I feel like cruise gratuities are becoming one of the biggest talking points in cruising lately, especially as prices continue to creep up across the board.💰 I completely understand why they exist and the role they play for crew. I also think a lot of people, especially first-time cruisers, are shocked when they see how quickly the extra costs add up once gratuities, drinks, Wi-Fi and speciality dining all get added on. Some people prefer prepaying everything upfront so the cruise feels “done” before they board, while others would rather keep that flexibility onboard. One thing newer cruisers should know is that gratuities are often automatically added throughout your holiday, whether that is daily service charges or extra gratuities added onto drinks and speciality dining onboard, so it is always worth factoring that into your budget before you travel. Very interested where everyone sits on it now. Do gratuities bother you, or do you just see them as part of cruising at this point?😊👇

With Royal Caribbean doubling down on Icon Class and more mega ships coming over the next few years, it feels like cruising is going even further in that direction. So quick one… Would you rather:

Hey everyone 👋 Firstly, a massive welcome to all the new members who have joined recently… so good to have you here. For anyone new, I’m Katrina, I have done 35+ cruises and this space is all about helping you get more from your cruises, whether that’s tips, planning help, or just learning from other people who love cruising as much as you do. Quick life update… we have officially sold our home in Scotland and are now travelling full-time, and right now I am based in Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 (for a little while) It is definitely different from cruise life (a bit more thinking involved 😅), but I’m loving it so far. Slower pace, amazing food, and it’s exciting being closer to cruise ports that open up completely new itineraries we have never done before. Cruising is still a huge part of our life, this is just a new chapter alongside it. Would love to get to know you all a bit more, how many cruises have you been on?👇

Most people naturally lean towards one of these without even thinking about it… I’m really curious to see where everyone lands on this 👇

Whilst we have been onboard Odyssey of the Seas… our house sale officially went through. So right now, we are officially working remotely, living on cruise ships, and travelling full time. Which sounds a bit mad when you actually write it down 😅 But here is the honest part… Working from a cruise ship isn’t just: “Take your laptop and log on” What actually makes it work: – Reliable WiFi setup (we don’t rely on ship WiFi alone) – Planning around time zones – Knowing where you can actually work onboard – Choosing itineraries that fit around work It has been a big shift for us, but we have learned a lot quickly, with mistakes in between! We get asked a lot of questions, so I am in the process of creating a downloadable cheat sheet. In the meantime, I have built a full classroom detailing everything we have learned! You can access it here. Of course, any questions happy to help. We are travelling back to Scotland today to stay at my mums for 6 days then we are off the Malaysia. Slightly worried we won’t get home though as major strikes across Spanish airports… we are flying from Barcelona airport.😅 wish us luck!