10 Things Pro Cruisers NEVER Do on a Cruise

Going on your first cruise & wondering about the do’s & don’ts? We asked repeat cruisers for their best cruise tips & what they NEVER do! Their advice was priceless!

First time cruisers will love this list of what not to do on cruise ships. This cruise travel tips video is full of helpful advice for anyone planning a cruise!

Whether you cruise with Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America or Celebrity, the first time cruise tips will be invaluable!

RESOURCES I RECOMMEND

🛳 THE ULTIMATE CRUISE PLANNER 🛳

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CRUISE ESSENTIALS & ITEMS IN VIDEO

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Please note that I am unable to give personal cruise and travel advice. If you leave a comment I try my best to answer.

ABOUT ME
Hi! I'm Ilana! I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband Frank. We can often be found dreaming about and planning future cruises, ideally to hot and sunny destinations! I believe in having fun, being kind and that you are never too old, or too young, to live the life of your dreams!

Please note that I do not sell cruises on Life Well Cruised. This and all other videos are for entertainment purposes only. I share my own opinions, personal experiences and information with other cruise travellers, which I hope can be helpful. Please contact your travel agent or the cruise line directly for advice and any information specific to your booking.

Some of the the b-roll footage used in this video is courtesy of RCCL .
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Music Credit: Surf Time by Lux-InspiraMusicMusic

[janetkubas-furnish]

I’m not a professional cruiser but i would never disrespect a crew member. They work hard and I appreciate all that they do for us while on the cruise.

[MaritaRipple]

I've been cruising since I was 15 years old. I'm in my 60's now. I've been on river, ocean and carribean cruises. My best advice for new cruisers is to RELAX. You're on vacation go with the flow. Bring your passport. Take a picture of it and keep the picture with you at all times. Keep it in a safe place separate from your wallet and other valuables. Ladies you won't need a purse on board (the ships are cashless). I take a bunch of very little pouches/purses just big enough for my ship card, a lipstick, and a few bucks for use in the casino (the only place on board that takes cash). I love Carnival. I'm a Platinum with them. They've always treated me well.

[marilyna]

I went on my first cruise in 2023 and I am in my LATE 50's. I mention that because being a native South Floridian with easy access to cruises, a lot of people find it hard to believe that my first cruise was last year. This channel and viewers' comments were very helpful when preparing for our cruise. This rookie learned a lot and also served as a reminder for some things to consider. We hope to take another Mediterranean cruise in 2025.

[FrancesErickson]

We have cruised many many times over the years and the one thing that we try to do is help people that are in wheelchairs or need a little bit of extra help getting into the elevators. We find that so many people will push their ways past them we’re not allow them in an elevator, and they have to wait and wait. This is where kindness really counts.

[jcbridge]

In the Navy a submarine is also called a boat, even though it is not inside of a ship.

[elwoodervin]

Just completed Cruise #99. We carry a separate travel medical policy and a medical evacuation policy. We decide, depending on the cost of the trip whether we insure the trip itself. We enjoy all cruises and just got off an 8 day Carnival but will never do a cruise less than 7 days unless it is planned by others. One added trip is always pack 2 days of clothing in the carry on bag just in case your luggage never finds you.

[lynnmccurdythehdmmrc]

Trying to recall just how many cruises we've been on (wife more than me). Average is 2 to 3 a year. I've been cruising since 1997, so 27 x 2.5=67.5, so will say "60" cruises. My tip for New Cruisers, Don't skip filling out the Cruise Survey. Especially now days. The crew members get promotions based on those surveys.

[pinktiger]

We're coming up on our third cruise and love to cruise Carnival. We choose it because we cruise as a family and with other families. Cruising is a hugely expensive trip for us as we live in the northern midwest and need flights, hotel, and often additional transportation. Having said that, we book longer cruises and I find them very nice. Most of the problems I've seen with Carnival are "booze cruises" that are shorter in length. Maybe it helps that we always go for 7 or more days because of the investment to get our family to the port!

[pamgiffin]

Great points! We've done around 30 cruises and I had to laugh at the flat abs and detox comment. I think that's one most have us have got caught on when we started cruising, but you learn fast enough not to bother. Also- making fun of people because of their chosen cruise line. My husband and I have cruised most of the mainstream lines, and really enjoy HAL. I once had someone tell me that HAL is for "the newly wed and nearly dead", so it's not just Carnival that people have preconceived ideas about. Cruise with who YOU like and feel comfortable with. Super video, Ilana- as usual.

[jasonlott]

6-time cruiser here, my bit of advice is to avoid the buffet the first day of the cruise. My last cruise I was flying in the day before and ran into a group of cruisers and asked what ship they were going on and found out the ship was departing that day, and our flight was 4 hours and was had been delayed 2 hours. They were able to catch the last transfer to the ship at the airport. So please fly in the day before.

[reaper]

4 cruises in.. I don’t consider being a Pro.. But I’ve learned to ‘never’ go straight to the buffet on embarkation day.. Go to the MDR & be served lunch! So very Chill! 😎

[rifkymasri]

Overpacking is still on with my 57th cruise. I think it is a personal thing. I will never learn haw not to overpack.

[stevengolden]

We have 2 cruises coming up, both with Carnival and this will be our 1st cruise in 15 years. While watching all the cruise videos, I am hearing something said over and over, Carnival's food is above average and they are partnering with celebrity chefs to make it even better. Also both of our cruises came from land casino offers so we are getting a free interior room with both of our cruises and it has saved us over $3K.

PS: Pro cruisers watch cruise videos religiously on YouTube to keep learning about all the cruise lines and all options. Thank you for another great video!!

[AGoogleUser-hr]

Hi IIana, I’ve been cruising since 2000 PRO cruisers do.

1. Don’t let the cabin door slam.

2. Spa, wait till the last at sea day. The Spa will have sales.

3. Laundry rooms, doing your own wash. When your in port.

4. Purser desk, go there early in the morning on the last day at sea and take care of your billing issues or change credit cards.

[GatherGrow]

We have been on 5 and going on our 6th in March 2024. We also have flown several times to go back to some of our favs and stay longer. We always buy travel insurance and cancellation insurance! We do not do spa treatments anymore because they try to sale us too much stuff we don’t want or need. We just simply would LOVE a spa day without all the high pressure sales crap!!

[gatorguy]

We will be on our 37th cruise in a couple of weeks. Your list is very comprehensive. We always purchase travel insurance and have used it to cover a cancelled cruise due to surgery and for emergency medical costs due to a fall in the Vancouver cruise terminal resulting in a fracture shoulder. A few items to add to your list: 1. Don't go to sail away events, don't get intoxicated, don't wear or carry expensive items or jewelry, do not travel without doing research (ports, excursions, places to eat, places to shop, review cruise reviews, watch videos, etc.) prior to cruise to maximize your cruising experience, do not forget to add days to your cruise vacation to enjoy the embarkation and debarkation ports and do not go to art auctions. Take care...

[lauriegrissom]

As a Carnival Cruiser and Casino player I agree that pro cruisers don't bash others. We all have our preferences. I tip often and generously. I would add that pro cruisers don't drink and get stupid on the ship. They are well mannered and kind. Thank you for your content. I am getting ready for my next cruise in March.

[queenswillrule]

Unlikely that one will ever go on a cruise for certain reasons, but watching your channel is vicarious pleasure. Thank you!

[lilal]

I am a pro-cruiser. I've been on 1. Yes, just one. I was terrified so I found your channel. I cruised on Carnival and loved it. I played in the casino and won! My next cruise is in March, so I will have doubled the cruises I've taken.

[williamclark-so]

As an experienced cruiser of over 30 cruises there are always new ideas to learn about which is why I enjoy your videos and insights. I confess to being an over packer but I have improved some. One tip on packing, share the suitcase. I always place half my clothing in my husband's bag and half of his in mine. This will help if only one checked bag arrives. And I always carry a two-day change of clothes in the carry on bag. Learned from a friend I traveled with years ago when we arrived in Stockholm her carry-on only contained a few essentials and a camera, no clothes....her checked bag arrived on board 4 days later in Copenhagen. Plus we also believe in purchasing travel insurance.