Whether your cruise line calls them daily service fees, cruise ship gratuities or crew appreciation, it's simply tipping on a cruise. ...
Plan Your Cruise
Never Ever Book a Stateroom in These Locations
It can be an easy decision to choose an inside, oceanview or balcony stateroom. To find the best stateroom location, however, can be a ...
What to Do In Costa Maya Mexico Instead of an Expensive Shore Excursion
After almost three years, I finally had the chance to return to Costa Maya in October 2022. Costa Maya has always been one of my favorite ...
What to Pack for a Cruise – Complete Guide Plus Printable Checklist
It’s been decades since I packed for my first cruise. Never one to leave anything behind, you’d think I packed for an around-the-world ...
Best Things to Do in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico
I love a port day San Juan, especially to visit Old San Juan to be exact. Almost every cruise to the eastern Caribbean includes a stop in ...
Complete Guide to Cruise Line Room Service Fees
For as long as I've been cruising (and that's a long time), I've never been charged a room service fee. Except of course, a couple of ...
Do You Need a Passport for an Alaska Cruise
You're finally going to plan that long-awaited Alaska cruise. One question I'm often asked is, "do I need a passport for an Alaska ...
What It’s Like Aboard a Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic Cruise
On my first trip to Europe in 2005, when I told friends I would take a Cunard's Queen Mary 2 transatlantic crossing rather than fly, a lot of ...
Icy Strait Point Whale Watching Tour Review
One of the most exciting excursions to take on an Alaska cruise is to go whale watching. I have been fortunate to take whale-watching tours ...