Feature

The cruising comeback has reached full force.  

But this story all started early in the summer when a handful of lines put ships back in the water, embarking from ports in the Caribbean and Greece. 

I was onboard a few of the first cruise lines to get going again, sailing on Celebrity Millennium from St. Maarten, then Celebrity Apex, Celestyal Crystal and Silversea’s new Silver Moon from Athens. 

Have you ever wondered how a cruise ship operates, and specifically, how the Captain drives the ship?

Modern cruise ships are amazing pieces of engineering that cost a billion dollars each, and are as complex as any form of transportation you can find on the ground or in the sky.

As you might imagine, driving something the size of a skyscraper through narrow waterways and then precisely docking it between various obstacles is no easy task.

If you're considering taking a cruise to Alaska, you are probably dreaming of the beautiful scenery. During your cruise, it is likely that your ship will enter a watery culdesac that's frequented mainly by birds and sea creatures, with a massive glacier awaiting in icy splendor. 

Passengers will race to the top deck to watch chunks of ice break off and crash into the water with a thunderous sound or pull out binoculars to spot otters and eagles.

You’re planning your cruise and you want a cabin with more space. Do you go for the balcony cabin or do you upgrade to a suite? If you’re not familiar with cruise ship accommodations, it can be tricky to decide if you need a balcony cabin vs. a suite – especially since ships may have several types of balcony cabins and suites.

In this guide, we walk you through the similarities and differences, so you can pick the best cabin for your upcoming sailing.

This article was last updated on May 18, 2021.

In some of the biggest news for the cruise industry since lines voluntarily stopped sailing in early 2020, four major lines have opened sailings to American passengers, beginning in June 2021.

Here, we'll outline which ships are sailing, from where, the types of voyages offered and what will be required of travelers in order to cruise.

If you have seen today's mega cruise ships, you might have wondered why don't cruise ships fall over? How are the mega ships (think Symphony of the Seas, Carnival's Mardi Gras, and the much anticipated Icon of the Seas) able to accommodate the weight of 5,200, 6,680, and 7,600 guests?

With all that height above the water and not much below the water line, what's keeping the ships upright?

Crew members live on cruise ships while they are working onboard, and they have an entire area of the ship just for them.

How much different are crew areas from guest areas, and what do these facilities look like?

In some cases, crew areas are a lot like guest areas because some crew have guest privileges. But not all crew have these privileges, so cruise lines dedicate certain parts of the ship just for crew.

Ever wonder how a cruise ship works?

A new cruise ship costs well over one billion dollars and will only last a cruise line around 20 years, with most being refurbished well before this mark. There are then costs for maintenance, food, fuel and crew members.

If you think the cruise fare covers all of those costs, think again. It is not uncommon for cruise fares to dip as low as $60 or $70 dollars a day, so how can these ships ever be profitable?

Canada has dominated cruise-related headlines in recent weeks, due to the yearlong extension of its cruise ship ban, which is now set to expire February 28, 2022.

The move prohibits passenger vessels carrying more than 100 people from entering Canadian waters. It also jeopardizes 2021's North America-based voyages to Alaska and New England.