Cruise Basics

If you are new to cruising, the concept of ship time may be foreign to you, or at least confusing. It is very important to understand what ship time is. For example, you reach your next port of call in the Caribbean, walk off the ship, turn airplane mode off, and see that it’s 10:15 […]

When you start looking at what to do in a cruise port, it is easy to fall into the idea that you must book an excursion. The cruise line offers dozens of cruise excursions, including snorkeling trips, beach days, city tours, sightseeing buses, zip lines, boat rides, food tours, and historical sites. It can get

If you’ve ever wondered why cruise lines don’t allow ordinary surge protectors, the answer boils down to the fact that your cruise ship’s electrical system is different from the one in your house.   Household surge protectors are designed to protect your electronics if the voltage suddenly gets too high. They do this by redirecting

One of the best cruise vacation tips I can give you is this: you don’t have to do everything on a cruise.   There are excursions to book, specialty restaurants to try, shows to see, live music, activities happening all over the ship, ports to explore, and a seemingly endless list of things other cruisers

One of the most debated topics in cruising has nothing to do with drink packages, specialty dining, or which cruise line is best.    It’s gratuities.   Spend five minutes in a cruise Facebook group and you’ll quickly discover that everyone has an opinion. Some passengers happily pay the automatic gratuities without giving them a

You just booked what seemed like an amazing deal, a 7-night Caribbean cruise for $899 per person. But by the time you add gratuities, parking, drinks, Wi-Fi, excursions, and transportation, that bargain vacation could easily cost twice as much. Welcome to the world of travel marketing. Like many vacations, the advertised cruise fare is only