Advice for your next cruise can come from many places - even a first timer who hasn't yet embarked can discover information that can help guide us. Experience does count for quite a bit though, and few have more experience cruising than cruise ship captains. What are their favorite European ports? What tips do they have to share with other travelers? read more
We've been fielding a ton of questions about cancellations and changes relating to Hurricane Irma.
Safety is paramount, but that doesn't mean that you're not wondering your vacation's fate if you're booking in the coming days. First head over to the Hurricane Status Board where we're trying to keep track of changes. There we've also got a link to our article explaining how cruise lines safely hand hurricane season. If you still have questions, feel free to reach out on Twitter or Facebook, and stay safe.
Great memories are made on cruises. Whether a family get-together, a honeymoon, or just a trip with friends – we all like to have photos to help preserve these memories, and most of us carry a camera around all the time (in our phones of course). Does that leave a place for shipboard photographers or are they just an interruption at dinner and embarkation? Let’s dig into the pros and cons of this offering and learn a bit more about it… read more
Most weekends we do a live interactive broadcast from just outside of Port Everglades at Dr V D Mizel - Eula Johnson State Park. Occasionally however we head South to see some different ships and different scenery. If you want to watch ships as they leave PortMiami, it's not hard to get to South Pointe Park in South Beach, but watch the below video so know know exactly where to go and avoid what is sometimes a stressful parking situation... read more
Planning a cruise can be fun, but the ultimate goal is to sail, relax, and enjoy. Because part of your cruise planning will require some documentation, let's look at what you need to do in order to ensure you're able to sail if the name on your passport, birth certificate, or other documents does not match the name on your reservation... read more
This week Norwegian Cruise Lines unveiled more details about their upcoming 16th ship, the Norwegian Bliss. The Breakaway Plus class vessel will feature several superlatives, including the largest competitive racetrack at sea and open-air laser tag. Let’s dive into some of the new and unique features that will be gracing the seas around Alaska and the Caribbean, and as always, wrap it up with our take… read more
Celebrity Cruise lines announced this week that Captain Nathaly Albán will command the exclusive Celebrity Xploration through the archipelago of the Galapagos. This marks the first time in cruise history that a woman will navigate the region as captain and continues the history-making promotion of qualified women to senior officer roles in the cruise industry, including appointments by lines such as Cunard and sister-company Royal Caribbean International... read more
We all want lower cruise fares, but getting charged for odds and ends may not be very relaxing either, so some guests prefer cruising where everything they want to do or purchase is included. While all inclusive cruises are nothing new, there are more options than ever, and ways of packaging certain amenities for a flat cost, or even bundling some things in with your cruise fare on lines that aren't typically thought of as all inclusive. Let's look at what it means to be an all inclusive cruise, what some cruise lines offer, and how to budget your next cruise including things you'd otherwise pay a la carte. read more
When you’re on a cruise there is one universal truth - you can’t wait to be on another one! Cruise lines are ready to abide and offer incentives for you to book future cruises while you're onboard. Some of the programs offer greater benefits than others, but the bottom line is that if you know what you want, and you're ready to book, you can only win by using these programs. Below we compare the cost and incentives for booking on land vs onboard for several popular cruise lines... read more
Onboard credit may be completely new to you, but even if you’re a seasoned cruiser there are probably things we can shed some light on. Commonly abbreviated as “OBC” or referred to as "shipboard credit", onboard credit can be thought of as a gift card of sorts for a specific cruise - money that you can use on your cruise for any number of things, including beverages, shore excursions, retail purchases, and more. What many people don’t realize is there are actually different types of onboard credit, which can affect how you can use it. Let’s look at how you get onboard credit, what you can do with it, and what happens if you don’t use it... read more