From embarkation check-in at the terminal to lunchtime at the buffet to waiting to enter a show before the evening’s entertainment, there are a lot of lines on any cruise vacation. But who wants to waste precious hours of a getaway standing in lines? Savvy cruisers have plenty of tricks to shorten those waits without
Virgin Voyages has just notified guests three days ahead of their upcoming cruise on Valiant Lady of some important itinerary changes that are taking place as a result of engine maintenance. “We have made an itinerary update to your Dominican Daze voyage, sailing on June 6, 2025,” the email notification read. This letter was sent
Cruisers Down Under planning to sail aboard Carnival Adventure in mid-2027 will need to make new plans. Carnival Cruise Line announced it is cancelling all voyages on the 108,865-gross-ton ship between May 17 and June 14, 2027. The cancellations affect six different itineraries from Sydney, including popular routes to the Great Barrier Reef, Vanuatu, and Moreton Island.
No traveler wants an emergency to interrupt their cruise vacation, and in fact, escaping from the realities of life on land can be a tremendous advantage to a cruise. Unfortunately, emergencies do sometimes happen, but how would someone at home reach out to a guest onboard a cruise ship to alert them to such a
A celebratory steel-cutting ceremony on June 4, 2025 marked the start of construction of Oceania Sonata, Oceania Cruises’ ninth ship and the first in a new class of vessel for the upmarket line. The event, at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Marghera, Italy, coincided with other big reveals by the cruise line — the names of its
It’s common knowledge that cruise lines have a legal obligation to render aid to refugees while at sea. Even if it wasn’t mandated, offering help is the moral and ethical thing to do – and could mean the difference between life and death. Under Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), which is a set of
Every cruise traveler knows the spiel from the safety briefing, that fire is the most dangerous situation onboard a ship. Guests aboard MSC Cruises’ MSC Orchestra experienced that situation firsthand on Monday night and Tuesday, June 2-3, 2025. The ship first had a very brief electrical fire, reportedly in an electrical panel in the ship’s
On April 25, 2025, the 3,560-passenger Regal Princess began an emergency dry dock due to engine failure at Damen Shiprepair in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Initially, the ship was set to disembark a 24-night sailing on April 28, but passengers on that cruise were informed back in January that the itinerary had to be shortened by
Yet another cruise ship has been brutalized by high winds, causing mooring lines to snap and a dangerous gangway collapse. The incident occurred aboard Holland America Line’s Westerdam on Friday, May 30, 2025, while the ship was visiting Ketchikan as part of a 7-night Alaska Explorer itinerary. Guests onboard the ship shared their experiences and
As Carnival Cruise Line has begun placing “Have Fun. Be Safe” guideline letters in guest staterooms to remind guests about key points of the expected code of conduct, some guests have noted a confusing restriction. The letter specifically notes that handheld fans are now prohibited in certain venues. “For safety reasons, handheld fans are not
As excitement builds for the debut of the Celebrity Xcel in November 2025, Celebrity Cruises is adding more energy to the frenzy by announcing its next President’s Cruise will take place on the new Edge Class ship. The annual specialty cruise will sail the Mediterranean from September 13 to 21, 2026, aboard the 141,420-gross-ton, 3,260-passenger Celebrity
Cruising is generally seen as a pretty affordable way to travel, where you get a lot for what you pay, but if you can still get an even better deal on your next cruise, why wouldn’t you? There are some simple — and sometimes unexpected — ways you can go about getting a good price
