I get a lot of questions about taking a first cruise, so this time I wanted to turn the conversation back around a bit - people other than me have great cruise tips too.  A week or so ago I reached out on social media and asked Reddit users on r/cruise the following question:

What do you wish you knew before you took your first cruise?

Having a vacation ahead of you is a great feeling.  You've chosen your cruise and you're happy with what you're getting for your money, but what happens when the price of your cruise drops after you've already booked?  Let's look into what your options are so you can make sure you're getting the best deal possible...

Gratuities, service charges, or tips – no matter what you call them it’s hard to know what is appropriate and how to pay – especially on cruises.  Cruise lines have long had crew members who work long and hard hours, thousands of miles from family to make your vacation a great one.  Many of these hard working, dedicated people are compensated primarily with gratuities. 

The most important part of any cruise is actually being able to sail on it.  Let's have a look at the requirements that the US has for citizens traveling onboard a cruise ship, as there is a lot of confusing information out there.  While the short answer is, no, you don't need a passport to take most cruises out out of a US port, there are exceptions as well as some really important reasons to have a passport even if you don't otherwise need it, and even some things to keep in mind if you already have a passport...

Among the most common reasons people give for not taking a cruise vacation is seasickness.  While it's true that you're on a moving ship, it's nothing like going on your friend's fishing boat: the movements are slow and much less pronounced.  On newer ships you often don't even feel like they're moving.  Let's look into why seasickness is rarely an issue and what you can do - from picking the right cabin, to wearing Sea-Bands - so you're prepared just in case you feel a bit too much motion in the ocean...

It's not too likely that many people talk to a travel agent about visiting Alaska and leave convinced that instead, they want to take a cruise...to the Caribbean.  For that reason, instead of talking about destinations right out of the gate, I want to cover the question of which cruise line to try out.  I so often see the question, "What is the best cruise line?"  Well today I will share with you the answer to that question...