When planning the perfect cruise vacation, one of the most important considerations is the itinerary. On a weeklong cruise, you can visit anywhere from three different ports to six! 

Once you place the deposit on your cruise fare, you can begin to talk to others about what kinds of activities they want to do while ashore. You will want to make sure that you budget for tours to make the most of your limited time in each place. 

We share lots of cruise updates and advice here, and this is a weekly roundup of everything you may have missed from this week.

If you are busy but want to keep up with all the helpful cruise advice we share, this is an easy-to-digest look at the recent articles and updates we have shared

When traveling on a cruise ship, it is important to note that you will not have access to your cellular data like you would on land, meaning that you sometimes have to get creative with how you choose to communicate with your travel party. 

Cruises are popular family vacations because they offer something for everyone to enjoy, especially if part of a large party. Nobody has to worry about being dragged to the same activities or being together constantly for the duration of the cruise. 

If you are starting to pack for an upcoming cruise vacation, you will want to read into your cruise line's prohibited items. 

Packing something that is not allowed, whether it is inside of your carry-on or checked luggage, will delay your boarding process. If you try and hide something in your checked bag, you may find that it takes longer for the crew members to deliver the bag to your room. You do not want to be without your things for longer than you have to be!

Over the last year, I have had the privilege of sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line four times. I have been lucky to sail on some of Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ships as well as one of the cruise brand’s oldest vessels. 

If you are used to cruising from North America, you should not expect the same experience when taking a cruise to Europe.

For starters, your itinerary is most likely going to be port intensive, meaning that you will be spending less time onboard the ship and more time exploring culturally rich destinations. 

Up until this cruise, I had only taken Caribbean and Bahamas cruises-- 10 of them to be exact! I was excited to board my first-ever Mediterranean cruise onboard MSC Seashore from Genoa.

Regardless of whether you sail on one of today's mega-ships or one of the oldest cruise ships at sea, you will be impressed by the offerings on these impressive vessels, the largest of which have the capability of transporting thousands of passengers and crew members across the globe while offering seemingly endless dining and entertainment options onboard. 

As someone who cruises for both work and leisure, I’ve seen cruisers make a lot of the same mistakes over and over again on European sailings. Everything from not booking excursions soon enough to taking a poorly planned transatlantic flight, it seems that first-time cruisers make the same mistakes when taking European cruises.

A cute way to show someone that you are thinking about them is helping them prepare for an upcoming trip! If you know someone who is going on a cruise soon and would like to gift them something, keep reading. 

It does not have to be anything big-- perhaps just a bottle or two of sunscreen will suffice! On the other hand, you can purchase other items that will help make their trip better, such as motion sickness bands. Plus, many items can be reused. A water bottle, for instance, will likely be used daily after the trip concludes.