‘Less ships, means less visits’ but tourism operators still bullish on Great Lakes cruises

With Hurricane Milton on track to reach Florida by tomorrow evening, which will be Wednesday, October 9, 2024, the cruise ports are preparing to close until the dangerous storm has run its course.  While this safety procedure isn’t unexpected, as the Category 5 storm will create unsafe docking conditions with flooding and wind gusts of over 100 mph, it does mean that cruise ships that are … [Read More...]

As Hurricane Milton approaches Florida, multiple cruise ships from multiple lines are issuing itinerary changes and cancellations as needed to keep all vessels, guests, and crew members safe. The following updates are the confirmed changes directly from cruise lines, and include all vessels currently sailing in the Gulf of Mexico and other areas to be impacted by the storm. Carnival Cruise … [Read More...]

With over 720,000 visitors in 2023 alone, Tortola Cruise Port is the busiest cruise port in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). Located in Road Town, the capital and largest town in all of BVI, this 80,000-square-foot cruise port has grown immensely since it underwent major renovations in 2015. This guide will explain everything you need to know about Tortola Cruise Port to get the most out of … [Read More...]

As Hurricane Milton continues its frightening path toward Florida, the entire state is bracing itself for impact and expecting the worst. The dangerous Category 4 hurricane may have weakened slightly from peak winds of 180 miles per hour to sustained wind speeds of 155 miles per hour, but evacuations and closures are taking place across the state, including landlocked Orlando.  With … [Read More...]

Five months after suspending port calls to Labadee, Royal Caribbean is once again visiting the private destination on the north coast of Haiti. The 3,800-guest Adventure of the Seas called at the port on October 8, 2024 during her 6-day Eastern Caribbean cruise from Port Canaveral. The ship’s itinerary features two private destinations — Labadee and Perfect Day at CocoCay, along with Puerto … [Read More...]

After six months on pause, Royal Caribbean is now cruising to Labadee, Haiti again.In March 2024, the cruise line cut visits to its private beach due to internal strife within Haiti.Labadee, Royal Caribbean's private beach area, is a walled-off, exclusive beach on a peninsula in northern Haiti. Located 130 miles north of the capital, Port-au-Prince, Labadee has been closed out of "an … [Read More...]

Personal Navigators, and other details from the Halloween on the High Seas 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise from Port Canaveral. The Disney Fantasy set sail from Port Canaveral, Florida on September 14, 2024. There are additional Personal Navigators from other sailings of this same itinerary for comparison. During this cruise, the ship was under the control … [Read More...]

The controversial topic of tipping on cruises is about to go viral again as Royal Caribbean has announced it is increasing its gratuity rates for the second time in a year. Taking effect November 1, 2024, the new rates will see an increase of $0.50 per guest per day, applicable across various stateroom categories.  “For standard inventory, new gratuity guidelines will nominally increase … [Read More...]

As it continues to reveal upcoming sailings for 2026 and into 2027, Carnival Cruise Line has now announced even more options from PortMiami with two more vessels, Carnival Magic and Carnival Sunrise. Both ships will offer unique and exciting options for eager cruise travelers, with itineraries ranging from 4-8 nights visiting top ports of call throughout the Bahamas and the … [Read More...]

How much income do you need to afford to take a cruise? Cruises — such as this one from MSC — can start at just a few hundred dollars, but can also run well into the thousands. So how much income do you need to afford to sail? It’s likely less than you think, but we wanted to put a specific number to the answer. The result is that a person with a relatively average should have no … [Read More...]