From engineers to cabin stewards, dining staff, and officers, running a cruise ship requires a massive team. Among them are bartenders, who work long shifts shaking cocktails. A good bartender can make any vacation more enjoyable, but have you ever wondered how much pouring drinks on a cruise ship pays?

One cruise line is investing in making its private island even better. 

Norwegian Cruise Line broke ground on its $150 million project at Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas. Currently, guests have to tender ashore. However, the new development includes the construction of a pier that will allow two ships to dock. 

Most people have heard of North American-based cruise lines like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian. However, the European line MSC Cruises has a solid plan to infiltrate the global cruise market — and it's working. 

At this year's Seatrade Cruise Global conference in Miami, Florida, MSC Cruises USA Chairman Rick Sasso revealed five key pillars that have propelled MSC to the top of the cruise game. 

Sometimes, I envy first-time cruisers because they experience all the excitement of a cruise from a unique perspective, whereas veteran sailors get accustomed to the quirks of a cruise vacation. 

There are a lot of intricacies when planning a cruise compared to a land vacation. For instance, unlike traditional restaurants, dining on a ship usually means set times for meals. Without knowing the difference, you could select a time you're unhappy with. 

When you combine the best parts of ships from several major cruise lines on one vessel and mix in some new innovations, the result is MSC World America. After more than a decade of trying to woo North American passengers, MSC Cruises is likely to have found a winner with the latest in its behemoth World Class of ships.

Cristiano Ronaldo made a bizarre appearance in a new advertisement for a small cruise line with a single ship. 

Ronaldo, one of the world's most famous soccer stars, was seen in an Instagram ad with his partner, Georgina Rodríguez, promoting Aroya Cruises, a Saudi Arabian cruise line. The one-minute video begins with Rodríguez scrolling through her phone past images of luxury cars and jets before pausing at a picture of a cruise ship. 

We share a lot of cruise updates and advice on Cruise Blog, and this is a weekly roundup of everything you may have missed from this week, including MSC World America's arrival in Miami, Florida, and Margaritaville at Sea's new casino policy.

For busy bees who want to stay updated on all the helpful cruise advice we share, this is an easy-to-digest overview of our recent articles.

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Drink packages are divisive among cruisers. Some love their convenience, while others think they're a waste of money and encourage unruly behavior. 

Growing up, drink packages were non-negotiable for my family — I can't tell you how many virgin piña coladas and strawberry daiquiris my sister and I sipped on while sailing through the Caribbean! Because of my childhood experiences, having unlimited access to beverages on vacation quickly became one of my favorite parts about a cruise. 

Cruisers sailing aboard Margaritaville at Sea's newest ship reported receiving free drinks while playing in the casino. 

Most cruise lines only reward players with so many points through their respective casino loyalty programs. However, Celebrity Cruises offers complimentary beverages to cruisers actively playing in the casino, and it seems Margaritaville at Sea is following suit.