We aren't always the first to cruise news, and we don't strive to cover every story. Our effort is however to bring you objective information along with our take on why the story is important (or not).
On March 4th the largest ship in the world, Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas, will set sail with guests for the first time from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We’ll be onboard for this maiden voyage and are excited to share this experience with you... read more
Watch our live broadcast from just outside of Port Everglades. We started on another stream but there were some connection issues, so below, you can watch ships sailing out as we talk ship, and then finally watch the grand finale: the 239k GT, 6,988 passenger Wonder of the Seas arriving for the very first time.. read more
This week the US Centers for Disease Control issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice (THN) for cruise ship travelers - an improvement over recent guidance. Still, as has been the case for a long time, the CDC’s guidance lacks context in a way that may be problematic for those choosing NOT to cruise... read more
Since the resumption of cruising, there has been a lot of talk about the types of rules and restrictions that have been put in place. The nuances of these can vary by ship and sailing, but there are three main components that are semi-consistent: masks, testing, and vaccines. As we change how we live with COVID on land, there are expectations that the rules for cruising will loosen up soon. Will they? Well, maybe… read more
Usually ships go in for dry dock every few years, and while staterooms are often left largely unchanged during dry dock, this is when you're most likely to see stateroom updates. After a lot of guest feedback however, the brand new Scarlet Lady, from Virgin Voyages, is already having some work done, resulting in some big changes in her cabins... read more
Since the restart of cruising in North America, Celebrity Cruises has sailed with at a minimum, 95% of guests fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This was made all the more strict months ago when the US Virgin Islands and then The Bahamas required that for ships to dock, all persons able to be vaccinated must be vaccinated, or the vessels would be denied berthing. Now, itinerary adjustments being sent to travel advisors suggest they're shoring up this policy. read more
While cruise lines are making it relatively clear how get what you need in order to sail, companies providing these services don't always speak the same language as the cruise lines. This has lead to many asking about one particular COVID test option from Walgreens... read more