 Things You Should Not Worry About On a Cruise
August 16, 2017 by Ben Souza

Going on a cruise? Here are ten things that you should not worry about as you lead up to embarkation day. Seriously, don’t worry about these things.




Bad Weather – Hardly a day goes by without me seeing someone ask the questions, “How’s the weather in the Caribbean in October (insert any month)? Do you think it will rain?”. The weatherman can barely tell us what the weather will be like this evening, never mind months from now. It’s the Caribbean, it’s generally warm to very hot, and it rains often. Don’t worry about what the weather is going to be for your cruise that’s months away. Spoiler alert: You’re going to have a great time!

Noise Due to Stateroom Location – One of my favorite stateroom locations is near the stairs/elevators. This gives easy access to the public areas of the ship. If you are thinking about booking a cabin near this area and are worried about noise, don’t be worried about noise. I’ve noticed that no matter where my cabin is located, it’s a total crap shoot on how much noise you will hear from other passengers. So go ahead and book that cabin that is in a desirable location and don’t worry about noise.

Seasickness – Is the fear of seasickness keeping you from taking a cruise? Modern cruise ships are amazingly stable and most times, you can’t even tell you are on a cruise ship. If you are easily prone to motion sickness, pick up the patch, wristband or Bonine and don’t worry about seasickness. I know many people who were really worried before their first cruise, but that fear quickly subsided after the first day of sailing in the calm waters of the Caribbean.

Hurricanes – Hurricane season is a six month season that runs from June 1 through November 30. However, that doesn’t mean that will be will be storm during your cruise. Worrying in advance if there will be a tropical storm or hurricane is just senseless worry. If there is a storm during your cruise, the ship will sail to calm waters and sunny skies.

Getting Bored on Sea Days – I will admit, this was one of my worries before I took my first cruise. I went on the cruise worried about being “stuck” on a cruise ship during sea days and finished my cruise loving every second of the sea days.  Sea days will quickly become your favorite days of a cruise.

Might Not Have Fun – Don’t worry about whether or not you will have fun on your upcoming cruise. There’s a reason why the cruise industry has exploded in popularity over the past 25 years, it will be one of the most fun weeks of your life.

Dinner Mates – If you are doing traditional dining (early or late seating) on a cruise, you will more than likely be seated with other passengers for dinner. Don’t worry in advance if you will “click” with them. Remember, if you have any problems, just talk to the maitre d’. He will reassign you to another table.

Other Passengers Will Ruin It – Just today I saw someone worrying about whether other passengers will ruin their upcoming cruise. Don’t worry about other passengers, you and you only have control over how much you enjoy your cruise. The cruise is what YOU make of it.




Dressing Up Too Fancy on Formal Night – If you want to dress to the nines and bring the tux and fancy gown for formal night, go right ahead. Even though passengers tend to not dress up as much as they did a decade ago, don’t worry about what other passengers wear or think. There’s no such thing as wearing something too nice on formal night.

Missing Cruise/Flight – Instead of worrying that you will miss your cruise or flight, fly in the day before your cruise and get off your vacation off to a relaxing start. On the way home, book a flight after 12:00 p.m. and you will have nothing to worry about.

Remember the less you worry, not only will you have a better time anticipating your upcoming cruise, but the better time you will have once you are on board.

Source: Posted by CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association)

16 Worst Mistakes You Can Make on a Cruise

16 Worst Mistakes You Can Make on a Cruise
July 27, 2017 by Ben Souza

Cruise Fever’s mission is simple, to help you have the best cruise possible.  While we often write articles on things you should do on cruises, here are the worst mistakes that you can make on a cruise.




1. Climbing/horseplay on railings – Although this should be a no-brainer, we occasionally hear accounts of passengers sitting on the ship’s railings or climbing over balcony partitions.

2. Stiffing the crew – While most cruise lines automatically charge a daily gratuity or service surcharge to your stateroom, you can have them removed by going to guest services.  However, just because you are allowed to have them taken off doesn’t mean that you should.  You wouldn’t go to a restaurant without tipping and you shouldn’t go on a cruise without tipping.

3. Getting too drunk – No one enjoys having an obnoxious drunk by them on the lido deck or at their dinner table.

4. Getting left behind in port – When the captain says that the ship is leaving port at 5:00, he means it. He isn’t going to wait around for those that lost track of time.  If you get left behind in port, you are responsible for your own transportation to the next port or back home.  The costs can be several thousand dollars each and will be even more complicated if you are traveling without a passport. Our advice?  Plan on arriving back near the ship 1 1/2 to 2 hours before you are scheduled to leave.  This not only gives you some time to shop in the port area, but also gives you plenty of leeway if you run into traffic or your taxi or bus has a breakdown on the way back.

5. Going by port time instead of ship time – Going by port time instead of ship time is a great way to miss your ship.  Also, never trust the time on your cell phone. Bring a watch and if you don’t have one, pick up a cheap $10 watch and you will never have to worry about getting port/ship times mixed up.

6. Eating only at the buffet – While newer ships like Regal Princess have great buffets, the best food on a cruise is almost always in the main dining room.  By eating only at the buffet, you miss out on the great food and service that is offered in the main dining rooms and specialty restaurants.

7. Line cutting –  We all hate waiting in lines while on vacation, but it’s part of life.

8. Booking late flights on embarkation day – Booking late flights on embarkation day is a great way to miss your cruise.  While it is not always possible for everyone to fly in the day before due to work commitments, you should always plan on arriving the day before if you are able to.

9. Booking early flights on disembarkation day – Cruise lines recommend not booking flights before noon on disembarkation day.  Just because your arrival time says 7:00 a.m., there is almost no chance of catching an 8:30 flight.  There have been times I walked right through customs, and other times it took over an hour to get through the line.

10. Leaving balcony doors open – Leaving your balcony door propped open will create a wind tunnel when your stateroom door is opened.  It’s a great way to get your fingers smashed in the door when it slams shut on you.

11. Leaving your curtains open when pulling into port – More often than not, you will be docked directly across the pier from another cruise ship.  Those on the ship next to you will be able to see into your cabin if your curtains are open.

12. Forgetting to turn data roaming off – Before stepping foot on the ship, you should go to the settings on your phone and make sure that data roaming is turned off.  This will keep your cell phone from racking up huge charges and using data even when it is in your pocket. Putting your phone in airplane mode will also keep you from racking up additional charges.

13. Piling into elevators without letting other passengers out first – This is about having respect for your fellow passengers.

14. Treating the crew like 2nd class citizens – We all have bad days, but how many you would have if you worked 7 days a week and were away from your family for 6-9 months at a time?  Kind words to the crew will go a long way, treat them with the same respect that you give to your spouse.

15. Cruising without travel insurance – Cruising without travel insurance is like playing with fire.  There are a wide range of policies offered that include coverage for medical (your medical insurance most likely won’t cover you out of the country), travel delays and interruptions, and cancellations.

16. Lying on your medical form – Before you board your cruise, you have to fill out a medical form where you check boxes of certain symptoms that you have had over the past 48-72 hours.  Lying on this form is a great way of spreading an illness to other passengers.  Lying on your form is one of the biggest mistakes you can make on a cruise.

Source: Posted CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association).

10 Ways Rookies Waste Money on a Cruise

10 Ways Rookies Waste Money on a Cruise
September 22, 2017 by Ben Souza

Smart cruisers make the best cruisers.  Here are 10 ways that rookies waste money on a cruise and how to avoid them.

1.

ATM Fees – Forgetting to bring extra cash can be costly on a cruise with ATM machines charging fees that will range from $5-8 per transaction (on top of what your bank will charge you).  If you do need cash for a day in port or to tip the crew a few extra dollars, you can avoid ATM fees on cruise ships with a handy tip on our cruise hacks page.

2. Spa Products – Getting a massage during your cruise is a great way to get pampered while on vacation.  However, you will usually be offered a hard sell right after your treatment is over for some ridiculously overpriced products.  After one of my massages, they tried to sell me a brush that improves circulation for $60 and a 3 pack of bath treatments for another $160.  If you are interested in purchasing these products, order them online after you get home for a fraction of the cost.  The same $60 brush that I was offered I found online for under $20.

3. Cash Cube – This game in the casino goes by a number of names and looks super easy.  The object is to line up a key and fit it into a box to win $100, $500, $1,000, $2,500 or even an iPad.  Did you ever notice that the key almost always “just misses”? That is because the game is rigged and is controlled by a RNG (Random Number Generator), so a skillful player can’t clean out the machine.

You could line up the key perfectly and still lose 100 times in a row if the RNG isn’t a winning number. The machine is programmed to make a profit.  Remember this before you dump $20 after $20 because you are “so close”.  Yes some people will win, but most will walk away losers.

4. Not Understanding Sign and Sail Cards – It’s easy to overspend on a cruise since it is 100% cashless (casino is an exception).  I had a friend recently take their first cruise and attended a skin seminar on board. After hearing how great the product was, she came back to her cabin with two tiny makeup bottles.  What she failed to realize was that her credit card was just charged $70. Using your cabin card is just like using your credit or debit card.

5. Cell Phone Charges – I can’t tell you the number of times I heard rookie cruisers say, “cell phone roaming charges can’t be that much, I’ll just upload a couple pictures”.  At $15 per mb, logging on to Facebook and uploading one picture can cost you anywhere from $20-30.  With the cheaper Internet packages cruise lines now offer, turn data roaming off on your cell phone and save yourself from a huge headache a month after your cruise when your cell phone bill arrives in the mail.

6. Pull Tabs – Before shows on some cruise lines, the crew will walk around selling strips of “Pull Tabs” where you could win $500 or more.  These strips offer some of the worst odds but yet cruisers can’t raise their hands fast enough to buy them. Why? You are sitting in your seat waiting for the show to start and are a captive audience.  This makes you easy pickins for the cruise line to make money.

7. Shore Excursions – Booking shore excursions only with the cruise line can cost you double what others pay for the same excursion (usually in smaller groups too) through third parties.  Most passengers will do this because the ship will wait for you in the event that your group is late returning to the pier.  However, many third party shore excursion companies (including Shore Excursions Group, Cruising Excursions, and Shore Trips) also offer a guarantee that you will arrive back on time.

8. Drink Packages/Cards – Not taking advantage of drink packages and cards that cruise lines offer can end up costing you a lot more money by the end of your cruise.  The Cafe Selects card that Princess Cruises sells for around $35 offers up to 50% savings over the regular price of specialty coffees.  Plus, you can use the card on future cruises if you still have unused punches on your card.

9. Not Purchasing Future Cruise Certificates – Passengers who will cruise again and don’t purchase future cruise certificates on board is equivalent to throwing a $100 bill into the ocean.

10. Movies on Demand – Many cruise lines charge an average of $10 to watch new releases in your cabin.  After spending $1,500- $2,000 on your cruise fare, do you really want to pay to watch a movie in your cabin? If it is a movie you want to see, make the most of your time on board and then pick up the movie from Redbox for under $2 when you get home.  Note: Cruise lines will usually also have a selection of movies/TV shows through in-stateroom programming at no extra cost.

Source: Posted by CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association). 

6 Things You Should Do Before Every Cruise

6 Things You Should Do Before Every Cruise
August 1, 2017 by Ben Souza

In our never ending effort to help you have the best cruise possible, here are 6 things you should do before every cruise.



Check-In Online – Checking in online before your cruise and printing off your boarding documents will expedite the process from going from curbside to walking on the ship. The more you do online before your cruise (setting up onboard account, printing documents etc.) the quicker your check-in process will be.  This not only benefits you, but also those who are in line behind you waiting to board the ship.

Most cruise lines will allow you to check-in online after final payment up until 24-72 hours before your cruise.

Notify Credit Card Companies – Let your bank know that not only that will be you traveling, but to which countries you will be visiting on your cruise.  Your credit card may be rejected (for your protection) when making a purchase out of country if they are not notified.  As a security measure, some banks may also lock your account if you access it from a foreign port. Also, it is always best to use a credit card in foreign ports and not a debit card.

When you notify your credit card company about your trip, ask about travel perks that they may offer.  Some cards offer no foreign transaction fees, free or discounted medical insurance for your trip, and other travel perks that could benefit you.

Research Ports – Researching the ports that you will be visiting before your cruise can keep you from wasting time while on your cruise trying to choose which excursion to take.  While you do not have to know exactly what you will be doing in each port ahead of time, have several options in mind will help you make the most of your limited time in each port.

Turn Data Roaming Off – The moment before you step onboard the ship you should make sure that data roaming is turned off on your cell phone.  At a cost of $15+ per mb, the costly charges will add up quickly when connected to the ship’s cell phone towers.

If you have T-Mobile, you can set your phone to only connect to data when it is free.  Log into your account online, go to profile – blocking – and turn on “block charged data roaming”.  With this option, you do not have to turn data roaming off on your phone and since T-Mobile offers free data/texting in over 120 countries, you never have to worry about extra data charges.

Purchase Travel Insurance – Purchasing travel insurance before your cruise will cover you on your way to the cruise, during your cruise, and on your way home.  Consider using a 3rd party travel insurance company such as InsureMyTrip.com or Travel Guard to get the best coverage at a lower price.  All plans are not equal so be sure to see what is covered before purchasing a plan.

Save Small Bills – It is always good to have decent amount of small bills (especially $1 & $5) for tipping onboard.  Room service is not included in your daily gratuities and it is customary to tip $2-5 depending on the size of your order. Also, most cruisers will tip the porters at the port $1-2 per bag.

Source: Posted by CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association).