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How much does it cost to build today's most innovative and technologically advanced cruise ships at sea?

Cruise ships are often thought of as "floating cities," where you have access to seemingly endless dining options, entertainment, and activities, such as rollercoasters, zip lines, ice skating rinks, skydiving simulators, and go-karts. 

Building a cruise ship, to say the least, is a sizable investment. Nearly every cruise ship with a capacity of 3,000 passengers cost over $750 million to build. 

The rules around Covid precautions for cruises change faster than you can say “nose swab.” Travelers find themselves wading through pages of safety protocols, trying to figure out if vaccinated passengers need to get Covid tested before their cruise, who needs a PCR vs. a rapid antigen test, and how long before their sailing they need to get that test.

Vacation prep shouldn’t be this headache-inducing! In this guide, we lay out everything you need to know about getting Covid tested before your cruise.

You don’t need to sail on a small, stuffy luxury cruise ship to indulge in an over-the-top cruise ship suite. If you’re looking for two-story staterooms, ginormous balconies, and VIP privileges, you can certainly find them on mega-ships that also boast Broadway musicals, waterslides, ropes courses, surf simulators, the first-ever roller coaster at sea, and expansive kids clubs.

First time cruisers often ask if they need a passport to go on a cruise. The answer is that you generally need a passport to travel to a foreign country, but select itineraries sailing roundtrip from U.S. homeports do not require passports as travel documents.

Here, we answer the most common questions about passports for cruises. Remember: It’s always the traveler’s responsibility to make sure they have the correct identification and documentation for your cruise. Otherwise, you could get turned away at the cruise port without a refund. 

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.

It’s an exciting time for cruise fans grounded since March 2020. Select cruise ships finally have approval from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to set sail from U.S. homeports. Cruising is back, and passengers and crew are thrilled about the return to cruise.

Cruisers have always been encouraged to buy travel insurance to protect their vacation investment, but now trip protection is mandatory for some cruisers. Royal Caribbean recently announced that unvaccinated travelers must purchase medical expense and evacuation insurance that covers Covid-related trip interruption.

How do you make sure the travel insurance you buy adheres to Royal Caribbean’s requirements? Are you better off purchasing protection from the cruise line or a third-party provider? What else should you look for in an insurance plan?

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.