Princess Cruises is making a change to the cash back that cruisers receive when they make a payment in port using their Ocean Medallion. Princess Cruises is the only cruise line that allows guests to use their Medallion (they don’t use cruise cards) while in port at select shops and restaurants. You can read about our experience doing that here. Up until now, Princess cruisers received a 7% … [Read more...]

For years, Carnival cruisers have asked the cruise line to add a non-alcoholic beverage package for guests who do not drink. Carnival Cruise Line has finally listened and today they announced a new CHEERS! Zero Proof beverage package. CHEERS! Zero Proof will start at $29.99 per day and will give guests the following unlimited drinks: Sodas (Coca-Cola products) Juices Bottled water (still and … [Read more...]

Virgin Voyages’ newest adults-only cruise ship, Brilliant Lady, arrived in the U.S. for the first time this week when the vessel docked in New York City.Brilliant Lady arriving in New York City Brilliant Lady is the fourth and final vessel in Virgin’s first class of ships. The ship will sail its maiden voyage on September 5 from New York City, a five-night cruise to Bermuda. Four years ago, … [Read more...]

Celebrity Cruises opened priority bookings today for their new river cruise line that launches in 2027. Due to unprecedented demand, early access to Celebrity River Cruises 2027 sailings sold out in just a couple hours. Celebrity River Cruises will consist of a fleet of 10 river ships and even though priority booking access is sold out, remaining 2027 inventory will open to the general public … [Read more...]

When planning a cruise vacation, most of us focus on the fun part—incredible food, sunny excursions, and relaxing days at sea. But what about when things don’t go according to plan?After all, no one plans to get sick or have a flight canceled during the trip.  That’s where travel insurance can make all the difference. A recent cruiser shared their experience on Reddit after a sailing on Royal … [Read more...]

Royal Caribbean is making a change at all specialty restaurants on every cruise ship in their fleet. Lincoln Park Supper Club on Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship, Star of the Seas. Due to some guests reserving specialty dining times and not showing up, Royal Caribbean is going to start charging a fee for all no-shows. The cruise line said that this change will help preserve seats for those who … [Read more...]

Carnival Cruise Line’s Brand Ambassador John Heald has one of the most unique jobs on the planet.  And as a representative of the family cruise line, he tackles some odd questions from time to time.He also has to straighten out some false information on what seems like a regular basis. After the long three-day weekend, Heald took to Facebook to respond to a “Free donut” hoax that had been … [Read more...]

A couple weeks ago, Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas has made its debut in Florida. Tied for the largest cruise ship ever built, the ship is now sailing week-long cruises to the Caribbean from Port Canaveral.With four months left in the year, there’s another five ocean ships debuting from mainstream cruise lines. Here’s a look at these new cruise ships and where they will be sailing to and … [Read more...]

Viking took delivery of their newest river ship, Viking Gyda, during a ceremony in Viana do Castello, Portugal. Viking’s custom built river ships for the Douro River. Viking Gyda is the cruise line’s newest ship that will sail on the Douro River in Portugal. The vessel was built at the West Sea shipyard in Viana do Castello. The ship will join sister ships Viking Helgrim, Viking Hemming, Viking … [Read more...]

A number of cruise lines are offering special deals for Labor Day Weekend 2025 that include Carnival’s biggest bundle deal ever.Four cruise ships in Nassau, Bahamas. Photo Credit: Cruise Fever Here is a look at what each cruise line is offering for Labor Day so you can save money when booking your next cruise vacation. 2025 Labor Day Cruise Deals Norwegian Cruise Line – NCL is offering 50% off all … [Read more...]

A small fire on the second largest cruise ship in the P&O Cruises fleet was quickly extinguished by the crew, with no injuries reported.The incident which occurred on the 5,200-passenger (double capacity) vessel Iona, appears to have been an oil fire in a galley on Deck 5.  The fire caused a temporary disruption but did not require an evacuation of passengers. Social media reports state … [Read more...]

Carnival Cruise Line has made an age change for the adults-only Calypso Lagoon at their new private port in The Bahamas, Celebration Key. Staring on September 6, 2025, Calypso Lagoon will be for any guests who are 13 years and older. This is a change from being truly adults-only (18+) when the area opened in July. For guests who had an excursion or experience booked at Calypso Lagoon, they … [Read more...]

Royal Caribbean’s next new cruise ship, Legend of the Seas, touched water and floated for the first time today at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland. Legend of the Seas will be the 3rd Icon class ship, the largest class of cruise ships in the world at close to 250,000 gross tons. The ship is currently scheduled to debut in August 2026. The float-out marks a significant construction milestone for … [Read more...]

CLIA, Cruise Lines International Association, has filed a lawsuit against the State of Hawaii due to the new ‘Green Tax’ that is scheduled to be implemented next year. The fee will extend Hawaii’s 11% transient accommodations tax to cruise ships. CLIA said that the tax being added to cruise ships is unconstitutional and filed a lawsuit yesterday. The lawsuit can be read in full here. The law also … [Read more...]

Nobody likes traffic. It’s universally annoying, and it’s especially frustrating when it’s getting in the way of your cruise vacation.At a recent Port Canaveral Board of Commissioners meeting, this topic was front and center, with a commissioner stating that the traffic situation is “almost like the elephant in the room here that we kind of gloss over.” Star of the Seas departs from Port Canaveral … [Read more...]

For Labor Day weekend, Carnival Cruise Line has launched their biggest bundle deal ever that is good on select cruises that are three days and longer. From now through September 2, 2025, Carnival’s Bundle & Save sale not only includes $400 in onboard credit to spend on your cruise, but also discounts on everything from beverage packages to WiFi to shore excursions. This special deal from … [Read more...]

Even though Carnival Cruise Line is a family cruise line, they are starting to offer from time to time special adults-only (21+) cruises. The very first of these adults-only SEA (Sailings Exclusively for Adults) cruises is sailing right now on Carnival Conquest, a 10-night cruise to the Southern Caribbean. Carnival has more planned in the future from January through March 2026 from Miami, Port … [Read more...]

Carnival Cruise Line continues to roll out their ship deployments for 2027 and today, they announced new sailings on Carnival Firenze including three unique voyages to South America. Besides the three cruises to South America, Carnival Firenze will homeport in Miami for 10 sailings to the Caribbean. They are part of Carnival’s plans to reposition the ship to the East Coast. Cruises to South … [Read more...]

Norwegian Aqua, Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, completed her first cruise from her new homeport in New York City. Norwegian Aqua is sailing a series of cruises from New York City to Bermuda though October 2025. The cruises will range from five- to seven-nights in length. The cruise ship features the longest and fastest slides at sea and the world’s first Aqua Slidecoaster. It also has an … [Read more...]

An alarm was triggered on Disney Wish last night as life preservers were thrown into the water, and the ship circled back around.Passengers were on high alert after a “man overboard” alarm sounded, prompting a swift search and rescue operation. The incident, which happened about one hour after the ship left Nassau, Bahamas, and was on its way to Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, was … [Read more...]

Royal Caribbean issued a deployment schedule change for two of their cruise ships starting in May 2026. For cruises starting in May 2026, Grandeur of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas will be swapping their deployment schedules. Guests who were booked on Grandeur of the Seas will have the same itinerary but will now sail on Jewel of the Seas. Likewise, guests who were booked on Jewel of the Seas … [Read more...]

Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship, Star of the Seas, debuted 10 days ago at Port Canaveral. The cruise ship is on its second to last short cruise before starting week-long cruises to the Caribbean and The Bahamas. Today, while the ship was at sea sailing back to Port Canaveral, one of the tempered glass walls up on deck 15 suddenly shattered. Asphalt Mafia, an account on TikTok, posted the … [Read more...]

Very few people have ever been to the North Pole, and for good reason.  For centuries, reaching this extremely remote point on Earth was a life-or-death struggle against ridiculous cold and shifting ice.Today, this incredible destination is accessible to travelers who want to explore something different. New cruise offerings from Ponant Explorations have just opened up, and it won’t require a … [Read more...]

Next week, Virgin Voyages’ newest adults only cruise ship, Brilliant Lady, will finally make her long awaited debut. Brilliant Lady is the fourth ship in Virgin’s fleet and will be a sister ship to Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady and Resilient Lady. Even though they are sister ships, Virgin has made four key changes to the vessel to improve the experience for guests on board. Here is a look at those … [Read more...]

Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, the fourth largest cruise ship in the world, has moved to the Cruise Capital of the World, PortMiami. Wonder of the Seas will depart today from Miami on a four-night cruise to The Bahamas. The ship arrived in Miami this morning after repositioning from Port Canaveral. The cruise ship will offer short cruises for the first time ever by sailing three-day … [Read more...]

Celebrity Cruises has named the acclaimed Brazilian chef Janaína Torres as the godmother of its newest ship, Celebrity Xcel. Celebrity Xcel is the next new ship from Celebrity Cruises that will debut in November 2025. Torres, who was recently honored as the Best Female Chef in the World 2024 by World’s 50 Best, is the first Brazilian chef to be appointed to this role for a major cruise … [Read more...]

A major technical failure aboard MSC World Europa left the cruise ship adrift for hours before its propulsion system was “partially restored,” allowing it to limp into Naples on Monday. The ship, which has a max capacity of 6,762 passengers, experienced the breakdown off the coast of Ponza.  The incident prompted a swift emergency response from the Italian Coast Guard. The Breakdown According … [Read more...]

Holland America Line is recycling carpet from their cruise ships and turning it into souvenir coasters that you can buy while on a cruise. The cruise line partnered with the Danish carpet manufacturer Dansk Wilton for the coaster. They are the first recycled carpet product ever offered for sale in the cruise industry. The company has made 12,000 coasters from the carpet on three Holland America … [Read more...]

Disney Cruise Line is rolling out their 2026-2027 itineraries and they are adding more cruises from Texas and California. Early bookings for these new cruises will open on August 25, 2025 for Disney Cruise Line Castaway members and to the general public on September 2, 2025. Cruises From Texas Disney Magic will sail from Galveston, Texas on a variety of four-, five- and seven-night cruises to the … [Read more...]

The debate about cruising during hurricane season comes up every—well, hurricane season.  For some travelers, especially first-time cruisers, the idea of a hurricane interrupting their plans can be very stressful.While I completely understand why it would add stress to the planning process, for me, a major storm is not just something I don’t worry about; it’s something I tend to … [Read more...]