First Time Cruiser has become a YouTube junkie

[PACD_JG]

I booked my family's first cruise to Alaska on Princess in June 2022.  I literally used to make fun of cruisers as it's not my vacation style at all.  However, I'm OCD about travel so I've done a lot of research, and I'm now literally addicted to Tips for Travellers, La Lido Loca, and CruiseTips TV.  Honorable mention to Emma Cruises, Cruise with Ben and David, Don's Family Vacations, Chad Cruisers, Cruise Tips by the Jelly Beans, and EatSleepCruise.  Not sure why I posted, but it's Saturday night and I'm bored, and my family has banned me from YouTube.

[john watson]

This will likely turn out expensive when you keep re-booking.  The great thing about Princess is that they more or less cover the entire world.

 

Regards John

[rkacruiser]

16 hours ago, PACD_JG said:

I booked my family's first cruise to Alaska on Princess in June 2022

 

16 hours ago, PACD_JG said:

I'm now literally addicted to ......

 

Hello fellow Centerville neighbor!  

 

I recommend that you become addicted to Cruise Critic as well.  As the time for your cruise comes closer, you are likely to have questions that the You Tube sites are not going to be able to answer.  There's much experience available by many who post on CC.  

 

On which Princess ship will you sail?  Princess offers an excellent Alaska cruise product.  I think you chose well.  

[shipgeeks]

I second much of the post above.

I hope your watching of so many sites has made you realize that they are often quite biased!  You might see one that says it was the worst cruise ever, and someone else on the same cruise will say it was the best.

The recommendation to read Cruise Critic in the months to come is a good one.  However, again, my personal warning is to not believe everything you read in the Reviews, if you do read those.  But these pages, including First Time Cruisers (where we are now), as well as the Princess forum, the Alaska forum, and the Roll Call for your cruise can all be helpful.  And don't hesitate to post questions!

[PACD_JG]

Hey neighbor.  61 cruises!  I'm on the Sapphire Princess.  I have been on Cruise Critic, and before I booked I asked a question here about which ship to choose, and it seemed most liked the smaller ship despite it being older.

 

I do check cruisecritic about every day, but as of right now everything's booked (not paid for) and there's just so much speculation that I don't see it necessary to ask many questions yet.

[dgoz]

23 hours ago, PACD_JG said:

I booked my family's first cruise to Alaska on Princess in June 2022.  I literally used to make fun of cruisers as it's not my vacation style at all.  However, I'm OCD about travel so I've done a lot of research, and I'm now literally addicted to Tips for Travellers, La Lido Loca, and CruiseTips TV.  Honorable mention to Emma Cruises, Cruise with Ben and David, Don's Family Vacations, Chad Cruisers, Cruise Tips by the Jelly Beans, and EatSleepCruise.  Not sure why I posted, but it's Saturday night and I'm bored, and my family has banned me from YouTube.

Same! 1st cruise not until July 2022 (also Alaska) but am overdosing on this board and youtube videos. Do you not like the Lifewellcruised ones? I like finding the what to pack or "what I wore on my Alaskan cruise" ones as well. 😄

 

[PACD_JG]

Dgoz, I have watched some of her videos, and it always seems like the mic has issues.  Just because there are so many choices on YouTube, if I have to turn the volume up on the TV to hear it I usually just go on to another video.

[grumpyjr88]

Welcome to the club! I've been on 7 cruises and I'm *still* addicted to YouTube. I've been scouring the interwebs for everything Carnival Breeze even though I've sailed on her before. 🙈

[rkacruiser]

19 hours ago, PACD_JG said:

Hey neighbor.  61 cruises!  I'm on the Sapphire Princess.  I have been on Cruise Critic, and before I booked I asked a question here about which ship to choose, and it seemed most liked the smaller ship despite it being older.

 

I do check cruisecritic about every day, but as of right now everything's booked (not paid for) and there's just so much speculation that I don't see it necessary to ask many questions yet.

 

Sapphire Princess is a newer and larger ship than is Coral Princess which is smaller and older.  I have not sailed on Sapphire (have sailed on Coral), but the comments that I have read about her have been positive.  I know an Australian couple with whom I have cruised that enjoyed a cruise from Southampton to Singapore in 2017 or 2018.  John and his Hayati (his wife) had nothing negative to say about their cruise.  

 

Your reason for not asking many questions as of yet is valid.  So much about travel is changing.  As shipgeeks recommended, checking the Alaska Message Board may provide you with tour/sightseeing information that may help you plan for your time ashore.  

 

If a Roll Call for your cruise has begun, I encourage you to join it even at this early date.  

[PACD_JG]

And just like that, I've been moved to the Royal...

[rkacruiser]

7 hours ago, PACD_JG said:

And just like that, I've been moved to the Royal...

 

......what?  I don't understand.  

[PACD_JG]

Received an email: "Please be advised that due to deployment changes, your voyage will now sail on Royal Princess rather than Sapphire Princess." 

[john watson]

10 hours ago, PACD_JG said:

And just like that, I've been moved to the Royal...

 

Have you been given a cabin number on the Royal?  If so it is worth studying the deck plan and considering if this is a good replacement cabin.  If you think it's 50/50 you can still phone in and see if you can get it changed free of charge to a better position or cabin type.  When they cancelled cruises initially the refund as a new booking was 125% then later cancellations reduced to 110% refund as credit.  I think you should be able to lever the cruise line a little bit if you phone and discuss things with a deck plan in front of you.

 

Regards John

[Snoopkat]

Our first cruise is booked for March 2022 (hopefully cruises in Australia would resume by then) and I am also addicted to the CC forum and YouTube! Tips for Travellers is my top favourite channel followed by Emma Cruises and Cruise with Ben & David.  I could count on one hand the number of times I have used YouTube prior to booking my first cruise and now it's something I look at on a daily basis 😂

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, PACD_JG said:

Received an email: "Please be advised that due to deployment changes, your voyage will now sail on Royal Princess rather than Sapphire Princess." 

 

I have sailed on Royal Princess in the Caribbean.  She is a nice ship, but she is large!  

 

john watson's suggestion to you is a good one.  Check out the cabin location and be certain that it is acceptable to you.  If not, contact Princess ASAP.  

[PETJAYZED]

Yes!! I am driving my husband crazy - 463 days to Panama Canal on the Eurodam. Second cruise - we did Alaska in 2016 for our 10 year Anniversary. I am currently watching Emma Cruises...

[farsight]

You could add 'EECC Travels' to your YouTube list as well. We vlogger addicts have to enable each other. 🙂

 

[Denise T]

My first cruise is booked 10/2022. I will be on the Norwegian Pearl heading to Canada/New England. I too have been watching YouTube especially videos about the Pearl. I currently watch ScottSingerCruises and have watched Ben and David. I check Cruise Critic daily. I have found that the cruising community is awesome and so helpful. 

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, Denise T said:

I check Cruise Critic daily. I have found that the cruising community is awesome and so helpful. 

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!  There is much expertise available which is all based on our own cruise experiences flavored, at times, by our own opinions.  Questions are welcomed!

[Host Kat]

7 hours ago, Denise T said:

My first cruise is booked 10/2022. I will be on the Norwegian Pearl heading to Canada/New England. I too have been watching YouTube especially videos about the Pearl. I currently watch ScottSingerCruises and have watched Ben and David. I check Cruise Critic daily. I have found that the cruising community is awesome and so helpful. 

 

Howdy @Denise T and welcome to the Cruise Critic message boards! 

 

Cruise Critic is a great resource for new as well as experienced cruisers and we are so glad you found us!   Please feel free to browse the Cruise Critic Community Categories list. Read a few threads in the different forums to get a feel for what each forum is about. Make sure you read any pinned threads (aka Stickies) on the top of the first page of threads in a forum. You will find very important instructions or information there.

 

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So sorry this is so long, but I sincerely hope this information will be helpful to someone new to posting on our message boards. So glad to have you aboard Cruise Critic! 

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat 

[Hlitner]

I smiled when I read the OP's post about OCD and cruising.  I have been cruising (all over the world) for over 45 years and still love cruising as much as in the early days.  I never thought of it in terms of OCD but have sometimes admitted here on CC that DW and I are addicted to cruising :).  So my warning to the OP is that if you already are thinking in terms of OCD and cruising just give it time and it will become much worse (although many of us would call that a good thing).

 

We recently took our first cruise (Greek Islands) in about 19 months.  It occurred to me that this had been my longest stretch  without a cruise in over 45 years!   Walking up the gang plank (they truly had a gang plank for our ship in Pireaus) had that wonderful feeling of "I am home."  What was different about this first (for me) post COVID cruise was that everyone we met onboard (including the crew) admitted to having similar feelings.  If this is an example of OCD then I am happy to have OCD :).  Chatting with some crew members (the crew on Seabourn are very sociable 

 

Hank

 

[Don9992]

On 8/28/2021 at 10:16 PM, PACD_JG said:

I booked my family's first cruise to Alaska on Princess in June 2022.  I literally used to make fun of cruisers as it's not my vacation style at all.  However, I'm OCD about travel so I've done a lot of research, and I'm now literally addicted to Tips for Travellers, La Lido Loca, and CruiseTips TV.  Honorable mention to Emma Cruises, Cruise with Ben and David, Don's Family Vacations, Chad Cruisers, Cruise Tips by the Jelly Beans, and EatSleepCruise.  Not sure why I posted, but it's Saturday night and I'm bored, and my family has banned me from YouTube.

I could have written this post except for the last sentence and that our cruise is in July.  We're doinq the Northbound route one-way from Vancouver.  Our Ship was switched from the Sapphire to the Royal Princess but, having never been on any cruise ship before, I'll withold judgement and just enjoy the ride.

[PACD_JG]

3 hours ago, Don9992 said:

We're doinq the Northbound route one-way from Vancouver.  Our Ship was switched from the Sapphire to the Royal Princess but, having never been on any cruise ship before, I'll withold judgement and just enjoy the ride.

But it's like paying for Ruth's Chris and then getting Outback.  Sure, I'll still eat all my steak and enjoy it, but it's not what I paid for.

 

[rkacruiser]

4 hours ago, PACD_JG said:

But it's like paying for Ruth's Chris and then getting Outback.  Sure, I'll still eat all my steak and enjoy it, but it's not what I paid for.

 

 

I am not sure that I can agree with you.  I have not sailed on Sapphire Princess, but have sailed on Royal Princess.  My opinion is that Royal Princess ought not to be deployed in Alaska.  Sapphire Princess may be too large of a vessel for an Alaskan deployment as well.  Coral Princess is the appropriate size for a Princess ship to sail Alaskan itineraries in my opinion.  

[john watson]

10 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I am not sure that I can agree with you.  I have not sailed on Sapphire Princess, but have sailed on Royal Princess.  My opinion is that Royal Princess ought not to be deployed in Alaska.  Sapphire Princess may be too large of a vessel for an Alaskan deployment as well.  Coral Princess is the appropriate size for a Princess ship to sail Alaskan itineraries in my opinion.  

 

Sapphire Princess and Diamond Princess were specifically designed for Alaska cruises.  It is not entirely obvious but Grand Class ships are 118 feet wide however the aforementioned ships are 123 feet wide.  The reason for this is allegedly to have wider promenade decks such that full length loungers can be used on the promenade decks which are good under cover viewing areas.

 

Coral Princess and Island Princess I believe were specifically built as Panamax ships having said that we are now in the Post-Panamax era.

 

Regards John

Edited September 20, 2021 by john watson