On October 30th the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced they’d allow the “No Sail Order”, in place since March 2020, to expire. This means that under certain conditions, cruise ships may again be permitted to sail from the United States, so we've dug into the documents to find what type of restrictions will be in place and what the next steps are... read more
The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which has for months been extending its No Sail Order, preventing cruising from returning the US, is allowing that order to expire at the end of October, meaning they'll allow a phased approach to the resumption of cruising - but don't pack your bags yet.. read more
We've poured over deck plans and other documents, and have some inside tips on what's new when comparing Celerity Edge and Celebrity Apex. Let's go deck by deck to enjoy some photos and identify changes we know of as of late October 2020. We're sure we'll find many other changes once onboard - from furniture to stateroom features - so at the end, we'll talk about some things that we know aren't changing... read more
When someone says "formal night" everyone just knows you're talking about a cruise. Whether you look forward to donning a three piece suit, or you try as best as you can to avoid wearing shoes, you'll want to plan for whatever the more "dressed up" evenings are on your next cruise. There is no maritime law for formal night schedules - those things are usually reserved for safety concerns and how to handle emotionally distraught cruise blogger that's been on stuck on shore for months. Let's look at a few ways you can... read more
Right now there are scores of cruise ships docked and out to sea, without any guests, and just a skeleton crew to keep things in safe and working order. That doesn't mean those aboard aren't working hard, as was demonstrated Saturday off the Florida coast when the crew of Carnival Sensation sprang to action to ensure the safety of other mariners... read more
Cruise lines continue to pump out more ships to 'wow' future cruisers. This year though, with few cruises sailing, many of them have been pushed into 2021. Combined with new builds already scheduled for next year, it means that there could be a total of 44 new cruise ships ready to carry guests in the next 14 months. From new cruise lines, to vessels powered by natural gas, let’s briefly go over just some of these new ships... read more
While most cruise lines have continued their suspensions of service since mid-March this year, there are some lines that have started sailing again. These sailings have taken place primarily in Europe and the challenges and ways lines have dealt with them have varied. We’ll look at what some major lines are doing to return to service... read more
Whether you’ve cruised before or seen and heard about cruising through ads and friends, there is a good chance you’ve only really been exposed to one type of cruising: contemporary lines. These lines include Royal Caribbean International, Carnival, Norwegian, MSC, and others. They can all be great options, provide excellent entertainment, and value. There are however many other types of cruise lines out there, including premium lines – and they don’t necessarily come at a higher cost. read more
Most of us in the US haven’t traveled outside of the country in at least five months, and if you’re reading this you’re likely hoping to go somewhere in the next year. Despite US passport processing stopping for some time, now is the perfect time to renew your passport – or even apply for a new one. Let’s look at who might be impacted (there’s a good chance you are), estimated processing times, why you should act now, and more... read more
Port Everglades in Ft Lauderdale, Florida has received Broward Country's renewed approval of their 20-Year Master Plan to expand the busy cruise, cargo, and fuel port, and add some impressive new features. The $1.6 billion plan was initiated in 2014 but is updated every few years, and outlines over fifty projects to be completed at different points over the next two decades. The goal? Strategically growing the large commercial port, which among other feats, welcomed over 3.7 million cruise passengers in 2019 alone... read more