What hidden perks can seniors 55+ get on cruises? — featuring Life Well Cruised

0:00 Cruise lines don't market these senior perks, but the truth is that cruise lines rely heavily on older travelers. In this video, I share the free senior perks and quiet advantages that don't show up in the brochures, but you can absolutely get on a cruise. Hi there, I'm Elana from the website

0:24 lifewellcruise.com. Welcome or welcome back to my channel. Now, if you are over 55 or 60 or 65, there might be some hidden or less talked about advantages of cruising that you might not be aware of. Now, before I get started, I did want to mention that if you like this video, if you find it helpful,

0:42 informative, or enjoyable in any way, then please do give this video a big thumbs up. I really do appreciate it. And please subscribe to the channel if you haven't done so already. Let's get started. Now, I do want to mention before anybody gets mad at me that a lot of these things could apply to some

0:56 younger people as well. And everybody is different. So, some people might be a little bit more active that are over 65 and some people might be a little bit less active, but pick and choose the advantages that work best for you. Priority boarding. Now, you do not need to have a high loyalty status or even

1:14 pay extra to get priority boarding. Now, there are a couple of ways that you could board early. Now, one of the ways is, of course, to do your online check-in as early as possible, like everybody else. But if you do have any mobility issues, and I'm not just talking about people that might be in a

1:31 wheelchair, but maybe you have some difficulty with walking, you walk with a cane, or just long periods of walking or standing would be challenging for you. Now, at no extra cost, you could actually get a little bit of wheelchair assistance right at the imbarcation port. Now, the way that you'll go about

1:50 doing this is noting this on your booking. Now, if you're working with a travel agent, they will know how and they will do this for you. And otherwise, you can contact the cruise line directly or fill in a form on their website. This will ensure that when you get to the imbarcation port that you are

2:07 not having to stand in a long line of maybe 45 minutes or stand outside in the hot sun and instead you and your group will be one of the first to board. Get free assistance at the buffets or any of the casual dining areas. Now, especially if you are cruising solo, if you do have any mobility issues or just even if you

2:30 would struggle with carrying a plate full of food and a drink and also finding a table, it really can be a challenge, especially if you don't have other people with you. Well, crew, if they see you struggling, they'll actually volunteer and they'll come right over and they will help you out by

2:49 carrying your plate or even by finding you a place to sit and bringing you over some coffee or a drink. But beyond this, you can actually just go up to a crew member and ask. So, do not be shy on a cruise. The crew really do want to help. And if for whatever reason you do need that assistance, do not hesitate to

3:11 request it. Now, I'm going to share a little bit more about ways that you can get assistance later on in the video, but I did want to share this information about dining perks and tips. And this is especially if you are going on your first cruise as a senior. Now, cruise lines do have different dining times

3:30 that are available. And these days, a lot of people choose like an open dining time when you can walk in whenever you want. I don't suggest you do that. Instead, what you should do is pick a fixed dining time and ideally an early dining time anywhere from 5:15 to about 6:00 p.m. In this way, you are going to

3:49 get the same waiter and weight staff every evening of your cruise. They're going to get to know your likes, your dislikes, um how you enjoy being served. They may even have items already there for you on the table that you will like. For instance, if you like to have a Coke, it might be waiting for you, your

4:06 favorite breads, etc. Now, if you like to meet and talk with other people, you can actually choose a shared table. And this is going to be great because you're going to have conversation with other people and you likely will meet some new friends. Now, that earlier time is also going to have a quieter, more relaxed

4:23 pace. Now, if you do need some assistance, and this can happen sometimes, maybe it's assistance when it comes to your dietary needs, be sure to speak with a mater, ideally on the first day of your cruise, they can assist with this. But something else a lot of people don't talk about, but you might need a

4:41 little bit of assistance, even something like cutting up food. The waiter may not always be able to help with this, but if you do have a dietary need and you speak with Mater D, sometimes they can actually facilitate this by doing this in the kitchen before it is brought out. And in this way, it really doesn't even

4:57 draw attention to you. Now, please do let me know if you've experienced any of these benefits and you have additional tips to share. Please do let me know in the comments below. Cruise cabin upgrades and free accommodations. Now, if you need an accessible cabin, this can be accommodated. However, there are

5:15 not very many accessible cabins available on a cruise ship. So, do make sure that you book early for these. But I have another tip that a lot of people don't think about, and this is cabin location. Now, you're not only thinking about cabin location in terms of movement and what you would prefer, but

5:33 you also want to think about cabin location and walking distance to the elevator or the stairway. So, I always suggest if you do have some difficulties maybe with walking and your knees, do not choose anything that's very far forward or far backwards towards the aft of the cruise ship because those

5:52 hallways can be really long. Instead, choose something that is close by to the elevator. Now, there are actually some free perks that you can get in your cabin just by asking. Now, these include a mattress topper. So, if you prefer a bed that's just a little bit more comfortable, you can ask your cabin

6:07 attendant for that on the first day, as well as any cabin adjustments as well. If you want the beds separated and they work together, you can do that. I know some people who've asked for a lounge chair on their balcony. Now, this might not always be able to be accommodated, but often times if there's room, your

6:25 cabin attendant will accommodate you. Now, if you're traveling and you have a CPAP, let the cruise line know in advance, ideally by filling out that form or letting your travel agent know. But the cruise line will often provide you with an extension cord and distilled water in your cabin. And if you need

6:41 other accommodations, including a shower stool, they can help you with that, too. Cruise lines can offer medication support. Now, I am talking about refrigeration for medications that can be oftentimes stored in the medical facilities. If you need a sharps container, just ask your cabin

6:58 attendant. And there are medical services on board, but be aware that these are not free or included. So, if you do need to see the medical facility, uh whether it's a nurse or a doctor, this can come with a large fee. So, do make sure that you have your travel medical insurance intact before you go

7:17 on your cruise. Now, by the way, if you're going on a cruise and you want to make sure that you do not forget a thing, I do have the Life Well Cruise Ultimate Cruise Planner. Now, the Lifewell Cruise Ultimate Cruise Planner is a 47page downloadable printable planner that includes cruise packing

7:32 list, cruise shore excursion planning forms, cruise budget planning forms, outfit planning forms, and more. Now, I will leave all of the information about the planner down below in the description of this video in case you want to check it out. Hidden ways to save money. Now these kind of discounts

7:49 are not always publicly announced but many cruise lines do have over 55 discounts so you can just ask. Now another one is to look for resident specials. Now it could make a difference. Maybe you live in New York, in Florida, in certain provinces in Canada. And this happens, you know, all

8:07 over the world, but you can check with a cruise line. Make sure that you do know where you are living. And as well, if you are using a travel agent, let them know as well because often times they can pull up unannounced specials that are going to get you extra discounts. A ARP. Now, AARP only costs about $12 to join,

8:30 and you can get many different perks and discounts and really freebies for seniors. And this doesn't only apply to cruising. So, definitely you'll want to check that out. But there can be some advantages to cruising, and that includes being able to purchase gift cards that you could use towards your

8:49 cruise. Now, at this time, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean are cruise lines that participate in it. Loyalty perks. Now, many cruise lines have loyalty perks that start after just one cruise, and sometimes they even have perks that start when you sign up for their emails. So, definitely take a look for these.

9:07 And take a look also for the refer a friend discounts. Many cruise lines do have this. And if you're going on a cruise with friends who've already sailed with that line, you can check into if you can get that refer a friend discount or onboard credit. Now, as well, if you've cruised with a line for

9:26 a long time and you are switching cruise lines, take a look if they have a status match program. If you are a retired teacher or nurse or military personnel, check with your cruise line to see if they have any extra discounts and perks for you. Holland America, as an example, does offer a great program for retired

9:49 teachers. Use a travel agent for unpublished group rates and other discounts and benefits. Now, a lot of people aren't aware that using a travel agent is not actually going to cost you extra money, and that's because in most cases, the travel agencies, because they are getting paid a commission by the

10:06 cruise line, are not going to charge an extra fee. Some do. Uh, but in any case, it is great to use a travel agent because not only do you have potentially extra onboard credits they can give you and other discounts that you may not be able to see directly with the cruise line, but they are also your advocate if

10:24 something goes wrong. They can also help you to book your hotel, your flights, and even your travel insurance. Now, I do often get emails and questions about what travel agency do we use and who do we recommend. Now, we actually use MEI Travel. Now, they're our travel partner here at Lifewell Cruise and they've

10:45 actually not only helped us with our bookings, but they've actually helped hundreds of our viewers. Now, one of the great things about working with MEI Travel is while they have a great website and you can take a look and search on your own, you can also fill in a quotation form and ask for somebody to

11:00 contact you directly and have a real conversation where somebody's going to help guide you towards the best cruise for you. Now, also with MEI Travel, they have a price monitoring service so that if the price of your cruise goes down between the time that you booked it and the time that you're sailing, they're

11:16 able to automatically apply that reduction for you. Now, I'm going to leave all of the information for MEI travel down below in the description of this video, as well as a pinned comment in case you want to check them out. Senior advantages and cruise tips. Now, these tips are going to help you to have

11:31 a better cruise. Choose a longer itinerary. These are actually like made for older cruisers because cruise lines do actually cater their programming to the demographic that is on that cruise ship. typically 10 days or longer, those sailings are going to have an older clientele. And that means that things

11:50 like the music that's played is going to be more geared towards that grouping of people, um the activities, the trivia, the enrichment, even sometimes the dining that is all going to be geared towards the people that are on that cruise, which does tend to be older travelers. Now, another tip is skip

12:09 those mega ships and instead opt for a midsize cruise ship, one that's a little bit older. You're honestly going to get some amazing service, and there's a good chance that on those mega ships, while there are a lot of bells and whistles, if you're not going to use them anyway, you may as well not pay for them. At the

12:26 same time, those midsize cruise ships are better in terms of walking. You actually have a smaller cruise ship, but still enough to do. And you're going to be able to navigate your way from your cabin to the dining room to the theater and all of the different places in less time. And sail off season, you're going

12:42 to have less kids on board. You're going to save money cuz those cruises are going to be cheaper. And you're going to have a better cabin selection as well. Shore excursions. Now, cruises are great when it comes to shore excursions that you could choose something whether you are active or if you're more of a gentle

12:58 walker, you can actually pick the excursion that you can travel the way you want to in safety and comfort. So, when you are looking at shore excursions, make sure that you are looking at the activity level to ensure that that excursion is just right for you. Disembarking your cruise ship in

13:15 cruise ports as well as tendering. Now, if you have any mobility challenges, it really is important to note this with guest services so that they can assist you. Now, if you need some wheelchair assistance to get off the cruise ship, that can be provided. Now, what you can do is let guest services know and oftent

13:33 times for disembarking, you're going to meet up in a certain area of the cruise ship and they will have crew members that will assist you and your party to disembark the cruise. Now, another tip is if you are getting off the cruise ship in ports, you can ask guest services for this as well. Now,

13:50 typically people often think if they have mobility challenges that if they're in a tender port, they may not be able to get off the cruise ship, but this is not necessarily true because cruise lines might have one tender area where they can actually accommodate people that are in wheelchairs and they will

14:08 let you know. Now, while you cannot usually have the wheelchair wheeled directly onto the Kender, um, if you are able to stand up to walk on to the tender, usually they can still accommodate you and have your wheelchair go with you so that you can use it when you're at the port. Now, by the way, for

14:26 anybody who's wondering what happens if I'm not in a wheelchair, but I have a problem during the cruise, cruise lines often do have the ability that you can rent a wheelchair. Now, it could be anywhere from $ 20 to $40 a day. And if you have insurance, you can see if this is something that is covered. Now,

14:44 speaking of travel insurance, there are some mistakes that senior cruisers often make. So, I'm going to leave a video right after this one that will let you know all of the mistakes that you will want to avoid. Now, I'd love to hear from you. Please let me know your own experiences and tips down in the

15:00 comments below. I hope that you enjoyed this video. If you did, please do give it a big thumbs up. I really do appreciate it. And please subscribe to the channel if you haven't done so already.