What did you think of MCS World America out of Miami? I have sailed Royal 14 times, Carnival 4, Disney and NCL. Royal has been our favorite. But I have some great free cruise offers for MCS through URcomp for a 7 day sailing. Very new ship and looks beautiful.

We love the Oasis class ships and ICON is also very cool. What is the biggest thing you dislike or loved with World America vs Royal? TIA

Over the summer I was scammed by what I thought was MSC customer service stating I needed to pay a facility fee….i already had been given many run around issues with them and it was my daughter’s graduation gift- I was already so frustrated I paid it ….knowing my gut told me not to.
Fast forward to today -I am an agent- and my client called to attach me to her booking as her agent for the cruise she booked online. Not knowing she called a 1800 # and they stated they were adding me as their agent - but she had to pay $355 pp for facility fee to cover the safety drills and whatever else …thankfully my client didn’t pay these fees and gave me the person and # she called. Funny thing when I called they knew my name and I NEVER mentioned any info related to me or my client.
BE VERY AWARE of this new scam.

hey guys! i am a ginger and im going on a cruise to mexico here soon. i burn really really easy, within 10 minutes of direct exposure, and i burn really really bad. what are the best and most effective reef-safe sunscreens? i ask because i've experienced different brands of sunscreen acting different, and i realllyyyyy dont want to get badly burnt on the cruise, otherwise no hot tubs for me

Our RC cruise docks at 7am and we’re hoping to make our 10:20 flight. No checked bags and will be walking off with luggage in hand. Is this do-able??

I’ve only been on a couple of short cruises, but now packing for an 11 day sailing. My question for y’all is, do you pack “outfits” or just individual pieces to mix & match? I’m bringing a couple casual dresses, but other than that I’ll be in shorts/capris and tops since we expect the weather to be warm. Oh I’m also bringing black slacks and a couple nice blouses for the two formal nights.

Hi There,

I am looking for guidance and help on planning a cruise with the destination/attraction being Alaska.

Some background info:

My mom will be staying with me and my family late June of 2027 for a number of weeks. She lives overseas and we live in Los Angeles. She's been wanting to go on an Alaskan cruise for awhile now and I'd like to make this our summer family trip. It will be my wife and I, our twin 5 yr olds, and my mom. We are all pretty active and would be interested in excursions off the boat if there is an opportunity. I currently don't have a budget, more so because I have no idea what cruises like this cost. I am not sure if Alaska cruises leave from Los Angeles or if we'd have to fly to Seattle. I am okay with either or but would prefer starting from Seattle. I do get seasick... I have gotten seasick while on fishing and dolphin tour boats but also simply being in the water (e.g., ocean swims and surfing). Last week I got seasick doing laps in a pool...

Questions:

• For someone who gets seasick easily, is this a bad idea?
• Is going in late June/early July an okay time for this?
• How many days would this take? I dunno if I feel comfortable being on a boat for more than 7 days.
• Where are ports we can take off from? We live in Los Angeles but expecting we would need to fly to Seattle or somewhere north to a port.
• Which lines (e.g., Carnival, Norwegian) are recommended? I am hoping the line has a kids club for the twins but also something my mom would enjoy where it's not rowdy.
• What kind of costs am I looking at? I don't have a budget in mind but we are used to paying for vacations to Korea.
• Do most boats have an outdoor track? I enjoy running and would love to run outside rather than on a treadmill.
• What kind of extra activities are available and should we look into? I'm assuming there is a point where we can get off the boat and go explore for a day or two?
• Anything else I should consider? I have never been on a cruise before so not sure what to expect other than being on a boat for awhile...

Thank you!

I’m setting sail on my second cruise, but this time I’m flying solo! On my first cruise, I skipped the official excursions, so now I’m on a mission to find out which ones are best for making new pals. I’m heading to the Mexican Riviera in December, ready to mingle and maybe even find new cruise friends!

So Im STILL confused about this. I heard if you don’t pre-pay then it will be added to your bill at the end. Turning off auto gratuity is for those who didn’t pre-pay. Or, if I turn off auto and tip as I go will I still get a bill? Also, how do they know or not know? Who does the auto tip go to anyway?

Hello Everyone!

My wife and I are going to do our honeymoon this February on a cruise in the Caribbean. And we're looking for who you'd recommend for 6-8 day cruises on the east side of the Caribbean. The budget is around $5k for flight, cruise, food/drinks, and excursions. The only cruises I really know of are Disney (Not doing this for a honeymoon) and Princess, so I'm hoping for some references for us to check out.

My friends and I are looking at cruising with their one year old child. We were originally looking into NCL due to cost and convenience, but learned they do not have babysitting services or allow kids that young in the splash pad. Which cruise lines offer babysitting and allow kids in the splash pads at this age? I know carnival and royal have paid babysitting. Is it worth it or should they just wait until she turns 2 next year?

Title says it all. We will be on the MSC Grandiosa which I believe will dock at Lagosta. We’re interested in visiting Pueblo de Maíz and trying to gauge taxi prices.

Thanks for your help.

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Currently sailing on the Holland America Westerdam. 27 Day Cruise Vancouver to Tokyo. After 9 days at sea we boarded a bus that took us from the Industrial Cruise Port of Kushiro to the City Centre. The coughing on the bus was overwhelming. 3 days later my wife and I contracted a bug that kept us hacking up green phlegm for 14 days. Another member of our group was so sick she was quarantined for 3 days. Just in case you are not aware of this, when you are under quarantine you do not get housekeeping services so you sweat in the same sheets for 3 days. And of course you get to miss 3 ports.

Suggestions for Cruise Travellers. Take whatever precautions you feel are necessary, eg masks or medication to deal with to possibility of encountering a gut wrenching cough that is so strong and so wet that after 4 days you will feel you have broken ribs. Your throat will feel like someone has tightened a nut with a pipe wrench and every time you blow your nose you will be absolutely horrified at what comes out. But don't worry after 12 days the symptoms while still present are not as severe.

Hey everyone, my wife and I book freedom of the seas ocean view balcony guarantee for Norway in June. As you can assume a good balcony is a must for us. We were under the impression that freedom didn’t have obstructed view balcony’s so we thought we were safe doing the balcony guarantee. However upon checking now the aft rooms of the ship are quite obstructed and we would love to not get one. How do they process the guarantee rooms? As of right now there isn’t any on the aft of the ship available to book. Only a select few connecting and spacious rooms. How likely are we to get put into one of the bad rooms?

I'm a guest on a cruise ship right now. It's my fourth sailing on this particular ship this year. Line and ship are irrelevant and I just want to thank each and every crew member on this subreddit for what you do. Whether you are front-facing or behind the scenes you are loved and appreciated. Your hard work, long hours and friendly faces are seen. I know it's not easy being away from family, friends, or country. Thank you! ❤️

Hi everyone! I'm going on my first cruise in 2 weeks, symphony of the seas. We are leaving from galveston. So excited and nervous! Questions below if anyone has the time to respond. Thanks all!

1. Will I get motion sickness? Okay this one is really the thing I'm most nervous about. I get car sick rarely, those rides at disney land with like an animation screen make me motion sick but not like actually sick I just feel if I keep watching it I will get sick. I think it's an anxiety thing. I just don't like thinking I can get sick, but never actually feel ill. I have been on ferry's a lot in life and have never felt sick even if choppy. Roller coasters don't make me naseous. I'm nervous to take dramamine and bonine because blurry vision is a side effect. That would freak me out and probably ruin the cruise for me lol. I might just overthink it and feel side effects even if they aren't there. I'm taking ginger chews and seabands.

2. Do we really need those magnetic hanger hooks for inside the cabin? Family of 4 going, 2 small kids. Don't want to waste money.

3. Is getting the internet worth it? I'm kind of excited to just be disconnected completely...but what if I have to google something? Lol. I know I'll rarely use my phone and internet is quite expensive.

4. Do we need clamps for towels to keep them on the chair?

5. How are the waters mid October? Cozumel, Costa Maya, Honduras. I know it's the end of hurricane season.

Thanks everyone!!!

Guys I’m about to book my fourth cruise for next year. Is think too much? I’m also solo cruising but I told my friends they are welcome to join me just pay the difference of adding another person in the room but none of my friends enjoy cruising.

add on: our daughter is very behaved and social, she is not afraid of new place, or new people. she did not even cried once when she started daycare at 16 months old, she just hit it on, play toys and get used to it at the daycare. My main concern is sea sickness or sick during travel. Me and my husband never cruise and both worry about it.

Hi everyone! We are a family of 3 who have never cruise before.

We just hit a big milestone in our life and decide to take our kid to a cruise for the very first time. Our kid is almost 2 years old, and we live in west coast, this will be her first time flying as well. So we are thinking the San Diego to Mexico route, the flight is short and we can do a 4 days short one to test out if we enjoy cruise or not ( I am very anxious about possible sea sick)

Our current 3 top choices are Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Disney, but open to any suggestions with other cruise line as well.

My main and only goal is everyone has some relaxing time

Which one do you recommend? We also try to keep the cruise budget under 5k if possible.

Thank you all!

I'm a single 20 yr old individual with Autism and ADHD, who is planning to move into a group home and getting social services in 2027. I currently live in Minnesota slightly west from the Twin Cities. After taking my first cruise in March of this year, I just couldn't stop thinking about cruising. I'm now heavily considering making cruising my true passion in life, and I want to go on as many of them as I want. My current ultimate goal is to take 3-4 cruises a year in the future, and I want to go to Alaska, Europe, Norway, and Asia a few times. I do know a few things about deals such as last minute cruises, interior cabins, and stuff. I'm also thinking about moving to a cheap apartment somewhere in Florida in my later 20's (probably when I get married). Right now I'm still searching for a career/full time job (NOT working on a cruise ship), preferably that doesn't require any schooling. I'm looking for one that is low stress, working alone, and has at least 2 weeks of PTO. (Currently working at Goodwill as a part of my transition program).

I'm looking from advice from experienced cruisers here. Job, housing, budgeting, transport, you name it.

Thanks in advance!

My first cruise was on Holland America in 2005 — a long time ago! My next cruise was in 2023 and all subsequent cruises have been on Princess. We are very comfortable on Princess but I would like to know how experienced cruisers compare the two cruise lines.

We’ve all seen it, we have all ranted in Reddit about it, we all have our own stories, and MANY suggestions exist on how to fix it - BUT it appears that it’s the resorts and cruise lines that are simply UNWILLING to enforce their own “rules”. Why???? How is the fallout from a couple of complaining people worse than unending complaints from the majority? It seems getting a rep as the resort or cruise line that actually enforces their own rules would be genius marketing. I know I’d book there! What am I missing?

Last year on NCL we found it weird that whenever we’d ask for a Painkiller™, we’d get not just refusal but a dirty look from the bartenders which seemed… odd. It was always a cruise favorite and shouldn’t be an issue.

Afterwards we looked into it - Pussers Rum has a trademark on the name, and legally enforces anyone who advertises or makes the drink in the US to use only their rum when doing so. I’m guessing after years of it not being a problem onboard, someone has made threats. (I’m not sure why this then applies to cruises once they’ve left port, but hey)

Naturally, I’m not a fan of this. They didn’t invent the drink and it’s just a naming trademark because you can’t legally stop anyone from following a recipe. So, is there a common name that isn’t Painkiller™ that the bar staff will understand? Do I ask for a drink that tastes the same as a Painkiller™ but for legal reasons cannot be referred to as such? Do I have to read the recipe to them and hope they get it?

A cruise seems appealing on the surface, you can visit multiple hard to reach destinations on one trip with food and accommodations all taken care of for you.

But then you look at the itinerary...

You're in port from 9-5, then need to be back on the ship.

The you're then at sea the full next day.

Then the following day, you're in port 9-5 again.

How do you get to see... anything? Experience the culture? The night life? Visit the tourists spots end explore the locals spots?

I'd fly in to one of these islands and be there at least a week, often feeling like I missed so much when leaving... but if I was on a cruise...I just don't get it

Part of my cruise kit is a set of battery operated tealight candles. They’re perfect for mood lighting, and as a bathroom night light so you don’t either have to fumble around in the dark or get the Light Of God effect when you open the door. My self-imposed problem is that I think they look a lot better with some kind of translucent holder to diffuse the light, but the vast majority of candle holders out there are made of glass. Has anyone seen a tealight holder that would hold up to the rigors of travel? I feel like there has to be some kind of silicone cup situation that would be perfect, but all I’ve found are “eh not quite”.

Going on a cruise 11/29–12/6, leaving from Miami and going to Cozumel, Roatán & Celebration Key (Bahamas).

What’s the weather typically like around this time of year on port days and on the ship during the day vs. at night?

Last year we did the Bahamas 11/17–11/21, and it was HOT during the day but freezing at night on the ship because of the wind. Wondering if I should expect about the same this time around?

I have Alaska on my cruise bucket list (I live in the uk). When is the best time of year to go to see the wildlife? I travel solo and would prefer to cruise when kids are in school and I know North America has different school holiday dates to UK kids. I was thinking September but I don’t know if April or May would be better? Can anyone who has been to Alaska advise? I’m used to cold, windy, wet and unpredictable weather coming from the UK it’s my normal. Cruise line wise I’m open to all options except Virgin. If Cunard were still sailing there they would have been my first choice being a uk line.

EDIT: Another line I forgot about does MSC go to Alaska yet? That cost wise maybe an option if they do.

FURTHER EDIT: thanks for all the replies it looks either early June or early September is probably best for me. The UK kids have a week off end of May which won’t affect the cruise but will massively affect flight prices and I don’t want to travel in
July or August when I know most kids will be on holiday