Couple on their 130th cruise share their top tips for cruising
3 min readEvery week, 9Travel shares a top travel tip from our readers or our writers. Have something to share? Email us at travel@nine.com.au for a chance to be featured in an upcoming story.
They’re about to get on their 130th cruise.
And Aussie couple Marty and Jessica Ansen have made headlines around the world for their devotion to a life lived mostly at sea.
They have sailed roughly 770,000 nautical miles over more than 2,300 days on ships – which is more than six years.
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The Brisbane great grandparents, who are both 77, have just headed off on Coral Princess for their tenth trip around the globe.
It is also their 52nd consecutive cruise.
By the time they get off they will have will have done more than 26 months on the ship – much more than any of the crew.
And while they’ve been to all the destinations already, there is one place they are excited to see again.
“We are happy to revisit the Scandinavian countries,” Marty said.
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And having spent so much time on cruise ships they of course have plenty of advice.
Here are their top tips.
Take a backup credit or debit card
“Replacing a lost or stolen card while overseas is not for the fainthearted,” Marty said.
Take clear copies of your passports.
Consulates find it a lot easier if you can provide a copy ready to go when you disembark, they advised.
Wear your heaviest clothing
“Jessica and I have one piece of luggage, usually under 20kg,” Marty said.
“We also each have one bag of hand luggage. Going on board, regardless of weather, I wear my heaviest clothing.”
Leave toiletries at home
“Leave consumables like shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste and any creams and potions at home as Princess provides basic toiletries and anything you do need can be bought at the first port,” Marty said.
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Check electrical connections
“Check what electrical connection is used onboard and have the right adapter ready to charge your devices,’ Marty said.
Many ships have American and European plug points, while newer ones may have USB connections too.
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Get insurance
Make sure you’re covered for cruising – and take a copy of the details, the couple said.
Bring prescriptions
As well as checking you have enough medication, you should also bring paperwork.
“As an extra precaution carry copies of scripts so that if you do run out or lose your medications it will be easier to prove what you need to overseas pharmacies or doctors,” Marty said.
Pack essentials in hand luggage
It sounds simple but some people do forget.
When you get on a cruise your checked luggage is taken to your cabin and may take a few hours to arrive.
So you’ll need to keep important items with you.
“Place all jewellery, passports, visas, medication money and credit/debit cards in your hand luggage for easy retrieval,” Marty said.
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Coral Princess left Sydney this week to sail around the world over the next 110 days, making it the longest world cruise to leave from Australia.
It takes in ports from Sri Lanka to Scandinavia, Iceland to Peru before arriving back in Sydney on August 9.
During the trip, 2,000 guests will travel over 34,000 nautical miles, stop at 47 destinations, see 32 countries, and visit six continents.
Meanwhile, Princess has just launched its newest ship, Sun Princess.
Do you have a better cruise tip? Or another travel tip you want to share with 9Travel?
Drop us an email with all your wisdom to travel@nine.com.au, and your tip could just be featured in an upcoming story on 9Travel.
