Ex-Cruise Worker Reveals Insider Cruise Secrets

Table of Contents

Introduction 3 Secrets from Under the Deck 5 Money Saving Tips 11 Ways to Get Perks 15Keeping Safe 19 Insight on Tipping and Gratuities 26 Conclusion 29

About the Author: This ebook was written by a former cruise employee who spent years working at sea. During her time at sea she visited 58 countries, many of them during a 140 night world cruise. She wrote this ebook for Cruise Fever offering insider tips and advice to help our readers with their cruises.

Introduction

While there are so many staff members aboard a ship at any given moment, many of them are not from the same place as the next. Getting to know us is something that you can or do not have to do. We all have a specific story to tell, some sadder than others. However, we all know the ins and outs of the cruise ships that we are employed by, we have seen many things and we know how to handle many emergencies. With so many stories that I could tell you from these things I have seen, I will place them in each section, giving you a laugh or even surprise when you get to them. What I really want to give though, is those secrets from under the deck when the visitors and tourists are sleeping and the cruise ship is softly bouncing on the waves. There are insider tips that we oftentimes share with our favorite cruisers that wish to get to know us, who we are and why we are on the ship. We are all nice, and we can open up quite easily. With so many people that come and go on the ship, you’d think we do not get lonely but oftentimes, we do. So when you see us walking along, just a friendly smile and wave can

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be nice. Talking to us about our lives back home is also acceptable. It is a good job, and enriching one where everyone is able to learn about everyone else and actually bring something away from it. From all over the world, we have traveled and worked on these ships and we have seen it all and know it all when it comes to how they work. With these secrets, you probably have not heard anywhere else, you can use them to have fun, to make the right choices, or even just to know and share with others. As said in the words of my Captain, “good luck and God speed on your journey ahead where magical things await you.”

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- 1 -Secrets from Under the Deck

Since it is a big ship that you’re on, it is no surprise that some of these things you might not have heard about before. Whether you’re sailing for the first time or hundredth time, this is the time to find out the information you want to know. Many of the passengers feel too shy to ask me any questions. When they do though, I make sure to give them my rundown of the ship (in my honest opinion, of course) so they can decide for themselves what they want to do.

1. Almost all of the doors cannot lock. This is a safety feature in case of emergencies. You can push almost any door open in the middle of the night and go in and take advantage of whatever is inside there. Feeling mischievous? I thought so!

2. Usually, the staff does not work in the middle of the night. We sometimes will be on certain duties but we change them so all of us are not up at all hours. What we can say though is that during our time on duty, there are so many different rooms that we have seen people sneak into. They have even went as far as going into the food

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storage lockers, or even the dining area to have some fun. There was no end to where they went. However, they were coming from the bar and well, probably didn’t know that any of these rooms were going to be unlocked.

3. Prepare for sea sickness. On a ship one time, almost everyone ended up sick. The worst part is that the front desk offers free Dramamine to the guests of the ship. Free! Not everyone knows this though, so spread the word around and make sure to ask for your packets if you’re not sure how your stomach will take to the open waters.

4. Wondering how the ships have such ripe bananas? I had a passenger ask me how we got all of the food on the ship and when it is an especially long cruise, how it was all staying fresh? Well, we pick up fresh fruits and vegetables at the second stop a day or two into the cruise and the kitchen staff is able to guess how much food is going to be needed based on the number of passengers the boat has. If you check out the dry storage area, there is back up food in case of emergencies!

5. Want to sneak in some booze? I have seen it all when it comes to getting drinks on board. With everything from Listerine bottles to jello bottles and in between. You’re allowed a bottle of wine or two on the ship but when

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it comes to hard liquors, not so much. I had to ask one of the passengers that was clearly drinking mouthwash when I walked up to them how they pulled it off. They cleaned out the mouth wash bottle and put it in another container. They then put the booze inside the mouth wash bottle and added food coloring to give it that fresh minty green look. I was surprised, but then I was amazed. Definitely a secret worth passing on!

6. There is a jail sort of feature on the ship. Yes, it is hidden pretty well and rarely ever used but there is one there. These holding cells are small padded rooms that can restrain people, if there is ever a problem. Have I ever seen these holding cells used? Ab-so-lute-ly. I have seen people get thrown into them for being disrespectful and starting fights in the bars on the ship. I have actually thrown some people in bars due to the fighting that happened and ended up with a bruised jaw and black eye. Not only that, but there have been husbands that beat up on their wives that we have had to lock up for a day or two to cool them down. While this rarely happens, it is good we have these holding cells so things don’t escalate to get any worse. When you’re out in the open water, there is really no other option. Have we had to leave someone in there for the whole cruise? Not yet. I haven’t actually had to leave anyone in the holding

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cell for more than two days and yes, we feed them during that time. Mostly, we just let them sleep off their drunken rage.

7. The morgue on board is used more than the holding cells. Many people do not believe that 3 deaths a month happen when it comes to cruise ships, but I can tell you that they do. Some people go on cruises to die because it is peaceful, the rocking puts them to sleep and they are not assisted by all of the life saving devices that would be back home. The morgue is smaller in size, with only three lockers for bodies, but trust me; I have seen these fill up quickly. When I was on a cruise previously, just working and minding my own business, someone had passed away that night on the ship. While, we didn’t figure that out until three days after the person had died. There was a stench down that hallway and we couldn’t figure out what it was, even the passengers were complaining about it. Sounds like something you hear in a horror story, but this is true. An older lady, who had terminal cancer, came aboard the ship alone, so no one questioned where she was. She ended up passing away and we had to go in there and remove the body to bring it down to the morgue. The smell was horrible, but keeping the passengers from looking down where we were working

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was worse. Talk about a hallway full of frightened passengers, it doesn’t go well with the whole ‘relax and enjoy’ atmosphere. The same day, we had an old man die from a heart attack.The crew was hoping no one else was going to drop there and then on the ship, and while we had someone choke, someone trip and hit their head, and someone slip on the deck there were no more deaths that cruise. Talk about gross, but it is part of our job!

8. Muster drills are required and they are for your safety. You might feel silly doing them, but do not think that you can sit this one out. They will make you make it up the next day, or come into your cabin and escort you to the deck. Make light of the situation and listen up!

9. There is a common idea going around that crew members are all booze and sex. For the most part, I am going to say that this is true but not every crew member is like that, so keep that in mind when you’re judging or wondering more about the staff on board. There are many

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crew members that are like this though, and they have fun and party and never worry about creating a stronger tie unless they really want too. Of course, sleeping with passengers is completely prohibited and if someone finds out, you can lose your job. Even if passengers advance on us, and they have, we have to turn them down politely and cannot be around them during the remainder of the cruise.

If you’re one of those passengers that likes to ask about marine life, yet another famous saying of my Captain is, “in my experience with seeing marine life in the water, there are only two things that will allow you to see them: luck and location.” With the right location, the right luck; you might. However, when you ask me, I don’t even know where to look! While we are mostly all smiles and friendly, our time off is ours. This jobs is stressful for all of us and when it comes time to get our two months off at home, we welcome it with open arms. While some of us might be cranky, we don’t mean to be. Too many months out on the sea can do this to a person and we are expected to be top notch, all smiles 100% of the time and this can be something that is mentally and physically exhausting.

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- 2 -Money Saving Tips

Believe it or not, there are ways to save money while going on a cruise. No, I am not talking about not bringing any and being the frugal one on the cruise. In fact, there are many tricks to saving money that perhaps you did not know about and I am going to let you in on. Not only that, but I am going to tell you some of the weirdest ways that I have seen people save money. First, let’s get into these money saving tips and then I will share with you my stories on the cruise line. I promise, you’ll get a good laugh and even be able to learn something from it, as well. There are actually so many alternatives while on a ship that you’re going to surprise yourself when you actually look in front of you and find them.

1. While so many people are out there paying $4 for a bottle of water, check out those drinking fountains. Buy one bottle, or even bring one in your carry bag with you and

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fill it up as you go. This water is clean and comes from a filtered, yes, filtered reservoir on the ship. Who knew! I just saved you hundreds of dollars!

2. Don’t play bingo! This is a serious matter. It might seem like fun but everyone is automated and rigged, in my belief. In all of the years (19 years) I have worked on ships that provide bingo, I have only once seen someone win this game. It is fun and while there are not a lot of people that come in and play, it might make your chances better at winning. This is not true and with a computerized game board, there is no telling what they might decide to do. It is expensive, if you win, it is not much and it is all computerized - giving you the back end of the deal and them the upper hand.

3.Some of the shows on board cost cash for the tickets. However, showing up midway through the show and having a crew member buddy can let you sneak in to see the end. Not only that, but many times, these shows are broadcast on the ship’s television the day after the event! While this is not live, it doesn’t mean that you cannot take part in the show that is happening or did happen for free! They won’t tell you this though, because they want you to purchase those tickets!

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4. Bring your own wine! The cruise doesn’t tell you that you cannot. So why wouldn’t you? Have a favorite kind? Just put it in your bag and off you go! Drinks are especially expensive when you buy them on the ship and by all means, get the hard liquor and beer, but if you would like to have a nice glass of wine in your stateroom then you can bring your own! They won’t tell you this up front though, when you book your room.

5. Don’t jump for the drink packages right away. Many of the packages a normal person wouldn't be able to consume on one trip. If you’re bringing kids and have a whole family that would drink many sodas, juices and bottled waters then this might be the ideal package to get, otherwise, you might just have a drinking problem if you can fulfill the drink package.

Weirdest Ways to Save Money Aboard a Cruise Ship

To say the least, there have been some of the most interesting passengers aboard the ships I have been on. These passengers all had their specific, unique ways of doing things and while they might have been weird to outsiders, whatever they did seemed to work for them when on the cruise ship. Many people would pack their own towels, thinking

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that the towels on the ship were not free. They would bring two, yes two, changes of clothing and wear them throughout a week long cruise by using the laundry services. They were especially frugal by not taking any excursions and leaving only a set amount for extras. These types of people enjoyed being out in the open and only ate at the buffet and didn't try certain things only customary to these cruises. They played it too safe and were tight with everything that they did. While I agree somewhat with this, I think it is okay to be a little frivolous with your money while on vacation. But, hey! What do I know? I am just a cruise worker! Your vacation is my life! While setting amounts for the extras is a good thing, I don't feel like they got the whole experience of being on a cruise by not doing the excursions and leaving themselves two outfits for the whole cruise. If you can swing it, bring three or four and two bathing suits. Also, the towels are free to use in the state rooms and on the pool deck, so no need to bring your own!

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- 3 -Ways to Get Perks

There are many secret ways, and not so secret ways to getting perks while on a cruise ship. How you go about it means a lot, and politeness can go a long way. Keep that in mind when you’re using these tips to get something. You never know who you’re speaking with, and the right person just might give you a little extra. So this secret is one that you didn’t know, and not all crew members have the ability to do it but when you find those upper crew members that have a little more pull with lists and extras; then you need to side with them. You need to sneak in a good amount of talk, of tipping and smiling because they are going to be your lifeline for additional perks and cash. Free stuff is located around the ship. While they might not be huge and expensive, they are still a nice keepsake or ten to take with you when you dock and go home. Get free lanyards, T-shirts, postcards, pictures, crossword puzzles and many other things. How do you get these? Go to the desks and ask! Our crew members will fill a bag of the free stuff that we have laying around and you can even check out the common areas where many of these things are just lying around for you to grab and use.

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I have given so many passengers free items in the past years. I have filled up bags of free items with everything from water bottles to small key chains, pictures and postcards of the ship and signed Captain items. Magnets and pens are also something. Everyone likes a freebie and while some of these freebies are not just hanging out - like crossword puzzles, paper or pens - some of them can be found simply by asking one of us crew members for them. Side up to the crew members and see what they can do for you. Many of those passengers that got perks from me were so pleased, and I was able to walk away with a lot of tips and a lot of praise - which looks good for me as a crew member. A lot of the crew find little coupons and money saving things lying around when it comes to going through the rooms at the end of a cruise. They leave them there! The next person that comes in, and does their research, can find them and use them however they please. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Make sure to check the drawers and in the bible!

Specific Ship Secrets

1. The Princess ships out there have a special snack where they bake up fresh cookies, and serve them with milk up

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on the pool deck every day at 3 PM.

2. Holland America cruises have a Pinnacle Grill, which is only $10 at lunch time. During the evening, make sure to check out the Explorer’s Lounge where they have free chocolate truffles waiting to be sampled.

3. Many of the buffets on the ships make their own ice cream, and you can request toppings for them, as well - or just go with the toppings alone. Don’t forgot those made to order waffles with toppings!

4. Carnival cruise ships have secret decks and secret maps that tell you how to get to them. This can be an exciting adventure you’ve been waiting for. Usually, the secret decks are highlighted in maroon on maps and this makes it seem like they are ‘off limits’ to guests but they are not!

While cruising can be fun, it might be ideal to speak with the cruise staff. They will let you know more regarding the cruise you’re on and what you can make the most use of. If you’re lucky, you will get a good staff member that will let you in on the many perks, secrets and tips to staying above and beyond for the best cruise experience possible. After all, this is your cruise and you should have it your way but you should also make sure

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you’re getting the most out of your experience, all the same.

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- 4 -Keeping Safe

Since you’re going somewhere that is unfamiliar, you have to stay safe. You need to be prepared not only physically, but mentally to take on whatever is next. The ports are friendly, and will welcome anyone off the ship but when you venture deeper into the neighborhoods, shops and other places of the land - you have to be prepared to say no, and keep your distance (if you have too.) I am not trying to scare you, since many people will not do you any harm but many of the smaller shops will try to get you to pay more than what you can. You can bargain, and you can say no if you do not want to purchase something from them.

1. There are report cards out there on how the ship did in the waters, the guests, what happened, what didn’t happen and so forth. By looking at these report cards designated for the ship you’re going to sail on, you’re able to find out if this ship is safety worthy. I have actually written about a few of the ships that I have worked on to give my overall feedback of what the ship was like and how they did their job. Mostly all of the Captains are good Captains, which should put your mind at ease.

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2. Get to know your steward who is attending your room on a daily basis. Crew members are given a wing of rooms so we are the normal person that goes in and out and if you’re missing something, it can generally be one of us (though, I would like to not believe that) or someonethat they noticed going into your room. Remember, these

doors do not lock so anything can be up for grabs! I can say that not all of us are trustworthy. We have had a handful of crew members get kicked off the ship due to stealing and lying.

3. Many people think that when you board a ship in the US, it is a registered ship in the US and they play by those laws. This is not true, many of the ships that I have worked on are actually registered and are in another country’s jurisdiction. This means that when something happens to you aboard, it may not be covered under the laws in the US. Be wary of this, and if in doubt, ask a crew member!

4. One big thing that I want to mention is that we have had passengers that had poor histories and even criminal

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records! The cruise line doesn’t do background checks on everyone that wants to cruise with them. When something happens, it is not broadcast around the world to know either. There was a passenger previously that was arrested, in front of everyone, as soon as he got off the ship when we docked. A 14 year old girl was threatened and made to perform sexual acts with the man, and it was later found out that he had a history of such in the past.

One good thing to think about is the report cards that are given, or just taking a cruise with you and another adult to see how it goes for a few times. You can also consider speaking with some of the crew members on board since they spend time together, you can find out who out there has a good past and which ones might not have a good past. Scary facts to know, but true, nevertheless. Think about those that have been hurt or harmed in any way on a cruise ship and the numbers are impressively low compared to those that are harmed in their homes or hotel rooms, so just food for thought. There have even been times where we have gone to port and docked after a run and one of the lower crew members from a less fortunate country has tried to take off! They wanted to get into America and this was their

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chance to make it there! Surprising and shocking to watch, he was canned and then sent back to his country for being a deserter. When you sign your contract with the ship, you sign that you’re going to be the best worker there and not do something like this.Not everyone out there can be trusted, which goes for any place, any where.

** Tip! ** Many countries and cruises do not allow you to wear camouflage on board or off board the ships. This is something almost everyone does not know. If you’re caught wearing it, you may be sent back on the ship to change or even arrested if found walking around the area wearing it. Keep this fashion statement at home!

In addition to the above mentioned tips, you have to also keep yourself safe against germs, sickness on board the ship and take the proper precautions. Everyone is together in a closed space for days to weeks. Someone may get sick, others may have colds but mostly everyone is touching everything. The proper hygiene rules apply when on the ship, and hand washing can be your best friend. While, the crew has to wash their hands throughout the day, you should too. Everything is cleaned on the ship, but something may go unnoticed. If there has been a

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recent sickness on board the ship previous to the cruise you’re on, each ship will go in to port for a few days and sometimes up to a week to be sanitized. They take health and safety very seriously. One thing I want to mention is that sicknesses do not happen too often, this is just a precaution that many people ask about. Sicknesses are a real thing, so you want to protect yourself but know that it is not a common thing that happens. Something they do not want to let people know when it comes to boarding is how fast these germs and sicknesses can spread. We have had passengers come on board knowing they were sick the whole time. They didn’t care whether or not everyone is in close proximity with one another and how much the ship harbors these germs. Everyone, and I mean everyone was sick on that journey - the passengers, the crew, you name it and we were sick. This is not a pleasant experience so please, if you’re sick, stay home!

The Ins and Outs of a Foreign Country

The area around you when you get off the ship is going to be a foreign country. This is where you will have to protect yourself the most. You want to let people know you’re not interested and keep walking. Speak with the

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locals, but make sure you’re firm, as well. There is a lot to be explored in a new place but doing so wisely, with knowledge and common sense can get you a lot further, and keep you a lot safer than just ‘winging it’ through the streets. Passports are another valuable item that can keep you safe while on the ship. They are valuable for a number of reasons, even if they are not required. Passports are your ticket to getting off the ship if you need to be airlifted. If something goes wrong, you need immediate medical attention or if the ship has a problem; they will not airlift anyone from the United States without the proper form of identification - your passport. While this can cost a bit more for you to have done, it is certainly something that is worth it if you encounter one of these problems. I have only seen one person, in many, many years of being on ships, need to be airlifted. This was an older gentleman that had a heart attack. While we have doctors aboard our ships, complete with nurses; they cannot give a thorough check of everything. He was stabilized by the medical staff and airlifted off of the ship (with his wife) to

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receive further care back in the states. Now, if they had not had their passports, I am not really sure what would have happened, but they did and this made the transition much smoother for all involved.

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- 5 -Insight on Tipping and Gratuity

Tipping is required on ships, but when and how do you tip? Should you roll the tips into the general price of the cruise? What options do you have and which do you choose or which is the best one to go with. All of these questions are good ones, and ones that cruisers ask for the first time. Tipping is probably one of the most confusing parts of being on a ship and not knowing the proper etiquette. The first thing you should know is that there is a charge tacked onto your cruising payment. This charge is up to $12 a day for gratuities. This goes to the staff and captain, and everyone else running the ship for the things that they do for you. While I say required, I mean, they will just put this extra charge on you. Any other tipping that is done by you is voluntary on a ship. You choose who to tip directly and for what. You do not even have to tip at all! Previously, at the end of the cruise, there were envelopes left in each of the rooms that would have each of the crew members on them and the guest would choose how much would go to each member and then it would be divided out to the appropriate people. While this made things easier for those on board, those that

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were not familiar with tipping had a hard time coming up with the amounts to give to everyone. This is why a set amount is now charged to the room for tipping purposes. I have gone full months without getting any sort of tips on ships that did not require it. Even in those cases where I was the only crew member the passenger had seen for days on end. Nothing at all, which left my pockets empty but I stayed with it. We get good times then we get bad. Your tipping effects all of us that are working on the ship. Some lines, high luxury ones the most, do away with tipping all together because you’re paying a premium price to get on the ship and cruise around. More luxury lines will take on regular tipping and even end of cruise tipping as a means to get tips from the passengers. Adventure lines where there is plenty to do on and off the ship will give the option of tipping at the end, adding auto tipping to your account or even having you tip throughout the trip. Each line is different on how they do things and when you book your cruise, you can check the website for the specific cruise line you’re going on to find out how they prefer tipping. Those that are not used to tipping will sometimes take auto-tipping off their account and not tip anything because they do not know that tipping is something that can be done. The type of tipping that you do depends on what you

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want out of the cruise and what you feel is right. Choose which way you’d like to tip, and then go with that. Some like the auto-tipping feature because they do not have to decide how much each person gets and they can pay for it right up front with the cost of the cruise. Even with this option, you can tip a bit extra to each of the staff members that you feel did exceptionally well and that you liked. Once again, tipping is up to you and you choose the way you’d like to give them a little extra ‘love’ while they are providing things for you on your cruise. I have been tipped extra by people and snuffed by others. Whatever you choose to tip can affect the crew that is on board. While we get a free ride around, we also do not make much extra to spend. Many times, this is less than what you can expect to get for minimum wage at any other job. Tipping is generally crucial to adding extra funds into our bank accounts. No, we do not make millions from those fancy cruise lines much to our dismay, we actually make pennies, some of us only bringing home a few hundred a month!

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Conclusion

While it comes down to what I have and have not seen, or know and do not know from a cruise line, so much happens, even on the shortest of trips. I have actually seen numerous babies born right in the guest rooms, or in the hallways of the ships because someone went into early labor. I was able to witness people getting married, people dying, people celebrating their anniversaries, birthdays and so on. The ship is an exciting, yet tiring and hard place to be when you’re a part of the crew but it is worth it. If I can share all of this information with you on the things that I know about the cruises out there, then I feel happy for being able to give you some insight on where your money goes, or where it doesn’t have to go. There is a lot out there, and many of the Captains will even provide you with perks. One cruise we had, I gave out 173 shirts! That is a lot of shirts, if you ask me! However, it is not a lot when you consider those people that asked for them and then I just gave them away - no big deal. There is also the fact that with over 6,000 people on a cruise at any given time, that small portion is nothing. The ship holds hundreds of these shirts for those that ride and we are not even sure why they have them

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since there is no direction on what they are to be handed out for. Being on a ship is exciting, and while I do not get paid riches to be there, it is something that brings me joy. Meeting so many people on a daily basis but also being able to provide them with the essentials for having the best cruise can be empowering. If you ever have any questions about life on a cruise ship, want to know where the secret places are for the ship I am on, then just ask! I am more than happy to give you the answers you’re seeking, mostly all of us are because hey, it is your cruise and you should know the top secret insider tips out there! Use these tips wisely and know that while on a ship, there are many people to meet and many things to do but you do not always have to pay full price and there are many secret hiding places you probably didn’t know about to begin with!

Interested in 57 expert cruise tips?Saving 50% off every spa and salon treatment?

6 ways to cruise for free?Insider secrets to FREE cabin upgrades?Saving thousands on your next cruise?Save up to 75% on shore excursions?

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Intelligent Cruiser

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