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All About Automatic Gratuities

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A cruise passenger’s “last night on board” routine used to include stuffing small envelopes with cash tips to give to crew members who made the journey enjoyable. In our increasingly cashless society, many cruise lines – including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises – now automatically add a fee for crew gratuities to passengers’ bills. Some other popular cruise lines – such as Oceania, Azamara and Virgin Voyages – simply include gratuities for the crew in their cruise fares. Automatic fees for crew gratuities are convenient for passengers – you don’t have to bring a bunch of cash on board with you to tip the crew. And when gratuities are automatic, no further tipping is expected. Plus, prepaying for crew gratuities makes budgeting for your onboard expenses easier. If your next cruise doesn’t offer an automatic gratuities fee, you might still be able to take care of them in advance by purchasing a bundle of extras that includes crew gratuities. These bundles...
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When a Cruise is Cancelled

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  Why are cruises sometimes – but rarely – cancelled? When it happens, it’s usually for one of the following reasons: Weather. Stormy weather during a cruise may lead to itinerary changes; but if weather damages a ship’s embarkation port, it can result in cruises from that homeport being cancelled until repairs can be made. Dry dock delays. Cruise lines carefully plan and schedule “dry dock” stints to update and renovate their ships. But when a ship is in dry dock, there may be unexpected delays in the work. That, in turn, may delay the ship’s return to sailing. Unplanned repairs. If a ship’s structure or systems are damaged and need unexpected repairs, cruises may be cancelled until the repairs can be completed. War and other crises. When war, widespread unrest, or health emergencies affect a major port or a region of the world, they may cause cruises to be cancelled. Full-ship charters. There are times when an entire ship is chartered by a corporation, a theme crui...
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Gen Z at Sea

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The average age of cruise passengers is trending younger: a 2025 report from the Cruise Lines International Association says that people age 20 to 29 now make up 20% of cruise passengers (and growing). These cruise fans make up part of Gen Z, loosely defined as people born from 1997 to 2012. So, if you’re a member of Gen Z, where can you find your peers at sea? Or, if you’re in a different age group but want to cruise with your favorite Gen Zer, what type of cruise should you look for? We don’t mean to generalize about a group of individuals who certainly have their own personal tastes, but some travel industry research shows that members of Gen Z tend to appreciate certain qualities in a cruise. For example, as witnesses to the Great Recession of 2008 and the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, members of Gen Z are generally careful with money. They want good value for their vacation dollars – and that makes cruising a natural choice. Shorter cruise itineraries may best fit...
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The Small Check-In Mistake That Can Lose Your Luggage

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Airport Codes on Checked Bags  When you hand your luggage over at the airport counter, do you check the paper tag they attach to the handle? If not, you might be setting yourself up for a lost bag nightmare. When luggage is left unmarked or tagged with the wrong airport code, ground crews have no choice but to offload it at the intermediate stop. Consider this real-life scenario: A family flew from Tulsa to Vancouver with a layover in Denver. Because their baggage tags were only printed through to Denver, their bags were taken off the plane there while the family flew on to Vancouver for a cruise. The luggage sat on the Denver carousel until airline staff moved it to storage—where it stayed for ten days. How to Protect Your Bags: Verify the Final Code: Always look at the routing code printed on your tag before it heads down the conveyor belt. Match Your Itinerary:   The code printed on the tag should match your final destination airport code. Speak ...
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Meet the Norwegian Luna

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  Norwegian Cruise Line’s second Prima Plus Class ship, the Norwegian Luna , is now on the waves. Christened in March, Luna has a maximum capacity of about 4,200 passengers and a modern, boutique-hotel vibe. While Luna has a lot in common with the Norwegian Aqua , the ship also has some unique features, beginning with the hull art: a sophisticated dreamscape by muralist ELLE, who is Luna ’s godparent. Luna ’s cabins are another design highlight, with sleek furnishings that contribute to a spacious feel. There’s good storage, including full-length closets, wire basket drawers, deep shelves and convenient wall hooks. And while the thoughtfully designed bathrooms are still compact, they are a little more spacious than on other Norwegian ships. For solo cruisers, Luna has more than 70 studio staterooms specifically designed for one. They come with keycard access to the Studio Lounge, which offers beverages, snacks, and the opportunity to chat with other solo travelers. Luna a...
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Enjoying Your Cruise Ship’s Main Dining Room

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Hubbard Glacier   Lots of cruise passengers look forward to dining at the ship’s bountiful buffet, and at specialty restaurants that serve elevated cuisine. But there’s another choice that passengers sometimes overlook: the main dining room, or MDR. MDRs are often quite large but also cozy, with soft carpeting, padded chairs, and tablecloths. Usually open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, MDR menus change daily (though some favorite dishes may be repeated). On some cruises, the MDR will feature specialties from the region you’re sailing in. MDRs may offer a choice of set dining times, come-when-you-like dining, or both. You may love the flexibility of dining whenever you’re ready, but a set dining time might be the best choice if you’d like to eat with the same people each day. The dress code in the MDR may be less formal than you think. On many ships, the only real requirement is to change out of very casual attire (such as swimsuits, shorts, very ripped jeans, graphic tees a...
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New Ports of Call in Alaska

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Delali National Park In just a few weeks, we’ll be heading back to Alaska, and this time the adventure includes several ports we’ve never visited before. We’re especially excited because this voyage will be a one-way cruise, sailing southbound from Anchorage to Vancouver. When it comes to seeing Alaska by sea, there are a few different ways to do it: Round-trip cruises , where the ship returns to the original port One-way cruises , which begin or end in Vancouver, BC, and travel either northbound or southbound Cruise-tours , which combine a seven-day cruise with a few additional days exploring Alaska’s parks and wildlife inland Our sailing will be a seven-day southbound cruise, and along the way we’ll visit a mix of familiar favorites and brand-new ports. For us, several of these stops will be firsts, which makes the trip even more exciting. Ports We’ll Be Visiting Valdez, Alaska Haines, Alaska Icy Strait Point, Alaska Wr...
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