11 OVERHYPED Cruise Items to STOP Buying — Transcript

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1. 0:00There are thousands of products out
2. 0:01there being marketed as cruise
3. 0:03essentials. And the companies selling
4. 0:04them have figured out that convincing
5. 0:05people they need something is often
6. 0:07easier than convincing them it's
7. 0:09actually worth buying. Now, after more
8. 0:11than 50 cruises in the past 2 and 1/2
9. 0:13years, I've learned that many of these
10. 0:15products promise to make your vacation
11. 0:16easier and more enjoyable. But they end
12. 0:19up being overpriced, unnecessary, or
13. 0:21nowhere near as useful as advertised. So
14. 0:24today I'm sharing 12 of the most
15. 0:26overhyped cruise products you should
16. 0:28stop wasting your money on, including a
17. 0:30few that might surprise you. And along
18. 0:32the way, I'll share some smarter
19. 0:34alternatives that'll help you get more
20. 0:36out of your next cruise while saving you
21. 0:37some money in the process. Oh, and if we
22. 0:39haven't met yet, I'm Evan from Family at
23. 0:41Sea. If this is your first time watching
24. 0:44my channel, I'm glad you're here. And if
25. 0:46you've been here a while, you already
26. 0:48know how much I appreciate you. If
27. 0:50you're ready, I am. Let's go.
28. 0:56Vacuum compression bags have become
29. 0:57increasingly popular on social media,
30. 0:59and I understand why. Being able to
31. 1:01squeeze more clothes into the same
32. 1:03suitcase sounds great, especially when
33. 1:06you're packing for a week-l long cruise.
34. 1:08But the problem is most airlines have a
35. 1:1050 lb weight limit for checked luggage,
36. 1:12and vacuum sealing your clothes doesn't
37. 1:14make them weigh any less. So, while you
38. 1:16might end up saving space, you may very
39. 1:18well end up paying overweight baggage
40. 1:20fees because, well, you packed more than
41. 1:22you normally would. And then you have to
42. 1:24factor in the added space and weight
43. 1:26taken by the bags and pump itself, which
44. 1:28eats into some of the space you're
45. 1:30supposedly saving. And if that pump
46. 1:32breaks during your cruise, good luck
47. 1:34getting everything back into your
48. 1:35suitcase for the flight home. Instead, I
49. 1:37highly recommend investing in a good set
50. 1:39of compression packing cubes. They've
51. 1:41been one of the biggest game changers
52. 1:43for me when it comes to packing for
53. 1:44cruises, allowing me to fit more into my
54. 1:46luggage while making unpacking a breeze.
55. 1:49I see so many cruise packing lists
56. 1:51recommending that you bring a refillable
57. 1:54water bottle. And I just don't
58. 1:55understand why. You're going on a cruise
59. 1:57ship where water is available pretty
60. 1:59much everywhere all day long for free.
61. 2:01You can grab a glass at the buffet, stop
62. 2:03by one of the drink stations, or get
63. 2:05water from any bar or at any meal. So,
64. 2:08why would I want to take up valuable
65. 2:09luggage space with a bulky water bottle
66. 2:11that I'm going to have to carry around
67. 2:12the ship and wash every day? One of the
68. 2:15best parts about cruising is having
69. 2:17everything you need within easy reach.
70. 2:19That includes something as simple as a
71. 2:21glass of water. So, save the space in
72. 2:23your luggage for something you'll
73. 2:25actually need. Somewhere along the way,
74. 2:27people got convinced that they need to
75. 2:28spend $400 or $500 or even more on a
76. 2:32single suitcase just to go on vacation.
77. 2:35And I don't understand it. Look, I'm all
78. 2:37for buying quality luggage that's going
79. 2:39to hold up over time, especially if you
80. 2:41travel frequently. But there's a big
81. 2:43difference between paying for quality
82. 2:45and paying a premium just because a
83. 2:47suitcase has a trendy logo on it. Your
84. 2:50luggage is going to get tossed around by
85. 2:51airline baggage handlers, loaded onto
86. 2:53trucks, and stacked with thousands of
87. 2:56other bags before it makes it to your
88. 2:58cabin. And guess what? That $500
89. 3:00suitcase isn't going to get treated any
90. 3:02better than the $100 one sitting next to
91. 3:04it. And that's why I refuse to spend a
92. 3:06fortune on luggage when there are plenty
93. 3:08of great options out there that cost a
94. 3:10whole lot less. Of course, finding those
95. 3:12options can take some trial and error,
96. 3:15and I've certainly gone through my share
97. 3:16of suitcases over the years. This is the
98. 3:19Level 8 Voyager 20in carry-on, and it's
99. 3:22become one of my favorite bags for
100. 3:24shorter cruises or when I don't want to
101. 3:26check luggage. And what makes this bag
102. 3:28different is the wide handle design,
103. 3:30which gives you a flatter, more usable
104. 3:32packing area inside. And with 43 liters
105. 3:35of capacity, there's a surprising amount
106. 3:37of room for a carry-on, especially when
107. 3:40you use compression packing cubes like I
108. 3:43do. And the wheels are smooth and quiet,
109. 3:46which makes a big difference when you're
110. 3:47navigating crowded airports, cruise
111. 3:49terminals, and those long walks down the
112. 3:51pier. And for longer cruises, when I
113. 3:53need more packing space, there's also
114. 3:56the 26-in checked version of the same
115. 3:58bag. It has the same wide handle design
116. 4:02and smooth rolling wheels, but with
117. 4:04considerably more room for extra
118. 4:05clothes, shoes, and everything else I
119. 4:07need for a longer trip. Both bags
120. 4:09feature a durable polycarbonate shell
121. 4:12with a textured finish that resists
122. 4:14scratches and scuffs. And inside, you've
123. 4:17got spacious compartments and a built-in
124. 4:19compression system to help keep
125. 4:21everything organized. I've used more
126. 4:23expensive luggage from bigger name
127. 4:25brands, but I really appreciate how
128. 4:26Level 8 focuses on the features that
129. 4:28actually matter when you're traveling at
130. 4:30a price that makes sense. So, if you're
131. 4:32interested in checking these out, I'll
132. 4:34put links below or you can use the QR
133. 4:36code above where you can grab them on
134. 4:38Amazon. Or you can order directly
135. 4:40through Level 8's website and use the
136. 4:43code on the screen to get an extra 20%
137. 4:46off through December 3rd. You've
138. 4:48probably seen those giant plastic towel
139. 4:50clips shaped like flamingos, pineapples,
140. 4:52or whatever else people are clipping to
141. 4:54their lounge chairs these days. And
142. 4:56while I understand wanting to keep your
143. 4:58towel from blowing away when you're
144. 4:59relaxing by the pool, those things take
145. 5:01up way more room in your luggage than
146. 5:03they deserve. Especially when you
147. 5:05consider that a simple set of elastic
148. 5:07towel bands accomplishes the same exact
149. 5:09thing while taking up almost no space.
150. 5:11If you already own those giant clips and
151. 5:13love them, I'm not suggesting you throw
152. 5:15them away. But if you're shopping for
153. 5:16your next cruise, there's really no
154. 5:18reason to spend money on something
155. 5:20that's going to take up valuable luggage
156. 5:22space when a much smaller alternative
157. 5:24works just as well and weighs less, too.
158. 5:27Another product I keep seeing
159. 5:28recommended as a cruise essential are
160. 5:30those little batterypowered motion
161. 5:32activated nightlights that you stick on
162. 5:34the walls of your cabin. The idea is
163. 5:36that they're going to help you find your
164. 5:38way to the bathroom in the middle of the
165. 5:39night without waking up everyone else.
166. 5:42While that sounds useful, many newer
167. 5:44ships already have built-in night
168. 5:46lighting, especially around the bathroom
169. 5:48and along the floor near the bed. And
170. 5:50even on older ships, you can usually
171. 5:52accomplish the same thing by leaving the
172. 5:54bathroom light on and closing the door
173. 5:56almost all the way. Now, if you're
174. 5:58staying in an interior cabin that's
175. 6:00completely dark at night, I can see
176. 6:01where one of these might come in handy,
177. 6:02but for most cruisers, it's another
178. 6:04gadget you can, well, leave at home.
179. 6:06Another cruise essential that I see
180. 6:08recommended all the time are those
181. 6:10collapsible mesh laundry baskets that
182. 6:12you can set up in your cabin to collect
183. 6:14dirty clothes throughout your cruise.
184. 6:16And while I understand the appeal of
185. 6:18keeping your dirty laundry separate from
186. 6:20your clean clothes, cruise cabins are
187. 6:22already pretty tight on space and the
188. 6:24last thing I want is a laundry basket
189. 6:27taking up valuable floor space. I found
190. 6:29it much easier to designate one of the
191. 6:30drawers in my cabin for dirty clothes or
192. 6:32just use an empty suitcase or packing
193. 6:34cube as the laundry starts piling up
194. 6:37because all of those options accomplish
195. 6:39the same exact thing without having to
196. 6:41buy packer. Find room for yet another
197. 6:43accessory that you really don't need.
198. 6:45Another product that's become incredibly
199. 6:47popular with cruisers are those little
200. 6:49portable fans that you can clip onto
201. 6:51your nightstander attached to the wall
202. 6:53of your cabin. And while I understand
203. 6:54that some people like having a fan
204. 6:56blowing on them while they sleep, most
205. 6:58cruise cabins have pretty effective air
206. 7:01conditioning. And I've rarely had an
207. 7:02issue keeping mine comfortable. Plus,
208. 7:04those fans take up valuable luggage
209. 7:06space. And depending on the model, you
210. 7:08might have to find somewhere to plug
211. 7:09them in or deal with a battery that
212. 7:11doesn't last through the night. If
213. 7:13you're someone who absolutely needs a
214. 7:14fan to sleep comfortably, I get it. But
215. 7:17for everyone else, I'd save my money. If
216. 7:19you're worried about having enough
217. 7:20hangers in your cruise cabin, you might
218. 7:22be tempted to buy a set of those folding
219. 7:25travel hangers that keep showing up on
220. 7:27cruise packing lists. But something a
221. 7:28lot of first-time cruisers don't realize
222. 7:30is that if you need more hangers, all
223. 7:32you have to do is ask your room steward
224. 7:34and they'll be happy to bring you more.
225. 7:36So, there's really no reason to spend
226. 7:38money on a set of folding hangers that's
227. 7:40just going to take up more space in your
228. 7:42luggage. Over the door shoe organizers
229. 7:44have somehow become one of the most
230. 7:46recommended cruise cabin accessories
231. 7:48with people using them to store
232. 7:50everything from toiletries to sunscreen
233. 7:52and other random odds and ends. But
234. 7:54after staying in more than 50 different
235. 7:55cruise cabins, aside from my journeys on
236. 7:58Virgin Voyages, I've rarely found myself
237. 8:00wishing I had more storage space. Most
238. 8:02cabins already have plenty of drawers,
239. 8:04shelves, and closet space. So, I really
240. 8:06don't understand the need to hang a
241. 8:08giant organizer covered in pockets on
242. 8:10the back of your bathroom door. And
243. 8:12frankly, I think having all that stuff
244. 8:14hanging out in the open just makes an
245. 8:16already small cabin feel more cluttered.
246. 8:18And if you really need to add more
247. 8:20space, magnetic wall hooks are something
248. 8:22that actually makes a difference without
249. 8:24taking a bunch of space in your luggage.
250. 8:26You know those little plastic cup
251. 8:28holders that clip onto the side of a
252. 8:30lounge chair so you have somewhere to
253. 8:31put your drink while you're relaxing by
254. 8:33the pool? Well, apparently people are
255. 8:35buying these specifically to bring on
256. 8:37cruises, and I've got to wonder why.
257. 8:39Most cruise ships already have tables
258. 8:41scattered around their pool decks or
259. 8:43somewhere convenient to set your drink.
260. 8:45Depending on the design of the chair,
261. 8:46those clip-on holders might not even fit
262. 8:48properly, leaving you with another piece
263. 8:50of plastic taking up space in your
264. 8:52suitcase. I'd rather use the tables that
265. 8:55are already there than spend money
266. 8:56bringing my own cup holder on vacation.
267. 8:59And while we're on the subject of
268. 9:00unnecessary cup holders, apparently
269. 9:03carrying your own drink around the
270. 9:04cruise ship has become such a burden
271. 9:07that someone decided we need a special
272. 9:09sling to hang around our necks. And
273. 9:11these are basically straps designed to
274. 9:13hold those large souvenir cups you get
275. 9:15with certain cruise line beverage
276. 9:17packages so you can carry them around
277. 9:19hands-free. And while that might sound
278. 9:21convenient, those cups can be pretty
279. 9:23heavy when they're full. Having one
280. 9:25swinging around your neck or shoulder
281. 9:27while you're walking around the ship
282. 9:28isn't particularly comfortable. Plus,
283. 9:30you've now got another accessory to pack
284. 9:33just to carry around something you could
285. 9:35have easily held in your hand. And one
286. 9:37more for y'all. If you're planning a
287. 9:39Mediterranean cruise, you've probably
288. 9:41heard plenty of warnings about
289. 9:42pickpockets in places like Barcelona,
290. 9:44Rome, and Naples. in companies selling
291. 9:47RFID blocking wallets and passport
292. 9:49holders have found a way to capitalize
293. 9:51on those concerns by convincing
294. 9:53travelers that criminals can steal their
295. 9:55personal information just by walking
296. 9:57past them with a scanner. And while that
297. 9:59might be technically true, what they
298. 10:01don't tell you is how incredibly rare
299. 10:03that type of electronic theft is and
300. 10:06that modern credit cards have built-in
301. 10:08security protections and US passports
302. 10:10already have shielding to protect their
303. 10:12electronic chips. So, if we're honest,
304. 10:14when you're exploring a crowded
305. 10:16cruiseport, your much bigger concern
306. 10:18should be someone physically stealing
307. 10:20your wallet or bag. So, save your money
308. 10:22on the fancy RFID blocking accessories
309. 10:25and focus on keeping your belongings
310. 10:27secure while you're ashore. And
311. 10:29hopefully after watching this video,
312. 10:30you'll think twice before spending money
313. 10:32on a lot of these so-called cruise
314. 10:34essentials that everyone insists you
315. 10:37need. There are also some things that
316. 10:39are absolutely worth spending a little
317. 10:41extra on that can make a huge difference
318. 10:43in your cruise experience. So, don't
319. 10:45stop here. Watch that one next before
320. 10:47you spend hundreds of dollars on
321. 10:48upgrades that leave you wondering why
322. 10:50you bothered in the first place. I'll
323. 10:52see you over there. If you're ready, I
324. 10:55am. Let's go.