Cruise Tips Online®

Expert Advice for First Time Cruisers and Seasoned Travelers.

From planning to packing, from discount rates to departure dates, everything you need to know before you go. Add your own article....share the experience. 

 Cruise Blog: From planning to packing, from discount rates to departure dates, everything you need to know before you go. 
 

Tried-and-true tips and an insiders guide to have a successful cruise vacation. Get the latest cruise news, cruise reviews, tips, feature cruise articles, such as our ultimate packing list, and need to know information about cruising. The definitive cruise guide, a must read, before you plan your next cruise...read about exciting locales in Destinations Uncovered...or read about readers favorite cruise lines for taking the kids and teens.

 
 

 

 


This Week's Top 10: Cruise Hot Spots

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CRUISE REVIEWS ONLINE

Over 8,700 sailings ,213 Cruise Ships ,29 Major Cruise Lines ,1,600 Deck Plan images ,2,500 itinerary maps ,Hundreds of port descriptions, Thousands of In-Depth Cruise Reviews , Cruise Ship Ratings. Professionally -written reviews by staff travel writers. 

1.

Alaska

Anchorage, Haines, Juneau, Ketchikan, Seward, Sitka, Skagway, Vancouver, Victoria

2.

Asia

Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and China.

3.

Australia/New Zealand

Adelaide, Sydney, Auckland, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Christchurch and more

4.

Canada/New England

Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax,Québec City, Montreal and more

5.

Caribbean

All Caribbean Islands

6.

Europe  Scandinavia  

Mediterranean

Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Scotland, Scandinavia, Russia, Estonia, Germany
England, France

Spain, Monaco, Italy,

Greece, Turkey, Croatia

and more

7.

Hawaii

Hilo, Honolulu, Lahaina, Kahului, Kona, Kauai, Maui

8.

Mexico

Ensenada,Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Ixtapa, Zihuatenejo and Acapulco

9.

Panama Canal

Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, Huatulco, Puntarenas,Fuerte Amador,Panama City, Cartagena and more

10.

South America

Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Punta Arenas

and more.

HELPFUL LINKS

Passport Information

U.S. Passport Information

How to get a passport

Download a passport application!

United States Customs

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Travel Warnings, Advisories

State Department Advisory

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Tips For Travelers

Country Background Notes

Overseas Security Advisory Council

Human Rights Report

Public Announcements

Travel Health

CDC Sanitation Inspections of Cruise Ships by ship.

Motion Sickness

Center for Disease Control

Country Specific Health Information

Hurricane Information 

Tropical Weather Outlook

National Hurricane Center- Home Page

US Embassy and Consulates

United States Embassies and Consulates Worldwide

Currency Conversion

The Currency Site

Time Zone Converter

Timezoneconverter

 

College Of

Cruise Knowledge

What to Know

Before You Go...

A wealth of information and knowledge about cruise lines, cruise ships, deck plans, onboard activities, destinations, ports-of-call and much more.

About Azamara Cruises

About Carnival Cruises

About Royal Caribbean Cruises

About Princess Cruises

About Holland America Cruises

Quick Links

Cruise reviews, cruise tips, and planning advice for singles cruises, family cruises, group cruises, couples cruises, alumni, family reunion & honeymoon cruises.

  Scroll Down There's More...

Cruise Secrets Revealed...

Did you Know?

Most cruise lines do not allow

travel agents to advertise prices lower than the cruise lines offer to those who book directly with the cruise line. However, some do allow travel agencies to discount by rebating part of the commissions, when dealing directly with a potential customer. If you are shopping the Internet for cruise prices, you're most likely going to find many travel sites quoting the same price. But, the price you're seeing on a travel agent's web site is not necessarily the best price that travel agency is able to offer you. To find out a travel agency's best price on a particular cruise, you should call them, or e-mail them a request for a price quote. Most travel agencies have toll-free phone numbers. Don't hesitate to call or email them-- you could save a lot!

Cruise Tips For First Time Cruisers

Cruise Tips For Seasoned Travelers

More Cruise Tips

Are some ships better than others for children?
 While most cruise lines offer supervised activities for children—such as swimming, sports, movies, and games—some ships don't, and some ships have better programs than others. In addition, some programs have minimum age requirements (generally age 2 or 3). To find the best children’s programs, we suggest you read the programs section at Family Cruises Online. Though you may initially think of Disney Cruise Line when shopping for a family-friendly cruise (and it certainly is family friendly), many other ships offer children's programs (and adult activities) that may be just as appealing

...more cruise tips

We recommend arriving at the city of your port of embarkation one day prior to the day your ship sets sail. You may encounter during the winter months or at times of bad weather, or flight problems, an en-route delay on sailing day. Be sure to ask your Cruise Travel Advisor about custom air, and pre-cruise hotel packages. After all, you don't want to be waving goodbye on the pier as the ship sails out of port without you!

If you are flying on the same day as your cruise sets sail, plan to be at the pier for check-in at least  least 4 hours prior to the time the ship is scheduled to depart. Also, due to heighten security at the pier and at the airport, when planning your return flight home allow for several hours between the time you get off the ship and the time you need to board your flight home.  We suggest no earlier than 1:30PM for a flight home. ....more cruise tips
Need help choosing a destination or cruise? We are pleased share our knowledge and point you in the right direction. Get started here

Partner Sites

CRUISE BLOG: Tried-and-true tips and an insiders guide to have a successful cruise vacation. Get the latest cruise news, cruise reviews, tips, feature cruise articles, such as our ultimate packing list, and need to know information about cruising. The definitive cruise guide, a must read, before you plan your next cruise...read about exciting locales in Destinations Uncovered...or read about readers favorite cruise lines for taking the kids and teens.

 

Internet Search Results

Cruise Deals: Search For

The Best Last Minute Cruises, Cheap Cruises ...
Use Ultimate Search to find cheap cruises and cruise deals, real deal discounts, last minute cruise deals from $139!, book now as cruises this cheap will sell out fast...                                                       ADVERTISEMENT
 

About US

Marty & Raye Trencher

Raye & I are a husband and wife team with more than 30 years experience cruising the world. Our commentary has been quoted by MSNBC, CNN,  Budget Travel, Chicago Tribune, the New York Times and in syndicated travel columns and online sites across the country.

 We are publishers of Cruise Travel Magazine, and  are also editors of Cruise Reviews Online. Our mission is plain and simple. To provide real-life accounts and expert advice, not just a flood of information. We literarily have cruised "round the world", sailing thousands of nautical miles, visiting ports of call, inspecting ships, sampling itineraries and critiquing shore excursions... And now we hope to pass on that knowledge and information to you. Our stories offer the best possible cruise options based on your lifestyle, interests, budget, travel experience, etc....plus we'll point out where to get group rates( without joining a group!), free upgrades, shipboard credits and other amenities or discounts. Get advise about tipping; packing; clothing; flights and schedule options; shore excursions, proper immigration documentations and much more. We tell you how to avoid travel scams and common travel mistakes, and share insights on the latest cruise news and how it affects your vacation planning.

Cruises to popular destinations:

Planning a cruise? Come to Cruise Tips Online first. Our destination guides provide you with helpful travel information, tips and suggestions on what there is to see and do, while your ship is in port..

 

Featured Ports of Call:

Alaska | Caribbean | Mexico | Panama Canal | Europe | Asia | Mediterranean  | Scandinavia  | Transatlantic | Australia/New Zealand | Canada | Hawaii | South America | Other Destinations | Cruise Reviews  

 

Cruise Quote of the Week:

If you want to get the real-deal reviews for comparing cruise lines, don't go to the cruise website. They're going to feature only positive reviews and that isn't what you're looking for. Instead, try websites that allow consumers to post real-life reviews of different cruise lines. cruisereport.com is a good example of this type of site as are cruisecritic.com and cruisereviewsonline.com. This will give you an idea of what actual patrons think about different ships and will give you an idea of what to look for -- and what to avoid

 

Cruise Tip Question of the Week:

Q. I want to take my family on a cruise? What cruise lines cater to families?

and what kind of activities to they have for young children?

Here's our readers Top 10 Family-Focused Cruise Lines. Start here.

 

Recommendations for cruises, cruise tours, cruise deals, cruise destinations, vacations, travel packages, travel guides and lots more!

Ports Of Call

 

Click here for a list of every port visited by every cruise ship in our database. Over a Thousand! Hint: If you would like to see all of the sailings that visit a port, click on the port name. For example, if you are interested in a cruise that stops in Venice, Italy,

click the link for Venice, Italy.

.

Cruise Destinations

 

Alaska

Alaska Cruisetours

Asia

Australia/New Zealand

Canada

Caribbean

Eastern Caribbean

Europe

Hawaii

Mediterranean

Mexico

Panama Canal

Scandinavia

South America

South Pacific

Southern Caribbean

Transatlantic

Transpacific

U.S. Pacific Coast

Western Caribbean

Family Cruises

 

Ultimate Family Cruise Guide, children's programs at sea, tips for cruising with kids, teenagers, grandchildren, toddlers and details on cruise line family discounts...

Looking To Do a Family Reunion Cruise? FREE Family Reunion help

Visit Family Cruises Online

Cruises Close To Home

 

There are 22 departure ports in the United States and Canada that are ready to welcome you. Just click here to find a port nearest you to start planning your next cruise.

 

Did you know the most overlooked way to stretch your dollar is to form your own cruise group. Traveling with family or friends, or both, can lower costs enough so you can travel even when the economies not that good. Of course, most of us don't have the time - or inclination - to make the calls and do the research for an entire group. It's a big job. On the other hand, booking a group cruise is easy for a professional travel agent. Your agent can create a package that works for you, while your group will realize across-the-board savings  from group discounts that your agent discovers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Find out more information about Group Cruise Deals

 

Cruising Regions: Alaska Cruises • Asia Cruises • Australia & New Zealand Cruises • Bahamas Cruises • Bermuda Cruises • Mediterranean Cruises • Canada & New England Cruises • Caribbean Cruises • Europe Cruises • Hawaii Cruises • Mexican Riviera Cruises • Panama Canal Cruises • South America Cruises • South Pacific Cruises


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The Cruise Reports shown at the web site are the product of The Professional Internet Travel Alliance, an association with a strict Code of Ethics whose membership is comprised of the most respected travel professionals doing business on the Internet. Membership demonstrates our commitment to earning our customer's trust. In fact,

the management team that started the association is the same team that created the largest network of travel web sites in the World.                                         

 

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