The world watched in horror and disbelief as a novel coronavirus spread like wildfire onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan. An illness that once seemed to only plague one region of the world quickly spread around the globe - leading to an unprecedented halt of the travel industry.

Other cruise lines started to deal with localized outbreaks, which garnered more media attention that no other sector in the travel industry had to deal with.

Today, cruise lines are constantly striving to outdo themselves. They want ships that are bigger, better, and more technologically advanced than anything else at sea. Of course, the definition of "bigger and better" varies from cruise line to cruise line. Regardless, they want their ships appeal to all cruisers by packing them full of different fun activities. 

Ask me about my favorite travel memories and I will, undoubtedly, start to ramble about the time I lived on a cruise ship for 100 days traveling the world. Anyone who has studied abroad will likely agree that it's one of the most formative and remarkable experiences of your life.

Nobody wants to think about the worst case scenario for their cruise vacation. As much as we'd all like to believe that it is smooth sailing as soon as the deposit is placed, that is not always the case. Unexpected events, such as the sudden onset of an illness prior to embarkation or a delayed flight, can cause the vacation to be thrown off course.

If you are planning a vacation, you might be wondering what the cheapest month to book a cruise is. 

Because cruise ship prices are so dynamic, it's difficult to come up with a simple rule when to book.

The price of a cruise fluctuates based on the itinerary, time of year, ship's age, and how soon it is scheduled to set sail. In other words, the same itinerary on the same ship might be cheaper in October than it is in July. 

Plus, as availability on any given sailing deceases, cruise lines will begin to increase the prices on the remaining cabins. 

When people think of a summer cruise vacation, they often default to images of crystal clear waters in the Bahamas, Caribbean, and Mediterranean. 

Yet, many families opt to sail to Alaska for the diverse history and culture, breathtaking scenery, exciting shore excursions, abundant wildlife, and delicious seafood.

Taking a cruise in 2023 will see a few changes compared to just last year.

2022 was a big year for the cruise industry. Not only was it the first full year of sailings after the shut down, but it also saw record bookings. 

You may be left wondering what's next for the cruise industry? Here are 7 changes that you can expect to see in 2023.

What’s not to love about visiting cruise line private islands in the Bahamas? Soft white sand, crystal blue waters, and incredible views. That's a yes, please, any day of the week for me. 

Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay (CocoCay) and MSC Cruises' Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve (Ocean Cay) both have two fantastic private islands located in the Bahamas. 

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

If you're 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've shared at Cruise.blog.