Over the years cruise ships have become bigger and bigger - bringing attention and fanfare with every superlative.  On the news, on social media, and in ads it seems cruise lines are constantly trying to "out-build" each other.  While there is no doubt that many consumers are excited about these giant vessels, did you know that they don't represent the majority of new ships?  Let's talk about why mega-ships are so popular, and what the average new cruise ship size actually is.  

Today, cruising evokes images of leisurely tropical destinations or exploration of historical sites on another continent.  Not long ago however, traveling by passenger ship was transportation, and speed mattered.  The need to quickly cross the Atlantic, combined with a geo-political climate (including two world wars) that promoted national pride, lead to government and industry joining hands in the quest for a symbolic award: The Blue Riband...

When you think of cruising most people think about leaving from South Florida, Seattle, or perhaps a large city in Europe.  There are many other ports out of which you can cruise, and recently Carnival announced they’re greatly increasing their capacity at some of them.  We look at why this is important, and what we think it might say about the popularity of cruising as well as the economy...

Today, Celebrity Cruises announced that their captains are now able to perform same-sex marriages at sea.  This is great news - but why isn't everyone doing it?  It has to do with flags...sort of.  Let's learn a little but about about today's announcement and dig into why we don't see it happening across all cruise lines...

It’s easy to long for the way things used to be, but equally easy to miss great advancements in front of you while looking behind you.  More dining options, larger cabins, cashless cruising, and more.  We may not think about these every day, but you’d quickly long for them if you stepped (or sailed) back in time.

I was somewhat “born into cruising”, my experience coming about in the way that someone whose parents have a cabin in the mountains will always head to the hills to relax and reflect – but my relaxation had a midnight buffet and a muster drill.  I’m fortunate, and this fortune has offered me a long-term view of cruising that few are lucky enough to have.

I’m sitting now in the serine solarium aboard the Harmony of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship.  This ship is similar to some of the earliest ships I sailed, in that it floats, and the people in charge are known as “officers”.  A lot has changed...

Great memories are made on cruises.  Whether a family get-together, a honeymoon, or just a trip with friends – we all like to have photos to help preserve these memories, and most of us carry a camera around all the time (in our phones of course).  Does that leave a place for shipboard photographers or are they just an interruption at dinner and embarkation?  Let’s dig into the pros and cons of this offering and learn a bit more about it…

For decades cruise ships became more advanced and more spacious, but despite these changes, ships still looked like ships.  With Royal Caribbean’s launch of Voyager of The Seas in November of 1998 however, things started to look quite different.  With this behemoth (the largest cruise ship at the time) came the first rock wall and ice rink at sea, as well as the Royal Promenade.  The ice rink and rock wall were, and still are, impressive.  The Royal Promenade however was something truly different.  

Up until this ship, the major venues on cruise ships all had views of the sea.  Part of this was to be expected by guests – you’re on a ship after all.  Another part however was out of necessity, as the size of ships never allowed for any reasonably large venue to be located above the water line and not come up against the windows of the ship or the outdoor promenade.  The size of the Voyager of The Seas made it possible to essentially put a shopping and dining district inside of the ship in a way that to this day, makes strolling the Royal Promenade an experience which in no way reveals that passengers are on a ship rather than on land....

To cruise-lovers, there are few things as exciting as knowing a cruise is just a few days away.  Everything in the world just feels a little bit better.  What if you cancel that cruise right before though?  Sounds terrible.  I did, but this time, I'm actually pretty happy about it...