I recently got off MSC preziosa after a week long Norway cruise. My only previous experience was a week on Celebrity Equinox out of Canaveral to the Carribean. So much of what I read on line had me expecting my Preziosa experience would be mediocre at best compared to Celebrity.

In fact, I found the two to be very comparable in many ways. Neither were perfect, both had quirks and faults, but as an overall product I found the ships and experienced comparable. Celebrity had better entertainment and specialty dining options, plus their buffet was better and no table sharing at the MDR, but MSC service was far better and the Italian food at the MDR was fantastic. Given the price difference, it really was a tie for me.

So I just got off a 4 night cruise on Harmony of the Sea and I had a great time, with one annoyance. After about 9pm the only hot food available was Sorrento's pizza, two of the 4 nights we got out of a show at 10:30 or 11 and I wanted to grab something, but that was the only food available and as such the line went halfway down the promenade. Is it normal for cruise ships to not have much available late? Seems to me like if you have shows and parties and such going until midnight you should have at least a couple food options available until midnight. Am I the crazy one? Is this a RC problem? Are there other lines that have better late night options?

Just got on Regal and sat down. I have been run into 4x by scooters. They are a fucking cancer that nobody will do anything about.

Hey all

I am a single mid 40s male who has never cruised before. As I get older it is something I would like to consider. Would you say that Virgin Voyages is the best cruise liner for someone like me? I looked at their website and I must say their cabin even the one without window looks stunning! I also like that they list prices for single people wanting to book a cruise unlike many other companies that will simply make you pay for 2. The no kids and no buffet thing is also very enticing.

For those of you who have travelled with Virgin, how did you find it?

I am thinking about a Christmas cruise and saw the Regal Princess as an option. What do you think—does it seem like a reliable choice? I have sailed mostly with Royal Caribbean and tried my first Celebrity ship this summer. I am not fond of Carnival. Please share your honest views if you have traveled with them before. Thanks in advance.

For reference, I'm taking a cruise to the Bahamas out of Ft Lauderdale, with Celebrity next year. How does boarding at the port work? Is it basically like at the airport? You go through security, then wait in the gate area for your ship until a boarding group is called to get on the ship?

Or is there just a set time boarding starts, and the earlier you show up, the fewer crowds you'll have to navigate through to get on board after stepping through security?

Or is it simpler/more complex than that?

My personal rule with airports has always been to get there at least two hours early to get through security, find my gate, and have plenty of time to chill until boarding starts. So, I was wondering if this same philosophy applies to ports or if it's a different ballgame in how it generally works.

Hoping for someone who works on a boat to know the answer. How often per cruise do people get left at a port per cruise? What’s the most common routes/ports?

I think I am in a never-ending rabbit hole, yall, of trying to optimize a first time cruise. I've done all inclusive before, but never cruising.

• We're close enough to the ports that NYC, Baltimore, Philly are all very feasible departure ports.
• I'm looking at July-October 2027
• It's a celebration cruise (I'm trying to wrap up my 40th birthday, our 15th year together, 5th wedding anniversary, and I'm wrapping up a professional program.)
• I would really like to do a New England/Canada cruise, as I think it will be a little more my husband's speed.

That said, I'm just getting lost in the details now. Is there really a best time to book this (like waiting for black friday deals), or really a huge difference between cruise lines for that route? Should I actually be trying to hunt down a cruise planner (there does not seem to be any locally), or am I likely to find a golden goose of a deal an upgraded beverage/wifi/gratuity pacakge?

Am I, in fact, wildly overthinking all of this?

Hello all,

I'm going on my first Cruise in December on NCL. Going to the Caribbean and Jamaica. I'm looking forward to it, but watching some Youtube Videos (specifically Life Well Cruised), they said don't pay for Excursions via the cruise but do it via third party sites. I know of Shore excursions, but are there other sites you would recommend to look at? If paying for Excursions through the cruise line is not worth it, what are the good alternatives?

Just went on my very first cruise and generally had a great time. However, as a person living in 2026, I have become accustomed to smoke-free everything. I have never smelled as many cigarettes as I did on this Carmival ship! On deck 10 (like the whole deck?? Is this normal??) people were just sitting there making everything reek. The casino was awful. Just constant cigarette smoke. My balcony constantly smelled like cigarettes—the people next door must have been smoking out there. Is this typical? Is this just a Carnival issue? Are there cruise lines with a no smoking policy? I didn’t even think to ask the question before because I just assumed that like every other public space in 2026, the ship would be non smoking.

What will happen to the woman who was found in the water near Greece after a 20+ hour search? Who pays for that enormous search effort? I assume she will be banned from Royal Caribbean for life, but will she face any charges? Not only is there the cost of fuel, helicopters, manpower etc but also the lost revenue for the cruise line.

We are looking for the best luxury cruise experience for my parents, a 70+ yo couple.
They are looking for top notch customer service, a very clean cruise, amazing culinary experience, and entertainment on board as well. Price is not an issue. The destination either. What are your recommendations?

I am building a replica of the Ecstasy in Minecraft from when it was built. If you have any original 1991 deck plans, please send them to me.

I'd read it was bad so I stayed at the Esler Hotel right by the port to make it easier.

I got in the Uber today at 12:10 (soonest I could step away from work).

Its currently 2:10 and we are just barely getting to the u-turn to the terminals.

Well over 2 hours to get to the ship from basically across the street from the Port entrance.

I've sat in my share of traffic in some of the worst traffic cities in the world - Istanbul, Mexico City, Delhi, etc. I can safely say if has never taken me over 2 hours to go 0.5 miles (as the crow flies, 1.6 mi of road).

Walk. Always, always walk to the port here. This is truly insane.

Edit to add: Grateful for those who have added info/context in the comments. It sounds like there was at least one, if not two, quite tragic accidents this morning.

We have a 5% discount for our next cruise. We also have a 50% FCB. Can anyone explain how these credits are applied? Using an example, say you consider a 2027 cruise fare of $5,000. The FCB from past cruise is $3,000. To arrive at the net cost of 2027 cruise, how is it calculated:

A. $1,750 ($5,000-$3,000-$250)
B. $1,900 ($5,000-$3,000-$100)

The $250 credit in A calculated as 5% of $5,000, applied to 2027 cruise fare BEFORE applying FCB. The $100 credit in B calculated as 5% of $2,000 AFTER applying FCB.

Which is the proper way of applying the FCB to arrive at the correct 5% credit? Do you have anything you have seen from AMAWaterways to support proper way of calculating this? Applying these future credits can get confusing. I want to ensure we are doing it correctly.

Greetings fellow cruise lovers!

For your pleasure here is my review of my 7 night GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST CRUISE on HAL Noordam rt from Seattle 10/4-10/11

It was great! The ship itself is beautiful and just the right size for a larger cruise ship, slightly under 2000 people. I had an ocean view cabin on deck one that was in great shape extremely comfortable and I love the restroom because it included a full-size bathtub.

The main dining room menu was done well with a good variety of well prepared meals. Favorite appetizer was escargot and their French onion soup is delicious! The meals in the Lido buffet were all tasty and I like the fact that they are served to you by people who work on the buffet line and not spooned on to plates by fellow cruisers. It’s more sanitary and keeps the serving area much neater.

Favorite town was Nanaimo, BC! Just had a very chill vibe, lots of cute shops and the weather was beautiful. Favorite excursion was whale watching in the straits of Juan de Fuca in Victoria. Saw lots of whales, and some sea lions.

Very happy to report I did not get sick! I’ve been home a week and I don’t have any cough or sniffles or sore throat or anything! Last two cruises I came off, I was very ill afterwards…both were out of Florida and maybe that had something to do with it. Was fully vaxxed before cruise and hadwashes were frequent.

British Columbia is stunningly beautiful, def recommend a cruise or trip there at some point in your life!

So I’m taking my girlfriend on her first ever cruise in January, just a four nights cruise out of Miami. Going to great stirrup cay and Nassau.

I’ve been on many cruises and I’ve been to Nassau Bahamas many many times, and I know it’s kind of meh.

She on the other hand has never left the country, actually this will one be her 2nd time to Florida. (We’re in NY)

So I know I want the day at great stirrup day to be our beach and pool resort day. But I’m trying to figure out what to bring her to do in Nassau.

The excursions from NCL seem kinda lame and Atlantis doesn’t feel worth it.

Any recommendations?

We are in the process of planning an Alaska Cruise with my in-laws for 2027. We are considering going with Princess (specifically the Crown Princess ship). We were told this is an older ship, but it was recently renovated in 2025. I'm wondering if anyone has had experience with this cruise line and specifically this ship within the last year?

What were the rooms like?

How was the food?

Do I have to worry about cleanliness?

Any general advice or reasons we should stay away from Princess?

Thanks in advance!

I don't like IPA or watered down beer. I usually drink Guiness or and amber if no stout is available.

What are some.of my close options available.

Thank you.

one thing about me is when I take a cruise my favourite thing to eat is a cheese burger.

I wanna know from your opinion and experience which of these 3 cruise lines do the best burgers?

option 1: guys burger joint

option 2: Johnny rockets

option 3: MSC World america pizza and burger

I’m seeing a lot of posts on Reddit about these amazing deals from agents and cruise liners, but they are all from the US. Are there any UK websites/agents that offer the same amazing deals? If not, can us Brits book through these US agents? I’ve heard that ATOL and ABTA aren’t covered if we book through US agents- does it matter?

Hi all,

My family and I are sailing in June 2027, I was wondering if anyone has stayed at a hotel near the Port of Miami, where they will let you park your car there while you are cruising? How efficient was it and was your car safe? I am traveling with seniors so I am thinking of convenience-which would be, being dropped off the terminal together and not have to walk much. Thanks in advance.

I have been informed cash account or cc is the way to go because crazy holds and charges happen with your bank debit card. I know there are kiosks to add money but can I transfer money from my bank to the cash account? Or do I need to have cash on hand to add when I need it? ATMs?

If I purchase a bottle of liquor under in room bevs, can I make a drink in my tumbler and go to the pool, port beach ect? Is this ok to do? Thank you for any and all advice😊

October 2026
We are just completing a 10 Night Italy, Greece & Croatia Cruise on Celebrity Ascent. This is not a guided Cruise, your tour guide is an App on your phone. If this is your first time on a Cruise, there is limited ship tours for people who book weeks in advance, there is no orientation or cheat sheet, you will be left to figure it out on your own with the App.
We found this cruise to be very lonely, apart from our room attendant we had no dialogue with the rest of the crew.
The upside was that our Stateroom was very good, the food was fair and there is plenty of overpriced alcohol and bars all over the ship. The port days are what make the cruise worth while, however we did find the sea days very long. We did let guest services know we had wanted a ship tour and first time cruisers like us need help with orientation, guest services did promise a ship tour on one of the sea days but failed to deliver.
Overall our first (and likely last) cruise has been disapointing.