The best thing about today is that it was a sea day, and I love being able to just relax and explore the ship if I want. The worst part is that it was the last day of our Meraviglia cruise, but I tried not to let that weigh on me as I lounged, while also finding some places on the ship I'd not yet noticed read more
Our one and only port of call on this three night cruise is to MSC's private island in The Bahamas. The major cruise lines all have these types of destinations, but because this property was only recently developed, I was excited to see how it compares to others. read more
Today we boarded MSC Meraviglia for a three night cruise to their private destination, Ocean Cay. It's a trip of firsts, which we'll discuss, and we're excited to experience and share it all. Because this is a three night cruise though, I'm going to keep the live blog short, but will cover more details in the days after our cruise. read more
In an announcement leading to changes at many cruise lines, the Bahamian Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis signed an emergency powers order that prohibits cruise ships from entering Bahamian ports unless all persons 12 and older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. read more
In This Episode: Embarkation delays for some cruisers, multiple COVID cases on Carnival Vista, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings granted injunction to sail 100% vaccinated, surprising stats about new ships in 2021...
The first (and only) full day of our cruise started with docking at Coco Cay. Because this was my first visit to Royal Caribbean's private destination, I wanted to see it all. Starting with complimentary in-room breakfast was a good way to save time and not oversleep so we could have a perfect day. Of course we had plenty to do both on and off the island... read more
Today we boarded Mariner of the Seas for a two night simulated voyage from Port Canaveral. We were fortunate to be one of the few invited, and we mean few. With only around 515 guests on the 4,000 passenger ship it's wonderful to be onboard, and a bit like having the ship to ourselves. read more
Cruising is often a fantastic value for couples and families. Usually, if you're looking to cruise alone though, you'll find that you have to pay up to twice the base fare. Right now however, there are some very compelling single rates on multiple cruise lines...
Sunday evening a US District judge granted a preliminary injunction to stop Florida's so called "vaccine passport ban". The Florida law, until now, prohibited businesses (including cruise lines) from denying service to customers if they couldn't provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Businesses violating the law were subject to a $5,000 fine per instance. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, originally filed a suit on the matter in July of this year. read more
Royal Caribbean is bringing more and more ships back into service. Before each ship can sail with paying guests, they complete what the CDC calls a Simulated Voyage with volunteers, where the line demonstrates proper protocols can be followed onboard. We got an surprise in our inbox recently, as we’ve been invited to sail the Simulated Voyage for Mariner of the Seas this week... read more