New Cruise Line Continues to Grow, Christens 3rd Ship

Royal Caribbean recently extended status matching benefits to Celebrity Cruises, and I couldn't help but try Celebrity again.I took my first Celebrity Cruises last year on two of their newest and biggest ships: Celebrity Apex and Celebrity Ascent. I enjoyed my first experiences on the sister brand to Royal Caribbean, but I was disappointed with the infinite balcony experience as well as the … [Read More...]

Celebrity Cruises is known for being a higher-end cruise line, and for a long time, it was one of the few major lines I hadn’t sailed. That’s all changed. In the past year I’ve sailed Celebrity multiple times and gotten a feel for what it does well, what it doesn’t do as well, and some ways that it’s completely different than what I expected. So what do I wish I knew … [Read More...]

Personal Navigators, and other details from the  7-Night Alaskan Cruise from Vancouver. The Disney Wonder set sail from Vancouver, Canada on August 26, 2024. There are additional Personal Navigators from other sailings of this same itinerary for comparison. During this cruise, the ship was under the control of Captain Daniele Aschero. The Cruise … [Read More...]

Sunday 6 October, National Grandparents Day, marks the official launch of a nationwide search for the Great British Grandparent 2024 – an accolade conceived as a heartfelt tribute to the unsung heroes who give so much of their time, consideration, emotional and, in some cases, financial support to their nearest and dearest, day in, day out. The search, which has been launched by Ambassador Cruise … [Read More...]

On October 1, 2024, Norwegian Cruise Line announced that the brand’s new “More at Sea” program would replace its current “Free At Sea” Program – taking effect for voyages sailing from January 1, 2025, and beyond.  While the new plan is supposed to be bigger and better, the announcement left booked guests wondering how the upgrade would impact their sailing. But now, we have our … [Read More...]

Guests booked on the record-breaking Icon of the Seas will be relieved to learn the ship’s next sailing will move forward as planned following the ship being temporarily out of service for emergency repairs. While the cruise line has been in touch with guests since the ship was pulled from service for the unexpected work, the update was rather vague, only promising “As we get closer, we’ll … [Read More...]

The highly anticipated second Icon-class ship, Star of the Seas, is officially floating on her own hull following a celebratory construction milestone. This is a major event as a cruise ship comes to life, and signals the next phase of her development as she comes closer to her August 2025 debut. The ship is being built at the Meyer Turku shipyard in southern Finland, the same shipyard that … [Read More...]

Sarah Bretz, ContributorSarah has been writing about the cruise industry since 2015, and in that time has taken a dozen cruises and counting. Her favorite onboard activities include trying the casual dining options, spending time in the spa’s thermal suite, and attending the love & marriage show. You can keep up with her on Instagram at @IAmSarahJaneB.See all author posts Source: … [Read More...]

Royal Caribbean is ready to restart cruises on the world's biggest cruise ship.In a rare move, the cruise line previously canceled Icon's 7-night sailing that was set to leave on September 28th.Now, Icon of the Seas is set to return to her scheduled sailings on October 5th, 2024. The cruise line informed passengers and travel agents booked on the next sailing they've completed the necessary … [Read More...]

The Port of San Diego, gateway to the Mexican Riviera, has officially kicked off its 2024-25 winter cruise season, with major cruise lines poised to homeport ships or visit on port calls. Holland America Line, which typically homeports ships for winter season cruises to Mexico, will again deploy two ships from November 2024 to late April 2025. Other cruise brands sailing from San Diego or … [Read More...]