Located in The Bahamas is Norwegian Cruise Line's private island: Great Stirrup Cay. In order to visit this idyllic beach getaway, you have to sail onboard a Norwegian ship, meaning that you won't see Great Stirrup Cay on any Royal Caribbean, Carnival, or MSC itinerary. 

If you have spent some time on a message board, Facebook group, or chat room dedicated to going on a cruise ship, very likely you have run across a heated exchange between people about some nuance of cruising.

We all love to go on cruises, but our opinions on how to do it best can vary widely, especially when there is a certain level of ambiguity to protocols or rules.

Most of the discussions tend to be tame, but there are a few hot button topics that really get people fired up and it can often lead to page after page of responses, counter responses, and memes inbetween.

The first cruise ship with paying passengers is sailing to Alaska again.

Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas departed Seattle on Monday to begin a 7-night cruise to Alaska, marking the return of cruise ships.

Like the rest of the world, cruises have been shutdown to Alaska, but Alaska's economy relies on cruise ships far more than other traditional cruise destinations.

Carnival Cruise Line will bring seven cruise ships back into service in September and October 2021.

Once these ships set sail, the cruise line will have more than half of its fleet – 15 ships – operational and offering vacations at sea to eager cruisers.

Seven Carnival ships return to cruise

Struggling to keep track of which cruise ships are returning to service and when? We are, too.  To help keep you updated on test cruises, ship relaunches from U.S. homeports, and other news related to the return to cruising, we’ll be providing weekly updates of key dates and information cruise fans need to know.

Find out when your favorite ship is setting sail with Cruise.blog’s master list of test cruises and 2021 debut sailings.

Cruise lines are getting more specific about which types of vaccines qualify guests to sail as vaccinated passengers. Several lines have added wording to their fine print saying that mixed-type vaccines do not qualify, which could prevent booked cruisers from sailing on ships designated for vaccinated travelers only.

Dig through the health and safety protocols sections of Carnival, Holland America, Norwegian and Princess Cruises’ websites, and you’ll find language to this effect:

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NCLH) has sued the State of Florida over the state’s law preventing businesses from requiring customers to show proof of vaccination in order to receive services. 

The parent company for Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises is determined to set sail with fully vaccinated passengers, but it currently cannot do so from Florida homeports without risking “crushing penalties of up to $5,000 per passenger.”

Carnival Cruise Line is one of the more affordable cruise vacations you can book, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to save even more money on your sailing. 

The key is finding great deals, not spending cash when you could get something for free, and taking advantage of any free perk you can get. If you want to know how to find discounts on your next Carnival cruise, or even how to spend less on alcohol onboard, read our best Carnival cruise tips to saving money.

The cruise industry and representatives of Alaska gave a warm welcome to the first large cruise ship to visit an Alaskan port since 2019.

Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas stopped in Ketchikan on Friday, where U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Lieutenant Governor Kevin Meyer, and City of Ketchikan Mayor Bob Sivertsen championed her arrival.

Ever since the global health crisis shutdown cruises, Alaska has been without one of its primary sources of economic revenue.