My husband and I are planning on taking our 6 month old on a cruise with us and my in laws. I’ve been on a number of cruises, but never with a baby. Please give me all your tips! I’m most nervous about leaving the ship at ports and what that will look like.

Hi all! Does anyone know if my parents hold Chinese passport and valid 10yr US tourism visa, Do they need visa for a 15-20 day Panama Canal cruise that leaves from US east coast and end at west coast, with port of call in Columbia, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, etc? Thx!

First-time cruiser here! We've made a newbie mistake to fly in on the same day as our cruise ( Flight is already booked). We’re leaving Dallas at 5:26 AM and arriving in Fort Lauderdale at 9:10 AM. Our embarkation window (NCL, if that matters) is 12:30-1:00 PM. Are we cutting it too close? Will we make it?

Hi folks, we’re in Genoa next Sunday and I’ve read that a lot of Italy goes into hibernation on Sundays, especially in November.  We are thinking of a DIY trip to Portofino, but I’ve heard that some of the trains and boats won’t be operating out of season. Can anyone else offer any tips or advice, especially from their own experiences as I’m getting mixed messages online. 

I'm looking at itineraries. Some ports are only a few hours. Like 6 hours. I imaging it takes time for everyone to get off then you'd want to be back early. Does that really leave time to enjoy the post activities???

I just did norwegian and loved everything about it but the music/dj was kind of your typical wedding music playlist. I've seen MSC cruises shows they have a really classy and party atmosphere (Also very little to NO kids) , at least that what it seems like to me on their tik toks. I would say im an EDM fan, and also love hiphop. Any cruises or certain ships you all would recommend besides EDSEA / Groove Cruise (The party/rave cruises). Virgin voyages seems like its a party atmosphere too , anyone been on it? Hows the music like?

I had also seen someone mentioned Utopia of the Seas & MSC seaside specifically are great party ships compared to other certain ones in the fleets . I know it also depends on the DJ & Director of the cruise , so bring your recommendations!

Definitely love carnival cruises and their music and club parties , but i want to explore other boats and cruiselines as well.

In February I'm going to be going to Miami and would like to do a short four day cruise the first half of the trip and enjoy the city the second half. I found two cruises, one with Royal Caribbean on the Liberty of the Seas that would dock at CocoCay and Nassau for 10 and 9 hours respectively, departing at 5 PM for both. The other is with MSC on the Divinia that would dock at Ocean Cay, arriving at 1:30 the second day and departing at 6 PM the next day while docking at Nassau the next day for 10 hours but departing at 6 PM. The Royal Caribbean trip would be around $100 more I believe, neither of us drink so we'd just be getting the soda package on RC and the easy drinks package on MSC.

I'm not a super experienced cruiser and I've only gone on NCL Mexico cruises lol. On paper the MSC itinerary looks much more appealing to me but from what I've researched people seem to overwhelmingly prefer Royal Caribbean over MSC. In this case, would the price difference and itinerary difference be worth it? I can't really tell. Thanks for any help!

Hello,

I have a quote of $6900 USD (9600CAD) at an expedition ship to Antarctica in November with last minute 35% off discount.

It is a 2 people cabin. 11 day cruise. I’m traveling solo.

I did some research and found this company that does landing (ship is below 200 pax).

While doing research I found a post that somebody had 60% off two days before sailing as well. I spoke to the company’s rep and they say they will hold my last spot for me.

I’m just curious as to what you think of this deal?

Extra questions: the company has winter camping on Antarctica for 560 CAD. Is this worth it?

Thanks

Hello! I’m taking a cruise that leaves from Ft Lauderdale, I go to Mexico and then Grand Caymans and then Bahamas before our return to the US. I’m an Indian citizen with a US permanent residence and I got conflicting answers if I should get the visa to Grand Cayman or not. Since I’m in Grand cayman for less than a day will I still need the visa? I’m worried they won’t allow me to even board the ship. I’m ok applying for the visa but the evisa online requirements wants a police verification which again is confusing to even the Sheriffs office. I don’t know if I should be getting a physical visa on my passport or just an e visa. Please help me!!! Thank you!!!

we have booked cruise only fare for our first cruise as it is a very port intensive one with one sea day. What will we have access to and will we be able to bring some sodas onboard at each port?

So here's an interesting thought.

I moved from Puerto Rico about 5 years ago and left some possessions with my grandpa while I settled down. Now that I settled down I have a plastic storage tote I want to bring back.

I will be cruising on the Caribbean Princess in a month, one of the port of call will be San Juan. Would the cruise ship let me bring that onboard in San Juan? Has anyone done something similar?

What cruise line is best for an Africa cruise? When I say best, I am considering ports, excursions, food, etc… also please include any other unique perks that can help me decide.

I booked a cruise from Vancouver on HAL next June. The flights to YVR from CLE are not user friendly. Either early morning or late night red eye. Flights to SEA are better. Is it easy to get from Sesttle airport to the docks in Vancouver? I took a Quick Look at Amtrak, is that the only choice? Thanks in advance.

I have been on many cruises when I was younger. I remember hardly ever waiting in line. Able to always find a seat for shows. Able to walk up and get food and drinks at any time.

Just recently went on the new ship carnival Celebration and it was horrific. Everything was insanely packed. You could not get a seat for any show even if you show up like 45 minutes early. Everything has a line to wait in. Even the Casino did not have a single spot available on the slots or tables in the afternoon/night.

Is this how it has always been and I am just misremembering? Or have cruises just been designed to pack as many people as possible and minimize services and stage space? It was really a frustrating experience.

I will be cruising with two family members in their late eighties who are reliant on walkers and was wondering if anyone has experience with disembarking at the port of Cabo San Lucas. We will be on the Discovery Princess. I understand it is a tender port and am concerned that they will be unable to board or disembark the tender due to their mobility challenges. Is anyone aware of special tender provisions such as lifts, etc?

Hi there,
I think it's all on the title. I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on a RC cruise for summer 2025. There is a discount on it right now. If there is a better discount during black Friday, can I still benefit from it?

The idea would be to put the minimum deposit now, and pay the rest during black friday in case there is a better deal. Would that work? Anyone with experience with this? Was it a smooth process?

We are considering several cruise options and the top ones leave out of Athens or Rome. I’ve heard some negatives about Athens and nothing about Rome.

Any thoughts or advice is appreciated

One of our stops on our cruise next month is Ocho Rios!

Has anyone gone to the Blue Hole? How was it? What can we expect? What was the cost?

Is it worth booking through Carnival or would it make more sense to get a taxi and just head over there?

Any other recommendations on things to do in Ocho Rios would be very much appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

Seriously.

Among many other benefits, get this...

Laying in a lounge chair at maybe 11 at night by the pool watching a “drive in” movie on the big screen with maybe 50 others.

Get a hankering for a drink.

Pull out my phone and order through an easy to understand app.

7 MINUTES LATER, dude shows up with a frozen, frothy Dirty Banana drink.

He tracked my exact location by the medallion I wear as a bracelet, some with necklace, etc.

No room card, no wallet, no money. Nothing else is needed. Just your medallion and, optionally, your phone if you want to place orders.

This was on Princess. But I’m certain it will spread everywhere, because it’s so convenient for guests.

But more importantly for the cruise line, I bet 20 workers could do the same work as 80 without the medallion system.

Crazy cool concept.

Stay away just got back from cozumel pills are fake

I’ve seen some similar posts but I’m still confused about how this stuff works. I’m looking at booking a cruise through an agency I found on cruisecompete.com

I’ve literally never used a travel agency before because I’ve always been a little worried about potential issues when not booking directly through the cruise line. My biggest question is about how I know that my reservation is actually booked and I have confirmation for everything. Normally it’d be as simple as a confirmation email from the cruise line, but would I still get that if booking through an agency? Or would I only get confirmation from the agency and just have to trust them completely? I’d like to have a line of communication with the actual cruise line too so I know I’m not getting scammed.

I’m just confused where their role ends I guess. If all they’re doing is actually booking the cruise for me, but then all the official emails and stuff come straight to me, that’d be great for my peace of mind.

Also, the agency is called LY Cruise and Travel in case anyone here has heard of them and has any insight.

Sorry if these are all stupid questions, I’m just kinda lost so any advice/info on how this stuff works would be super helpful

Hello! My boyfriend and I are looking into cruising to Antartica and are overwhelmed by the options! From Silversea, to Seabourne, Quark, Atlas and more. I've read quite a few posts so far but want to list some of our wants and hopefully get some updated thoughts :)

• I'm a picky eater! So being able to find food is a must. Things like chicken fingers, plain pastas, grilled cheese etc. Folks had mentioned in a Silversea FB group that they would accommodate that but I'm curious what your experience has been across the board?

• We are quite adventurous. We are avid hikers and love the occasional kayak so think being able to really explore would be awesome (obviously know this is within confines of what is allowed by guides etc)

• My boyfriends favorite animal is a penguin, so the chance to see even the fluffy babies would be amazing! (I've read early January is best, not sure if there is a specific cruise line that does better with seeing them than others?!)

• Currently budget is fairly open, although it would be nice to not be on the SUPER high end.

• My boyfriend is also an INSANE over packer, so potentially going with a cruise line that provides the coat and boots so it's a bit less on our end to pack may be nice.

Additionally - do you typically pick the door to door service, or do you prefer to schedule your own flights etc? I've heard horror stories of cruise picked flights but I feel like Antartica is a beast on its own it may be good to let the experts handle? We will be coming from the Philadelphia, PA (USA) region if that helps!

Hello everyone.

I wasn't sure where else to turn, so I thought I'd post here. In late January and/or early February of 1991, my family took a cruise for which we have no records except a few pictures. I'm fairly certain it was on the Premier Cruise Lines Oceanic. I was 11 1/2 at the time and rather than join in the kids activities, I spent most of my time on the ship either eating or putting quarters into machines in the arcade. I do remember a Roy Orbison impersonator being part of the entertainment one night, but beyond that, I don't remember much about the ship. We did go to Nassau, I believe, spending some time on the island. My father and I also did some scuba diving. Anyway, good times, but I'm trying to track down the itinerary - I want to know when we left and when we came back, as I'm working on a sort of memoir and those dates are fairly important. If anyone has any leads, please let me know.

Going on DCL’s transatlantic sailing and the ports are:

-Ponta Delgada, Portugal

-Lisbon, Portugal

-Cadiz, Spain

-Barcelona, Spain (this is final destination)

I went to https://disneycruise.disney.go.com/port-adventures/transatlantic/ to see the excursions and while some seem interesting, I wasn’t sure if there was anything that is a must-do, or if our group should just find something to do on our own while there.

Admittedly, I’m not very familiar with any of these cities other than Barcelona. The only thing I have seen so far is the Catedral de Cadiz that caught my eye to go sightsee. We are also thinking about doing Pixar Mundo in Barcelona since we will be able to have time as we will be staying a few days there after the end of the cruise.

Any points of interest that I should keep a look out for in these ports? Thanks in advance for any advice!

Hey, everyone!

I booked a Saver Rate Balcony cabin on P&O's Arvia and got the GF grade, which I know means I have a "guaranteed" balcony but with no specific cabin assignment until closer to sailing. I was a bit worried about ending up with a promenade-level cabin, so I called P&O customer service for clarity.

The first agent I spoke to mentioned I’d probably end up in either cabin 15127 or 16214. When I called back to double-check, a second agent said that unless they "upgrade" me, I should stay in one of these. But here’s the catch – I’ve read that on Arvia, some suite cabins are actually less desirable than the standard balcony cabins due to things like layout or location (especially promenade-level suites).

So, here’s my question for those who know how P&O and the Arvia work:

1. How likely is it that I’ll actually get one of the two cabins they mentioned?2. If I get "upgraded," is it possible they’ll move me to a cabin that’s technically higher-category but actually has a less desirable layout or location?

Any insights or similar experiences would be super helpful. I’d love to go in with realistic expectations. Thanks in advance!