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As your cruise nears, it's time to pack all of your stylish vacation outfits, so you can relax on the pool deck or even stroll through the casino in style! However, packing for a cruise can be easier said than done!

Outside of outfits, other items are vital in remembering to pack because you may end up needing them onboard—maybe a portable charger, a waterproof case, a lanyard for when you are in the water, or even a digital camera to capture all of your memories.

The last thing you want to happen on your cruise vacation is to watch the ship sail away while you are left behind in a foreign port. Trying to figure out the logistics to meet up with the ship and being faced with last minute transportation costs is stressful and not how anybody wants to spend their vacation! 

While videos of people sprinting back to the ship at the list minute, or pier runners, might be common, not many people actually end up missing their cruise ship. 

If your cruise gets cancelled, there's a good change you may end up with a future cruise credit.

A future cruise credit (FCC) is a credit offered to cruise guests in lieu of a refund.  This provides the guest with a monetary value that can be applied to a future sailing, and it has its own set of rules and important things to know.

How you can use your future cruise credit and redemption rules can sometimes be a bit confusing.

The cruise industry adopted face masks for passengers as policy months ago, but the CDC now will require it going going forward.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an order that goes into effect beginning February 1 that requires passengers wear masks on all forms of public transportation, including cruise ships.

It also requires people to wear masks in transportation hubs.

When you book, purchase and check in for a cruise, you'll receive a cruise contract. Most passengers simply acknowledge that they have seen it and agree to it without actually reading through the fine print.

Although we can't say we blame them for not sifting through dozens of pages of legal jargon, these contracts outline your rights and liabilities as a passenger and stipulate the circumstances under which a cruise line can change what you've paid for or refuse to give you your money back.

After seven months of the cruise industry being shutdown in the United States, it looks like it may be coming to an end.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) announced on Friday the No Sail order will not be extended at the end of October, and instead permit cruise lines to demonstrate they can start cruising again safely.

The No Sail order was set to expire on October 31, but will instead be lifted so that cruise lines can attempt a conditional, phased-in return to cruise ship operations.

This article was last updated on February 28, 2021.

We know cruise lines are busy implementing protocols from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's conditional sail framework, but one of the biggest looming questions is what will become of cruise ship buffets.

Whether you need breakfast delivered to your room in the morning to save time before an early shore excursion, you love coffee or tea on your balcony in the afternoons, or you're craving late-night pizza in bed before you fall asleep, room service is one of those little luxuries that's easy to overlook on vacation.

Yes, almost all mainstream ships offer it at all hours of the day, but is room service free on cruises? Here's everything you need to know about which cruise lines have it and how much it'll cost you.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) has extended its cruise ship prohibition by adding an additional 30 days to the No Sail Order.

Late on Wednesday night, the CDC updated its website with a notice that the No Sail Order is now in effect through October 31, 2020.