Almost anyone who has cruised before will tout the value of cruising when compared to land vacations.  Most cruises include your meals, entertainment, transportation (to various ports of call), and your accommodations.  Nevertheless, cruises are a big expense, so it's important to know about any expenses that aren't immediately apparent.  While the industry tends to stay pretty transparent about the costs guests may incur, if you're looking at your first cruise, there may be some expenses which, while we'd not call them "hidden," may not be clear when shopping around.

Just a day after the CDC finally provided updated guidance on the next steps to return to cruising, one of the three largest cruise companies has taken a bigger step.  In a letter to CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky, Frank Del Rio (CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings) outlines the steps the COVID-19 safety measures the company’s three lines have taken, and explains how they plan to sail from the US starting in early July.

The CDC has taken the next step in moving forward with the safe return of cruising from the US, but for some, it’s not a big enough step...

After pressure from politicians and the public came to a head over the past week, finally there are signs of potential progress on the return of cruising to from the US.  Following a call on Thursday with CDC Director Dr Rochelle Walensky and other officials, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava  seemed optimistic.  "We were very encouraged by our call today with CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Division Director Dr. Martin Cetron and the CDC team to discuss the safe return of cruising in the US."

Soon you’ll be able to again cruise the Caribbean.  After a year without cruising in the region, lines have coordinated with several island nations and gained permission to set sail from ports outside of the US as early as June 5th.  Proof of vaccination will be required for guests to sail and the cruises will feature enhanced safety measures, so we’ll review which lines will be operating, answer some common questions, and make sure you’re ready to cruise...

As many of us start to see the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel”, when it comes to cruising from the US, the situation remains quite dark.  It’s not because of what the CDC or any government agency is doing, but what they’re not doing.  The Conditional Sail Order is stalled, the CDC doesn’t know what to do next, and you can help.

Today Celebrity Cruises announced that starting in June they'll be offering seven night Caribbean cruises from St Maarten.  Sister company Royal Caribbean also announced they'll be sailing from Nassau - the first resumption of Caribbean cruising by big cruise lines, a major step forward for the industry, and a fantastic opportunity for guests to enjoy what are truly wonderful itineraries...

There is no denying that Disney is one of the greatest entertainment enterprises around.  They have theme parks, films, cruise ships, and more.  In 2022, those who love to cruise and want to get their fix of Marvel or Star Wars at sea have some exciting new options...

There’s a new mayor in Miami-Dade County, home to PortMiami, and she wants to shut cruise ships down…but in a good way.

In most ports, when ships arrive, they keep at least one of their engines running to power onboard infrastructure, from lights and computers, to plumbing systems and cooking equipment.  This practice leads to excess air-pollution, and with pre-pandemic PortMiami playing host to eight cruise ships several days a week, it adds up... 

In 1886, President Grover Cleveland signed into law the Passenger Vessel Services Act, or PVSA, and nearly 150 years later it continues to impact which itineraries you can take on a cruise vacation.  We'll look at why this law exists, and how it impacts the cruise industry....