It is no surprise to any cruiser just how much food and how many different food options are available on a cruise ship, but sometimes those choices may not always be exactly where you expect them. With more and more travelers becoming health conscious and following plant-based diets, it is understandable that requests for meat
Nestled on the sunny shores of the island of Hawaii, the Kailua-Kona Cruise Port is a welcoming gateway for travelers looking to explore the magic of this tropical paradise. Some smaller cruise ships dock directly at the port, while most use tender boats to bring passengers ashore. No matter how you get to the port,
For passengers booked on Allure of the Seas’ April 24, 2025, sailing whose bags aren’t fully packed just yet, Royal Caribbean is offering a chance to rethink plans, without losing money. In a message sent to guests set to sail the 7-night roundtrip Western Mediterranean cruise from Civitavecchia (Rome), the cruise line offered three ways to change
A cruise to Alaska can be a once-in-a-lifetime, bucket list vacation, but what should you pack for the journey? The cruise experience in the Last Frontier is far different than that in the Caribbean or Mexico, and guests want to be prepared to enjoy it. For some cruise passengers, while the beauty of Alaska is
Thanks to a (suit)case of mistaken identity, a recent Disney Cruise Line guest had a less-than-magical end to their voyage when their suitcase went missing during disembarkation. As many cruisers do, a recent guest of Disney Fantasy opted to use DCL’s luggage services during disembarkation. This means that she left her bags outside her cabin
A cruise can be a fantastic vacation and a great way to relax – but what about when some guests’ behavior makes it harder and harder for other travelers to find their best way to relax? While every frequent cruiser will have their own pet peeves about other passengers, one behavior stands out above all
The day before boarding a cruise ship can be an exciting and nerve-wracking one. Last-minute packing and other chores as well as traveling to the embarkation port, dropping off a pet with a sitter, and making sure one’s documentation is in order are all critical tasks in the hours before embarkation. Guests right in the
It’s official! One of the most anticipated new cruise ships of 2025 – MSC Cruises’ MSC World America – has officially entered service as of April 12, 2025, with the embarkation of her maiden voyage. But before those first paying passengers were welcomed onboard, my husband and I were invited onboard for a 3-day preview
Just two weeks after significant layoffs at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reports of illness outbreaks on cruise ships continue to be disclosed. The most recent outbreak has been aboard Viking Polaris, currently sailing an 11-night spring Canadian itinerary from Toronto to New York. The Easter sailing departed Toronto on Saturday,
Food, food, and more food – it’s a cornerstone of any cruise vacation. From all-you-can-eat buffets to fine dining restaurants to pizza, ice cream, burgers, salad bars, holiday menus, and more, no cruise passenger will ever go hungry. Or will they? Some guests on Carnival cruise ships have noticed an apparent stinginess with one popular
As one of the most popular and largest cruise lines in the world, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) offers a bevy of ships for cruisers to book — including its brand-new ship, Norwegian Aqua, which I had the pleasure of recently sailing. However, as is the case with all cruise lines, as NCL’s fleet has welcomed
Princess Cruises may be known for a few stand-out features — great service, excellent dining, etc. — but the line is not known for having ships that are particularly large. That said, there’s a big difference between cruising on Princess Cruises’ largest ships — Star Princess and Sun Princess — and cruising on its smallest ship, Coral Princess. Here’s what
