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One of the most frequent questions we receive is "What are the best cruises for kids?"

Family cruises can be a great way for you to get away with your children, but if your goal is for them to enjoy the sailing as much as you, it's important to choose a cruise line and ship with plenty to offer younger passengers.

Here are our recommendations for the best cruise lines for families, featuring everything from child-centric activities and kids clubs to family-friendly cruise cabins.

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?

You have booked your voyage, and you are super excited. You have started making a packing list, and you have given a ton of thought to what you will do onboard and in port. But have you thought about the in-between?

If you are new to cruising, we will tell you all you need to know about the logistics of boarding your ship and heading ashore. Boarding a cruise ship is not like checking into a hotel! There are a few more steps that you should be aware of before you get to the terminal, so you are not hit with any major surprises. 

Although major cruise lines have not yet officially announced the rules that will be in place for American passengers when sailings resume, several brands -- such as MSC, Costa and AIDA -- which have restarted voyages in Europe, are requiring cruisers there to book ship-sponsored shore excursions in order to disembark in port.

MSC pioneered the idea, which it first implemented on MSC Grandiosa when the ship resumed Mediterranean sailings from Italy in August 2020.

Tired of the same old hum-drum, ho-hum cruise cabins? If you're itching for something outside the norm, we can help.

Here, we've rounded up some of the cruise industry's most quirky, lavish, interesting and just plain fun staterooms. Although it isn't an exhaustive list, it's a great place to start if you're trying to find memorable accommodations.

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.

Cruise ships range in size from a capacity of dozens of passengers, all the way up to well over six thousands people.  That is the population of a small city.

All of those people have to live on a cruise ship for a few days, or even a week or longer. They expect nice conditions in well-kept staterooms where they take a shower and use a private toilet. These facilities use water, which may not seem like much individually, but it soon adds up.

So where does all that water go once it goes down the drain or toilet?

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?