May 23, 2025 • 43 mins
Ever wondered what makes cruise vacations so magical or why they inspire such passionate loyalty among travelers? Award-winning cruise consultant Kurt Oswald pulls back the curtain on the cruise industry, sharing the insider knowledge you need before booking your first (or next) voyage at sea.
Kurt addresses the most common concerns of first-time cruisers head-on - from fears about seasickness to worries about crowded ships. "The ships are so technology advanced now... you don't hear many people getting seasick at all," he explains, dispelling one of cruising's most persistent myths. Even on massive ships carrying thousands of passengers, Kurt assures listeners that "you're never around crowds - there's always a place to go," whether you're seeking excitement or tranquility.
Choosing the right cruise experience is about understanding your own travel style and expectations. Kurt walks through the matching process he uses with clients, considering everything from family dynamics to dining preferences when recommending specific cruise lines. The wisdom in his advice becomes apparent as he explains how vastly different two cruise experiences can be depending on the ship and itinerary selected. His recommendation to book at least a year in advance might surprise some listeners, but makes perfect sense when he details the benefits of early planning.
The conversation ventures into practical territory with discussions about cabin selection (why that balcony might be worth every penny), the true cost of cruising beyond advertised rates, and the crucial importance of travel insurance. Kurt's passion for creating perfect vacation experiences shines throughout, especially when he shares simple tips for enhancing your onboard experience - like his strategy of greeting cabin stewards with a small tip on day one to ensure exceptional service throughout your voyage.
Ready to explore the world from the comfort of a floating luxury hotel? Email Kurt at koswald@expediacruises.com and discover why so many travelers find themselves returning to the seas year after year.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Hey there, I'm Russ.
Welcome to Explorations AllOver.
Well, we're back from afantastic 19-night cruise on
(00:30):
Silver Sea Cruise's Silver Moonthat departed from Los Angeles,
crossed the Pacific, spent sixnights visiting the Hawaiian
Islands, crossing back over thePacific and ending in Vancouver,
canada.
It was a really great trip,with some ups, some downs and a
little bit of movement on theopen seas.
I kept an almost daily journalon the Explorations All Over
(00:52):
Facebook page, complete withphotos and videos of our
excursions while ashore,including a visit to a simmering
Kilauea volcano, a nighttimesnorkel with huge manta rays and
a trek to the top of the WaimeaCanyon to view some of the most
spectacular landscape on theplanet.
I also included lots ofpictures of life on board, with
(01:15):
a focus on the incredible foodprovided throughout all the
dining venues on the ship.
Check it out and don't forgetto like and follow the
Explorations All Over Facebookpage as well.
Today I'm so excited to welcomeKurt Oswald, a travel consultant
(01:36):
and cruise specialist withExpedia Cruises.
Kurt was recently recognizedwith Expedia Cruises Navigators
Club Platinum Award for hisoutstanding performance in the
cruise industry.
Kurt and I have known eachother for almost 40 years and I
was so excited when I learnedabout his latest career success
(01:56):
as a travel advisor.
We're going to talk everythingcruise related and I'm looking
forward to hearing some greattips from a cruise professional
on how to make the most of yourvacation.
Kurt, welcome to ExplorationsAll Over.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Well, thank you, russell, for inviting me to join
you today and I am reallyexcited and hopefully I could
help some of your friends andfamily and clients with some
cruise details.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
I think that'll be great.
As I said, Kurt and I haveknown each other for almost 40
years.
Can you believe that?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Yeah, really, and still good friends.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
That's right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
That's the most important, absolutely so, kurt.
(03:03):
First off, tell the husbandpurchased a franchise from
Expedia Cruises and, knowingthat I have been on many cruises
and I've traveled a lot ingrowing up and in my adult life,
she asked me if I'd beinterested in becoming one of
her consultants.
(03:23):
And I said absolutely, knowingthat in the future I would be
retiring, and I thought, wow,this is really great because I
could start off slowly, grow mybusiness and learn and then when
I venture into this afterretirement, it will give me some
enjoyment and some extra funds,and I just love traveling and I
(03:46):
think that was a great way forme.
You know, I had a very strongretail background for over 30
years.
So this is completely differentand I'm very lucky.
I love what I do and it's niceworking with you know, working
with people.
People are happy, they're in agood mood when they're planning
(04:06):
vacation.
I'm not presenting them with abill or you know like that.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
So so today, I think what what we want to really talk
about is and let's talk aboutwhere do you start?
Where does a person that hasnever taken a cruise before?
(04:32):
What kind of questions do youask them?
What's important for you toknow to get them going?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Sure, when I first meet a client or clients going
Sure, when I first meet a clientor clients, you know, after our
introduction I ask them whatdid you do on your last vacation
?
And then from that we can gointo who they traveled with.
And then the next question Iasked what did you like most
about your vacation and what didyou not like about your
(05:02):
vacation?
And from this interaction andinformation I help them decide.
Okay, you know, they went awaywith their kids.
Their kids are 15 and younger,so we know that we want to put
them on a cruise that is familyoriented and has a lot of
activities for the kids to keepbusy on and off the ship.
(05:24):
Also, if it's a couple that isnewly a couple that wants to go
away just by themselves, then Iwill not steer them to an
all-family cruise.
I'll put them on a cruisethat's more oriented towards
couples, which the cruise linedoesn't have the slides, the
go-karts, the laser tags,something that has a little bit
(05:45):
more mature offerings for them.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
So what do you think is the most important factor or
factors that people that are newto cruising need to understand?
Speaker 2 (06:01):
I think a lot of people say, oh, I'm going to get
seasick, or I don't want to bewith all those people.
I think what they don'tunderstand is right now, you
know, this is 2025.
The ships are so technologyadvanced now than they were ever
.
We have these stabilizers whichactually, you know, stabilize
(06:23):
the ship from rocking and andyou don't, you know, I don't I
have not heard too many peoplegetting seasick at all.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
I mean, you know, these ships are designed
wonderfully right now and, yes,some of the ships are so big
they're called mega ships, butthe ships are so big that you're
never in, you're never aroundcrowds.
Okay you know if there's alwaysa place to go.
They always have an area that'squiet, or you could always find
alone time, whether it's on thedeck reading a book in a
(06:54):
library or in another alcove onthe ship.
Or even in your cabin, if youdon't really there's so many
types of cabins for you to becomfortable in, okay, and
there's so many types of cabinsfor you to be comfortable in.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Okay, and you know a lot of people have an impression
of what cruising is all about.
They you know back in the 70s,going way, way back, you know
the love boat and all that, andyou know things have certainly
changed since then.
What kind of myths do you thinkare out there about cruising?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
I think that a lot of people think that they're going
to be on lines all the time incruising.
There's a line for this, a linefor that, a line for that, a
line you know, and all day longthey're going to be in lines and
it's going to be overwhelming.
What they don't understand isthat right now, these cruise
lines have everything down to ascience, you know, and they know
that people are there on acruise to have a good time and
(07:49):
enjoy themselves.
They don't want to stand inline and they don't want to be
ushered here and there.
And also, you know, thesecruise lines offer so much for
everyone, whether, if you are,if you'd like to just go off and
be by yourself, enjoy withfamily, there's always something
(08:11):
to do there.
You're never going to get bored.
There's always activitiesthroughout the day.
I think a lot of people say whatam I going to do in the cruise?
What am I going to do?
Well, you know what there'swine tastings, there's cheese
tastings, there's ice sculpturecarving, there's shuffleboard
tastings.
There's cheese tastings,there's ice sculpture carving,
there's shuffleboard, there'sbasketball, there's a library,
(08:32):
there's a movie, there'sactivities by the pool, there's
a gym.
There's so much for everyone.
And I think that when people goon these cruises now, they
realize, wow, there was so muchfor me to do, I couldn't even
fit it in all day.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Sure, and you know someone who is thinking about
taking a cruise.
You know how do they, how doyou I don't want to say convince
them, but how do you determinefor them what's the right cruise
line?
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Well, first of all, I ask them, who are they going
with?
You know, is it a family or isit just a couple?
And from there we move on and Imake sure that the cruise line
is comfortable for them, thatthey're going to feel
comfortable, that they're goingto enjoy themselves on it, If
they if I find a couple that hasstayed in high end hotels and
(09:20):
in Paris and Rome and New Yorkand anywhere you know, and they
enjoy the finer things of life.
There's cruise lines that Iwould put them in, such as
Silver Seas, such as Oceania orsomething like that.
I would not put them on acruise with a lot of kids that I
(09:42):
don't think they would feelcomfortable with.
Also, services Put them on acruise where they're going to
get wonderful butler service orfine dinings.
Make them feel comfortable,what they're used to, that they
could see, they could have thesewonderful amenities at sea.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Okay, now I had a listener, chris ask the question
are there any particular cruiselines that are better than
others for first timers?
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Yeah Well, again, it all depends on if you're going
alone or your spouse or families.
But yes, you know, depending onwho you're traveling with and
when you're going in, what partpart of the year definitely
could put you into the rightcruise is there a?
Speaker 1 (10:28):
is there a an ideal length of time that you would
recommend for a first timer like?
Speaker 2 (10:34):
I would say a first timer should be seven days.
You know, seven days you reallyget a nice taste of the cruise.
Remember that, um, the firstday you, by the time you get on
the ship, it's like threeo'clock in the afternoon and
then when the last day you getoff, is rather early in the
morning.
So you're it's, you know youhave a nice amount of time to
enjoy the.
(10:54):
Remember it's.
It's so important to not onlyenjoy the itinerary but also the
ship.
You know it's, it's, it's goodto just enjoy the amenities on
the ship and what the ship hasto offer.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Oh, because that's what you pay for.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Exactly.
I mean, these ships arebeautiful nowadays.
They are stunning, they arehighly decorated and they're
absolutely beautiful, and Ithink that you have to enjoy not
only the ship but the itineraryand the people or person you're
going with.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
What about those people that say you know, I just
want to try it?
Speaker 2 (11:31):
so I'm going to just do like a three-day cruise.
You could do a three-day cruise, but a lot of the three-day
cruises are family-oriented andthey usually depart from Florida
to one of their private islands, and maybe a Bahama island or
something, depending on whereyou're going.
It's a nice taste, yes, butjust keep in mind that there's
(11:51):
better itineraries and, at times, a much nicer experience.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
I agree, and the three-day cruise.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
You're hoarding on, you're hoarding off.
Before you know it, you're backat port and you're like, wow,
what happened?
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Exactly, I was just going to say that it doesn't
really give you that much timeto get a feel for the ship, get
a feel for any particulardestination, these cruise lines
that are constructing theseprivate islands.
It's sort of, in a way, veryDisney.
The island looks like they wantit to look, not necessarily
(12:27):
what you would experience on aquote unquote real island.
But what about destination?
Are there for people?
How do you determine what's thebest destination for someone
that's looking to take a cruise?
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Well, I ask them, you know, first of all, where would
they like to go?
Are they interested in a beachvacation?
Are they interested in going tothe Mediterranean?
Would they like to go visitBarcelona?
You know?
Spain.
Would they like to go to Italy?
Would they like to go toIceland?
You know?
Would they like to go to Italy?
Would they like to go toIceland?
You know.
Would they like to go to Alaska?
(13:09):
You know what do they?
Are they adventurous?
You know?
Do they want?
Or a lot of times I get thesecalls from girls going on
bachelorette parties and theywant just beach and that's where
you put them in the caribbean.
But then you have these coupleswhich are more hikers and
(13:29):
everything.
You know, these very activecouples and they love alaska
yeah yeah, you can get out anddo a hiking trail in alaska, you
can go to the glacier, youcould do dog sledding, you know.
So it all depends on what yourcustom, what your custom, what
my customers are into, whatthey're interested in, so that I
could help them with the rightdestination they feel
(13:49):
comfortable and happy with.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Okay, and you know, using my own personal experience
, I mean, when Duncan and Ifirst started cruising, we
started with Royal Caribbean,you know, going back 30 years,
and back then with RoyalCaribbean, you know going back
30 years, and back then theirtagline was get out there and it
was all about the activecruiser and when you were in the
(14:12):
Caribbean you'd go snorkelingand swimming with the turtles
and swimming with all.
You know all very but it was avery active, a very active
cruise.
So I know, I know exactly whatyou're saying.
How far in advance do you thinkpeople should book a cruise?
Speaker 2 (14:31):
I think that people should book a cruise at least
one year in advance.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Okay, why is that?
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Because that will allow me to not to get them onto
a nice to the cruise line thatI feel comfortable with in a
proper cabin.
Okay, that way I have theopportunity to choose the cabin
for them in a location that Iknow will be nice for them.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
And a listener also asked a question pertaining just
to that.
Talk about the different kindsof cabins and you've mentioned
that picking the right cabin forthem.
What does that mean and how doyou do that?
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Well, you know there's a few different types of
cabins.
The opening cabin is an insidecabin with no windows, no
portholes.
It's just a cabin with, youknow the bed, the bathroom area
and you know no window at all.
Then we have a cabin with aporthole or a window and then
(15:29):
from there you can go up to abalcony cabin which has the
cabin and itself, and thenattached to it is a balcony
which is quite nice, and fromthere are the suites, and the
suites are much nicer.
They're much larger, the suiteitself is larger, the balcony is
larger and sometimes there's alittle extra amenities in a
(15:49):
suite compared to, like, theinside cabin.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
So you know you talk about the balcony.
Someone might ask the questionwell, if there's all this deck
space and all this stuff to do,what do I need a balcony for?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Because you know what's nice In the morning.
You wake up.
There's a this deck, space andall this stuff to do.
What do I need a balcony for?
Because you know what's nice Inthe morning.
You wake up, there's a knock onyour door and the night before
you order tea and coffee andmaybe a croissant or something,
and you get to sit on yourbalcony and start your day,
overlooking whether it's theocean or whether it's the port
of call that you're in, andyou're just sitting there
enjoying this beautiful day you,your, your wife, your boyfriend
(16:26):
, your girlfriend or whateversitting there sipping a tea,
sipping your coffee, looking out, saying you know what.
This is such a nice way to startthe day I agree, and you know,
and even in the afternoon youknow, you come back from a shore
excursion and um sure you graba glass of wine and you just sit
on your balcony and you just,you know, rehash how beautiful
(16:48):
your day was and you're excitedabout tonight, and you're
excited about tomorrow, whereyou're going, and it's just,
it's just a wonderful time.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
It really is so you know, you talked about the
inside cabin and you talkedabout, you know, suites and so
on and so forth.
So let's talk a little bitabout the price, because a lot
of people see, you know, you seeon TV, on social media, online,
you see all these deals andyou'll see, you know, a
(17:20):
seven-day Caribbean cruise outof Miami for $699.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Well, you know, let's face it, A lot of it is
advertising.
When you see these prices, whatthey don't tell you is that the
price that they're showing youis for an interior cabin.
You know they're starting withtheir lowest price and that
price does not include thegratuities.
(17:51):
That price may not include thedrink package or the Wi-Fi
package.
These things are separate.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Okay, Is that stuff expensive?
Is that expensive those things?
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Well, it all depends.
Some cruise lines offerpackages where you get your crew
appreciation, you get yourbeverage package and sometimes
specialty dining in fancierrestaurants.
The packages are always thebest way to go Because
economically they make it.
(18:24):
They make it, you know, theymake it so that you want to buy,
you want to purchase it, andthat's what that opening price
point on that advertisement doesnot tell you Okay that is an
addition, you know so that canadd up?
Of course it can.
Yes, you know that and thatthat's why you come to a cruise,
like me, a cruise consultant,and we could walk you through
and say yes, that is the price.
However, it does not include A,b or C, and this is what.
(18:48):
That way, when a lot of peoplebook online, then they go, they
board the ship and they realize,oh, oh, I don't have Wi-Fi, oh,
I don't have the drink package,oh, I have to pay for
gratuities.
Well, these people are workingvery hard on this ship and
there's gratuities.
Just like you do in arestaurant, you tip someone.
(19:10):
So a lot of people.
That's why coming to a cruiseconsultant will make you feel
comfortable and there's nosurprises.
I can tell you up front whateverything will be, so that when
you get on that ship yourealize that you are not nickel
and dimed.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
That brings up a good point.
Okay, so now you've bookedsomebody and you've got them on
a particular cruise ship and aparticular itinerary, how should
they manage their expectations,especially for a first-timer,
manage their expectation of whatis going to happen on the
cruise?
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Well, you know, the cruise lines give you every day
an itinerary of what ishappening on board and it's nice
to just take a few minutes outreview what's going on that day,
walk around the ship, getcomfortable with the ship
there's a lot of surprises, youknow, and that way you just feel
(20:05):
comfortable and you start offwhat there's so much to do.
Just think about, you know,just look at today's activities
and, wow, I have seven days ofthis, you know.
So take your time to decidewhat you want to do and how you
want to do it and, mike, justenjoy this.
You know that you have to enjoyand how you want to do it, and
just enjoy this.
You have to enjoy the ship also, not just the ports of call.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Right.
Do you think it's possible forsomeone to overdo it?
Like to do too much.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Yeah, I mean it's just like on any other vacation
you think you could.
You can go see 10 cities infive days.
You have to realize is thatthere's a lot to do and make
sure you pick out what you wantto do every day.
Most important thing you wantto do every day, do that first.
Whether it's you're in theCaribbean and you want to go
(20:52):
kayaking, or you're in Alaskayou want to go dog sledding, you
can't do A, b and there's notenough time in the day, you know
.
You also don't want to wasteyour money by paying for these
excursions and not being able toattend them.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Absolutely.
You just mentioned money and Ithink that that's probably one
of the top questions that I'msure that you get.
What do you think is reasonable?
And I know that there's a huge,there's a wide swing.
What should people expect topay for an average seven day
(21:26):
cruise?
What's a reasonable amount for,you know, a decent cabin, et
cetera.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
It all depends on whether you're doing a big, a
big company like Royal Caribbean, norwegian Cruise Lines, msc
Carnival, or are you doing asmaller cruise line like Regent,
silver Seas, oceana, somethinglike that.
It all depends.
But if you're going away withyour family on a family vacation
(21:58):
, I would say that for a familyof four it's probably going to
cost you, about with everything,about $8,000 for a family of
four.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
And then on top of that's maybe some of your
excursion that you want to dowhen you're on these islands.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
And then the beverage package and the yes a lot of
that.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Yeah, then the beverage package some of it's
included, some of it is not, butthat's why, when someone comes
to me, I make sure they'recomfortable with what I am
telling them and that, beforethey give me their credit card
for the deposit, I want to layit all out for them because this
is an investment.
I want them to feel comfortable.
I want them lay it all out forthem because this is an
investment.
I want them to feel comfortable, I want them to feel happy and
(22:42):
I want them to, when they finishwith me, that they say you know
what?
I'm so happy I made the rightdecision.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Yeah, absolutely.
And you know, you see all thesemega ships like you mentioned
the mega ships before and youknow you're talking ships that
can handle 6,000, 7,000 peopleand you know they have all these
cabins.
Well, they have all thesecabins and then when you go look
(23:09):
at the prices that they'recharging, you know you think,
wow, how can they have all thesecabins and don't they have
deals on all these cabins?
And what do you think of that?
Speaker 2 (23:23):
yeah, I mean there are deals, um, every cruise line
offers, uh, runs, sales, saleevents and um, you know, it all
depends on where you're goingand the sale event at the time.
But really you want to makesure you spend your money on the
(23:43):
right cruise line.
If you're worried about, ofcourse, money is very important.
You can't go out of your budget.
You just want to make sure thatyou get the correct cruise for
your budget.
Yes, there's all these salesgoing on, but you have to just
keep in mind there's alwaysgoing to be a sale and a lot of
(24:04):
times my customers will say tome oh, there's a sale going on,
can you just reprice my cruise?
Yes, I can reprice your cruisefor you, but a lot of times it's
the same or sometimes it's evenmore.
That's why, if you book a yearin advance, you get the better
prices.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Okay, and you know how many cruise lines have you
been on personally?
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Probably like around, I would say eight.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
And they differ one from the next, yeah, differ one
from one from the next.
Um, and yeah, you know what,what ways do you see?
Um, uh, cruise lines, cruiseships in the future, like, what
new things do you think aregoing to come down the pike?
You know, uh, because they allthe cruise ships have bells and
(24:55):
whistles, like what, what's thenext big thing, do you think?
Speaker 2 (24:59):
I mean the right right now all cruise lines are
going to.
They're coming out with largeships where there are 5, 6, 7,
8,000 people ships.
I mean that seems to be themost.
That seems to be, right now,what all the cruise lines are
going after Not all of them, buta lot of the majority are going
(25:19):
after right now.
Um, you know and uh, that theyoffer an enormous amount on
these cruise ships, but then youget your other cruise, your
other cruise ship, the only only, uh, your other cruise lines
which are offering, you know,smaller cruise ships, more
intimate special services,butler service.
(25:42):
It all depends on what you want, but right now there's a lot of
mega ships being built andcoming out for everyone.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
And they seem to be filling them up.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
It's crazy.
Yes, that's why I say you wantto book a year in advance, so
that we could put you into yourcabin that you feel comfortable
with.
Yeah, it's crazy.
Yes, that's why I say you wantto book a year in advance, so
that we could put you into yourcabin that you feel comfortable
with.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Yeah, Now let's say I book with you and the six
months down the road, all of asudden to decide, you know what.
I'm not so sure that I want todo it.
If I cancel, do I lose money?
How does that work?
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Okay.
Well, when you first book acruise, you have to put down
your deposit.
Okay, if it's.
But if it's in about, if it'sin about 90 to 150 days before
the cruise departs, you have topull pay for it up front.
But that's why, if you book ayear in advance or 10 months in
advance, you have to put downyour deposit.
And if you tell, for example,me, that you know I want to go,
(26:43):
I don't.
I'm a little leery.
Whatever there are, they offerrefundable deposits and that's
why you put your customers I putmy customers, a lot of them
into refundable deposits so theyfeel comfortable, so in case
they do not want to go, they canget their money, their deposit,
back.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
Before final payment Okay.
You know, final payment isfinal payment, then you're going
, you know, and then that'swhere travel insurance comes in.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
I was going to ask you about that.
What's your thought on travelinsurance?
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Absolutely 100%.
You must get travel insurance.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Especially if you're leaving the country, because you
know, unfortunately, if youslip and fall in your driveway
at home, you have home insurance.
You slip and fall in Rome, inTurkey, in Egypt or something
like that, your coverage is notgoing to cover you when you are
overseas.
You when you are overseas.
(27:42):
That's why travel insurancewill help you in case you have
any emergencies and anyaccidents or anything dealing
with airlines.
It is there to help you.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
Now there's a debate that goes on within the cruise
travel industry about flying infor the cruise the day before or
day of.
What's your thought of that?
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Absolutely.
Fly in a day or two before yourcruise departs.
There are airline cancellations, there are airline changes,
there is weather involved.
You know you could one daycould be absolutely beautiful
and the next day is going to betorrential thunderstorms.
You don't want to miss thatboat.
You want to make sure that youare there a day or two
(28:26):
beforehand and you know andthat's where it's called
pre-cruise where you can get ahotel one or two nights
beforehand, make you feelcomfortable If you're traveling
abroad, acclimate to the timechange, get yourself together
emotionally, physically, andthen when you have to go on your
cruise, you're right there.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
You know it's not like.
You know, you don't want to beworried that your flight touches
down at 12 o'clock and thecruise departs at 3.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
And you, got to rush over to the ship.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
If your plane is on time.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Now let's talk about, because we know that there are
frequent flyer programs withairlines.
Let's talk about cruise lines,frequent travel programs, you
know, do you believe in them?
Do you think that they'reworthwhile?
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Yes, I mean there are loyalty programs.
Every cruise ship offers aloyalty program, and the more
cruises you go on, the morelevels or points you obtain, and
through these levels that youhave accumulated, you get
amenities or sometimes specialpricing on them.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
Okay, more perks on them.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Okay, more perks.
Perks A hundred percent isdefinitely.
When you, when you sign up on a, when you make a cruise booking
, they automatically give you amember loyalty number.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
And next time you book on that cruise line that
pops up and you accrue yourpoints or your levels.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
And and do you recommend that people stick with
one particular cruise line inorder to build up points, or
what's your thought on?
Speaker 2 (30:06):
that if you prefer one cruise line to the other, I
definitely suggest you know.
Okay, you were on RoyalCaribbean with your family.
Why don't we now try Norwegiancruise lines?
And then they could compare andcontrast and that's why you,
(30:29):
you know, you don't.
That's why you've become moreknowledgeable with cruise lines.
Oh, I prefer this from thiscruise line, I prefer this from
this cruise line.
My family's more comfortable onRoyal Caribbean.
My family's more comfortable onRoyal Caribbean.
My family's more comfortable onCarnival.
Check out all these cruiselines to see what they offer,
what each one does better thanthe next.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
And okay, I've taken a cruise, really enjoyed it.
How soon should I get back intouch with you to figure out
whether I want to take anothercruise?
Speaker 2 (31:02):
You know, I always try to reach out to my customers
.
I give them a week or two toget back and then I reach out to
them through an email or a textmessage just to say hey, it's
Kurt, Just want to find out howyou enjoyed your cruise.
Please let me know when youhave some time.
And they call me back and wehave talks and they say and I
ask them are you ready and areyou, would you be, are you
(31:23):
interested in another cruise?
And if they are, I say OK, letme know what you're thinking and
I could do my homework.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
And what if you know?
Have you ever had anybody thatcame back from a cruise and said
it wasn't for me, didn't likeit, don't need to do it again?
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Happens all not all the time, but it does happen and
that's when you say, well, okay, can you please tell me what
you did enjoy about the cruise.
And they say, well, I liked theisland, I liked St Martin, I
liked St Croix, I'd like StCroix.
(32:00):
Then you know, you know what,how about next time I put you on
a nice resort on a Caribbeanisland that I think you're going
to be comfortable with?
Speaker 1 (32:04):
And they just stay there the whole time.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
Yes, okay, you know the best thing.
Remember when you're, it'sgreat.
Then you're helping them findthe right vacation for them,
based on their experience.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
And I guess one of the other questions that one of
the listeners asked was justgoing back to the additional
things that we could buy that acruiser can buy.
Let's go talk specificallyabout the the drinks package,
because you'll you hear a lotabout people associate drinking
(32:40):
with cruising.
You know, booze cruises and soforth so like?
Speaker 2 (32:45):
I'm sorry, russell, but all a lot of the cruise
lines offer what they call thebeverage package, and the
beverage package usuallyconsists of wines, beers and
mixed cocktails and what peopledon't understand.
If you are two in a cabin, bothof you must get the drink
(33:07):
package, not just one, so youhave to both get it.
Or there are exceptions If youare on medication and you don't
drink.
If you get a doctor's note,then the cruise lines will
accept that and the other personcan get the drink package.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
How much you know the drink packages can get
expensive.
You know how much do you haveto drink to sort of get your
money's worth.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
I think also people realize, don't realize, is that
okay, you get the drink package.
But if you are going to be offthe ship every day, you're not
drinking on board and you'reprobably spending money on those
islands or in those citiesdrinking, you know, a glass of
(33:56):
wine for lunch or at the beer.
I mean a couple of beers on thebeach or soda pop or whatever
you may, you know, drink.
So if you are, if you enjoyyour drinks, then the drink
package is definitely for you.
You know, if you're going tohave you wake up in the morning
or whatever, bloody Mary, youcome back from the ship, you're
(34:18):
going to have a cocktail or two,you're going to get ready, you
want to bring a cocktail back toyour room.
You want to have a cocktailbefore dinner.
With dinner you have wine.
That's great, the drink packageis wonderful.
But if you are not, if you'regoing to have occasionally a
glass of wine, occasionally aglass of champagne or something
like that, I say you know, maybeit's not for you, then let's
face it.
(34:38):
You don't want to put peopleinto something they're not going
to use.
You don't want them to say youknow, I spent money in a drink
package and all I had on thewhole entire week was three
glasses of wine.
So tell them, ask them do youenjoy your mixed cocktails?
Do you enjoy your wine everyday?
Speaker 1 (34:58):
Then, yes, ask them.
You know, do you enjoy yourmixed cocktails, do you enjoy
your wine every day?
Then, yes, it's worth it.
If you don't, it's not worth it.
So you talked a little bit agoabout tips and tipping, you know
.
So I'm on the ship and it'stime for me to get off and do I
give everybody a tip.
Like, how does that work?
Do I give everybody a tip?
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Like how does that work?
Most cruise lines offer you topay a daily crew appreciation,
and that daily amount is for thecrew, whether it's your cab and
your cabins do it, the peoplethat clean the ship, everyone.
And sometimes it's like they'llsay, oh, it's like whatever $16
(35:39):
a day per person or whatever itis.
But just remember, these peopleon these cruise ships are
working essentially 24-7.
I mean, they are.
If they're not cleaning, whenthey're not cleaning your room,
they're holding a tray on thedeck serving you.
They are working extremely,extremely hard to make sure you
(36:05):
are comfortable and have awonderful trip.
And tipping and what they callcrew appreciation or gratuities
whatever term you want isdefinitely, definitely important
to these people.
This is their livelihood.
They are bending over backwardsto make sure you have a
wonderful time and it's nice tothese people.
This is their livelihood.
You know they are bending overbackwards to make sure you have
a wonderful time and it's niceto compensate them.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
And let's say I'm on a cruise and I'm not having a
wonderful time.
What do I do?
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Well, let's find out why you're not having a
wonderful time.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
But is there someone on the ship that I can talk to?
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Absolutely.
You can go to the guestservices, talk to them, ask them
if you could please speak tosomeone and let them find out
how can we make you happy, whatis going on, that you're not
enjoying it, and they will sitdown with you and see what they
could do to help you.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Yeah, I agree If you're on their cruise.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
They want you to have a good time.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
I think that's key because you know on the cruises
that I've been on over the past30 years, you know you hear
people complaining and yet theywon't do anything about it and
they don't give the cruise linethe opportunity to fix
whatever's wrong.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Tell them, ask them are they unhappy with their
cabin?
Is there something wrong withtheir cabin?
Do they not have enough hangers?
Is the whatever?
Whatever the case may be?
Is water dripping?
Is it not cold enough in yourroom?
Is it too cold in your room?
Tell these people, tell thecruise line.
They are there to help you andthey want you to have a good
(37:34):
time.
They want you to come back.
So don't just keep it toyourself.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
So let me ask you, just on a personal note why do
you like cruising?
What do you enjoy most?
Speaker 2 (37:47):
I like cruising because I enjoy the energy from
the people that are on thecruise Everyone.
When you get on a cruise,everyone is happy or they hope
to be happy.
I hope they're all happy.
You know you're not at yourdesk, you're not driving, you're
not doing your errands, you'reon a cruise ship.
It's beautiful, there's musicplaying, you have breakfast,
(38:11):
lunch, dinner.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
That someone else has cooked.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
Everyone is.
There's so many activitiesYou're looking at the activities
for the day and there's so muchto do.
Everyone is in a good mood andit's you're on vacation.
I mean, what's not to like?
But you know, honestly, I thinkthat I do like the people on
(38:36):
the cruise are generally happyand they're having a wonderful
time and that it's nice to enjoythe ship, enjoy what this
company is offering you.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Check out all the decks and you're going to be
surprised what's there.
And it's funny because a lot oftimes on the last day when the
staff you know are cleaning thecabins to get ready for the next
, for the next crew of guests,um, it's a.
That's a great opportunity togo walk around and go look at
the suite and see what the suitelooks like.
Yes, of course you know I justwanted to tell you.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
One thing I didn't mention is that when I get on a
cruise ship and the first dayand I meet my steward and I
introduce myself to them, I givehim or her, depending what I
want $10 or $20.
And I say hi, my name is Kurt.
Thank you for everything inadvance.
I just want to tell you that Iwould like a bucket of ice every
(39:36):
day to my room and, if youcould please, an extra towel or
two, you know.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
Does that make a difference?
Speaker 2 (39:45):
It makes a difference , you know, yes, it makes a very
big difference.
You know, when you come backfrom a long day, there's going
to be a bucket of ice there foryou for your water, for your
cocktail, for whatever you want,and it's going to be an extra
towel there for you or,depending on what, or I always
say, can you leave me an extraitinerary on my on the desk,
(40:08):
because I like to take one withme during the day and I because
I know it's going to get allcrumpled and ripped up and
everything for the day, but thenI have a nice, clean one to
review in my cabin.
These things are nice to do andit means so much to these
people that are working so hardfor you.
A $10 bill brightens up theirday and they smile and you know
(40:32):
they're going to be Johnny onthe spot for you.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
Right Go the little bit extra.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
Of course yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
So, Kurt, let's wrap it up.
I want to ask how someone getsin touch with you.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
Someone could email me or they could call me.
I am happy to give you thatinformation.
I'll put it in the show notesfor the podcast.
Speaker 1 (40:55):
So that's available.
Obviously you're on Facebook,but do you have any other way of
contacting you through socialmedia?
Speaker 2 (41:07):
The best thing to do is to email me.
Okay, email me, koswald, atExpediaCruisescom.
Great, and I will get back toyou and we could have a
conversation.
Perfect and help you plan,whether it's a land or cruise
vacation.
I'm so happy to do that.
Speaker 1 (41:25):
Awesome.
Well, my friend, I appreciateyou taking the time to sit down
with me and enlighten mylisteners on the joys of
cruising and sharing yourexpertise and your experience
with them, and I'm sure thateverybody appreciates it and
(41:46):
just wish you the best of luckin your travel endeavors as you
continue down the PlatinumNavigator path.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
Well, listen, Russell .
I want to say thank you forhaving me on today and, most of
all, thank you for being myfriend.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
Absolutely Almost 40 years.
I can't believe it.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
And, honestly, anyone that's listening or needs help.
I'm here, please, and I'm happyto help you.
Thank you again.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
Thanks, kurt.
Kurt well, I hope you enjoyedour conversation.
Whether you're consideringtrying cruising, are fairly new
to it or have been at sea foryears, I hope you found it
helpful and that you've got sometips on making the most of your
cruise vacation.
Kurt provided some greatinformation and professional
(42:35):
advice that you can use whenplanning your next adventure, no
matter whether it's in theCaribbean, alaska, the
Mediterranean or some otherexciting destination.
I've put Kurt's contactinformation in the show notes in
case you'd like to contact himwith questions about something
we maybe didn't discuss.
Once again, I'm Russ.
(42:59):
Thanks for listening to thisepisode of Explorations All Over
.
I'll see you soon.
Hey there, I'm Russ.
Welcome to Explorations AllOver.
Well, we're back from afantastic 19-night cruise on
(00:30):
Silver Sea Cruise's Silver Moonthat departed from Los Angeles,
crossed the Pacific, spent sixnights visiting the Hawaiian
Islands, crossing back over thePacific and ending in Vancouver,
canada.
It was a really great trip,with some ups, some downs and a
little bit of movement on theopen seas.
I kept an almost daily journalon the Explorations All Over
(00:52):
Facebook page, complete withphotos and videos of our
excursions while ashore,including a visit to a simmering
Kilauea volcano, a nighttimesnorkel with huge manta rays and
a trek to the top of the WaimeaCanyon to view some of the most
spectacular landscape on theplanet.
I also included lots ofpictures of life on board, with
(01:15):
a focus on the incredible foodprovided throughout all the
dining venues on the ship.
Check it out and don't forgetto like and follow the
Explorations All Over Facebookpage as well.
Today I'm so excited to welcomeKurt Oswald, a travel consultant
(01:36):
and cruise specialist withExpedia Cruises.
Kurt was recently recognizedwith Expedia Cruises Navigators
Club Platinum Award for hisoutstanding performance in the
cruise industry.
Kurt and I have known eachother for almost 40 years and I
was so excited when I learnedabout his latest career success
(01:56):
as a travel advisor.
We're going to talk everythingcruise related and I'm looking
forward to hearing some greattips from a cruise professional
on how to make the most of yourvacation.
Kurt, welcome to ExplorationsAll Over.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Well, thank you, russell, for inviting me to join
you today and I am reallyexcited and hopefully I could
help some of your friends andfamily and clients with some
cruise details.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
I think that'll be great.
As I said, Kurt and I haveknown each other for almost 40
years.
Can you believe that?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Yeah, really, and still good friends.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
That's right, that's right.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
That's the most important, absolutely so, kurt.
(03:03):
First off, tell the husbandpurchased a franchise from
Expedia Cruises and, knowingthat I have been on many cruises
and I've traveled a lot ingrowing up and in my adult life,
she asked me if I'd beinterested in becoming one of
her consultants.
(03:23):
And I said absolutely, knowingthat in the future I would be
retiring, and I thought, wow,this is really great because I
could start off slowly, grow mybusiness and learn and then when
I venture into this afterretirement, it will give me some
enjoyment and some extra funds,and I just love traveling and I
(03:46):
think that was a great way forme.
You know, I had a very strongretail background for over 30
years.
So this is completely differentand I'm very lucky.
I love what I do and it's niceworking with you know, working
with people.
People are happy, they're in agood mood when they're planning
(04:06):
vacation.
I'm not presenting them with abill or you know like that.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
So so today, I think what what we want to really talk
about is and let's talk aboutwhere do you start?
Where does a person that hasnever taken a cruise before?
(04:32):
What kind of questions do youask them?
What's important for you toknow to get them going?
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Sure, when I first meet a client or clients going
Sure, when I first meet a clientor clients, you know, after our
introduction I ask them whatdid you do on your last vacation
?
And then from that we can gointo who they traveled with.
And then the next question Iasked what did you like most
about your vacation and what didyou not like about your
(05:02):
vacation?
And from this interaction andinformation I help them decide.
Okay, you know, they went awaywith their kids.
Their kids are 15 and younger,so we know that we want to put
them on a cruise that is familyoriented and has a lot of
activities for the kids to keepbusy on and off the ship.
(05:24):
Also, if it's a couple that isnewly a couple that wants to go
away just by themselves, then Iwill not steer them to an
all-family cruise.
I'll put them on a cruisethat's more oriented towards
couples, which the cruise linedoesn't have the slides, the
go-karts, the laser tags,something that has a little bit
(05:45):
more mature offerings for them.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
So what do you think is the most important factor or
factors that people that are newto cruising need to understand?
Speaker 2 (06:01):
I think a lot of people say, oh, I'm going to get
seasick, or I don't want to bewith all those people.
I think what they don'tunderstand is right now, you
know, this is 2025.
The ships are so technologyadvanced now than they were ever
.
We have these stabilizers whichactually, you know, stabilize
(06:23):
the ship from rocking and andyou don't, you know, I don't I
have not heard too many peoplegetting seasick at all.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:31):
I mean, you know, these ships are designed
wonderfully right now and, yes,some of the ships are so big
they're called mega ships, butthe ships are so big that you're
never in, you're never aroundcrowds.
Okay you know if there's alwaysa place to go.
They always have an area that'squiet, or you could always find
alone time, whether it's on thedeck reading a book in a
(06:54):
library or in another alcove onthe ship.
Or even in your cabin, if youdon't really there's so many
types of cabins for you to becomfortable in, okay, and
there's so many types of cabinsfor you to be comfortable in.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Okay, and you know a lot of people have an impression
of what cruising is all about.
They you know back in the 70s,going way, way back, you know
the love boat and all that, andyou know things have certainly
changed since then.
What kind of myths do you thinkare out there about cruising?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
I think that a lot of people think that they're going
to be on lines all the time incruising.
There's a line for this, a linefor that, a line for that, a
line you know, and all day longthey're going to be in lines and
it's going to be overwhelming.
What they don't understand isthat right now, these cruise
lines have everything down to ascience, you know, and they know
that people are there on acruise to have a good time and
(07:49):
enjoy themselves.
They don't want to stand inline and they don't want to be
ushered here and there.
And also, you know, thesecruise lines offer so much for
everyone, whether, if you are,if you'd like to just go off and
be by yourself, enjoy withfamily, there's always something
(08:11):
to do there.
You're never going to get bored.
There's always activitiesthroughout the day.
I think a lot of people say whatam I going to do in the cruise?
What am I going to do?
Well, you know what there'swine tastings, there's cheese
tastings, there's ice sculpturecarving, there's shuffleboard
tastings.
There's cheese tastings,there's ice sculpture carving,
there's shuffleboard, there'sbasketball, there's a library,
(08:32):
there's a movie, there'sactivities by the pool, there's
a gym.
There's so much for everyone.
And I think that when people goon these cruises now, they
realize, wow, there was so muchfor me to do, I couldn't even
fit it in all day.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
Sure, and you know someone who is thinking about
taking a cruise.
You know how do they, how doyou I don't want to say convince
them, but how do you determinefor them what's the right cruise
line?
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Well, first of all, I ask them, who are they going
with?
You know, is it a family or isit just a couple?
And from there we move on and Imake sure that the cruise line
is comfortable for them, thatthey're going to feel
comfortable, that they're goingto enjoy themselves on it, If
they if I find a couple that hasstayed in high end hotels and
(09:20):
in Paris and Rome and New Yorkand anywhere you know, and they
enjoy the finer things of life.
There's cruise lines that Iwould put them in, such as
Silver Seas, such as Oceania orsomething like that.
I would not put them on acruise with a lot of kids that I
(09:42):
don't think they would feelcomfortable with.
Also, services Put them on acruise where they're going to
get wonderful butler service orfine dinings.
Make them feel comfortable,what they're used to, that they
could see, they could have thesewonderful amenities at sea.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Okay, now I had a listener, chris ask the question
are there any particular cruiselines that are better than
others for first timers?
Speaker 2 (10:09):
Yeah Well, again, it all depends on if you're going
alone or your spouse or families.
But yes, you know, depending onwho you're traveling with and
when you're going in, what partpart of the year definitely
could put you into the rightcruise is there a?
Speaker 1 (10:28):
is there a an ideal length of time that you would
recommend for a first timer like?
Speaker 2 (10:34):
I would say a first timer should be seven days.
You know, seven days you reallyget a nice taste of the cruise.
Remember that, um, the firstday you, by the time you get on
the ship, it's like threeo'clock in the afternoon and
then when the last day you getoff, is rather early in the
morning.
So you're it's, you know youhave a nice amount of time to
enjoy the.
(10:54):
Remember it's.
It's so important to not onlyenjoy the itinerary but also the
ship.
You know it's, it's, it's goodto just enjoy the amenities on
the ship and what the ship hasto offer.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Oh, because that's what you pay for.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
Exactly.
I mean, these ships arebeautiful nowadays.
They are stunning, they arehighly decorated and they're
absolutely beautiful, and Ithink that you have to enjoy not
only the ship but the itineraryand the people or person you're
going with.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
What about those people that say you know, I just
want to try it?
Speaker 2 (11:31):
so I'm going to just do like a three-day cruise.
You could do a three-day cruise, but a lot of the three-day
cruises are family-oriented andthey usually depart from Florida
to one of their private islands, and maybe a Bahama island or
something, depending on whereyou're going.
It's a nice taste, yes, butjust keep in mind that there's
(11:51):
better itineraries and, at times, a much nicer experience.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
I agree, and the three-day cruise.
Speaker 2 (11:59):
You're hoarding on, you're hoarding off.
Before you know it, you're backat port and you're like, wow,
what happened?
Speaker 1 (12:03):
Exactly, I was just going to say that it doesn't
really give you that much timeto get a feel for the ship, get
a feel for any particulardestination, these cruise lines
that are constructing theseprivate islands.
It's sort of, in a way, veryDisney.
The island looks like they wantit to look, not necessarily
(12:27):
what you would experience on aquote unquote real island.
But what about destination?
Are there for people?
How do you determine what's thebest destination for someone
that's looking to take a cruise?
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Well, I ask them, you know, first of all, where would
they like to go?
Are they interested in a beachvacation?
Are they interested in going tothe Mediterranean?
Would they like to go visitBarcelona?
You know?
Spain.
Would they like to go to Italy?
Would they like to go toIceland?
You know?
Would they like to go to Italy?
Would they like to go toIceland?
You know.
Would they like to go to Alaska?
(13:09):
You know what do they?
Are they adventurous?
You know?
Do they want?
Or a lot of times I get thesecalls from girls going on
bachelorette parties and theywant just beach and that's where
you put them in the caribbean.
But then you have these coupleswhich are more hikers and
(13:29):
everything.
You know, these very activecouples and they love alaska
yeah yeah, you can get out anddo a hiking trail in alaska, you
can go to the glacier, youcould do dog sledding, you know.
So it all depends on what yourcustom, what your custom, what
my customers are into, whatthey're interested in, so that I
could help them with the rightdestination they feel
(13:49):
comfortable and happy with.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Okay, and you know, using my own personal experience
, I mean, when Duncan and Ifirst started cruising, we
started with Royal Caribbean,you know, going back 30 years,
and back then with RoyalCaribbean, you know going back
30 years, and back then theirtagline was get out there and it
was all about the activecruiser and when you were in the
(14:12):
Caribbean you'd go snorkelingand swimming with the turtles
and swimming with all.
You know all very but it was avery active, a very active
cruise.
So I know, I know exactly whatyou're saying.
How far in advance do you thinkpeople should book a cruise?
Speaker 2 (14:31):
I think that people should book a cruise at least
one year in advance.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Okay, why is that?
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Because that will allow me to not to get them onto
a nice to the cruise line thatI feel comfortable with in a
proper cabin.
Okay, that way I have theopportunity to choose the cabin
for them in a location that Iknow will be nice for them.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
And a listener also asked a question pertaining just
to that.
Talk about the different kindsof cabins and you've mentioned
that picking the right cabin forthem.
What does that mean and how doyou do that?
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Well, you know there's a few different types of
cabins.
The opening cabin is an insidecabin with no windows, no
portholes.
It's just a cabin with, youknow the bed, the bathroom area
and you know no window at all.
Then we have a cabin with aporthole or a window and then
(15:29):
from there you can go up to abalcony cabin which has the
cabin and itself, and thenattached to it is a balcony
which is quite nice, and fromthere are the suites, and the
suites are much nicer.
They're much larger, the suiteitself is larger, the balcony is
larger and sometimes there's alittle extra amenities in a
(15:49):
suite compared to, like, theinside cabin.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
So you know you talk about the balcony.
Someone might ask the questionwell, if there's all this deck
space and all this stuff to do,what do I need a balcony for?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Because you know what's nice In the morning.
You wake up.
There's a this deck, space andall this stuff to do.
What do I need a balcony for?
Because you know what's nice Inthe morning.
You wake up, there's a knock onyour door and the night before
you order tea and coffee andmaybe a croissant or something,
and you get to sit on yourbalcony and start your day,
overlooking whether it's theocean or whether it's the port
of call that you're in, andyou're just sitting there
enjoying this beautiful day you,your, your wife, your boyfriend
(16:26):
, your girlfriend or whateversitting there sipping a tea,
sipping your coffee, looking out, saying you know what.
This is such a nice way to startthe day I agree, and you know,
and even in the afternoon youknow, you come back from a shore
excursion and um sure you graba glass of wine and you just sit
on your balcony and you just,you know, rehash how beautiful
(16:48):
your day was and you're excitedabout tonight, and you're
excited about tomorrow, whereyou're going, and it's just,
it's just a wonderful time.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
It really is so you know, you talked about the
inside cabin and you talkedabout, you know, suites and so
on and so forth.
So let's talk a little bitabout the price, because a lot
of people see, you know, you seeon TV, on social media, online,
you see all these deals andyou'll see, you know, a
(17:20):
seven-day Caribbean cruise outof Miami for $699.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Well, you know, let's face it, A lot of it is
advertising.
When you see these prices, whatthey don't tell you is that the
price that they're showing youis for an interior cabin.
You know they're starting withtheir lowest price and that
price does not include thegratuities.
(17:51):
That price may not include thedrink package or the Wi-Fi
package.
These things are separate.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Okay, Is that stuff expensive?
Is that expensive those things?
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Well, it all depends.
Some cruise lines offerpackages where you get your crew
appreciation, you get yourbeverage package and sometimes
specialty dining in fancierrestaurants.
The packages are always thebest way to go Because
economically they make it.
(18:24):
They make it, you know, theymake it so that you want to buy,
you want to purchase it, andthat's what that opening price
point on that advertisement doesnot tell you Okay that is an
addition, you know so that canadd up?
Of course it can.
Yes, you know that and thatthat's why you come to a cruise,
like me, a cruise consultant,and we could walk you through
and say yes, that is the price.
However, it does not include A,b or C, and this is what.
(18:48):
That way, when a lot of peoplebook online, then they go, they
board the ship and they realize,oh, oh, I don't have Wi-Fi, oh,
I don't have the drink package,oh, I have to pay for
gratuities.
Well, these people are workingvery hard on this ship and
there's gratuities.
Just like you do in arestaurant, you tip someone.
(19:10):
So a lot of people.
That's why coming to a cruiseconsultant will make you feel
comfortable and there's nosurprises.
I can tell you up front whateverything will be, so that when
you get on that ship yourealize that you are not nickel
and dimed.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
That brings up a good point.
Okay, so now you've bookedsomebody and you've got them on
a particular cruise ship and aparticular itinerary, how should
they manage their expectations,especially for a first-timer,
manage their expectation of whatis going to happen on the
cruise?
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Well, you know, the cruise lines give you every day
an itinerary of what ishappening on board and it's nice
to just take a few minutes outreview what's going on that day,
walk around the ship, getcomfortable with the ship
there's a lot of surprises, youknow, and that way you just feel
(20:05):
comfortable and you start offwhat there's so much to do.
Just think about, you know,just look at today's activities
and, wow, I have seven days ofthis, you know.
So take your time to decidewhat you want to do and how you
want to do it and, mike, justenjoy this.
You know that you have to enjoyand how you want to do it, and
just enjoy this.
You have to enjoy the ship also, not just the ports of call.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Right.
Do you think it's possible forsomeone to overdo it?
Like to do too much.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Yeah, I mean it's just like on any other vacation
you think you could.
You can go see 10 cities infive days.
You have to realize is thatthere's a lot to do and make
sure you pick out what you wantto do every day.
Most important thing you wantto do every day, do that first.
Whether it's you're in theCaribbean and you want to go
(20:52):
kayaking, or you're in Alaskayou want to go dog sledding, you
can't do A, b and there's notenough time in the day, you know
.
You also don't want to wasteyour money by paying for these
excursions and not being able toattend them.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
Absolutely.
You just mentioned money and Ithink that that's probably one
of the top questions that I'msure that you get.
What do you think is reasonable?
And I know that there's a huge,there's a wide swing.
What should people expect topay for an average seven day
(21:26):
cruise?
What's a reasonable amount for,you know, a decent cabin, et
cetera.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
It all depends on whether you're doing a big, a
big company like Royal Caribbean, norwegian Cruise Lines, msc
Carnival, or are you doing asmaller cruise line like Regent,
silver Seas, oceana, somethinglike that.
It all depends.
But if you're going away withyour family on a family vacation
(21:58):
, I would say that for a familyof four it's probably going to
cost you, about with everything,about $8,000 for a family of
four.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
And then on top of that's maybe some of your
excursion that you want to dowhen you're on these islands.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
And then the beverage package and the yes a lot of
that.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
Yeah, then the beverage package some of it's
included, some of it is not, butthat's why, when someone comes
to me, I make sure they'recomfortable with what I am
telling them and that, beforethey give me their credit card
for the deposit, I want to layit all out for them because this
is an investment.
I want them to feel comfortable.
I want them lay it all out forthem because this is an
investment.
I want them to feel comfortable, I want them to feel happy and
(22:42):
I want them to, when they finishwith me, that they say you know
what?
I'm so happy I made the rightdecision.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
Yeah, absolutely.
And you know, you see all thesemega ships like you mentioned
the mega ships before and youknow you're talking ships that
can handle 6,000, 7,000 peopleand you know they have all these
cabins.
Well, they have all thesecabins and then when you go look
(23:09):
at the prices that they'recharging, you know you think,
wow, how can they have all thesecabins and don't they have
deals on all these cabins?
And what do you think of that?
Speaker 2 (23:23):
yeah, I mean there are deals, um, every cruise line
offers, uh, runs, sales, saleevents and um, you know, it all
depends on where you're goingand the sale event at the time.
But really you want to makesure you spend your money on the
(23:43):
right cruise line.
If you're worried about, ofcourse, money is very important.
You can't go out of your budget.
You just want to make sure thatyou get the correct cruise for
your budget.
Yes, there's all these salesgoing on, but you have to just
keep in mind there's alwaysgoing to be a sale and a lot of
(24:04):
times my customers will say tome oh, there's a sale going on,
can you just reprice my cruise?
Yes, I can reprice your cruisefor you, but a lot of times it's
the same or sometimes it's evenmore.
That's why, if you book a yearin advance, you get the better
prices.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Okay, and you know how many cruise lines have you
been on personally?
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Probably like around, I would say eight.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
And they differ one from the next, yeah, differ one
from one from the next.
Um, and yeah, you know what,what ways do you see?
Um, uh, cruise lines, cruiseships in the future, like, what
new things do you think aregoing to come down the pike?
You know, uh, because they allthe cruise ships have bells and
(24:55):
whistles, like what, what's thenext big thing, do you think?
Speaker 2 (24:59):
I mean the right right now all cruise lines are
going to.
They're coming out with largeships where there are 5, 6, 7,
8,000 people ships.
I mean that seems to be themost.
That seems to be, right now,what all the cruise lines are
going after Not all of them, buta lot of the majority are going
(25:19):
after right now.
Um, you know and uh, that theyoffer an enormous amount on
these cruise ships, but then youget your other cruise, your
other cruise ship, the only only, uh, your other cruise lines
which are offering, you know,smaller cruise ships, more
intimate special services,butler service.
(25:42):
It all depends on what you want, but right now there's a lot of
mega ships being built andcoming out for everyone.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
And they seem to be filling them up.
Speaker 2 (25:55):
It's crazy.
Yes, that's why I say you wantto book a year in advance, so
that we could put you into yourcabin that you feel comfortable
with.
Yeah, it's crazy.
Yes, that's why I say you wantto book a year in advance, so
that we could put you into yourcabin that you feel comfortable
with.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Yeah, Now let's say I book with you and the six
months down the road, all of asudden to decide, you know what.
I'm not so sure that I want todo it.
If I cancel, do I lose money?
How does that work?
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Okay.
Well, when you first book acruise, you have to put down
your deposit.
Okay, if it's.
But if it's in about, if it'sin about 90 to 150 days before
the cruise departs, you have topull pay for it up front.
But that's why, if you book ayear in advance or 10 months in
advance, you have to put downyour deposit.
And if you tell, for example,me, that you know I want to go,
(26:43):
I don't.
I'm a little leery.
Whatever there are, they offerrefundable deposits and that's
why you put your customers I putmy customers, a lot of them
into refundable deposits so theyfeel comfortable, so in case
they do not want to go, they canget their money, their deposit,
back.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
Before final payment Okay.
You know, final payment isfinal payment, then you're going
, you know, and then that'swhere travel insurance comes in.
Speaker 1 (27:12):
I was going to ask you about that.
What's your thought on travelinsurance?
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Absolutely 100%.
You must get travel insurance.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (27:20):
Especially if you're leaving the country, because you
know, unfortunately, if youslip and fall in your driveway
at home, you have home insurance.
You slip and fall in Rome, inTurkey, in Egypt or something
like that, your coverage is notgoing to cover you when you are
overseas.
You when you are overseas.
(27:42):
That's why travel insurancewill help you in case you have
any emergencies and anyaccidents or anything dealing
with airlines.
It is there to help you.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
Now there's a debate that goes on within the cruise
travel industry about flying infor the cruise the day before or
day of.
What's your thought of that?
Speaker 2 (28:03):
Absolutely.
Fly in a day or two before yourcruise departs.
There are airline cancellations, there are airline changes,
there is weather involved.
You know you could one daycould be absolutely beautiful
and the next day is going to betorrential thunderstorms.
You don't want to miss thatboat.
You want to make sure that youare there a day or two
(28:26):
beforehand and you know andthat's where it's called
pre-cruise where you can get ahotel one or two nights
beforehand, make you feelcomfortable If you're traveling
abroad, acclimate to the timechange, get yourself together
emotionally, physically, andthen when you have to go on your
cruise, you're right there.
Speaker 1 (28:47):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
You know it's not like.
You know, you don't want to beworried that your flight touches
down at 12 o'clock and thecruise departs at 3.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
And you, got to rush over to the ship.
Speaker 2 (28:59):
If your plane is on time.
Speaker 1 (29:02):
Now let's talk about, because we know that there are
frequent flyer programs withairlines.
Let's talk about cruise lines,frequent travel programs, you
know, do you believe in them?
Do you think that they'reworthwhile?
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Yes, I mean there are loyalty programs.
Every cruise ship offers aloyalty program, and the more
cruises you go on, the morelevels or points you obtain, and
through these levels that youhave accumulated, you get
amenities or sometimes specialpricing on them.
Speaker 1 (29:36):
Okay, more perks on them.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
Okay, more perks.
Perks A hundred percent isdefinitely.
When you, when you sign up on a, when you make a cruise booking
, they automatically give you amember loyalty number.
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (29:49):
And next time you book on that cruise line that
pops up and you accrue yourpoints or your levels.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
And and do you recommend that people stick with
one particular cruise line inorder to build up points, or
what's your thought on?
Speaker 2 (30:06):
that if you prefer one cruise line to the other, I
definitely suggest you know.
Okay, you were on RoyalCaribbean with your family.
Why don't we now try Norwegiancruise lines?
And then they could compare andcontrast and that's why you,
(30:29):
you know, you don't.
That's why you've become moreknowledgeable with cruise lines.
Oh, I prefer this from thiscruise line, I prefer this from
this cruise line.
My family's more comfortable onRoyal Caribbean.
My family's more comfortable onRoyal Caribbean.
My family's more comfortable onCarnival.
Check out all these cruiselines to see what they offer,
what each one does better thanthe next.
Speaker 1 (30:50):
And okay, I've taken a cruise, really enjoyed it.
How soon should I get back intouch with you to figure out
whether I want to take anothercruise?
Speaker 2 (31:02):
You know, I always try to reach out to my customers
.
I give them a week or two toget back and then I reach out to
them through an email or a textmessage just to say hey, it's
Kurt, Just want to find out howyou enjoyed your cruise.
Please let me know when youhave some time.
And they call me back and wehave talks and they say and I
ask them are you ready and areyou, would you be, are you
(31:23):
interested in another cruise?
And if they are, I say OK, letme know what you're thinking and
I could do my homework.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
And what if you know?
Have you ever had anybody thatcame back from a cruise and said
it wasn't for me, didn't likeit, don't need to do it again?
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Happens all not all the time, but it does happen and
that's when you say, well, okay, can you please tell me what
you did enjoy about the cruise.
And they say, well, I liked theisland, I liked St Martin, I
liked St Croix, I'd like StCroix.
(32:00):
Then you know, you know what,how about next time I put you on
a nice resort on a Caribbeanisland that I think you're going
to be comfortable with?
Speaker 1 (32:04):
And they just stay there the whole time.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
Yes, okay, you know the best thing.
Remember when you're, it'sgreat.
Then you're helping them findthe right vacation for them,
based on their experience.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
And I guess one of the other questions that one of
the listeners asked was justgoing back to the additional
things that we could buy that acruiser can buy.
Let's go talk specificallyabout the the drinks package,
because you'll you hear a lotabout people associate drinking
(32:40):
with cruising.
You know, booze cruises and soforth so like?
Speaker 2 (32:45):
I'm sorry, russell, but all a lot of the cruise
lines offer what they call thebeverage package, and the
beverage package usuallyconsists of wines, beers and
mixed cocktails and what peopledon't understand.
If you are two in a cabin, bothof you must get the drink
(33:07):
package, not just one, so youhave to both get it.
Or there are exceptions If youare on medication and you don't
drink.
If you get a doctor's note,then the cruise lines will
accept that and the other personcan get the drink package.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
How much you know the drink packages can get
expensive.
You know how much do you haveto drink to sort of get your
money's worth.
Speaker 2 (33:35):
I think also people realize, don't realize, is that
okay, you get the drink package.
But if you are going to be offthe ship every day, you're not
drinking on board and you'reprobably spending money on those
islands or in those citiesdrinking, you know, a glass of
(33:56):
wine for lunch or at the beer.
I mean a couple of beers on thebeach or soda pop or whatever
you may, you know, drink.
So if you are, if you enjoyyour drinks, then the drink
package is definitely for you.
You know, if you're going tohave you wake up in the morning
or whatever, bloody Mary, youcome back from the ship, you're
(34:18):
going to have a cocktail or two,you're going to get ready, you
want to bring a cocktail back toyour room.
You want to have a cocktailbefore dinner.
With dinner you have wine.
That's great, the drink packageis wonderful.
But if you are not, if you'regoing to have occasionally a
glass of wine, occasionally aglass of champagne or something
like that, I say you know, maybeit's not for you, then let's
face it.
(34:38):
You don't want to put peopleinto something they're not going
to use.
You don't want them to say youknow, I spent money in a drink
package and all I had on thewhole entire week was three
glasses of wine.
So tell them, ask them do youenjoy your mixed cocktails?
Do you enjoy your wine everyday?
Speaker 1 (34:58):
Then, yes, ask them.
You know, do you enjoy yourmixed cocktails, do you enjoy
your wine every day?
Then, yes, it's worth it.
If you don't, it's not worth it.
So you talked a little bit agoabout tips and tipping, you know
.
So I'm on the ship and it'stime for me to get off and do I
give everybody a tip.
Like, how does that work?
Do I give everybody a tip?
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Like how does that work?
Most cruise lines offer you topay a daily crew appreciation,
and that daily amount is for thecrew, whether it's your cab and
your cabins do it, the peoplethat clean the ship, everyone.
And sometimes it's like they'llsay, oh, it's like whatever $16
(35:39):
a day per person or whatever itis.
But just remember, these peopleon these cruise ships are
working essentially 24-7.
I mean, they are.
If they're not cleaning, whenthey're not cleaning your room,
they're holding a tray on thedeck serving you.
They are working extremely,extremely hard to make sure you
(36:05):
are comfortable and have awonderful trip.
And tipping and what they callcrew appreciation or gratuities
whatever term you want isdefinitely, definitely important
to these people.
This is their livelihood.
They are bending over backwardsto make sure you have a
wonderful time and it's nice tothese people.
This is their livelihood.
You know they are bending overbackwards to make sure you have
a wonderful time and it's niceto compensate them.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
And let's say I'm on a cruise and I'm not having a
wonderful time.
What do I do?
Speaker 2 (36:24):
Well, let's find out why you're not having a
wonderful time.
Speaker 1 (36:28):
But is there someone on the ship that I can talk to?
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Absolutely.
You can go to the guestservices, talk to them, ask them
if you could please speak tosomeone and let them find out
how can we make you happy, whatis going on, that you're not
enjoying it, and they will sitdown with you and see what they
could do to help you.
Speaker 1 (36:49):
Yeah, I agree If you're on their cruise.
Speaker 2 (36:52):
They want you to have a good time.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
I think that's key because you know on the cruises
that I've been on over the past30 years, you know you hear
people complaining and yet theywon't do anything about it and
they don't give the cruise linethe opportunity to fix
whatever's wrong.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Tell them, ask them are they unhappy with their
cabin?
Is there something wrong withtheir cabin?
Do they not have enough hangers?
Is the whatever?
Whatever the case may be?
Is water dripping?
Is it not cold enough in yourroom?
Is it too cold in your room?
Tell these people, tell thecruise line.
They are there to help you andthey want you to have a good
(37:34):
time.
They want you to come back.
So don't just keep it toyourself.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
So let me ask you, just on a personal note why do
you like cruising?
What do you enjoy most?
Speaker 2 (37:47):
I like cruising because I enjoy the energy from
the people that are on thecruise Everyone.
When you get on a cruise,everyone is happy or they hope
to be happy.
I hope they're all happy.
You know you're not at yourdesk, you're not driving, you're
not doing your errands, you'reon a cruise ship.
It's beautiful, there's musicplaying, you have breakfast,
(38:11):
lunch, dinner.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
That someone else has cooked.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
Everyone is.
There's so many activitiesYou're looking at the activities
for the day and there's so muchto do.
Everyone is in a good mood andit's you're on vacation.
I mean, what's not to like?
But you know, honestly, I thinkthat I do like the people on
(38:36):
the cruise are generally happyand they're having a wonderful
time and that it's nice to enjoythe ship, enjoy what this
company is offering you.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Check out all the decks and you're going to be
surprised what's there.
And it's funny because a lot oftimes on the last day when the
staff you know are cleaning thecabins to get ready for the next
, for the next crew of guests,um, it's a.
That's a great opportunity togo walk around and go look at
the suite and see what the suitelooks like.
Yes, of course you know I justwanted to tell you.
Speaker 2 (39:14):
One thing I didn't mention is that when I get on a
cruise ship and the first dayand I meet my steward and I
introduce myself to them, I givehim or her, depending what I
want $10 or $20.
And I say hi, my name is Kurt.
Thank you for everything inadvance.
I just want to tell you that Iwould like a bucket of ice every
(39:36):
day to my room and, if youcould please, an extra towel or
two, you know.
Speaker 1 (39:43):
Does that make a difference?
Speaker 2 (39:45):
It makes a difference , you know, yes, it makes a very
big difference.
You know, when you come backfrom a long day, there's going
to be a bucket of ice there foryou for your water, for your
cocktail, for whatever you want,and it's going to be an extra
towel there for you or,depending on what, or I always
say, can you leave me an extraitinerary on my on the desk,
(40:08):
because I like to take one withme during the day and I because
I know it's going to get allcrumpled and ripped up and
everything for the day, but thenI have a nice, clean one to
review in my cabin.
These things are nice to do andit means so much to these
people that are working so hardfor you.
A $10 bill brightens up theirday and they smile and you know
(40:32):
they're going to be Johnny onthe spot for you.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
Right Go the little bit extra.
Speaker 2 (40:36):
Of course yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
So, Kurt, let's wrap it up.
I want to ask how someone getsin touch with you.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
Someone could email me or they could call me.
I am happy to give you thatinformation.
I'll put it in the show notesfor the podcast.
Speaker 1 (40:55):
So that's available.
Obviously you're on Facebook,but do you have any other way of
contacting you through socialmedia?
Speaker 2 (41:07):
The best thing to do is to email me.
Okay, email me, koswald, atExpediaCruisescom.
Great, and I will get back toyou and we could have a
conversation.
Perfect and help you plan,whether it's a land or cruise
vacation.
I'm so happy to do that.
Speaker 1 (41:25):
Awesome.
Well, my friend, I appreciateyou taking the time to sit down
with me and enlighten mylisteners on the joys of
cruising and sharing yourexpertise and your experience
with them, and I'm sure thateverybody appreciates it and
(41:46):
just wish you the best of luckin your travel endeavors as you
continue down the PlatinumNavigator path.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
Well, listen, Russell .
I want to say thank you forhaving me on today and, most of
all, thank you for being myfriend.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
Absolutely Almost 40 years.
I can't believe it.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
And, honestly, anyone that's listening or needs help.
I'm here, please, and I'm happyto help you.
Thank you again.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
Thanks, kurt.
Kurt well, I hope you enjoyedour conversation.
Whether you're consideringtrying cruising, are fairly new
to it or have been at sea foryears, I hope you found it
helpful and that you've got sometips on making the most of your
cruise vacation.
Kurt provided some greatinformation and professional
(42:35):
advice that you can use whenplanning your next adventure, no
matter whether it's in theCaribbean, alaska, the
Mediterranean or some otherexciting destination.
I've put Kurt's contactinformation in the show notes in
case you'd like to contact himwith questions about something
we maybe didn't discuss.
Once again, I'm Russ.
(42:59):
Thanks for listening to thisepisode of Explorations All Over
.
I'll see you soon.
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