My cruise is on Monday (we’re actually doing side by sides that total a week long) but I haven’t started packing yet. I have some piles, printed packing list from cruise critic and a rough idea in my head of what I’m bringing but would you consider this last minute packing? How far in advance do you start packing for a cruise?
I either input her middle name wrong or the procurement company did. Either way for some reason it showed up and her middle name is wrong. I realize that this may not matter at all, but I really don't want to show up tomorrow and get told I can't get on.
I’m planning my first Alaska cruise as a solo traveler and looking for recommendations. Which cruise line is best for meeting people and having a good overall experience? Also, do solo travelers ever share cabins to save on costs, and if so, where do people find trustworthy roommates? Are there any online groups or forums for like-minded solo travelers interested in Alaska cruises? I'd appreciate any advice or personal experiences. Thanks! 🚢🏔️
PSA: If flying to your next cruise, please plan to arrive at least the day prior to boarding...2 days if departing from an international city. Offering generic advice --- and please consider the advantages and coverage of trip insurance.
Edit: others have suggested (thank you) at least 2 days prior if departing from an international port
My wife and I booked our first cruise for December. We have been wanting to try one for years, so we finally decided to just do it.
I am excited about the ports and the food, but honestly I am also a little nervous about getting seasick and figuring out how everything works on the ship.
For experienced cruisers, what should first timers definitely know?
I absolutely love whales of all kinds and have gone to Hawaii multiple times during winter to watch and recently took an Alaskan cruise and got to see them up there, which was incredible as was my first time seeing Orcas. I used to also live in San Francisco so watched from the coast there and down to San Diego and Monterrey Bay, think I have the Pacific pretty well covered so starting to make a bucket list for abroad.
Have been looking at Greenland to Iceland cruises for my next one maybe (cruise line recommendations appreciated as well). But any recommendations for cruises that feature whale watching? Especially great if often seen just while at sea.
Hey everyone! I have an MSC cruise booked for August 31–September 4, leaving from Miami and going to the Bahamas. It’s a single-person cabin.
Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m going to be able to go anymore, so I’m trying to figure out if I can sell or transfer my cruise to someone else instead of losing the money I’ve already put into it. I’d also be willing to give it away if that’s possible.
My wife and I took this ship about 20 years ago and were thinking about going again with our family. We’ve been on two 7 night Carnival cruises on Mardi Gras and Jubilee. Would people be disappointed in a much older smaller ship?
My wife and I are going on a Royal Caribbean honeymoon cruise in October and we are going to: Athens, Mykonos, Bodrum, Santorini (We are going to Royals beach club already), Crete, Katakolon and then we end in Rome. Do yall happen to have any good recs for one of these places? We were thinking about going to the beach in Mykonos to see that beautiful clear water but if you have something else we should do let me know. The other places we have no clue on what to do or if excursions are even worth it. Has anyone done an itinerary like this before and did you do excursions or just explored on your own?
On another note, Do yall have hotel recommendations/Airbnb for Athens and Rome?
Thank yall in advance!
Saw this Royal Caribbean in New York going by the statue of liberty, while aboard the QM2. she sounded her horn in respect. (And probably deafened the tourists on island at the time.)
I am going to be taking a cruise from Vancouver and I will be driving so I will need parking for a week. I need to know the easiest way to get to the port at Canada Place. I checked and the train is full from Bellingham to Pacific Central station. I could take a bus from there as opposed to paying $500 for a hotel (plus the high cost of parking at the port) and driving in an unknown city like Vancouver. What other suggestions do you have that would be the simplest solution?
Hey everyone, I wanted to share a cautionary tale and a wild piece of cruise history that serves as a massive warning if you have ever purchased high-end memorabilia at sea.
UPDATE: NCL has officially responded to my claim (Case: 21188467). They completely admitted that the receipts are real and that they processed the money through my room folio. However, they are refusing any compensation, claiming that it is "time-barred" under their ticket contract and telling me it's not their problem because the auction was run by an independent contractor (Park West Gallery). They are essentially saying they can vet a fraud ring, take your money on your room bill, and then wash their hands of it 20 years later.
Back in May 2003, my family was sailing on an Alaskan itinerary aboard the Norwegian Wind (Room 8003). Like many passengers looking for a special souvenir, we attended the ship's onboard Art Auction and purchased what was heavily marketed by the cruise line's vetted vendor as an authentic, hand-signed Joe DiMaggio autographed baseball.
We paid $673.83, which processed directly through our NCL shipboard account folio. We safely stored the ball away for over two decades, fully trusting the NCL brand.
Recently, I decided to do some modern due diligence. I submitted close-up photos of the autograph directly to Beckett Signature Review (one of the absolute highest authorities in sports authentication) for an expert evaluation.
The official verdict came back: "Unlikely to Pass Full Authentication." It’s a complete forgery.
Once I started digging into the physical paperwork NCL handed us in 2003, the scam became incredibly clear. Our original itemized NCL final invoice perfectly links to an onboard lot voucher (Lot# 404, Reg# 119847.0023). That voucher matches the Certificate of Authenticity (Registration No. 119847) issued by Fine Art Sales, Inc.
Proof of NCL’s Transaction (The Final Invoice)
The Fraudulent Certificate (The COA)
For those who don't know the history, Fine Art Sales, Inc. and their retail supplier B&J Collectibles were heavily exposed by the federal government in "Operation Bullpen"—the historic FBI investigation into a massive sports forgery ring. These fraudulent rings actively targeted luxury cruise line auctions because they knew passengers were a captive audience who trusted the cruise lines to vet their onboard businesses. NCL was actively selling heavily back-stocked, fraudulent warehouse inventory years after the FBI raids began.
While the statute of limitations means standard legal paths are closed, NCL directly vetted a counterfeit ring, put their trusted brand name on the auction banner, and directly collected $673.83 from my credit card for a fake item. Adjusting for inflation, that loss represents over $1,220 of purchasing power today.
I am posting this for two reasons:
Has anyone else on here discovered that a high-end item bought at a cruise ship auction turned out to be a complete fraud? I’d love to hear if anyone else has successfully gotten a cruise line to remedy this.
We have 15 cruises under our belt and I still cannot nail this down. Every time I build out a spreadsheet before we book, I feel good about the number, and then by the time we're back home and I look at the credit card statement I'm like... where did that come from.
The base fare is the easy part. It's everything else that creeps up on me. Gratuities I account for. Port fees I account for, and for what it's worth those drive me a little crazy for reasons I've posted about before. But then there's the drink you bought at the pier because it was hot, the upsell at the spa that felt reasonable in the moment, the specialty dining you didn't plan for because the main dining room had a weird menu that night.
My spouse and I do a pretty tight pretrip budget and I track everything in a running spreadsheet, but the onboard spending is where I consistently underestimate by like 20 to 30 percent
What I'm curious about is whether people here do a daily cash envelope situation, or set a hard number on the onboard account ahead of time and just stop there. Or does your family just kind of... let it go and reconcile later. I've tried both approaches and neither has felt perfect for us. Just my experience, but I wonder if there's a system I'm missing
Trying to plan an event for my department. Part meetings, part social. With the cost of hotels, meeting space and meals, I'm thinking this may be a similar (or lower) expense.
Anyone have experience with this?
Booked for a Disney cruise in January and arriving at mco late the night before. I’m open to a late port arrival time. Can my son and I get anything meaningful out of cape Canaveral for a few hours before departure?
Does anyone else use a night light in the bathroom of the cruise cabin? Curious what other things people like to cruise with? Sound machines, fans, etc....
Personally I like having a night light in the bathroom as the lights they have in there are SO BIRIGHT lol. I do appreciate newer ones have them built in.
Which ones do you use? Mine just broken so curious on which one I should get now as the one I had/liked is no longer available.
I'm from Canada but can buy from US retailers too.
