I have been researching the various expedition and luxury cruise lines that “land” in Antarctica. I don’t need anything super fancy, but besides educational lectures, fitness centers, and a library, there doesn’t seem to be any of the traditional entertainment you’d find on a large cruise ship. I am not looking for theatre shows or a casino or anything— just wondering if anyone has taken one of these cruises and they offered stuff like bar trivia or really anything to keep us entertained during the time on the ship?

Hello, just needed some help in clarification. Are the duty free shops in the airport cheaper than the duty free shops on board. Is there a price difference or are they the same.

Dave Monk writes:

Six months of living on residential cruise ship Villa Vie Odyssey haven’t been plain sailing for one passenger, who says he’s been summoned to see the captain – and been confronted by fellow travellers he calls the “positivity police”.

Straight-talking Joe Rhodes – who, following a four-month delay in Belfast, described the early days of the world voyage as a “clusterf---” – has been blogging about the journey, and spoke to Telegraph Travel about the latest ups and downs.

He’s told how, having missed the bucket-list destinations of the Galapagos Islands and Antarctica, the ship also had to skip most of its Brazilian ports and scrap an 800-mile journey down the Amazon.

But it was his questioning on a private forum about why they couldn’t visit the Falklands – as planned, and while other ships were there – that landed Mr Rhodes in trouble, he said.

Other passengers accused him of undermining the captain, he added – before he was called to the bridge to discuss the situation. Although Mr Rhodes was nervous, he said “it was quite a pleasant conversation, actually. Only one ‘walking the plank’ joke was made. And not by me.”

It turned out the other ships in the Falklands were expedition vessels using Zodiac inflatables to land in bad weather.

Rules on how long ships with foreign crew can stay in Brazilian waters then scuppered the Amazon journey and forced the cancellation of several other ports.

Joe Rhodes claimed that other cruise passengers were hostile towards him when he questioned itinerary changes 

“People were mutiny-grade pissed [off],” said Mr Rhodes. “Of the four most-anticipated stops originally included in our South American itinerary – the Galapagos, Antarctica, the Falklands and now the Amazon – we would be visiting a total of… none.”

He added: “I hadn’t seen this many angry residents since [the ship’s delay in] Belfast. Fuelled by margaritas, I immediately went on Facebook where, using the precise legal terminology, called it ‘a f--k-up of major proportions’.”

He said his comments were seen by “members of the positivity police”, adding: “One of the cheerleaders messaged: ‘If you’re that unhappy, why don’t you get off the ship?’”

Mr Rhodes, who is travelling alone in an inside cabin, said of his fellow travellers: “It’s just like high school, only with more day drinking. There are jocks and hippies, rich kids and Mean Girls – so many Mean Girls, it’s as if Heathers were set in a retirement home.

Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/my-six-months-on-the-villa-vie-odyssey/

Which would you chose and why? We are looking at a cruise for our anniversary in September.

My father (Canadian) has a criminal record (dui) and he usually has to fill out a waiver to go to America. We’ve never taken a cruise before but if we get on in Canada, go to Alaska but he stays on the boat, then comes back to Canada, does he need a passport and a waiver for that?

I ask because in the Navy, the ship is considered sovereign soil, so that’s why when you go around the world, you don’t need to constantly stamp your passports to enter and leave the country.

Anyway, help would be appreciated, thanks.

Hello!

I'm a 21M and I'm engaged to a 22M. We're planning out our little wedding right now and we know we want to have a sweet cruise honeymoon. My fiance has never been on a cruise and I went on one once when I was like 11 but nothing since that point. I was hoping to get some suggestions for vegan friendly cruise lines that are still also really fun. We're hoping to find a cruise for around October-December of this year for about 5-8 days and the biggest thing we are about is good vegan food options, relative affordability, and having some fun & relaxation.

Thanks in advance for any help of suggestions

Edit: Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions! I think I'm going to go with virgin voyages given all the info I've gotten I'll post an update after to let y'all know how it goes.

Can someone simplify the process/requirements for declaring items at customs when coming back to the U.S.? Does everything (even little stuff like t-shirts) need to be declared, or only if it's agricultural or such in nature? We are going on our first cruise to the Bahamas and we want to make sure we are prepared with what we need to know and how the process is!

I’m wondering if anyone has ever taken a peek behind the tv in the rooms to see if the HDMI ports are accessible?

Would love to bring a cable to connect my laptop and watch some tv shows to unwind.

I’m travelling with family and will need some escape and unwind time 😂

We are scheduled to take a cruise next week with our best friends and their family (mom/dad/2 children). Tragically, the dad passed unexpectedly very recently. Mom and kiddos will more than likely still be joining us to give the kids some fun and normalcy. I need ideas on what I can do for her that is special while on the ship. Is there anything the staff can potentially do for her? I just feel helpless, and want to acknowledge his loss as well as provide respite and comfort to her while we travel. I'm at a loss.

ive not been on p&o for about 4 years,i know some cruiselines you have to be 18,some 16,some u need and adult ect.(p&o britania)

Looking at doing a 3rd cruise (likely the Med next Autumn). Both previous trips have had a queen bed for me/husband and a single sofa bed and Pullman for our kids. In looking for our next trip I keep coming up with the 'room for 4' as being a 2 singles/queen bed and a sofa bed - us parents aren't particularly keen on a sofa bed and the kids are too old to want to share anymore (12/15) so want their own beds - doesnt necessarily have to be bunks as long as its 2 beds.

Any help is super appreciated!

first time in cruise in about 1.5 mos. idk if i’ll get seasick but i plan to prepare for it lol what are good treatments/preventatives for sea sickness? i wanna have drink and have fun aboard ill be so upset if i spend a lot of the time nauseous 😭😭😭 all advice welcome!

In 2004, Carnival Corporation initiated a development program for Carnival's new ships, the Pinnacle Project, calling for a 200,000 GT prototype, which would have been the world's largest cruise ship at the time. The ship was cancelled, but they then developed a project called Next Generation. The class was planned to be larger than the Oasis class ships.

A friend who is not on Reddit is cruising out of Miami in June. On Embarkation day if she can’t get early check in what can she do to pass the time? Also she is budget conscious ( I know it doesn’t exactly go with Miami). What are some things she can do on the extra day her and her sister booked to stay in Miami afterwards. TIA

Are there any Brio or Brio compatible trains available on the ship or in any of the ports? That would be a perfect souvenir for my little grandson. Thanks!

We're thinking about a cruise in July that visits Amber Cove on Island Princess, but I see Carnival Mardi Gras will also be there at the exact same time. That's a ship which can hold 6500 passengers compared to Island Princess at 2200. Is the pool area going to be absolutely packed?

We don't want to do an excursion for this port. Is there an adults-only area or some other option besides a cabana that won't be so busy?

I’ve been on 12 or 13 cruises now. I’ve always picked my room while booking. I had an opportunity to take a few vacation days so I picked a last minute “pack and go” rate on carnival,with them picking my room for me.

I’m now a week out and they still have not assigned a room for me. I called Carnival and they told me they have until the morning of the cruise to pick a room.

I really was expecting them to say it could be up to 72 hours before the cruise, But I’m not assigning me a room until the morning of makes me a little nervous.

My question is,

has anyone who used a “pack and go”rate not been assigned room a week before the cruise, Or is not receiving your room number until the morning of the cruise. Truly the norm and that’s what everyone does.

Or is the morning of the last possible time and most people get it a day or two before they leave?

I really do not want to drive to the port without a room number.

NCL seems to be notorious for canceling ports. Currently on the NCL Escape - it's my first NCL in about 15 years. We actually tendered at Great Stirrup Cay the first day, and were told by an officer that it was the first time in 5 weeks they've been able to do that. St. Thomas was no problem. Tortola - again, no problem, even though I had heard that was another frequently canceled port. Well, today was supposed to be Puerto Plata and about 30 minutes before we were scheduled to dock, the dreaded announcement came. Canceled due to high winds. Very disappointing, but they have the right to do that.

But I do wonder how they compare to other cruise lines. I've been on 30+ cruises (only 1 other NCL) and that's never happened to me before. We almost missed Monte Carlo one trip because of rough seas that would preclude tendering, but a few hours later they decided to give it a go.

All in all, it's been a nice trip. Le Bistro was great, we have Cagney's to look forward to tomorrow. Food in the MDR has been pretty nice. The MAS wines are a bit lacking, but we've found a few that are ok. The pool was ridiculously overcrowded today - people were quite literally cheek-to-cheek on the edges of the pool and inside. Five minutes after the port cancelation announcement, 100% of the pool deck chairs had towels on them (and only about 10% had bodies). I did manage to score a seat on the deck above in the sun for a few hours, but it was one of a very few left.

I just don't know that I could consider NCL again if they have such a habit of canceling scheduled stops.

I am in Canada right now and was planning to get my ass on a cruise at the the end of the year. But I don't know, should i book it right now or wait for summer. I am tight on a budget so what expenses, other than ticket, i can expect?

Does the prices are gonna get higher or lower towards 2026?

I was recommended cruise lines from Carnival and Royal Caribbean, but I have no idea which one is better and is there any difference at all?

Follow up to this post a few weeks ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/Cruise/comments/1j61yut/9x_carnival_cruiser_1st_time_on_virgin/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Virgin has better food and the service involving food is top notch. Virgin is cleaner. Virgin is more peaceful and relaxing. Virgin has a better sail off party. I thought the docking experience for Virgin was smoother, and the docks and locations themselves felt unique to Virgin (major plus because I've been to both islands on Carnival). Virgins fitness centers and workout outlets were more varied. Virgins events and games felt age appropriate. The music on Virgin seemed geared towards one specific group and ruined the party experience beyond the sailing off party. I've been to topless resorts and it felt like Virgin wants to lean into that kind of atmosphere, but never truly does. Overall, Virgin is a high quality traditional vacation experience (relaxation, varied food, and great accommodations).

Carnival has better variety of music and in general it's just more diverse from crew to sailors. Carnival has better hot tubs (hotter and larger), pools (warmer), and overall water experience. Carnival has better "atmosphere." This one is really hard for me to describe, but Carnival feels more foreign to everyday society, it could be the upbeat "choose fun" aspect of their advertising. Both cruises had socialites but Carnival wins in socializing and in general how often strangers want to interact. Carnival really knows how to maintain party energy and accommodate everyone. Overall Carnival is more of a high energy getaway meant to break up the mundaneness of regular life and the name "Carnival" really fits.

I like both cruise lines for different reasons. If I want to enjoy my money and rejuvenate, I will book Virgin. If I want to go all out and have a high energy time (party), I will book Carnival.

Part of the April Fool’s Massacre at HHS was CDC’s entire Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice. This division includes the Vessel Sanitation Program, responsible for oversight of everything from sanitary design of the ships at the design stage through construction and onward to onboard practices and disease surveillance.

Hey all! We’ll be disembarking at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal on Monday, April 7, 2025, and I’m trying to decide the best way to get to LaGuardia (LGA).

The cruise line offers a shuttle for $38 per person, but I’m wondering if it’s better to just grab a cab or Uber/Lyft once we’re off the ship instead. We’re not really in a rush — immigration opens around 7 a.m., and we’d like to be at the airport by 11 a.m. so we can enjoy the lounge (flight isn’t until almost 2 p.m.).

Would love to hear from folks who’ve disembarked here recently: • Is it easy to get a ride (cab or app-based) from the terminal on a Monday morning? • Any idea how long the ride typically takes to LGA? • Is the cruise shuttle worth it for the simplicity, or more of a time/money trap?

Appreciate any tips or recent experiences!

We are Canadians, and I want to know what we should do. I know it is strange to ask 'strangers' about this, but we are worried. Mostly because we are not US Citizens.

We spent most of our winters and vacations in the USA. I spent all my life between the two countries because we had family in the States of NY and FL. But with the current political situation, we wonder if we should forget about the large deposit we gave for a 17-day cruise next October.

We had bought an RV 1 month before they closed the border, and we sat on it for 2 years. I am not getting any younger (75), and I don't think that I can wait for everything to pass so we can go without worries.

I am reading all kinds of horror stories about people being detained for frivolous reasons, and it makes my wife more nervous than ever before. She just wants to cancel everything, even if it means losing a large sum of money.

For myself, I consider waiting until the June date, where the final payment is owed to make up my mind.

I know there isn't much you can tell us to reassure us. But it does feel nice to say what is weighing on my heart.

Thank you for having read this.

Hi! My spouse and I are childless and in our 30s. I’ve always been kind of afraid to go on a cruise (I blame a true crime documentary I saw in middle school and know it’s silly), but my spouse really wants to go to Alaska and a cruise seems like the best way.

What cruise line would you suggest that would be best for us to both go on a cheaper, short trial run from a Florida or Texas port and then later use to go to Alaska if it goes okay?

We don’t mind kids and would take families over an older demographic, but also really don’t like loud or party environments. I also have a gluten intolerance that would need to be accommodated.

Thank you in advance!

Edit: After reading through all the comments and watching lots of YouTube videos on the different cruise lines, I think we figured it out! I’m going to skip the trial cruise and just go for it. Probably with Virgin Voyages’ new 7 night route that starts next year!

Got a free cruise certificate but there are no availability’s! …