Featured Cruise Articles
& Reviews
ROYAL CARIBBEAN EXPANDS ALLURE OF THE
SEAS INAUGURAL SEASON, details in
Cruise
News
NEW
Cruise Review: They had to postpone a
planned Transatlantic crossing aboard
Celebrity Solstice, but
our contributors Vincent and Mary
Finelli finally sail a Caribbean cruise aboard her and share their
experiences. Of particular interest is Vincent's description of an
accessible balcony stateroom.
Are
you in the mood for love?
With Valentine's Day just around
the corner, Cruise Diva shares
her picks for the
Most Romantic Ships.
Get hints to enhance
Romance at Sea and
enjoy Princess Cruises' sumptuous
Ultimate Balcony Dinner.
Romantic
Revelations - Who's the most attuned to romance? "He
said/She said" survey results from Princess Cruises.
Cruise
Lines Forecast Growth & Continued Success:
Even in an uncertain economy, the future of cruise travel looks brighter on the
horizon. Cruise Diva shares
The State
of the Cruise Industry 2010
Cruises,
the Social Network Way to Travel
— While a cruise is a great
vacation for families & friends, it isn't necessary to have a
ready-made group of acquaintances in order to feel comfortable
on a cruise.
Select
Your Cruise Ship Cabin
— Inside or Outside? Balcony Stateroom or Suite? Take a look at
the accommodations available before choosing yours.
New Cruise Ships For 2010:
Debuting in the coming year are a flotilla of
fantastic ocean-going vessels. Some are new designs, some are sister-ships to
their current fleetmates. Find out which one is Cruise Diva's pick
for most innovative in
2010's New Cruise
Ship Launches. Hint, it's going to be an "Epic" year.
Antarctica Expeditions: Two Very
Different Experiences
— Was one more satisfying than the other? Read what Joe
Reynolds reports from his expedition aboard
Professor Multanovskiy
and compare it to the more well-known
National
Geographic Explorer as detailed by P Modo. If you're
looking for a similar adventure, you decide.
Cruise Planning & Preparation—Things To Do:
For smooth
sailing, follow Cruise
Diva's
Cruise Planning Timeline as a part of your
pre-cruise preparation strategy.
When MSC
Poesia Arrived in the United States, she had a
second christening of sorts as she was welcomed to Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades
by television icon, author, and entrepreneur Suzanne Somers. Come
aboard with Cruise Diva for a first-hand look at an
MSC Poesia
Caribbean Cruise.
Paper
Luggage Tags?
While most passengers have no complaint about printing
e-documents for their cruise, luggage tags printed on paper are a cause for
concern. As frequent cruiser George Hall said recently, "Someone
will have to explain to me how these paper tags stay on through the
process." Cruise Diva has had occasion to print out and use the
paper tags and offers suggestions for how to keep them securely
in place:
Luggage Tags,
Then & Now
Recent Cruise
Reviews:
Celebrity
Solstice;
Oasis of the Seas;
MSC Poesia;
Westerdam;
Seven Seas
Mariner;
Celebrity Equinox;
Prince
Albert II;
Sapphire
Princess;
Zuiderdam;
Celebrity Summit;
Mariner of the
Seas;
Splendour
of the Seas;
Coral
Princess;
MSC Orchestra;
Ruby Princess;
Seven Seas
Mariner;
Silver Wind;
Royal Clipper;
Carnival Ecstasy;
Norwegian Pearl;
Azamara Quest;MORE
REVIEWS...
Travelers'
Health, The Plane Facts About Your Veins:
A first-hand look at the dangers associated with
Deep Vein
Thrombosis. What is it? Are you at risk? Unfortunately,
nearly three-quarters of adults don't realize how deadly DVT is,
despite the fact that complications resulting from it kill more people
annually than automobile accidents, AIDS, and breast cancer
combined. Cruise Diva was aware of DVT, but never dreamed it
would almost take her life. Here are the warning signs and, more
importantly, what you can do to prevent it from striking you.
Booking A Cruise At The Pier
—
The cruising urban legend that will not die.
It's Show Time!
and Cruise Diva ventured
Behind The
Stage after a performance of the movie musical
concert "Stage & Screen" aboard Westerdam for a peek
at what goes into the making of Holland America Line's dazzling
production shows. Have you ever wondered
how the performers make those quick costume changes? Here's your
chance to find out.
Dining At Its Finest
—
The
Chef's
Table, a new concept in dining aboard Holland
America Line's ms Westerdam is an exquisite five course pairing
of wines selected by the ship's Cellar Master
to complement the gourmet dishes prepared a la minute by the Executive Chef in the Culinary Arts Center's show kitchen.
The table is set, the champagne is poured, so join Cruise Diva to enjoy a
divine meal with wines poured at each course. As a bonus, Chef
Andreas also shares a
very useful kitchen tip you can use at home.
A cruising travel necessity... Have DUCK
Tape, Will Travel — this is NOT your father's duct tape. Don't leave
home without it.
Cruise
Travel Cost Control:
Those boarding passes/room keys pictured here... ultimately,
they are "Sail 'n Spend" cards.
To keep your vacation budget from sinking, Cruise Diva offers
Money Saving Tips that you can use when planning your
cruise as well as once you are on board. We also clear up the confusion
about
What's Included In Your Cruise Fare (and what isn't).
You have to get to port before sailing, so we take a look at
Air & Sea
Programs and how you can save time, money, and
aggravation on flights.
Cruise
Ship Designing Men & Women
— A lot of thought goes into the decor and design accessories that
you find aboard cruise ships. If you're like me, you'd like to take
some of it with you when your cruise is over. You can! Here's how to adapt
the most appealing Cruise Ship
Decor to your personal environment.
Catch The Communications Wave At
Sea
— The Internet, WiFi-enabled laptop computers, and cell phones
deliver
Tech Savvy Cruise
Travel. Cruise Diva looks at the services offered by
major cruise lines.
It's
your duty to shop, but it won't be free! Before you
board your ship, get Cruise Diva's strategies for smart
Shopping on Your
Cruise Vacation and also learn
how to snag some
No-Cost Souvenirs.
About those flip-flops... you'll have to sail on Celebrity Cruises'
Solstice to sink your toes into them.
No
two cruises are identical. Are your expectations realistic? Discover
What
to Expect On Your Cruise.
The True Confession of a pack-aholic.
That would be your Cruise Diva. Learn how I overcame my pack-aholism
with a streamlined strategy for
Packing
It In
Consideration, Courtesy,
Civility — Pack your best manners and
observe the three C's at sea with CruiseDiva.com's
Cruise
Ship Etiquette.
Cruise
Line Brochures
— What do they say?
~ How
to read them & get the information you need
~ What are the
Brochure
Buzz Words
Going Ashore
—
Sightseeing can be a large add-on expense to a cruise vacation. Should
you choose Shore Excursions vs. Independent Touring
? CruiseDiva offers
decision-making suggestions and helps you
Decipher Excursion
Descriptions.
Cruise Lines'
Private Islands
—
Established to provide a beach break on an island (or part of one)
reserved for their exclusive use, most are located in the Bahamas chain
of "home" islands and included in certain Caribbean itineraries.Smoke on the Water
— Can you smoke on
your cruise ship? Cruise Diva outlines the cruise lines'
smoking policies.
Timing
is Everything
— Insure smooth sailing on
Embarkation Day
by
following Cruise Diva's arrival tips.
Fodor's
Caribbean Ports of Call 2010
is all you need to plan your days ashore, PLUS a cruise primer section and
cruise line profiles by Cruise Diva, Linda Coffman
Get other top picks in Cruise Guidebooks
& Travel Magazines