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The casino can be a hotbed of exciting gaming activity. You may hear about free cabins, spending money or other promotional items offered on cruise-lines for gamblin at their casinos. I gamble, in fact when posting this I'm preparing for a free 7 day cruise on the Discovery Princess. We'll chat a bit in this article about "free" and what that can mean. The most important point I want to make about cruise ship gambling or any gambling is NEVER gamble an amount you can't afford to lose. A free cruise may be tempting. Your friends on Facebook may tell you how much you have to gamble to receive a casino offer, none of that matters if you can't affort what you might lose. Casinos are in the business of you losing money! Always remember that. With that said, onboard casinos can be a lot of fun. I really enjoy formal nights, my husband and I dressed to the nines, playing roulette. I feel like I'm in a James Bond movie, with husband's tux and my gown. We gamble because we have fun. I would not recommend gambling to get a cruise perk. You will generally lose more than gain. Casino perks can be pretty significant. If you are a gambler on a cruise ship you have probably already received perks, if not, some of these hints may help. Set a Gambling Budget or Limit If you win, you might reconsider that limit, but don't change that limit in the hopes you might win. It's easy to get caught in the moment. There are lots of ways to manage your casino spending. I use the "envelope" method. I take money out of the envelope for my daily cruise gambling adventure, if I win or if I don't lose it all, I put it back. When you are playing slots, most lines will convert your funds into electronic currency. I make a concerted effort to cash out every night. This helps me see where I am for the remainder of the trip. Meet the Casino Host/Hostess Introduce yourself to the Casino Host/Hostess. Be friendly with your dealers, croupiers, and pit bosses, know their names. When your seen in the casino over multiple days, you might be rewarded with a small perk. Chocolates, a complimentary specialty dinner, a bottle of champagne. These are some of the first benefits often seen by passengers new to casino perks. I'm not trying to start controversy here, but I also tip my dealer when I have large payouts. I similarly tip the wait staff on a big win. Having the whole casino happy you won garners attention and name recognition. It also goes a long way when that same wait staff sees you on deck the next day. Mind you, I'm only tipping a few dollars here and there. Facebook Groups I've learned a fair bit about casino comps from facebook groups for that particular cruise line. You will often hear chatter about the minimum "loss" required to secure a free cabin. My experience has been, unless you have a big win, you will probably lose more than the cost of that cabin to receive the comp. For example, you gamble $10,000 you may get a comped cabin, maybe some spending money. Keep in mind, when you are playing for a cabin, vs. for fun, your wins wind up merely being more "free" money to lose. Limited Choice or Booking Windows Comped cruises often come with limited choices, or limited number of days, or very small windows to book or sail. If you are not prepared to book your next cruise within a short time of receiving that comp, or you don't have the PTO to travel in the next few months, the comp becomes worthless. The comped party (you and only you) must sail on the comped cruise, you can't give them away. Keep this in mind! Brand Comps Many of the large cruise companies like Carnival and Royal Carribbean have multiple brands. For example Carnival owns Carnival, Princess, Cunard, P & O, Holland America, Costa, etc. On their American brands my comps will sometimes cross brands. I recently received a balcony comp on Princess, but was able to book an inside cabin comp on Carnival. Actual Cost Free or Comped cruises really aren't free. Outside the amount you had to gamble to receive the comp, you will usually have to pay for Taxes, Tips, Airfare and other travel expenses. A free cruise for us, resulted in nearly $2000 of costs. Keep this in mind when playing for comps vs. playing for fun. Yes I'm happy I'm going on a comped cruise, but I don't deceive myself into thinking this will happen every time, nor am I prepared to use it. Other Considerations I've received a couple of complimentary cruises from gambling. However, you don't have to gamble excessively to become part of that cruise line's gambling club. If you just play a little Keno (only $ .25 to play), but play a little throughout your cruise you may get signed up for Casino discounts. Both my husband and I nearly always have a small amount of Casino Cash, or we've received 50% off selected future cruises, which is a great perk. Typically these types of incentives take less loss ....um ...investment.... and tend to last longer for later bookings. In closing, gambling with the objective to win a free/comped cruise may not be the wisest choice with your hard earned vacation dollar. Gamble to have fun, make friends, and if the stars align and your comped a cruise, have fun. Want to discuss more about Cruises/Gambling on your next cruise? Get in touch, we'll help make your next gambling journey a great travel story.

Princess Cruises currently has 3 classes of ships and will have 4 classes in February with the launch of Sun Princess“Sphere Class”. I’m excited about the new ship, but love all the ships in the Princess inventory for different reasons. Coral Class - This class is the smallest Princess Ship..  These ships were designed to traverse the Panama Canal, with a slightly reduced width.  There are three ships operating in this class, the Coral Princess, the Island Princess and the Caribbean Princess.  I’ve traveled on these and  they meet all the marks you’d expect on the Grand Class ships.  What I particularly like about these ships is the cabins available Aft on deck 7, Promenade.  There are several balcony and a couple suites at the aft end.  Close to the water, conveniently located to evening activities. Check them out! Grand Class - Five ships in this class, they are slightly larger than Coral Class, passengers who regularly cruise on Princess rarely get confused about where they are.  Both Coral and Grand Class ships generally follow the same layout.  It may seem a little boring, but I find it’s great to not waste time trying to figure out where the buffet, or nightlife is.    I’ve sailed on the Ruby Princess 7 times! Royal Class - 6 Ships in the Princess fleet are Royal Class.  Larger, but not a mega ship feeling.   The Discovery Princess, the last in the Royal Class line, was launched in 2022 with the capacity for 3660 guests.  These ships, although bigger, don’t typically feel crowded.  The layout of these ships is similar to their Grand and Coral Class sisters, but there are significant differences in outdoor spaces, many upgrades, slightly different venues. Cabin Privacy A great thing on all 3 of the existing classes is the cabin layout.  If you are traveling with friends, girls trips/guys trips or with older children, the cabin layout allows for some privacy for dressing. With a closet section off adjacent to the bathroom, it’s easy to have a little bit of privacy in a confined space.  It appears Sun and Star Princess will have a change in layout, but more on that after launch in February!

Planning tender ports improves waiting times! Tender ports allow you to experience places that don't have the infrastructure to support a large ship docking. Tenders may be used to visit beautiful tropical destinations, or smaller cities in Europe. If your trip has tender ports, a little planning can make that ship to shore experience less of a hassle of waiting keeping your vacation more relaxing. Getting thousands of people off a ship in little boats is a monumental feat! Boats Used Tenders are often the ships life boats. The ship may run 2-4 or more of their lifeboats back and forth to shore. This is also a way to keep the lifeboats in good working order. Dependent on the port, there may also be boats sub-contracted by the cruise line to tender passengers to and from the shore. These larger boats can hold more passengers than the life boats. There may be open or exposed seating in some of these tenders, which is something to plan for if your itinerary has tender ports. Be prepared for weather. Timing 3000 people can't get off a ship all at once. Cruise lines have strategies to organize offboarding. If you understand the prioritization schedule it helps you set expectations for the day. If you are determined to be first off the ship to get every moment of your port date, consider booking an early excursion with the cruise line at tender ports. Cruise ships prioritize the guests on their excursions, organizing them in groups in a waiting area to prioritize tender boarding. Just be on time to your designated space on the ship! Another way to get off the ship quickly in a tender port is to have status. Guests with suite acess and the highest cruise loyalty members will generally receive prioritiezed tender access. Additionally, some cruises may impose an up-charge for this privilege. If these don't work for you, be careful about booking your tours too early, allow for some wiggle to get to shore. Other Tips I've personally found that if there's no rush to go ashore, just relax and wait for others to get ashore. If we are tendering at 10 am in a port, for example, I may not even try to leave the ship until 11:30. Have breakfast, maybe a small snack, then easily walk onto tenders without waiting. Since the ship is emptying out, and hundreds may be waiting in the atriums, or restaurant with tender tickets and such, many of the outdoor areas, gyms, spas and such are very empty. On the Tender There is usually a helpful crew member to help you get onboard the tender. Even in the calmest of conditions there's a bit of a gap and rolling around between the ship and the tender/water taxi. Have fun! It's a great way to see your ship from a new perspective and to take few photos. You may also see marine life on the way to the port. Consider having small change available to tip your tender staff. Local tender operators often put on a little show or tell you a bit about the destination. Mobility Challenged/ Tender Policies Most ships have policies about what types of mobility devices can be used on tenders. This may also vary by cruise line. In my experience, most cruise lines have restrictions about tender usage if a passenger is unable to enter/exit the tender with limited aid. I've also seen policies where mechanized wheel chairs/scooters are not allowed. Please check with the individual cruise line if you have tender ports and what their policies on tendering for those who may be mobility challenged. Not following the policy endangers other tender passengers, ships tend to follow these rules farily strictly, so it's important to know what the ship allows for tender passengers. There are lots of great itineraries without tender ports to consider if your concerned about tendering for any reasons. I have a little fun on them, and really try to work through the expected delays to make the best out of my travel story. Let me help you figure out your Travel Story! Tender or not!

I wasn’t sure if I’d participate, but now I hide Cruise Ducks Everywhere! Cruise Ducks are everywhere. What a great way to put a smile on a fellow passenger OR crew members face. I’m not sure where they came from but I’m hooked. Kinda like door decorations, but that is another topic. It's fun to see people find your ducks, last trip we had folks posting their ducks and tidbits about their journey. Oh What Luck you've found a Duck! Ducks typically come fun little tags. The tags say who the duck is from, what journey they are/were on and often instructions on how to post your duck on social media. I've found ducks that were hiddent 2-3 cruises before my trip. The bartender on our last ship shared her duck collection and was really excited to find more. Ducks are available at hobby stores, or online. They often come with tags to make it easy to share. They come in all themes. For Alaska we hid ducks with wool caps, for our holiday cruises we look for Christmas themes. I've seen tropical ducks, graduation ducks....there is a duck for every journey! Typically smaller ducks than a traditional bathtub duck are used, but everyone has their own way. My husband likes to put magnets on his, and hides them on the ceiling, the walls, the stairs, we often stop off on a deck to see if someone's found them. I tend to put mine in plants, or on handrails in elevators. Duck Rules Cruise lines seem to be accepting of the duck phenomenon. I would suggest making sure you have the rules of duckdom included in your duck cruise tags. These are: Place in public places only (don't put them in shops, fellow cruisers may think they are for sale, or confuse shop staff) Do NOT put your ducks in a swimming pool or spa. This might tempt children to retrieve them and fall in. Are you ready to join in Duck Mania? Try to find a duck on your next cruise. Or be a duck hider and see if you can get a few folks to share their duck experience with you. Just have fun with ducks! Post your ducks findings on our private Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/groups/storytellertravel/ Let's add ducks to your Travel Story!

Holidays are so special, they are amazing on a cruise. Spending Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and New Years are trips of dreams to add to your travel journey. US Thanksgiving is not traditionally celebrated outside the US. Although some non US based cruise lines may offer a traditional Thanksgiving meal on that date, you will not always find Turkey and Cranberries abroad. European Christmas Markets are a great way to experience River Cruising, and usually are some of the best values of the year. The Rhine/Danube and other itineraries are often late into November and early December. If you don’t mind packing your coat, gloves and scarf…you’ll get a view into how Europeans celebrate the Christmas Season. Most Cruise lines will be decorating the ship throughout December into the New Year. You will find an abundance of Christmas trees, wreaths, holly and jolly Santa Hats for weeks on most December cruises. Expect a feast for Christmas Day, and typically all types of activities such as gingerbread house building and caroling for the whole family to enjoy. New Years is a blast! First of all you have a designated driver and a plethora of venues and entertainment for any countdown fun! The ship is likely to provide party hats and honkers, along with a midnight champagne toast. Don’t be surprised if you find Santa out of “uniform” on a New Years cruise. Santa needs a break too! We met three Kris Kringles on our last New Years trip. Planning in advance is key! Holiday trips book up quickly, especially leading into late September and October. Consider skipping the holiday hassle and booking a Holiday trip next time! Let me organize your Holiday Travel Story!

Eliminate the back to reality blues by doing it all again, and again, and……… Back to Back Cruises (B2B) or “It’s my ship!” Eliminate the back to reality blues by doing it all again, and again, and……… It’s terrible. That last day feeling, packing up your things and visiting your favorite ship-board haunts one last time. You’ve exchanged emails, facebook friended your new cruise mates, said goodbye to your steward and best barkeep and now it’s time to move on. Not! A back to back cruise can be a great way to extend a vacation a little or a lot. The feeling of staying on board, how the ship becomes yours when you include “the next journey”, the homey, friendly way the staff knows your likes, the familiarity of your cabin home. You can create your own world journey as a ship relocates or just repeat a favorite itinerary. It’s a great way to put 2 Alaska one-ways into roundtrip from Vancouver/Seattle and avoid a lengthy flight to Anchorage, or reposition to Europe then take the next journey. Or, just add 3 day reposition to create a longer voyage. You may have questions on what might happen when you “stay on” the ship for the next journey. Here’s some tips. Immigration/Customs It depends on the port. In some ports, all in-transit passengers (those staying for the next journey) must leave the ship (typically as a group) and meet port officials in person. There may be a gathering in a particular lounge to meet officials, there may be just a gathering in a lounge for a 0 count, and I’ve also done a B2B where I needed to do nothing. If you are planning an early activity, consider disembarkation of passengers and delays this may cause. Changing Cabins Preferably you’ve worked with me to book in advance and this isn’t the case. But changing cabins is usually pretty easy. You can loosely pack and request a “bellhop” kind of cart. Just slightly pack loose items, hang your items on the cart and move your things. If you have certain loyalties or cabin types, or need help, you can arrange that with the cruise line. Expect Closures Pools/Spas may not open until a later time on embarkation days. Spa appointments are likely not available. Restaurants do typically open on a regular schedule for the inbound passengers. Room Keys/Leaving the Ship Most cruise lines will actually keep your cruise card or accessory active for the duration of your cruises. I’ve had to get a new activation once. On embarkation day, In Transit passengers have their own entry/exit methods, a special pass or card is issued. Credits/Onboard Spending Make sure you understand the rules about onboard spending money and how it is allocated to your overall bill. If you the spending money only applies to one of the booking, it might be use it or lose it. Benefits of B2B cruises can range from enjoying your initial Port of Call more, traveling farther to experience new places, really getting to know “Your Ship” and crew. It is great when the crew see you again, it’s like being in a club! Let’s create your Back to Back travel story!

Time? Money? Both? Here’s some strategies to overcome. A world cruise is one of my dreams. Most of us can’t take the PTO or we think it is out of our price range. Let me help you craft and group smaller experiences that might satisfy some of the world cruise travel dream and show real value for your vacation budget. I traveled from NYC to Southampton on the Queen Mary II. I jumped to another ship the same day headed to the Baltics, eventually flying home to the US. A little planning can yield quite a worldly travel story! Pair a repositioning with that ships next itinerary. A repositioning cruise is usually inexpensive, probably less than 1 way airfare. Think Fort Lauderdale to Southampton or Barcelona, then a British Isles or Mediterranean. Wow! What do you think? Let me plan this experience for you, start your Travel Story. Send me a message or email.