UPDATE: On July 6, 2026, Holland America announced their full 2027/2028 lineup.  While some ships won't be returning to South Florida, the line will retain a five ship presence with longer itineraries and holiday voyages.  Click here for the latest update and see which ships will be sailing from Fort…

I’m currently onboard Carnival Horizon for an 8-day Southern Caribbean cruise, a ship I last sailed on in December 2024 on a Western Caribbean run and, before that, back in September 2023. This time around, I’m back for one of Carnival’s more coveted itineraries: an 8-day Southern Caribbean cruise to…

Celebration Key's first year has been a numerical success - the destination opened in July 2025 and welcomed roughly 2.5 million guests across 20 different Carnival Cruise Line ships. But cruise forums and Facebook groups tell a different story about the actual guest experience. Now that Carnival Corporation has completed…

One of the biggest sources of confusion for first-time MSC Cruises passengers is understanding what makes the different cabin experiences actually different from one another. MSC offers four distinct cabin experiences - Bella, Fantastica, Aurea, and Yacht Club - and the cruise line's website doesn't make it particularly easy to…

Docking and anchoring aren't just different logistically. They're really two different cruise experiences, and if you've got mobility considerations, accessibility needs, or just want to know what you're actually signing up for, this distinction matters way more than your cabin category. Docking at a Commercial Pier: The Accessible Standard When…

On June 19 2026, Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas arrived in Seward, Alaska, with a deceased 61-foot female fin whale on its bulbous bow. The incident prompted a necropsy by NOAA Fisheries and the Alaska SeaLife Center, which revealed blunt force trauma consistent with a vessel strike. The whale…

Well, it happened again. Just when you think cruise ship drama couldn't get any more unhinged, Carnival Cruise Line makes headlines with another round of passengers who decided that disembarking would be a great time to throw down. On Monday, June 22, the Carnival Conquest pulled back into Port Miami…

If you feel like you’re always running behind when it comes to planning vacations, the cruise industry is not exactly helping. Oceania Cruises recently opened bookings for its 2028 and 2029 sailings. Yes, 2029. As in, people are now putting deposits down on cruises that sail more than three years…

Cruise lines have been changing up a lot lately. New ships. New private destinations. New restaurants. New fees they hope you don't notice. But this time, let’s talk about something more fun. Booze. Specifically, bourbon and whiskey. Holland America and Carnival are both introducing some new beverage options, and while…

Earlier this month, the U.S. Embassy in Nassau issued a security alert warning American travelers about the dangers of renting jet skis in the Bahamas. The advisory detailed sexual assaults by operators, unregistered vessels, inadequate safety enforcement, and multiple hospitalizations and deaths. For many seasoned cruisers this wasn't breaking news,…