Many would-be cruisers (and other travelers) have had their plans dashed in 2020.  Looking to make up for lost vacation time, some have hopes of rescheduling when planes are i… Read More

Celebrity Cruises has for several years has given guests the option of building drinks and other add-ons into cruise fares - most recently with Sail Your Way.  Now every sailing wi… Read More

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 certa… Read More

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which has for months been extending it's No Sail Order, preventing cruising from returning the US, is allowing that order to expire at the end of Oc… Read More

One of the most anticipated ships of the last several years was Celebrity Edge.  Edge class ships offer a totally different style, set of features, and overall feel than anything w… 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 weari… 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… Read More

Cruise lines keep pumping 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 alr… 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… 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 pri… 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 pri… 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: contempora… 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.&nbsp&hell…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 impressiv… Read More

It’s easy to see cruise lines selling ships and assume it’s simply because they need the cash – but that’s just a small part of what’s happening as ships that w… Read More

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, two of the three largest cruise companies in the world, have brought together an impressive group of cross-discipilinary exper… Read More

As we excitedly await the inaugural sailing of Scarlet Lady, Virgin Voyages’ first ship, we realized that we can get just a small taste of her unique flavor right now from home. The s… Read More

These days cruise ships come in all sizes and colors, but not long ago this wasn't the case.  To this day, when most of us see ships with dark colored hulls we think of them as more tra… Read More

On June 19th, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the industry's largest trade association, issued the below release, explaining that member cruise lines have suspended… Read More

Whether traveling together for a special occasion or just a group of friends taking a vacation together, cruise lines are great at catering to groups.  In fact, there are programs that… Read More

Celebrity Captain's Club Members (past guests) can may now receive invitations to take a short survey in exchange for "Power Up Points".  These points can in turn add to guest… Read More

With cruise lines planning to start cruising while minimizing risks associated with COVID-19, Norwegian Cruise Line has released details of their new health and safety plan. We'll go over th… Read More

Occasionally I come across something fun or amusing about cruising that isn’t about trip planning or better understanding the industry, but a voice in my head tells me it might be fun… Read More

Sometimes your cruise ship may be too large to dock at certain destinations.  When this happens, you'll likely board a tender, which is a smaller boat, and take that to shore.  In… Read More

The mayor of one of the world’s most popular cruise destinations has a plan for welcoming cruisers back to an island completely dependent on tourism.  Having been locked down sinc… Read More

New adults-only cruise line Virgin Voyages has pushed back their inaugural season once again due to COVID-19, but their offer and timelines are both quite different from most other cruise li… Read More

Long time industry veteran Rick Meadows announced today that he'll be leaving Seaborn at the end of May 2020.  This comes as his colleague, and President of sister-company Holland Ameri… Read More

Ashford, a five year veteran of premium cruise line Holland America Line, is stepping down and leaving at the end of May according to a press release on May 12, 2020.  ​This annou… Read More

While cruise lines have suspended service for a while, one of the most common questions is still about when they'll start sailing again.   To help you keep track of the every-chan… Read More

In the first of this two part series we discussed just some of the ways that the cruising experience could change after things start up again - especially in terms of planning and arriving a… Read More

Times are weird, and it's easy to become consumed by the current pandemic - but keep looking forward. Planning a vacation now for the future ahead can be a great way to de-stress. Please… Read More

COVID-19 has already changed most parts of our lives in some way.  At some point – hopefully sooner than later – we’ll start to return to a new normal.  When that… Read More

In the first part of March just about every cruise line suspended operations throughout the globe because of the global spread of COVID-19.  Now lines are putting the brakes on cruising… Read More

People of all types have a variety of career ambitions, yet only about one in fifty mariners is a woman.  Earlier this month, a team of talented women made history on the high-seas, as… Read More

In the past several days we've seen one cruise line after another suspend operations because of the coronavirus pandemic.  Today however marked the end of cruising out of the Unite… Read More

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and their brands Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Azamara, and Silversea have followed Norwegian Cruise Line's announcement, suspending cruising due to coron… Read More

One after another, various cruise lines have been suspending operation in light of the coronavirus global pandemic.  Now, NCL is the first of the "big three" cruise lines has annou… Read More

If you've canceled a cruise because of coronavirus (or if it's been canceled for you), you've likely been given a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) but it may not be clear how those work.  The… Read More

Wednesday night we reported that Viking Cruises temporarily suspended operations due to coronavirus.  The next morning, another cruise line followed suit.  Princess Cruises Sus… Read More

Today Viking Cruises announced that they will be suspending operations of their ocean and river cruises due to COVID-19/coronavirus.  They site the risk of quarantine, the spread of dis… Read More

Coronavirus is a rapidly changing story that is impacting the world in many ways.  We've got a summary in the video below, of recent government recommendations, cruise line policy chang… Read More

A few months ago Princess Cruises ran a sale called "Best Sale Ever" where many sailings included the option to bundle Wi-Fi, drinks, and gratuities with your fare - at significant savings c… Read More

With many people questioning their upcoming travel plans because of coronavirus, multiple cruise lines have begun temporarily updating their cancellation policies, allowing guests to cancel… Read More

Celebrity Cruises notified guests and travel partners of new screenings to help reduce the spread of coronavirus/COVID-19 to other guests and crewmembers.  The Health Screening Eff… Read More

Some like paying as you go, others swear by drink packages and other pre-paid amenities.  While Virgin Voyages works a bit differently, you may be able to have a few drinks (or more) wi… Read More

Wondering if you should cancel your upcoming trip because of coronavirus?  It's a question we've been asked a lot the last couple of weeks.  Here we'll offer our personal opinion o… Read More

Wondering if you should cancel your upcoming trip because of coronavirus?  It's a question we've been asked a lot the last couple of weeks.  Here we'll offer our personal opinion o… Read More

If you're as excited as we are about Scarlet Lady then you'll be happy to see we've compiled a number of the menus from restaurants on Virgin Voyages' first ship, along with descriptions, an… Read More

In January of 2020 we sailed on Brilliance of the Seas for four nights.  In this video we go deck by deck showing off a number of the public spaces and offering up our thoughts.  O… Read More

Virgin Voyages sets sail with passengers for the first time in less than two months, and they're sharing a little bit more about how you'll get things done on-board: with marine plastic.&nbs&hell…Read More

Recently, Celebrity announced in an abundance of caution related to coronavirus, they'd be canceling all remaining Celebrity Millennium sailings in Asia for this season.  This mean… Read More

This weekend (Feb 8 2020) we're doing something a little unusual and setting sail for just two nights.  We'll be departing from PortMiami on Celebrity Infinity and heading to… Read More

Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA), is a nearly 50 year old organization, which is the world's largest cruise trade industry associated.  All major cruise lines are members, along… Read More

Sometimes we cruise for the destinations, like the beautiful sights in Alaska or the clear waters of the Caribbean - other times we cruise for the onboard experiences available on … Read More

Virgin Voyages is a new cruise line from Richard Branson's Virgin Group, and of all the things they've received attention for, perhaps none have got the internet's attention as much as the f… Read More

Yesterday, Norwegian Cruise Lines sent out a letter to travel partners advising they'd deny boarding to any guest who has been to mainland China in the past thirty days.  Those guests w… Read More

Packing is an important step when preparing for your cruise, but of course all your stuff needs to actually make it onto the ship.  There are several options for this, as similar to whe… Read More

On our January 2020 Brilliance of the Seas cruise to Cozumel, Mexico, we purchased day passes to El Cozuemeleño resort.  For about $50 you get  great pool area, a beach, top… Read More

In the past week, a coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China has rightfully got the attention of many.  Certain diseases are prone to rapid infection rates, and in a world where people… Read More

There are a lot of gadgets out there – and I’ll admit, that sometimes I buy them just to play with.  A couple of experiences on recent cruises made me really see the value i… Read More

The US State Department issues advisories to inform travelers about potential risks in different places in the world.  This could be because of crime, political unrest, or other concern… Read More

Grand Cayman is a gorgeous island with a lot to offer, including the famous Seven Mile Beach.  Getting around any new town can be intimidating, but luckily, Georgetown has a p… Read More

Carnival Mardi Gras is a much anticipated ship.  Not only will she be the largest ships Carnival has ever built, but she'll have some impressive new features and concepts - some new to… Read More

If you're enjoying your cruise and want it to last just a little bit longer, we found a new (to us at least) option that let's you stay onboard in Ft Lauderdale at the end of your sailing.&n&hell…Read More

Public opinion on marijuana has evolved rapidly.  Whether for medical ailments or just for fun, use of marijuana in the United States is on the rise, and whatever one’s reason is… Read More

Since I was a kid I've found the final day of any cruise to be depressing, and while I've become better at this, I suspect it's like dividing a prime number: I'll never reach zero.  The… Read More

Grand Cayman doesn’t have a cruise terminal, requiring ships tender (take small water shuttles) from the ship.  Some see this as inconvenient, but it’s also makes for a scen… Read More

Sometimes we travel to explore and see new things, other times we travel to return to what is familiar and comfortable.  When the places that are familiar and comfortable are also beaut… Read More

Given our “relaxing” start to the day, we found ourselves alongside beautiful coastline in Costa Maya while primarily enjoying Celebrity Edge on this crowded port day. Missing:… Read More

You don’t know how a car drives until you’ve had it on the highway and in the rain.  You don’t know how a cruise ship handles crowds until you’re hanging out on… Read More

Waking up to a phone call letting you know that breakfast is on the way is a great way to start the first full day of the cruise.  What made it all the better?  Our infinite verand… Read More

Today kicked off the first day of our third cruise on Celebrity Edge.  We don’t often repeat ships so quickly, and while ship preference depends on circumstance and is highly subj… Read More

Planning a cruise is exciting, and cruising is fantastic, but all good things must come to an end.  Once your cruise is over, there are still things to think about and do to ensure that… Read More

Virgin Voyages, Richard Branson's new cruise line, continues to release enticing details of their adults-only experience.  We've learned a lot about their first ship, Scarlet Lady, whic… Read More

Most major cruise lines now have apps or mobile websites that you can access on your smartphone to view the day's schedule, book shore excursions, chat with other guests, and more.  Gen… Read More

Virgin Voyages doesn't start sailing until 2020, but that's given the brand plenty of time to tease us with details of this innovative new line.  It's no surprise that guests will have… Read More

In the corporate world change is inevitable, including in the cruise industry, which has seen incredible growth over the past several decades.  Despite that, for 31 years, Andy Stuart h… Read More

This past week we enjoyed a fantastic vacation on Celebrity Equinox.  While we relaxed however, thousands of residents of Grand Bahama and Abaco Island in the Bahamas were left homeless… Read More

On the last day of a cruise I often feel stuck - unable to commit to any plans because some part of my brain dedicates too much thought to wondering how I could just stay on the ship for one… Read More

I love sea days, and the agenda today had a few interesting things in the earlier hours, and while the day ended up being as relaxing as one could hope, there was an unexpected change in our… Read More

Guests on Celebrity Equinox (including us) were notified just before noon today that instead of visiting Nassau, Bahamas tomorrow, we'd b visiting Freeport, Bahamas, an area significantly im… Read More

Vacation often requires tuning in a balance between doing everything, and relaxing, which may mean doing nothing.  Today we continued striking what has been to me, a good balance, but i… Read More

We got an early start in St Thomas for an excursion with a view, then enjoyed perfect weather back on Celebrity Equinox, seeing talented performers in the theater, and we feel like we’… Read More

Some cruisers prefer sea days, while others prefer being in port.  Today felt like we had the best of both worlds as we enjoyed relaxing on the ship for the first half of the day until… Read More

Sea days are, to us, meant for relaxation, and that’s exactly what we did with our first full day on Celebrity Equinox.  While relaxing though, we managed to check out glass blowi… Read More

Sea days are, to us, meant for relaxation, and that’s exactly what we did with our first full day on Celebrity Equinox.  While relaxing though, we managed to check out glass blowi… Read More

As I write this, I look back 24 hours ago to putting up hurricane shutters in the pouring rain, and expecting that sea water and wind my render everything at home nothing but a big cleanup o… Read More

What are Celebrity's "Perks Packages"? Recently, Celebrity Cruises began offering several packages you can buy online before your cruise, which combine a variety of things you might be look… Read More

Last minute cruise deals are sometimes talked about like they're the secret you've missed out on which will soon have you paying less than everyone else.  This premise is incredibl… Read More

When it comes to cruising, we think that longer is better.  Recently though we enjoyed the newly refurbished Norwegian Sky for a three night sailing, and it reminded us that sometimes a… Read More

Below find changes and/or cancellations to sailings related to 2019 Atlantic hurricanes as well as current port statuses.  We'll make an effort to keep this current, but if you learn… Read More

The last day of a cruise can be kind of a bummer, but I did my best to keep my head up and enjoy, especially since we were visiting Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian Cruise Line's private island… Read More

The first full day of our three night Norwegian Sky sailing started off in Key West, Florida.  We enjoyed clear skies, and a surprisingly uncrowded city - though we ended up violating s… Read More

As announced on a recent Facebook Live video, we booked a last minute cruise on the newly refurbished Norwegian Sky.  This weekend sailing is sure to be different than our last several… Read More

This month, Olympic medalist Adam Rippon reprised his role as Grand Marshal for as Celebrity Cruises celebrates Pride Month across the brand’s fleet. Olympic medalist Adam… Read More

Guests lucky enough to enjoy the yet-released Carnival Mardi Gras can look forward to some new food and beverage options, some of them not found on any other Carnival ship.  We've been… Read More

When Virgin Voyages sets sail next year, there will be many different types of rooms Sailors can enjoy, but a select few will be in Mega RockStar Suites, and now, they have a seal of ap… Read More

Usually when we think of planning for a cruise, the thoughts are about fun, relaxation, and getting away from it all. Things happen though, and travel insurance can help take the sting out o… Read More

Today in Toronto, Virgin Voyages announced the the historic appointment of Captain Wendy Williams, and revealed new itineraries for the 2020 inaugural cruise season, replacing previousl… Read More

Last week we watched live as Celebrity Equinox sailed out of Port Everglades with her new livery, but there is much more to see than just a new hull color.  Equinox is the first Solstic… Read More