Feature

The sinking of the Titanic is one of the most well-known maritime disasters in history. When launched in 1912, she was the world's largest cruise ship; however, she did not hold that record for long. 

While en route to New York on her inaugural voyage, she struck an iceberg that damaged the hull of the ship, causing the deaths of over 1,500 people as the vessel sank beneath the freezing cold waters of the Atlantic.

Traditionally, Black Friday and Cyber Monday allow shoppers to save money on things from brand-new electronics to vacations! While many Black Friday cruise sales began well before Thanksgiving, many have continued after, too. 

Many travel companies will extend deals to the Tuesday after, as that day is commonly referred to as "Travel Tuesday." Airlines, hotels, and even cruise lines tend to have deals to entice customers to book with them. 

Discounts for cruises range from lower cruise fares to onboard credit, cheaper deposits, free add-ons, and more. 

As one would expect, cruise ship captains are given nicer living quarters compared to other crew members. 

During his time onboard as Captain of Harmony of the Seas, Captain Johnny Faevelen posted a video on his TikTok (@captainjohnnyfaevelen) to give people a peek into what his living quarters were like.

Today's mega cruise ships are engineering marvels. Onboard these floating cities, you can find anything from go-kart tracks to roller coasters, sky diving simulators, water parks, ropes courses, and more. 

On average, building a cruise ship takes two to three years, from the time the keel is laid to when the ship is launched. This does not include the time it took to design the ship. 

So, how exactly are cruise ships built? 

A cruise vacation is meant to be a chance to kick back, relax, and escape from your mundane everyday routine. 

Like with school, work, and nearly every hobby and activity in life, there are unwritten rules that we must abide by while on vacation. 

After losing a game, it is unsportsmanlike to be rude to players on the other team. Similarly, if you run into an issue on your cruise, you wouldn't want to be rude to guest services or other passengers. 

Here are the unspoken rules of behavior and etiquette on a cruise ship. 

After fifteen cruises, I have learned a thing or two about what you should never do while onboard a cruise ship. 

While vacations are a time to forget about your daily responsibilities, all cruise lines have rules in place to help foster a safe environment for both passengers and crew. 

Some are explicit, such as only smoking in designated areas, and others are implied. You should not, for instance, be rude to any crew members simply because you are having a bad day. 

While ships have been a popular mode of travel for centuries, cruise ships as we know them today have existed for far less time. 100 years ago, you would not have seen a mega-ship with roller coasters, surf simulators, or go-karts onboard! 

Ready to save money on a cruise vacation during Black Friday? We've been scouring the internet for the best cruise deals from all the cruise lines.

Just like retailers in 2023, cruise lines offer up Black Friday sales and many begin well before the actual day.  Some lines start offering sales well before Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and there can be deep discounts available for bargain hunters. 

You'll find discounts on the cruise fares, extra onboard credit, and free add-ons.

We share lots of cruise updates and advice here, and this is a weekly roundup of everything you may have missed from this week.

If you are busy but want to keep up with all the helpful cruise advice we share, this is an easy-to-digest look at the recent articles and updates we've shared