This week’s special offers from Disney Cruise Line arrives with the return of Florida Resident rates. Sailings with special offers available this week, range from early-April into late-January 2025. Currently, there are 26 unique sail dates, available with special offers available across the fleet for sailings from Barcelona, Civitavecchia, Fort Lauderdale, Galveston, Port Canaveral, Southampton, and Vancouver.
The Disney Magic features the most sailings at 12, the Disney Dream follows with 9, along with the Disney Wish with what I believe is the most for the ship in a single week 5 sail dates, and Disney Wonder with 2 dates. Currently, there are no offers listed for the Disney Fantasy, or the Disney Treasure.
Special rates for Florida Residents returned this week with 2 sail dates, and the US Military Personnel rate increased 1 to 18 cruises. The Canadian Resident held at 8 sail dates.
The special offers listed below are available to book today while inventory lasts.
Special Offers for U.S. Military Personnel
Special Rates for U.S. Military Personnel (MTO) are limited to 50 staterooms per category and sailing. Pricing varies, the lowest priced category per person per night listed below. New sailings added this week are in bold. To take advantage of military cruise rates, at least one adult in each stateroom must provide Proof of Military Service. Please note: This offer cannot be combined with any other special offers or discounts. Valid for new bookings only.
Disney Dream
11-Night Mediterranean with Greek Isles Cruise from Civitavecchia (Rome) Ending in Barcelona Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy • At Sea • Chania, Greece • Piraeus (Athens), Greece • Kusadasi, Turkey • Mykonos, Greece • At Sea • Valletta, Malta • Catania (Sicily), Italy • Naples, Italy • At Sea
12-Night Norwegian Fjords and Iceland Cruise from Southampton Southampton • At Sea • Mekjarvik (Stavanger), Norway • Olden, Norway • Alesund, Norway • At Sea • Reykjavik, Iceland • Reykjavik, Iceland • Ísafjörður, Iceland • At Sea • At Sea • At Sea
7-Night Mediterranean Cruise from Barcelona Barcelona, Spain • At Sea • Naples, Italy • Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy • Livorno, Italy • Villefranche, France • At Sea
7-Night Mediterranean Cruise from Barcelona Barcelona, Spain • At Sea • Naples, Italy • Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy • Livorno, Italy • Cannes, France • At Sea
7-Night Mediterranean with Greek Isles Cruise from Civitavecchia Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy • Naples, Italy • At Sea • Mykonos, Greece • Santorini, Greece • Chania, Greece • At Sea
7-Night Mediterranean with Greek Isles Cruise from Civitavecchia (Rome) Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy • Naples, Italy • At Sea • Piraeus (Athens), Greece • Mykonos, Greece • Chania, Greece • At Sea
7-Night Western Europe Cruise from Barcelona ending in Southampton Barcelona, Spain • Cartagena, Spain • At Sea • Lisbon, Portugal • Vigo, Spain • La Coruña, Spain • At Sea
9-Night Mediterranean with Greek Isles Cruise from Barcelona ending in Civitavecchia Barcelona, Spain • At Sea • Messina (Sicily), Italy • At Sea • Santorini, Greece • Kusadasi, Turkey • Piraeus (Athens), Greece • At Sea • Naples, Italy
Disney Magic
3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, Florida • Castaway Cay • Nassau, Bahamas
4-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Galveston Galveston, Texas • At Sea • Progreso, Mexico • At Sea
5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, Florida • At Sea • Cozumel, Mexico • At Sea • Castaway Cay
5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Galveston Galveston, Texas • At Sea • Progreso, Mexico • Cozumel, Mexico • At Sea
Disney Wish
4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral Port Canaveral, Florida • Nassau, Bahamas • Castaway Cay • At Sea
4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral Port Canaveral, Florida • Nassau, Bahamas • At Sea • Castaway Cay
4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral Port Canaveral, Florida • Castaway Cay • Nassau, Bahamas • At Sea
Special Military rates are available to all retired and active U.S. Military personnel (or spouse), including U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Marines, U.S Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. National Guard, U.S. Army Reserve and U.S. Department of Defense personnel. Active and retired members (or spouse) of the U.S. military must provide valid identification at time of check-in. This offer is limited to a maximum of one stateroom per military member (or spouse), per sailing. A U.S. Military service member (or spouse) is required to sail to take advantage of this offer. Activated members (or spouse) of the U.S. National Guard or the U.S. Army Reserve must also show active duty orders (active duty papers must be dated as of January 1st of the previous year to qualify).
Government taxes will vary by itinerary and are in addition to the below rates. Third and fourth Guest prices valid with 2 full-fare Guests in the same stateroom. Rates may vary by sail date and category. Other restrictions may apply. Other categories and sail dates may be available. Valid for new bookings only.
Special Offers for Florida Residents
Special Rates for Florida Residents (FLR) are limited to 50 staterooms per category and sailing. Pricing varies, the lowest priced category per person per night listed below. New sailings added this week are in bold. Please note: This offer cannot be combined with any other special offers or discounts. Valid on new and existing reservations.
Disney Dream
13-Night Eastbound Transatlantic Cruise from Fort Lauderdale ending in Barcelona Fort Lauderdale, Florida • At Sea • At Sea • At Sea • At Sea • At Sea • At Sea • Ponta Delgada (Azores), Portugal • At Sea • Lisbon, Portugal • Cádiz, Spain • Cartagena, Spain • Valencia, Spain
Disney Wish
3-Night Bahamian Cruise from Port Canaveral Port Canaveral, Florida • Nassau, Bahamas • Castaway Cay
To take advantage of Florida residency cruise rates, proof of Florida Residency for at least one adult in each stateroom must be presented at time of check-in. Guests unable to show proper proof of Florida residency at check-in will have their cruise re-priced and the balance must be paid before being allowed to sail.
Proof of residency must be valid at the time of sailing, and includes the following: •Florida Driver’s License •Florida Identification Card
If you do not have one of the IDs indicated above, then you must provide one of the following—dated within the past 2 months—verifying a Florida residential address and your name, along with a corresponding, valid government-issued photo ID (such as passport, driver’s license, state identification card): •Monthly mortgage statement •Renter’s lease agreement •Current automobile registration, insurance policy or bill •Current homeowner’s insurance policy or bill •Current utility bill (power/phone/cable/water) •Mail from a financial institution, including checking, savings or investment account statements •Mail from a federal, state, county or city government agency Note: property deeds and P.O. boxes are not considered acceptable proofs of residency.
Children’s rates are also available to Guests ages 3 through 12 that are traveling with 2 adults in the same stateroom.
Canadian Resident Rates
Special Rates for Canadian Residents with savings on prevailing rates as quoted on Disneycruise.com for non-concierge Verandah, Oceanview, and Inside Staterooms on select cruises. Pricing varies, the lowest priced category per person per night listed below. New sailings added this week are in bold. Proof of residency is required an you must mention the special offer code CAN when booking. NOTE: Offers may be applied to existing bookings if requested when calling in. This offer cannot be combined with any other special offer or discounts, or onboard credits.
Disney Magic
4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, Florida • Nassau, Bahamas • Castaway Cay • At Sea
4-Night Bahamian Cruise from Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, Florida • Nassau, Bahamas • Lookout Cay • At Sea
5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, Florida • At Sea • Cozumel, Mexico • At Sea • Castaway Cay
5-Night Western Caribbean Cruise from Galveston Galveston, Texas • At Sea • Progreso, Mexico • Cozumel, Mexico • At Sea
Disney Wonder
7-Night Alaskan Cruise from Vancouver Vancouver, Canada • At Sea • Glacier Viewing (Stikine Icecap), Alaska • Icy Strait Point, Alaska • Juneau, Alaska • Ketchikan, Alaska • At Sea
The Canadian Resident rate excludes suites and categories with restrictions (VGT, OGT, and IGT). Proof of Canada residency will be required at time of check-in. Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses are not included. If booking through Disney Cruise Line’s Contact Center, you must mention code CAN. Offers may be applied to existing bookings if requested by caller. This offer cannot be combined with any other special offer or discounts, or onboard credits. Offer valid for new and existing reservations.
Please note, the offers listed are not to be taken as official quotes. Prices and availability can change at any time without notice. More importantly, the deals listed above are a snapshot in time based on DCL’s online cruise search tool.
Nine tourists have been left on a remote island in Africa, after their cruise ship left them behind.
Seven Americans and two Australians were on a private shore excursion on Sao Tome and Principe when their return to Norwegian Dawn was delayed. Eight guests were on one delayed tour, while another had visited a local hospital after a separate excursion.
The tour operator for the delayed excursion apparently called the cruise ship to inform the captain of the delay, but when the guests waited for a tender to get them back to the ship, one wasn’t sent.
The coast guard on the island tried to help the passengers, but the ship refused them permission to board, and sailed away leaving the passengers behind.
Two of the passengers have been speaking to news outlets and have reported that, in the group, there are several older passengers, one of whom has a heart condition. There is also a paraplegic guest and a pregnant woman.
On the afternoon of March 27, 2024, while the ship was in Sao Tome and Principe, an African island nation, eight guests who were on the island on their own or with a private tour missed the last tender back to the vessel, therefore not meeting the all aboard time of 3 p.m. local time.
While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily communication and posted just before exiting the vessel.
Guests are responsible for any necessary travel costs to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call. When the guests did not return to the vessel at the all-aboard time, their passports were delivered to the local port agents to retrieve when they returned to the port.
Our team has been working closely with the local authorities to understand the requirements and necessary visas needed if the guests were to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call. We are in communication with the guests and providing additional information as it becomes available.”
Norwegian Cruise Line Statement
The passengers are now trying to negotiate a return to the ship – with the help of the US Embassy they flew to Gambia on Sunday, but they were waiting for confirmation from NCL that they would be allowed back onboard.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Norwegian Cruise Line has made two announcements this week that could be extremely frustrating to guests, with a number of cruises cancelled and one cruise badly affected by upgrade works.
The first announcement was a significant redeployment of the cruise line’s ships for 2025, which will impact cruises on seven ships.
These include Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Star, Norwegian Sky and Norwegian Viva.
Select cruises for each of these ships have now been cancelled, with various reasons given – some are due to the continuing issues in the Red Sea, some are full ship charters, and some are due to the cruise line wanting to send more of the fleet to the Panama Canal.
Guests who were booked on these cruises will now receive a full refund along with a 10% Future Cruise Credit to apply to any other cruise with NCL before 31st December 2025.
The full list of cancellations are:
Norwegian Epic – 1st November and 11th November 2025 sailings
Norwegian Jade – 20th February, 4th March, 13th March and 24th March 2025 sailings
Norwegian Pearl – 19th April, 5th May, 16th May, 27th May, 5th June and 15 October 2025 sailings
Norwegian Sky – all sailings between 19th April and 5th June 2025
Norwegian Spirit – 1st January 2025 sailing
Norwegian Star – 17th May, 29th May and 9th June 2025 sailings
Norwegian Viva – 18th May, 27th May, 20th September and 29th September 2025 sailings
If that wasn’t frustrating enough for NCL guests, another announcement could be extremely disappointing for guests on the Norwegian Viva’s transatlantic cruise set to depart on 7th April 2024.
While that cruise is going ahead, the cruise line has written to guests to let them know that several areas of the ship will be closed during the cruise, as they are being upgraded.
While most of the enhancements have not been disclosed, the cruise line has announced that the Speedway Bar will be converted to Entourage, a hangout space for teenagers.
Other closed areas of the ship include part of Galaxy’s Pavilion (the TV gaming space), the Tee-Time minigolf course, The Wave (a popular water slide) and some other gaming spaces.
The cruise line did say that, if any of the areas could reopen during the cruise, they would and announcements would be made onboard.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
A cruise ship has returned to service after receiving a multi-million dollar renovation after being acquired by another cruise line.
Celestyal Cruises purchased the 42,000 gross ship last November from AIDA Cruises. The vessel was renamed Celestyal Discovery during a massive renovation and the ship is now sailing three and four night cruises to the Greek Isles.
The ship’s first passengers are sailing on the “Iconic Aegean” itinerary, with port calls in Mykonos, Greece; Kusadasi, Turkey; Patmos Island, and Santorini, Greece; visiting a total of five ports over the three-night sailing.
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From March through to November 2024, Celestyal Discovery will be rotating this three-night itinerary with a four-night “Iconic Aegean” option, featuring an additional day in Rhodes. Cruises start at $279 per person.
All cabins on the ship were refreshed, the livery was painted, and new onboard social spaces were added. The ship now has a new coffee shop, pizza restaurant, and Discovery Lounge.
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Celestyal Discovery features two main restaurants – Thalassa and The Taverna, plus Grill Seekers- an additional specialty surf and turf restaurant, and the poolside Greek Deli and Fig & Honey for juice and gelato.
Chris Theophilides, CEO at Celestyal, said, “We were delighted to welcome 1,100 guests onboard our newest ship, Celestyal Discovery, this weekend. We have successfully refreshed our fleet in under a year, staying true to our commitment to invest in our customer experience.
“Celestyal can now offer premium, destination immersive holidays, unmissable both at sea and ashore. It’s an extremely exciting time for us as we continue to expand as a global brand, and we look forward to more developments over the coming year”.
Lee Haslett, chief commercial officer at Celestyal, said, “Having already announced 12 new destinations, a completely refreshed fleet and significantly upgraded customer experience, we are delighted to be setting sail on both our 2024 season and our new global year-round operation. We have spent the past year listening to our valued customers and partners to understand what makes Celestyal so special. We’ve evolved our identity to reflect this and our new fleet, with the new livery, is the now the most visible extension of our brand.”
I slept surprising well after my first impression of the bed and pillows which first didn’t feel great. In reality, they turned out to be the perfect combination for a wonderful sleep. As usual, I was up and out of the stateroom early to go walk around. It is often a mixed bag, some times it is quieter on the first few mornings versus later in the cruise. Mostly true for the first day at sea, so being that we were heading to one of Royal Caribbeans private destinations today, there were more folks up and roaming around before the breakfast venues opened up.
One aspect of the ship that sticks out is the excellent wayfinding maps and directories prominently displayed near the elevators. Locations were listed for each deck in an easy to read format, and there was color coding for the staterooms. Regardless of where I was previously, I could easily find which quadrant of the deck I needed to walk towards based on the color coding. We were in stateroom 10629. Deck 10, stateroom 629 which was denoted by the yellow block of rooms. I found this extremely helpful since I was still learning my way around a new cruise ship layout.
For research purposes, I made the decision to not do my homework and study the deck plan ahead of the cruise, just as I did last year when we sailed on the Mardi Gras. My normal number 1 tip for cruising on a new ship is to study the deck plan so you are not wasting time running around in circles your first few days onboard and potentially missing out on a schedule activity. The research side was simply to see how well the cruise line set up signage for guests to navigate the vessel. I am giving Wonder of the Seas a solid A, maybe even worthy of an A+ on the wayfinding signage.
Royal Caribbean calls their room key, a SeaPass card, which is essentially the same as Disney’s Key to the World Card (KTTW). The SeaPass card uses RFID technology to open your stateroom door, pay for purchases, and to tap at security on the gangway. The staterooms also have the spot inside the door for a card to activate the power in the room and just like with DCL, you can put any card in the slot. In addition to the ship and sail date details, the SeaPass cards include your assembly station, dining information and even your stateroom number. Normally, key cards do not have room numbers printed on them for obvious security reason, but the number printed does NOT include the deck number. I wouldn’t be surprised to see security appear if someone tried this card on multiple 629 staterooms in a short period of time. There are cameras and signs everywhere mentioning you are on surveillance. Royal Caribbean also offers a WOW Band for $9.99, which is wearable along the lines of a Disney Band+. Personally, I am not a fan of either, so I did not get one for this cruise, nor did anyone else in our party.
On the Wonder of the Seas elevators, you will be reminded what day of the week it currently is in the real world.
I made my way down to the Royal Promenade to get an Americano using my Café Select coffee card at Café Promenade. The Café Select card entitled me to “15 specialty coffees” during the voyage which is in quotes for reason, but first some background.
This was a pre-cruise purchase for $31, which I picked up on embarkation day at Café Promenade and is redeemable at all coffee locations onboard except the licensed Starbucks stores.
The “15 specialty coffees” part comes down to the fine print and the barista’s enforcement of the fine print.
1 tall coffee, 1 shot of espresso, or 1 chai latte = 1 card punch. Grande size = 2 card punches. The card is shareable and multiple purchases can be redeemed in one purchase.
I must admit, I did not do my homework on this one, so I figured it was a literal 15 coffees, only to discover at Café Promenade, they are sticklers for the fine print. A grande Americano was a two punch order. Math works out well considering it is $4 for a grande Americano on the Wonder of the Seas, which is about the going rate for a grande Americano at my local Starbucks.
The line at Café Promenade was long versus the ghost town down at the Starbucks since they do not accept the punch card or any of the other beverage packages. Although, there are multiple places to purchase specialty coffee around the ship whereas there is just the one Starbucks location. It is worth mentioning that the complimentary drip coffee available onboard was some of the best I’ve encountered at sea. They brew Lavazza coffee.
It was still early and I had a nice window of time to do some work. The internet was hit and miss with intermittent long delays in my Remote Desktop connection. If you do not work on a cruise, awesome; skip this paragraph. When the connection worked, it was great, but when it lagged, it was aggravating, especially in the middle of an important task. I eventually got used to the random lagging, and used the connection hiccup to look away from my laptop to reduce eye fatigue.
Below is a look at the screen to switch your internet plan from one device to another. If you are like me and have a Two-factor authentication (2FA) login requirement which uses your smartphone, you can still accomplish this with a single device plan. In my case, I simply plug my iPhone into my laptop allowing the smartphone to use the same connection as the laptop allowing my 2FA app to work. Same process works on DCL’s plans as it is silly to pay for a second device just for 2FA. I recommend practicing this at home by putting your phone in airplane mode and disabling the smartphone’s WiFi.
As we were packing up our day bag to head ashore, we discovered that the TV moves! In our room, the TV was mounted at the foot of the bed, making for a difficult viewing angle for anyone sitting on the sofa.This was a great feature, as we could sit outside and still catch a glimpse of the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, then later in the week The Players, and the NCAA conference championship games.
Around 9:15 AM, we were ready to head ashore, but first we had to stop and check out beach towels. Key phrase here is “check out”, not pick up. You can check out as many towels as you want, but they scan your SeaPass card and must be returned by the end of the cruise or they say you will be charged $25/towel. Carnival had a similar towel check-in and return procedure, but we were staying in a suite on the Mardi Gras, so we were provided towels in the room to use. This is one of those things I can say is truly a Disney Difference with the easy access to towels when going ashore, and at various spots around the upper pool decks. It actually is something I’ve taken for granted. Each time I have to stand in line to check-in or out a towel, I am reminded of how it is not even something that crosses my mind when sailing with Disney Cruise Line.
Our first port of call on this voyage is Perfect Day at CocoCay which is pronounced “KEY”. Perfect Day at CocoCay is located the The Bahamas’ and is one of the Berry Islands known as Little Stirrup Cay.
Land, and our first close up look at the Wonder of the Seas.
One aspect about Perfect Day at CocoCay is that you are likely to share the island with another cruise ship. In our case, the Odyssey of the Seas was docked on the other side of the pier.
The walk from the ship on the pier was picturesque with prominent “Perfect Day” and “CocoCay” signs flanking the pier.
Helpful to newcomers such as myself, Royal Caribbean offered an actual printed brochure and island map.
Additionally, in our room, there was a paper handout (below). It was a welcome sight to see options other than using a cruise line app.
Did we have a plan? Did we have a pre-determined spot to sit? Did we…? Nope to all of those questions. We were just casually heading ashore and let life play out naturally. We did a little window shopping at the various huts before moving along to where we settled in for the morning, an area labeled as Chill Island on the map located on the east side of the island.
We found a nice spot with 5 loungers and essentially hung out talking and reading up until it was time for lunch. The weather was subjectively cool combined with the subjectively cold water temperatures, and wind chill water based activities for me were out of the question. In fact, I almost went back over to the shopping huts to find long pants and a sweatshirt. For perspective, anything under 80ºF is cold, which I am fully aware is a me problem, not shared by most. Emily and Isabelle also were not going to participate in water activities ashore due to the temperature and wind, either.
We dscovered a couple of basketball hoops setup on Chill Island near the restrooms. They appear to be in full sun most of the day, so if this is something you are interested in, bring appropriate footwear because that court surface is going to be toasty.
I strolled over closer to the southern side of the island to Breezy Bay spotting the Beach Beds which are available to rent (starting at $199 and up based on seasonal pricing) for the day to enjoy the beach and include two floating beach mats, a cooler stocked with four bottles of water and beach towels. Something along the lines of these day beds would be a welcome addition to Castaway Cay and possibly at Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point (no idea what sort of amenities will be offered other than the cabanas at this time).
Now these over the water cabanas looked awesome, but they are not cheap – prices vary, but range based on seasonal pricing from $999 to $4000+ a day. The price also includes access to the Coco Beach Club offering access to an exclusive private beach, the clubhouse, the infinity pool, beach chairs and towels, and complimentary dining at the Coco Beach Club restaurant.
There is something about a flag flying in the wind that is a bit hypnotic, I stood in this spot longer than I’d like to admit while I was waiting to meet up with the family just watching the flag.
I was ready to find the bar. It just so happened we were a few yards away from the Chill Island bar named Bar, #28 on the map. Good or bad, I like to try local beers at least once when traveling. Today, it was an easy order, SANDS from Bahamian Brewery. Of course I ordered it because it was a beer that had a name that was only missing two letters from my name. Emily ordered off menu and taught the bartender at the Bar how to properly make a French 75. Later, she went back and ordered a Prosecco, pictured below.
Around lunchtime, we walked around and I caught wind of a few items available on the island. I still checked Chill Grill serving up complimentary BBQ, fresh salads, and tacos.
There was quite an assortment (as you can see in the gallery below), including soft serve ice cream, and a self-serve beer tap! This was also one of the locations on Perfect Day to fill up on complimentary ice, water, and juice!
I was not going to be lured away from my mission to find the one of the three Snack Shack locations where you can get sandwich, salads, side, and desserts. I was delighted to see I was not led astray, and there were Mozzarella Sticks available – the good kind with a crunch and glorious cheese pull. The ultimate Bahamian island culinary treat.
Two Shack Crispy Chicken Sandwich and order of Mozzarella Sticks please!
Day 2 and I’m headed off the rails with the most unhealthy, but incredibly amazing sandwich ever created. I am sure I am not the only one to create this culinary masterpiece, but I imagine it’s a small but amazing club. Technically, I enjoyed the crispy chicken mozzarella sandwich without the bun because I’m watching my carbs.
The tacos were a hit with the rest of the family as they looked on in either disbelief or concern for my health. NO RAGRETS, not even a single bite!
After enjoying lunch, it was time to hold down my lounge chair all wrapped up in beach towels for warmth, and resume flipping pages in my book. This probably would have been a great time to walk around the island with Emily and the other teen in our party, but I felt like I had a good feeling about the island, and I know I will be returning in hopefully warmer conditions. My laziness didn’t stop the family from walking around exploring other areas of Perfect Day at CocoCay such as the pool area. I like the vibe so much more than Amber Cove, the exclusive resort in the Dominican Republic for the various lines under the Carnival umbrella. Perfect Day never felt crowed or busy even with two cruise ships.
At about 1:45PM, we decided to pack up and begin our short journey back to the ship. Perfect Day at CocoCay has a lot of potential, but with the cool temp we opted to head back onboard for the hot tub.
Our official hammock tester was impressed with the hammock’s scattered around Perfect Day finding quite a few that were not being held for future use and in the shade.
On the way back, we stopped on the bridge where we could see the Harbor Beach area where you can ride a zip line across (see video below).
Harbor Beach area also includes Skipper’s Grill offering the same fare as Chill Grill. Similar to Cookies BBQ and Cookies BBQ Too at Castaway Cay, there are redundant offerings so guests are not trekking all over the island for sustenance.
The tower on the right is a collection of waterslides that are part of the Thrill Waterpark area on the island. According to this PDF from Royal Caribbean, pricing varies with seasonal pricing ranging from $89-$169. This seems like a nice addition, but for a first time visit on subjectively cooler day, it was never an add-on that I considered.
The bridge offers a nice spot to take a family picture that I am pretty sure will be on this year’s Christmas card. It helps when you travel with friends who can take great photos!
There was a cute sand sculpture that changes every so often (my way of saying its real, but I don’t know if it changes designs seasonally, or just when it gets too worn down by the weather).
The walk to the ship from the pier really isn’t much different from the walk at Castaway Cay to the tram stop. The main difference is there is a dedicated tram at Perfect Day at CocoCay that runs continuous service between the ship and Arrivals Plaza.
One of my favorite things to due while cruising is to photograph the ships in port. There are number of great vantage points along the pier to capture picture of your ship.
Below is a collection of random video compiled into one YouTube video that will never get picked up by an algorithm because I am stubborn and will not give it a clickbait title, or design and upload stupid thumbnail with my mouth agape with a scene unrelated to the actual video.
All aboard was 4:30PM, but we were back onboard around 2PM. We dropped our bags off at room, and went up to the pool deck finding the lukewarm whirlpool which was better than the Atlantic Ocean, so I call it a win.
After a bit, we dried off and headed back to the stateroom to clean up. Well, I took a detour to scope out the offerings for a return lunch trip later on in the cruise. Since I already stopped at the poolside bar for a beer, I made a nacho bowl to take back to enjoy on the stateroom balcony. Clearly, my lunch didn’t phase me.
Somewhere around 3:45 PM, I could hear some peaceful music from the balcony. I looked down and had a view to a wedding! Congratulations and cheers to a life long adventure that started on a cruise ship. Fun fact: while we didn’t get married on a cruise, part of our honeymoon was spent sailing on the Disney Wonder, which was my first cruise.
I spent some time working on the balcony with the internet behaving much much better while I waited for my turn in the shower. One thing about our stateroom is that it does NOT have a dividing curtain which requires a bit of communication with the family when getting changed outside of the bathroom. We did notice another stateroom had a dividing curtain, but I am not sure if this was something that was available upon request or something that the guests brought with them and afixed with magnets.
Tonight’s dinner menu was themed as A Taste of Italy.
Vijay started us out by welcoming us to dinner with the artisan cheese plate from the dessert menu in his hand to enjoy with our wine. Day 2, and he gets us!
The appetizer round was highlighted by the Golden Polenta Fries which were cubes of deliciousness in a hazelnut-red pepper sauce.
The entrées were fresh and flavorful. After last night’s disappointment with the Chef’s Recommendation, I went right back to that suggestion and ordered the Lasagna Al Forno which did NOT disappoint!
The desserts looked great as well with the Crumbly Oat And Berry Bar by far my favorite. Much like a granola bar, it was not overly sweet leveraging the flavor and sweetness of the berries. The rest of the table loved the warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream on top, the best, but they were all delicious. Very impressive for main dining room fare.
Overall, dinner was much better than the first night, and the service remains excellent and we were in and out in less than an hour! Vijay even brought extra desserts to our table for everyone to sample.
After dinner, we were walking around the Royal Promenade, then headed up on flight of stairs to the Schooner Bar. While we were waiting to order, I decided to run another speed test, this time with some excellent results. The Starlink connection is routed through Atlanta, GA the first couple of days which is great if you are dealing with remote access where the firewall prevents connections from outside of the United States. Again, if you do not work while on a cruise, ignore this part.
The Schooner Bar is decked out in a nautical motif inspired by tall ships. There are nautical features such as rigging, a compass, and even a diver’s helmet.
There was one odd occurrence, well, two because it occurred twice this evening. The server took menu from the table before we had a chance to order. We were seated at a couch with a table waiting for our entire party to arrive. For some reason, I don’t know if it is a mechanism for the servers to identify which parties have been checked on instead of placing a cocktail napkin on our table, but it felt more like the case of the potential stolen menu – there were plenty of empty tables with menus available so it was a limited supply issue. It was strange that it was taken after ordering our first round. So, I grabbed one from the nearby table and when our drinks arrived, and the server took the menu again. I give up.
Anyway, back to the important stuff, the cocktail that brought us in after we previewed the menu on embarkation day, the Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned. An Old Fashioned is my go to cocktail and in recent years, and bars have been coming up with some excellent variants on the classic cocktail. I was hesitant because, I’ve been burned before by overly sweet creations that completely mask the whiskey. Pro tip, this tends to happens more often when a flavored whiskey is used. The Schooner Bar used Buffalo Trace and an appropriate ratio of their toasted marshmallow syrup which was accompanied by cocoa bitters, and four toasted marshmallows made up the garnish on a cocktail pick. The cocktail was great with my only criticism being that I wish the toasted marshmallow garnish was toasted longer.
While in the Schooner Bar which looks out over the Royal Promenade, you can see the Rising Tide Bar which is built on a moving platform taking patrons and the full bar itself from the Royal Promenade on deck 5 to Central Park on deck 8. Below is a time-lapse of the bar descending where in real time it takes about 7-8 minutes. We heard this was a popular spot, but we never saw it at capacity.
Our next planned activity was starting at 7:15PM, Name That Tune: 80’s Hits in Luna… OOPS, I meant the Music Hall.
In all seriousness, my first impression of the Music Hall spanning decks 8 and 9 on the Wonder of the Seas was that it was similar to Luna on the Disney Wish (and Sarabi on the Disney Treasure), but better. In no way am I bashing the Wish Class venue, but the Music Hall in my opinion has a much better design specifically a spiral staircase in the corner that allows patrons to move from the balcony area to the main floor. Overall, the venue was appropriately sized for the music trivia sessions we attended.
After trivia, we headed back out to walk around the mall, which is what I consider the Royal Promenade. Show me the lie — there is food court of sort, stores, and even kiosks.
Hidden in the corner at guest services, you can see the commemorative bottle of Veuve Clicquot below a portrait of the Wonder of the Seas godmother, Marie McCrea. Personally, I think it is a shame when the Godmother portraits are hidden away like an afterthought, but since cruise lines are more focuses on making floating resorts instead of cruise ships, it is no wonder the maritime tradition is being pushed to a corner. Perish the thought, anyone realize we are sailing ON A CRUISE SHIP IN OPEN WATER?!?!?!
We made our way back up to deck 8 to Central Park. Emily and I strolled into the EFFY Boutique at the tail end of ‘Ready…Set…Celebrate with Effy.’ There were people leaving with bags and bottles of sparkling wine, so it must have been a successful event. We spotted a sign showing some cat jewelry and decided to check it out. Good Grief! We were not expecting those prices for the panther ring and clearly I do not know much of anything about jewelry. Did I mention, my wife is amazing? The event was a great time to look around as all the sales associates were busy with the event so it was easy to browse the collections without the sales push.
There is something special about Central Park in the evenings when there is a live musician. Even in the following extremely short video clip you can get the idea of the tranquil ambiance of the space with Elton John’s Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King being played by the Blue Notes Jazz Quartet Live.
Tonight we fall back 1 hour, mere days after springing ahead to daylight savings time. Not this guy, even though this is vacation, I’m going to force myself to operate my home time and play the game of ‘will I miss the all aboard time’ based on the upcoming confusion of local time, my time, and ship’s time.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, is a sea day, and boy wouldn’t it be awesome if Disney Cruise Line announced the Summer 2025 a couple days ahead of the common release day of Thursday when we have an all day excursion in Honduras. I know how this is going to play out; the announcements have been synced up with my vacations for a few years now, but soon we will be free of the county school schedule and I will finally find out if shoreside is really tapped into my family calendar. Plus, Disney Cruise Line teased the announcement on social media, but not on X (formerly Twitter) because they along with other official Disney accounts apparently abandoned the platform in late November of last year most likely on due to comments from the proprietor of the social media platform. However, for some reason, I just now discovered this bit of information.
Anyway, tomorrow is a day at sea, and an opportunity for us to explore more of the ship.
The weather was still cool with low humidity allowing us to leave the sliding door open to the balcony to enjoy the end of the Blue Notes Jazz Quartet’s set in the comfort of my pajamas!
The lure of the wide open ocean and a tranquil time away from the stresses of day-to-day life sends people flocking to cruise liners. But while you are bobbing around in the Caribbean or Mediterranean, back on land, the world of sport doesn’t stop until you get back from your holiday.
So that means you still may fancy looking at some current football tips for matches, and fancy placing a bet. But is it legal to do that from ships that are departing the USA? In many circumstances, gambling on ships is legal, but it’s not all cut and dry.
If you are heading out to take in the sun and salty air soon, but still want to keep your eye on the sports action back home, then here is all you need to know about betting while on cruise ships leaving the US.
International Waters
It is likely that the term ‘International Waters’ has crossed your path at some point in your life. It’s certainly popped up in a lot of movies, where people head to the sanctuary of international waters to play high-stakes poker games.
The label refers to what is termed as the high seas and begins 24 miles off the coast of a country. There are three zones of water according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
● Territorial Waters: Up to a 12-mile distance out to sea, and where a country’s laws apply.
● Contiguous Waters: This extends the jurisdiction of waters out to 24 hours, meaning that a country can, under suspicion, board ships travelling in those waters.
● International Waters: More than 24 miles off a country’s coast, where the ship’s country of registration determines the law. Contrary to popular belief, international waters aren’t a place where there are no laws.
Flying the Flag
What country’s flag a ship sails under is the key area of gambling at sea. The gambling or betting rules you are faced with while on board, are determined by what country the ship is registered in. A good example is that while on board a ship registered in the US, you will still have to be a minimum of 21 years of age to place bets, regardless of your nationality.
Players on board a ship from the UK would get a little more leeway, as the legal betting age in the UK is lower at 18 years. Betting on UK cruise ships tends to be more lax than their US counterparts.
As for regulations, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) generally enforces regulations that are used by licensed, land-based casinos and their governing bodies. So you could, for example, expect to see Nevada or New Jersey regulations and policies used on US ships.
Hitting the Distance
Getting beyond territorial waters is the threshold, and that applies to any country. If you are leaving Miami for example, you will have to wait until your vessel reaches at least 12 miles. Once outside that range, then a ship can start to legally offer gambling and betting activities.
But after you have just cast off, therefore, you are going to have to find other things to do, like shuffleboard or catching some Instapics, so be prepared. But what about closer to shore?
Within 12 Miles
When the vessel encroaches within 12 miles of the coast of a country, the scene changes. No longer is the ship’s country of registration the determining factor – it is the rules of the country whose territorial waters it is. That’s why in most instances, when you are leaving or returning to the US, sports betting will be put on pause.
Cruising the Casinos
Casino play onboard cruise liners is hugely popular. It’s reported that there are an average of 300 slot machines per cruise ship out there. So that’s a lot of gambling machines out there floating on the waters. You will be able to tell when these are operational, as when approaching territorial waters, onboard casinos are simply going to shut up shop.
Stay Afloat
In summary, whatever country the ship is registered to will set the gambling rules, apart from when you sail into territorial waters. So the laws are ship-dependent and certainly worth checking on before you book.
It’s also advisable to check a full itinerary of your cruise so that you know roughly when you can expect gambling options to be open or closed. If in doubt at the end of the day, simply ask a member of staff for advice.
A lot of cruise lines offer additional packages and passes that you can book for your cruise to save some money or to unlock some additional perks.
MSC’s Fun Pass is one example, but I have to be honest – it’s one of the most confusing extra packages I’ve ever seen on a cruise!
There’s all kinds of different information from MSC that seems to be contradictory, but I’ve unpicked it all and made sense of it to bring you this simple, easy-to-understand guide to the MSC Fun Pass, and crucially, whether it’s worth buying.
What is the MSC Fun Pass?
The MSC Fun Pass is a pass you can book before you cruise or once onboard, though you’ll get the best deal if you pre-book. It offers you savings on lots of the onboard entertainment facilities on your MSC ship, such as the 4D cinema, bowling and more.
It’s actually two different passes, depending on which ship you sail on. There is:
The More You Play, The Less You Pay
All You Can Enjoy
You don’t get to pick one, and they work very differently.
How The MSC Fun Pass Works
The two different MSC Fun Passes don’t offer the same deal, so let me explain them separately.
1. The More You Play, The Less You Pay – Explained
This pass is available on MSC Virtuosa, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Bellissima, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Seaside and MSC Seaview. It’s also available on MSC Euribia, MSC Seashore and MSC Seascape, but the MSC website doesn’t tell you that.
This pass works by giving you free credit to use when you pay for a pass in advance – either before you cruise, or when you’re onboard. You get more bonus credit when booking before the cruise.
You’ll pay for the pass and your credit – including the bonus amount – is added to the pass. Every time you then use one of the entertainment facilities on the ship, the credit is deducted from the pass until you run out, at which point you’re charged as normal on your cruise account.
The amount of bonus you get on the ship depends on how much you pay, but before you cruise there’s just one flat fee option, which I’ll explain below.
Here’s a breakdown of the attractions it can be used with:
*On video games, it doesn’t include arcade games where you can win prizes, only video game machines.
2. All You Can Enjoy Pass – Explained
The MSC All You Can Enjoy Pass is available on the MSC Magnifica, MSC Fantasia, MSC Divina, MSC Splendida and MSC Preziosa.
This pass gives you unlimited use of the included entertainment facilities – you pay a single fee for your pass for the cruise, and then you can use the facilities as much as you want.
This pass is much easier to understand since it’s unlimited – once you’ve paid for the pass, you can then use these facilities without incurring any extra charges.
Here are the facilities it covers:
Attractions
MSC Magnifica
MSC Fantasia
MSC Divina, MSC Splendida, MSC Preziosa
4D Cinema
YES
YES
YES
F1 Simulator
No
YES
YES
Mini Bowling
YES
No
YES
Billiards
YES
No
No
Video Games
No
No
No
Buying Merchandise
No
No
No
MSC Fun Pass Cost & Value
In determining the value of the two different Fun Passes, you need to understand the cost involved, and what you actually save by purchasing them.
The More You Play – Value
The More You Play Fun Pass can be bought onboard the ship, or you can pay for it before you travel.
If you book before you cruise, you’ll get the best value:
Currency Onboard
What You’ll Pay
Bonus Received
Total Credit
GBP – £
£100
£80
£180
Euro – €
€100
€80
€180
USD – $
$70
$70
$140
These prices may change – the information MSC provides is contradictory in places, but you get the idea – you get a lot of free extra credit when you book in advance.
If you pay for a Fun Pass on the ship, you’ll still get bonus credit, but it won’t be as much. The percentage bonus you get will depend on how much you pay upfront. Here are some example amounts – again, these may vary by sailing:
What You’ll Pay
Bonus Received
Total Credit
£25
£5 (20%)
£30
£50
£10 (20%)
£50
£70
£20 (28.5%)
£90
£100
£40 (40%)
£140
£150
£70 (47%)
£220
You still get the best value pre-booking since you’ll get between 80-100% extra credit free, but booking on the ship is still good value.
As a guide, here’s the cost of all the attractions that are included, so you can see how quickly you’ll burn through your credit:
Attraction
Cost
Interactive Cinema
£10 adults, £8 children
F1 Simulator
£12
Bowling
£25 for 30 minutes, £45 per hour, £2 shoe rental
Billiards
£20 per hour
Zip Line
£10 per use
Flight Simulator
£15
VR Maze
£12
Video Games
£1.50 to £5
Buying Merch
Various
The important thing to note is that these passes can be shared – you can buy one, and everyone in your family can use it. You don’t need individual passes.
All You Can Enjoy – Value
It’s a lot harder to judge the cost of the All You Can Enjoy Fun Pass because the cost varies depending on the demand and the individual itinerary, including the length. It makes sense for an unlimited pass that the longer you cruise, the more it should cost.
I’ve seen some people booking a 7-night cruise saying they paid around $80 or £100 but it’s not a per-night fee, and it’ll depend on how busy the ship is likely to be.
The only way to know how much it’ll cost will be to check the MSC website once you’ve booked, and try to add it on for your cruise.
You can book this pass when you’re on the ship, but you’ll save 20% on the final cost if you book it before you sail. Also these are per-person passes and you can’t share them.
The activities do cost less on the ships that offer this pass – for example, it’s mini bowling rather than full bowling lanes, and the 4D cinema isn’t as good as the fully interactive cinemas on the other ships.
Attraction
Cost
4D Cinema
£8
F1 Simulator
£12
Mini Bowling
£5 per person, per game
Billiards
£20 per hour
So, is the MSC Fun Pass worth it or not?
Whether the MSC Fun Pass is worth it entirely depends on which ship you’re sailing on (and therefore which pass you can buy), and how much you’ll use the onboard entertainment amenities.
If you’ll use them a lot, it likely is worth buying, especially on the More You Play pass, since it’s free credits – if you would’ve spent £180 on those amenities anyway, then paying £100 for the £180 of credit is amazing value!
But, if you’re likely to spend less, or if you’re on one of the ships offering the All You Can Play pass and it’s a bit out of your price range, then don’t pay for it, and just pay for the attractions as you use them instead.
For a lot of people, you’ll be too busy relaxing in the bars, sunbathing by the pool or exploring the ports you visit. However, if your family loves these attractions, then I’d definitely recommend checking them out.
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Don’t miss the latest MSC Cruises offers…
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Emotional support dogs are becoming more popular in the world, as people realise the benefits of companion animals for their mental health.
Unlike service dogs, an emotional support dog does not require official training and doesn’t have to be registered.
However, because of this, cruise lines have generally drawn a hard line against them, and while several used to allow owners to bring their support dogs onboard, that’s no longer the case. Only registered service dogs are permitted.
But if you have an emotional support dog, all is not lost if you wish to cruise with them – although, I will admit, your options are restricted.
In this guide, I’ll explain which two cruise lines permit emotional support dogs, and look at the service dog policies of some of the other major cruise lines.
Service Dog Definition
Before we get to the cruise lines, it’s important to clarify the difference between a service dog and emotional support animals, because it may be that you would qualify for requiring a service dog and would therefore be able to take your dog with you on a cruise.
Contrary to some beliefs, service dogs are not required to be a certain breed or size – any dog can qualify, provided they undergo the necessary service dog training and become registered.
Being registered as an officially registered service dog means that your animal can travel with you not just on cruise ships but on other modes of transport, as well as being permitted in other public places where dogs may typically be banned.
There are several disabilities for which you may require a trained service dog:
Vision impairments
Hearing impairments
Mobility issues and stability
Seizures
PTSD
Diabetes
Panic disorders
Some other physical or psychological disabilities
However, you have to pay for the dog to be trained in this way. Whereas for therapy dogs that provide emotional support, no official training is needed.
For comfort dogs, you will be much more limited in where you’re permitted to take the animal, including cruise ships.
Most forms of travel, including cruise lines and airlines, now require the official paperwork for the dog to prove you have a service dog and not a pet.
Cruise Lines That Allow Emotional Support Dogs
There are only two cruise lines that permit well-being dogs who are not officially trained as service dogs, and within those, your options of where to cruise are rather limited.
1. Cunard
Cunard is the only major ocean cruise line that allows you to bring dogs onboard, and only on transatlantic cruises on Queen Mary 2.
The good news is that all dogs are permitted onboard, including assistance dogs that aren’t trained as service dogs. The bad news is that they have to remain in the kennels on the ship – you can’t have them with you in your stateroom or around the other public areas.
This might defeat the purpose of well-being dogs, since you won’t be able to have them with you for emotional support at all times.
You can visit them, but only at certain times each day, and for the rest of the voyage they’ll be kept in the kennels, or allowed to enjoy the designated exercise area.
It’s not ideal for owners of mental health dogs who are supposed to help you cope with everything in your day-to-day life, but Cunard won’t bend the rules. If your dog is not a registered service dog, then they can cruise with you but only in those kennels.
The ship has 24 kennels, so space is limited, and booking well in advance is almost essential. Other animals are welcome in the kennels too, so be aware that space can be even more limited if cat owners are travelling.
They aren’t free, either. A place on a transatlantic cruise on Queen Mary 2 costs between £800 and £3,500 per person, depending on your stateroom or suite choice, and then you’ll need to pay between £800 and £1,000 for your pet too – a larger fee for a larger kennel, if your dog needs it.
That fee includes the kennel but also their food, bedding and exercise with trained staff.
If your psychiatric support dogs have any special dietary requirements then you’ll need to provide the food yourself, as only standard food is provided.
The dogs are well looked after, though, and even have their own life vests and muster points in case of emergency!
While you would be limited to only seeing your emotional support dog for a few hours, it is a good way of travelling between New York and Southampton with your therapy pet.
You’ll need to make sure you’ve got the right health certificates and vaccinations for your dog, but they don’t need to quarantine on arrival in the US or UK provided you have lodged the necessary paperwork.
Read Cunard’s dog policy here and service dog policy here. Where the service dog policy states that emotional support dogs are not permitted, bear in mind that means across the fleet in general staterooms. You can take an emotional support dog on Queen Mary 2 if booked in a kennel.
2. 1AVista Reisen
The only other cruise line that allows you to travel with an emotional support dog is 1AVista Reisen, a German cruise line that offers a blend of river and Baltic Sea cruises.
They are very much targeted at the German market, so bear in mind that if you only speak English, you might struggle with the announcements onboard, the schedules and the menus. The crew may speak English, though, so should be able to help you.
The best thing about this cruise line is that you can keep your dog with you almost all the time – you don’t need to put them in a kennel.
There are three ships you can choose from – MS Normandie and MS Dutch Grace offers river cruises on the Dutch Waterways, the Rhine and the Moselle, while the MS Junker Joerg offers cruises around the northern coast of Germany. The cruise line just asks that you don’t bring dogs into the restaurant.
The ships have a doggy meadow for exercise and where your dog can do its business, and there’s a dog trainer on each ship, too.
Bear in mind that only select itineraries throughout the year that are dog-friendly – you can’t cruise whenever you want to. And dogs must have a maximum shoulder height of 50 cm, so larger breeds may not be accepted.
And you also have to factor in getting to Germany with your therapy dogs – you won’t be able to fly with them in the cabin on most airlines.
Here’s a quick look at the service dog policies of other major cruise lines, so you can read more on what is considered a service dog and can cruise with you.
Royal Caribbean Dog Policy
Royal Caribbean welcomes registered service dogs across the fleet. Evidence is helpful, but not always required.
Also, the policy makes it clear that the Central Park area of the Oasis-class and Icon-class ships is not a doggy relief area!
Celebrity Cruises is owned by the Royal Caribbean Group and so has an identical policy to Royal Caribbean – service animals are welcomed fleet-wide, and evidence is helpful but not always required.
P&O Cruises’s service dog policy states that registered assistance dogs are welcomed on Southampton-to-Southampton cruises only, but can’t travel on a fly-cruise or a world cruise itinerary.
Princess Cruises does not publish a specific service dog policy, but it does mention service animals in its Passenger Contract, stating that they are the only animals permitted onboard.
Disney Cruise Line Dog Policy
Disney Cruise Line welcomes service animals on all ships, provided they are officially trained. The policy covers which areas of the ships service animals are not permitted, too.
Honestly, your options for cruising with an emotional support dog are very limited. If you want a big cruise line, then Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 is your only option, and even then you can only cross the Atlantic Ocean, and you’re limited in how much support your pet can provide since they spend most of the time in kennels.
1AVista Reisen is a better option for a proper cruise with your dog, except that it’s only smaller sailings and you need to be able to get your dog to Germany too.
For a lot of people who rely on emotional support animals, this might rule out cruising. It’s worth checking whether your dog would qualify for psychological service dog training, as if you can get them registered officially as a service animal, then you should be able to sail on most cruise lines with them.
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
Have you found yourself wondering, âwhere did my extra cash go halfway through your cruise?â Suddenly, your onboard account is lower than you anticipated.
Photo credit: Cruise Fever
You may have forgotten your toothbrush or toothpaste and canât go without it for the week. A visit to the gift shop is inevitable. On the other hand, you might be faced with a âdealâ that seems too good to be true. Do you really need that purse thatâs âexclusiveâ and on âclearanceâ?
Let’s just face it. Cruise ships are full of shiny, sparkly things that tempt our wallets and our sanity. My husband will tell you just how much I love to spend money and how tempted I get each time we cruise. I have had to learn what I would prefer to spend my hard-earned money on while cruising.
Over the years, I have learned things (through trial and error) that are worth purchasing and things that are not. Keep reading to learn the things I wonât buy (and how to avoid temptation) on my next cruise.
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1. Lanyards
After dropping your carry-on luggage off at your cabin, you might make your way to the Lido deck for lunch. On your way there, you will probably notice several displays of lanyards, particularly in the photo area.
Lanyards are usually âpushedâ pretty heavy on embarkation day. Itâs an item that many of us utilize throughout our trip and cruise lines know that. When you glance at the price tag, youâll see that they are not always cheap – especially if you have a large family.
Pro Tip: Before you start your vacation, shop around for lanyards. Amazon has multiple options and oftentimes, you can buy an entire package of 4 (or more!) for the price of 1 on a cruise ship.
Have fun with it. Purchase brightly colored lanyards for the kids. Favorite television shows and movies are popular options for adults. My entire family wore Game of Thrones-inspired lanyards on a cruise and we had several people wanting to snag them!Â
Photos can be a real hit-or-miss on cruise ships. I would never suggest purchasing a photo package before boarding your ship. What if you have your photo taken and dislike them all? You might be having so much fun with your family, you never even stop to have your photo taken by the cruise line. Waste of money, right?
If you decide to have your photos taken (and that is perfectly okay!), choose to purchase your photos after seeing the finished print. At that point, if the cruise ship offers it, utilize a photo package to obtain the best deal possible.
3. Art
I absolutely love art and I have enjoyed a complimentary glass of champagne at an art auction more than once. Gazing at the art galleries onboard is a wonderful pastime and it’s a great way to learn about a variety of masters in their field.
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Each time I cruise, I inevitably see at least two paintings of Michael Godard (olives jumping into martini glass pools, anyone?)Â that I momentarily believe I cannot live without. While he is one of my favorite artists, Iâll opt to purchase stateside.
Honestly, it’s just risky purchasing from an art auction at sea. Are you getting a good deal? Is it an authentic work of art? Oftentimes, the internet connection is not strong enough for you to complete the needed research before making a large purchase like this. History is plagued with upset customers who claim cruise ships increase the value in order to get a sale.
Pro Tip: Take snapshots of art that you love while on your trip. Come home and visit photo galleries or online retailers to find a piece you know youâll love. Take your time and do not feel pressured to make a decision.
Do I love getting a massage? Absolutely. Do I love having my hair and nails done? Yep!
Do I love paying an astronomical price to have these services done on a cruise ship? Nope!
To each their own, but I tend to avoid the overpriced spa treatments on cruise ships. I can support my local salons before and after I go on a trip and receive high quality service without being hassled to buy their âexclusiveâ products.
5. Jewelry
If my husband gets a wild hair to purchase a new diamond from the onboard shops, great! (I might be dreaming a bit) Lucky for him, I wonât be pushing him to purchase an expensive piece of jewelry from a cruise ship.
Just like any store or website, cruise lines are experts at making you believe that something is a âgreat dealâ when it really isnât. It can be easy for the casual shopper to be fooled by their appealing tactics. The words, âduty-freeâ do not necessarily mean you are getting a good deal.
While you are on a cruise ship, there are no other stores in their direct competition. The jewelry store on the ship has a monopoly on selling jewelry to cruisers while onboard. Cruisers can momentarily forget about this, have nothing else to compare the prices to, then get roped into something overpriced.
6. Toiletries and OTC Medications
How many times have you forgotten your contact solution or something to calm a headache? It seems impossible to go through your entire vacation without these essentials.
In times like these, it will be necessary to purchase your items from the onboard shops or off the ship at a port. Either way, these items tend to be very overpriced.
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Pro Tip: Make a list and check it twice. Be sure you have packed everything you could possibly need while on your trip. Make sure it is packed in your luggage and double check it again before you leave!Â
What have you purchased on a cruise ship that you wonât dare buy again? We would love to hear your experiences, good and bad.
A new study conducted by luxury cruise travel agent Panache Cruises has revealed that cruises can help you sleep better while on holiday and beat the effects of jet lag.
In consultation with sleep consultants, the team at Panache Cruises have looked at the effects of sea air and bright, natural light on sleep patterns and quality of sleep, finding that being on a cruise can offer a number of health benefits.
These include improved blood oxygen levels, a boost to your Vitamin D, and improved breathing, all of which can lead to a better quality of sleep at night.
Sleep experts recommend exposure to ionised air, which you will enjoy 24/7 while at sea. This salty air can increase the electrical functionality of the brain by up to 47%, which also helps to boost your mood.
Staying on a seafront hotel on land offers some similar benefits during the day, but at night the air will blow from land out to sea, so the ionised air doesn’t reach land.
Whereas at sea, cruise passengers are exposed to ionised air throughout the day and night. The exposure to the sun also helps to adjust and correct your circadian rhythm, so spending time on a deck of a cruise ship can help to adjust to new time zones and fall into a good, regular sleep pattern each night.
When travelling on a cruise ship, you will naturally get a lot of bright light exposure during the day, helping your circadian rhythm… When travelling long distances by boat or ship, you are unlikely to cross more than one timezone per day, naturally lessening the effect of jet lag as the time on board will shift gradually through the journey. In contrast, when flying you will experience the full-time change in a short space of time.
Dr. Lindsay Browning, Sleep Expert at Trouble Sleeping
James Cole, the founder of Panache Cruises, is no stranger to long-haul travel and recommends getting as much sea air as possible in the first few days of your cruise, so that you can avoid jet lag spoiling your holiday.
The research suggests that breathing in as much of the ionised sea air during the first few nights will help holidaymakers beat jet lag quicker than land-based holidays.
Cruises with a day or two at sea at the start of the holiday will also give travellers a chance to get some exercise in a gym, relax in a spa, and eat what they need when they need it. The time we have on holiday is precious, so if travelling long-haul, choosing a holiday that helps counteract jet lag will allow you to make the most of the time you have
James Cole, Founder of Panache Cruises
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Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
