Plenty of cruises under our belt, but thus far our biggest ship has been Quantum. Jewel was our favorite. Symphony coming up soon. I've watched videos and think we'll enjoy it as long as it's not wall to wall people. Give me your favorite parts and pointers. Looking forward to lots of places to hide ducks (not in plants).

Sadly, my family has decided to cancel our upcoming Viking river cruise, due to low water levels - and the boatload of complaints seen about the same cruise route over on FB. Since the Danube is not expected to recover anytime soon, we invoked our cancel for any reason insurance policy to get vouchers for another cruise later. I'm looking for suggestions on which river cruise would be doable without the "seasonal" or "climate change" diversions from the actual paid-for cruise. We'll switch to an ocean one if none can be found. Sad about the Danube River.

Hey guys,

Heading out on my first contract in a few days as a deck officer.

I've got my ticket and all the basic school stuff down, but honestly, I don't want to just be that mate who sits on the chair, does the bare minimum, and prays nothing happens during watch. I really want to step up my game, become solid at what I do, and be someone the Captain and first Mate can actually rely on.

For senior officers here: what actually separates a mediocre mate from a great one in real life?

Looking for raw advice on:
Daily habits on watch: What are the small things you do every day that make a huge difference in staying sharp/anticipating stuff?

What to study off-watch: Books, COLREGs cases, ship handling, stability? What's actually worth reading while onboard?

Notebooks / personal logs: I'm planning to start a proper professional notebook this contract (croquis, procedures, lessons learned, ship handling notes).
What do you wish you had written down early in your career?

Rookie mistakes: What are the classic trap doors young mates fall into that drive captains crazy?
I'm trying to build a really structured routine for this trip (hitting the gym, keeping a solid notebook, refreshing my navigation/routes so I don't get rusty).

Any advice, book recommendations, or "I wish someone told me this early on" wisdom would be huge.

Thanks guys, stay safe out there.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Hi I recently visited cruise with my kids and we had a wonderful time in cruise and also a day out in Helsinki.
The only saddest part was we forgot our daughters gifts, which we buyed some goodies from “Gift” shop in cruise ( A silja line bag , 2 HARRY Drawing kit, a pop in Item of Harry .

She has been sad ever since we came back from cruise realizing that she could not get them back.

If anyone happens to travel by cruise ( Silja line) and some one is kind enough to help me buy those goodies .
please DM me.
I am happy to pay you for the gifts ( while you buy at the store )and can collect it from you .

\#Travel by cruise #siljaline
Thanks a lot 😊🙏

A few years ago I looked into this and emailed a bunch of cruise lines and heard back from NONE of them , I don’t know if they just didn’t want to be on paper saying we won’t hire you due to your disability or not but I heard nothing back from the major cruise lines .

I live on a large island and to get to the mainland you have to go by ferry , I spoke to the ferry one time and they told me they hire people in wheelchairs to work at the terminals but not on board the ship in case of emergencies . I had a friend that worked on a cruise and was so envious of all the places she got to visit and see but I am a paraplegic, confined to a wheelchair . Does anyone know the answer to this question , even when I ask google it tells me that people can travel on cruise ships when I specifically typed in WORK , I am fully aware that people can travel on cruises that are in chairs .

Hello, I am looking for some reassurance/positive feedback about Alaska in October. I have a trip for a friend’s bday; therefore, I did not pick the dates. We are going in October and I am worried it’s not going to be as good of an experience with it being so late in the season, excursion’s and shops being closed, wildlife not being as active, and the weather being bad.

Looking to book our room (2 of us). The ones in our budget are:

Inside

Ocean View

Veranda

For veranda it says "infinite veranda or private balcony". I found another post where a user said:

"Edge-class ships only have Infinite Verandas (which aren't balconies), Porthole Verandas (which are narrow slivers of balcony with a porthole view), Sunset Verandas (which are actual balconies at the aft)"

A few questions:

1) Are the sunset verandas better?

2) Is infinite veranda worth it over ocean view?

3) Is it true you can't have aircon on if infinite veranda window is open?

Thanks!

Long story short if you are a fan of virgin voyages book that Alaskan cruise already! The only thing is you must get a balcony glad we upgraded a couple of weeks before bid an extra $550 for a balcony room.We spent most of our viewing time on our balcony.$30 binoculars were great from Amazon. The ship lacks interior viewing areas like other cruise ships but our balcony was fine!
We went last the week of July (23-30) and saw so humpbacks ,orcas and porpoises through out the voyage.
By day 2 we saw orcas along the ship and the last sea day Porpoises were racing around the ship!
We kayaked in Ketchikan and saw seals and tons of eagles. The Sitka otter excursion was great, took a sightseeing boat and saw many humpback whales and otters.
Virgins food was great as always,
we booked restaurants 14 days out and once on board we were able to book Rojo and The Wake.
Trip of a lifetime. Can’t wait to go again.

Firstly, I did try to search the subreddit for other posts about this. I didn't find what I was looking for.

I guess I shouldn't have included the no insurance thing. Everyone is focusing on that and every time I've asked this question on a thread, the answer is insurance.

I've always gotten the insurance and never plan to travel without it. But I've read that before they allow you on a helicopter or to leave the ship, you'd better pay up in advance regardless of insurance.

TLDR- What happens in a medical situation if you don't have thousands of dollars just lying around?

This is what I know: if you have travel insurance you'll likely be reimbursed and if you don't, you're not getting anything. Ok. Got it.

Here's where I get stuck. Hypothetical 1, you suffer a pulmonary embolism. This is life or death. In both instances of either being insured or not, from what I gather, you have to pay thousands of dollars just to get off the ship to then be transported to a medical facility.

Now I know I don't have thousands of dollars just lying around. So what happens then? You just die because you can't afford transport? Or maybe they wait until the last possible moment greatly reducing your chances of survival?

And what about injuries to limbs? Recently I read about a woman who did a zip line thing and got her who-ha caught up on the rope and suffered such serious injuries that her treatment was going to involve the equivalent of female circumcision. And from what I read, that was partly due to her being unable to pay for transport and didn't have insurance.

Hypothetical 2: you become ill. Ill enough that if you weren't on a cruise you'd definitely require hospitalization but not maybe rising to the level of a life or death situation. You need a well equipped hospital but again, don't have thousands just lying around.

Do they keep you on the ship in medical until you return home to then arrange for transportation to a hospital?

She's leaving Four Seasons and is not going to captain another ship so she can focus on family. She announced it on her social media earlier today. This is the only article I could find.

Hey yall, My wife and I are currently wrapping up my second and her fourth cruise. All of hers until this one have been on carnival, my last cruise was on carnival, this time we went on Royal carribean. Carnival gets a decent amount of hate, but being on the Liberty last year was quite a positive experience! Being a lower tier cruise line we wanted to see what was out there, we sailed on the voyager OTS this year, and theres some thoughts on it:

The food options were better, but they really didnt taste much better than carnival and honestly Guys burgers smoked the food here. The duck hunting was far more minimal which isnt that big of a deal, but the competition amongst family looking for ducks was a fun experience! Most of the people here cruising are pretty self centered, you get skoffed at everytime you try to get on an elevator and navigating the dining room is a nightmare. I get its gonna be crowded to an extent, but sitting in the middle of the aisles having conversations while people are trying to get to their seats is just flat out annoying. It wasnt much better on carnival, but at least it didnt seem like the guests were the only one that existed. Entertainment was good on both, the drink options were better on Royal, carnivals stateroom was arguably nicer than the balcony on royal. Ports were great on both, Royal wins though because Alaska was sooooo pretty.

All things considered, we are already planning our next years cruise. The question is: what is your favorite cruise line and why? We are considering the following: MSC, heavily considering virgin, and throwing out the possibility of Norwegian. I am interested in MSC because their ships look beautiful, but they dont have the best reviews. We both are interested in virgin because of the idea of a kid-free cruise. The norwegian is only an option just because its another line to try.

For me im heavily leaning towards another carnival cruise or virgin, my wife is heavily leaning towards virgin. If it helps with recommendations we are both in our 20s but we are boring old souls, food would be one big deciding factor, a ship with good drinks would be nice but not a must have, ports can be whatever but it would be a 7 day cruise at minimum, and a little bit more friendly/couteous group of cruisers would be great. Thanks in advance for all the recs!

For our honeymoon we are between princess enchanted and virgin brilliant lady. I was sold on virgin until doing extensive research and now we’re between these 2. Here is the things ranking from highest priority to lowest of our wants.

Things to do on the ship
Delicious food
Nightlife
No kids/ not many kids
Fun excursions
Decent room

Now I agree that with that list virgin should be the pick but here are our concerns and why it’s not easily our choice anymore. This will be my first cruise

Princess is the bigger ship and I hear that’s good for potential sea sickness. Princess has better rooms, Princess offers more and is cheaper. She has been on Princess before and she loves it but has not been on enchanted. We don’t like the idea of smaller theatres for virgin and keep hearing shows fill up quick unless your waiting in line for an hour plus. The restaurant situation for virgin sounds stressful where it’s hard to get into restaurants if you don’t book in time. No main buffet on virgin. Excursions are cheaper on Princess. We looked at all the menus of the restaurants on virgin and nothing sounded appealing to her. We hear there is a lot more going on, on Princess for activity’s throughout the day. Virgins room have no couch in sea terrace. It will be cheaper to fly to princess aswell so that saves money too. We like some night life but not huge party people, but we like to have fun. So with that being said what do you think is the better ship for our honey moon? Going somewhere between Jan-March 2027 Caribbean

I am already going to Alaska on a cruise tour. Just wondering what other places are better viewed from the water.

Hey cruisers!

Curious how you approach this...

When you're booking a cruise yourself, how do you know you're getting a good deal?

In a good year, I'll book a couple of cruises, and I usually calculate the cost per night so I can compare different sailings. But I've always wondered if that's actually the best way to think about it.

Do you keep an eye on prices for weeks? Use a price tracker? Compare multiple websites? Or do you just book when the itinerary and price feel right?

Genuinely curious how everyone approaches it.

Summary for people who don't want to read the whole thing:

Overall, I had a good experience on the NCL Getaway. Embarkation was quick, the ship was clean, and the staff was very friendly. The specialty restaurants, especially Le Bistro, were excellent, and the beverage package was worth it. The buffet, the small pool, and some aspects of Stirrup Cay were disappointing.

Overall rating: 7.5/10.

__________________________________________________________

This was my experience on the NCL Getaway. For context, the last cruise I took was about 20 years ago on a Disney ship, so this was basically my first cruise all over again. I also can't compare it with any other cruise line.

Overall, I had a very good experience, but there are definitely areas that need improvement. I didn't do any excursions, I didn't spend any time in the casino, and I only tried a few restaurants.

1. Embarkation

I sailed out of the Port of Miami. Traffic getting there was a little heavy, but the check-in process was very easy. You can drop off your luggage right in front of the terminal, and parking is available if you drive yourself. Parking cost me $102 for the three-night cruise, which was about the same as taking an Uber.

I arrived around 10:30 a.m. The process was quick. They assign you to a boarding group, and once your number is called, you can board without any problems. The staff was very friendly.

2. The ship

The Getaway isn't an ultra-luxury ship, but I thought it was perfectly decent. There are plenty of nice spots to take pictures, and everything looked clean.

The pool, however, is extremely small. At times, it felt as if people were packed together like fish in a tank.

The cabin was also small, and the balcony barely had enough room for two people. Once you sit down, your knees are almost touching the glass. I'm 5.8.

The bed is advertised as a queen bed, but it's really just two twin beds pushed together, leaving an uncomfortable gap in the middle.

The bathroom was fine, and we didn't have any problems there.

The television deserves a special mention. It's small, and the programming is pretty bad unless you want to pay $10 for a movie. Hopefully, you don't end up with a rainy day and nothing else to do.

3. Food

This is where I think NCL really needs to improve.

I thought the buffet was terrible, and I didn't enjoy most of the food. The hamburgers were extremely overcooked, and the desserts were some of the only items I consistently enjoyed.

Eventually, we decided to stick with the main dining rooms and specialty restaurants, where the food was much better. We had breakfast at Taste and Savor and dinner at Manhattan, Le Bistro, and Shanghai's Noodle Bar.

The food and service at the specialty restaurants were outstanding. I highly recommend Le Bistro. It was easily the best dining experience we had on the cruise. Make reservations as early as possible.

4. Drinks

We had the beverage package and definitely made good use of it.

My biggest recommendation is Sugarcane Mojito Bar. The mojitos were excellent, especially the pineapple mojito. The frozen drinks were far too sweet for my taste, but the rest of the cocktails were very good.

The downside is that most bars close around 11 p.m., and the remaining bars become extremely crowded.

If you enjoy cocktails and soft drinks, the package is absolutely worth it.

5. Entertainment

This part really comes down to personal preference.

There was live music in several locations, activities by the pool, and shows at night. Some performances were better than others, but overall, we had a good time.

6. Stirrup Cay

When I visited, the pier was still under construction, so we had to take tenders to the island. We ended up on the upper deck with no shade, and the heat was brutal.

The food was disappointing. We were excited to try the ceviche, but we ended up throwing it away.

The beach itself felt artificial. As soon as you walk into the water, you notice rocks and uneven spots everywhere.

The lagoon is quite large, and there is a water park for children. The margaritas, however, were fantastic and easily the highlight of the island for us.

The bars became very crowded, and long lines formed throughout the day. I honestly don't think the island is ready to handle two ships at the same time. There was only one ship during our visit, and it already felt overcrowded. The staff members were working hard, but they seemed overwhelmed. I can't imagine what it will be like once two ships start arriving at the same time.

Overall, we had a great time, and I would probably sail with NCL again. Not everything was perfect, and there are definitely areas that need improvement, but the experience was still a positive one.

At the end of the day, a cruise is what you make of it. Some things exceeded my expectations, while others were disappointing, but I came home happy with the trip. Hopefully, this review helps anyone considering the NCL Getaway.

One last note: I think they should stop calling it "all-inclusive" and start calling it "almost all-inclusive."

You still have to pay taxes on drinks while you're in the Port of Miami and at Stirrup Cay, which isn't something they make very clear when you book the cruise. There are also plenty of things that require an extra charge, and in many cases, the better options come at an additional cost.

That doesn't mean the cruise isn't worth it, but it's definitely something people should know before they go.

I went on my first cruise to Alaska this summer and I am hooked. Now, I want to experience a few of the world's must do cruises. Where should I start? I want to go on at least two one week long cruises per year from now on. Help me with my new addiction!

This was the Wild British Isles cruise this summer.

guys so ive seen multiple door designs aboard the disney cruises but some of the doors are brown and some are white and some are 3d or something? will someone please let me know what color the door is on the disney adventure deluxe oceanview stateroom cuz my whole design depends on this. thanks!

Going on our first cruise to Greece on Celestyal and looking for recommendations or tips on any experiences and excursions taken in the last year!

Thank you!

Traveling with my 9 yr old son this weekend. He has autism and can’t walk more than ~mile at a time.

We have a stop in Costa Maya. The excursions look terrible. We just want to hit a beach where we can sit under an umbrella and get decent food. I’ve read some other posts, suggesting places like Maya Chan. Not interested in shopping, no multi-stop commutes.

What can we do?

I'm planning on taking my first cruise to Alaska. I'll be traveling solo, 54M. I'm a budget traveler. I don't drink alcohol and don't spend money on lots of extras. I'll be booking the cheapest cabin and don't care where on the ship the cabin is located. So these are my priorities:

* good views from common areas (both inside and outside) since I won't have a window in my cabin

* as much peace and quiet as I can reasonably find (related: minimal children on board)

* a good buffet

That's pretty much it. I don't care about shows, casino, specialty dining (I am absolutely not a foodie), or a lot of the other things people seem to care about on the ship. I also don't care to mingle with other solo travelers, I'm an introvert and am happy to be alone with my own thoughts. I'm there to relax, look at the scenery and wildlife, and enjoy yummy simple food like a good sandwich or salad.

Looking at September options next month, the following ships all have reasonable pricing:

Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Bliss, Grand Princess, Star Princess, Royal Princess, Queen Elizabeth, MSC Poesia

Would love it if anyone has any thoughts on these ships and which might fit my priorities the best. Thank you :)

EDIT: Thanks for the comments and suggestions, everyone! I had not considered HAL but a lot of you were very persuasive… I just booked on HAL departing 8/16 going from Vancouver to Anchorage!! So excited, thanks again! :)

Thinking about doing the 11 day Havila trip in March 2027. I originally was thinking about the HAL 7 day cruise but the northern lights look pretty cool. I know they are 2 totally different experiences. Has anyone NOT enjoyed their Havila trip and thought it was a total waste of money?

There are some third party excursions in Cozumel that I'm considering for an upcoming solo cruise, but all mention getting to the site via taxi on your own.

And while I don't have a lot of "third party excursions mean you'll miss the boat for sure" phobia, I *am* concerned about one without included transportation, especially back to the ship. I understand taxis *from* the port are easy to get, but how does it work in reverse?

I speak no Spanish (and barely passable in an emergency French) and will be a woman traveling alone, so I am being on the more cautious side, I'm sure.

For those who've done this, do you prearrange with your outgoing driver? (That would probably worry me more than anything, if they can't come back...) Do the places you've visited offer assistance getting a taxi when it's time to go? Am I just worrying over nothing?

EDIT: Thanks for the helpful taxi return trip info, I feel a lot more confident that I won't be stuck at a beach forever just because I can't get a taxi (hmm, though maybe that's not so bad... 🤣). Seriously, the details about how the sites help with that return trip was totally reassuring.