Cruise ships are regularly inspected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to confirm they're maintaining a healthy and safe environment for passengers. In 2024, only two Carnival ships received a perfect score. 

The CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) randomly conducts inspections to ensure cruise lines meet their expected standards, giving each ship a rating of 0 to 100. Just like how restaurants and grocery stores are inspected, the CDC wants to reduce the chances of guests and crew falling ill on a ship. 

It's hard to believe I've been cruising for two decades. 

When I was five, my family embarked on our first cruise aboard the Disney Magic to the Eastern Caribbean. Since then, I've visited the Caribbean countless times on lines ranging from Royal Caribbean to Carnival, and I have five cruises to the Caribbean planned for 2025. 

Welcome guest writer Sarah Cinq-Mars! Sarah's a 5th-grade teacher based in North Carolina. When she isn't teaching or being taught the latest slang by her students, she's catching up on the latest true crime podcast, playing with her 12-year-old dog, or checking out the area's newest restaurants.

I finally decided it was time to sail on my first Disney Cruise. My partner and I booked a 3-night cruise on Disney Magic, where we sailed to their new private destination in the Bahamas.

One of the most famous cruise ship captains has experienced unexpected heartbreak this holiday season.

Kate McCue, also known as Captain Kate on social media, announced on Instagram today that her beloved cat, Bug, has sadly passed away. According to Captain Kate’s post, Bug had complications from a routine dental surgery the day after Christmas.

A Christmas cruise for one family ended in tragedy this week when a 51-year-old passenger went overboard while sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line.

While the ship was sailing from Jamaica to the Bahamas on a 7-night itinerary, the man plummeted to the sea. The victim - who went overboard around 3:00pm on December 26, 2024 - was traveling with a large group onboard Norwegian Epic, according to the cruise line.

2024 was a huge year for the cruise industry! 

With ships like Icon of the Seas, Disney Treasure, Utopia of the Seas, and Sun Princess making their grand debut, the Cruise.Blog team made it our mission to sail on as many new ships as possible to determine whether they're worthy of your hard-earned money and vacation time.

If you booked a Carnival cruise visiting Amber Cove but don't know anything about the port, consider this your helpful guide to help you plan the ultimate day ashore in the Dominican Republic.

Amber Cove is a small cruise port located on the northern coast of the DR that opened in 2015. It's primarily visited by Carnival ships; however, Princess, Costa, and Holland ships may also dock here. 

I've been on 20 cruises within the past two years, but no matter how many times embarkation day rolls around, I feel the same jitters as I did when I first started cruising! However, I've learned a thing or two that helps make the first day of any cruise vacation more enjoyable.

For example, certain cruise lines require you to print your boarding pass ahead of time. Forgetting can lead to unnecessary stress and delays at the terminal. 

Disembarking your cruise at the end of vacation is always bittersweet, but one Kentucky man had an especially unfortunate end to his vacation when he was arrested at PortMiami.

Dominic Weaver, a 47-year-old father, was arrested in Miami, Florida last week at the cruise terminal while disembarking his cruise ship. The man was charged for unpaid child support. Following his arrest, Weaver was sent back to Kentucky after being taken into custody by local authorities at PortMiami.