Full transcript of “7 NEW Travel Rules (& Changes) for Summer Cruises”. Click a timestamp to open the video at that moment. Need another video? Use the YouTube transcript generator.
0:00 If you're planning a cruise in 2025 and beyond, there are a bunch of new rules and changes that you need to know about, and some of them are already causing frustrations. We're talking drink package changes, new port taxes, scam alerts, dining rule updates, and even cruise lines changing porttool due to safety issues. This is an update that you're not going to want to miss. Hi there, I'm Elana from the website lifebalcruise.com. Welcome or welcome back to my channel. We have a lot of new information to cover in this video and I have to say it is not all bad. As a matter of fact, there are a couple of really good points that many cruisers
0:47 like. I have saved one of them for last because I do want to know your opinion. But before we get started, I did want to mention that if you like this video, if you find it helpful, 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. Number one, Princess Cruise drink packages. Now, I have to admit, when I first heard the change, I thought this is really not such a big deal. However, I know a lot of cruisers are very frustrated about this. So, what is happening? Well, basically the Princess Cruise drink packages, and these are the drink packages that are included in Princess Plus and Princess Premiere. Well, there are some recent changes. So, starting off with the first change, cans of soda are no longer included in the
1:34 package. Now, don't worry, you can still get fountain soda. And by the way, I do have a little tip. If you are somebody who likes a specific type of soda in a can, then you are also allowed to bring up to 12 cans of soda, basically a case on board on imbarcation day. Now, you will find that change which started in May 2025 on Princess Cruis's website. However, there are some additional changes according to cruise center who originally reported on this as well as other cruise related news outlets that are covering this. And as well, we are also hearing from passengers on social media on Facebook sharing their experiences. So firstly, when you go up to the bar, you can no longer get more than one drink at a time. And apparently
2:19 this applies even if you are getting a drink for somebody else in your cabin. And the other change is that you can no longer get double pores. Now, this does exclude wine, but this is a frustration for some people who say, "I don't mind this counting as two drinks, but I do want to be able to get my double if I want it." Now, from Cruise Center, the goal, according to Princess Cruises, is to maintain consistency and guest service while preserving the value and the integrity of the beverage packages. Now, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Is this because of abuse maybe of people sharing those packages? It definitely is in the rules, terms, and conditions of the Princess Plus and Princess Premier package that you're not able to share a beverage package. And there are reports that some people were giving drinks to
3:05 other people who did not have one. Now, being honest, I am hoping that things are just going to balance out. After all, this really has just come out and I am going on a Princess cruise in a little while, so I will let you know my experience. But let me know your thoughts on that down in the comments below. Number two, MSSE specialty dining packages. If you've ever gone on an MSSE cruise and if you've purchased one of the dining packages, you may have had some frustrations in the past because when it comes to the dining package, when you go to the restaurant, there were a lot of different alocart items. Not everything was included in the package and it definitely was confusing. Although, you know, the restaurants of course are quite good, but it seems like MSE Cruises has actually listened to the feedback and they have made some changes
3:52 and they now have a more simplified specialty dining package and menus. So, how does it work? Well, the new specialty dining system is a set three course menu with simplified pricing. You can pre- purchase one to four dining experience. Butcher's cut is limited to one visit per package. Kids aged 3 to 12 dine for $12 and kids three and under dine free. And if you book before your cruise, you save an additional 20%. Now, there are some changes for cruise portal as well as travel requirements to certain destinations. But first, we do have to talk about new cruise fees that are debunked. Cruise lines have been warning passengers of an increase in scams, including schemes where individuals pose as cruise line employees or travel agents. The scammers
4:39 attempt to trick cruise passengers into making bogus final payments for their cruise fair, cruise upgrades, or even airfare to their departure port. Cruisers have been sharing how in some cases they've been asked for docking fees, for imbarcation fees when they change their imbarcation time, and for expedited cruise document fees. All of which are absolutely bogus. Now, I'm going to share two that are going on right now because scammers are actually using some of the new travel rules to trick cruisers. But first, I wanted to share something important with you about online privacy. Now, this video is sponsored by Incogn, which I started to use a little over a month ago. Now, if you've ever booked a cruise, a flight, or even just searched online for travel deals, your personal data is out there. And it's not just sitting around. It's
5:24 being bought, sold, and passed along by hundreds of data broker sites that you're probably not even aware of. Your name, your phone number, your email address, and your travel patterns, it's all being used without your permission. And with online scams on the rise, protecting your digital privacy is more important than ever. Now, you might be wondering, how does incogn work? Well, incogn works by contacting those data broker sites on your behalf and requesting that your personal info be removed. I started to use it almost two months ago and already over a 100 data broker sites have already begun removing my data. And very good news for me, I also seem to be receiving less spam calls. Now, it's very easy to sign up. First, you create an account. It actually took me less than 5 minutes. Then, you give incogn to act on your
6:10 behalf to request your personal data removal from these sites. And the best part is this is all done automatically. and signing up for an annual plan is best because they can do this proactively each and every month even as new data broker sites emerge. Now, I do have an awesome discount code of 60% off the annual plan. I'll leave my exclusive link as well as the discount code down below in the description of this video as well as a pinned comment. Okay, so now let's talk about a new travel requirement for international travelers that's catching cruisers off guard. The UK ETA Carnival Travel Warning. As of January 8th, 2025, most nonUK travelers, yes, even for cruise layovers, need a UK ETA, a digital travel authorization.
6:58 Now, this isn't very expensive and it isn't very complicated. However, because some travelers are getting caught up in a scam, Carnival Ambassador John He has issued a warning. Now, it's very important when it comes to the UK ETA. It's only £10, so it's really not very expensive. However, what is very important is that you go directly to the UK government website and do that directly, not through a third party. And by the way, not through Carnival, because that is one of the scams where some people believe that they've actually called Carnival and they're buying the ETA through Carnival, and unfortunately, they aren't. Now, these fake websites and scammers are charging upwards of $150. Make sure that you really double
7:44 check that link before you pay. The Norwegian Cruise Line phone call scam. Now, this has been going around on social media for the last few days, and truthfully, I have not found any corroboration from Norwegian Cruise Line themselves, but somebody who claims to be an employee of Norwegian Cruise Line shared this on Reddit, and since then, several news outlets have picked up the story. The claim is that people are impersonating Norwegian Cruise Line reps and calling guests to collect fake payments for upgrades, flights, and cruise fair balances. And one cruise passenger reportedly was scammed out of over $20,000. Now, in this case, it could be a little bit hard to know how to navigate because apparently people did get that phone call. However, now that we hear of it, there are some best
8:29 practices. First of all, get the person's name and don't give out any of your info. So in other words, if they ask you what is your booking number, do not give it to them. Do not give them your birth date or any other information and instead hang up and call the cruise line back. Now, don't call them back on the number that they are giving you, but instead look up the official number on the official cruise line website. And of course, if you're working with a travel agent, give them a call or send them an email right away because this is something that they can deal with. New taxes for cruise travelers. Now, by the way, I promise you the last one. I think that that news might be something pretty interesting and some people might like where it's going. Now, there is a new Mexico cruise tax that is starting in
9:15 July 20125. Now, there is some good news though about this. Originally, Mexico wanted to charge cruise travelers, I believe it was $42 per person. However, the cruise lines did negotiate this and now it has been reduced to $5 in 2025. Now, it is actually increasing in the next 3 years nominally to $21 per person in 2028. Now, there are two things to keep in mind. Firstly, if there's more than one Mexico cruiseport in your itinerary, there is not more than one fee. So, that tourist tax, it is one time only for your cruise. And the second thing is this is going to be collected by the cruise lines. It's going to be built into your cruise fair. So even though we
10:01 are talking about this now, this is not something you're going to notice then and not anything that you need to apply or pay for separately. The Hawaii cruise tax proposal. Now this hasn't gone through yet and possibly this will be negotiated. However, what is happening here can really affect any cruisers that are considering a Hawaii cruise. As of January 2026, Hawaii is proposing a new tax that will affect cruise travelers. It is proposed to be 11% of the cost of a cruise cabin paraded to the time spent in Hawaiian ports. Now, depending on how much time you're spending in Hawaii, this has the potential to cost hundreds of dollars. Now, cruise lines are pushing back, arguing that it could violate federal regulation. Now, Norwegian Cruise Line, which by the way
10:46 is the only cruise line that sails year round in Hawaii with Norwegian Cruise Lines Pride of America, has threatened legal action. Cruise industry reps say the proposed tax sets a dangerous precedent and could force cruise lines to reroute or scale back on Hawaiian itineraries altogether, which in essence could hit local economies hard. Now, I have to say I have not been to Hawaii yet, but this specific cruise is on my bucket list. Please let me know your thoughts down in the comments below. Royal Caribbean drops Labidi. Now, Labidi is one of Royal Caribbean's private destinations off the coast of Haiti. Now, over the last few months, due to safety concerns, Royal Caribbean has pulled Labatti from many itineraries through summer 2025. So, if you were
11:34 supposed to be on a Royal Caribbean cruise, that was going to be going to Labatti, which by the way has an incredibly beautiful landscape. The beaches are so beautiful as well. But if you were supposed to be going there, many of those itineraries have changed to now include Nassau or Royal Caribbean's private island. Perfect day at Coco K, a major cruise lines first adultonly sailing. Now, I really wanted to talk about this one. It is very interesting. Now, right now, we are talking about a Carnival cruise in November that was supposed to be a regular sailing. However, emails were sent out to their guests, including people that were families on board with kids, saying that that cruise has now been reclassified as a casino event
12:20 cruise 21 years of age and older. Now, the November 1st Caribbean cruise sailing is on Carnival Magic. It is open to anybody over the age of 21, so you don't necessarily have to be a casino player. But something that you should know is it really is a casino themed cruise and aimed for casino enthusiasts. Now, this adult only cruise has definitely sparked a reaction from cruisers online and on social media who, even if they aren't necessarily casino players, just got excited by the idea of an adult-only cruise. Now, of course, we do know that there are some adult-tononly cruise lines, including Virgin Voyages. But for people that are loyal to their favorite brands, this got exciting. Now, some people are speculating that if it's successful that
13:07 this may start a little bit of a new trend. So, please let me know what you think. Would you like to see some of your favorite cruise lines offering some adultonly voyages? Please let me know your thoughts down in the comments below. Now, I'm going to leave my exclusive link as well as a 60% discount code for Incogn. And I would love to hear from you as well. What are your thoughts about all of these recent cruise scams? Please let me know down in the 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. Bye for now and happy cruising.
