We aren't always the first to cruise news, and we don't strive to cover every story.  Our effort is however to bring you objective information along with our take on why the story is important (or not).

Video: Margaritaville at Sea Paradise Maiden Voyage | Day 1 | Boarding, A Ship Show & More

Margartitavaille at Sea Paradise Cruise Ship MaidenMargaritaville has teamed up with Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line to offer the first Margaritaville resort at sea. In this video we share our experience on the first day of the maiden voyage out of Palm Beach, Florida. We talk about the...

Witness the Maiden Voyage of World’s Largest Cruise Ship: Wonder of the Seas

On March 4th the largest ship in the world, Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, will set sail with guests for the first time from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  We’ll be onboard for this maiden voyage and are excited to share this experience with you...

Watch Sail-Aways & the Arrival of the World's Largest Cruise Ship

Watch our live broadcast from just outside of Port Everglades. We started on another stream but there were some connection issues, so below, you can watch ships sailing out as we talk ship, and then finally watch the grand finale: the 239k GT, 6,988 passenger Wonder of the Seas arriving for the very first time..

CDC Lowers Warning Level, Still Leads Cruisers & Non-Cruisers Astray

This week the US Centers for Disease Control issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice (THN) for cruise ship travelers - an improvement over recent guidance.  Still, as has been the case for a long time, the CDC’s guidance lacks context in a way that may be problematic for those choosing NOT to cruise...

Evolving COVID Restrictions on Cruises? Maybe, but Temper Your Expectations

 

mask, sunscreen, covid test for cruise

Since the resumption of cruising, there has been a lot of talk about the types of rules and restrictions that have been put in place.  The nuances of these can vary by ship and sailing, but there are three main components that are semi-consistent: masks, testing, and vaccines.  As we change how we live with COVID on land, there are expectations that the rules for cruising will loosen up soon.  Will they?  Well, maybe…

New Cruise Ship Already Getting Room Updates After Guest Feedback

Usually ships go in for dry dock every few years, and while staterooms are often left largely unchanged during dry dock, this is when you're most likely to see stateroom updates.  After a lot of guest feedback however, the brand new Scarlet Lady, from Virgin Voyages, is already having some work done, resulting in some big changes in her cabins...

Is Celebrity Cruises Shoring Up Vaccination Requirements?

Since the restart of cruising in North America, Celebrity Cruises has sailed with at a minimum, 95% of guests fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  This was made all the more strict months ago when the US Virgin Islands and then The Bahamas required that for ships to dock, all persons able to be vaccinated must be vaccinated, or the vessels would be denied berthing.  Now, itinerary adjustments being sent to travel advisors suggest they're shoring up this policy.

Virgin Voyages Donates 500 Cabins to Florida Healthcare Workers

Miami-based Virgin Voyages stepped up big this Giving Tuesday to give local healthcare workers a well-deserved vacation for the holidays.  The new cruise line offered up 500 cabins on upcoming sailings to employees of Baptist Health South Florida.  Baptist, which operates multiple hospitals and other healthcare facilities in South Florida, gave every employee a chance to win, and is drawing 250 winners who will each get two staterooms so they can relax with friends and family...