May 14, 2025 • 25 mins
In this episode of All Things Travel, hosts Ryan and Julie share crucial advice on what NOT to do on your next cruise vacation. From booking to disembarkation, they cover the common mistakes that can ruin your cruise experience. Whether you're a first-time cruiser or a seasoned sailor, this episode provides valuable tips to ensure smooth sailing on your next ocean adventure.
Pre-Cruise Mistakes to Avoid
- Booking flights on embarkation day: The hosts share a cautionary tale of a bride and groom who missed their entire cruise wedding
- Not having valid travel documents: Why passports are strongly recommended even when not strictly required
- Ignoring medical restrictions: Important rules for pregnant women (24-week cutoff) and infants (minimum 6 months)
- Failing to monitor price changes: How prices fluctuate and why checking for drops could save you money
- Skipping travel insurance: Real-world scenarios where insurance is crucial, especially for medical care in foreign ports
- Selecting cabins at random: Why location matters and how working with a travel advisor helps you make informed choices
During Your Cruise Mistakes
- Taking only ship-affiliated shore excursions: Why independent options might offer better experiences with smaller crowds
- Waiting until the last minute to book extras: Why shore excursions, dining packages, and transfers often sell out
- Overpacking your carry-on: The reality of lugging bags around until your stateroom is ready
- Forgetting to put your phone on airplane mode: How to avoid shocking international roaming charges
- Arriving late at port after excursions: The captain will wave goodbye as you're left behind
- Assuming everything is included: Understanding what costs extra on your specific cruise line
- Overindulging with drink packages: Finding the balance between enjoyment and overindulgence
- Not drinking enough water: Staying hydrated is essential for enjoying your vacation
Post-Cruise Mistakes
- Waiting to book your next cruise: Missing out on onboard booking discounts and incentives
- Booking flights too close to disembarkation: Why noon is the earliest recommended departure time
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (00:00):
Hello and welcome to All Things Travel.
Whether you've cruised before oryou're a first time cruiser,
there can be a lot ofinformation to consume as you
prep for your cruise.
You are thinking about whatports you're stopping at, what
excursions you need to book,what activities you're gonna do
on the ship, where you're goingto eat and what you're gonna
(00:22):
pack.
But today We're here to adviseyou on all of these details.
But first, we wanna share whatnot to do on your cruise.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (00:31):
Listen in with travel advisors and
destination experts.
Ryan and Julie.
I'm your travel professorteaching you everything you need
to know to have a magicalvacation.
And she's a Disney lovingMaryland mom of three and a
specialist in family travel.
Whether we're discussingincredible destinations, top
vacation tips, or sharingpersonal stories, it's always
(00:53):
all things travel.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (00:55):
How was your week, Ryan?
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (00:57):
The week was really good.
busy work-wise, busy, movingwise, all that fun stuff.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (01:05):
Yeah, we are officially like a week or so
into our own agency
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (01:11):
Yep.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (01:12):
it's been great.
I've had a lot of really funitineraries I've been working on
this week, some Italy, somePrague, a lot of all inclusive
trips.
this is such a fun time of year.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (01:23):
People are starting to think about
travel, aren't they?
we're past spring break.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (01:28):
Yeah.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (01:29):
people are thinking if they haven't
planned summer yet, they'retrying to put something
together.
They're starting to think aboutthe holidays.
Maybe they had FOMO for springbreak this year, so, they're
planning next year earlier.
there's a lot of conversationsgoing on, that's for sure.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (01:43):
it's definitely a fun time and I know
you have a really fun tripyou're working on, but we might
be holding off on talking aboutthat one so I can't wait.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (01:51):
What I love about a show like this is
we talk a lot about what youshould do, but sometimes people
have to think about it the otherway.
Not what do I need to do, butwhat do I need to make sure that
I don't do or avoid.
So I really like the idea ofthis show today, Julie.
We're just gonna give you theheavy hitters when it comes to
what should you not do on yournext cruise vacation.
(02:14):
But before we do that, if youdid not listen to our big
announcement show last week, weintroduced everything having to
do with our new agency, wonderand Beyond Travel.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (02:27):
Okay, so first we're gonna talk about the
booking process and preparingfor your cruise and things that
you don't wanna do leading up tothe cruise.
the first thing, this isprobably one of the most
important things is do not bookyour flights for the day of
embarkation.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (02:46):
No, no.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (02:48):
the day that you leave, because more
times than not, you are going tomiss your ship.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (02:54):
But Julie, the ship doesn't leave
till 4:00 PM in Miami.
Why do I have to get there theday before?
I can just take the first flightof the day.
Well, you know, like you said,oftentimes that comes back to
bite you.
And we witnessed this firsthand,didn't we?
When we were on our rowCaribbean cruise with our friend
Michelle, there was a weddingparty there and the only people
(03:15):
that weren't there were who?
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (03:17):
The bride and groom.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (03:19):
and the groom weren't there because
they didn't want to pay.
this is the wedding party'swords.
They didn't want to pay for anextra night, and so their flight
from Texas got delayed and theymissed their crews.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (03:32):
Right.
There's so many things that caninterrupt your flight that day.
You might not be having weatherwhere you are, but maybe where
your plane is coming from hadweather, or maybe something
happened with the flight crewand they timed out or someone
wasn't available, and then.
Your flight couldn't go'cause ofthat.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (03:50):
is too unpredictable.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (03:52):
and then there's a mechanical issue.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (03:53):
Yeah,
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (03:54):
that can go wrong, like go the night
before.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (03:56):
it is.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (03:57):
time I am okay with a client not arriving
the day before is when they'redriving to a local.
Port and
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (04:05):
Yep.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (04:05):
in Maryland, you can drive to
Baltimore or New Jersey.
New Jersey from me is likethree-ish hours, two and a half
hours.
So if the cruise is leaving at4:00 PM boarding time is
probably sometime between 11 andone.
I'm like, leave your house at7:00 AM if you're standing in
the parking lot for a while,you're standing in the parking
(04:26):
lot for a while.
But I'm okay with you notstaying the night before.
You have so much more controlover getting there, just leave
very early.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_19131 (04:34):
Agreed, number two, not having a valid
passport.
Now, this one for me is kind ofan asterisk, Julie, because you
wanna make sure you have a validpassport.
by the time you check into yourcruise, which for a lot of
cruise lines is about a monthbefore the cruise.
if you're having to renew yourpassport, you've got some time.
(04:55):
but.
Definitely get on this.
If you don't have a passport, orif you have a passport, you need
to renew.
This is a must do immediately,either before or directly after
you book the crews.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (05:08):
And just as a side note, some cruises,
you can board with your birthcertificate and your license.
You may not need that passport,so if you think you're boarding
with your passport, pleasedouble check.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (05:21):
Yeah, absolutely.
from our experience on our Junecruise last year, the line for
the birth certificates to getoff the ship was hundreds of
people long.
We walked right through thepassport line.
And so not only is it, Safer foryou to have a passport in case
something happens.
It's also helps with the hassleof getting on and off the ship.
j_1_05-04-2025_1913 (05:44):
Absolutely, yes.
All right, so next step is notchecking medical restrictions.
There's not a lot ofrestrictions when it comes to
cruising, but there's two biggerones I wanna mention.
The first is for women who maybe pregnant, you cannot sail
after.
24 weeks, on the cruise ship,they do not have the.
(06:09):
Facilities to care for a newbornthat would need a nicu.
So you will not be allowed toboard.
And I know a lot of people tryto skirt around this rule
because it is a self-reportrule.
but don't do that.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (06:22):
Yeah.
I mean, it's kind of like tryingto get your kids that are too
short to get on rides at themeparks by like, you know, giving,
I, I mean, people will do this,like stuff, their shoes and
stuff like that, but like, it's,it's for safety, dude.
it's for the safety of yourunborn child.
It's for the safety of yourkids.
Is that really worth this?
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (06:42):
A cruise?
No.
The other one kind of ties intothis, and it's that babies under
the age of six months They haveto be older than six months.
And this again goes back to thatlack of medical care on the
cruise.
they just don't have a lot ofoptions.
if your child is under sixmonths, they may not be able to
care for them in an emergency.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (07:04):
The next one is Not monitoring
prices after you book.
Those prices fluctuate.
They change.
They tend to always go up, butsometimes they go down.
So make sure you're on top ofthat.
In fact, Julie, I have a groupof cruisers that book with me.
They've been cruising quite abit.
my job is to monitor the pricesand make any adjustments.
(07:27):
It's kind of like thoseSouthwest flights, right?
You get on every once in a whileand maybe you save a hundred
bucks.
Maybe it's more so you don'trebook, those prices do change,
and you may leave money on thetable if you're not checking.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (07:39):
Yes, definitely.
I actually had a client reachout to me this week and say,
Hey, I noticed our price droppedfrom this to this, and it was a.
$30 difference, like can youdouble check it?
I was like, yeah, sure, noproblem.
So I pull up their reservation,Ryan, and the price that they
paid was$250 less than what theywere telling me.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (07:58):
and sometimes that's fun to come
back and tell clients, Nope,you're still good.
You've got the best price.
'cause that makes them feelsecure that, yeah, we made a
good decision and booking whenwe did.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (08:09):
it was just comical.
I was like, oh great, we cansave some money.
And then I was like, oh wait, Wealready did save the money.
next up is skipping travelinsurance.
as travel advisors, we talkabout travel insurance
frequently as one of our.
Really important tips for whenyou travel, especially on a
cruise, because you are stoppingat places that are likely
outside of the country where youdo not have medical insurance if
(08:32):
something happens to you or yourparty and you need medical
attention on an island, youreally do not wanna be paying
that out of pocket.
And I know for sure.
Our preferred partner for travelprotection will wire that money
for you because some hospitalswill not provide care until you
pay upfront.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (08:52):
Yep.
what not to do.
Leave the travel insurance athome.
Always take the travel insurancewith you.
The next one is picking a cabinat random.
It is so.
Tempting when you're bookingthat cruise to just pay a little
less and have the cruise linechoose it for you.
Basically have a guaranteedstate room of some category, and
(09:15):
I have people that do that andthat works for them.
I've never had a complaint,however.
It is worth taking the time tofigure out what's best for your
family.
Do you wanna be close to theelevators?
Do you wanna be farther awayfrom the elevators?
Do you need to be, close tosomething on the ship?
you can really pick and choosewhat you want.
(09:35):
That's gonna make your crews alot nicer if you know it's where
you want it to be.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (09:40):
And I think first time cruisers are
very susceptible to this becausethey truly don't know
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (09:46):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (09:47):
for.
Um, even when I first started inthe travel industry, seven or so
years ago, I was kind of like, Idon't know what to do with a
cruise ship cabin.
But after all this experience,it just shows that you don't
know what you don't know andworking with a travel advisor to
plan your trip, we now know.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (10:06):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (10:07):
You don't wanna be here.
A lot of times I'll have aclient say, well, why didn't you
pick this room here?
I'm like, because it's rightunder the pool.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (10:14):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (10:15):
Well, that's
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (10:15):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (10:16):
don't choose at random, at least have
an idea of what you're picking.
The next mistake you don't wantto make is taking only ship
affiliated shore excursions.
Ryan, tell us why you might.
Not want to pick a ship.
Affiliated shore excursion.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (10:34):
Well, I think first and foremost,
that's what the majority of thecrews is going to choose.
So you're.
Automatically first with a bunchof people.
Now, it doesn't mean they won'tbreak things up.
I've been on a celebrity shortexcursion where it was just my
family and that was through theship.
but you're automatically.
Adding the number of people onthe crews going directly there.
(10:57):
And number two, the variety isgonna be based on what's most
popular, not necessarily whatyou want to do.
There are tons of things to do,around ports, and I would say
more often than not now, almostall of those reputable companies
understand that the biggest,scare is what Julie.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (11:17):
Missing your ship.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_19131 (11:18):
Missing the ship.
So they have return timeguarantees because they know
that people are worried aboutthat.
And so that's not even really afactor anymore, especially if
you are smart about who you'rebooking with.
and that you're giving yourselfplenty of time.
I'm working with several,British Isles cruises this
(11:38):
summer and we didn't bookanything for one of them through
the cruise line, and I canguarantee all of them will be
great short excursions thatthey'll have no trouble with
because I've chosen reputablecompanies to work with.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (11:54):
Right people that we trust.
the next one is waiting to bookeverything until the last
minute.
This isn't necessarily like thecruise itself.
This is waiting until the lastminute to book your Shore
Excursions.
adjust anyone in the party ifyou need to, to book your
transfers add on your drink ordining packages or anything like
(12:15):
that.
Those things are going to sellout.
They're going to fill up.
There may be more availabilityon board, but that's obviously
not guaranteed.
The one that I've really seenfilling up recently is
transfers, and of course, shoreexcursions.
another mistake I don't want youto make is overpacking your
(12:35):
carry-on.
when you board the ship, youbring your carry-on with you and
you do wanna keep certain thingsthere.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (12:45):
Some things.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (12:46):
but I don't want you to overpack it
because you've got to carry thataround with you until your room
is ready and your room is notgonna be ready if you board the
ship at 11:00 AM.
Most of the time your room willnot be ready.
So you will be carrying thatwith you.
Like if you bring on your caseof water, you're carrying around
your case of
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (13:05):
we have seen people at the buffet
at lunch, carrying their stuffand it's like, yeah, we didn't
think this through.
Now that being said, you canleave.
Eve, any of your luggage youwant with the porters to put on
the ship.
So even if you don't want tocarry stuff, but there are some
good things to carry and Julie'sgonna talk about that.
(13:26):
So speaking of carrying ourwater around, our last tip
before, where in the world isleaving your alcohol at home,
depending on your cruise line,you could be allowed to bring a
certain amount of wine, beer,and spirits.
that could, help save some moneywith a drink package.
Or if you have somebody in yourcabin that doesn't want the
(13:46):
drink package, but you know,enjoys that pre dinner drink or
that after dinner glass of wineon the balcony, you can
certainly do that.
make sure to check theregulations of your cruise line,
but we're also not advocatingbreaking the regulations of your
cruise line
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (14:03):
I agree.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (14:05):
All.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (14:05):
don't carry too much.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_1913 (14:07):
Alright, Julie, where in the world does
all things travel?
This week when I looked at newlocations, I've actually been to
this location and it wasabsolutely beautiful.
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Have you ever been to the OuterBanks?
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (14:20):
yes, I have.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (14:22):
So I absolutely love it.
It's known for being on thewater, these huge sand dunes.
It's known for the WrightBrothers doing their first
flight there.
a cool thing that I think wouldbe fun to do with our listener,
because I know Kitty Hawk isknown for this because of the
dunes, is taking a hang glidinglesson.
Wouldn't that be awesome?
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (14:42):
That does sound really cool.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (14:44):
All right, so hey Kitty Hawk, we are
so excited you're listening toAll Things Travel.
Reach out to us on Wonder andbeyond travel.com and just hit
Contact us because I would loveto send you a little thank you
gift for being featured on theshow and it's a brand new thank
you gift.
All right, so let's talk alittle bit more, Julie, with
this next, what not to do.
(15:06):
not keeping essentials in yourcarry-on during embarkation and
de embarkation, I have twothings that I always have with
me.
One is my laptop.
One is my CPAP machine, becausethose are two things that I
never wanna lose, and those aretwo things that would ruin my
trip if I lost them.
So I keep, things likemedication.
(15:28):
If you have a child that needs,you know, diapers or certain
things, or even, hey, you'regonna hit the pool after lunch,
have that stuff with you so thatyou can have what you need for
that space in between boardingthe ship and your room being
open.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (15:44):
And then on the other side of it, if you
are, giving the porters yourluggage the night before you get
off the ship, making sure you'vegot the things that you need for
overnight in the morning.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (15:56):
Yep.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (15:57):
when we were on our Royal Caribbean
cruise and all the luggageshowed up except for yours.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (16:02):
Yeah.
So when we got there,everybody's room was ready, but
my luggage just would not come.
And so I'm sitting in your roomjust wondering, okay, so what
happens?
My luggage just doesn't show up.
And so I actually had an appleair tag, so I knew my luggage
was there.
It just hadn't gotten to me yet.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (16:23):
It was just funny.
It was just funny everythingelse is there except for yours.
And we had all given ittogether.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_1 (16:28):
Absolutely.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (16:29):
All right.
So the next one is forgetting toput your phone on airplane mode.
On the first day on the cruise,I'm like, Is it time?
And then I forget.
when you're on the cruise, youcan either purchase wifi from
the ship or the ship's app Willwork without wifi.
You can just use that andcompletely unplug, which is
lovely.
either way you need to have yourphone in airplane mode or you
(16:50):
are going to be,
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191 (16:52):
incurring charges that you don't want to
pay.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (16:54):
there you go.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (16:55):
The next one is an obvious one.
What not to do.
Arrive late at the pier after aday at the port.
We've all seen those videos, ofpeople running to catch their
cruise ship.
when I was on my last rivercruise, the cruise manager said,
I want you guys to know we havethe most friendly captain in all
of Alma waterways.
If you are standing on theshore.
(17:18):
And are late and you wave athim, he's gonna wave right back
to you and say hello.
As they're sailing away
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (17:26):
A lot of people think this can happen if
their shore excursion runs overand they're worried about that,
but we will always book youthrough a reputable company that
will get you back to your ship.
This happens more frequentlywhen people
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (17:37):
it.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (17:38):
on their own.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (17:39):
it's not the excursions, it's not the
companies.
It's, we went out and did someshopping and sat down for lunch
and started having someafternoon drinks and weren't
paying attention,
j_1_05-04-2025_1913 (17:50):
Absolutely.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (17:51):
were relying on questionable
transportation to get us back tothe ship, like a taxi or a bus
or things like that.
Not that you can't use those, byall means, but.
Keep that time in mind and don'tget back at four.
If the ship leaves at four, getback at two 30.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (18:08):
Yeah, I remember you saying that when we
were on our Caribbean cruise,like whatever time the ship was
leaving you were like, no, Iwanna be back an hour before.
And I was like, okay.
That makes sense.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (18:18):
Yep.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (18:18):
Okay.
All right.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (18:19):
I.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (18:20):
mistake I really don't want you to make is
thinking that everything isincluded.
So sometimes when you board aship, most of the food is
included, but there might besome places that are not like a
pub or a lounge, or maybe anupgraded meal or an upgraded
specialty coffee, Even on someships, bottled water is not
included.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (18:39):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (18:39):
get the drink package.
knowing those things in advanceis huge.
knowing that the spa is notincluded, maybe some kids'
activities, some ships havethings like laser tag that might
not be included.
You just need to know inadvance.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (18:55):
And I will say most of the cruise
lines that I've been on are verygood at letting you know that
nobody's trying to trick you.
you just have to pay attentionto signage.
If you're unsure, ask, They'lllet you know what's included.
Even if you have a regular drinkpackage versus a premium drink
package, it's not a problem toask because they don't want you
upset and they want you to havethe service that fits you.
(19:18):
so understanding what's includedand what's not.
speaking of that, another, whatnot to do is overdo it with the
drink package.
obviously we want to have a goodtime.
We want to enjoy ourselves, wewant to get a good, how do we
say this?
Return on investment whengetting the drink package.
However, you know, you reallydon't wanna spend that much
(19:39):
money and regret your decisionsand spend, the evening of a
fancy meal in your state roombecause you can't go to dinner.
Just.
know your pace and know that adrink package is is for
convenience, not for, let's seehow much I can, drink while I'm
on the cruise.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (19:59):
a lot of those drinks might be drinks
that you're not used todrinking.
So, you just don't wanna havethe upset stomach and you're out
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (20:06):
Yeah,
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (20:06):
and you're doing all sorts of stuff.
along with that is don't makethe mistake of not drinking
enough.
Water.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_1 (20:13):
absolutely.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (20:14):
this is the biggest reason I always add
a drink package, even just toget the bottled water and
upgraded coffees.
when I'm on, like the Disneycruise, the bottled water, it's
not included.
I order it for my state room, orbring some on, I feel like I'm
the person that always forgetsto drink water on vacation and I
hate being in a
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (20:33):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (20:34):
and not having access to it.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_1 (20:35):
absolutely.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (20:36):
in
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (20:36):
And even, cruise lines like Royal
Caribbean, celebrity or rivercruises, will have bottles or
boxes of water as you leave theship for the excursion.
if you have the drink package,it's already included.
If not, you can purchase it.
making sure that you're hydrateddefinitely is important.
Julie, to be honest.
I think when we see in the news,and I'm not trying to minimize
(21:00):
people getting sick, but when wesee in the news, you know,
people get sick at an allinclusive or on a cruise ship.
I wonder how much overindulgenceand just the difference in your
body, your body's not used tobeing on a ship, and even though
you're not feeling the rocking,your body is feeling it and
(21:20):
you're drinking differentthings, and you're drinking
different amounts, and you'reeating different things, and
you're eating different amounts.
I just wonder how much of thatcontributes to those things.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (21:29):
Yes, I had a party of clients recently
celebrating a big birthday, Oneof them thought she was very
ill.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (21:36):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (21:36):
gonna have to go to the hospital and
it turns out that she drank toomuch Liquid IV she was
absolutely fine after a coupleof hours.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (21:44):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (21:44):
enjoy at home, trying new things.
And she thought she was doingthe right thing.
And it kind of backfired alittle bit.
'cause again, you're not usedto.
Chugging a lot of Liquid IV and
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (21:53):
Right, right.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (21:54):
out in the end.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (21:56):
So these last two have to do with
wrapping up your cruise.
We talked a little bit aboutkeeping your things for
disembarkation and I agree withthat.
booking your next cruise afteryou get home, what's the
advantage of thinking about yourcruise while you're on the
cruise ship?
Julie.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (22:11):
You're going to get a discount.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (22:13):
You will always get some sort of
discount or enticement to bookthat cruise while you're there.
They know you're excited.
They know you're thinking aboutthe next one, so they want you
to book while you're there.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (22:24):
and you don't always have to know the
specific cruise.
You can put a little bookmark init and say, I know I want to
book one.
Let me get that started, andthen you have a certain amount
of time after the cruise tochoose your next
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (22:37):
Yep.
And then booking your flightstoo close to, disembarkation.
yes, you're gonna be off thecruise ship relatively early in
the morning, but assuming thatmeans you can get a 9:00 AM
flight, um, is really riskybecause what if something
happens and your ship can't getin that morning?
(22:57):
Or what if there's a holdup withpeople getting off the ship?
Make sure that you have, I wouldsay at the earliest.
I tell people book noon, andyes, I know there's a lot of
time there, but I'd rather havea lot of time than be trying to
wonder if I can get home thatday or not because of issues.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (23:18):
Right, especially if you just flat out
miss your flight, then you'restuck paying for a whole new set
of flights.
Insurance is not going to coveryou.
The airline is not going torefund you.
Because you booked your flighttoo early.
And I see this, this is likeasked all the time in the
Facebook groups, right?
Like, Hey guys, I booked a 10:00AM flight out of Miami.
(23:38):
Will I be good?
And it's like no one can tellyou if you're gonna be good
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (23:40):
Yeah, yeah,
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (23:42):
do you wanna be?
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (23:42):
yeah.
could it happen?
Of course, it could happen.
you could be the first peopleoff the ship and get to the
airport and be fine or.
You could not get off the shipin time and you're watching your
plane fly away as you're drivingup to the airport.
j_1_05-04-2025_1913 (23:57):
absolutely.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_1913 (23:58):
Alright, Julie, as we wrap up here, have
you made any of these
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (24:01):
All right.
I feel like the only mistake myfamily has sort of made is the
carry-on idea, and that's why Istress it so much.
I always overpack the carry-onand then we're stuck lugging it
around until the room is empty.
Everyone's tired trying to finda spot to put the thing, so my
goal in the next royal ship,Ryan, is to not carry on as
much.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_1913 (24:21):
Alright, I will be there to watch you
fail at that goal.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (24:25):
You will, you will.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (24:27):
Hey, for me it has to do with putting
my phone on airplane mode.
when I was sailing in Greece, itwas the first time using an
international phone plan.
anytime the ship is at port oron land.
You can use it like normal,there were a couple times that I
didn't put it back, and in themiddle of the night I'm like, oh
my goodness.
you look at your phone and it'sgot some weird service that it's
(24:50):
following.
I pretty much doubled my phonebill that month,
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (24:53):
Oh my gosh.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (24:54):
but, but lesson learned.
Lesson learned.
j_1_05-04-2025_19131 (24:57):
Seriously,
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (25:01):
The world is full of wonder and your
next great adventure is waitingat Wonder and Beyond Travel.
We work with you to create a oneof a kind journey, taking the
stress off your plate so you canfocus on the joy of exploring
and the memories that will staywith you forever.
If you're ready to startplanning or just wanna dream a
little bigger, Head over toWonder and beyond travel.com.
(25:24):
We would love to help you getstarted.
We look forward to talking toyou next week on All Things
Travel.
When we discuss considerationswith touring Alaska by land and
by cruise ship.
Hello and welcome to All Things Travel.
Whether you've cruised before oryou're a first time cruiser,
there can be a lot ofinformation to consume as you
prep for your cruise.
You are thinking about whatports you're stopping at, what
excursions you need to book,what activities you're gonna do
on the ship, where you're goingto eat and what you're gonna
(00:22):
pack.
But today We're here to adviseyou on all of these details.
But first, we wanna share whatnot to do on your cruise.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (00:31):
Listen in with travel advisors and
destination experts.
Ryan and Julie.
I'm your travel professorteaching you everything you need
to know to have a magicalvacation.
And she's a Disney lovingMaryland mom of three and a
specialist in family travel.
Whether we're discussingincredible destinations, top
vacation tips, or sharingpersonal stories, it's always
(00:53):
all things travel.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (00:55):
How was your week, Ryan?
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (00:57):
The week was really good.
busy work-wise, busy, movingwise, all that fun stuff.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (01:05):
Yeah, we are officially like a week or so
into our own agency
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (01:11):
Yep.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (01:12):
it's been great.
I've had a lot of really funitineraries I've been working on
this week, some Italy, somePrague, a lot of all inclusive
trips.
this is such a fun time of year.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (01:23):
People are starting to think about
travel, aren't they?
we're past spring break.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (01:28):
Yeah.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (01:29):
people are thinking if they haven't
planned summer yet, they'retrying to put something
together.
They're starting to think aboutthe holidays.
Maybe they had FOMO for springbreak this year, so, they're
planning next year earlier.
there's a lot of conversationsgoing on, that's for sure.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (01:43):
it's definitely a fun time and I know
you have a really fun tripyou're working on, but we might
be holding off on talking aboutthat one so I can't wait.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (01:51):
What I love about a show like this is
we talk a lot about what youshould do, but sometimes people
have to think about it the otherway.
Not what do I need to do, butwhat do I need to make sure that
I don't do or avoid.
So I really like the idea ofthis show today, Julie.
We're just gonna give you theheavy hitters when it comes to
what should you not do on yournext cruise vacation.
(02:14):
But before we do that, if youdid not listen to our big
announcement show last week, weintroduced everything having to
do with our new agency, wonderand Beyond Travel.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (02:27):
Okay, so first we're gonna talk about the
booking process and preparingfor your cruise and things that
you don't wanna do leading up tothe cruise.
the first thing, this isprobably one of the most
important things is do not bookyour flights for the day of
embarkation.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (02:46):
No, no.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (02:48):
the day that you leave, because more
times than not, you are going tomiss your ship.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (02:54):
But Julie, the ship doesn't leave
till 4:00 PM in Miami.
Why do I have to get there theday before?
I can just take the first flightof the day.
Well, you know, like you said,oftentimes that comes back to
bite you.
And we witnessed this firsthand,didn't we?
When we were on our rowCaribbean cruise with our friend
Michelle, there was a weddingparty there and the only people
(03:15):
that weren't there were who?
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (03:17):
The bride and groom.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (03:19):
and the groom weren't there because
they didn't want to pay.
this is the wedding party'swords.
They didn't want to pay for anextra night, and so their flight
from Texas got delayed and theymissed their crews.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (03:32):
Right.
There's so many things that caninterrupt your flight that day.
You might not be having weatherwhere you are, but maybe where
your plane is coming from hadweather, or maybe something
happened with the flight crewand they timed out or someone
wasn't available, and then.
Your flight couldn't go'cause ofthat.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (03:50):
is too unpredictable.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (03:52):
and then there's a mechanical issue.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (03:53):
Yeah,
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (03:54):
that can go wrong, like go the night
before.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (03:56):
it is.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (03:57):
time I am okay with a client not arriving
the day before is when they'redriving to a local.
Port and
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (04:05):
Yep.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (04:05):
in Maryland, you can drive to
Baltimore or New Jersey.
New Jersey from me is likethree-ish hours, two and a half
hours.
So if the cruise is leaving at4:00 PM boarding time is
probably sometime between 11 andone.
I'm like, leave your house at7:00 AM if you're standing in
the parking lot for a while,you're standing in the parking
(04:26):
lot for a while.
But I'm okay with you notstaying the night before.
You have so much more controlover getting there, just leave
very early.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_19131 (04:34):
Agreed, number two, not having a valid
passport.
Now, this one for me is kind ofan asterisk, Julie, because you
wanna make sure you have a validpassport.
by the time you check into yourcruise, which for a lot of
cruise lines is about a monthbefore the cruise.
if you're having to renew yourpassport, you've got some time.
(04:55):
but.
Definitely get on this.
If you don't have a passport, orif you have a passport, you need
to renew.
This is a must do immediately,either before or directly after
you book the crews.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (05:08):
And just as a side note, some cruises,
you can board with your birthcertificate and your license.
You may not need that passport,so if you think you're boarding
with your passport, pleasedouble check.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (05:21):
Yeah, absolutely.
from our experience on our Junecruise last year, the line for
the birth certificates to getoff the ship was hundreds of
people long.
We walked right through thepassport line.
And so not only is it, Safer foryou to have a passport in case
something happens.
It's also helps with the hassleof getting on and off the ship.
j_1_05-04-2025_1913 (05:44):
Absolutely, yes.
All right, so next step is notchecking medical restrictions.
There's not a lot ofrestrictions when it comes to
cruising, but there's two biggerones I wanna mention.
The first is for women who maybe pregnant, you cannot sail
after.
24 weeks, on the cruise ship,they do not have the.
(06:09):
Facilities to care for a newbornthat would need a nicu.
So you will not be allowed toboard.
And I know a lot of people tryto skirt around this rule
because it is a self-reportrule.
but don't do that.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (06:22):
Yeah.
I mean, it's kind of like tryingto get your kids that are too
short to get on rides at themeparks by like, you know, giving,
I, I mean, people will do this,like stuff, their shoes and
stuff like that, but like, it's,it's for safety, dude.
it's for the safety of yourunborn child.
It's for the safety of yourkids.
Is that really worth this?
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (06:42):
A cruise?
No.
The other one kind of ties intothis, and it's that babies under
the age of six months They haveto be older than six months.
And this again goes back to thatlack of medical care on the
cruise.
they just don't have a lot ofoptions.
if your child is under sixmonths, they may not be able to
care for them in an emergency.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (07:04):
The next one is Not monitoring
prices after you book.
Those prices fluctuate.
They change.
They tend to always go up, butsometimes they go down.
So make sure you're on top ofthat.
In fact, Julie, I have a groupof cruisers that book with me.
They've been cruising quite abit.
my job is to monitor the pricesand make any adjustments.
(07:27):
It's kind of like thoseSouthwest flights, right?
You get on every once in a whileand maybe you save a hundred
bucks.
Maybe it's more so you don'trebook, those prices do change,
and you may leave money on thetable if you're not checking.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (07:39):
Yes, definitely.
I actually had a client reachout to me this week and say,
Hey, I noticed our price droppedfrom this to this, and it was a.
$30 difference, like can youdouble check it?
I was like, yeah, sure, noproblem.
So I pull up their reservation,Ryan, and the price that they
paid was$250 less than what theywere telling me.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (07:58):
and sometimes that's fun to come
back and tell clients, Nope,you're still good.
You've got the best price.
'cause that makes them feelsecure that, yeah, we made a
good decision and booking whenwe did.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (08:09):
it was just comical.
I was like, oh great, we cansave some money.
And then I was like, oh wait, Wealready did save the money.
next up is skipping travelinsurance.
as travel advisors, we talkabout travel insurance
frequently as one of our.
Really important tips for whenyou travel, especially on a
cruise, because you are stoppingat places that are likely
outside of the country where youdo not have medical insurance if
(08:32):
something happens to you or yourparty and you need medical
attention on an island, youreally do not wanna be paying
that out of pocket.
And I know for sure.
Our preferred partner for travelprotection will wire that money
for you because some hospitalswill not provide care until you
pay upfront.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (08:52):
Yep.
what not to do.
Leave the travel insurance athome.
Always take the travel insurancewith you.
The next one is picking a cabinat random.
It is so.
Tempting when you're bookingthat cruise to just pay a little
less and have the cruise linechoose it for you.
Basically have a guaranteedstate room of some category, and
(09:15):
I have people that do that andthat works for them.
I've never had a complaint,however.
It is worth taking the time tofigure out what's best for your
family.
Do you wanna be close to theelevators?
Do you wanna be farther awayfrom the elevators?
Do you need to be, close tosomething on the ship?
you can really pick and choosewhat you want.
(09:35):
That's gonna make your crews alot nicer if you know it's where
you want it to be.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (09:40):
And I think first time cruisers are
very susceptible to this becausethey truly don't know
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (09:46):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (09:47):
for.
Um, even when I first started inthe travel industry, seven or so
years ago, I was kind of like, Idon't know what to do with a
cruise ship cabin.
But after all this experience,it just shows that you don't
know what you don't know andworking with a travel advisor to
plan your trip, we now know.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (10:06):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (10:07):
You don't wanna be here.
A lot of times I'll have aclient say, well, why didn't you
pick this room here?
I'm like, because it's rightunder the pool.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (10:14):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (10:15):
Well, that's
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (10:15):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (10:16):
don't choose at random, at least have
an idea of what you're picking.
The next mistake you don't wantto make is taking only ship
affiliated shore excursions.
Ryan, tell us why you might.
Not want to pick a ship.
Affiliated shore excursion.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (10:34):
Well, I think first and foremost,
that's what the majority of thecrews is going to choose.
So you're.
Automatically first with a bunchof people.
Now, it doesn't mean they won'tbreak things up.
I've been on a celebrity shortexcursion where it was just my
family and that was through theship.
but you're automatically.
Adding the number of people onthe crews going directly there.
(10:57):
And number two, the variety isgonna be based on what's most
popular, not necessarily whatyou want to do.
There are tons of things to do,around ports, and I would say
more often than not now, almostall of those reputable companies
understand that the biggest,scare is what Julie.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (11:17):
Missing your ship.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_19131 (11:18):
Missing the ship.
So they have return timeguarantees because they know
that people are worried aboutthat.
And so that's not even really afactor anymore, especially if
you are smart about who you'rebooking with.
and that you're giving yourselfplenty of time.
I'm working with several,British Isles cruises this
(11:38):
summer and we didn't bookanything for one of them through
the cruise line, and I canguarantee all of them will be
great short excursions thatthey'll have no trouble with
because I've chosen reputablecompanies to work with.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (11:54):
Right people that we trust.
the next one is waiting to bookeverything until the last
minute.
This isn't necessarily like thecruise itself.
This is waiting until the lastminute to book your Shore
Excursions.
adjust anyone in the party ifyou need to, to book your
transfers add on your drink ordining packages or anything like
(12:15):
that.
Those things are going to sellout.
They're going to fill up.
There may be more availabilityon board, but that's obviously
not guaranteed.
The one that I've really seenfilling up recently is
transfers, and of course, shoreexcursions.
another mistake I don't want youto make is overpacking your
(12:35):
carry-on.
when you board the ship, youbring your carry-on with you and
you do wanna keep certain thingsthere.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (12:45):
Some things.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (12:46):
but I don't want you to overpack it
because you've got to carry thataround with you until your room
is ready and your room is notgonna be ready if you board the
ship at 11:00 AM.
Most of the time your room willnot be ready.
So you will be carrying thatwith you.
Like if you bring on your caseof water, you're carrying around
your case of
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (13:05):
we have seen people at the buffet
at lunch, carrying their stuffand it's like, yeah, we didn't
think this through.
Now that being said, you canleave.
Eve, any of your luggage youwant with the porters to put on
the ship.
So even if you don't want tocarry stuff, but there are some
good things to carry and Julie'sgonna talk about that.
(13:26):
So speaking of carrying ourwater around, our last tip
before, where in the world isleaving your alcohol at home,
depending on your cruise line,you could be allowed to bring a
certain amount of wine, beer,and spirits.
that could, help save some moneywith a drink package.
Or if you have somebody in yourcabin that doesn't want the
(13:46):
drink package, but you know,enjoys that pre dinner drink or
that after dinner glass of wineon the balcony, you can
certainly do that.
make sure to check theregulations of your cruise line,
but we're also not advocatingbreaking the regulations of your
cruise line
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (14:03):
I agree.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (14:05):
All.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (14:05):
don't carry too much.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_1913 (14:07):
Alright, Julie, where in the world does
all things travel?
This week when I looked at newlocations, I've actually been to
this location and it wasabsolutely beautiful.
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
Have you ever been to the OuterBanks?
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (14:20):
yes, I have.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (14:22):
So I absolutely love it.
It's known for being on thewater, these huge sand dunes.
It's known for the WrightBrothers doing their first
flight there.
a cool thing that I think wouldbe fun to do with our listener,
because I know Kitty Hawk isknown for this because of the
dunes, is taking a hang glidinglesson.
Wouldn't that be awesome?
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (14:42):
That does sound really cool.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (14:44):
All right, so hey Kitty Hawk, we are
so excited you're listening toAll Things Travel.
Reach out to us on Wonder andbeyond travel.com and just hit
Contact us because I would loveto send you a little thank you
gift for being featured on theshow and it's a brand new thank
you gift.
All right, so let's talk alittle bit more, Julie, with
this next, what not to do.
(15:06):
not keeping essentials in yourcarry-on during embarkation and
de embarkation, I have twothings that I always have with
me.
One is my laptop.
One is my CPAP machine, becausethose are two things that I
never wanna lose, and those aretwo things that would ruin my
trip if I lost them.
So I keep, things likemedication.
(15:28):
If you have a child that needs,you know, diapers or certain
things, or even, hey, you'regonna hit the pool after lunch,
have that stuff with you so thatyou can have what you need for
that space in between boardingthe ship and your room being
open.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (15:44):
And then on the other side of it, if you
are, giving the porters yourluggage the night before you get
off the ship, making sure you'vegot the things that you need for
overnight in the morning.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (15:56):
Yep.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (15:57):
when we were on our Royal Caribbean
cruise and all the luggageshowed up except for yours.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (16:02):
Yeah.
So when we got there,everybody's room was ready, but
my luggage just would not come.
And so I'm sitting in your roomjust wondering, okay, so what
happens?
My luggage just doesn't show up.
And so I actually had an appleair tag, so I knew my luggage
was there.
It just hadn't gotten to me yet.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (16:23):
It was just funny.
It was just funny everythingelse is there except for yours.
And we had all given ittogether.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_1 (16:28):
Absolutely.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (16:29):
All right.
So the next one is forgetting toput your phone on airplane mode.
On the first day on the cruise,I'm like, Is it time?
And then I forget.
when you're on the cruise, youcan either purchase wifi from
the ship or the ship's app Willwork without wifi.
You can just use that andcompletely unplug, which is
lovely.
either way you need to have yourphone in airplane mode or you
(16:50):
are going to be,
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191 (16:52):
incurring charges that you don't want to
pay.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (16:54):
there you go.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (16:55):
The next one is an obvious one.
What not to do.
Arrive late at the pier after aday at the port.
We've all seen those videos, ofpeople running to catch their
cruise ship.
when I was on my last rivercruise, the cruise manager said,
I want you guys to know we havethe most friendly captain in all
of Alma waterways.
If you are standing on theshore.
(17:18):
And are late and you wave athim, he's gonna wave right back
to you and say hello.
As they're sailing away
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (17:26):
A lot of people think this can happen if
their shore excursion runs overand they're worried about that,
but we will always book youthrough a reputable company that
will get you back to your ship.
This happens more frequentlywhen people
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (17:37):
it.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (17:38):
on their own.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (17:39):
it's not the excursions, it's not the
companies.
It's, we went out and did someshopping and sat down for lunch
and started having someafternoon drinks and weren't
paying attention,
j_1_05-04-2025_1913 (17:50):
Absolutely.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (17:51):
were relying on questionable
transportation to get us back tothe ship, like a taxi or a bus
or things like that.
Not that you can't use those, byall means, but.
Keep that time in mind and don'tget back at four.
If the ship leaves at four, getback at two 30.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (18:08):
Yeah, I remember you saying that when we
were on our Caribbean cruise,like whatever time the ship was
leaving you were like, no, Iwanna be back an hour before.
And I was like, okay.
That makes sense.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (18:18):
Yep.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (18:18):
Okay.
All right.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (18:19):
I.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (18:20):
mistake I really don't want you to make is
thinking that everything isincluded.
So sometimes when you board aship, most of the food is
included, but there might besome places that are not like a
pub or a lounge, or maybe anupgraded meal or an upgraded
specialty coffee, Even on someships, bottled water is not
included.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (18:39):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (18:39):
get the drink package.
knowing those things in advanceis huge.
knowing that the spa is notincluded, maybe some kids'
activities, some ships havethings like laser tag that might
not be included.
You just need to know inadvance.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (18:55):
And I will say most of the cruise
lines that I've been on are verygood at letting you know that
nobody's trying to trick you.
you just have to pay attentionto signage.
If you're unsure, ask, They'lllet you know what's included.
Even if you have a regular drinkpackage versus a premium drink
package, it's not a problem toask because they don't want you
upset and they want you to havethe service that fits you.
(19:18):
so understanding what's includedand what's not.
speaking of that, another, whatnot to do is overdo it with the
drink package.
obviously we want to have a goodtime.
We want to enjoy ourselves, wewant to get a good, how do we
say this?
Return on investment whengetting the drink package.
However, you know, you reallydon't wanna spend that much
(19:39):
money and regret your decisionsand spend, the evening of a
fancy meal in your state roombecause you can't go to dinner.
Just.
know your pace and know that adrink package is is for
convenience, not for, let's seehow much I can, drink while I'm
on the cruise.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (19:59):
a lot of those drinks might be drinks
that you're not used todrinking.
So, you just don't wanna havethe upset stomach and you're out
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (20:06):
Yeah,
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (20:06):
and you're doing all sorts of stuff.
along with that is don't makethe mistake of not drinking
enough.
Water.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_1 (20:13):
absolutely.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (20:14):
this is the biggest reason I always add
a drink package, even just toget the bottled water and
upgraded coffees.
when I'm on, like the Disneycruise, the bottled water, it's
not included.
I order it for my state room, orbring some on, I feel like I'm
the person that always forgetsto drink water on vacation and I
hate being in a
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (20:33):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (20:34):
and not having access to it.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_1 (20:35):
absolutely.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (20:36):
in
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (20:36):
And even, cruise lines like Royal
Caribbean, celebrity or rivercruises, will have bottles or
boxes of water as you leave theship for the excursion.
if you have the drink package,it's already included.
If not, you can purchase it.
making sure that you're hydrateddefinitely is important.
Julie, to be honest.
I think when we see in the news,and I'm not trying to minimize
(21:00):
people getting sick, but when wesee in the news, you know,
people get sick at an allinclusive or on a cruise ship.
I wonder how much overindulgenceand just the difference in your
body, your body's not used tobeing on a ship, and even though
you're not feeling the rocking,your body is feeling it and
(21:20):
you're drinking differentthings, and you're drinking
different amounts, and you'reeating different things, and
you're eating different amounts.
I just wonder how much of thatcontributes to those things.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (21:29):
Yes, I had a party of clients recently
celebrating a big birthday, Oneof them thought she was very
ill.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (21:36):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (21:36):
gonna have to go to the hospital and
it turns out that she drank toomuch Liquid IV she was
absolutely fine after a coupleof hours.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (21:44):
Yeah.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (21:44):
enjoy at home, trying new things.
And she thought she was doingthe right thing.
And it kind of backfired alittle bit.
'cause again, you're not usedto.
Chugging a lot of Liquid IV and
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (21:53):
Right, right.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (21:54):
out in the end.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (21:56):
So these last two have to do with
wrapping up your cruise.
We talked a little bit aboutkeeping your things for
disembarkation and I agree withthat.
booking your next cruise afteryou get home, what's the
advantage of thinking about yourcruise while you're on the
cruise ship?
Julie.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (22:11):
You're going to get a discount.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (22:13):
You will always get some sort of
discount or enticement to bookthat cruise while you're there.
They know you're excited.
They know you're thinking aboutthe next one, so they want you
to book while you're there.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (22:24):
and you don't always have to know the
specific cruise.
You can put a little bookmark init and say, I know I want to
book one.
Let me get that started, andthen you have a certain amount
of time after the cruise tochoose your next
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (22:37):
Yep.
And then booking your flightstoo close to, disembarkation.
yes, you're gonna be off thecruise ship relatively early in
the morning, but assuming thatmeans you can get a 9:00 AM
flight, um, is really riskybecause what if something
happens and your ship can't getin that morning?
(22:57):
Or what if there's a holdup withpeople getting off the ship?
Make sure that you have, I wouldsay at the earliest.
I tell people book noon, andyes, I know there's a lot of
time there, but I'd rather havea lot of time than be trying to
wonder if I can get home thatday or not because of issues.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (23:18):
Right, especially if you just flat out
miss your flight, then you'restuck paying for a whole new set
of flights.
Insurance is not going to coveryou.
The airline is not going torefund you.
Because you booked your flighttoo early.
And I see this, this is likeasked all the time in the
Facebook groups, right?
Like, Hey guys, I booked a 10:00AM flight out of Miami.
(23:38):
Will I be good?
And it's like no one can tellyou if you're gonna be good
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (23:40):
Yeah, yeah,
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (23:42):
do you wanna be?
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (23:42):
yeah.
could it happen?
Of course, it could happen.
you could be the first peopleoff the ship and get to the
airport and be fine or.
You could not get off the shipin time and you're watching your
plane fly away as you're drivingup to the airport.
j_1_05-04-2025_1913 (23:57):
absolutely.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_1913 (23:58):
Alright, Julie, as we wrap up here, have
you made any of these
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (24:01):
All right.
I feel like the only mistake myfamily has sort of made is the
carry-on idea, and that's why Istress it so much.
I always overpack the carry-onand then we're stuck lugging it
around until the room is empty.
Everyone's tired trying to finda spot to put the thing, so my
goal in the next royal ship,Ryan, is to not carry on as
much.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_1913 (24:21):
Alright, I will be there to watch you
fail at that goal.
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (24:25):
You will, you will.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (24:27):
Hey, for me it has to do with putting
my phone on airplane mode.
when I was sailing in Greece, itwas the first time using an
international phone plan.
anytime the ship is at port oron land.
You can use it like normal,there were a couple times that I
didn't put it back, and in themiddle of the night I'm like, oh
my goodness.
you look at your phone and it'sgot some weird service that it's
(24:50):
following.
I pretty much doubled my phonebill that month,
j_1_05-04-2025_191315 (24:53):
Oh my gosh.
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (24:54):
but, but lesson learned.
Lesson learned.
j_1_05-04-2025_19131 (24:57):
Seriously,
ryan_1_05-04-2025_191314 (25:01):
The world is full of wonder and your
next great adventure is waitingat Wonder and Beyond Travel.
We work with you to create a oneof a kind journey, taking the
stress off your plate so you canfocus on the joy of exploring
and the memories that will staywith you forever.
If you're ready to startplanning or just wanna dream a
little bigger, Head over toWonder and beyond travel.com.
(25:24):
We would love to help you getstarted.
We look forward to talking toyou next week on All Things
Travel.
When we discuss considerationswith touring Alaska by land and
by cruise ship.
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