3Sisters

@FJB That's so bizarre that Old San Juan had zero cruise ships. I have seen cruise itineraries that embark from San Juan. Do you have any tips for flying in and cruising out of this area? I don't think flights are very pricey from the U.S., but I'm always hesitant about the logistics to get to an unfamiliar port on unfamiliar territory. I would imagine San Juan is a popular port of call for spring break cruising! I wonder if it was just an off day. Our spring breaks are beginning in the next week or two.

@FJB I love the twice-a-day housekeeping is truly a luxury but not a necessity. I absolutely enjoy taking a midday nap when possible and when I come back from dinner to a freshly tucked bed, it's pretty luxurious! Although many cruise lines are getting rid of this housekeeping amenity, I'm glad to hear that other cruise lines, such as Celebrity Cruises, are keeping these specialty nuances. Celebrity Cruises has been holding true to its brand and it's pretty refreshing to see. As you said, hopefully, it remains this way!

@FJB This is such exciting news! Aqua Class Elite is impressive status! That's a lovely drink of choice too. Are you still cruising on Celebrity Millennium or are you back on land? I want to hear all about your cruise!

MSC Cruises is implementing an online training program for MSC Bellissima cruise officers that will help avoid collisions with whales. This is such a great way to promote ocean wildlife awareness and work to keep cruising safe for the environment. Apparently, there are only about 350 whales alive today! Whales seem to be getting closer and closer to extinction. Keeping them safe is a very smart strategy to preserve this species, and I hope more cruise lines follow suit.

I always think of Carnival Cruise Line sailing out of North America. Every time I explore cruises out of Europe I usually look into other cruise lines. Has anyone cruised out of Europe with Carnival Cruise Line? Carnival Legend will be sailing out of Barcelona for some pretty awesome itineraries in 2024.

Cozumel has tons of things to do! Will this be your first time visiting Cozumel? I have always enjoyed being in the water while there. Snorkeling and jet skiing are wonderfully fun if you crave some fun in the sun. The waters are so gorgeous there! If you do want a beach experience, this article has some really good beach spot options reasonably close to the port. https://www.cruisehive.com/best-cozumel-beaches-you-should-experience/24492 Carnival Vista is a great ship. If you like water parks, Carnival Vista has one of the largest in its fleet!

Princess Cruises is making its cruise packages even better! This is an exciting announcement considering all of the price increases lately. These packages bundle up some amenity favorites and additions that can help cruisers save up to 60% of what the cost would be if purchased separately. Will anyone be taking advantage of these new package enhancements?

That's so cool! Greece has so many amazingly scenic spots to explore; I think I would need an entire month to experience the region. What were some of your favorite spots you visited in Greece? The food alone would be a whole new experience for me. Mediterranean food in the US surely doesn't compare. MSC Cruises has a pretty cool program called "Stay and Cruise" where you can explore the area longer and includes a pre-cruise stay for sailings in Italy and Greece. Maybe this would be a nice option for me! I do enjoy MSC Cruises.

Being retired certainly has its perks but the downside is the struggle to remain healthy! If you properly budget for it, cruising can be for any age group. It may take a few years of saving to get there, but you most certainly could do it. The demand and cost of cruising have gone up, so it's taking more time for me to save for a cruise nowadays! I eat out less and cook more at home, which actually makes all of the prepared food on the cruise much more appreciated.

You should have got your drink package while you had the chance! MSC Cruises just increased its beverage package prices and it's quite a bit higher now! What a bummer! https://www.cruisehive.com/msc-cruises-makes-major-beverage-changes-passengers-wont-like/95277 Apparently pre-booking now is smarter than ever because beverage package prices are going to cost even more once onboard.

@ombud That's so bizarre! It's public knowledge that Princes Cruises is offering its new beverage package so the representatives should be able to add it to your booking. That's particularly strange. Royal Princess sounds amazing! Where will you be visiting on your itinerary? Hopefully, you are at least able to add it once onboard!

@kefthecruiser Your disclaimer cracked me up! I hope you don't ever have to cut your cruise budget. That's a really wise observation. I wonder which group would be a good buyer candidate. Yes, the cruise line could truly benefit from some support, and the financial position it's in would likely have it entertaining any offers that may come its way. I like the way you put it!

I doubt there are too many Pearl-level guests out there! Cruising with Disney Cruise Line is a costly way to travel. I actually think that this sort of loyalty deserves even more perks beyond the unlimited photo pass. I'm curious to know what Disney Cruise Line loyalty members think about this change.

@Traveler7 That's so strange! I wonder why you guys needed a tender and the other ship didn't. Maybe the other ship needed shore power? I was reading about the Punta Arenas, Chile cruise port, and apparently high winds and cold weather are to be expected. I also found that it's very common for cruise ships to reach Punta Arenas via ferry and then use a tender to get offshore. I guess it's common practice and unfortunately, the weather wasn't particularly unusual for this region.

How do you feel about some of these new "cruise trends?" The fact that the overall cost of cruising is increasing is one thing, but the fact that cruise ships just keep expanding in size is another. I don't particularly enjoy the mega-ship mentality. Does anyone feel the same way? https://www.cruisehive.com/cruise-trends/95270

That's great news to hear Southampton is growing! One of the reasons it's likely growing in popularity is because the area has so much to do. I would imagine cruise guests what some extra time to explore the area on land before departing back to their hometown. https://www.cruisehive.com/things-to-do-in-southampton-uk-for-cruise-visitors/42016 This port has the capacity to hold some serious mega ships!

@PaulBThat's pretty cool you are doing a similar experience to @LukeJ! Will this be your first time visiting Greece and Italy? I haven't been to either of those destinations before. What cruise line will you be sailing with? I think Viking Cruises has similar itineraries. Viking Cruises is growing in popularity and just had its best booking month in January 2023. Apparently, the cruise line almost sold out for the 2023 cruise season!

@StevenMC I'm glad you were at least notified about these itinerary changes! That's an interesting thought, money being given back to cruise guests due to this circumstance. I'm sure sustainability is a factor here but likely a way to save money as well. Cruise lines are working hard nowadays to financially recover from the loss in previous years. I think many cruise lines are using sustainability as an excuse to change itineraries without a true reason. Guests definitely want a reason as to why their itinerary changed, so I think many cruise lines are just throwing out "reducing emissions" to dodge the truth. I think Norwegian Cruise Line is doing this the most out of all of the cruise lines. It's not the first time I'm seeing this sort of complaint. It actually is happening again on an upcoming NCL itinerary. https://www.cruisehive.com/itinerary-changed-port-cancelled-for-norwegian-cruise-ship/95342 @kefthecruiser I think you are spot on. This is pretty intuitive reasoning. Do you have reason to believe that Norwegian Cruise Line would no longer be an independent company?

@FJB This is such exciting news! Thanks for sharing the link. I'm sure you are very proud of this monumental achievement for Celebrity Cruises. It seems very well-deserved. It's also very impressive that Celebrity Cruises was awarded for three different classes of ships. This news deserves some celebration! I was reading some history of the cruise line, and I noticed it was founded in Greece and is a wholly owned subsidiary for Royal Caribbean Group. It has been a strong cruise company for quite some time, and it is truly make big waves in setting industry standards!

@FJB Glass blowing at sea sounds fantastic! I was exploring a local art district, and I saw this glass-blown art with pieces of trash on the inside (sort of a trash to treasure sentiment) and it was lovely. Does this experience allow for guests to participate in the process? I have heard of this unique area onboard some Celebrity Cruises' ships, and it sounds very worthwhile. The Gelateria onboard Celebrity Equinox looks delicious too! Have you tried the gelato onboard? I personally prefer gelato over ice cream. Usually ice cream is just too overly sweet for me.

@jrwtampa Also, what did you think of Serenade of the Seas? I haven't been on it yet, but it looks like a very fun ship. Honestly, you can't go wrong cruising with Royal Caribbean!

@jrwtampa Wow that's such a shock to hear! I hope the cruise guest is alright. I'm sure all of the other cruise guests onboard were very alarmed. Medical emergencies do happen and can be very scary. I think being understanding and caring for others is a kind approach to take. Although it happened to change your cruise itinerary, it sounds like you looked at the positives and made the most of your vacation regardless of the unexpected change of plans. If I was having a medical emergency, I would be hopeful the cruise crew and its guests would take the same approach for me. Thanks for sharing your perspective here.

@grammysgram This is a good space to ask those questions because many cruisers choose to bring their dogs along on vacation. First of all, I hope you have an amazing sailing on Norwegian Sky. This ship has a smaller, more intimate feeling, and hopefully the ship is more accommodating for a service animal. Norwegian Sky weighs 77,104 tons. Secondly, I don't have experience cruising with a service animal, but I would say checking in with Norwegian Cruise Line is a good first step. I'm not sure if your service animal will be granted its own space, but I'm sure the pet will be able to stay in your stateroom with you with proper documentation. The cruise line will likely want to see shot records and additional documentation prior to embarkation. Thirdly, I think every port of call is different in terms of what they allow. If you need to skip a port of call to stay back with your service animal, I'm sure you will still have a nice time. It could possibly even be a better time because usually the ship is less crowded when others are off-ship.

One of MSC Cruises' well-loved directors, Gene Young, just unexpectedly passed away. Was anyone able to meet this cruise director in person? It's such a tragedy and completely unexpected! I'm thinking of all of those who are mourning his loss.

@kefthecruiser You made me laugh. This dog is leading the "pack," possibly starting a new trend. Maybe dogs could have their own category of loyalty statuses? It could appear with loyalty level perks such as, "the gift of a signature pet hair brush" or "unlimited dog treats."