Towering 20 decks above the Miami shore, Icon of the Seas has made her long-awaited debut. With plenty of pomp and circumstance, Royal Caribbean’s newest ship is here!

Although Icon of the Seas won’t be welcoming guests onboard for two more weeks, I was able to get a sneak peek of the world’s newest and biggest cruise ship.

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

If you are 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.

While most people think of cruising as a great vacation for families or a group of friends, they can make for a great solo trip, too. You do not have to worry about coordinating dinner plans or browsing through shore excursions trying to get everyone to agree on a single outing. 

Plus, with so many scheduled activities, it's easy to find an event you are interested in and strike up a conversation with others in attendance. If you ever find yourself not knowing what to talk about, simply discuss what you did while in port! 

When packing for your upcoming Carnival cruise, you might be wondering what exactly you should or shouldn’t pack in your suitcase. If you’re in the process of packing for your cruise, you’ll want to review which items are prohibited from bringing onboard your Carnival cruise ship.

While some prohibited items are obvious - such as weapons and fireworks - you might be surprised by the long list of items that Carnival Cruise Line does not want you to bring onboard. You can view Carnival’s list of prohibited items on the cruise line’s website.

Now is the perfect time to start planning your 2024 cruise vacation if you haven't done so already. 

Whether it's for your child's spring break in March, a family vacation in July, or a holiday sailing in December, booking a cruise at the beginning of the year gives you something to look forward to.

Carnival Cruise Line is one of the largest cruise lines in the world, and they definitely deliver on the fun. After all, their cruises are referred to as the “fun ships.”

If you are someone who is a fan of Norwegian Cruise Line you may be aware that a brand new ship recently launched just five months ago. This new ship is the second vessel in the Prima Class and is named the Norwegian Viva. 

Icon of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, will be the permanent residence of Rover, the Chief Dog Officer. 

After a few posts made by crew members, Royal Caribbean took to social media to welcome Rover onboard the ship. In the 44-second clip, Rover is seen in the backseat of a large SUV before making her way onboard with Allison, "her best friend and Chief of Staff." 

​Today’s newest cruise ships are like floating cities, with the largest vessels able to accommodate around 7,000 guests. When accounting for crew members, roughly 10,000 people may be aboard the world’s megaships at any given time.

Needless to say, you can find anything you’ll ever need on these massive ships, from dozens of restaurants to multiple entertainment venues and thousands of cozy cabins. Cruising on a mainstream cruise ship is, without a doubt, a fun way to vacation.