Do Your Research – We think it is super important to spend time researching the places you are going to visit. This is for two reasons: 1) it will help you decide how you want to spend your precious time there, and 2) it is part of the process of learning about the places you are going to visit. What’s the point of traveling the world unless you learn something about your destinations? Do your homework, you will not regret it.

Don’t be Afraid to Use Tour Operators Other Than Princess – Do as many private tours as you can. Period. They are often not much more expensive than Princess tours and the experience will be so much better. Moreover, not only will you have a personalized experience, you’ll avoid being herded around in a group of 50, often unable to hear the guide, on a massive bus. Private or small group tours are less crowded, can often get into spaces or places that big buses can’t, and always have a guide that you can hear and interact with. However, you’ve got to be smart about it.

1) Read the reviews (as opposed to Princess, which provides no reviews) to help you find reputable tour operators; 2) be sure to allow plenty of time to get back to port. Don’t pick an excursion that takes you 2 hours away from port, with only 30 minutes of leeway before your all aboard. The rule of thumb that we use: for every hour away from port that you go, that is the same amount of time prior to your “all aboard” that your tour should be done. For instance, let’s say your all aboard is 4:30p. If your tour is going 1.5 hours away from port, then it needs to be done by 3:00p. Another example: if the tour you want to take starts at 8am, is 7 hours long, and is 2 hours away from port, then your all aboard needs to be 5pm or later. Give yourself time in case of the unexpected.

Tour By Locals – I can’t say enough about how great the Tours by Locals guides are. They were our absolute favorite excursion provider. We often organized a small group to participate, reducing our per person cost. And when our itinerary got blown up, their customer service was easy to deal with to rearrange and cancel dates. They offer “any reason” cancellation insurance for a small fee, and if you don’t use it, they refund the insurance cost to you in the form of a credit for a future tour booking. Sweet! www.toursbylocals.com

Viator – Viator would be a runner-up in the category of best excursion provider. Their website and app are very easy to use, they have a generous cancellation policy and you can place your tickets in your Apple Wallet. www.viator.com

Resort For a Day – We learned of this app late in our trip so only got to use it once. However, we thought it worked especially well and could be a real opportunity to visit a nice resort, at a reasonable price, especially if your port has beautiful beaches. Sometimes Princess offers a beach excursion, but often they are crowded and the amenities are lacking. Be sure to leave plenty of time to get back to port on time. www.resortfortheday.com

Paper Tickets are NEVER Needed – We were told by several of the tour companies to bring paper copies of their tickets. But we were never asked to show them, not even once. So, besides the fact that those paper copies weighed a couple pounds, it was wasteful to use all of that paper. Instead, make sure you have a copy of the ticket in an app that you can access with your smart phone. We use Evernote but there are plenty of others. That way if you ever had to produce a ticket/booking number or bar code, you could access it on your phone.

Lots of Cold and Cough Medicine – This may be the best advice I received from the ’23 World Cruise – whatever cold and cough you think you will need, double it. And they were right! We brought 2 bags of cough drops, 2 large Nyquil bottles and 2 boxes of chest/nasal congestion and we used practically all of it, partly because we shared with others that were in distress. These are hard items to get in other countries.

Bring Your Own Toiletries – 4 months is a long time to use the ship’s products. If you’ve got favorite soap, hair products and lotion, bring them. You’ll appreciate having that small luxury.

Magnetic Night Lights – We bought magnetic, motion-detection night lights that we used by the closet and in the bathroom. They provide a soft ambient light at night when you’re headed to the toilet, and turn off once you are back in bed. They are rechargeable so you don’t need to bring batteries. We bought them on Amazon.

Buy at the City of Embarkation – If you are flying to your port of embarkation, this is the best tip we can provide you. Bring a couple of collapsible duffle bags with you and go to Target or Walmart the day before you get on the ship to buy your toiletries, etc. We went to Target in LA before we got on the ship and bought toiletries, a fan, a scale, protein bars and all of our meds, saving valuable weight and space in our suitcases (see blog post dated Jan 17, 2024).

Get Involved – I can’t emphasize how important it is to get involved with activities. That’s how you’ll meet people. Whether it’s helping with Crew Bags, or joining a hobby group, or playing cards/mahjong/bridge or dominos, you’ll quickly find your people and feel at home.

Go With the Flow – This may be the most important tip we can give. When you take on a voyage that lasts over 100 days, *NEWS FLASH*, there will be things that happen that you were not expecting! There will be changes to the itinerary. There will be disappointments. Get over it! And do so absolutely as quickly as you can, because, guess what? You’re still going around the world! Please keep your woes in perspective and maintain a glass-half-full mentality. We promise you; you’ll have a great trip.

Marshall and I wish you a magical journey, just like ours. Cheers and bon voyage!