Historically, shore excursion tickets served as a great souvenir from your cruise vacation, especially to remember the fun activities you've done ashore. However, Carnival Cruise Line is making it easier for guests to check in for excursions with the use of their Sail & Sign card and cell phone. 

Instead of providing passengers with tickets, Carnival is streamlining the process by integrating shore excursion check-ins directly into a mobile app.

The U.S. REAL ID deadline has officially arrived, but what does it mean for your summer cruise plans?

Effective May 7, 2025, travelers with a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or other acceptable form of identification, like a valid passport, will have shorter screening times when flying within the United States. However, the rules for boarding a cruise are unchanged.

Princess Cruises made a controversial change to its drink packages by removing canned soda from its list of included beverages.

According to posts circulating on Facebook, Princess began charging for canned soda sometime around mid- to late-April. 

Previously, unlimited soda was part of the Plus and Premier drink packages. Now, however, guests who want canned soda instead of fountain beverages must pay extra, though they'll receive a 25% discount. 

Royal Caribbean is offering guests aboard an upcoming cruise on Allure of the Seas some amazing compensation if they downgrade their stateroom or change sailings. 

Passengers booked on the May 15, 2025, sailing from Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, received an email asking if anyone had flexible travel plans.

While they didn't explicitly state that the cruise is overbooked, they're looking for passengers to either move to a "cozy interior stateroom" or Odyssey of the Seas' May 18 sailing from Civitavecchia. 

According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4.5% of adults 18+ used e-cigarettes in 2020 compared to 6.5% in 2023. Because the percentage of adults using vapes increased from 2019 to 2023, you might be part of the group wondering if you can bring a vape on a cruise ship. 

Most cruise passengers know to pack their best behavior, as forgetting to take the line's rules seriously can have lifelong consequences. 

Rarely does anyone board a cruise anticipating a lifelong ban. However, disruptive behavior can lead to permanent blacklisting from any line, including Carnival. 

Carnival has a zero-tolerance policy for actions jeopardizing onboard safety and comfort. Though you might feel inclined to let loose on vacation, the rules are clear, and enforcement is strict. 

The biggest isn’t always the best, but in this case, it just might be. I sailed from MSC Cruises’ brand-new terminal at PortMiami, and it offered the fastest embarkation I’ve ever experienced.

In fact, it rivaled even those of Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, which are known for having some of the most efficient check-in procedures in the industry.

So, what makes the new terminal and its process so great? Here’s what you need to know if you plan to cruise with MSC from Miami.

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 a massive fight in Carnival's terminal and a cost breakdown of a weeklong sailing on the world's largest ship. 

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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Cruising has never been pricier, as the soaring demand has driven up fares across the industry. In addition to higher fares, onboard add-ons, including drink packages, specialty restaurants, and shore excursions, have also been subject to price hikes.

Icon of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, has earned a reputation for pushing the boundaries in size, amenities, and price. When she launched in January 2024, it wasn't uncommon to find windowless inside cabins advertised for $2,000 per person!