Feature

Some countries and municipalities are requiring a Covid-19 booster shot, in addition to the full vaccine. Do you have to have a booster to go on a cruise?

The answer is it depends on which cruise line you choose to sail with, although the answer could change in the future.

Currently, some cruise lines require a booster shot, although they tend to be smaller cruise lines and/or based in Europe.

Ships today, mega ships as they are known, are as big as some aircraft carriers, but how big are they and how do we measure them?

Cruise ships are evaluated based on their gross registered tonnage, which is a volume calculation based on how much inside space there is on a ship.  

Royal Caribbean continues to dominate the top spots for the biggest ships, coming in at around 248,000 gross registered tons. For context, the Titanic was a mere 46,329 gross tons, which means you could fit almost 5 Titanics in today’s biggest ship.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) introduced changes to their Latitudes, their loyalty rewards program effective January 10, 2022.

According to Norwegian, they wanted to refresh their loyalty incentives making sure it is relevant and rewarding for their guests, incorporating feedback that they have received from customers.

Leaders in the cruise industry, Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean continue to push the envelope with innovative design and offerings on their latest ships.

Symphony of the Seas and Mardi Gras both provide what we expect from a mega ship, endless activities, fun for all ages and a great selection of food, drinks and entertainment.

The cruise ship industry reached a stunning peak of 55 billion in economic activity in the United States alone in 2015 - but there’s a lot you might not know about them.

Here are some of the most interesting facts about these massive liners - including why they’re registered in Libera of all places!

Promoting worry free vacations, all-inclusives have become increasingly popular in recent years. To the dismay of cruisers, most of the major cruise lines have gone in the opposite direction using more of an a la carte pricing model, with plenty of add-ons for extra fees.

Most cruise lines departing from the United States require guests to be vaccinated, however, some are allowing unvaccinated guests, mostly children, to travel at this time. In addition to cruise line policies, excursion protocols are also governed by local requirements that can create additional demands for travelers.

There are lots of things you can pack for a cruise, but what should you bring? Simply put, pack those items that are necessary for your comfort and to allow you to do everything you want to do.

Planning ahead can be a great time saver, as no one wants to use valuable vacation time doing detours while in port in a search for a forgotten item.  Or missing out on a great activity, such as a galley tour, because you don’t have closed toe shoes.  

Perhaps no other industry has been singled out for being of concern because of the Covid-19 pandemic as cruise ships.

Cruise ships were front page news in early 2020 when the virus was completely unknown and a few ships in Asia quickly found themselves with cases onboard and no protocols to handle it.

Since then, the cruise industry has learned a lot from what health professionals around the world have advised, and cruise lines are armed with more stringent Covid-19 protocols than any school, workplace, or theme park in the world.