What I enjoy about your channel is the " No bullshit" approach. Straight to the point, deliver the message, move on . No fluff , no 3 minute diatribe on why we need to subscribe and hit the like button. Keep going with the informative channel. Great content.
@robert W I agree with you Robert : Gary does not need to grovel or beg for “likes” or “subs” simply because he is THE MAN! No foolishness nor pseudo “entertainment.” Just hard facts and great recommendations based upon EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE! And we all deeply appreciate that, indeed👍👍👍👍
One of the things that makes me want to subscribe to a channel is when they *don't* keep doing the _Like/Sub/Ring_ thing. For folk like me, Gary was an instant sub! 😇👍
One comment, if you have a problem, be polite and courteous to the crew. My friend once was checking into a hotel and the customer at the next window was yelling and screaming demanding an upgrade. The clerk gave my friend a free upgrade, and when the manager arrived to help the clerk at the next window, there were no upgrades available, the last one had just been given out.
People forget that! It is much better to be civil and persistent than to go full on Karen mode. I had a problem with a room at a resort. Persistence and being polite and civil to the staff got us a room at the same grade but a much better location. There were other problems with the resort that were systemic to their layout and staff such that we wouldn't go back there again.
Yes! There are plenty of times that an upgrade can be given at the discretion of the people who are serving you, and how you treat them is what will make the difference.
People forget, the cruise lines want you to be a repeat customer. If there is a problem, you don't need to get angry. Also, for Americans, remember the cruise ship, with one exception, is not in the US nor flagged in the US; you have to abide by international standards of decency.
As one Gary to another, I must really thank you. My wife and I just came back from an NCL cruise to Alaska (our first). Upon arriving at our cabin, I noticed a faint but distinct odor of cigarette smoke. My first thought was that the previous people in the cabin must have done some covert smoking out on the balcony, but no, the situation was worse. It turns out that our cabin was one floor up and downwind of an outside designated smoking area! I did not know that the ship even had them; they are certainly not labeled on any of the deck plans I'd studied. The only designated smoking area I knew of was a glass-enclosed part of the casino (easily avoided). I endured one night of it, though I really could not even enjoy sitting on our balcony due to the offensive smell. In the morning, emboldened by your advice ("If there is something wrong with the cabin, speak up!"), I went to see Guest Services about it. While we stood in the line, someone approached us and asked what our issue was. By the time we reached the actual desk, they had found us new cabins (one for us, one for my sister traveling with us; nicer ones BTW) on the other side of the ship, and promised us valets to help with the move. (Bravo, NCL!) If I hadn't seen your video on the subject of complaining about the room, I might have just tried to grin and bear it. In any case, I know now to ask upfront about the location of such smoking areas, and choose my cabin accordingly.
I have total sympathy with you and it's about time the habit was banned completely as a possible fire hazard. I too had the smoke drift problem back in the days but when people were allowed to smoke on balconies! There was nowhere to get away from it and it completely ruined our use of the balcony for the entire cruise no matter when we tried to use it. 🙄
We non smokers should push to ban all smoking on cruises! Second hand smoke is deadly. I know of two non smokers who died due to their spouses smoking. Note their spouses are still alive. If they won’t ban smoking then there definitely shouldn’t be any smoking in the casino area. Any designate smoking areas must be at the highest floor on the ship.
I can easily see how how cruise lines can accommodate passengers request on present sailings since covid. For most of the ships are sailing less than half full, my first cruise since covid Oct 2021 on celib Mellinium my cabin issue was deck 3 inside , and was surprised abone boarding that I was moved up to deck 6 outside without even requesting for move. Turn out with less than 700 passengers the close off all passengers cabin below promenade deck to group passengers together and cut down on seperate housekeeping staff throughout the ship. DONT expect this in future as ships are sowly filling up but at present they still have plenty of cabins to choosefrom. Careful on your complant for cabn available may be lower grade than what was issue, but at present not likely. Unless you book a suite, but face it ,I had suite once , doesn't get better unless your located on the bow which I would recommend aft for balcony overlooking the bow, which give good few were you are going, but can only be able to use comfortly when in port.
I would suggest, with the mini bar, asking your cabin steward if it can be emptied of the items you need to pay for, therefore there is no temptation and no mistakes. I even do this for hotel rooms when booking.
Mini-bars are so costly now, and hotels have electronic versions that if you even MOVE an item and place it back, it records a purchase. In Europe, they often avoid misunderstands and issues by locking the mini-bar and offering the key at check-in, which you can decline and keep locked.
@Gary • All great tips. The only thing I would add is to use a highlighter on your daily program once you've made a decision. With so many options it's easy to forget your plans, e.g., changing the specialty dining night to coincide with formal attire night. The highlighter will make it stand out.
As most cruises rely on app usage as we decide what to do on the ship we always tag them so when we look are what to do that day the important things are already there.
Yvonne We went with a family group and we would look at the itinerary on the paper version and I would have each group highlight what they wanted to do in a separate color highlighter. That way my hubby and I could figure out if we wanted to join them the next day. It's especially nice when your roommate doesn't want to do something but you have family or friends who do!!
On this subject, one tip I have is, if you need to make a complaint, be as pleasant as possible to the staff. It makes everybody's day better and sometimes they may just go the extra mile to get the problem sorted. We once turned up having booked a mid level cabin to discover, that due to an IT problem the crew had no record of our booking! We had booked directly and I had all the paperwork printed out and with me. They were very apologetic. We were very understanding and made light of it. After a short wait ( while they phoned head office ) all was sorted, and they had upgraded us to a top level suite with a large private deck area. We had a superb trip.
Agree. Great point. I think I get more results as you say as clear about issues, what would like to happen but all done in a pleasant and calm way. Good watch out
As someone who has worked in guest services, I couldn't agree more. I am much more likely to go above and beyond for someone who is being pleasant and polite despite the circumstances, versus whatever gets them out of my face if they're being particularly rude or unpleasant. I understand that guests get frustrated, but understand that is not my fault and that does not give anyone the right to lose their minds with me or especially my staff. I don't expect you to be all sunshine and rainbows, but a bit of basic human courtesy does go a long way.
Me too, no real interest in cruising but I like Gary, he's calm, experienced and pleasant. Even though, cruising seems complicated and a lot of work, and tips/tricks to make life easier plus getting a leg up from videos like these could help avoid the first-time foibles.
I read this a lot and as an apartment dweller, have been told by exterminators that bed bug eggs are mostly undetectable. They can be white and minuscule
We just came back from a cruise on RCL a couple weeks ago and followed your tips to choose a cabin and it worked spectacularly! Neither one of us gets sea sick and it was from Florida to the Bahamas so relatively calm seas anyways, but when looking at the layout and choosing our cabin: nothing above, below, or near any elevators. We were right under the bridge and back a few rooms but ZERO noise, we slept like the dead and had an amazing time. Thanks Gary!
I'm glad that your location was perfect. That's so important. I always choose a cabin close to the elevators and have never had an issue, including noise. For me, it's much closer to my cabin and easier to spot my cabin as I approach.
The very first thing I do on entering a cabin, or hotel room for that matter, is pull up the bedsheets to look at the mattress for evidence of bed bugs. They are also the reason I use hard sided, no zipper, suitcases so as to keep the little devils out of my suitcase during transit. Am I just a crazy person? Maybe, but I’ve been in a room with them. Another thing I always do is ask the cabin steward to have the fridge emptied. I don’t drink and have had charges for alcohol taken out of fridge which was a hassle to prove I couldn’t possibly have consumed the alcohol.
I would be afraid they would charge me for everything that was in the fridge if I had it emptied. Is there some way to prove that you asked the steward to remove those items?
@@susan423 It’s never been a problem. The room steward is not the one who empties it. They contact the bar staff who keep the fridge stocked and they are the ones who clear it out so there is a paper trail.
Also check for bed bugs. This is the very first thing I do on a ship or hotel. Look at the mattress itself. If there are black spots that look like the mark left from the tip of a ball point pen then it could be bed bugs. Don’t put your suitcase on the bed because most bedbugs actually come from where they store your suitcases on an airplane. You don’t want to be taking bedbugs home, I learned the hard way and it can cost thousands of dollars to deal with because they don’t just stay on the bed.
I travel with a CPAP machine. I had asked prior to embarkation day for an extension cord, figuring there wouldn't be an outlet by the bed. I was correct in my assumption, but they forgot to put a cord in the room. I let my steward know right away and by the time we got back to the cabin in the evening, not only was there a cord, but it was securely taped to the floor(avoiding a tripping hazard) with the outlet end by the bed and my CPAP was set up and ready. A second tip if traveling with a CPAP, ask for a bottle of distilled water.
@@steverileyretiredThank you. If we could drive to a port, I could, but we have to fly to a port, so its easier to not have to worry about traveling with the water
Yes, my wife and I both use a CPAP and we request a gallon of distilled water before we sail. It does not always appear, and if not, we ask for it from room service. It is always there when we come back from lunch or dinner. There is a small charge for it but that beats lugging a gallon of water aboard and explaining what it is for.
Excellent tips Gary, I had some issues on a recent Azamara cruise as I was delayed getting there so my cabin had been given to another guest so I got upgraded to an ocean suite which was amazing.
@@sharonsmalls6846 I drive my husband crazy because I do the same thing. I disinfect everything and spray Lysol on door knobs and all hard surfaces. Yes I am a germaphobe but I’m not wearing any more masks or being a pincushion. Those COVID idiots can’t decide how to handle that yet and I’m not tempting fate with my underlying issues anymore.
Love your videos Gary! Business traveler and germophobe here. A few extras - First the Sniff test and bed bugs check. I won't open luggage until after these checks. Ask how often the bedspread/duvet is changed - not sure about all cruise ships but hotels often don't change them between each guest. Shower / bath soap scum check, toilet cleanliness check and wipe down seat and handle with disinfectant wipies as you don't know what water was on the cloth used to clean them. I also disinfectant wipe the sink handles and door handles. I wash drinking glasses before use. TV remotes are often disgusting so worth a good look-over. A flashlight is handy to check all nooks and crannies in drawers, closets and under the bed. I often remove drawers and look inside the cabinet with a flashlight. Beyond bugs, lint, hair and dust I've found some very interesting things inside the cabinet(s) that had fallen out of the drawers or were hidden and forgotten about by previous guests. I'm very polite when bringing up issues and as such have recieved many upgrades and perks over the years.
One thing that works well with TV remotes is to put them in a clear plastic bag before using them. They work fine and you don’t have to worry about them. They are hard to clean thoroughly, so save the time and Q-tips, just bag the things.
I noticed that on my first cruise I did a lot of these checks which predates your video... However you missed one check I recommend everyone do, and that is the couch / bed check for bedbugs! Basically at any hotel, any ship or any bed I always start by lifting the mattress and checking for black spots from these nasty critters, they are easy to miss on a busy hotel / cruise schedule and making sure they do not get to join you to your home or affect the next guest in the room makes it a lot better.
Yes, I am concern about this issue as well, and I always do check yet always afraid that my method of checking is not adequate. Is it simply just to look for black spots under the mattress?
Great tips, Gary. Another tip is to keep metal coat hangers separated so that they don't clang together during the night when the ship is rocking. Of course, if they are all being used it is not a problem.
I was on a storm in the Atlantic and when they kept clanking during the night I just took the ones that were loose and put them on the floor the closet
I had stayed in a hotel. The fridge made a loud noise. I came back from running out and the fridge basically died. I reported it right away. At first, they honestly thought I was gonna stick around while they replaced it???? I was like, your kidding.... I then suggested a room change. I shouldn't have to be in the room while they are repairing/replacing the fridge. They upgraded me to a 2 bedroom suite with a view of the water; it was awesome!!!
Sharing your displeasure with your suite or room pleasantly whether on a ship or at a hotel should always be done pleasantly! I had a stay at a high class hotel in Florida and as usual the very first thing I did was inspect the room. To my dismay on the floor, next to the bed, was a rumpled pair of men’s boxer short on the floor next to the bed! I reached into my bag and pulled out an empty plastic bag with a zipper closure and used it to pick them up and sealed them. I continued looking around and then left the room to attend a business meeting. I stopped at the desk in the lobby and asked to speak to the manager and when he greeted me I inquired as to whether or not they might have a “lost and found” and he of course said yes and the out of my briefcase I pulled the bag and told him where I found them and the gentleman blushed and offered his sincere apology and assured me that he would have house keeping go over the room and I replied that was excellent and perhaps this time they would be able to remove the pubic hair from the shower floor! He turned blue! He asked for my key and I proceeded to my meeting! At the end of the day when I returned for my key I was informed I had been upgraded and my luggage moved and they showed me to my room where there was a written apology as well as a large fruit/snack basket!
I recently went to a very nice hotel. When it was time to leave (after a week), I checked under the bed for anything I might have left and discovered a pair of worn socks that did not belong to us. I was horrified that they were there the entire week. I told the woman at the desk and she apologized but really didn't care.
I’m back from my Alaska Inside Passage cruise with HAL and we did just that with our cabin. Because we were three in the cabin, we discuss with the cabin stewardess about the third bedding and she proposed something that accommodate my mom and us as we have to walk around the deployed sofa bed in reach the bathroom. Besides, we did everything else mentioned and we had a wonderful cruise. My spouse picked an midship cabin surrounded with cabins and we slept like babies.
I have found that getting to know who your cabin steward is really helps if there is a problem. On my last cruise the hinge for the closet was broken when I arrived so I reported it and when I got back later that evening it was fixed
@@alicedyment4219 find someone in uniform on the first day and ask if they are your steward. They should ask what cabin you're in and say yes or no. If they say no then they should find the one who is the steward of your cabin.
These tips are really useful! I completely agree with making sure your cabin is right for you - I hear so many people complain that they haven’t enjoyed their cabin, but have never asked to move!
Don't forget to look for the hidden cameras usually found near or on the TV itself or in the AC vent above sometimes they'll be in the bathroom vanity light fixture these are extremely tiny small cameras. Especially if you're going on a Carnival ship.
lovely information Gary. I discovered you when going on my first cruise in 2021 and now am planning my third. Because I watched your videos, I was able to cruise like an experienced cruiser that first time instead of feeling lost and confused. Thank you so much!!
Funny story. As a teen, I was sharing a cabin with the daughter of friends that were cruising with my family. She has back issues, so requested a board for her bed to firm it up. That night as we got ready for bed, she sat down with a loud “THUNK”. The cabin steward must have by inexperienced, and placed the board on top of the mattress!!!! 🤣
New to cruising so this is helpful. Thank you 🙏. Good to know that “if you don’t ask, you don’t get” applies, do I will be “courteously entitled” rather than accepting hiccups.
Thanks for giving great info rather than just nick-picking at every little thing as some RU-vidrs do. I like knowing what I may want to consider & how the process of possibly being able to make modifications by letting the ship staff know.
On boarding a ship some years ago after an arduously long 13 hour journey my wife was keen to get to our cabin. On opening our cabin door she was confronted by a man only dressed in a towel! Total chaos ensued as the man was apparently doing back to back cruises. He should have moved cabins but refused! We were upgraded slightly, given an onboard credit and showered with freebie toiletries for the inconvenience caused. That was a nice gesture but it was all pretty stressful at the time!😱
Real valuable gems Gary. You really make a good point about asking the cabin steward or ship staff. So many times, guests don't realize all they have to do is just ask and so many times they receive - or at least some sort of solution can be given for what was identified in the cabin.👍
The one thing we do is note down the contact details of the ship from the programme. If you are away from the ship and anything happens this can be really helpful
Good advice as always. I see you rode the White Pass and Yukon Route railway. I was lucky enough to ride it from Whitehorse to Skagway in the early 1980s when it was still a working railway hauling ore from the Cypress Anvil mine.
Gary I really appreciate that you cut the intro and got right to the information. I hope you continue this! Love all the information. One thing i would like to know from you is which ships and cabins have comfortable couches. We have cruises most on Princess and typically get a mini suite or better for Club Class dining- but the couches are awful.
I don't use their mini frig stuff but never thought to ask them to remove contents. Have had guest help themselves to its expensive contents. Don't be tempted to use and replace as soon as you leave the room house keeping is in there to restock and charge you.
I have taken care of university exchange students for years. They tend to bring bed bugs with them because they sleep in Hostels a lot. Now every where I go, the first thing I do is unmake the beds and check between the mattress and box springs for bed bugs, mattress seams, and bureau drawers.
This was such a helpful video and contained information that I haven't run across previously! I'm going on my first cruise since the 1980s and so much has changed since then. To bring myself up to speed, I've been watching a lot of cruise videos. I find yours so informative. Thank you for that!
Fabulous! We used to take our Mums. Unfortunately my Mum has advancing dementia and she gets too stressed and confused now so we can’t. Have a glorious time and spoil her rotten !!
I booked a cruise for Alaska in Sept. '24. I've been watching your channel and think you're great. Very informative, thanks for all the tips! Keep up the good work.
Love that tip about surrounding your cabin with other cabins. Have you thought about making the tips in the video into a checklist that people could print out to take with them? That would be a handy reminder. Lots of great info here.
When checking the safe, lock and unlock it first before putting anything in. That way you can be sure you know how to get back at your stuff and won't have to find help early on when everyone is very busy.
Definitely worth checking if things don't work right. On one of my cruises, the balcony door wouldn't lock. The ship staff ended up replacing the entire door.
@@mea3665 Actually, yes. I wouldn’t put it past someone trying that from an adjacent cabin. If it weren’t so important, those doors wouldn’t even have locks.
Thank you for all the great tips, Gary. I will be going on my first cruise in May, and I have no idea what to look for in my cabin on embarkation day. I love your channel Keep up the great work .
Unfortunately, I have to say that the first thing to do is set your luggage in the tub or shower area and then search the bed and furnishings for any evidence of bed bugs or kissing bugs. Back in September of 2011, on Royal Carribean's Monarch of the Seas (scrapped in 2020), I was bit by something on the foot while I was sleeping. It was enough to wake me up because I had rolled over just as it was biting me, causing the proboscis to jab me. By time I got the lights on and looked around, whatever it was had gone into hiding. However, the day that we disembarked, we saw a strange thing: some passengers' luggage was completely wrapped in plastic cling wrap - like Saran Wrap. We didn't know what to make of that... but a few days later we figured it out. We had brought bed bugs into our home from the cruise ship. Let me say, that having bed bugs in your own house is a nightmare that you do not want to go through. Cruise ships are a perfect environment for bed bugs, especially in the cabins near the water line that don't get fresh air. We had an economy cabin that just had a port window near the water line. So, whatever bit me on the ship was most likely a bed bug, but a kissing bug was also a possibility. You don't want to take those home either.
Hi Gary, I've just booked my first ocean cruise and your information helped me to sound informed. Now I'm learning what to think about next. Thanks lots!
Gary I really enjoyed your Lloyd Grossman tour of the cabin. Please do more of them. Tell us the standard of cabin then compare it to other lines you’ve travelled with. It’s a real-world view of what cruise lines are offering be very handy and I think cruise lines should appreciate their free publicity. “Who lives in a haause like this?”
When I do my safe check, I do it empty the first time. Then if it is defective, your stuff is not locked inside awaiting the chief engineer to reset it.
Great advice here, as usual. Had a situation where the A/C was not working at ALL in our oceanview stateroom on Carnival Liberty on just my third cruise. After several trips to Guest Services (the Faster to the Fun priority line saved the day) they eventually moved me to the only available open cabin: a balcony. It was my first balcony and I've booked one almost every time since. More recently I had an indifferent A/C unit on Carnival Sunrise. After a word to the steward, an Engineering tech was there within fifteen minutes, and after he tinkered with it, I could FEEL the increased cool airflow. "Let me guess: was it the damper?" "Yes, sir, it was the damper." And it was perfect thereafter.
@@dchenkin02 yep, and I rewarded the steward on the Sunrise appropriately. On the Liberty, I told the steward, who had Engineering come by. They said the room "met their cooling standards" but it was still humid and 74F (i.e., not being "air conditioned.") For medical reasons my sister can't handle that on a 7-day sailing and I was not happy either. I invoked the line's vacation guarantee and that's when they found me a stateroom whose occupants had missed the departure and would not be rejoining the ship. It was the only stateroom available while meeting SOLAS requirements.
I remember checking into perhaps the most mainstream Fantasy class Carnival Paradise for a 4 day cruise and was so glad I had brought wipes with some cleansing and disinfectant qualities. There was a deep film of dirt on the then peach formica desk and while i think it was wiped quickly many times it had been a long time since a deep scrub...everything was so amazing but that..and I did wipe it with muscle and got that off,,i do not mind little things loke that but really appreciate this video as always.
Useful tips. We were impressed with the amount of clothes storage and hangers in particular on Princess. Your are the total opposite to me - I hate soft pillows and wish I could bring my memory foam one with me 😂 I always look forward to my own pillow when I get home
Went to Egypt once, and as well as doing a Nile river cruise, we also stayed in hotels. Put our passports, etc., into the room safe, and when it came time to leave we couldn't get the safe open! Down to the desk, they sent someone up, and found out it was flat batteries, but apparently the only person who could override and open the safe was on her day off!! Consternation all round, but she was finally located, and had to come in and open the safe for us - just in time for us to grab our gear and catch our bus to the airport! After that experience, we usually don't use room safes any more!!
Doing the drill on the app and checking in at your station was so much easier on eclipse then the room was actually right under the cafe but didn’t hear any noise was good soundproofing
Thank you, Gary. These are great tips. We once booked a cabin over the main theater. Most nights the shows were over by 10pm or 11pm, which was ok with us. One night though, we woke up after 1am to hear loud music below us. The cast must have been doing a rehearsal for a show. Lesson learned!
We had to rebook our 2021 Princess cruise twice due to Covid restrictions. As a result, if it doesn't get cancelled again in January 23, we will still NOT be in the type of room that we originally booked. With bad back problems we chose a deluxe balcony with a couch and NOT located by the stairs/elevators, to which we were assigned when having to rebook. We will be asking our steward for an extra desk chair for our room and use pillows, and be sure to tell our travel agent if the new Enchanted Princess rooms are more sound proof as we were told they would be.
Thank you so much for all of your tips. On our last cruise on our favorite cruise line, RCL, when our cabin steward opened our room I immediately noticed the bed was wrong. We had requested and paid for a king bed and received twin beds. I politely and immediately mentioned this to the steward when he said he hoped everything was in order. I told him very politely that we ordered and paid for a king size bed. I had the reservation paperwork in the original folder my agent mailed me. The steward tried telling me we got what we asked for and the beds could be put together. I ended up settling for his answer as I wasn’t aware I had an alternative. Normally I have a big mouth and make my displeasure known. I left it alone. I’ll never do that again. BTW - the ship OASIS OF THE SEAS was/ Is gorgeous, but if I sail it again I will NOT get off. The Itinerary stinks. Their Coco Cay is really designed for children and any adult activities are very overpriced. My husband wants to go on the ship again, I told him without me, all he does is drink. I’ll sun by the pool, drink, (why waste a beverage package?), and shop. Thanks again darling. You put a great deal of work into these posts.
You DO know that almost all if not all king beds on cruise ships are both smaller beds put together, right? They weren't just shoving them together to be lazy, that's how it's done. They don't have rooms with specifically king beds and specifically double beds.
Thanks Gary, we’re booked on NCL, and have a most forward facing Haven Room, however, I’m a little worried as the balcony seems small and then there’s a small front window.
