When Robert and Evie Gareb step onboard Celebrity Edge for a 4-night, Sydney to Hobart cruise on 2 November, they will be sailing their 117th voyage. They are self-confessed cruise fanatics.
The couple adore cruising and cannot wait to go on their next cruise holiday. And the bigger the ship, the better.
As you can imagine, they’ve amassed a wealth of tips and knowledge about how to get the best out of their trips.
“What is there not to like?’ Robert asks. “It’s great value for money. You unpack once and when we go on a three or four-night cruise, we treat it like our holiday home – without having to do the dishes, make the beds or take out the garbage.
“All the food and entertainment are provided. We can play trivia or do a belly flop and do every fun activity which we usually don’t do when we are on land. We can do as much activities as we want or as little as possible. My favourite is the schooner bar on many Royal Caribbean ships. I just love the shows and music onboard the ship.”
Size matters. As far as 69-year-old is concerned, the “bigger the better. I just love the big Royal Caribbean ships – Quantum of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas.
“I also love the formal nights as we enjoy dressing up. I am a big fan of the 70’s music and outfits. I even love the White Nights when we all have to dress in whites.
“I have a cruise wardrobe filled with all types of fancy jackets and a wide selection of evening shoes. We have special wardrobes for formal and informal cruise outfits.”
The Garebs have been on many cruise lines – Royal Caribbean, Princess, Celebrity, Cunard, Holland America, P&O, Carnival, Ponant and Scenic. They usually pick 3 to 12 night itineraries around Australia but have sailed in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. They have even done a transatlantic cruise.
But they have never experienced a river cruise and are planning to do a European river cruise in 2026.
Right now, they are planning to go on a cruise in Norway next year.
For the time being, they have booked and paid for 5 cruises from December to March 2025 including a 13-night Christmas cruise onboard Celebrity Edge.
Here are his top 10 tips for picking the best cruises:
- Decide on destination, dates and duration
- Look at itinerary
- Look at cruise ship deck plan
- Consider advantages of booking via an agent vs direct with cruise line
- Consider deposit and any booking fees
- Don’t wait for last minute deals – often prices go up as date gets closer, especially peak season. At the same time, sometimes there are last minute deals
- Find out if price drops will you get a credit
- If there is a group of you, look at group pricing. Many lines give discounts for 8 cabins – where one person is free ie one sixteenth or 6% discount
- Subscribe to cruise deal newsletters
- Consider guaranteed cabins instead of allocated cabins
- Travel insurance is a must, especially for overseas cruises
- Organise offshore excursions or sightseeing
- Download cruise line’s app before travel
- If overseas, make sure your passport valid 6 months from end of cruise/holiday
- Check in advance for formal or theme nights
- Book on-board activities and dining as soon as available
